Mashable: Latest 11 News Updates - including “New Ad Network Mines Social Data for Better Targeting” |  |
- New Ad Network Mines Social Data for Better Targeting
- Facebook Apps Leak User Info [REPORT]
- Bing Brings You Jay-Z’s Life ‘Decoded’
- 3 Innovative iPad Games That Use the iPhone as a Controller
- Yahoo Mimics Facebook Connect With “Y Connect”
- Facebook Blocks LOLapps, Cutting Off 150 Million Users
- 10 Fresh Blogger Templates for Any Application [PICS]
- Father and Son Launch iPhone Into Space [VIDEO]
- Are Music Startups Destined to Fail?
- 8 Photoshop Tutorials for Retouching Your Profile Pic
- 33 New Social Media Resources You May Have Missed
- 5 Gadgets that Broke New Ground in 2010 [Mashable Awards]
| New Ad Network Mines Social Data for Better Targeting Posted: 18 Oct 2010 04:28 AM PDT      Just launched ad network RadiumOne is said to analyze online users’ social interactions — think links shared via URL shorteners, photos, status updates, blog posts and videos — to create relationship and interest-based groups that it can use to serve up highly targeted brand advertisements. The ad network hails from serial entrepreneur Gurbaksh Chanal, a proven veteran in the ad space. Most recently, Chanal sold ad network BlueLithium for $300 million to Yahoo in cash in 2007. At the time, BlueLithium was the fifth largest ad network in the U.S., and the second largest in the U.K. RadiumOne’s approach to better targeted advertising is through social data, using a process it calls, “social retargeting.” So, RadiumOne will analyze social interactions to create segments of people — called “social clusters” — who know each other and have interests in common. These groups will help the company serve ads based on whether an individual shares similar qualities and interests with a brand’s existing customer base. Essentially, it’s word of mouth marketing as applied to advertisements. RadiumOne is so confident in its approach that it promises to refund the full cost of campaigns should it not outperform its competitors. Online advertising is a thriving business on the rise in the U.S — $12.1 billion was spent on online ads in the first six months of 2010. Layering social data over ad displays is likely something marketers and brands will salivate over, especially if the technology yields its promised higher conversion rates.  Image courtesy of timsnell, Flickr More About: display advertising, MARKETING, online advertising, radiumone For more Business coverage:
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| Facebook Apps Leak User Info [REPORT] Posted: 18 Oct 2010 03:26 AM PDT   Some Facebook applications have been leaking user information – specifically, Facebook UIDs – to third party companies, the Wall Street Journal reports. The apps in question have a huge combined userbase; according to the WSJ, all of the 10 most popular Facebook apps are guilty of giving away user ID’s to third parties, specifically internet research and advertising companies. These include Zynga’s FarmVille, Texas HoldEm Poker and FrontierVille; according to AppData, FarmVille alone had over 80 million users in February 2010. Facebook confirmed some of the issues in a blog post, claiming most of the apps in question shared the user IDs inadvertently, due to “technical details”. “Our policy is very clear about protecting user data, ensuring that no one can access private user information without explicit user consent (…) Recently, it has come to our attention that several applications built on Facebook Platform were passing the User ID (UID), an identifier that we use within our APIs, in a manner that violated this policy. In most cases, developers did not intend to pass this information, but did so because of the technical details of how browsers work”, the post said. Earlier this weekend, Facebook has blocked LOLapps, one of the biggest social games providers on the Facebook platform, due to “violations of Facebook’s terms." The WSJ claims that some of the apps created by LOLapps were also transmitting user info to third parties. LOLapps (whose apps have now been reinstated on Facebook) has confirmed this was the case in a blog post, claiming it shared the info inadvertently. Facebook also said that “knowledge of a UID does not enable anyone to access private user information without explicit user consent.” This is true, but Facebook UID can be very revealing, depending on the user’s privacy settings. Knowing the ID of a Facebook user who shares information with “Everyone” can potentially give you access to his/her name, phone number, e-mail, photos and other personal info. Even if a user has set the strictest possible privacy settings on his/her account on Facebook, the ID may still reveal his/her name and Facebook friends. And then there’s the issue of scale. If an application with tens of millions of users shares Facebook UIDs with an advertising company, that’s a lot of data. Depending on your privacy settings on Facebook, this particular advertising company now may only know your name and the names of your friends, or much more. But the real question is one of trust: have you agreed to any of this, and do you want to be in this company’s database? This is another in a long line of Facebook’s privacy missteps. Although Facebook claimed time and time again it’s doing everything it can to preserve its users’ privacy, this latest incident won’t do much to convince its users that this is really the case. More About: apps, facebook, Facebook ID, privacy, trending, user information For more Social Media coverage:
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| Bing Brings You Jay-Z’s Life ‘Decoded’ Posted: 17 Oct 2010 08:17 PM PDT   Starting this week, Jay-Z fans will be able to access pages from the rapper’s upcoming book — Decoded, an exploration of his life and lyrics — for a whole month before it hits store shelves on November 16. This sneak peek is part of an online interactive game and campaign that has been formed in collaboration with Bing. Here’s how it works: Pages from the book will be physically placed around the world with a majority in the New York area, in locations related to specific content featured on Bing — specifically Bing Maps and Bing Entertainment. Five to 10 new pages from the book will be revealed each day, and participating fans who visit Bing.com/Jay-Z will be able to find these pages either online or in person. “Pages will be placed in locations related to the content, so that’s everything from high profile advertising like billboards to very very unique placements such as swimming pools and pool tables, and even high-fashion designer clothing racks,” says Lisa Gurry, a Bing spokeswoman and communications director. Once players locate a page, they will get credit for it online. If they find it in a physical location, they will be able to text a unique game code from the page. Players will be entered into drawings to win a signed copy of the page they’ve located. And everyone who locates a page will be entered into a contest for the grand prize — two tickets to see Jay-Z and Coldplay in concert at Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve. The interactive game is heavily built on Microsoft technology, and it includes Bing Maps features such as Birds-Eye View and Streetside imagery. It also has a variety of Bing Entertainment features — in this instance, photos and videos of Jay-Z, as well as to song clips. The campaign, which was developed by creative agency Droga5, is the first of its kind for Bing. Gurry says it was conceived as a way to raise buzz about Jay-Z’s book, while also potentially introducing Bing to a new audience. Gurry says Bing has previously worked with various artists in many aspects of the entertainment industry, and that it will probably continue focusing on that area. “As far as replicating this specific campaign, we’ll see how it goes and take it from there,” she says. Check out some pages from Decoded and the Bing interactive experience below. What are your thoughts on this marketing campaign? Thumbnail courtesy of Flickr, NRK P3   Reviews: Bing, Coldplay, Flickr, pages More About: bing, bing entertainment, Bing Maps, interactive, jay-z, microsoft For more Entertainment coverage:
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| 3 Innovative iPad Games That Use the iPhone as a Controller Posted: 17 Oct 2010 07:16 PM PDT   iPhone games are wicked. iPad games are wicked. Wanna know what’s even better? Controlling iPad games with your iPhone. Yes, that’s right. Such wonders of human technical achievement do exist. We’ve taken a look at three of the most interesting iPad games that pair up with Apple’s phone for some wondrous results. Whether you want to use your iPhone as a steering wheel, a Scrabble tile rack or even to control a frickin’ helicopter, there are games out there that make it possible. Have a read through our three selections of tag-teamed gaming. Let us know in the comments about your experiences with these games, or if you haven’t tried them, which ones you’d like to. 1. PadRacer Cost: PadRacer iPad App: $4.99, Pad Racer iPhone Controller: Free PadRacer is an old school, top-view racing game that can link up with not one, not two, but four iPhones (or iPod touches) as controllers. Best of all, the iPhone controller app is free, so you only need to buy one version of the game on the iPad and three of your buddies can bundle in on the fun for free. Reminiscent of the likes of Super Cars on the Amiga, the gameplay is simple (steer your car around the track, try not to crash, try to win), which leaves you to concentrate on the fun of using your iPhone as a steering wheel.  The controller itself looks like an old-fashioned racing car. Touchscreen controls are made up of the accelerator in the form of a “go” button and a “boost” option that you can employ by swiping your finger down the left hand side of the display. While the game isn’t going to challenge anyone used to playing modern racing games on consoles, it’s engaging — there’s a choice of four tracks and it has a few fun features (like the ability to add oil slicks to the track, and modify and save tracks for others to race on) that help add interest.  The game shines when two or more players get racing, but if it’s just you, your iPad and iPhone then you can “ghost race” other gamers from the worldwide leaderboard, which lets you race against previous performances. As far as the iPhone-as-controller goes, connection is pain-free and the iPhone is responsive. The only downside is that you have to hold the iPhone at an angle (i.e., not flat) so the accelerometer works correctly, which, if you’re looking down at the iPad can be a bit of a pain. Finally, if you happen to have two iPads on hand, then PadRacer offers a special track that you can hook up two iPads to play on with four iPhones. Mind-boggling! Here’s a video from the dev that shows the process: 2. Scrabble Cost: Scrabble for iPad: $9.99, Scrabble Tile Rack: Free This virtual version of the ever-popular board game isn’t cheap, but if you’re a fan of Scrabble, we’re confident in calling this a must-have app, despite the price tag. Playing Scrabble on the iPad’s roomy screen is a pleasure and with the ability to network play, pass and play, as well as play up to 25 multiplayer games at one time, you’re not going to be short of options. However, our favorite option is the one that lets you use your iPhone or iPod touch as a tile rack, with support for two to four players, called “Party Play.”  Using the iPhone as a tile rack makes the game more engaging and feel much, much more like the original board game. Classy touches, such as flicking the tiles from your rack to the main iPad board, work really well. Bonus iPhone features include the option to shake your phone to shuffle up the letters and the ability to access the dictionary, so you can check your word before you hit up the board. Here’s a quick demo video showing the different aspects of the app, including that cool “Party Play” functionality. 3. Chopper 2 Cost: Chopper 2 iPad App: $4.99, Chopper 2 iPhone App: $4.99 (or free if you’ve already paid for the iPad app) Chopper 2 is a helicopter-themed side-scroller that uses the accelerometer of an iOS device to control the game with movement and the touchscreen to take care of the likes of firing guns and dropping bombs. It is a sequel to the iPhone game of the same name. Boasting 36 missions over 12 different locations as varied as the desert, countryside and cityscapes, it’s a great example of an iPhone game writ large, and as such, works really well on the iPad. However, controlling it on the iPad (by moving and tilting the iPad) doesn’t offer the best gameplay experience. It essentially just uses the iPhone or iPod touch as the controller as you watch the action on your larger screen or even on a big screen TV.  Chopper 2 costs $4.99 for the iPad and the iPhone, however, you don’t need to buy the game for both devices. Just buy the iPad game and then on your iPhone or iPod touch go through the process to buy the game again and you’ll get a prompt saying you’ve already purchased this item and you can download it for free. Once you’ve got the game loaded up on both devices, it’s just a matter of setting up the remote control options in the settings for each game and then you’re ready to start flying.  The smaller iPhone works well as a handheld motion controller, and the option to calibrate is a welcome one. In easy gameplay you just use the iPhone to manage the helicopter’s movement, while as things get more advanced, you also use the touchscreen to shoot at targets. Alternatively, you can control movement on the touchscreen, but we preferred the movement option. To get an idea of the action, here’s a promotional clip for the app that shows off the gameplay and controller options rather well. More iPad Resources from Mashable
Reviews: scrabble More About: app store, apple, Apple iPad, chopper 2, controllers, ea games, games, gaming, iOS, ipad, ipad apps, ipad games, iphone, iphone apps, iPhone games, padracer, scrabble For more Tech coverage:
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| Yahoo Mimics Facebook Connect With “Y Connect” Posted: 17 Oct 2010 06:18 PM PDT   Yahoo will soon launch a service called “Y Connect” with features very similar to those of Facebook Connect — portable identity management, integrating Yahoo content on third-party websites, and sharing data about what you’re doing and where with your Yahoo contacts. The service will share info with your contacts through Yahoo Pulse, the Threadsy-like activity stream that Yahoo launched to compete with Google Buzz and other social offerings about four months ago. The Wall Street Journal broke the news, but it didn’t provide many details. All we know so far is that Y Connect will help advertisers track user activity and interests much like Facebook Connect and Open Graph do. The article cites a source saying that Y Connect will be “formally announced” later this fall. Yahoo’s been struggling as of late, so additional traffic is critical at this juncture. The web portal recently revamped its search features, but rumor has it that it’s fighting off an acquisition attempt by AOL of all companies. Will Y Connect help Yahoo revitalize? Time will tell, but feel free to share your thoughts and predictions in the comments. More About: facebook, facebook connect, identity management, y connect, Yahoo, yahoo button For more Social Media coverage:
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| Facebook Blocks LOLapps, Cutting Off 150 Million Users Posted: 17 Oct 2010 05:05 PM PDT   With 150 million users, LOLapps is one of the biggest social games providers on the Facebook platform, but the party grinded to a halt this weekend when Facebook pulled the plug on all of the company’s games. LOLapps titles include Critter Island, Garden Life, Diva Life, Band of Heroes, Supermodel: The Game, Yakuza Lords and Facebook versions of the big gaming titles Dante’s Inferno and Champions Online, but visit any of those right now and you’ll be greeted by Facebook’s “Page Not Found” error, pictured below. Social games are potentially very lucrative for Facebook, which has demonstrated its commitment to the form with the deployment of its Facebook Credits that can be used for in-game transactions. Thus, it’d be in the best interests of both Facebook and LOLapps to resolve this dispute quickly.  At first it wasn’t clear why the games were dropped, but VentureBeat reports that a Facebook spokesperson said, “We have disabled applications from LOLapps due to violations of our terms.” The spokesperson didn’t specify which terms were violated. LOLapps obviously can’t survive a long-term ban from Facebook, so CEO Arjun Sethi released a statement of his own, saying, “We can't provide comment at this time. We will update you as soon as we are able to.” Reviews: Facebook More About: apps, band of heroes, champions online, critter island, dante's inferno, diva life, facebook, facebook apps, facebook platform, garden life, lolapps, online gaming, social gaming, supermodel the game, terms of service, TOS, yakuza lords For more Social Media coverage:
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| 10 Fresh Blogger Templates for Any Application [PICS] Posted: 17 Oct 2010 04:10 PM PDT I’ll be the first to admit that Blogger isn’t the sexiest publishing platform out there. But if you like to keep all your logins under one Google-powered roof, and you’re not afraid of a little XML template tweaking now and again, Blogger can be one of the most versatile content dashboards available. The first rule of Blogger: Don’t use any of the built-in themes. And searching the web aimlessly will likely turn up a big pile of design faux pas. Whether you’re looking to use Blogger for business or pleasure, these versatile themes should satisfy even the most discriminating blog design connoisseur. 1. Devine  Devine has a really rich, dark background with texture illuminated just at the top of the header bar. A wide white content column and light blue side bar make for a striking, contrast-rich presentation. 2. Decomposed You can go red without going over-the-top with this sleek three-column theme. A soft grain and wrap-around tabs compliment the polished metal header and simple white content column. Decomposed is great for a personal site, and flexible enough for a creative business blog. 3. Academy Keep it classy with this theme dubbed "Academy." Subtle stripes on the header and grain in the side bar give this one just the right dose of texture to compliment the white space. Throw in a dash of orange-brown widget headers, and you're on your way to the blogging equivalent of smooth jazz. 4. Cosmic Mission You might have to lose the cutesy rocket ship if you intend to use this template for anything other than a blog about cutesy rocket ships. But the gray "stone" of the wrapper is a nice departure from the traditional white space. Layer that on the clean blue plastic graph, and you've got a pretty stylin' home for your precious content. 5. Fabiano I'm not in love with the leathery texture in the header and footer, but the fading pen lines that mark out the content boxes are really excellent. Clean white space abounds, but the theme in general has a warm, handmade feel. 6. Insector Vector You can get a little bolder with patterns if you dare. Insector Vector's got some quilted, vaguely paisley motifs happening here. Be warned: If you go this route, it's probably best to keep the clutter factor of your actual content (widgets, embeds, photos, etc.) to a minimum. 7. i3Theme Series If you're a Mac fan who sneaks over to the Google side of the aisle when it comes to blogging, rest assured this series of themes will mask your defection. Built to mimic a Mac OS, you've got all the sleek bars and patterns you'd expect from Apple's design -- perfect for a digital portfolio, or perhaps a digest of the latest news out of Cupertino. 8. Latitude Just because you're keeping it professional doesn't mean you can't throw some new colors into the game. The Latitude theme is staunch in its clean lines and wrap-around tabs, but mixes up the color scheme a bit with rich purple hues. 9. Old School The worn pencil edges and graph paper chic are just enough to take this minimalist theme to the next level, design-wise. It's great for a journal or an artist's digital sketchbook. 10. Old SkoolBoard There's something about the way the side bar jumps up on the right and shouts, "Here I am!" It's a great spot to stash your social icons or About Me page. The rest of Old SkoolBoard is subdued, save for the subtle "lens flare" in the header bar. If you're looking for something classic blue and minimal, give this theme a whirl. BONUS: Medieval Book While this theme is not nearly as versatile as those mentioned above, we had to mention it, since it's just so darn cool. If you're a fan of 12th century illuminated manuscripts (and who isn't these days, am I right?), you've got to check this one out. Heck, I'd start a blog about the Middle Ages just to use this theme. More Blogging Resources from Mashable:
Reviews: blogger More About: blogger, blogging, BLOGS, design, social media, templates, themes, web design For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| Father and Son Launch iPhone Into Space [VIDEO] Posted: 17 Oct 2010 03:04 PM PDT   This breathtaking video documents Brooklyn-based cinematographer Luke Geissbuhler’s quest with his son to launch an iPhone 4 and an HD video camera into space using a weather balloon. The mission was a success, and the footage is absolutely gorgeous. Geussbuhler launched the balloon from Newburgh, New York, and it climbed at a rate of 25 feet per second to 19 miles above the surface of the earth just an hour later. The balloon burst and the package containing the iPhone and the camera fell back to the ground on a parachute. The father-son team tracked the package using the iPhone’s GPS (go MobileMe!) transmitter and found it in a tree 30 miles north of its launch location. They successfully extracted the video and edited it into what you see below. Geissbuhler posted a beautiful slideshow of space images taken by the craft to his website, the Brooklyn Space Program. He’s also selling t-shirts and other merch to raise funds for a sophomore voyage. Image courtesy of Brooklyn Space Program, Luke Geissbuhler [Via NYMag] Reviews: MobileMe More About: apple, brooklyn, camera, iphone, Kids, new york, parenting, Science, space, trending, video, Vimeo, viral videos, weather balloon For more Web Video coverage:
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| Are Music Startups Destined to Fail? Posted: 17 Oct 2010 01:55 PM PDT   Yesterday at YCombinator’s Startup School at Stanford University, the founder of the now-defunct music sharing startup Imeem laid out a very grim assessment of the future of music startups. In his words, “every time a founder does a music startup, a likely-more-successful startup dies.” Dalton Caldwell founded Imeem in 2003 with the goal of reinventing the music industry through free, advertising-supported streaming music. At its peak, Imeem had 95 employees, $24 million in yearly revenue and was on of the 100 most popular sites on the web. In November 2009, Imeem was acquired by MySpace for a paltry $1 million. News Corp. shut Imeem down a month later. Caldwell has had a year to reflect on his company’s dramatic fall, and his thoughts on the entire music industry are not pretty. Caldwell shared some of those thoughts with an audience of students and entrepreneurs while providing his assessment of what’s next in the Internet music and radio industry. The Challenges Music Startups FaceImeem’s founder went slide by slide to different music startup models and explained why he believed each and every single one faced almost-insurmountable challenges. He first railed into startups that create tools for artists, claiming that the market is extremely saturated with strong competitors like TuneCore and Topspin. Caldwell’s next target was music download store startups. His argument was simple: that iTunes has more than 90% market share. He also claimed that ad-supported music business models were just as difficult to maintain. In order to secure the rights for streaming music from the big labels, these startups have to pay quarterly minimums and advances, along with per-play minimums. In addition, Caldwell claims that the labels have soured on ad-supported music because “it devalues music and is a slippery slope.” What if you want to start a subscription startup? Also a bad idea, according to Imeem’s founder. To secure the subscriptions, you have to give up 10-30% of your company, pay quarterly minimums, deal with licensing restrictions country-by-country and still pay your employees and bandwidth bills. In addition, the subscription market is already crowded with the likes of Rdio, MOG, Napster, Rhapsody and Spotify. Then there are the problems that affect all music startups, such as an antiquated legal framework, poorly defined rules for music online and desperate music labels trying to find ways to make up for billions in lost revenue since the 1990s. One of the biggest issues he brought up though is the mergers and acquisitions catch 22 for music startups. Essentially, music startups have to sign non-transferrable deals with labels to get access to their music. If they get acquired, those deals go away, destroying the value of the startup. If they don’t have the deals, then they won’t grow big enough to get acquired. Basically, if you were to sum up Dalton’s Caldwell’s presentation at Startup School in four words, it would be this: music startups are screwed. The Outlook for Music Startups Is BleakTwo years ago, Pandora was on the brink of folding due to a proposed rise in music royalty rates that would make its business model unsustainable. As you may know, Pandora survived and is now profitable. Still, for every Pandora, there are dozens of Imeems that flame out and perish. The music industry is clearly in need of disruption, but with a few music labels controlling the world’s most popular music and artists, nobody has really succeeded. Spotify is a prime example; despite promising a U.S. launch for over a year, Spotify is nowhere near a U.S. launch, mostly due to a breakdown in negotiations with the U.S. record labels. Caldwell argues that until Congress expands statutory licensing frameworks and artists finally abandon the labels, music startups will continue to struggle. Neither of these things are likely to happen for years to come though, so the struggle will continue. In the meantime, start an online music company at your own peril. Being the founder of a music startup isn’t something we’d wish even on our worst enemies. Do you agree or disagree with Caldwell? Let us know in the comments. Reviews: Internet, Pandora, Rhapsody, Spotify, imeem More About: imeem, music, record labels, rhapsody, riaa, Stanford, Startup School, ycombinator For more Entertainment coverage:
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| 8 Photoshop Tutorials for Retouching Your Profile Pic Posted: 17 Oct 2010 12:32 PM PDT   Yes, you’re beautiful exactly the way you are. But that was true when you woke up this morning, and it likely didn’t stop you from showering, brushing your teeth, and otherwise spiffing up a bit. Why not spruce up your online appearance as well? Even if you don’t have a magazine photo team to touch up your photo, it’s easy to make a couple of quick enhancements with basic Photoshop knowledge (just please don’t go too crazy — your friends should be able to pick you out of a lineup). Whether you want to remove acne or add a tattoo — these eight tutorials will teach you how to retouch your photos like a pro. 1. Change Your Hair ColorGet opinions on a new color before you actually commit to the switch. This tutorial outlines the basic technique for giving yourself a digital dye job. 2. Remove WrinklesThis tutorial lets you take your pick of two techniques for removing fine lines. One uses the patch tool and the other uses the healing tool. Both also work for removing the dark circles under eyes. 3. Remove AcneThis quick tutorial teaches you how to use the healing tool to quickly remove acne. 4. Apply MakeupIf you are better at Photoshop than applying makeup, then primping post-photo might be more effective than painting your face before the photo. This short video walks through how to change your eye color, lip color, and add a natural blush. Warning: If you don’t like techno music, turn your volume off. 5. Enhance EyesWant movie star photo eyes? Then use movie star Photoshop techniques: This technique uses the curve tools to brighten your irises and creates a mock pupil. 6. Soften SkinIf you finish the easy acne removal tutorial and still aren’t satisfied, these techniques for improving the appearance of your skin should do the trick. The tutorial walks you through three different types of blur techniques so that you can decide which you like best. 7. Whiten TeethIf you care about your teeth, but not enough to undergo an expensive dental procedure, this tutorial is for you. Simply lasso your pearly whites and adjust their color via curves. 8. Add a TattooIf you are trying to give your mother a heart attack or pretend that you are tougher than you really are, it might be easier to learn how to put a tattoo on a picture than to actually sit through the needle-intensive process. This tutorial will teach you how to make it look realistic. Because there is nothing worse than a cheesy-looking, fake tattoo. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, itsskin More Design Resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Adobe Photoshop, iStockphoto More About: adobe, how to, Photoshop, profile picture, remove acne, remove wrinkles, retouch photos, tutorial, video, youtube For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| 33 New Social Media Resources You May Have Missed Posted: 17 Oct 2010 11:19 AM PDT   Fall has officially hit Mashable HQ. The temperature is dropping, pumpkins are being picked, and bags of candy line store shelves. While you were out watching the leaves turn or planning your costume for Halloween, Mashable was busy writing up another week of great tools and resources for your social media pleasure. Social Media is stocked with a list of memorable viral video or smile-worthy social good campaigns. Tech & Mobile showcases some great robots, tips for your iPad, and trends in web app design. Business rounds out our list with how to gain inexpensive online exposure, use mobile credit card payments or start a digital business. 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. 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
For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Image courtesy of Small Biz Bee Reviews: Adobe Illustrator, Facebook, Fring, Google, Google Maps, Mashable, MySpace, Twitter, Yelp, social media More About: business, facebook, Features Week In Review, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, small business, social media, tech, technology, trend twitter For more Social Media coverage:
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| 5 Gadgets that Broke New Ground in 2010 [Mashable Awards] Posted: 17 Oct 2010 10:07 AM PDT
Huge movements were made in Android, with the platform accelerating rapidly across both carriers and devices. Apple defined a whole new class of iOS devices. The Internet finally wove its way into virtually every aspect of our lives, from hyperconnected mobile devices, to Internet TVs, there’s just no stopping that “series of tubes.” And that’s just a shred of it. The year isn’t dead yet. There are more than a few devices left on the 2010 radar, so here are just five of the coolest happenings so far this year in gadgetry. 1. Apple iPad The iPad is Apple’s bittersweet victory. It is at once a technical marvel and a sore disappointment, but the dichotomy itself is something to be celebrated. In its current incarnation, the Apple iPad could no more replace your main computing device than could a netbook. Still, the case could be made that the iPad is a success based solely on its aesthetics. Indeed, that 1Ghz Apple A4 processor encased between a 10-inch oleophobic touchscreen and a perfectly cut aluminum shell is a testament to Apple's ability to design. Spending any extended duration with the device, however, will reveal that it's currently little more than a novelty. This is something that wouldn't be so alarming if Apple didn't possess such decisive skills in design. One is left to wonder why Apple, months later, would release the iPhone 4 with a forward facing camera when the iPad begs for the FaceTime experience. But despite its flaws and the fact that it wasn’t even the first tablet to market, Apple stirred the imaginations of the tech set. A decade from now, the iPad will be less useful than the first iPod is today, but it will forever be the face that truly launched the tablet computing. For that, it deserves recognition. 2. Vizio XVT473SV Vizio doesn't mess around. In February 2009, the California-based company stopped producing plasma screens to focus exclusively on LCD displays. The results can be seen in sets like the Vizio XVT473SV. This 47-inch LCD packs all of the crucial features you'd require in a new TV. Full 1080p/24 video with a 240Hz refresh rate ensures that video runs as smoothly as it was intended. A particularly precise picture is achieved through accurate color saturation alongside deep blacks. And, of course, a bezel design that is aesthetically pleasing enough to take center stage in your home theater. All of those features are among the best in class but Vizio distinguishes its sets further by equipping them with standard built-in features like Wi-Fi and LED full-array local dimming. The TruLED feature allows the display's LED backlight to dim and brighten independently, so the picture remains fully dynamic and realistic. Vizio has also made a concerted push to makes its devices Internet-connected. The XVT473SV, for instance, has a full widgets gallery featuring Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand and more. It's also not much of a stretch to imagine Hulu Plus finding its way to the gallery at some point in the not too distant future. All in all, it might have embedded Google TV, but the XVT473SV stands out with a welcome out-of-the-box feature: Just being a TV. 3. Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 isn't new in the most traditional sense of the word but it continues to find ways to reinvent itself, and for that we applaud it. In 2010, the console saw a major hardware revision with the release of the Xbox 360 S, a silky looking remake that featured a number of under-the-hood enhancements. The updated system features an integrated optical audio connector, built-in 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and overhauled graphics and processing units, but that's all just filler. The real story here is the addition of a new input for the Kinect motion capture device. Unlike competing motion gaming platforms like the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Move, Xbox Kinect monitors your body motion from afar and then interprets it into actual game actions. (It's a little more complicated than that, but this is the core idea.) The area where the Xbox 360 shines most brightly is versatility. The Xbox 360 launched in November 2005 as a gaming console with some media functions. Five years later, it's still an amazing gaming platform but it's also a fully functional media center capable of streaming a wide variety of media formats. It can also stream Netflix videos and will soon have Hulu Plus capabilities. If you're looking for the one device to add the most value to your home theater, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better option than the Xbox 360. 4. HTC DROID Incredible It's not easy to challenge the throne but the HTC DROID Incredible is the most solid contender the iPhone has faced. The Incredible runs on a 1Ghz Snapdragon processor and features an AMOLED screen that's hard to beat. You won't find FaceTime here but Android has more than enough tricks up its sleeve to make up for a lack of a front-facing camera. There's also the little fact that the DROID Incredible by HTC runs on Verizon, not AT&T, so it actually works as a phone instead of something cool to just fill your pocket with. 5. HP Officejet 6500A Plus e-All-in-One PrinterThis fall Hewlett-Packard released an onslaught of all-in-one printers. We saw everything from the HP ENVY 100, a print, copy and scan system that's stylish enough to sit in the living room, to the features heavy HP Photosmart eStation C510, that comes complete with a detachable Android tablet. Printers aren't exciting, and that's OK. It’ll be a happy day when printing and faxing are no longer parts of our lives, but that day has not yet come. Little gimmicks like a detachable Android tablets will always be cool, but at the end of the day, something as cumbersome as printing, scanning and/or faxing simply demands a workhorse. Features like fast printing, simple networking and an aversion to ink guzzling are a must. It could be argued that the Officejet 6500A Plus was overshadowed by its launch mates, but if your objectives are to reliably print, scan and fax, you'll be hard-pressed to find a comprable and viable competitor. If you're still not sold, consider this: The 6500A Plus come with ePrint, a service that, among other things, allows you to send documents to a special e-mail address to be printed automatically — no drivers necessary. The HP Officejet 6500A Plus might not be completely revolutionary, but if you use it for some time, you'll likely find it an absolutely necessity. What were your favorite gadgets of 2010? Are there any that would make your own list? Let us know in the comments or nominate your favorites. The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas)In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances. Date: Thursday, January 6th, 2011 (during International CES Convention week) ![Register for Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage (Las Vegas - 2011 International CES convention) [Ticketed Event] in Las Vegas, NV on Eventbrite](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uOhg9DQNUlW1jzYSJAAmkJWm0x99bsG62i531ldzQN9GFM3BPDvl2i6TG0SqLljlh141YaBLyifZ4b4Oqiqo0vNYK8z2Uejjzb46APUr2TIKIsnb6JVvP4GA=s0-d) Thanks to our sponsors: Mashable Awards Online Partner:
The Fresh Diet is like having a Cordon Bleu chef prepare your meals in your own kitchen. There’s no cooking, cleaning, shopping – just fresh prepared delicious meals, hand delivered to your door daily! Whether you want to lose weight or just want to eat healthy, The Fresh Diet can help you meet your goals. The best news, we’re giving away a FREE week of The Fresh Diet every day on our Facebook page. Just click here to become a fan and you could be the next winner. Join now! Mashable Awards Gala VIP Lounge sponsor: Influxis specializes in the deployment of creative streaming solutions. Services include large scale deployment, mobile streaming, turn-key applications, and enterprise support with custom network options. With the unique combination of a worldwide network, knowledgeable developer support and nearly a decade of streaming media experience, Influxis is an essential partner to businesses, advertisers, developers, educators, and others who seek expertise in innovative streaming. Sponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, enot-poloskun Reviews: Android, Apple Ipad, Facebook, Foursquare, Internet, Mashable, Twitter, iPhone, iStockphoto More About: android, apple, Gadget, HP, ipad, iphone, mashable awards, mashable awards 2010, printers, trending, vizio, Xbox 360 For more Tech coverage:
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The year hasn’t been heavily focused on creating new gadgets, but major hardware revisions have kept technology interesting in 2010.
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