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Mashable: Latest 16 News Updates - including “iPad 2 Sold Out, 70% Went to New Buyers [REPORT]”

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Mashable: Latest 16 News Updates - including “iPad 2 Sold Out, 70% Went to New Buyers [REPORT]”

iPad 2 Sold Out, 70% Went to New Buyers [REPORT]

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 02:58 AM PDT


The iPad 2 is completely sold out according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster and his team, which surveyed Apple retail stores over the weekend.

Munster estimates that Apple sold 400,000 to 500,000 iPad 2s, which would mean that the device has fared better than the original iPad, 300,000 of which were sold in its opening weekend.

Take these numbers with a grain of salt. In his report in April 2010, Gene Munster severely overestimated original iPad’s sales, putting the number at 600,000 to 700,000. Historically, for big product launches such as this one, Apple has always shared opening weekend sales numbers, and we can probably expect to see the official numbers in a day or two.

Munster’s team also conducted a survey amongst 236 buyers waiting in line for the iPad 2, 70% of which turned out to be new to the device. 51% of the buyers were Mac users, while 49% were PC users; furthermore, 65% of the buyers owned an iPhone, and 24% owned a Kindle, but only 6% of users plan to read with the iPad 2. All of these indicate that the iPad is truly carving a niche of its own: it’s not perceived as an e-reader and it’s not too closely tied to Apple’s product ecosystem.

Have you bought an iPad 2? How do you like the device? Please, share your opinions in the comments.

[via Fortune]

More About: apple, iPad 2, Piper Jaffray

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38 Startups Launch During 3-Day Road Trip to SXSW

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 09:12 PM PDT


Last year, six fledgling startups were unleashed on the world after a three-day road trip to Austin on a WiFi and power-equipped bus during the StartupBus’s maiden voyage. For round two, StartupBus founder Elias Bizannes has turned the hackathon-meets-accelerator bus ride into a massive six-city competition.

Out of more than one thousand applicants from six cities — Cleveland, San Francisco, Chicago, Silicon Valley, New York City and Miami — 150 were chosen to take the three-day ride on six buses, one departing from each city, to SXSW. Their mission: to form teams and build and launch a startup before reaching Austin.

The six different busses carried 38 teams that successfully completed the challenge. Now just 15 semi-finalist teams remain. Some will be chosen to compete as finalists in front of panel of judges during the grand finale on Monday.

“StartupBus is a resource to help future entrepreneurs,” explains Bizannes, who also believes the six-city effort will help raise the profile of less recognized technology hubs in the United States.

The short time frame, self-organized teams and space constraints give rise to stronger teams and more effective products, he says.

Bizannes believes that at least four of the applicants will grow into legitimate startups. Several teams have already been in talks with investors, and one has even been offered $10,000 in seed funding, he says.

StartupBus will eventually grow into StartupHouse, a communal living situation that hatches new born startups. “It will be like Y Combinator and American Idol in a blender,” says Bizannes.

For now, keep your eye on the finalists. Some, if not all, of these less-than-one-week-old startups have a shot at turning the machinations of a road trip adventure into successful business endeavors.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Marianna Maya Photo

More About: startupbus, sxsw, sxswi

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Measuring Social Media: Who Has Access to the Firehose?

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 08:23 PM PDT


At SXSW 2011, I moderated a panel titled “Measuring Social Media – Let’s Get Serious,” with the goal of having a frank discussion about the realities, pratfalls and opportunities for individuals and marketers tasked with managing social media and measuring social media ROI.

During the Q&A session of the panel, a audience member from Porter Novelli asked Kevin Weil, product lead for revenue at Twitter, a pointed and direct question that cuts to the core of the conversation surrounding social media measurements: Who has access to the data?

In the case of Twitter, the company offers free access to its API for developers. The API can provide access and insight into information about tweets, replies and keyword searches, but as developers who work with Twitter — or any large scale social network — know, that data isn’t always 100% reliable. Unreliable data is a problem when talking about measurements and analytics, where the data is helping to influence decisions related to social media marketing strategies and allocations of resources.

The question that the audience member asked — and one that we tried to touch on a bit in the panel itself — was who has access to this raw data. Twitter doesn’t comment on who has full access to its firehose, but to Weil’s credit he was at least forthcoming with some of the names, including stalwarts like Microsoft, Google and Yahoo — plus a number of smaller companies.

The Problem With Limited Access

One of the companies that has access to Twitter’s data firehose is Gnip. As we discussed in November, Twitter has entered into a partnership with Gnip that allows the social data provider to resell access to the Twitter firehose.

This is great on one level, because it means that businesses and services can access the data. The problem, as noted by panelist Raj Kadam, the CEO of Viralheat, is that Gnip’s access can be prohibitively expensive.

For measuring services that can’t afford (or aren’t willing to pay) to pay for full access, the alternative remains using the API, which can yield inconsistent results. To be clear, I’m not criticizing Gnip or its pricing model. Rather, I want to highlight the realities about data access.

It’s Not Just Twitter

The problems with reliable access to analytics and measurement information is by no means limited to Twitter. Facebook data is also tightly controlled. With Facebook, privacy controls built into the API are designed to prevent mass data scraping. This is absolutely the right decision. However, a reality of social media measurement is that Facebook Insights isn’t always reachable and the data collected from the tool is sometimes inaccurate.

It’s no surprise there’s a disconnect between the data that marketers and community managers want and the data that can be reliably accessed. Twitter and Facebook were both designed as tools for consumers. It’s only been in the last two years that the platform ecosystem aimed at serving large brands and companies — platforms and tools like Salesforce.com, Buddy Media, Viralheat, Radian6, Vitrue and Involver — have started to build out and address the needs of these business users.

We Need More Transparency for How to Access and Connect with Data

The data that companies like Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare collect are some of their most valuable assets. It isn’t fair to expect a free ride or first-class access to the data by anyone who wants it.

Having said that, more transparency about what data is available to services and brands is needed and necessary.

We’re just scraping the service of what social media monitoring, measurement and management tools can do. To get to the next level, it’s important that we all question who has access to the firehose.

Photo courtesy of Jason Falls

More About: analytics, facebook, smaroi, social media roi, sxsw, sxsw2011, sxswi, twitter

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GroupMe Founders Talk Updates, Strategy & the Competition

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 07:53 PM PDT

Group-texting app GroupMe is undoubtedly one of the most buzzed-about apps here at SXSW Interactive. Which is why Mashable took a couple of minutes to sit down with co-founders Steve Martocci and Jared Hecht to talk about the growth of the app, as well as the competition.

Prior to SXSW, GroupMe hit us with a slew of updates, adding location- and photo-sharing in version 2.0 (as well as push notifications), and groups and data connection evaluation (among other features) in GroupMe 2.1.

GroupMe launched in October 2010 as a way to easily create an instant SMS chatroom on one’s phone. The app’s appeal was in its simplicity — one could use the app to start a private chat with groups of friends, even those sans smartphones.

The startup soon scored $10.6 million in Series B funding in a round led by Khosla Ventures (with participation from additional new investors, including General Catalyst Partners and First Round Capital, and previous investors Lerer Ventures, Betaworks and SV Angel) in January.

Obviously, this isn’t the only app of its kind — there’s also Fast Society, a party-centric service that recently updated with a slew of features and an Android app. And Beluga — which was recently acquired by Facebook. And let’s not forget instant-messaging app Kik, which announced last week that it will add group-messaging and photo-sharing features to its iPhone and Android apps.

Check out our interview with GroupMe’s founders above and weigh in in the comments: Which app will come out of SXSWi the victor?

More About: Beluga, fast-society, group texting, groupme

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League of Extraordinary Hackers Builds Robots for Good

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 06:51 PM PDT


Hidden away in the Speakeasy on Congress in Austin, Texas, 14 teams of hackers are building robots out of LEGO Mindstorm kits. They’ll battle it out until the wee hours of Monday morning, and one team will be crowned the most extraordinary of all.

The hackathon robot competition is part of the The League of Extraordinary Hackers, a day-long affair put on by Google and several partners, including Microsoft and SuperHappyDevHouse, designed to support and uplift the technology community during the South by Southwest Interactive Festival.

LEGO, also a partner, has donated 50 Mindstorm kits and a nearly endless supply of LEGOs so that teams can build the best robots possible in just a few hours time. Google, with the help of Donorschoose.org, will pay it forward after the competition by donating the kits to high schools that have women in technology programs.

“We want to attract the next generation of builders,” explains Google’s open web advocate Chris Messina.

Messina is the brains behind the endeavor. He was anxious to attend SXSW, but Google’s travel policy requires that he have a compelling reason to be there; he used his 20% time to craft that reason.

The League of Extraordinary Hackers event is designed to celebrate technologists, says Messina, a point that is driven home by the trading cards being handed out to event attendees. There are nine different cards in total, and each one represents an important man or woman in technology — Vint Cerf, Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, Nikola Tesla, Steve Wozniak, Thomas Edison, Dean Kamen, Grace Hopper and Anita Borg.

The cards include custom drink recipes on the back, so event-goers can exchange their cards for the drink on the back or trade the card with fellow attendees to get the drink of their choosing.

The meat of the hackathon is the robot challenge, but Google served up several side-dish offerings in the style of a developer garage for most of the afternoon Sunday. The company brought in speakers to talk to developers and dissect each of Google’s technologies, web fonts, cellbots and HTML5.

The evening portion of the event will be the LEGO Mindstorm robot challenge. It will also include food, and funky entertainment from an orchestra of performing Furbies — they’ve been hacked and now have electronic voice boxes.

For Google, The League of Extraordinary Hackers is a community goodwill affair that also doubles as an opportunity to present the company in a positive light. Messina hopes the event showcases Google’s culture of innovation while also giving back.

More About: Google, hackathon, MARKETING, sxsw, sxswi

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Japan Earthquake & Tsunami: 7 Simple Ways to Help

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 06:23 PM PDT


While the devastating Japan earthquake and tsunami have passed, the recovery and mourning have just begun. The disaster could become the most expensive earthquake in history. The crisis could get even worse, depending on what happens next at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Now, more than ever, the Japanese people need our help and support to get through this crisis.

You don’t need to pack your bags and fly out to Japan to help, though. There are plenty of ways you can help online, whether it’s with your wallet or simply with your Twitter account. New technologies make it possible to lend a helping hand with your texts or even with virtual crops.

Every little bit counts. Here are a few ways you can help the victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami:

1. Text to Donate

The American Red Cross has once again launched a texting campaign to raise money for relief efforts in the Pacific region. Last year, the Red Cross was able to raise over $20 million for Haiti relief through simple text donations.

If you would like to donate to the American Red Cross for Japan Earthquake Relief, just text REDCROSS to 90999. Each text will provide $10 towards the Red Cross’s humanitarian efforts.

2. Donate via Facebook

The Red Cross has also launched a campaign on Causes to raise at least $25,000 for relief efforts. By logging in to Facebook, you can donate anywhere from $10 to $500 to help Tsunami victims and their families.

As of publishing time, the Causes campaign has raised over $40,000 from over 1,000 donors and 3,000 promoters.

3. Buy Virtual Goods

Virtual sweet potatoes and the Japanese Tsunami may not seem related, but buying digital crops could help children affected by the earthquake.

Zynga, known for its effective social good campaigns, has partnered with Save the Children's Japan Earthquake Tsunami Emergency Fund to get its users to donate money through the purchase of virtual goods in CityVille, FrontierVille, FarmVille and its other games.

100% of the proceeds from the purchase of sweet potatoes in CityVille, radishes in FarmVille or kobe cows in FrontierVille will go towards Save the Children’s efforts to provide relief in the Pacific. The world’s largest social gaming company is shooting to raise $2 million for relief efforts.

Zynga has raised millions of dollars over the last few years with these types of social good campaigns, most notably for the relief efforts in Haiti.

4. Embed Some Code

If you run a website and want to get your customers or users involved in relief efforts, all you need to do is embed a simple snippet of code.

The Hello Bar places a simple message at the top of your website with just a few lines of code. The service, which is in private beta, has decided to open its doors to anybody willing to help the victims of the crisis in Japan.

Simply sign up with the invite code “helpjapan” and you can quickly get the code snippet you need to embed a customized Hello Bar that will drive donations. Check out our full article for more instructions on how to add the donation bar to the top of your website.

5. “Like” a Facebook Page

The people over at Explore.org are donating $1 for every “Like” of the “Dog Bless You” Facebook page, up to $100,000.

Explore.org founder Charlie Weingarten delivered the challenge at South by Southwest yesterday. "Search and rescue dogs are a critical resource for emergency situations,” he told the audience.

6. Ways to Help on Twitter

Harness the power of your Twitter account to do some good for the people of Japan.

Earlier this morning, Twitter published a blog post detailing ways you can help with the relief efforts. Not only have they updated Japan’s mobile website with the latest information on the disaster, but they have also published a list of hashtags to tweet and/or follow related to the crisis.

Here are some key hashtags to remember:

  • #Jishin: focuses around general earthquake information
  • #Anpi: a hashtag for the confirmation of the safety of individuals or places
  • #Hinan: Evacuation information
  • #311care: a hashtag regarding medical information for the victims
  • #PrayforJapan: A general hashtag for support and best wishes for victims of the crisis

7. Donate via iTunes

Apple is also dedicating resources to the crisis in Japan. They have created a simple donation page in iTunes [iTunes link] that makes it simple to donate anywhere from $5 to $200 to the Red Cross with just a few clicks.

More About: japan, japan earthquake, red cross, social good, trending

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Mike Tyson Gets in the Ring With Mashable [VIDEO]

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 05:44 PM PDT


Boxing legend (and more recently the breakout star of “The Hangover”) Mike Tyson made an appearance at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, on Sunday as part of the promotional campaign for his upcoming mobile app.

As we wrote in October when we got a sneak peek, the app is sure to bring back memories of “Mike Tyson's Punch-Out” for a certain generation of video gamers, but with a modern twist (including in-app purchases).

Mashable got an opportunity to chat with Tyson after he sat down with Randi Zuckerberg on Facebook Live (which Mashable has partnered with for SXSW).

In the video below, Iron Mike tells us about the game (which comes out next week and is made by Rock Live), how it's different from the classic NES title, his new reality show, his first fight and what else we can expect from him in the months to come (hint: more acting and a spot in “The Hangover 2″).

More About: iphone, mike tyson

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4 Ways to Set Up a Storefront on Facebook

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 03:21 PM PDT

shopping_cart_thumb

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

With more than 500 million active users on Facebook, there are more potential customers using Facebook than there are logging into eBay and Amazon combined.

Most of these users don’t see the site as a purchasing platform, but more and more businesses are adding an option to use the social networking site to browse and buy their products. These four Facebook apps offer flexible options for adding a storefront to your business page.

1. Payvment

Payvment

Free beta app Payvment allows you to handle your entire e-commerce operation through Facebook. The app allows you to accept credit card and PayPal payments, which are credited to your PayPal account. You can customize charges for shipping and choose whether to charge sales tax.

Unless you disable the option, your products will also appear in searches people make on other Payvment storefronts when they choose to search "all of Facebook."

Other helpful features include selling multiple quantities of an item from one listing, give discounts to customers who like your page and adding options like sizes or colors to item listings.

Store owners have access to their selling histories and order statuses, and they are able to send messages to buyers through the app. Implementing Payvment's instant payment notification can help keep on top of orders as they’re made.

2. Storefront Social

Storefront Social

Shopping cart software Volusion‘s Facebook storefront creates a tab on your business's Facebook page that allows you to showcase items in your online store. Some templates include options to tweet or share specific items, and shoppers can search by customizable categories or with a search bar. In order to set the store up, you need to install the Storefront Social app. The basic package costs $9.95 per month.

You cannot use the store as your sole storefront because there is no way to complete a transaction using the platform. Rather, people who wish to buy your products are directed to the product URL that you provide.

If you are a seller on eBay or Amazon, you could link to your listings on those sites, as well.

3. BigCommerce SocialShop

SocialShop

Like Storefront Social, BigCommerce SocialShop doesn't allow transactions. Rather, it directs users interested in products to an online store — in this case, a BigCommerce online store — and allows them to share their products on their walls.

Because BigCommerce is a full e-commerce platform, it's a more extensive Facebook storefront tab option. At $24.99 per month for the most basic package, it's also the most expensive.

4. Ecwid

Ecwid

E-commerce site builder Ecwid also has a Facebook storefront option, but unlike BigCommerce SocialShop, the app allows customers to drag and drop products into a shopping bag and check out without leaving Facebook. You can integrate the same store on your website, MySpace profile, LinkedIn profile, or Tumblr by copying and pasting a widget code.

Basic accounts are free, but selling more than 100 items will cost you $17 per month.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, thesuperph

More About: e-commerce, facebook, storefront

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iPad 2 Graphics Much Faster Than iPad 1, Motorola Xoom

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 02:56 PM PDT


The examination of Apple’s iPad 2 continues, and now benchmarks of its graphics performance compare it favorably with both its predecessor and one of its most capable rivals, the Motorola Xoom.

Apple’s claim of the iPad 2′s nine-times-faster graphics performance over the iPad 1 might be exaggerated, according to AnandTech’s reviewer Daniel Dilger, who said he’s “not sure that you’ll ever see 9x running real game code.” In fact, AnandTech compared the iPad 2′s graphics performance with the original iPad and the Motorola Xoom, and using GLBenchmark 2.0, the iPad 2 was between 3 and 7 times faster than the iPad 1, and was a surprising 2 to 7 times faster than the Tegra 2-packing Motorola Xoom tablet.

Our benchmarks also showed Apple to be stretching the truth in its speed quotes. Comparing the iPad 1′s single-core A4 processor with the iPad 2′s dual-core A5, and we found the newer A5 to be 66% faster, short of Apple’s claim that it was twice as fast.

Another part of the initiation of the iPad 2 is its teardown by iSuppli, the company that dissects gadgetry and figures out the price of each of its individual components. Releasing some preliminary numbers to All Things Digital, iSuppli says a 32GB 3G iPad 2 that retails for $729 has parts that are worth $326.60 in the AT&T version, and the Verizon version’s parts cost $323.35.

iPad 2 exploded view, courtesy iSuppli

Other interesting tidbits: iSuppli says the iPad 2′s Apple-designed dual-core A5 processor, manufactured by Samsung, cost Apple $14, and that touchscreen display — similar to the one in the iPad 1 — is the most expensive part at $127. iSuppli didn’t say yet who supplied the iPad 2′s two onboard cameras that we called “lame.”

These numbers are not surprising to us, especially those comparing the iPad 2 with its predecessor. After playing with the new tablet for a couple of days, it becomes increasingly clear that its dual-core processor and graphics chip are both significantly faster than the iPad 1.

Graphic courtesy All Things Digital, iSuppli

More About: benchmarks, Graphics performance, iPad 2, iSuppli, motorola xoom

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42 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 01:30 PM PDT

icons image

What a week and what a weekend! SXSW is officially in full bloom and Mashable’s enjoying another successful year with our very own Mashable House.

With all the panels, tech, and startup buzz, we were still able to crank out another round of great digital tools and resources you may have missed. Take a look through to find stories on Egypt’s digital revolution, tips to improve your YouTube channel, and which social sites are best for particular marketing outcomes.

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

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Image courtesy of FreeVector Gallery

More About: business, facebook, Features Week In Review, gadgets, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, social media, tech, technology, twitter

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Watch Facebook Interview Kevin Rose at the Mashable House [LIVE]

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 01:08 PM PDT

Mashable teamed up with Facebook for live interviews during SXSW Interactive. Facebook's Randi Zuckerberg is conducting live interviews today and tomorrow from the Mashable SXSWi House.

Guests will include celebrities like actor Rainn Wilson, comedian Dane Cook and Ellen Page to leaders in tech like Kevin Rose. The celebrity guests will be taking questions throughout the interviews from people in the audience at the Mashable House and those of you watching here online or at Facebook Live.

Feel free to submit your questions in the comments below or in the live chat below. Stay tuned for interviews this afternoon.

More About: facebook live, mashable house, social media, sxswi

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New App Goes Beyond Group Texting With Social Integration [VIDEO]

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 12:21 PM PDT

The group texting war in raging here at SXSW, and another app has just entered the fray: Grouped{in}, a service that includes not only group texting, but integration with Facebook and Twitter as well.

Grouped{in}, like competitors GroupMe, Beluga and Fast Society, allows users to create groups with which they can group text (you can toggle between SMS and push notifications, which is handy). However, unlike the aforementioned apps, users can also check out the Twitter and Facebook streams of those in their groups as well.

We think it would be more handy if you could choose only to see @replies, messages and wall posts specifically directed to you, but CEO and co-founder of Appconomy Brian Magierski, who created the app, says those features are coming.

In addition, users can also place calls (both single and conference) to group members, send in-app e-mails, share locations and photos, and join groups both public and private. Grouped{in} has some groups set up especially for SXSW, which users can check out for more info: Austin News KXAN (which includes weather updates), The CW Austin (for film updates) and RunTex (for sports and outdoor activities).

Currently the app is available for free in the Apple App store. Check out our interview and demo with Magierski above for more details, and let us know in the comments: Who will be the victor in the group-texting wars?

Image courtesy of Flickr, Stephan Geyer

More About: groupedin, sxsw 2011

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How Do Social Networkers Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 11:46 AM PDT


While you’re making plans for St. Patrick’s Day (this Thursday, March 17), take a look at this infographic that shows you what other social networkers will be doing, revealing their opinions of that green-beer-besotted holiday that’s coming soon to a corner pub near you.

To gather data, Lab 42 surveyed 405 social network users, and the company assures us those respondents were evenly distributed across all age groups and income levels.

What do you think of St. Patrick’s Day? Let us know in the comments whether you plan to engage in the wearin’ o’ the green, maybe quaff some green beverages, or skip the celebration altogether.

Image courtesy Lab 42

More About: infographic, Lab 42, Saint Paddy's Day, Social Networkers, st patricks day, trending

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Your Online Guide to an Easier Tax Season

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 10:46 AM PDT

tax image

Charles Wiedenhoft is the Director of Business Planning & Optimization for Red Door Interactive, a San Diego-based Internet Presence Management firm. Clients include Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp, PETCO, Charlotte Russe, Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill and Cricket Communications. E-mail him at cwiedenhoft@reddoor.biz.

In the year 2011, we can do laundry from our smartphones and file tax returns electronically. Yes, even the IRS is on Twitter! Technology has made it shockingly easy to tend to our taxes, especially for the procrastinators and hyperactive digital multi-taskers who fear the date like plague.

According to comScore, tax websites attracted 26.8 million visitors in January, representing a 345% increase from December. Sites such as TurboTax, H&R Block and TaxACT all achieved triple-digit gains. If you aren't part of the lucky few already awaiting a refund, the following resources will not only help get your filing done quickly, but provide you with a jumpstart on next year's tax planning.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on the Web

It's the first tax filing season that the IRS won't be mailing its forms. Digital delivery is now standard. It seems that the agency is taking steep measures to modernize its offerings in order to meet the needs of growing tech-savvy taxpayers. The benefits of filing electronically include knowing the status of your return 72 hours after submitting it versus the three to four weeks it takes via snail mail. Plus, you can find tax tips using all of these IRS new media resources:

  • E-mail alerts: Daily tax tips to help with planning and preparation. [?]

  • Podcasts: Available in English and Spanish on the IRS website and iTunes. [?]

  • Twitter: Keep up with tax updates and IRS announcements.
  • YouTube: Videos on the IRS Channel include segments for homebuyers, choosing a tax preparer and education/vehicle tax deductions.

Mobile Apps

snaptax image

You can also file your taxes from your phone thanks to TurboTax's free mobile app. The service, called SnapTax, isn't for everyone, but for those who qualify, it’s about as easy as ordering takeout and about the same price at $14.99. Here are the simple steps:

  • Download SnapTax (available for iPhone and Android):
  • Take a photo of your W-2 with your phone’s camera.
  • Answer basic questions.
  • Review, pay and e-file.

And while “free” and “IRS” don’t always go hand-in-hand, the agency does offer a mobile app completely gratis.

  • Download IRS2Go (also available for iPhone)
  • It allows taxpayers to check on the status of their refund.
  • It sends a notification when a refund is processed or if additional information is needed.
  • You can sign up for IRS tax tips and see Twitter updates.

Tax Planning

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If you'd like to make things a little easier before Uncle Sam knocks on the door next year, here are some web-based services for organizing and archiving. The IRS recommends saving tax returns and supporting documents for three to six years.

  • Mint.com: Free financial management that pulls all your accounts (savings, checking, auto, mortgage and investments) into one place online.

    Helps you create a goal to save money by tax time and offers tips on how to save.

    Tags tax expenses and business deductions.

    Sends notifications when your refund arrives.

  • Dropbox: A web-based file hosting server that enables storing and sharing information through cloud computing.

    Scan your receipts in a digital format and safely keep e-filing confirmations, residential documents, and other financial records.

Security

find phone image

The issue of privacy inevitably comes up when financial records are being transmitted online. It's a valid concern, and not just from the skeptics. However, there are several precautions you can take when filing online to make sure your sensitive tax information is protected.

  • Look for secure connection and encryption on sensitive information like social security numbers.
  • The IRS clearly states their smartphone app is masked and encrypted for security purposes.
  • Mint.com uses 128-bit SSL encryption (the same security that banks use) and all data is protected and validated by VeriSign and TRUSTe. Mint is also read-only, so no money can be moved in or out of any account.
  • If filing from a coffee shop or other public area, be aware of the people around you and make sure you're on a secure network.
  • Password protect your laptops, smartphones and tablets, so a thief can't easily get information if your device is lost or stolen.
  • Set up remote phone locks and GPS tracking software such as "Find my iPhone" for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad to shut down thieves.
  • Downloading security software for your smartphone is now just as important as downloading it for your computer. This includes firewall, antivirus and antispyware programs from companies such as Anonymizer.

While the IRS implements new changes to amplify a digital role in tax preparation, there are numerous resources available to help guide those who aren't quite so tech savvy. Take the opportunity to learn about and share them, and tax time may not be so daunting.

Image courtesy of Flickr, music2work2

Interested in more Business news? Check out Mashable Explore, a new way to discover resources and information on your favorite Mashable topics.

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SXSWi Is About More Than Tech, Check out the Music [VIDEOS]

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 10:25 AM PDT


Washed Out "Belong"



White Ghost Shivers



Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, "Sugarfoot"



The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, "A Teenager In Love"



The Limousines, "Internet Killed The Video Star"



TV Torso, "The Black Mask"



Thee Oh Sees, "MEAT STEP LIVELY"



Mister Heavenly, "Pineapple Girl"



No Age, "Losing Feeling"



Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, "The Might Sparrow"



Bare Wires, "Dont Ever Change"



Frank Smith, "Throwin Rocks"



"Gold Digger" (Diplo Remix)



"Charlie Sheen Remix" (Eclectic Method)



Chromeo, "Needy Girl"



The Mother Truckers, "Dynamite" Video



Local Natives, "Wide Eyes"


Yes, SXSW Interactive is replete with apps, tech and social media shenanigans, but there are also tons of awesome bands here at present. Check out the gallery above, featuring music from bands who have played/will play here at SXSW (the geek edition).

Yeah, the audiences may be a bit more tied to their smartphones than usual (IE, most people spend much of any given show documenting the goings-ons), but the bands playing in Austin at present are decidedly just as hot as the apps du jour down here.

Take a listen and let us know which acts strike your fancy in the comments.

NB: As per usual when watching music videos at work (if you are, in fact, at work), exercise caution when the boss is about.

Photo courtesy of Flickr, Finding Josephine

More About: music, sxsw 2011

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Apple & Microsoft Take Different Approaches to Japan Relief

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 09:19 AM PDT


If you were trying to solicit donations for earthquake victims in Japan, what approach would you take? Take a look at how technology rivals Microsoft and Apple decided to handle this delicate situation.

First up, Microsoft. The company tweeted a plea on its Bing search engine Twitter account, offering to donate up to $100,000 for earthquake victims, but under one condition: that users would retweet the message, which would result in Microsoft increasing its donations by one dollar per retweet:

It’s straightforward enough, and sounds a lot like an offer we told you about yesterday from the nonprofit Explore.org, offering to contribute $1 for each Facebook “Like” of its “Dog Bless You” Facebook fundraising page received. That seemed to go smoothly yesterday, where we heard a few complaints but overall the reaction was positive.

Microsoft’s idea was not so well-received. Shortly after the company initiated its fundraiser, a backlash began, where some called the scheme a crass marketing attempt, and comedian Michael Ian Black told his 1.6 million Twitter followers in no uncertain terms that Microsoft should “stop using tragedy as a f***ing marketing opportunity.” The company soon withdrew the deal, offering instead to simply donate the $100K:

Next up, Apple. Instead of offering to contribute anything to the earthquake victims, Apple set up a special place(iTunes link) in its iTunes store, promising to deliver 100% of any donations to the Red Cross to benefit Japan. Apple’s iTunes donation page makes it as easy to help earthquake victims as it is to buy iTunes music, where as you can see, the suggested donations are in amounts of $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 and $200:

So that’s Apple’s technique — not to actually donate money, but to encourage everyone else to stop by the iTunes Store (and perhaps buy something else while they’re there), and help the poor souls laid low by the tragic quake and its ominous nuclear aftermath. Of course, Apple is donating something with this deal, because it’s not free to move boatloads of cash from one place to another.

What do you think of this, commenters? Should multibillion dollar corporations simply donate to these causes, should they try to get us involved, or should they just facilitate our donations? Are these crass attempts at capitalizing on horrific tragedy? Do nonprofits get a pass, as long as it doesn’t look like they’re self-promoting too much? Where do you draw the line?

More About: apple, charity, Contribute, donate, Earthquake, japan, microsoft, trending, Victims

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The South By Southwest Panels, Illustrated [PICS]

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 07:27 AM PDT


Sometimes the best way to stand out at a digitally focused event like South by Southwest is to do something analog.

That was some of the thinking behind Ogilvy Notes, a project by the ad agency Ogilvy. The agency dispatched six artists at SXSW to attend up to 80 panel discussions and act sort of as court reporters. The artists not only take notes about the talks, but provide some illustrations, a practice known as visual note-taking or graphic representations.

Jordan Berkowitz, executive director of creative technology and innovation at Ogilvy, says the idea came about by asking the question: "What can a large advertising agency do at an event like this — promote itself or add value?" Opting for the latter, the Notes are supposed to bring attendees up to speed on events they’ve missed. (Though not all the events. Berkowitz says there are too many and that would be impossible.)

Ogilvy will distribute 11″ X 17″ prints for free and is posting the the Notes online. Berkowitz says the agency wasn't interested in doing something totally digital though. "There's something really fun and tactile about this," he says. "It's a skill that uses both sides of your brain."


"The 90 Minute Solution: Live Like a Sprinter"




Speaker: Tony Schwartz. Artist: Sunni Brown


"Agile Self-Development"




Speaker: Dinah Sanders. Artist: ImageThink.


"Be Heard: How to Innovate at Big Companies"




Speakers: Gene Kim, William Hertling. Artist: Liisa Sorsa


"Beyond Check-Ins: Location-Based Game Design"




Speakers: John-Paul Walton, Zach Saul. Artist: ImageThink.


"Brave New World: Debating Brands' Roles as Publishers"




Speakers: Gary Kim, Joe Pulizzi, Pawan Deshpande, Tom Ashbrook. Artist: ImageThink.


"Client Knows Best? How to Sell Unsolicited Ideas"




Speakers: Alessandra Lariu, Hashem Bajwa, John Wimsatt, Nick Parish, Ty Montague


"Collaboration Over Competition"




Speakers: Derek Neighbors, Jay Baer, Kristie Wells, Sally Strebel. Artist: Stephanie von Dressler.


"Design Across Disciplines"




Speakers: Brett Lider, Elaine Wherry, Matthew Robbins, Stephen Atkinson. Artist: ImageThink.


"How Print Design is the Future of Interaction"




Speaker: Mike Kruzeniski. Artist: ImageThink.


"iPad Design Headaches"




Speaker: Josh Clark. Artist: ImageThink.


"Keynote"




Speaker: Seth Priebatsch. Artist: Nora Hertling.


"Game Mechanics Can and Do Solve Real Problems"




Speaker: Seth Priebatsch. Artist: ImageThink


"Left Brain Search = Google. Right Brain Search = X"




Speakers: Barney Pell, Don Turnbull, Lior Ron, Nikhil Daftary, Sep Kamvar. Artist: Heather Willems.


"Mobile Health in Africa: What Can We Learn?"




Speakers: Douglas Naegele, Jaspal Sandhu, Josh Nesbit, Patricia Mechael. Artist:Heather Willems


"Public Transit Data, APIs and City Governments"




Speakers: Jerry Jariyasunant, Julie Blitzer, Michael Uffer. Artist: ImageThink.


"Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better"




Speaker: Jane McGonigal. Artist: ImageThink.


"Social Media Data Visualization: Mapping the World's Conversations"




Speakers: Adam Bly, Benjamin Wiederkehr, Eric Friedman, Robin Richards. Artist: Nora Herting.


"Social Shopping: The Future of Selling Stuff Online"




Speaker:Willo O'Brien. Artist: Stephanie von Dressler.


"Star Wars Uncut: The Force of Crowdsourcing"




Speakers: Annelise Pruitt, Casey Pugh, Jamie Wilkinson. Artist: Liisa Sorsa.


"The Elevation of Black Women in New Media"




Speakers: Angela Benton, Deanna Sutton, Kathryn Finney, Shane Roberts, Susan Morgan. Artist: ImageThink.


"Web Mashup Platforms for Future Programmable Cities"




Speakers: Christine Outram, Dominique Guinard, Rachel Sterne, Vlad Trifa. Artist: ImageThink.


"Why Can't Startups and Advertisers Play Nice?"




Speakers: Charlie Taylor, Gloria Lin, Jay Adelson, Kaitlyn Trigger. Artist: ImageThink.

More About: Ogilvy, sxsw, sxswi, trending

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