|  |  |  | | | | | Mashable! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Americans are watching more video than ever before — not just online and on mobile devices, but on traditional TV sets as well. According… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Americans are watching more video than ever before — not just online and on mobile devices, but on traditional TV sets as well. According to a Nielsen report, roughly half (48%) of Americans watch video online. One in 10 play video on their mobile devices — up 26% over the same period a year ago — and a full 97% watch TV. Traditional viewing increased 2 hours and 43 minutes per month on average compared to last year. Much of that TV consumption is now timeshifted. Timeshifted TV viewing — whether via DVR, video on-demand or DVD playback — has increased by 11% since last year, which Nielsen attributes largely to increased DVR penetration. The firm estimates 39% of TV households now have DVRs.  The study also found Americans are spending more time with their video game consoles, watching TV rather than just to playing games. Average daily time spent was up 14% compared to a year ago, and the number of TV households with consoles grew by 4% in the same period. Do you think the rise of timeshifted TV viewing accounts for the jump in overall TV viewing? Let us know your habits by taking this poll.
Where do you watch most of your TV? Image courtesy of iStockphoto, CostinT More About: Nielsen, ONLINE VIDEO, TV For more Entertainment coverage: 
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Few would complain about this business trip: A crew from Google recently went to the Swiss Alps to film the Albula-Bernina line in Switzerland, cons… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Few would complain about this business trip: A crew from Google recently went to the Swiss Alps to film the Albula-Bernina line in Switzerland, considered one of the most scenic railway routes in the world. Google was able to film the portion, which will soon go live on Google Maps, in cooperation with the Rhaetian Railway. The route, known for its bucolic mountain scenery, runs from Thusis, Switzerland through St. Moritz; to its final stop in Tirano, Italy. To capture the images, the Google crew mounted a trike — a three-wheel pedicab with a camera system on top — to a flatbed at the front of a train. Cameras facing nine different directions then took still photos which will be melded together to create 360-degree views. The video above outlines the project.
BONUS: Top 28 Google Street View Sightings
We're hoping this was for a kid's birthday party... In fact, this scene and others were staged by Street with a View as a prank on Google. Click here to view this gallery. More About: Google, Google Maps, streetview 
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson is embracing the digital era for the release of the SMiLE Sessions, a double CD of never-before-released record… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson is embracing the digital era for the release of the SMiLE Sessions, a double CD of never-before-released recordings, outtakes and extra material from the 1966 to 1967 album sessions. The SMiLE Sessions, available Nov. 1 in the States, will be available as double CD, digital package, expanded box sets and special packages only available through TheBeachBoys.com. Some of that bonus material includes additional artwork, a double vinyl LP set, a 60-page hardbound book with unseen photos and memorabilia and new essays from the Beach Boys themselves. Since being recorded in the 60s, SMiLE has developed notoriety as the most famous album never released. It was meant to follow the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, but the project fell apart for mysterious reasons. Some blamed the Beach Boys’ label for squashing the deal, while others cited rifts within the band or lead song-writer Brian Wilson’s emotional and physical state. SMiLE, however, was not destined for the dust-bin. Several bootlegged versions of the album began circulating the Internet and Wilson triumphantly returned to re-record and release SMiLE in 2004 to enormously positive reviews. The SMiLE Sessions have slightly reorganized the track listings and draw from the original recordings from the 60s. Perhaps more of a treasure are the four additional CDs of unreleased audio and recordings. These CD’s have tracks such as “Heroes and Villains: Part Two Revised (Master Take)” and “Heroes and VIllians: Verse Remake” from a separate recording session. It’s a goldmine for Beach Boys fans, not just to hear the album, but to get a glimpse into the studio process that both created and frayed its creators. “We figured that people were finally ready to hear all that kind of music,” says Brian Wilson. It’s been a process for Wilson, known for his elaborate harmonies and painstaking perfectionism, to let go of some of the control, especially as the SMiLE Sessions embrace the randomness of the Internet. The Beach Boys are embracing crowdsourcing with the creation of two official music videos, one for their hit “Good Vibrations” and another for “Heroes and Villains,” taken from SMiLE. The band has partnered with Tongal to ask fans to submit video concepts in 250 characters or less. The best submissions will then be made into corresponding music videos. “The thing is, I don’t even have a computer,” Wilson says. While he admits he’s not much of a tech savante, Wilson is excited to connect with his fans online and see their music video ideas. The SMiLE sessions come just in time for the Beach Boys’ 50th anniversary in 2012. Yet, despite all of the hullabaloo, Wilson has one important hope for the Sessions: “I hope people have good CD players and listen to it on good headphones.” More About: Music, Social Media For more Entertainment coverage: 
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | When I sat down with Apple to discuss the new, more powerful camera on the iPhone 4S, company officials told me they had a revelation. As they prepare… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
iPhone 4 Pumpkin Photo
This photo was taken with the Apple iPhone 4. While this phone takes great photos, it has a tendency to pump up the colors. Click here to view this gallery. When I sat down with iPhone 4S, company officials told me they had a revelation. As they prepared to update the phone's imaging system, they realized not only were more people using the iPhone 4′s camera than any other camera phone, but more were using it than any other camera in the world. While the claim sounds wild, it’s true the iPhone 4 is one of the most popular image capturing devices on the popular photo-sharing site Flickr. In 2010, the most popular camera on the service was the iPhone 3G. It's also true people always carry their smartphones, millions of which are iPhones. Based on Apple's most recent quarterly earnings' report, we know at least 17.1 million of them are iPhone 4's. Now we have the iPhone 4S. The phone update enhanced the iPhone 4's digital camera in almost every imaginable way. Yes, 8-megapixels is merely parity with a variety of existing smartphones (the HTC EVO 4G, for example, has an 8-megapixel camera, and so does the Droid Incredible and upcoming Droid Razr). Apple, though, insists the changes are more than just megapixels deep. It has five lenses sandwiched inside the phone's optics system, improved auto-white balance and an updated maximum aperture — it was 2.8mm and is now 2.4mm. The result of that last change is more light on the sensor and better image quality. Apple even added the ability to detect up to 10 faces in a shot. I've been shooting pictures for decades and was even one of those camera nerds who built a darkroom and developed his own black and white film and prints. To this day, my camera of preference is a larger, lens-switching Sony NEX-5. Unfortunately, I can't carry that camera in my pocket. So I, like millions of others around the world, shoot a lot of photos with my iPhone 4. The new camera on the iPhone 4S is good enough to help me feel a little less guilty about leaving the Sony at home. This gallery shows how well the iPhone 4S camera compares to its predecessor on the iPhone 4. I did my best to shoot the same photo in the same position and conditions for each duplicate shot. The results show that both cameras are good, but the iPhone 4S clearly captures a lot more information, handles colors better and renders more detail overall. Please note that the images are not at their original size. Let us know what you think of the pictures and how they compare to your camera phone and point-and-shoot camera and don't miss my full review of the Apple iPhone 4S. More About: apple, camera phone, digital camera, iphone, iphone 4, iPhone 4S 
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iPhone 4 Pumpkin Photo
This photo was taken with the Apple iPhone 4. While this phone takes great photos, it has a tendency to pump up the colors. Click here to view this gallery. When I sat down with Apple to discuss the new, more powerful camera on the iPhone 4S, company officials told me they had a revelation. As they prepared to update the phone's imaging system, they realized not only were more people using the iPhone 4′s camera than any other camera phone, but more were using it than any other camera in the world. While the claim sounds wild, it’s true the iPhone 4 is one of the most popular image capturing devices on the popular photo-sharing site Flickr. In 2010, the most popular camera on the service was the iPhone 3G. It's also true people always carry their smartphones, millions of which are iPhones. Based on Apple's most recent quarterly earnings' report, we know at least 17.1 million of them are iPhone 4's. Now we have the iPhone 4S. The phone update enhanced the iPhone 4's digital camera in almost every imaginable way. Yes, 8-megapixels is merely parity with a variety of existing smartphones (the HTC EVO 4G, for example, has an 8-megapixel camera, and so does the Droid Incredible and upcoming Droid Razr). Apple, though, insists the changes are more than just megapixels deep. It has five lenses sandwiched inside the phone's optics system, improved auto-white balance and an updated maximum aperture — it was f2.8 and is now f2.4. The result of that last change is more light on the sensor and better image quality. Apple even added the ability to detect up to 10 faces in a shot. I've been shooting pictures for decades and was even one of those camera nerds who built a darkroom and developed his own black and white film and prints. To this day, my camera of preference is a larger, lens-switching Sony NEX-5. Unfortunately, I can't carry that camera in my pocket. So I, like millions of others around the world, shoot a lot of photos with my iPhone 4. The new camera on the iPhone 4S is good enough to help me feel a little less guilty about leaving the Sony at home. This gallery shows how well the iPhone 4S camera compares to its predecessor on the iPhone 4. I did my best to shoot the same photo in the same position and conditions for each duplicate shot. The results show that both cameras are good, but the iPhone 4S clearly captures a lot more information, handles colors better and renders more detail overall. Please note that the images are not at their original size. Let us know what you think of the pictures and how they compare to your camera phone and point-and-shoot camera and don't miss my full review of the Apple iPhone 4S. More About: apple, camera phone, digital camera, iphone, iphone 4, iPhone 4S, trending 
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Apple’s iPhone 4S is a solid follow-up to the popular iPhone 4. As an owner of the 4, I would not race to upgrade. The 4S is a refinement of… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Apple's iPhone 4S is a solid follow-up to the popular iPhone 4. As an owner of the 4, I would not race to upgrade. The 4S is a refinement of… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Apple's iPhone 4S is a solid follow-up to the popular iPhone 4. As an owner of the 4, I would not race to upgrade. The 4S is a refinement of a very good idea, and I don't think you jump to buy a refinement unless you are 1) desperate for the under-the-hood changes or 2) Cannot wait to switch from one carrier to another (AT&T to Verizon or Sprint, say). The iPhone 4S looks exactly like its predecessor, which caused some confusion in this test. I constantly picked up the wrong phone. At one point I inadvertently changed the settings on my iPhone 4, thinking that I was holding the new one. Much of what's new on the 4S is due to iOS 5, a major update that includes iMessage and the updated notification system. These changes are significant and, by and large, excellent. I love seeing my notifications stacked up on the home screen, accessible by swiping down from the top of the screen. That area also includes the lovely weather and stock widgets. It's a smooth experience, seeing your local weather stream by. There was one glitch: when I select weather details while holding the phone in landscape mode, the detail switched to portrait mode. It seems odd that Apple didn't set it to follow the phone’s orientation. iMessage works well. Getting unlimited free MMS and SMS with anyone else using iOS 5 is a nice feature. It worked fine for me and I never had to think about switching between iMessage and standard text message. It all happened in the same window. There is one feature I found semi-creepy: iMessage lets you see when someone else is typing a response to you. Twitter is integrated into iOS 5, putting Twitter notifications inside the Notifications Center and letting me Tweet photos directly from my photo album. I’m an avid Twitter user, but these are not life-changing updates for me.
Siri-fied
Siri: The Intelligent Assistant is a true wonder. Throughout a week of testing, Siri surprised me with her ability to understand me and my needs. Siri is not sentient. The voice recognition technology works best when talking about the weather, the calendar and appointments, contacts, phone calls, email, notes and reminders. By baking Siri into the system, Apple has provided a wealth of context. This makes Siri more powerful than any voice recognition system that relies on web search results alone. With all of your personal information at her fingertips, Siri has only to understand your words and match them to the matrix of detail about your activities, the people you know and location. There have been countless stories about all the fun you can have with Siri. Trust me, I asked her a variety of odd questions just so I could get an entertaining response. For example, I asked her favorite color. Siri's reply: "I don't know how to say it in your language. It's sort of greenish, but with more dimensions." Ultimately, these responses are parlor tricks. Siri's true power comes into play when you can't touch your phone, but still need to get stuff done. I tested Siri in a variety of situations and quickly learned its limits. The iPhone 4S microphone is quite good — I almost never had to shout, or even carefully enunciate, but noisy environments like the streets of Manhattan did offer a challenge. I usually solved this by holding the phone much closer to my mouth, or up to my ear as if I were making a call (you can set Siri to automatically activate with this action) and shouting a bit. Siri also doesn't know who you are until you tell it. You identify yourself under General Settings>Siri>My info, and select yourself from your contacts. Siri never did learn how to properly pronounce my last name. I also did something with my iPhone 4S that I've never done with any previous smartphones: Turn on location services. Without them, Siri is somewhat neutered; you couldn't ask her "Where are the pumpkins" and get a list of pumpkin patches near you, as I did. Siri also fails spectacularly without network access; she appears to talk to Apple's servers almost constantly. Siri is still in beta. She should get smarter as she learns the nuances of my voice and the details of my life. Apple promises that Siri will crowdsource and improve for everyone. In the meantime, it's a very useful tool, and one of two reasons why an iPhone 4 user might choose to upgrade to the 4S.
Pretty Pictures and More Power
The other reason is the camera. Yes, it has three more megapixels than the last iPhone camera, but the addition of lenses (now up to five) and a wider aperture makes this camera significantly better than the iPhone 4′s. I spent time taking the same photos with each phone. Naturally, the iPhone 4S images are larger, but the difference goes beyond mere file size and the number of pixels in each image. The 4S captured truer colors, and its faster images sensor gave me good photos even in relatively low light. I've never been particularly dissatisfied with the camera on the iPhone 4, but when I zoomed in on photos from the two phones, I couldn't help but notice how my iPhone 4 photos blurred out key details. (See the photo comparison gallery for comparison shots.) The 4S’s most noticeable changes, of course, are inside. There's the more powerful A5 chip and the new HSDPA radio for 3G+ download speeds. Unfortunately this is for GSM customers only, so AT&T customers should enjoy the faster download speeds, but not Verizon customers like me (or Sprint customers). Still, my Verizon iPhone 4S performed faster. When I ran a series of Speedtest.net tests, I saw downloads speeds double (and sometimes even triple). Uploads were faster as well. Since I'm not accessing HSDPA, I can't account for the speed boost. Perhaps it's related to the more powerful CPU and updated Safari browser. Call quality, by the way, on the Verizon iPhone 4S was as good, if not better, than what I get with my iPhone 4. And no, it never dropped a call. Apple demoed some impressive GPU performance at the iPhone 4S rollout. Epic Games showed off Infinity Blade 2, featuring live game play so detailed it looked as if it was comprised of cut scenes. Sadly, Infinity Blade 2 isn't available until December. When I asked Apple about other apps that might showcase the new graphics performance, they told me there was nothing available yet — I'd have to watch for better performance on my current apps. Since the most graphically intensive app I own is the original Infinity Blade, I played that. I noticed how well the phone rendered reflections. Unlike on my iPad 1, the game never stuttered. This would account for my breezing through the first five levels and coming closer than I ever have to defeating the Boss.
Cloud and Concerns
I also set up iCloud on the phone. As soon as the phone connected to my home or office Wi-Fi, photos I’d taken would go off to the cloud and end up in my photo stream — instantly visible on my iPad (also upgraded to iOS 5). I could also sign into iCloud on my computer, but my photos didn't appear there. I didn't have any luck syncing iCloud with my contacts — which I am able to load on the phone through Gmail (when set up as an Exchange account). Battery life is more or less on a par with the iPhone 4 — unless you're using Siri a lot. I spent a couple of days asking her lots of questions and noticed, by the afternoon, that the 4S battery might not make it to bedtime uncharged. As noted above, Siri is still in beta, so Apple may be working on power management. I did notice one odd little difference with the iPhone 4S: When I tap the back, there is a distinct vibration. I believe I'm nudging the little motor inside the phone that makes it vibrate for notifications. When I tap the back of the iPhone 4, I do not feel the same vibration. It’s another indication that things really are different inside the iPhone 4S. Should you buy the Apple iPhone 4S? If you're in the market for a new smartphone, yes. It's powerful, feature rich, easy to use and takes great photos and video. It's also now on a wider variety of a carriers which makes it more accessible to more consumers. Is it better than any Android phone on the market? That's a tougher question. There are devices like the new Motorola Droid Razr that are thinner and lighter. They match up on processing power (both have dual-core CPUs), but the Razr, like many new Android handsets, has a bigger screen (which I find also makes these phones wider and more unwieldy). The Razr does not have higher screen resolution, however. The iPhone's Retina display is 960 x 640; the Razr is 960 x 540. Android phones have voice recognition, but nothing approaches the deep integration you'll find in Siri. iCloud is a welcome benefit, but not yet a game changer. There are more apps in the Apple App Store, but Android is not far behind. Personally, I prefer Apple's consistent and cohesive environment. The Cupertino company has done a stellar job upgrading its OS and made enough adjustments in the iPhone 4S hardware to keep it competitive well into 2012 — when the iPhone 5 may well blow it away.
iPhone 4 Pumpkin Photo
This photo was taken with the Apple iPhone 4. While this phone takes great photos, it has a tendency to pump up the colors. Click here to view this gallery. More About: apple, iphone, iphone 4, iPhone 4S, smartphone 
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | AT&T sold 4.8 million smartphones in Q3 2010, almost half of which (2.1 million) were sales of Android and other smartphones besides the iP… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
AT&T sold 4.8 million smartphones in Q3 2010, almost half of which (2.1 million) were sales of Android and other smartphones besides the iPhone. Sales of the iPhone were, indeed, down. The company activated 2.7 million iPhones in the third quarter, compared to 3.6 million in the quarter previous. Much of this can be attributed to expectations that the next-generation iPhone, the iPhone 4S, would launch this fall (which it did). The company has been widely criticized on its reliance on Apple’s bestselling device, which became available to wireless competitors Verizon and Sprint after a four-year exclusive agreement. AT&T now has more than 100 million wireless subscribers, having added 2.1 million in the quarter. Sales were also strong in the computing device category, with wireless subscriptions on some 505,000 tablets, aircards, MiFi devices, tethering plans and other data-only devices, an almost 80% increase from the year previous. The bulk of these new subscriptions (290,000) came from tablets. AT&T posted third-quarter earnings of $3.6 billion, or 61 cents per share, on revenue of $31.5 billion. Earnings were down $103 million (0.3%) from a year ago, but still in line with expectations. More About: att, earnings, q 3 2010 For more Business coverage: 
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | As reports of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s death circulate on the Internet, so is a gruesome cellphone photo of what appears to… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
As reports of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s death circulate on the Internet, so is a gruesome cellphone photo of what appears to be his severely wounded body and another that appears to be his dead body. Both are likely opportunities for spammers with bad intentions. The first photo was distributed by the news agency AFP after commanders for Libya’s transitional military, the National Transitional Council (NTC), said they had captured Gaddafi after invading his hometown of Sirte. On Thursday, an NTC spokesperson told the New York Times Gaddafi had been killed, but the U.S. State Department had still not confirmed his death as of 10:00 a.m. ET. Celebrations in Libya and a flood of Twitter updates are treating the announcement of Gaddafi’s death as authentic — including a slew of sharing of the photos allegedly showing his capture. In the past, photos like this — including alleged photos of Osama Bin Laden’s body — have been easy vehicles for malicious links. One reason is search engines decide which links are legitimate partly by looking at user behavior. When news like Gaddafi’s death breaks, however, there is no history for them to rely on and malicious links mascarading as news can rise higher in search results. Another reason is that people often seek such images from unfamiliar sources. Websites or Twitter messages promise to link to a breaking topic and then lead instead to another site or virus. The Gaddafi photo is a prime candidate for this type of malicious links, so it’s wise to use caution when clicking. Because of the photo’s violent nature, we have decided not to post it in this article. There is another photo that has been shown on news network Al Jazeera (Warning: this links to graphic content) of Gaddafi’s body that could be susceptible to similar scams. So are the photos fake? An NTC official told Reuters that the apparently dead man in the Al Jazeera photo is Gaddafi. But as CNN notes, “Much caution should be used with these reports because false information has come out previously.”  More About: Arab Spring, Gaddafi, libya, Qaddafi 
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The Social Media Infographics Series is supported by Vocus‘ Social Media Strategy Tool, a free, six-step online tool that lets you build a custom social media framework tailored to your organization's goals.
In many cases, money is a key fertilizer for startup growth. Many startups, and many more small businesses, fund themselves through traditional bank loans. Others exchange portions of their companies for an influx of cash. This type of startup funding, known for its high-risk, high-reward nature, is an interesting game to keep track of — and there are entire publications dedicated solely to doing just that. But it can also be hard for outsiders to put it into perspective or understand the insider jargon. The infographic below takes a broad look at the numbers and lingo behind startup funding. 
Infographic design by David Foster
Series supported by Vocus
 This series is supported by Vocus‘ Social Media Strategy Tool, a free online tool which lets you build your own custom social media framework in six easy steps. It helps you determine your organization's goals, explore the latest MarketingSherpa research data, and create your own workbook packed with the strategies, tactics and resources you need. Try it today! More About: features, funding, infographic, mashable, Mashable Infographics, Social Media Infographics Series, venture capital For more Business coverage: 
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Samsung‘s compact Android Honeycomb tablet, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, is now up for pre-order on Amazon. The device sports a 7-inch, 1024… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Samsung‘s compact Android Honeycomb tablet, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, is now up for pre-order on Amazon. The device sports a 7-inch, 1024×600 pixel screen, and a 3-megapixel rear-facing and 2-megapixel front-facing camera (for video chats). It’s powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU, comes with 1 GB of RAM, and 16 or 32 GB of storage space. It also supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 as well as 3G/HSPA. However, its biggest claim to fame is probably its size: It’s only 9.96 mm thin and weighs 345 g. Back when it was first announced — hot on the heels of Amazon’s Kindle Fire announcement — we speculated Samsung might position it close to the Fire’s $199 pricetag. We were far off, however. The 16 GB version costs $399 and the 32 GB version will set you back $499. True, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus’s specifications are better than those of the Kindle Fire, but we’re not sure they justify such a drastic price difference. Both the 16 GB and the 32 GB variants of the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus are available for pre-order right now, although Amazon is yet to reveal the actual shipping date. More About: android, galaxy tab, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, samsung, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Tablet For more Mobile coverage: 
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The New York Times Co. turned a third-quarter profit and now has 324,000 paid digital subscribers — about 40,000 more than the prior quart… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
The New York Times Co. turned a third-quarter profit and now has 324,000 paid digital subscribers — about 40,000 more than the prior quarter, the company reported Thursday. The modest profit of $15.7 million compares to a loss of $4.3 million for the year-ago quarter. Circulation revenue grew by 3.4% to $237 million. However, ad sales fell 8.8% to $262 million as national and classified advertising remained slack and online advertising for the Times-owned About.com was singled out for being “particularly weak.” The Times Co. highlighted growth in its paid digital products as “a new revenue stream that has helped offset a decline in advertising revenue.” The newspaper launched a paywall on its website in March. It goes into effect after you access more than 20 articles in a month. After that, you can choose from $15 for four weeks of access to NYTimes.com and a mobile app, $20 for four weeks of access to the website and iPad app or $35 for all of the above. Given the tiered pricing structure, it’s impossible to extrapolate how much The Times is making from its digital subscriptions and the company hasn’t disclosed a figure. The range is from $4.86 million to $11.34 million. The 324,000 figure doesn’t include 100,000 people who get free access to the homepage thanks to a Ford Motor sponsorship. The Times also reported that 800,000 print subscribers have opted to link their accounts to NYTimes.com for free access. Image courtesy of Flickr, Joe Shlabotnik
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More About: about.com, Advertising, new york times, paywall 
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Welcome to this morning’s edition of “First To Know,” a series in which we keep you in the know on what’s happening in the digital w… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Welcome to this morning’s edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital w… | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Welcome to this morning’s edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on four particular stories of interest today. Microsoft Bid for Yahoo Gaining Momentum Microsoft is working with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Silver Lake Partners, a private equity firm, to put together a bid to buy Yahoo, according to unidentified sources. Non-iPhone Sales Improve at AT&T AT&T’s third-quarter earnings — which were in line with expectations at $3.6 billion on revenue of $31.5 billion — suggests that the company has become less reliant on the iPhone, with sales of Android and other non-iPhone smartphones amounting to almost half of its 4.8 million smartphone sales last quarter. Nokia to Announce Windows Phones Next Week Nokia will unveil its first Nokia Windows Phones at the Nokia World event on Oct. 26 to 27 in London. Google Apps Support Coming to Google+ “Imminently” Google has announced that Google+ will support Google Apps accounts “imminently.” The company also disclosed that 3.4 billion photos have been uploaded to the service in the last 100 days, and that it will soon begin supporting pseudonyms. Further News - Apple Stores across the U.S. were closed Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. to honor the memory of founder and former CEO Steve Jobs.
- Lytro, the first focus-free camera, will launch with a price tag of $399 in early 2012.
- Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus tablet is now available for pre-order at $399 for the 16GB model, or $499 for 32GB.
- Steve Jobs's biographer, Walter Isaacson, will be interviewed on Sunday night's episode of 60 Minutes.
- The Economist has finally released an iOS app compatible with Apple’s in-app purchasing and subscription policies after the iOS 5 update disrupted the functionality of its previous one.
- Twitter buzz about the Occupy Wall Street movement continues to build.
- WordPress.com users can soon run ads on their blogs via a partnership between WordPress parent company Automattic and ad network Federated Media.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59 More About: first to know series 
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The Tech Innovators Series is supported by Lenovo. Lenovo does not just manufacture technology. They make Do machines — super-powered creation engines designed to help the people who do, do more, do better, do in brand new ways.
 What’s worse — your smartphone running out of battery life, having to carry around a charger or not being able to find a power outlet to charge your phone when you’re on the go?
Frankly, all of these situations are the pits. That’s why wireless power pioneer Powermat is doing all it can to solve the on-the-go charging problem and make wired charging a thing of the past. Mashable spoke with Powermat CEO Ran Poliakine about the company’s technology and where it is going. Read on for a look at how he and his team are innovating in the wireless charging space.
A Mission To Make Wireless Charging Pervasive
Poliakine says that Powermat‘s mission has always been the same, that mission being: “To create a wireless world where access to wire-free power is as pervasive as Wi-Fi — a world where you expect to have wireless energy at your fingertips with Powermat technology at the core of the wireless power revolution.”
“It all began with a simple realization that we are a society increasingly on the go and increasingly reliant on our smartphones for everything from keeping us connected, to providing us with news, entertainment, navigation and even waking us up in the morning,” says Poliakine. “With this seemingly relentless increase in wireless data and ‘power hungry’ devices, it made no sense to me that we were still tied to our cords and chargers for power delivery. If our devices are wireless why isn’t our ability to charge them?”
How Does It Work?
Powermat’s technology stands firmly on the shoulders of giants like Nikolai Tesla, who pioneered wireless energy transfer at the turn of the century. Powermat used Tesla’s research as a basis for its own experimentation and development and came out on the other side with its own “supercharged” method for delivering wireless energy, says Poliakine. He explains in detail exactly how the wireless charging station works: “Powermat works by utilizing magnetic induction to transfer energy. Specifically, energy is transferred from a transmitter embedded inside the mat to a receiver (which is connected to or embedded in the device) through a shared magnetic field. For today’s most popular smartphones, the receiver is built into a back door that mimics the look and feel of the original one that comes from the manufacturer. In the case of an iPhone, the transmitter is built into a Powermat-enabled protective case. The receiver requires only a one-time installation before the device can be dropped on the Powermat for wireless power transfer. “Communication between the mat (transmitter) and the receiver (personal device) allows the mat to deliver an exact amount of power for the proper length of time so that the transfer of power is safe and efficient and no energy is wasted. When a device reaches full charge, power automatically shuts off to that device. This not only saves energy, but it also prevents overcharging of the device’s battery, which can shorten battery life.”
Expansion Through Partnerships
 “We are the first company to bring wireless power to consumers in a widely available, meaningful way via mainstream retail channels,” says Poliakine, noting that Powermat’s technology can be built directly into electronics of all kinds but also into virtually any surface. As a result, Powermat is able to create wireless energy “hubs” within homes, automobiles, airports, offices and other venues. To take advantage of its technology’s scalability and versatility, Powermat is working with several partners to implement the wireless ecosystem, which will “bring us that much further along in our mission to create a wireless world,” says Poliakine. Here’s a sampling of the partnerships Powermat currently has in play: - Duracell: Procter & Gamble’s Duracell and Powermat agreed to form a joint venture last month to globalize wireless power. The joint venture will combine P&G’s strong consumer understanding, brand-building and go-to-market capabilities with Powermat’s innovative technology, says Poliakine.
- General Motors: Rollout of new automobile models that incorporate Powermat wireless charging capability will begin in 2012, with the 2013 Chevy Volt.
- Teknion: Powermat and office furniture manufacturer Teknion created a line of wirelessly-enabled office furniture and accessories featuring an array of solutions for “smart” surfaces where users can drop and charge their favorite electronic devices on wirelessly enabled desks, office equipment and office seating solutions.
- Arconas: Powermat worked with airport seating manufacturer Arconas to install free wireless charging stations in several highly-trafficked airports, including Chicagoís O’Hare, New York’s LaGuardia and Toronto’s Pearson International airports.
Overcoming Challenges
Pioneering the wireless charging space hasn’t been a walk in the park for the Powermat team. Poliakine pointed to scalability and education as key challenges the company has faced along the way, largely due to the fact that wireless charging technology was a foreign concept when they launched. Poliakine explains: “When Powermat first launched in mid-October 2009, we created the category. It didn’t exist before us. That’s a very unique position to be in since there are so many unknowns in terms of consumer response and adoption. In the first three months of retail availability, we sold in excess of 750,000 Powermat products, with most stores experiencing severe out-of-stock shortages late in the season. We knew then that there was a genuine market and need for wireless power. “What we struggled with was the ability of our small company to educate consumers fast enough about the availability of wireless power and [to] take our technology beyond the scope of early adopters and technology enthusiasts to the mass market. We needed more muscle, credibility and global reach.” With the Duracell partnership under its belt, Powermat expects to expand its reach globally and better educate consumers about the technology.
The Future of Wireless Charging
“You can expect to expect wireless power to go mainstream,” Poliakine says. “What that means, in simpler terms, is that you’ll soon have wireless power in those places where you most need it, including your car, airports, hotels, coffee shops, offices and right in your very own home. In five to 10 years, wireless charging will be the norm. When you check into a hotel room, for instance, you will find it there and in many other places.” “This is the dawn of a new era for wireless charging industry overall, Poliakine continues. “I truly believe that it is no less of a game changer than the electric lightbulb was in its day.”
Series Supported by Lenovo
The Tech Innovators Series is supported by Lenovo. Lenovo makes machines specifically for the innovators. The creators. The people who move the world forward. Machines like the Lenovo ThinkPad and IdeaPad, meticulously engineered with visibly smart second-generation Intel® CoreTM processors to help the people who do, do what’s never been done. More About: features, mashable, Powermat, Tech Innovators Series, wireless charging 
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Smartphones have already replaced cameras and calendars for many people — and piles of gaming controllers might be next. A startup called WanderPlayer has developed a technology that turns iPhones (and soon Android phones) into controllers for computer games, no matter whether those games call for a classic controller, Wii-like motion controller, a steering wheel or five other options. Here’s how it works: Users download a desktop app and a mobile app. The mobile app lists online games from around the web. Selecting a game from the mobile app menu opens it on the computer, and the two devices communicate over Wi-Fi. It’s not an easy technology to make work well. “You could probably build a crude equivalent at a hackathon,” says co-founder Ayo Omojola, “but both the user-interaction and performance required for games [as well as] the controllers and console that work across local environments are really difficult and take a while to get right.” WanderPlayer has developed a controller without a noticeable delay that it says can work with pretty much any game (so far it’s applied the technology to about 150 of them). As is, the product is impressive. WanderPlayer has the potential to turn gaming on its head. Eventually, the startup plans to add multi-player functionality. For the first time, it will be possible for two players to go head-to-head on the same computer screen without any additional equipment. When online games are broadcast through an Internet-to-TV player like Boxee or AppleTV, the technology could bring unlimited player gaming to the TV gaming experience. “You could have a football game where all 11 players on the field are being controlled,” says Femi Omojola, Ayo’s brother and co-founder. The brothers and their third co-founder Gavrav Namit ultimately want to turn WanderPlayer into a platform on which game developers sell optimized versions of their games with iPhone controllers that they build themselves. Whereas all of the free games currently listed in the app are designed to be surrounded by ads, WanderPlayer envisions its technology being put to use with full-screen, high-quality games. “Most people already have games that they like to play,” says Ayo Omojola about why the startup didn’t initially launch a developer platform. “We see this as a good way to start the conversation with developers about integrating with their games … They’ll see that players are already using [the controller with their games].” More About: Gaming, startup, Wanderplayer 
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Nokia‘s Q3 financial results are in, and although they look quite grim, most analysts expected an even worse performance. The Finnish giant’s quarterly net loss was €68 million ($94 million). However, analysts expected a €229 million ($314 million) loss, which makes Nokia’s result a pleasant surprise. Nokia shipped 106.6 million handsets, a 3% decline, and sales declined 13% to €8.98 billion ($12.3 billion). Despite the losses, the company isn’t doing too shabby in the cash department, with net cash of €5.1 billion ($7 billion). “Our results in Q3 indicate that our sales execution and channel inventory situation have improved,” said Nokia CEO Stephen Elop in a statement. Nokia recently cut a significant portion of its workforce, and Elop is positive that the restructuring of the company will yield significant benefits. “To position Nokia for the future, we are driving fundamental changes in how we operate,” he said. Nokia sold only 16.8 million smartphones, a 38% decrease from last year, which makes it obvious that the future of the company largely hangs on one thread: Windows Phone integration. “I am encouraged by our progress around the first Nokia experience with Windows Phone, and we look forward to bringing the experience to consumers in select countries later this quarter,” said Elop. We’ll know more about that in a week’s time when Nokia World kicks off, where Nokia is slated to show off its first Windows Phone-based smartphones. Nokia’s shares surged 9% up at the time of this writing. More About: Nokia, Stephen Elop For more Business coverage: 
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This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. Busy business travelers have found ereaders to be extremely valuable. But losing an expensive or otherwise coveted item is always painful. Losing an item with sensitive data on it can be even worse. If you’ve recently lost your Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook or Sony Reader, here’s what you can do to protect your data, prevent further purchases and try to recover your device.
Amazon Kindle
 If you lose your Kindle ereader, you’re mostly on your own. Amazon claims it is unable to locate the device via GPS, nor will the company remote-wipe the device to protect sensitive documents. If you want to retrieve your device, your best bet is checking with a nearby lost and found and/or filing a police report. Although Amazon can’t locate your device or protect what’s on it, the company will de-register it to prevent someone else from making purchases on your account. You can call 1-866-321-8851 if you live the U.S.; 1-206-266-0927 if you live in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, the U.K. or the Virgin Islands; or 1-206-266-0927 if you live in another country. You can also do this yourself by logging in at amazon.com/manageyourkindle and selecting the “Deregister” button next to your device. You’ll also want to cancel your subscriptions over at the Manage Your Kindle Subscriptions page. To get your previous purchases on your new Kindle — should you decide to replace the earlier one — you’ll need to register your new Kindle in the “Manage Your Kindle” area. Then, you’ll need to navigate to the “Archived Items” menu on your new device to download your saved items.
Nook & Nook Color
 If your Nook or Nook Color device goes missing, you’ll need to call customer service at 1-800-843-2665 or de-register your Nook at bn.com. The company says that you are liable for all purchases made until you de-register the device. You should also change your bn.com login credentials immediately. One of the benefits of a Nook ereader is that all side-loaded content (i.e. all of the potentially sensitive documents you uploaded to your Nook yourself) will be safe as soon as you de-register the device, a customer service representative told Mashable. However, you will not be able to retrieve those documents. Should you decide to replace your ereader, you will be able to redownload all of your content once you sync your new device with your bn.com account.
Sony Reader
 If your Sony ereader is lost or stolen, you are urged to contact customer support at 1-877-263-2863 between 8 a.m. and midnight EST from Monday through Friday, or between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. You will need to have the ereader’s serial number to report its loss. There is no way to de-register your account online, a customer service representative told me. As with the Kindle, there is no way to remote wipe your ereader or protect your personal documents. Sony recommends filing a police report to try to recover your device. Should you decide to replace your ereader, you will be able to redownload your books and transfer them to a new device. Image courtesy of Flickr, kodomut More About: ereader, features, Kindle, nook, sony 
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Nokia will show off the first Nokia Windows Phones to the world at the Nokia World event on Oct. 26-27 in London. The announcement comes from the president of Microsoft‘s Windows Phone division Andy Lees, who was one of the speakers at the AsiaD conference which is currently going on in Hong Kong. This is in line with the previous announcement that the first WP devices from Nokia will hit Europe this year, but now we have an official date for the launch. We also know Nokia plans to show more than one device, since Lees used plural – Nokia “phones.” He also said that Nokia’s devices will “have differentiating hardware and software,” meaning we’re not just going to see Windows Phone Mango in a slightly different shell. The original batch of Windows Phone 7 smartphones all had very similar hardware, per Microsoft’s specifications. Nokia has recently cut a significant portion of its workforce, mostly as a result of poor smartphone sales. It simply cannot risk another failure with Windows Phone devices, and we eagerly await to see what they have in stock for this holiday season. [via Engadget] More About: AsiaD, microsoft, Nokia, windows phone, windows phone 7 For more Mobile coverage: 
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