Initial Public Offering-Mark Zuckerberg-Silicon Valley-Social Network-Facebook

Facebook shoots for $5 billion in mega-IPO

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook filed on Wednesday to raise a targeted $5 billion in a hotly anticipated initial public offering, setting the stage for Silicon Valley's biggest-ever IPO. The world's largest social network, a dorm room project for Harvard dropout Mark Zuckerberg that exploded in popularity and vaulted to Silicon Valley's top tier within 8 years, said in its preliminary filing that its net income rose 65 percent to $1 billion in 2011, off revenue of $3.71 billion. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/yEczNQ

Ceo Mark Zuckerberg-Internet Ipo-Facebook-Company

Facebook's Zuckerberg to keep iron grip after IPO

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook unveiled plans for the biggest ever Internet IPO that could raise as much as $10 billion, but made it clear CEO Mark Zuckerberg will exercise almost complete control over the company, leaving investors with little say. The Harvard dropout, who launched the social networking phenomenon from his dorm room, will control 56.9 percent of the voting shares in a company expected to be valued at up to $100 billion when it goes public. Facebook says it has 845 million active monthly users. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/wbVm7p

Institutional Shareholder Services-Board Of Directors-Share Structure-Accountability

Proxy adviser ISS slams Facebook share structure

(Reuters) - Facebook diminishes shareholder rights with its dual-class share structure and limits the accountability of its board of directors to investors, proxy advisory group Institutional Shareholder Services said on Monday. It is unclear how much the criticism will affect investors' willingness to park their cash in the fast-growing social networking company, which filed registration papers earlier this month for what is expected to be the largest initial public offering in Silicon Valley history. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/zv8zkm

Game Developer-Ipad

Wonder What Games Might Look Like On The New iPad? Check This Out

The new iPad, if rumors are to be believed, has an extremely high-resolution screen — better than most monitors and packed into a quarter of the display space. The result? iPhone 4-like Retina goodness. But it's actually kind of hard to visualize this, since most pixel-dense displays are small, and we're used to a certain level of aliasing on our bigger displays.Game developer Pixels on Toast has done the work of preparing their upcoming game Food Run to the expected 2048x1536 resolution. The results may help you get into your head just how many pixels we're talking about here. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/xA5mix

South By Southwest-Nearby Friends-Exact Location-Sxsw

Glancee To Release Big SXSW Update With Past Encounters, More Location And More Android

Let's say you want to use your phone to find interesting new people or reconnect with nearby friends -- without revealing your exact location. Glancee is the app for you, particularly if you're an Android user. And the polished competitor to Highlight is getting a big update today, ahead of South By Southwest. The changes should please the people who want what it already offers.The most obvious alteration since I covered the app last month is a nod to location precision. The Radar feature now shows you how many "steps away" somebody is, as measured in number of feet. Before, you'd see people as either "nearby" or as X number of miles away. While subtle, the difference could make it easier for connections to happen. If you only have to walk a few feet to meet someone, you're more likely to do it than walk half a mile, particularly if you're in the middle of a giant party in Austin, Texas. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/AoLyTG

Interval Training-Strength Training-Exercise Program-Workouts-Music

Three new apps for a better workout

A trio of apps have come out recently that will give your spring workout a boost: Faster ($1.99): This app, shown at right, is geared toward those who exercise outdoors and relies on GPS to be effective. You can set a distance and target time, and if your pace isn't matching the goals you set, Faster will slow down your music. There's a social aspect to it as well, with Game Center integration and the ability to earn badges and compete with friends. You can also hear voice feedback during workouts and use it in tandem with other fitness apps. Now that the weather's warming up here, I'm looking forward to using Faster outside and hope it'll keep me motivated and not looking longingly at gardens and park benches. One warning: For those who still have some DRM-protected tracks on their iPhone, Faster will not work with them. Bit Timer ($.99): Bit Timer is designed for when you do any sort of interval training, great for if you're doing a regimented exercise that requires you to alternate between running and walking, or if you're doing strength training and need to take rests between sets. Two distinct tones let you know when you're about to perform the exercise and when you either enter your rest period or change exercises. To change the seconds, hold the colored bars and drag down to increase time, drag up to decrease it. When using a music app, Bit Timer will fade the music out to let you know when to switch phases then fade back in, which is really nice. The one drawback to the app is that you can't set the work and rest periods for any longer than 2-minute increments at a time. I'd like to see this go up to 5-minute increments to better utilize it with such programs as the Couch to 5K plan. Plus, I'd like to see some customization such as being able to switch to different phases of an exercise program. But for 99 cents, this app is a good deal, and I plan to incorporate it into my workouts. Fitness Trainer ($.99): For building those spring workouts, you can create and track routines in this app. There are more than 70 exercises within the app to choose from, including videos to demonstrate move you're not familiar with. This app just hit version 4, and it's a good way to create a training program for yourself without having to pay for a personal trainer. What it won't do is keep you working out. That you'll have to do yourself.Three new apps for a better workout originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/A96lm7

Social Networking-Music Match-Nike

Path 2.1 update adds Nike+, Music Match and a new filter

I've been a fan and user of social networking app Path (free) for some time, even after it it was disclosed that the company was uploading iPhone Contacts to their servers. The company has now released an update to the app, adding some features that might bring miffed former users back to the Path fold. Path 2.1, available today, has one new feature that may help you on the running path. Through Nike+ GPS Running Stories, runs can automatically be journaled by linking the Nike+ GPS app (US$1.99) to Path. Your friends on Path will be able to see a map of your run, perfect for creating enmity between you and those couch potatoes. Another great new feature appears when you tap the music icon to let your buddies know what you're listening to. Instead of typing in the name of a tune, you can just tap a microphone icon to let Path "listen to" the music and get the song title from Music Match. It's also helpful if you aren't sure what that catchy tune playing in Starbucks actually is... Path added a new in-app purchase for a "camera lens" that creates a comic book effect. Trust me -- most self-portraits are bad enough without needing to look like you're a comic book character. The company also added a way to adjust the focus and exposure points of the camera separately for more detailed images. Path 2.1 update adds Nike+, Music Match and a new filter originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/yupGWZ

Optical Cables For Thunderbolt-Tb

Optical cables for Thunderbolt coming in 2012

The cabling for Apple and Intel's next-generation peripheral interconnect will be getting an upgrade this year, says IDG. Thunderbolt optical cables will be shipping in 2012, according to Intel; current cabling for TB is all copper-based. The PCI-based Thunderbolt technology has always included optical cabling in its roadmap, but the costs of fiber versus copper and the development lead time meant that the initial implementation didn't include the optical option. Mac Thunderbolt ports and peripherals, fortunately, should be compatible with both types of cabling; swapping out one for the other should be straightforward for the most part. The only catch with optical TB cabling is that bus-powered devices (like Elgato's new Thunderbolt SSD drive) will probably require a power injector or standalone power supply. The optical cable's extended run length (multiple times the six-meter copper TB cable limit) means that power can't be dependably run through it. Thunderbolt peripherals have been thin on the ground since the first TB-equipped Mac models were announced early in 2011, but more and more are starting to arrive now. Sonnet's ExpressCard adapter allows for multiple interface options for TB machines, including FireWire 800 and eSATA.Optical cables for Thunderbolt coming in 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/wyDiYp

Retina Display-Ipad

Potential screenshots from an iPad Retina Display look gorgeous

While we're sure that Apple is going to show off a new iPad at the announcement next week, it's not quite guaranteed yet that the iPad will have its own version of the Retina Display. Certainly there have been rumors to that effect, and it certainly would be cool, but we can't be sure just yet. Nevertheless, game developer Pixels on Toast has gone ahead and done the work anyway: They have screenshots over on this blog post that show what the company's next game, Food Run, would look like if it ran on a display with four times as many pixels as the current iPad's screen, or a resolution of 2048 x 1536. As you can see above (especially when compared with the images in the post of the current iPad's screen), it looks pretty amazing. I remember when I first was buying my iPad, I had used the iPhone 4's display for quite a while, and I went back to the iPad and was disappointed that I could still see pixelation and artifacts after getting so used to the iPhone's screen. But if the Retina Display really did come across, the iPad's big screen would be brighter and clearer than most computer displays, making for some really incredible interfaces. There are drawbacks, of course. In addition to the extra power required for such a display (both in terms of processing power and battery power), developers would have to deal with higher resolution graphics, in both 2D and 3D games. Devs have already gone through this process once, however, so most developers who already put iOS games together will have some idea of how to deal with the issue. Keep in mind, however, that bigger graphics means bigger files, so Apple may have to raise the limits on various app size requirements. At any rate, the display pictures for Food Run certainly look, well, delicious. This is all speculative, but if Apple has indeed upgraded the display on the new iPad, there could be more exciting times ahead. [via TechCrunch]Potential screenshots from an iPad Retina Display look gorgeous originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/wsaNy6

Daily iPhone App: Beatstream

Daily iPhone App: Beatstream

Beatstream is the latest app from the folks at Smule (who recently acquired Khush, another music-loving developer, and I can kind of see their influence here as well). Usually, Smule's apps are based around creation of music, but Beatstream is a little more targeted towards listening to your music (at least at first). The idea is that you can pull any music from your iTunes library, and Beatstream will turn it into a game, the game-iest game that I've ever seen Smule make. You basically control an arrow running along a path, and you can tap on the screen to flip it through two different colors, which match barriers running along the path in front of you. The goal is to make sure that when your little arrow crosses the barriers, it's the same color. Matching colors and going through levels you up, and missing the colors brings you back down. It's fun, and even on the easiest setting, the barriers show up on the screen quickly enough that there is a little bit of a challenge trying to make sure the arrow is flipped the right way before going through them. There are also badges to earn, and unlike standard achievements, these actually change the gameplay a little bit, or even trip up the way the music sounds, like making it go faster or play in some crazy fashion. The one caveat with the music in Beatstream is that, like all other apps that pull music from your library, it won't work with DRM-protected songs, so if there's anything on your device from before 2009, you might not be able to play it. Same deal with long songs -- I had a few really long songs that just didn't work. But I was able to get a shorter song working without a problem, and while you could tell the song was matched with an algorithm (rather than by hand, like a Rock Band or Guitar Hero song), it still played well along with the music anyway. Beatstream is a cool way to experience your music while tapping along with that little arrow. I don't think it'll be a tentpole release for Smule -- it doesn't quite have that music creation streak that has led them to so much success with apps like Ocarina and Magic Piano. But it's a quality addition to their library for sure -- it's 99 cents on the App Store right now.Daily iPhone App: Beatstream originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/GP2Mii

Retina Display-Ipad

Hack Allows Developers to Start Testing iPad Retina Display in iOS Simulator [iOS Blog]

With a Retina iPad 3 expected just next week, one developer has created a small utility that allows the iPad simulator to run in 2X mode. The utility is available from Ryan Petrich.
In order to run it on the latest version of Xcode, you will need to symlink /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer to /Developer and /Developer4.
Meanwhile, stroughtonsmith shows how his app SameGame looks in the Retina iPad emulator running on his 27" iMac:
Click on image to see full size.
Apple is widely expected to release a Retina-enabled iPad 3 next week at their media event. If rumors are to believed, the iPad 3 should be available within a week or so of the announcement. That would leave developers little time to Retina-ize their current iPad apps if they wait until the day of the announcement. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/A8V9Xh

College High School-Graduation Ceremony-Bikini Photo-Philippines-Cebu City

Student's bikini photo on Facebook results in graduation ban

On March 30, St. Theresa’s College High School in Cebu City, Philippines will be holding its graduation ceremony. But a 16-year-old student won't be allowed to attend or walk across a stage with her classmates to receive her diploma — because she posted a bikini-clad photo of herself on Facebook. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/H0bHjU

Retina Display-Apple-Ipad

Apple Working on New Device with 5-Inch Retina Display for 2013? [iOS Blog]

Japanese blog Macotakara today offers a brief report claiming that Apple is working on a new product for release in 2013 that will carry a 5-inch Retina-quality display.The product which has 5-inch Retina Display is expected to be released in 2013, and resolution of this LCD will be 1,600 x 960 pixel (800 x 480 by legacy majour) or 1,280 x 960 pixel (640 x 480).Apple has been rumored to be developing a so-called "iPad mini" carrying a 7.85-inch display carrying the same 1024x768 non-Retina resolution of the original iPad and iPad 2. Despite the smaller physical size of the iPad mini compared to the iPad, calculations suggest that the screen size would meet Apple's app design guidelines to keep interface elements of existing iPad applications at an acceptable physical size from a usability perspective.
A device carrying a 5-inch display at either 1600x960 or 1280x960 would introduce additional complications for developers, presuming that it would be an iOS device designed to run App Store apps. That resolution would not allow for easy scaling of existing iPhone/iPod touch or iPad apps to fit the new device's display, requiring developers to target yet another set of screen dimensions with their apps.
Macotakara has had a mixed track record in the past, and when combined the apparent difficulties for app developers, we hesitate to put much faith in these claims at this time. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/H0dplk

Macupdate Bundle: 11 Mac Apps-Mac Application Bundle-Mac Applications-Vmware Fusion

MacUpdate Bundle: 11 Mac Apps for $49.99, Including VMWare Fusion 4

A few times a year, MacRumors partners with MacUpdate to promote their Mac application bundle deal.
Their latest bundle delivers at 11 Mac applications for $49.99 (a $377.79 value if all purchased separately). Notably, it includes VMWare Fusion 4 for the first time. Fusion is a popular virtualization tool that allows users to run Windows on their Mac.
The full bundle includes (retail value in parenthesis):
- VMware Fusion 4 ($49.99) - Run Windows on your Mac without rebooting
- Drive Genius 3 ($99.00) - Optimize, repair, test, resize and clean up your Mac
- PDFpen 5 ($59.95) - Edit and add text, images and signatures to PDFs
- ForkLift 2.5 ($29.95) - File manager and FTP client
- Typinator 5 ($33.00) - Text expansion solution
- DesktopShelves 2 ($14.99) - Display folders as desktop shelves
- Snapheal ($14.99) - Professional-quality image enhancement utility
- Boom ($10.99) - Boost audio output for your entire system
- Phone to Mac ($24.95) - Copy media from an iOS device to your Mac
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition ($29.99) - Action game in the Star Wars Universe
- Worms Special Edition ($9.99) - Classic turn-based strategy game
All apps together are being sold for $49.99 for a limited time.
MacRumors is a promotional partner with MacUpdate. Bundle sales through these links benefit MacRumors financially, and provide a way for readers to directly support this site. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/zm6K4s

The Gold Standard-Software Company-Digital Game-Steam Box-Pc Gaming

Valve Rumored To Be Working On Steam-Based Console

Valve, creators of (among other things) the Half-Life franchise and Steam, the gold standard for digital game distribution, are said to be getting into the hardware game. If The Verge's tip is to be believed, the company is working with partners to establish a base PC gaming standard to sell as a packaged deal, a sort of set-top box PC that would run Steam or other download services and run most PC games.If true, it would be a major step for Valve, which has always been a software company. They haven't ruled out moving into hardware, but their expertise is in software, so they're more likely to be collaborating with an established gaming PC brand like Alienware. In fact, Alienware's compact X51 system is said to have been designed with a spec like this "Steam Box" in mind. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/xVpNJJ

Philanthropist Reid Hoffman-Circumstances-Microlending-Linkedin

LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman Gives Kiva $1 Million To “Empower Everyone”

"How you build the future is you motivate people to pay attention and act, to improve their circumstances and run their own lives", LinkedIn co-founder and philanthropist Reid Hoffman tells me. That's why his support of microlending platform Kiva's kiva.org/free program has a double positive impact. He put up $1 million so 40,000 people could try helping the impoverished via microfinance without spending their own money. They get inspired, while those who receive the microloans can start small businesses and become self-reliant.In an inspiring interview, Reid also told me about how he thinks governments should start microlending, that people need to accept that charities and causes aren't perfect, and the life philosophy he thinks everyone should live by. Be sure to participate in the kiva.org/free trials before they run out. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/AcTh9g

Close Relationship-Sxsw Interactive-Battery Charge

The Real SXSW “Winner” Is The Mophie Juice Pack

So Highlight didn't "win" SXSW, as some tech bloggers had hypothesized, for many reasons. It did however have a close relationship to what eventually ended up winning, as its background GPS turns out to significantly strain iPhone battery life.Even before SXSW, users were reporting notable reduction in battery charge when using Highlight, on average going from two days to one day of use per full charge while the app is running.In the mobile app battleground that is SXSW Interactive, the battery drain was even more pronounced. People crowded round the charging stations some startups had set up. "ABC: Always be charging," was a running joke amongst techies. At some point I even saw a woman at a restaurant using a charger as a scrunchie. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/Avu4MI

Cooperation-Beijing-Apple

Apple's CEO meets with Beijing's mayor, calls for cooperation

Apple's CEO Tim Cook met with Beijing's mayor on Monday, and called for increased cooperation with China's capital city along with market expansion, according to a report from Chinese state-run press. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GWdEvT

Social Networking-Facebook

Face time with Facebook CEO stirs concerns on Wall Street

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Mark Zuckerberg wants at least $5 billion from Wall Street investors, but those investors will not be getting much face time in return. The Facebook co-founder and CEO made that clear when he skipped the social networking company's first major briefing for analysts and bankers last week. The meeting was the first of many that will take place in the run-up to an IPO that could value the company at close to $100 billion. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/GWcaBN

Mobile Hotspot-Verizon-Ipad-Lte

New iPad can be used as Verizon LTE hotspot for over 24 hours

Anandtech took a closer look at the new iPad's 42.5 Wh battery and discovered the battery is fantastic for those using the device as a mobile hotspot. In a series of tests, they ran the Verizon WiFi+4G iPad from a full charge down to zero with the screen off. Total time was an impressive 25.3 hours on a single charge. Overall, the battery performs as expected. The retina-equipped iPad has a run time that's slightly less than the iPad 2, and you'll get an hour less juice on LTE than WiFi. [Via The Verge]New iPad can be used as Verizon LTE hotspot for over 24 hours originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/HaE220

Software Update-Bug Fix-Safari

Apple Releases Safari 5.1.5 [Mac Blog]

Apple has released Safari 5.1.5 just two weeks after the release of 5.1.4. The update is a minor one, however, with just one noted bug fix:
Safari 5.1.5 contains a fix for an issue that could affect website usability when running Safari in 32-bit mode.The issue with 32-bit mode had been noticed previously by several of our readers.
Safari 5.1.5 can be downloaded from Apple's Safari download page or via Software Update.
Safari 5.2 was seeded to developers earlier this year as part of the Mountain Lion preview release. Among the new additions are a unified address/search bar, new persistent Reader icon that is blue when available and grey when inactive, and new URL styling to highlight the domain the page is on while deemphasizing other aspects of the URL. It should be available later this year. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/HaDGbK

Battery Capacity-Ipad

More iPad Battery Notes: 25-Hour Hotspot Life, 2-Amp Current Draw from Discharged State

Much has been made of the increase in battery capacity in the new iPad over the past week and a half, including its impact on charging and heat issues experienced by consumers. More recent discussions have focused on the device charging beyond the 100% indicator.
A few other tidbits related to the device's battery are gaining some exposure, information which may help users plan how they use their iPads. First, a report from AnandTech addressing battery life has been gaining renewed interest for its revelation that users running a Verizon iPad in personal hotspot mode can see as much as 25 hours of battery life to provide connectivity for their other devices. That number has also been confirmed by The Verge.
While Verizon is including personal hotspot functionality in its iPad data plans at no extra charge, AT&T has yet to announced whether it will even support the feature at all, noting only that it is "working with Apple" on the issue.
Meanwhile, VR-Zone notes that the new iPad can draw as much as 2 amps of current when charging the battery from a nearly-depleted state, pushing the capacity of charging connections such as computer USB ports. Apple's supplied iPad power adapter provides for up to 2.1 amps of current from a wall outlet, and the company has long noted that this method offers the fastest charging on any iPad. Users can, however, still charge the device using the smaller 1-amp adapter included with an iPhone or by connecting the dock connector cable directly to a computer's USB port. VR-Zone notes:As you can see in the video below, the iPad in question only had seven percent battery life remaining and at this point it's sucking 1.98A. That's a lot of power and we were told by Gigabyte that they've seen it hitting just over 2A. That said, as you might've noticed from the picture above, this quickly drops once the iPad begins to charge, but considering a standard USB 2.0 port only delivers 500mA and even a USB 3.0 port will only deliver 900mA, you have to wonder how much Apple cares about PC owners.The new iPad carries a 42.5 watt-hour battery, roughly 70% larger in capacity and size than the 25 watt-hour battery found in the iPad 2. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/HaDFo6

Marketable Names-Android

Condom Or Android Handset Name?

Android phone makers are flooding the market with handsets. If you can't beat the iPhone in quality, beat it in quantity. But with that comes a problem: They have run out of marketable names. "What phone did you just buy, friend?" "Oh, you know, the new Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD LTE 32GB Special Edition."What's in a Name blog just posted this fun graph comparing condom names and Android phones. As you can see, most swing both ways and where there isn't crossover, like in the condom called Tingle, it's not that much of a stretch to imagine the name used -- the Samsung Galaxy Tingle. The graph also points out some huge opportunities for condom makers; the Trojan Hero would probably be a bigger success than the HTC Hero. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/HaDs4d

Tea Party Activist-Fictional Facebook-Performance Art-Identity Fraud-Fake Identity

Art professor impersonated tea party activist, staged Facebook hacking, calls it ‘performance art’

A Utah college professor helped create and cultivate a fake identity as a tea party activist for nearly two years, using a fictional Facebook account to deceive thousands of conservatives as part of an elaborate “performance art” project, The Daily Caller has learned. read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/HaANaQ

Research and Markets: 2012 Identity Fraud Report: Social Media and Mobile Forming the New Fraud Frontier

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/a081baa7/2012_identity_frau) has announced the addition of Javelin Strategy & Research's new report "2012 Identity Fraud Report: Social Media and Mobile Forming the New Fraud Frontier" to their offering. read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/HaANrb

Sweary tweet gets student expelled from school, but should his account have been monitored in the first place?

An expletive-laden tweet has seen a student expelled from his high school in Indiana. Austin Carroll made the mistake of posting a fairly well-known phrase to his personal Twitter account as a joke, but it included liberal use of the third in George Carlin’s “Filthy Words” list. You know, the one beginning with F. read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/HaANHM

Impressive Cameras-Smartphones-Snapshots

These cameras are better than smartphones'

Many smartphones have impressive cameras, and Apple just made a big upgrade with the new iPad. All that raises a question: Do you still need a separate digital camera?  For quick online snapshots, maybe not. Smartphones are convenient. You always have one with you. They make uploading pictures a snap, and apps like Instagram add beautiful effects. But there are four features that no smartphone — but most point-and-shoot cameras — can offer. read more..

source:http://on.msnbc.com/GAunDb

Facebook

Everything You'll Hate About the New Facebook Timeline

This morning, after previewing its Timeline in New Zealand, Facebook has made the feature available worldwide. As with anything new and different, they're girding for user backlash. Considering the design, layout and concept changes, the new profile page is one of the biggest redesigns since Facebook's 2004 inception. We're here to walk you through it..  Related: Facebook Has a New Feature That Can Help LiarsToo Many Photos read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/ryd6Vm

Facebook's Real-Time Ticker to Show Sponsored Stories

Facebook's Real-Time Ticker to Show Sponsored Stories

Facebook will increase the distribution for Sponsored Stories by allowing them to run in the ticker across the site, ClickZ News has learned. Since the ticker -- a lightweight newsfeed seen on the upper right-hand part of Facebook.com -- was launched in August, the social context ads had been running only via the app ticker for Facebook games. read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/srNVU

Initial Public Offering-Social Network-Stockholders-Facebook-Zynga

Zynga's Stockholders Should Be Very Happy with Facebook Right Now

After Facebook's initial public offering paper revealed that Zynga accounts for 12 percent of the social network's revenue, ZNGA has been on quite a bull run up at NASDAQ. After hovering around $10 per share since its own IPO in December, Zynga's stock graph takes a hockey stick-shaped turn the moment markets opened after Facebook's S-1 filing hit the Web. It kept running up and up until lunchtime on Friday when the stock price peaked at $14.35. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/xUEQxL

Sales Business Model-Brand New Cars-Car Buyers-Groupon

CarRush Bills Itself as ‘Groupon for New Cars’. Is This A Good Idea?

If you thought the application of the Groupon sales business model could not extend any further you may be wrong. CarRush.co.uk launches today billing itself as 'Groupon for New Cars'. It's essentially a consumer front-end for FinanceAcar.co.uk. The idea is to provide exclusive weekly deals with discounts of up to 40 per cent on brand new cars on a monthly financing arrangement. This could hit a sweet spot for the 80 per cent of car buyers that purchase a new car based on a monthly payment. But will they run into the same problems Groupon participants have experienced. Let's see... read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GNCMlQ

Iphone

Create an April Fools pranklet with iPhoneception

Looking for a cute and harmless April Fool's day prank for your iPhone. Consider iphoneception. It's a site that creates one of four special effects that mimic the iPhone's home screen, making users think that something deeply weird has happened to their unit. Best of all, at least in terms of pranking, it can be installed and run on any unlocked iPhone (i.e. one that doesn't use a passcode). That's because it's just an interactive web page -- so you don't need an Apple ID to add it to a friend's unit. You select the effect you wish to use (there are four, including explosions, gravity, kittens, and zombies) and create a homepage bookmark for it. Launch it from Springboard, press the lock button, and your prank is ready to go. The video that follows shows the effect in action. Incidentally, it was recorded live from the iPhone using a beta version of Reflection, which will offer recording features when it's released. Hat tip: Henry KuoCreate an April Fools pranklet with iPhoneception originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 25 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/GNCQ5d

The German Countryside-Random Amusement Park-Conference-Frat Boys

On Women In Tech

Geeklist must never have learned the first rule of holes: When you're in one, stop digging. I was all the way on the other side of the world at a conference held at a random amusement park in the German countryside and it seemed the Geeklist boys almost dug their way to me. The incident, which appears to have reignited the women in tech debate, I first got wind of from an Australian who was attending the conference. "Silicon valley hasn't changed since I left there years ago," he said over a beer. "Still a bunch of frat boys running the show."Later, over Skype, I asked Michelle Zatlyn, one of my two co-founders at CloudFlare, what she thought of the whole thing. "What happened at Geekwire?" she wrote back, having missed the meme. I gave her the gory details and said I was surprised she hadn't heard. "Sorry," she replied, "busy building a company :)." read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GNCNWT

Rainn Wilson-Joke

Did We Learn Anything From Rainn Wilson's Twitter Rape Joke?

The Internet has had quite a run of PC-police work lately, from the outcry against the ultimately fired ESPN writer behind that awful "chink in the armor" headline about Jeremy Lin to the backlash piled on Foster Friess shaming him into apologizing for his lame birth control joke. And, more recently, after Rainn Wilson tweeted a rape joke at 7 p.m. last night, the Internet fought back. He's deleted the offending tweet, though it's already proliferated around the Internet. read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/AoOlpY

Native Windows-Music Service-Acquisition-Mog

MOG Finally Gets Around To Releasing A Native Windows App

MOG has been making headlines this week because of their potential acquisition by Taiwanese phone manufacturer HTC, but their newest announcement sadly doesn't mention anything of the like. Instead, the popular on-demand music service has finally pushed out a a version of their desktop player for the Windows-running masses. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GP2qbB

Girls, Girls, Girls-Johan Lindeberg-Jefferson Hack-Sex Shop-Blk Dnm

Men and Girls

"I was seduced by the fact that you have to walk through a sex shop to get here," said Jefferson Hack of La Bodega Negra, the underground Mexican eatery where he held last night's joint f—te for the Spring '12 issue of Another Man and the launch of BLK DNM at Browns Focus. Co-hosted by BLK DNM's Johan Lindeberg, the event lured the likes of Jamie Hince, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Jude Law, and artists Dinos Chapman, Tim Noble, and Sue Webster into the dimly lit Soho restaurant for dinner and dancing. And its sex shop entrance, complete with neon "Girls! Girls! Girls!" signs and "Peep Show" painted on the door, enticed, rather than deterred, party guests. "I felt very comfortable," laughed Daphne Guinness about crossing through that particular threshold.
In attendance: plenty of girls, girls, girls. Alexa Chung, Josephine de la Baume, and Georgia May and Jade Jagger all stopped by for a drink and a dance. And even though the new issue of
riffs on the theme of the gentleman's journey—"it's about how a modern gentleman lives his life on the road," Hack said—a special collector's edition features a modern gentlewoman on the cover: Kate Moss.
Hack was pleased to help pal Lindeberg launch BLK DNM in London, the designer's former home. "Johan puts a lot of soul and passion into his brand," he said. He also puts a lot of frequent-flier miles into it. "I love the city's clash between establishment and creativity," Lindeberg said, but he won't stay long. Tomorrow, he jets to Stockholm for a party at the brand's Swedish outpost.
—Katharine K. Zarrella read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GP0HTE

Address Bar Spoofing-Safari Address Bar-Security Alert-Security Issue-Device Ios

Security Alert: Safari for iOS 5.1 reportedly vulnerable to address bar spoofing

Users of iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices running Safari on iOS 5.1 should beware of a security issue that involves address bar spoofing. The issue was discovered by David Vieira-Kurz of MajorSecurity.net, and involves "an error within the handling of URLs when using javascript's window.open() method." What does this mean in plain English? It means that the error can be exploited to trick users into supplying personal information to a malicious website, since the Safari address bar can display a totally different address than the website that is actually being displayed. MajorSecurity.net has notified Apple of the issue, so it's just a matter of time before a patch is available to fix the problem. In the meantime, it's a good idea to not open untrusted links and to think twice about sending personal information to any website that asks for it through Safari on your iOS device. For those who would like a working example of the vulnerability in action, MajorSecurity.net has created a web page at http://majorsecurity.net/html5/ios51-demo.html. Just open that page in Safari on a device iOS 5.1, click the demo button at the top of the page, and prepare to see something that looks amazingly like the www.apple.com site but is actually hosted by MajorSecurity.net. We'll let you know when the update to fix this issue is available. [via The Next Web]Security Alert: Safari for iOS 5.1 reportedly vulnerable to address bar spoofing originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/GP2KqJ

Older Software-Iphone 3Gs-Tuaw-Ios

Dear Aunt TUAW: Why can't I buy older software for my early iDevices?

Dear Aunt TUAW, I'm still running iOS4 on my 3GS and have a great app, which I told my teen to download. He dilly-dallied, of course, and meanwhile the app was updated to [be compatible only with] iOS 5. Can I sync my app from iTunes to his iPod 1 and iPad 1? Why is there still no way to buy & download old versions of apps from Apple!? Your loving niece, Em Dear Em, Auntie doesn't see that happening. The overhead costs on this -- not to mention the security and compatibility issues -- would be a nightmare. It's hard enough for developers to try to find their 85% sweet spot where they cover as much of the deployed ecosystem as reasonable. To ask them to support outdated distributions too, well, that's not going to happen. For the most part, people update their firmware pretty quickly after release. Older devices (the iPhone, the 3G, and in a few months likely the 3GS, as well as a number of iPods) fall off the support list for good reasons. A natural end-of-life is to be expected. And for that matter, why shouldn't your teen update to iOS 5? It's supported, you know. Apple is in the business of selling up-to-date devices. It assumes you'll take advantage of those for 18-24 months after purchase. As it is, the 3GS was released in June 2009. Assuming that iOS 6 is not supported on it (and Auntie think's that's a fair guess), it will have had three years of active deployed life. Admittedly, that's a bit of a blow to anyone who took takes advantage of AT&T's deal, last November that clearanced still active, selling those older phones out for $0 with a two-year contract commitment. Those users will still have about a year and a half to go on no-longer-supported devices, but you can easily assume that most software devs will continue to support iOS 5 to at least November of this year. [As pointed out in the comments below, AT&T is still selling the iPhone 3GS today. -Ed.] In the end, no, you cannot buy and download old app versions from Apple, but you can always upgrade software (to a point) and hardware to stay in the current loop. Hugs, Auntie T.Dear Aunt TUAW: Why can't I buy older software for my early iDevices? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/GP2Jmu

Role-Playing Game Baldur's Gate-Ipad-Ign

'Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition' Coming to iPad

The popular 1998 role-playing game Baldur's Gate is seeing a PC remake called Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition by Overhaul Games.
The company has since announced that the new version will also be available for iPad and be available in the summer of 2012.
IGN has already had some hands on time with an early build.The iPad port will include all the improvements and additions found in the PC version, including full integration of the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion pack. The title is also running on the refined Baldur's Gate II Infinity Engine, allowing gamers to experience the original adventure with the sequel's refined graphics options and other engine tweaks. IGN reports that the new version of thegame will feature new content, more quests and a new party member. The early build of the iPad version runs smoothly though the interface has not yet been revamped to be more touch friendly. Those changes are still in the works, though pinch and zoom has already been implemented. The iPad version is expected to launch this summer. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GP2urK

Address Bar Security Issue-Security Firm-Apple

Address Bar Security Issue Found in iOS 5.1 Safari

A security firm has discovered a security issue in the iOS 5.1 version of MobileSafari, the most recent version of the operating system that runs on millions of Apple mobile devices. The behavior was discovered and detailed by David Vieira-Kurz of MajorSecurity.net.
The weakness is caused due to an error within the handling of URLs when using javascript's window.open() method. This can be exploited to potentially trick users into supplying sensitive information to a malicious web site, because information displayed in the address bar can be constructed in a certain way, which may lead users to believe that they're visiting another web site than the displayed web site.
To test it out, visit this demo page on an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad running iOS 5.1. Click the 'Demo' button and MobileSafari will open a new window displaying "www.apple.com" in the address bar, though it's actually loading a page from MajorSecurity.net.
The security firm does note that Apple was informed of the vulnerability three weeks ago, and it is only being made public today. Apple acknowledged the bug and should be pushing a fix soon. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GP2tUI

Resolution Retina-Mountain Lion-Apple

HiDPI Retina Images in Mountain Lion, Already Functional in OS X Lion

ArsTechnica reports on the discovery of Retina-sized artwork in OS X Mountain Lion's.A source with access to the latest Mountain Lion preview alerted Ars that double-sized graphics have popped up in some unexpected places, once again suggesting that Apple may be close to releasing MacBooks with high pixel-density screens.We'd previously spotted these same Retina-sized graphics in the Lion beta of Apple's new Messages application.
As well, we've found in our testing that Apple's HiDPI mode in Lion is already fully functional and will use the Retina assets appropriately. These screens show the Lion Messages app running in HiDPI mode.
HiDPI mode on OS X 10.7. Left: Retina enabled, Right: Non-Retina
The left image shows that Lion with HiDPI mode enabled uses the full resolution Retina artwork from the Messages app to improve the pixel sharpness of the images. When the Retina assets are selectively removed from the app (right), you can see it fall back to the normal non-Retina images bundled.
Users will be able to test this themselves to full effect when Air Display is updated to support Mac HiDPI mode on the new iPad. Apple's Messages Beta for Lion is one of the few Mac applications that are already Retina-enabled to a large degree. Some elements, such as font rendering will automatically scale upwards as it does on the iPad. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GP2uYL

Fitness Tracker-Fitbit

Fitbit Ultra: A six-month followup review

Back in October, I posted a review of the Fitbit Ultra. It's a tiny fitness tracker that clips to a belt or sleeve and transmits your daily steps and calorie burn to a recharging and sync dock that's attached to your Mac or PC. In late October, Fitbit released their iPhone app so I followed up with information about how the app and tracker work together. At the time, I also promised to follow up on my original review to tell you how things are working with the Fitbit, so I thought I'd give you an update after six months with this device. The good news is that I'm still wearing the Fitbit Ultra every day. It's my constant companion, always clipped to a belt loop. I don't check my current step count, calories burned or flights of stairs climbed as obsessively as I did when I first got the device, but I still find the fitness information it provides to be important to my well-being. During the time I've used the Fitbit Ultra, I've been able to get a good idea of the average baseline number of steps I take per day. Now that the weather is getting nice, I plan to up my count to the desired 10,000 steps per day, so I have a good idea of how far and long I need to walk. One complaint I heard from many early Fitbit Ultra users was that they didn't feel that the device accurately measured how far they walked. I resolved that problem early on by measuring how many steps the Fitbit counted on a known distance, and then using the online Fitbit website to calibrate my stride. The numbers are now fairly accurate when I compare them to Runkeeper on my iPhone. When using the Fitbit app, I don't enter my food calorie counts. I find that to be time-consuming and just plain boring, so I forget to do it. Don't worry, Fitbit fans -- I never entered my "points" when I was using the WeightWatchers iPhone app either. Another feature I've stopped using is the sleep tracker. It doesn't really track how well you sleep; instead, it's measuring how much you toss and turn. I tend to lay very still in bed even when I'm awake, so the Fitbit dashboard shows a high sleep efficiency number even when I've had a relatively sleepless night. It is a great way to see what time you get up to go to the bathroom, though. The device has held up well to the abuse I've put it through; in fact, it still looks as good as the day I first put it on my belt. One technical issue I've had on occasion is that the device sometimes seems to lose wireless contact with the charging/sync dock so that I may go a few days without my fitness info being passed along to the iPhone app or the online website. The usual fix is to reboot my Mac, so it must be a USB or driver issue. Fitbit includes a social aspect that I almost wish I hadn't gotten into, since ex-TUAW blogger Scott McNulty is absolutely trouncing me in terms of steps walked. I can see where that comparison could become a good impetus to exercise. Watch out, Scott! I will absolutely continue to wear my Fitbit Ultra tracker, and I can't wait to start giving it a real workout this summer.Fitbit Ultra: A six-month followup review originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/GP2N5V

Ipad

You're the Pundit: iPad 3 in the heat of the moment

When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is the iPad 3 and how it tends to run hot. So it's pretty much a given that it operates a little more warmly than the iPad 2, but does it matter? Will this temperature increase have an effect on the operation or longevity of the device? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your opinions. View PollYou're the Pundit: iPad 3 in the heat of the moment originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/GP2MPn

Communications Service-Internet Providers-Representatives-Local Access-Tajikistan

Tajikistan blocks access to Facebook and news sites

DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Tajikistan blocked local access to Facebook and two Russian-language sites that published an article critical of its long-serving president on Saturday, representatives of two Internet providers said. The shutdown was ordered by the state-run communications service, the local Internet providers told Reuters, requesting anonymity. Users who tried to access Facebook or the two websites, which published a story critical of President Imomali Rakhmon, were automatically re-directed to the home page of their provider. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/ADxU0p

Mobile Payments-Credit Card-Green Dot

How Green Dot Will Use Loopt To Go After Mobile Payments

Imagine you're walking by your local cafe, and you get a notification on your phone that you'll get a free bagel if you buy a cup of coffee. You walk inside, and make the purchase with your credit card — no need to take out your phone again. The bagel rings up as "free," and you get a notification from your bank confirming you've received the discount. All of this payments and loyalty interchange can happen over the cloud. A lot of companies are trying to get their arms around mobile payments. Many of them, trying to make your phone itself act as the credit card. Google with Wallet, Square, PayPal, American Express, everybody who's experimenting with NFC. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/Al8Kae

Chris Dewolfe-Mobile Gaming

Chris DeWolfe Talks SGN And The Mobile Gaming Gold Rush [TCTV]

Chris DeWolfe is not resting on his laurels after his big-name success as a co-founder of Myspace. For the past two years he has been heads down building an increasingly powerful social gaming company SGN, which was recently previously known as MindJolt, that is aiming to give Zynga a run for its money by making games that bridge Facebook, mobile and the web. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/yZ9AeY

Posterous-Tumblr

Posterous Finds A Home In The Arms Of Twitter

Twitter just announced that it has acquired Posterous, the Y Combinator-backed blogging and sharing platform that competed early on with Tumblr.Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Posterous had raised $10.1 million in two venture rounds plus early fundraising with angels. Posterous says its service Spaces will stay up and running and that the company will give plenty of notice to users if they start to change the service. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/x8Pt9y

Biotechnology Companies-Oncomed Pharmaceuticals-Biotech Companies-Oncology Research

The JOBS Act: Support Growing Biotech Companies Developing Breakthrough Medicines

will-waddill

Small biotechnology companies are leading innovation across the country. My company, OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, is working at the cutting edge of oncology research, focusing on a specific set of cells within tumors that drives the growth of tumors. We have developed a portfolio of antibodies that target biologic pathways critical for survival of tumor-initiating cells, with the goal being to stop those cells from replicating.Entrepreneurs across the biotech industry are conducting groundbreaking science like ours, and are deeply invested in treating the severe illnesses that families across the nation face. At the same time, biotech leaders must deal with the day-to-day challenges of running a small business. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GFrz7H

Prospective Employers-Privacy Settings-Background Check-Applicants-Facebook

Employers are beginning to ask job applicants for their Facebook logins

It’s a known fact that when you apply for a job, most prospective employers will run a background check, including on your social media presence. With the tools to narrow down searches on Facebook according to location and education, if you don’t have your privacy settings securely made, employers may be able to see photos and posts that could conflict with your professional image. read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/GFqblz

Temperature-Ipad

From the Lab: Getting to the heat of the iPad temperature debate

To put some numbers behind the chit chat surrounding the third-generation iPad's temperature, Macworld Lab broke out its trusty infrared thermometer. The results? The latest iPad does run a little warmer than its predecessor -- but not so much that you'll be asking passersby, "Is it hot in here or is it just my iPad?" read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GFrNM8

Stanford International Bank-President Barack Obama-Commander In Chief-Unlawful Orders

Allen Stanford seeks new trial, blames Twitter

(Reuters) - Allen Stanford, the financier convicted of running an estimated $7 billion Ponzi scheme, has asked for a new trial, citing the media's use of Twitter in the courtroom and a lack of time to prepare his defense. Stanford, who turns 62 on Saturday, was convicted on March 6 by a Houston federal jury on 13 of 14 counts related to what prosecutors said was the sale of bogus certificates of deposit from his Antigua-based Stanford International Bank Ltd. In a 71-page filing with the U.S. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/GFqcG0

Marine faces boot for anti-Obama Facebook posts

A Marine sergeant who started a Facebook group that is openly critical of President Barack Obama and posted comments saying he will not follow the unlawful orders of the commander in chief is facing possible dismissal from the Corps. read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/GFqcWP

Microsoft Spokesperson-Apple Products-Company Funds-Employees

Microsoft on iPad and Mac ban: No comment

Quite a few Apple sites were running a story this morning noting that Microsoft's Sales, Marketing and Services Group (AKA SMSG) had allegedly sent out a memo forbidding employees from spending company funds to purchase iPads and Macs. The memo, supposedly from SMSG CFO Alain Crozier, was sent to 46,000 SMSG employees worldwide and was quoted at length in a ZDNet post. Here's a sample of the content: Within SMSG we are putting in place a new policy that says that Apple products (Mac & iPad) should not be purchased with company funds. In the US we will be turning off the Apple products from the Zones Catalog next week, which is the standard purchasing mechanism for these products. Outside of the US - we will work with your finance and procurement teams to send the right message and put the right processes in place. "Sending the right message" appears to be a euphemism for "telling you not to buy Apple products." TUAW reached out to Microsoft for confirmation or denial of the Apple ban, and after several hours we received a terse "No comment" from a Microsoft spokesperson. The ban makes sense -- Microsoft is traditionally an "eat our own dog food" firm, asking employees to use equipment and software that is produced by the company. But then again, Microsofties could learn something about UI and hardware design by using products created by a competitor that is now trashing them in terms of sales in the mobile devices space.Microsoft on iPad and Mac ban: No comment originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/GFrQYg

Class Action-Iphone

Clauses in AT&T Contracts Have Always Provided for Limits on 'Unlimited' Data Plans

A number of customers have expressed outrage and disappointment at AT&T's various efforts at throttling users with older "unlimited" data plans. The most recent change slows unlimited data users to download speeds of 256 Kbps after using 3GB of data.
Several Twitter users felt that AT&T was violating their contract and wanted to cancel their contract or file a class action lawsuit against the company. Blogger Jeff Jarvis feels that throttling is "fraud", and tech writer Matt Buchanan had this to say:
I think it's fair to expect the contract you signed up for remains the contract you signed up for.But is AT&T's throttling of unlimited data users a violation of its contract with users? TOSBack is a website that tracks changes to the terms of service of various services, including both Apple and AT&T.
The contract from June 26, 2007 -- just a few days before the original iPhone went on sale -- includes a number of stipulations governing exactly how and why the iPhone's unlimited data plan can be restricted, including banning some video downloading and streaming. Most importantly, for customers now experiencing throttling, is this passage:
AT&T reserves the right to (i) limit throughput or amount of data transferred, deny Service and/or terminate Service, without notice, to anyone it believes is using the Service in any manner prohibited above or whose usage adversely impacts its wireless network or service levels or hinders access to its wireless network.
Language similar to this continues in every draft of the contract through today's version. The current wireless customer agreement includes this language in section 6.2:
AT&T reserves the right to (i) deny, disconnect, modify and/or terminate Service, without notice, to anyone it believes is using the Service in any manner prohibited or whose usage adversely impacts its wireless network or service levels or hinders access to its wireless network.AT&T believes that it is well within its rights to throttle users on unlimited data plans, even as a Californian iPhone user won an $850 small claims judgement against the company over throttling. AT&T has promised to appeal. A class action suit might be the normal evolution of such a complaint, but AT&T's subscriber contract prohibits class action or jury trials, leaving arbitration and small claims as options for unhappy customers.
Not everyone agrees that AT&T is misbehaving by throttling. SplatF's Dan Frommer opines that users are not acknowledging reality when they complain about AT&T terminating unlimited data plans.
Here’s the big picture bottom line: If you use a lot of data, you are clearly getting some sort of value out of it. Value isn’t free. The world’s finite resources simply aren’t trending toward free. That isn’t logical. I predict most of you will be spending significantly more per month for wireless data in 5 and 10 years than you do today. You’ll be getting faster and better service, and more value out of it, but it won’t be cheaper.
Please get over your emotional battle — and extinguish any legal threats, that’s silly — and join us in reality. If you use a lot of mobile data, be happy about it, and be happy paying for it. It’s worth it. And consider trying the add-on tethering plan for the iPhone, it can be useful if you carry a laptop or iPad.AT&T's current data plans offer 300MB/month for $20, 3GB/month for $30, or 5GB/month for $50 (including tethering), with each additional 1GB costing users $10 on the higher allocation plans. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/wjty1Z

Android-Galaxy-Moxie

Now You Can Make Your AT&T Galaxy Note Play Nice With T-Mobile HSPA+

Know what I love about Android hackers? They’ve got moxie. Take a look at these folks on the XDA-developer forums: a user named itsjusttime put up a bounty post offering cold hard cash to whoever could get AT&T’s Galaxy Note I717 up and running on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network. Now, just over two weeks later, a solution has been found, and it’s surprisingly easy to pull off if you’re willing to get your hands dirty. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/wZVzPW

Intense Action Game-Degrees Fahrenheit-Consumer Watchdog-Consumer Reports-Previous Version

Consumer Reports: New iPad runs hotter than old model

Apple's new iPad throws off a lot more heat than the previous version, lending weight to complaints on Internet forums that the hot-selling tablet computer could get uncomfortably warm after heavy use, an influential consumer watchdog found after running tests. read more..

source:http://on.msnbc.com/GD8qTX

Convertible Note-Legal Services-London Web-Startups

20 Startups Demo And Launch At London Web Summit

Today at the London Web Summit a number of startups are launching on stage so here's a quick run-down of their businesses and our quick take on them. Out of these 20, three will demo on stage for a prize worth close to £100,000 in a convertible note from DJJ Esprit, £15k in legal services from Orrick, £15k in advisory services from KPMG and £4k in hardware from HP. However, we'll be delving a little deeper into these guys in due course. They are being judged on the usual startup criteria: Problem, Solution, Technology, Team, Market, Traction, and Future prospects. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/FR01KO

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute-Community Engagement-Community Foundation

Facebook To Court Minority Biz Groups With New Head Of Community Engagement

To work with Congress and encourage minority-owned small businesses to use its marketing products, I've learned Facebook has just created a new Head of Community Engagement role to be filled by Susan Gonzales. Until now, Gonzales was a full-time consultant in Facebook's DC office where she's led external affairs since August. Before that she was the VP of Comcast's community foundation, and is currently the Vice Chairperson of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.Gonzales will manage outreach to diverse communities, be a liaison to key Congress members, and help run Facebook's Small Business Boost and digital citizenship "roadshows". Facebook could increase revenue and public support by putting this experienced relationship builder at the front of its education initiatives. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GAvwKR

Ipad

Things to do with your iPad other than sell it

Not long ago, I wrote a post about using your older iPad as an extra television. Following up on that post, our beloved leader Victor asked if I could suggest other things to do with out-of-generation iPads other than sell them for cash. Of course, handing them over to another family member is one of our favorite ways to redeploy older devices. Beyond that, there's a lot you can do with something this versatile. An iPad can make a beautiful art installation and a unique wall clock in addition to acting as a recipe station and instant reference library. Our favorite wall mount of the moment was written up over at Glasshouse Apps by Graham Clarke. He created a foldaway kitchen-friendly installation that keeps his iPad in instant reach. Other readers shared a variety of installations. Irene wrote that she mounted her older iPad behind an aquarium, running a fishes app on the iPad. Other readers like Raphael have created in-vehicle entertainment systems. He writes, "Getting an iPad or iPad 2 hinged-mounted on the ceiling [offers] a cheaper alternative, providing anything from transferred movies or streaming Netflix or SlingPlayer, or other apps." And of course, there's the Angry Birds arcade station lovingly created with an original iPad. So how are you using your previous generation iPads? Tell us in the comments and help inspire some ways to make the most of these devices without passing them out of the household.Things to do with your iPad other than sell it originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/GD9wiD

Functionality-Ipad

New iPad Runs About 10 Degrees (F) Hotter than iPad 2 [Updated]

Both in our forums and Apple's Discussions, there have been observations and complaints that the new iPad runs warmer than the previous generation. The phenomenon was noticed in TechCrunch's review of the new iPad where they said: One other slight downside which I have to assume is related to either the battery or the LTE functionality is that unlike previous iPad models, the new iPad does get noticeably warm in the lower left corner after prolonged use. It’s never hot, just warm. But again, I never noticed this on other models.To investigate further, Tweakers.net (via Engadget) took thermal images with an infrared camera of both the iPad 2 and new iPad. After running GLBenchmark for 5 minutes, the hottest point was measured.
The hottest point on the new iPad was the lower right corner which measured a temperature of 33.6° C (or 92.5° F). The iPad 2, meanwhile, topped out at 28.3° C (or 82.9° F). The difference between the two was 5° C (or ~10° F).
There seems to be a mix of responses from end users, with some not noticing any extra warmth at all, while others claim it gets uncomfortably hot to handle. It seems that the use of heavy GPU apps such as games may be a factor. The added heat seems not to affect the functionality of the new iPad.
Update: Apple released a statement to The Loop about the heat complaints.“The new iPad delivers a stunning Retina display, A5X chip, support for 4G LTE plus 10 hours of battery life, all while operating well within our thermal specifications,” Apple representative Trudy Muller, told The Loop. “If customers have any concerns they should contact AppleCare.” read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GD9jvE

Ipads For Kids

On buying iPads for your kids

When it comes to talking about buying iPads for kids, I'm probably the last person to ask since I have no children. That's why it's a good thing that Wired's Brad Moon wrote a lovely post in which he explains his reasons for purchasing an iPad for each of his three children. For Moon, the decision wasn't made just because the family had moved wholeheartedly into a digital lifestyle -- replacing books with ebooks, cable with Apple TVs and streaming video, traditional photography with digital, and more. His kids are gamers and Moon saw an upgrade to a Nintendo 3DS handheld coming up. As Moon put it, "If three kids were to eventually upgrade, that's $150 each for the 3DS hardware. Cartridges run $20 to $40 apiece and I don't know about your household, but in mine there will be skirmishes over popular titles." OK, so we're now talking about a total close to the cost of a single 16 GB iPad. But Moon and his wife started thinking about the bigger picture. Their family does a lot of driving trips, and the iPad -- with its 10 hour battery life -- is perfect for keeping kids engaged and entertained. Moon notes that every time a new game came out for Nintendo, he needed to spend an average of $30 for a cartridge ... per kid. iPad games are more reasonably priced at $1 to $5, and everyone gets the game with one purchase. The iPads aren't there just for fun. Moon says that he finds many apps that are available for helping his kids learn, including math and French quiz apps. And since there's only one computer available for the Moon kids to use for homework, the individual iPads offer a great way for them to do research and take notes -- anywhere. Lest you think that all writers are loaded with cash, Moon notes that Apple's refurb store is the perfect place to find decent hardware at reasonable prices. As he mentions, a first-generation refurb was available (with a one-year warranty) for $299, and now iPad 2s are available for $399 every day. He also recommends buying the iPad(s) in lieu of other Christmas presents as a way to ease the monetary pain a bit. Have you bought iPads for the kids, or handed down a first or second-generation iPad to the young ones? Do you find that the iPad is a great investment in the future of your children? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.On buying iPads for your kids originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

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Content Partner-Xbox Platform-Content Free-Xbox 360-Iplayer

BBC’s iPlayer The Latest To Join Microsoft’s Xbox Platform, Free And UK-Only For Now

Another big content partner for Microsoft and its Xbox Live Platform, and another win for those in favor of all TV eventually going over-the-top rather than through a pay-TV provider: the BBC has now made its popular catch-up/on-demand TV and radio service, iPlayer, accessible via the Xbox console, free of charge.Although we've seen the BBC make some moves to offer iPlayer in international markets as a paid service, for now it is only available in the UK. The BBC says it is the first broadcaster to join up with Xbox 360 to make its content free: other content providers have become part of the "Gold" service that requires an extra fee.The deal announced today also marks another first for the BBC: as with other services that run on the Xbox, when you use it in connection with a Kinect, you can navigate the iPlayer with voice and gesture controls. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GAvxi2

Provocative Question-The Washington Post-Pew Research Center-Social Media-Facebook

Study considers whether Facebook would buy Washington Post

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Would Facebook buy the Washington Post to keep the paper running? That's the provocative question at the heart of a new study by the Pew Research Center. The growth of social media and technology companies like Twitter and Amazon are encouraging more and more news consumption, but legacy media companies such as the Post and the New York Times are not benefiting financially from the broader reader base. On average, newspapers in the United States shed $10 in print advertising last year for every $1 they earned online. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/GAu3V1

Interactive Conference-3M

3M develops augmented reality post-it note app

The popular South by Southwest music, film and interactive conference starts today, and 3M will be on hand to introduce a new augmented reality post-it note app, says Mashable. The app was created with the help of well-known AR developer Metaio, and the idea behind it is clever. It lets you create a virtual post-it note with text and images and stick it to a real wall. Anyone with the app can walk by the wall and see all the notes that people have posted. You can't test it out for yourself yet, as the app is still in the approval process, but you can watch a demo in the YouTube video below. 3M develops augmented reality post-it note app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

source:http://aol.it/xLnfcs

Olivia Broadfield-Propellerhead-Soundcloud-Tuaw

Remix & WIN: Winner to be announced live tonight at 9 PM CET (8 PM GMT)

The long wait is almost over! The winner of our Remiix & WIN competition, with Olivia Broadfield, Propellerhead, SoundCloud and TUAW, will be announced live tonight at 9:00 PM CET (8 PM GMT) on Olivia's Ustream. The winning remix will walk away with Propellerhead's brand new Balance audio interface and a copy of its latest DAW, Reason 6, plus a SoundCloud premium membership, a signed copy of Olivia Broadfield's latest album, "This Beautiful War," and some TUAW merchandise, too! We've been overwhelmed and thrilled with the hundreds of submissions to the competition. It's been a tough job working through the remixes to get to our finalist because there's been such a high standard of creativity and production. Well done! But there can only be one winning remix -- the cream of the crop -- and we can't wait for it to be announced tonight. Until then, if you haven't already, why not take a listen to the finalists on Sound Cloud here?Remix & WIN: Winner to be announced live tonight at 9 PM CET (8 PM GMT) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments read more..

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Apple Software

Apple Releases Software Installer Update 1.0 for Mac OS X 10.6.8 [Mac Blog]

Apple today released Apple Software Installer Update 1.0, a small update intended to address an issue that could prevent Apple software from installing under Mac OS X 10.6.8.About Apple Software Installer Update 1.0
This update addresses an issue that may prevent certain Apple software from installing. This update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X 10.6.8.Apple does not, however, specify exactly what the issue is or what Apple software is affected by it. The release weighs in at 1.34 MB and requires Mac OS X 10.6.8. read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GAvAdN

Quarterly Dividend-Dividend Payments-Share Repurchase-Employee Equity-Apple

Apple Announces Plans to Initiate Dividend and Share Repurchase Program

Apple has issued a press release indicating that it plans to initiate a dividend and share repurchase program commencing later this year. Subject to declaration by the Board of Directors, the Company plans to initiate a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share sometime in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2012, which begins on July 1, 2012.
Additionally, the Company’s Board of Directors has authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program commencing in the Company’s fiscal 2013, which begins on September 30, 2012. The repurchase program is expected to be executed over three years, with the primary objective of neutralizing the impact of dilution from future employee equity grants and employee stock purchase programs.
“We have used some of our cash to make great investments in our business through increased research and development, acquisitions, new retail store openings, strategic prepayments and capital expenditures in our supply chain, and building out our infrastructure. You’ll see more of all of these in the future,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Even with these investments, we can maintain a war chest for strategic opportunities and have plenty of cash to run our business. So we are going to initiate a dividend and share repurchase program.”
“Combining dividends, share repurchases, and cash used to net-share-settle vesting RSUs, we anticipate utilizing approximately $45 billion of domestic cash in the first three years of our programs,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “We are extremely confident in our future and see tremendous opportunities ahead.”Apple expects to spend $45 billion over three years with the program..
Apple is providing a live streaming of the conference call to discuss its plans beginning at 6:00 a.m. PDT on Monday, March 19, 2012 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/call31912. We'll provide ongoing updates to this article as the conference call takes place.
Conference Call Updates
- iPhone. Eventually all handsets will be smartphones. Enormous potential
- Amazing start with iPad. With launch of new iPad, things just getting better. We believe the tablet market will exceed the PC market eventually.
- We are innovated at an incredible pace. App ecosystem, iCloud, Siri.
- Also investing in distribution around the world, and direct enterprise sales force.
- Substantial amounts of cash, both domestically and abroad.
- Used some for R&D, acquisitions, strategic pre-payments, retail, and building out of infrastructure. You will see more of these in the future.
- Still have plenty of cash to run our business.
- Initiate a Dividend and Share repurchase. Thought very carefully about our cash balance.
- Innovation is our most important objective.
- This decision will not close any doors for us.
- Details dividend and share repurchase program as described above.
- Continue to assess and review program regularly.
Peter Oppenheimer
- Apple's cash has increased for all the right reasons and we've been very disciplined with the use of our cash.
- $98 billion in cash in the Dec quarter. ~$64 billion outside the U.S.
- In thinking about our cash
- Want to maintain flexibility to take advantage of investment opportunities
- 1. Current income for our longterm shareholders
- 2. Increase attractiveness to a broader investment base
- 3. Preserve value from employee equity dilution.
- Repurchase of shares to offset issuing of employee equity grants.
- $45 billion in domestic cash in the first three years of the program
- Remain confident about the future of our business.
Q: Any growth of dividend expected?
A: In consultation with the board, we will review our dividend payments regularly.
Q: Last quarter you talked about many more things to c read more..

source:http://bit.ly/GAvy5r

Apple Stores-Sam's Club-Ipad

Where to buy an iPad on Friday

If you missed the launch day pre-orders and want to get an iPad on Friday, you should start planning your strategy now. Like any good consumer, you'll need to decide which store will have the most iPads and the smallest line so you can maximize your chances of getting the model that you want. In the past, customers have lined up in advance and waited at least overnight to get their hands on the latest iPad. This year, it's all up for grabs because Apple had an ample supply of pre-order tablets that'll be delivered on launch day. A lot of people who wanted an iPad already pre-ordered one and will have one in their hands on Friday. If you plan on hustling down to a store on Friday, here is a list of retailers that'll have a limited supply of iPads on sale. A few pro tips: be sure to call ahead to make sure the store will be selling the iPad, get there early as sales are first come, first-served and ask about any procedures if there happens to be a line.

Apple retail stores

Apple confirmed today that its retail stores will open at 8 am on Friday for the big iPad launch. Lines tend to be longer at Apple Stores because that's where most people go. Apple Stores usually have the most inventory and racks of accessories for the tablet device. It's also the first retailer to open so you can always wait there first and then head to another retailer if you walk away empty-handed.

Wireless carriers

If you want a 4G iPad, then you might want to start at your local wireless carrier. The carrier's retail stores can sell you the device and get you setup with a data plan at the same time. Both Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless in the US will be carrying the iPad at launch.

Best Buy

Best Buy is a popular spot for customers to grab an iPad. The electronics chain carries a variety of Apple devices and will likely have an assortment of accessories as well. There's no indication that Best Buy will be opening early, so I would make plans to be there during normal store hours. In the past, Best Buy has used a voucher system so early comers can get a number and leave. This way they don't have to wait in line for hours.

Radio Shack

Radio Shack was the only third-party retailer to accept pre-orders for the iPad last week. You could buy a $50 in-store gift card to lock in a device and return on Friday to claim it. Radio Shack won't have the same stock as the Apple Stores, but it is less traveled. If you didn't pre-order, you still should call ahead to make sure they have iPads in stock.

Sam's Club

Sam's Club will open at 10 am on Friday and offer the new iPad to members on a first-come, first-served basis. Only select stores (store list) will carry the iPad so you'll want to call ahead and find out which stores will have available inventory. Limit one per Membership.

Target

Target is a another well-known retailer that'll sell the iPad on Friday, but not many people realize the store sells Apple devices. Last year, my local store still had inventory a week after launch when every other retailer was sold out. You can even trade in a working iPad and receive up to $350 in Target store credit (64GB 3G+Wi-Fi iPad 2 version). This money can be used towards the purchase of the new iPad, or any item at Target purchase. Target REDCard users will receive 5 percent savings on the purchase of the new iPad as well. Depending on where you live, finding an iPad in your local Target may be hit or miss so be sure to check ahead before trekking down to the store. Stores will be open regular hours.

Walmart

When you think of Apple, you don't often think of Walmart but the retailer is an authorized Apple reseller just like Target, Radio Shack and Sam's CLub. Walmart carries several of Apple's mobile and music devices and will have the new iPad on Friday. Walmart will also keep its normal store hours and will have inventory on a first-come, first-served basis. You can use the read more..

source:http://aol.it/zAtCNf