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Mashable: Latest 11 News Updates - including “This Morning’s Top Headlines”

Mashable: Latest 11 News Updates - including “This Morning’s Top Headlines”


This Morning’s Top Headlines

Posted: 27 Jun 2011 05:16 AM PDT

Social Media News

Welcome to this morning’s edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on three particular stories of interest today.

LulzSec Shuts Down, Ends Hacking Campaign

LulzSec, the hacker group that has hacked the CIA, U.S. Senate, Nintendo, Sony and others, has announced suddenly that it is disbanding. It appears, however, that many at the organization are flocking to larger hacker group Anonymous.

Facebook Now Second Most Popular Site in UK

Facebook is now the second most popular site in the UK after Google, having received roughly 400,000 more visits than Microsoft’s MSN/WindowsLive/Bing sites combined in May, says Nielsen.

HTC EVO 3D Coming to Europe

HTC has announced that the HTC EVO 3D, a powerful smartphone running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), is coming to Europe this July.

Further News

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59

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HTC EVO 3D Coming to Europe in July

Posted: 27 Jun 2011 04:11 AM PDT


One of the most powerful Android-based smartphones around, the HTC EVO 3D, is coming to Europe this July, HTC has announced.

HTC EVO 3D runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and packs some mighty hardware: a 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1 GB of RAM memory, and a 1.3-megapixel front camera for video chats as well as dual 5-megapixel cameras for capturing 3D images and videos.

What makes the EVO 3D even more compelling is the fact that you’ll be able to view those images and videos in all their 3D-glory on the stereoscopic, glasses-free, 4.3-inch qHD 3D display.

The device will be “broadly available” in Europe from July.

SEE ALSO: HTC EVO 3D & View 4G Arrive on Sprint

More About: android, europe, htc, HTC EVO 3D, smartphone

For more Mobile coverage:


With 500 Million Views, TED Talks Provide Hope For Intelligent Internet Video

Posted: 27 Jun 2011 04:02 AM PDT

TED

When Director of TED Media June Cohen shopped around the idea for a television show featuring lectures from the organization’s famously elite conference, she was told the talks didn’t have mainstream appeal.

"When the BBC told me that TED talks were too intellectual for them, I thought it was time to change strategies," she says.

Instead of television, TED ended up putting the TED talks online.

Cohen thought the presentations would mostly appeal to a small, geeky audience, but their impact has been much wider. TED’s video website, which broadcasts lectures online for free, celebrates its five-year anniversary on Monday. Since posting its first video, the site has collected about 500 million total video views, 1 million Facebook followers, and 1 million iPad app downloads.

Sure, none of the 1,000 videos have been viewed as many times as “Friday,” but they’ve been more successful than anyone at TED imagined they would be.

“Those numbers are really somewhat surprising, given the length of the videos, which is 18 minutes, and also the content,” Cohen says. “TED talks cover some majorly esoteric topics: Molecular biology, development policy, quantum physics, philosophy, poetry… I think TED talks are proof that engaging, smart free video content can go viral no matter how long it is.”

Releasing the talks online for free has changed TED’s culture from one of closed, exclusive content to a platform for spreading ideas.

About 20 of the organization’s 50 employees now work with web, video and media, along with 7,000 volunteers from around the world translating TED talks into 81 languages. As a result, the majority of video views come from outside the United States. The organization launched a Q&A platform in February to encourage discussion around the videos.

On Monday, TED will release its first TED talk online that is not in English. The talk was recorded in Mexico at a TEDx event and will be broadcast in Spanish with English Subtitles.

The next step for TED, Cohen says, will be finding a better way to reach developing countries.

“There's a real hunger in the world for meaning, for knowledge, for inspiration,” she says.

Photo credit: James Duncan Davidson / TED

More About: TED, TED Talks

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2012 Olympic Athletes Are Welcome To Tweet

Posted: 27 Jun 2011 02:56 AM PDT


Athletes competing at the 2012 Olympic Games in London are free to tweet during the competition, the Olympic Committee said.

The athletes are actively encouraged to “take part in social media and to post, blog and tweet their experiences,” the guidelines from the Olympic Committee (AOC) say, as long as it’s not for commercial purposes.

There are a couple of other stipulations, too: Tweeters must steer away from curse or vulgar words, use “first-person, diary-type formats” and shouldn’t report on events in the manner of journalists. On the other hand, “accredited media may freely utilise social media platforms for bona fide reporting purposes.”

Athletes can upload photos to social media sites but cannot sell them or distribute them in other ways. During the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, uploading photos taken at venues was prohibited.

Broadcasting audio or video taken inside the venues will stay prohibited in the 2012 London Olympics. Breaching the guidelines could mean getting banned from the competition.

Read the entire document here.

[via Reuters]

More About: 2012 London Olympics, 2012 Olympics, athletes, blog, blogging, Olympic games, olympics, social media, social media for social good, tweet, Tweeting, twitter

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BET Awards 2011: Behind the Scenes in the Social Media Lounge [PICS]

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 04:28 PM PDT


The BET Awards kick off at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sunday night, capping off what’s been a major digital campaign to drive awareness for the broadcast.

The show itself will also feature heavy social media integration, including plans to show viewer tweets and Facebook updates on-air, backstage live streaming video on BET.com and the giveaway of a Ford Focus to one person that tweets using a secret hashtag that will be revealed at the top of the broadcast.

SEE ALSO: BET Awards 2011: A Social Media Blitz

We’re live at the “social media lounge” that BET has setup for the event, where Lala will be sharing highlights from the social media sphere — including updates from celebs in attendance — during the broadcast.

Below, some pictures from the lounge, which we’ll be updating continuously as celebs stop by:


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




D'banj (@iamdbanj), who was winner of Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009.


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




LA LA (@lala) gives away a Ford Focus to a random Twitter user that used a special hashtag during the show.


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




Hosea Chanchez (@HoseaChanchez) and Pooch Hall (@iam_poochhall) from "The Game"


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




Necole Bitchie (@NECOLEBITCHIE) stops by the social media lounge.


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




Actress Meagan Good (@meagangood) stops by the social media lounge.


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




The Five Heartbeats


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




Taraji P. Henson (@therealtaraji) stops by the social media lounge.


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




One of these Twitter users will be winning a Ford Focus shortly.


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




Host Lala reads tweets from fans after Chris Brown wins the first award of the night.


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




The winners of the BET Awards will be revealed via an HTC Evo View 4G tablet.


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




Social media host LA LA (@lala) gets ready to go on camera.


BET Awards Social Media Lounge




Hosea Chanchez (@HoseaChanchez) from "The Game" with Tijuana Jackson (@tijuanajackson)


BET Awards Social Media Lounge





BET Awards Social Media Lounge





BET Awards Social Media Lounge





BET Awards Social Media Lounge





BET Awards Social Media Lounge




The 100" screen that Lala uses is touch-enabled so she can zoom in on specific updates.


BET Awards Social Media Lounge





BET Awards Social Media Lounge





BET Awards Social Media Lounge





BET Awards Social Media Lounge




More About: bet, bet awards, celebrities, entertainment, trending

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Clock-watching: 12 Terrific Timepieces For Your Office [PICS]

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 03:21 PM PDT

How many times per day do you check the office clock? We bet quite a few, which means it’s well worth investing in one that looks good.

We’ve found a dozen designs, ranging from rad retro classics to fab future collectibles.

Take five and have a look through our photo gallery of terrific timepieces. Let us know in the comments below which one you’d like to grace your workplace walls.


1. Focus Clock




Available in black, red and silver, this contemporary clock rocks from side to side independent of the hands. It's a quirky twist on the traditional pendulum and is sure to be a talking point in the office.

Cost: $27


2. Pantone Guide




This timepiece marks the hours in rainbow-toned hues.

Cost: Approx $95


3. o'Coque Parete




Many designs already contemporize the classic cuckoo clock, but this simple, egg-shaped option is one of our favorites.

Cost: Approx $390


4. Mondaine Wall Clock




An official Swiss Railways clock, the clockface is a recognizable 1940s design classic.

Cost: Approx $395


5. ON THE FRITZ




Despite its prim and proper appearance, this clock actually hides a secret -- the second hand "has a mind of its own," making for some unpredictable behavior.

Cost: $29.99


6. Apple iBook Clock




An recycled iBook, complete with an Apple mouse as the working pendulum, this clock is a fab option for Apple fans.

Cost: $69


7. Pop Quiz Clock




Perfect for accounting department mathletes, each hour on this clever clock is marked by a math problem.

Cost: $26.99


8. Karlsson-Calendar-Clock-Flip




Karlsson's flip calendar-clock is a fresh take on a classic design.

Cost: $203.84


9. Bubble_time




We love this simple design that gives a mute clock a visual voice.

Cost: Approx $215


10. Ball Clock




Reproduced by the Vitra Design Museum, the modernist "ball clock" will bring some mid-century chic to your 21st-century office.

Cost: $335


11. Pixel Time




A blocky clock will add some 8-bit style to your workplace.

Cost: $24.99


12. 5 o'Clock Clock




As Dolly Parton would say, what a way to make a living. If you're doing the nine-to-five stretch, this amusing clock gives you something to count down to.

Cost: $130

More About: Clocks, gadgets, gallery, List, Lists, office accessories, tech

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Superphone Battle: Galaxy S II vs Droid Bionic [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 02:14 PM PDT


Which one of these two highly anticipated Android dual-core smartphones will be the hottest seller?

The Samsung Galaxy S II and Motorola Droid Bionic have been gathering considerable buzz since at least the beginning of this year, and “social media listening firm” Mashwork wanted to find out which will emerge victorious in the discerning and fickle smartphone marketplace.

Mashwork wasn’t satisfied with the normal sample size of a few thousand users, so it gathered up 14,838 opinions by drilling down into unsolicited conversations about the two phones on various social media outlets between April 1 and June 21.

The new company wondered, “Could we predict phone sales based on the online conversation regarding it?” To know for sure, we’ll have to wait until the two phones are released this summer. By the way, the Samsung Galaxy S II is rumored to be available in the U.S. on July 29, while Motorola tweeted about its Droid Bionic: “Hang tight, Droid Bionic is coming and slated for summer release.”

More About: android, dual-core, Motorola Droid Bionic, Samsung Galaxy S II, smartphones, trending

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9 Steps to Consider When Valuing Your Startup

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 01:02 PM PDT


Determining your startup's worth is one of the hardest parts of the fundraising process. There is no magic formula that will spit out a valuation, namely because the number is highly subjective. The entrepreneur, for example, anticipates huge potential and may therefore put a high valuation on his company. The investor, on the other hand sees a company that needs capital to grow and may fail without it, so he may set a low valuation. To help the process, we've devised a few considerations to help value your company.


1. What You Need


Before you set a valuation, you'll need to calculate the money needed for both immediate and long-term success. Once you have identified the general range of capital that will help you maintain and grow, you can focus on other factors that determine your company's worth.


2. Equity


No one likes to sacrifice a piece of his company, but there should be a range you feel comfortable offering up to potential investors. You need to find a balance though. Don't give up too much and lose control of your company or dilute its value, but don't be stingy either, thereby rendering your company unattractive to investors. Planning 10-20% equity for seed investments is a safe range for startups.


3. Intellectual Property


Having a lot of intellectual property could push up the valuation of your company. Your IP might be a patent, a copyright, a design or even a website code. If your IP will give you a competitive advantage, you should assign it a higher value. Look to other companies with similar IP and see what they placed as its value.


4. Other Assets


You may have purchased assets or created some other value while building your startup, for example, a domain name, servers, equipment or property. It is much easier to assign a value to a tangible asset, but be sure not to overlook intangibles when adding up the overall value.


5. Barrier to Entry


You need to consider the time it would take for someone to copy your idea. Simple ideas often have low barriers to entry; they'll have to fight off "me-too" companies very quickly – for example, Groupon and other "deal of the day" sites. Startups with high barriers to entry present complex ideas that may require a lot of time, money and effort, and therefore face less competition. However, high barrier to entry (longer first-to-market exclusivity) may be more attractive, and therefore more valuable, to potential investors.


6. Future Value


Estimating the value of your company's future potential is probably the hardest and most subjective step, especially when it's only at seed stage level. The momentum enjoyed by late-stage companies shows future growth potential, but early-stage startups have less tangible results and fewer concrete scenarios for success. It is important to not underestimate the potential value, however, by presenting enough data to back up your valuation. A solid business plan and avenues for growth will solidify your valuation to potential investors.


7. Traction


Investors like to see traction. They'll be more willing to sign a check when they can see that others have used your product or service. If you have customers, calculate a lifetime value for each, and factor that figure into your overall valuation. As an early-stage company, you may wish to provide free services in order to gain traction, and then use it as a means to increase your company value.


8. Hype


Have you or your business concept been mentioned in the press? Has your concept gained recognition for its uniqueness or its cool factor? Is that coverage bringing in unsolicited potential investors who are interested in your company? Use this as part of the valuation. Again, dollar amount is subjective, but the fact that people are seeking you out should push your valuation higher.


9. Market


Just like every other commodity, valuation relates to supply and demand. If your concept is new, first-to-market and fills a customer need, you can raise the valuation. Alternatively, if the market is depressed or saturated with similar, established products, investors might foresee a lower valuation for your company. The market constantly changes, however, so watch the landscape for an appropriate time to raise capital. It may mean shifting your product, concept or target market, but if the tweak allows for a higher valuation, it may be worth it.


By using these components as a starting point in determining your startup valuation, you'll be closer to a more accurate number, one an investor views as fair and equitable. It's important to clearly outline the reasons your company is worth what you're pitching to potential investors. Your confidence will go far by building their trust in your leadership and your ultimate business success.


Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Mario13

More About: Business valuation, equity, fundraising, intellectual property, startup, value

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44 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 11:59 AM PDT


Wow, we have a ton of resources this week. And we’re perfecting one of the most engaging ways to view news: the infographic. Our team loves them and we know you will too. Enjoy the infographic posts below.

We’ve also generated helpful How-Tos, gathered tons of apps and presented cutting-edge technology for your business. For a rich roundup of resources, search no further. We’ve got your back.

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


Gay Pride Celebrations Rock the Social Media World [TWITPICS]

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 11:03 AM PDT


The last Sunday in June is officially Gay Pride Day, and today there were parades and exuberant celebrations breaking out on the streets of cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Istanbul and Dublin.

As you can see in our gallery of TwitPics, this year’s celebration brings Gay and Lesbian Pride Month to a close with a revolutionary atmosphere, thanks to the Same-Sex Marriage Bill signed into law on Friday for New York, the largest state yet and the sixth state in the U.S. to legalize gay marriage.

Join us in the outpouring of joy, gratitude, happiness, pride and relief as celebrants from all over the world share their pictures on TwitPic:


NYC Gay Pride Parade




Image courtesy Twitpic/Eric Lang


Gay Pride New York! #Sundayoutfit




Image courtesy Twitpic/Marie-Joelle Parent


Showing off at the Chicago Gay Pride today!




Image courtesy Twitpic/Jasemine-Denise


I'm at the Gay Pride march in Istanbul. Super real.




Image courtesy Twitpic/Henry Goldman


Dublin Gay Pride Parade 2011




Image courtesy Twitpic/Adrian + Shane


This is how we do gay pride




Image courtesy Twitpic/Nadia Italiano


New York Gay Pride Parade




Image courtesy Twitpic/Matt Murray


Istanbul Gay Pride March




Image courtesy Twitpic/Mehter


@Oaklanta and Long Time Friend at Gay Pride 2011 in San Francisco's Delores Park




Image courtesy Twitpic/Short Stuff


Lady Littleton




Image courtesy Twitpic/Lady Littleton


Gay Pride cupcake from Magnolia Bakery! It tasted as good as it looked!




Image courtesy Twitpic/NYCupcake Guide


A statement for the Gay Pride Parade




Image courtesy Twitpic/ROTE Simple Machines


This is gay. This is joy. This is pride.




Image courtesy Twitpic/Dorothy Snarker


I-35W Bridge in its full rainbow glory for Twin Cities Pride




Image courtesy Twitpic/Ryan Kroll


Gay pride. Marching with @kiehls. It just started. So many awesome - and weird - pics to take.




Image courtesy Twitpic/Flip Flap Man


Celebrating the Gay Pride Parade in NYC!




Image courtesy Twitpic/NARSissist


New York




Image courtesy Twitpic/MANU


NYC Gay Pride Parade




Image courtesy Twitpic/Cassie Alexander

Graphic courtesy Twitpics/@Wifeyyyy2DZ

More About: gay marriage, gay pride day, gay pride parade, LGBT, new york, San Francisco-San Jose, twitpic

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Employment Site Monster Starting a Network on Facebook

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 09:42 AM PDT


Monster is adapting its job search functionality to social networking with BeKnown, an app that lets users set up a professional network on Facebook.

BeKnown, set to go live on Monday, will let Monster users import their data to Facebook and set up professional networks there as well. Matthew Mund, global vice president of product for Monster, reasons that since Facebook has around 700 million members, most people are on it already. "This is the path of least resistance," Mund says. "You can manage your professional identity and your social identity in one place." BeKnown will also be targeted at recruiters. Mund says Monster gets about 38 million unique visitors a month.

In starting a network from scratch, though, Monster faces a formidable challenge. Most notably, there's LinkedIn, which has more than 100 million members and has established itself as the premier professional social network. Monster is also not the first to consider using Facebook as a backdrop for a new professional network — BranchOut, which has more than 800,000 users — is trying to do the same thing.

Monster has added a few bells and whistles to BeKnown that it hopes will diferentiate the offering. For instance, users get Foursquare-like badges when they complete certain professional goals, such as graduating from college. Users can also follow companies and get endorsements a la LinkedIn, features not yet available on BranchOut.

The offering comes as the recession has hit Monster's bottom line. Monster's net sales have dropped 11% (annualized since 2008) and its stock price has declined 8.9%. However, the company posted a 23% jump in revenues in its first quarter, which ended March 31.

More About: branchout, facebook, linkedin, monster

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10 Creative Bar Code Designs [PICS]

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 08:36 AM PDT

On this day in 1974, Clyde Dawson made history as the first consumer to buy a product which had been scanned into a till by its Universal Product Code. The product was a $0.67 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum purchased at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio. The UPC went on to become more commonly known as a “bar code.”

Now ubiquitous in the U.S., UK, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, the bar code has not changed visibly in the last three decades — a boring monotone patch around which packaging designers must maneuver. Many don’t realize, however, that as long as a bar code is still scannable, you can have tons of fun with creative designs. Although popular in Japan, custom bar codes for product packaging haven’t gone significantly mainstream in the west, except for a few notable examples, such as Amazon’s Kindle packaging.

We’d like to see more bar code creativity, so to celebrate the UPC’s birthday, we’re taking a look at 10 brilliant designs from experts in the designer bar code field — Japanese company Design Barcode and New Jersey-based branding and packaging design agency Miller Creative‘s Vanity Barcodes.


1. Beer Pouring





In this design, we especially love the numbers pouring out of the bottle.


2. Piano




This clever bar code's black and white bars extend to form piano keys.


3. Noodles




Add chopsticks and you have noodles!


4. Camera




This would make a great graphic for photography product packaging.


5. Sneakers




By rotating the bar code and adding eyelets, you get laces and sneakers.


6. Rain Cloud




This gorgeous design imagines the bars as rain.


7. Surfer




Hang ten!


8. Mixtape




The iconic tape cassette becomes a music-themed bar code.


9. Cup




The simple addition of a drinking straw and tapered edges instantly transforms a bar code into a beverage.


10. Umbrella




We end the gallery on another rain-themed design. "Water" pelts the top of a classic umbrella.

More About: bar codes, business, design, galleries, gallery, MARKETING, retail, trending, upcs

For more Dev & Design coverage:


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