If you’ve never heard that noise before, you’re bound to hear it someday: that amazing, dull crunch as your Mac slips out of your hands or off a desk and makes a date with the ground at 9.8 meters per second squared, gravity having played the role of a yenta-like matchmaker bringing together your computer and an admirably dense surface. The crunch registers in your brain, and you have a sudden mental image of the universe collapsing. julianbl/neowin.netA MacBook Pro that fell out of a motorcyclist's backpack. Here’s how to make the best of a terrible situation, get as much of your data…
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Most Topular Stories
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Advice from an Apple Tech: When your Mac takes a fall
Macworld21 May 2013 | 3:30 am -
Make your Photos Sparkle with GIMP
Digital Photography School19 May 2013 | 9:28 amA Guest Contribution by Anotherphotograpbynoob.com. What this tutorial will show you In short: how I made the photo on the right become the photo on the left. In this tutorial, we will cover basic tools of the free photo editing software GIMP. Here is a quick rundown of the features covered in this tutorial: Crop a photo in GIMP Increase contrast with the Levels panel Make the colors pop with the Hue & Saturation panel Adjust colors with the Color Balance panel Add a color filter to boost the warm colors in your photo. Sound hard? Don’t worry. I’ll guide you through the whole… -
Hear a heartbeat in space with this stethoscope
Holy Kaw!21 May 2013 | 12:25 pmA new electronic stethoscope designed for NASA could deliver accurate heart and body sounds to medics assessing astronaut health in a noisy spacecraft. Space itself is silent; the lack of air prevents sound transmission. But inside the average spacecraft, with its whirring fans, humming computers, and buzzing instruments, it’s about as raucous as a party [...] -
Deadly Oklahoma Tornado as Seen From Space
Mashable21 May 2013 | 12:32 pmA supercell thunderstorm spawned a deadly F-4 tornado that ripped through Oklahoma City and its suburbs on Monday, and NASA satellites tracked and beamed images of the storm. As the storm plowed through the city, it left a devastated trail two miles wide and 17 miles long. At publication time, there were 24 confirmed deaths and more than 230 injuries. The images below are from various NASA satellites, which followed the storm from its strike point near Newcastle, Okla., to the hardest-hit town of Moore, Okla. SEE ALSO: How to Help Victims of the Oklahoma Tornados NASA's Moderate Resolution… -
Headcast Adds Animation To Tweets
Fast Company21 May 2013 | 10:54 amHeadcast, backed by Stephen Fry, gives celebrities and brands a platform for creating visual tweets. Celebrities and brand owners have a new, more animated way of cutting through the social clutter with the launch today of Headcast--a new broadcasting and animation platform for smartphones developed by Chris Chapman, a former designer and builder of puppets who once ran the animatronics team at the satirical TV show Spitting Image. The new platform allows the user to record, produce and distribute within seconds a short personal message presented by an animated, virtual avatar of themselves…
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Holy Kaw!
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Hear a heartbeat in space with this stethoscope
21 May 2013 | 12:25 pmA new electronic stethoscope designed for NASA could deliver accurate heart and body sounds to medics assessing astronaut health in a noisy spacecraft. Space itself is silent; the lack of air prevents sound transmission. But inside the average spacecraft, with its whirring fans, humming computers, and buzzing instruments, it’s about as raucous as a party [...] -
5 ways to help the Oklahoma vicitms
21 May 2013 | 12:15 pmFrom the Wall Street Journal: Here are five ways you can help: 1) Donate to the Red Cross: www.safeandwell.org donations via redcross.org donate $10 by texting REDCROSS to 90999. 2) Volunteer or Donate to the Salvation Army: donations at online text STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation by check by writing ”Oklahoma Tornado Relief” on it and [...] -
How do you measure a tornado?
21 May 2013 | 12:05 pmOklahoma’s in a state of crisis after yesterday’s EF-4 tornado which, despite the devastation caused and surprisingly, isn’t even the strongest on the Fujita scale. And this EF-4 twister destroyed a town of 55,000 people, the worst tornado in American history, says the New Yorker Magazine. (Note: You may recall that tornadoes used to be [...] -
Why bullies succeed on the job
21 May 2013 | 11:55 amWorkplace bullying is pervasive. A new study indicates that as many as half of all employees in the US have witnessed bullying at work, and 35 percent have been the target of bullying. “Many bullies can be seen as charming and friendly, but they are highly destructive and can manipulate others into providing them with [...] -
20 most valuable brands in the world
21 May 2013 | 11:46 amThis list, compiled by Business Insider, should come as no surprise. Among the top 20 most valuable brands in the world are IBM, Google and Apple. But did you know that China Mobile and UPS are among them? Check out this link for the full list and all the stats you wanted to know about [...]
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Mashable
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Deadly Oklahoma Tornado as Seen From Space
21 May 2013 | 12:32 pmA supercell thunderstorm spawned a deadly F-4 tornado that ripped through Oklahoma City and its suburbs on Monday, and NASA satellites tracked and beamed images of the storm. As the storm plowed through the city, it left a devastated trail two miles wide and 17 miles long. At publication time, there were 24 confirmed deaths and more than 230 injuries. The images below are from various NASA satellites, which followed the storm from its strike point near Newcastle, Okla., to the hardest-hit town of Moore, Okla. SEE ALSO: How to Help Victims of the Oklahoma Tornados NASA's Moderate Resolution… -
The High-Tech Immigration Debate: Everything You Need to Know
21 May 2013 | 12:32 pmTechnology companies' public policy project of the year has been their fight for changes to the United States' immigration systemFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote an op-ed about immigration reform and set up a political group to advocate for the cause. AOL founder Steve Case made the Sunday talk show rounds to publicize the issue, and a myriad of top technology companies — Mashable included — are joining a virtual pro-reform march on Wednesday. At first, some tried to separate the high-skilled immigration issue from the debate over the approximately 11 million people living in… -
Xbox One Will Currently Not Play Xbox 360 Games
21 May 2013 | 12:29 pmThe newly announced Xbox One will not be able to play previous generation Xbox 360 games, Microsoft confirmed Tuesday. The Xbox One is designed on an x86 architecture, on a new eight-core chip. The Xbox 360 uses a Xenon processor, with PowerPC architecture, making the systems incompatible "The Xbox One hardware is not compatible with Xbox 360 games. We designed Xbox One to play an entirely new generation of games — games that are architected to take full advantage of state-of-the-art processors and the infinite power of the cloud. We care very much about the investment people have made… -
Microsoft's Xbox One: Your Knee-Jerk Twitter Reactions
21 May 2013 | 12:14 pmMicrosoft made slew of Xbox announcements at its much-hyped "A New Generation Revealed" event, which was live streamed online and broadcasted on TV on Tuesday. Viewers were treated to the new Xbox One console and its features, such as voice-recognition control for all things entertainment, a TV guide, Skype integration and a new Kinect sensor, among other things. Microsoft also revealed a Halo TV series (produced by Steven Spielberg), EA Sports Ignite, NFL partnership, Forza Motorsport 5, Quantum Break and Call of Duty: Ghosts. Naturally, you all had a lot to say, and we gathered your… -
Does Your '360 Campaign' Need to Be a Perfect Circle?
21 May 2013 | 11:28 amLet's visit a ninth grade math class. You're learning the basics of geometry and discover that a circle has 360 degrees. If you add up the degrees of each angle in a four-sided figure, it's 360 degrees, as well. But on a more thematic level, the number 360 represents a route that might travel near or far but lands in the same place it started. Everything is connected Marketers are always looking for ways to give their ideas a fresh spin. Sometimes a new terminology can set apart an idea. "It's like what we did last year, but now it's gamified," someone might say. And sometimes a term comes…
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Fast Company
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Headcast Adds Animation To Tweets
21 May 2013 | 10:54 amHeadcast, backed by Stephen Fry, gives celebrities and brands a platform for creating visual tweets. Celebrities and brand owners have a new, more animated way of cutting through the social clutter with the launch today of Headcast--a new broadcasting and animation platform for smartphones developed by Chris Chapman, a former designer and builder of puppets who once ran the animatronics team at the satirical TV show Spitting Image. The new platform allows the user to record, produce and distribute within seconds a short personal message presented by an animated, virtual avatar of themselves… -
Photorealistic Mug Shots That Are Woven On A Loom
21 May 2013 | 10:45 amJoanne Arnett re-creates those guilt-filled moments experienced by professional criminals and celebrities alike. There is no great shortage of mug shots on the Internet. Criminal photos of 19th-century bank robbers are blogged alongside those of contemporary celebrities, proving that our interest in the guilty is wholly pervasive. And that compelling quality holds through Joanne Arnett’s textiles of woven mug shots. "Mug shots are taken at a point between conflict and resolution," Arnett explains. "The person being photographed is documented at a time where life has slipped out of… -
Microsoft Unveils Xbox One, An All-In-One Entertainment Console
21 May 2013 | 10:09 amMicrosoft has revealed the next generation of its Xbox gaming console: Xbox One, a cloud-powered, all-in-one home entertainment system. Microsoft has revealed the next generation of its Xbox gaming console: Xbox One, a cloud-powered, all-in-one home entertainment system. At a press event on Microsoft's Redmond campus Tuesday, Xbox chief Don Mattrick said Xbox One is an attempt to answer the question, "Can we improve a living room that's become too complex, too fragmented, and too slow by harmonizing your experiences?"Read Full Story -
“Todayships” Offer Bronx Teens A Chance To Get A Foot In The Business World’s Door
21 May 2013 | 10:00 amRich kids can visit their mom’s office for the day. Todayships gives inner-city kids the same option. Tina Shoulders grew up in the Bronx and ended up as a successful clothing and furniture designer, a career she’d never heard of until college. "The only professionals in our neighborhood were law enforcement, doctors, and social workers," she said. "And the world is so much bigger than that. I want kids to experience it even if only for the day." But to have a dream and be motivated to achieve it, you first have to know what’s out there. This June, Shoulders is launching… -
Your Tech News Just Got “Funny or Die”-er, And Free
21 May 2013 | 9:30 amFunny or Die’s magazine, The Occasional, is shedding the paywall, starting with its first-ever tech issue. This is not a joke. Whether it’s making feature films very quickly, or developing a dedicated advertising unit, Funny or Die is constantly spawning new comedic tentacles. The online humor depot’s latest move involves tearing down the paywall for its magazine, The Occasonal, starting with the publication’s tech issue. During the first six installments of the bi-monthly publication, issues went for $3.99 each and $9.99 for a yearly subscription. Starting with the…
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TechCrunch
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Sen. Rand Paul Is Mostly Right In Defending Apple's Obligation To Minimize Taxes
21 May 2013 | 11:23 am“It’s absurd for Congress to vilify businesses like Apple for wanting to minimize their tax code just like every other American rightly does,” tweeted uber-Libertarian Senator Rand Paul, lashing out at his Senate colleagues for ‘dragging’ Apple CEO Tim Cook in to defend his company’s tax policies. On the eve of Cook’s much-hyped testimony, a Senate investigation released a scathing report, accusing Apple of cooking the books and engaging in shady tax-dodging practices, to avoid repatriating $102 billion in offshore cash to avoid a 35 percent U.S. tax… -
Microsoft Confirms That The Xbox One Will Come With An Incredibly Sensitive New Kinect
21 May 2013 | 11:01 amThe Xbox One was just unveiled at Microsoft’s Redmond campus and, true to multiple reports that circulated before the official reveal, the new console will indeed come with a Kinect. And what a Kinect it is! The rumors of a vastly improved Kinect sensor array were right on the money — this next-generation model is capable of tracking motions as minute as wrist rotations, and Microsoft’s Marc Whitten said the new Kinect would even be able to read users’ heartbeats when they’re exercising or when players shift their weight. The new Kinect’s main camera is… -
The New Xbox One Live Features Add Advanced Social Gaming Features That Could Lead To True MMORPG Experiences
21 May 2013 | 10:41 amWhile we don’t have all of the details on the new Xbox Live features announced at today’s Xbox One launch, it’s clear that Microsoft is going all-in when it comes to social and multiplayer gaming. First, they are upping the number of dedicated servers for online play from 15,000 to 300,000 and nearly all of your content and game data will be store in the cloud. The service will also allow you to take in-game video and photos and share them over social media services. This is similar to Sony’s PS4 solution and is definitely a method allow users to create valuable and… -
Xbox One Instant Switching Turns The Console Into A Voice-Powered Set Top Box With Live TV Integration
21 May 2013 | 10:39 amNow leading the pack in gaming consoles, Microsoft’s future growth lies outside the gaming sphere. We’ll surely see tons of games at E3 in a few weeks, but at the big reveal of the Xbox One, the company chose to focus on non-gaming features, such as media streaming and Skype conversations. But what makes streaming and entertainment a true upgrade on the Xbox One, which already has access to almost all streaming platforms? Instant Switching. It allows you to switch between inputs, games, menus, internet explorer, and almost anything else almost instantly. And what’s more, it… -
After Months Of Speculation, Microsoft Officially Reveals Skype For The Xbox One
21 May 2013 | 10:33 amMicrosoft’s Don Mattrick pulled back the curtain on the Xbox One at a live event at the company’s Redmond campus, and it wasn’t long at all before the talk turned to software. One application in particular has been the subject of speculation for months, and SVP Yusuf Mehdi confirmed that Skype (which, if you recall, Microsoft acquired for $8.5 billion nearly two years ago) is part of the Xbox One experience. As you might imagine, the Xbox One Skype application allows users to participate in group video chats with their fellow users using the Kinect camera — so there…
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Seth's Blog
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Levels of marketing magic, the placebo effects of desire
21 May 2013 | 2:45 amANTICIPATION: Before the product is released, the true fans are buzzing and speculating and waiting in line. The anticipation is self-reinforcing, a placebo effect of desire. UTILITY: The album is good, the software is useful, the book changes things. It works better than we hoped. Exceeding expectations pays significant dividends. REMARK: It's purple. Remarkable. Worth talking about. The word spreads. Ten people tell ten people and suddenly, it's abuzz. Not because of PR or hype, but because the remarkability is built right into the product or service itself. And more people enjoy things… -
You should buy the book
20 May 2013 | 8:33 amMitch Joel is a generous and perceptive blogger. Well worth the daily read. He has a new book. You should buy it. David Meerman Scott writes an essential blog, daily. His book is a classic. You should buy it. Tom Asacker writes a very thoughtful blog about marketing. Worth the read. He has a new book. You should buy it, too. Every day, Mark Frauenfelder and Corey Doctorow blog tons of goodness at Boingboing. They each have books. You should buy them and share them. Bernadette Jiwa's blog keeps getting better and better and you are probably already reading it. She has a new book on the way. -
No Signal
20 May 2013 | 2:00 amAt a party the other day, I saw a dead TV monitor. On the screen it said something like, "No signal... check power, cable and source selection..." It doesn't matter at all how hard the DVD player was trying to put on a show. It is irrelevant how good the show on cable was. If it's not getting through, no one sees it. All of us own our own media companies now. We each have the ability to speak up, to tell our stories, and if we're good and if we're lucky, to be heard. Too often, though, there's no signal. You may be pumping noise through your social media outlets, but noise isn't signal. It's… -
Learning by analogy
19 May 2013 | 2:36 amThe story of Hansel and Gretel is not actually about Hansel or Gretel. You are surrounded by examples and lessons and case studies that clearly aren't exactly about your project. There's never been a book written precisely about the situation you are facing right now, either. Perhaps one day they will publish, "Marketing Low-Cost Coaching Services to Small Businesses Specializing in .Graphic Design in the Upper Peninsula for Dummies" but don't hold your breath. Marketing, like all forms of art, requires us to learn to see. To see what's working and to transplant it, change it and amplify it. -
It's Thomas Midgley day
18 May 2013 | 2:00 amToday would be his 124th birthday. A fine occasion to think about the effects of industrialization, and what happens when short-term profit-taking meets marketing. Midgley is responsible for millions of deaths. Not directly, of course, but by, "just doing his job," and then pushing hard to market ideas he knew weren't true—so he and his bosses could turn a profit. His first mistake began when he figured out that adding lead to gasoline appeared to make cars perform better. At the time, two things were widely known by chemists: 1. Adding grain alcohol to gasoline dramatically increases…
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NYT > Home Page
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The Lede: Latest Updates From Oklahoma
21 May 2013 | 12:46 pmOfficials at a news conference gave a briefing on the relief efforts in the aftermath of the tornado in Moore, Okla. -
The Lede: Former President of Iran Disqualified From Race to Succeed Ahmadinejad, State TV Says
21 May 2013 | 12:36 pmIran’s state television announced Tuesday that Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a two-term former president who called for greater freedom during protests in 2009 protests, has been barred from running in next month’s election to succeed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. -
Bike Share in New York, Built From Ideas Around World
21 May 2013 | 11:29 amWhen Citi Bike is introduced in New York next week, it will resemble a sort of cycling stew — a system that borrows pieces of similar programs in other cities. -
C.E.O Denies That Apple Is Avoiding Taxes
21 May 2013 | 11:10 amRather than taking unfair advantage of what Congressional investigators say are a host of tax code loopholes, Timothy D. Cook said his company was actually a victim of an outdated tax system. -
Crews Search for Survivors in Oklahoma After Tornado
21 May 2013 | 11:02 amRescue workers sought survivors as they sifted through debris and around power lines to reach those who were feared trapped.
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Wired Top Stories
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Curiosity Rover Resumes Science Operations With Second Drilling
21 May 2013 | 11:46 amCuriosity's adventures on Mars continue with another drilling operation: On May 20, the rover drilled into a rock named Cumberland, creating a hole measuring a bit more than half an inch across. -
Electrified, Student-Built Karmann Ghia Runs on Tweets
21 May 2013 | 11:45 amA group of Kansas City high school students and their mentors have electrified a Karmann Ghia, modifying it so that it will only run when it gets mentioned in social media. If that sounds like a publicity stunt, that's because it is. And it's for a good cause. -
Awesome Photos Show Efforts to Preserve Historic Apollo Rocket Engines
21 May 2013 | 11:27 amStarting this Friday, you can watch the conservation of historical Apollo Saturn V engines that were recovered from the bottom of the ocean. That is, if you live near or are planning to visit Hutchinson, Kansas. -
Game|Life Podcast Goes In-Depth on Xbox One
21 May 2013 | 11:16 amWired senior editor Peter Rubin spent a few days in Redmond, Washington getting the inside scoop on the new console, and we sat down to discuss all the news and what it means for you. -
From Green Light to Boot-Up: Behind the Scenes of Xbox One's Development
21 May 2013 | 10:30 am.gallery-overview.native .gallery-description p{font-size:1em;line-height:20px;margin:20px 0px;} All photos: Ariel Zambelich/Wired
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@ProBlogger
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7 Steps to Proofreading Like a Pro
21 May 2013 | 9:37 amThis is a guest contribution by Charles Cuninghame, website copywriter and owner of Text-Centric. I’m sure we can all agree that proofreading is the least fun part of blogging. But while it may be tedious, it’s well worth the effort. Typos are not only embarrassing, they can also cost you money. In a widely reported study in 2011, British entrepreneur Charles Duncombe found a single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half! If you don’t have a product, then you could be missing out a blog subscriber or repeat visitor! Here’s a tried and tested proofreading process that I’ve… -
Are You Balancing Emerging Technology with Effective Strategy?
20 May 2013 | 8:21 amLast week I was asked at a conference to reflect upon the future of digital and among other things I made a reflection that seemed to resonate with those gathered. It was: Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. As online publishers we see a steady stream of articles being written about new and future technologies, companies and trends in the online publishing space. It is certainly an exciting time to be doing what we’re doing with such amazing development happening all around us and some amazing projections being made about what is ahead of us – however in the midst… -
How to Blog Like a Pro: Workshop on the Gold Coast Australia – Next Week
19 May 2013 | 7:56 pmNext week (29th May) I’m running a special workshop at the Internet Conference on the Gold Coast here in Australia. The workshop is titled – How to Blog Like a Pro – and you’ll get 4 solid hours of teaching in it – all delivered by me in a workshop limited to 40 people only. The workshop has only previously been available to those signing up to the full 3 day conferences as an add-on but there are a few tickets still available and so I asked the organisers if we could sell them as a stand-alone ticket (i.e. you don’t have to come to the full 3 day event). -
How To Use Auto Responder Emails to Boost Your Blogging Efforts
17 May 2013 | 8:22 amThis is a guest contribution by Asher Elran of Dynamic Search. I thought emails were a waste of time and that they are ignored, but then I learned how to do it right and watched the numbers flip. After you published a great post and pushed it through your social network, the third step is to leverage your email list too. This is where the auto-responders can help you gain new subscribers while you’re busy writing your next blog post. The majority of email marketing services are the same. I prefer Constant Contact or Mobilizemail’s new email feature. Following the steps below… -
How Much Content Should I Have Ready to Go When I Launch a Blog?
16 May 2013 | 8:23 amI recently had the opportunity to sit with a small group of Pre-Bloggers – people about to start their first blogs. One of the questions I was about how much content should be written before launching a new blog. My answer came in two parts: The Ideal Scenario What I actually have done The reality is that what I ‘preach’ isn’t always what I ‘do’ – so let me tell you about both! Note: we give a lot of teaching and some great exercises on this topic in ProBlogger’s Guide to Your First Week of Blogging. The Ideal Scenario OK – here’s…
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Entrepreneur
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SBA Secures Pledge from Banks to Lend More to Veteran Entrepreneurs
21 May 2013 | 12:27 pmThe government's small-business agency announces a pledge to support approximately 2,000 additional businesses. -
3 Leadership Lessons From Tumblr's David Karp
21 May 2013 | 12:25 pmLearn how the 26-year-old founder navigated the challenges of growing the business in the early days. -
The Key to Building a Strong Online Reputation (Infographic)
21 May 2013 | 11:00 amManaging your company's digital brand is an important part of your success. Here is a detailed look at the right -- and wrong -- way to do it. -
Why 'You' May Be Standing in the Way of Your Company's Success
21 May 2013 | 10:00 amIn business, as in life, your preconceived notions can wreck your future potential. To stamp them out, consider an attitude adjustment. -
5 Reasons a Young Entrepreneur Should Raise Outside Funding
21 May 2013 | 9:30 amInvestor Peter S. Cohan gives us the lowdown about scenarios when a young entrepreneur should turn to investors for funds.
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Lifehacker
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Challenge Winner: Make a DIY Hercules Hook From a Paper Clip
21 May 2013 | 12:00 pmIn this week's MacGyver Challenge, we asked you to hack something using paper clips. We received some great entries, but the winning hack shows us how easy it is to fashion a paper clip into a fairly heavy duty hanger.Read more... -
Librarian Makes Windows' Libraries Much Easier to Manage
21 May 2013 | 11:30 amWindows: Libraries are a great feature of Windows 7 and up that allow you to pool several folders in one place. Librarian improves on the concept by allowing you to manage those collections more easily.Read more... -
Convince Your Boss to Let You Work from Home with a Recommendation
21 May 2013 | 11:00 amWant to work from home but face a tough boss? Make it harder for him or her to say no to your work-from-home request with a letter of recommendation to use during your negotiation.Read more... -
What to Look for in an Ergonomic Office Chair
21 May 2013 | 10:30 amThe quality and comfort of your office chair affects your health and productivity. With so many options, though, picking the right one for you isn't easy. This graphic from Office Chairs Unlimited can help.Read more... -
The Awesome New Technology That You'll See on the Web This Year
21 May 2013 | 10:00 amThe web becomes more and more capable each day, finding ways to replace what you do on your desktop. In the very near future you'll talk to your web apps, enjoy complex animation without the drain of Flash, and maybe even plug in your guitar. These features and more already exist, and they're coming to the broad internet this year.Read more...
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MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors
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Apple to Expand Social Network Integration in iOS 7 with Support for Flickr and Vimeo
21 May 2013 | 11:53 amApple has been making efforts to offer deep social network integration in its mobile operating system, first offering Twitter integration in iOS 5 and then Facebook integration in iOS 6. Apple will expand its social network integration even further with iOS 7, reports 9to5Mac, including support for both photo sharing site Flickr and video sharing site Vimeo. As with Facebook and Twitter integration, Vimeo and Flickr integration will allow users to be able to sign in to the social networks in the Settings menu. Those one-time sign-in credentials will be usable across iOS, providing… -
Microsoft Unveils Xbox One, an All-In-One Entertainment System with Revamped Kinect and Fully Integrated SmartGlass
21 May 2013 | 11:11 amMicrosoft today released details on its next generation console at an event hosted at its Redmond campus in Washington. Called the Xbox One, the new console is designed to be the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system with a heavy focus on both gaming and interactive television watching. The Xbox One recognizes individual users and presents a customized home screen filled with content like TV and movies, games, and music, along with a new Trending section that displays friend activity and a live TV system. Xbox One utilizes voice commands, motion control via the Kinect, and a new… -
Apple Still Tops in Cellphone Customer Satisfaction, but Losing Ground to Samsung and Others
21 May 2013 | 9:42 amThe American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) has today released its annual rankings of customer satisfaction for mobile phones in the United States. While Apple had the highest customer satisfaction index score for the second year in a row, its score has fallen slightly while competitors like Motorola Mobility, Nokia, and Samsung have all gained in score. Apple is still at the top of the list when it comes to smartphone satisfaction, but this year's ranking of 81 (out of 100) is two percent below its 2012 ranking of 83. Motorola phones came in second after Apple, hitting a ranking of 77… -
Photos of Likely 802.11ac 'Gigabit Wi-Fi' Card From Next-Generation iMac Surface
21 May 2013 | 8:10 amTonymacx86 points (via 9to5Mac) to recently discovered photos of a Broadcom BCM94360CD Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card that supports the 802.11ac "Gigabit Wi-Fi" standard rumored to be coming to Apple's Mac lineup later this year. While the photos were posted to Chinese site VR-Zone in early March, they are only just now being noticed by those following Apple rumors. While the reports suggest that the new card is intended for the next-generation MacBook Pro or MacBook Air models rumored for launch at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), a commenter on the Tonymacx86 discussion thread… -
Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer Testify In Front of Senate Committee on Tax Strategies [Hearing Over]
21 May 2013 | 6:44 amAfter jostling in competing memoranda yesterday, Apple and a group of U.S. Senators are prepared to go head-to-head in a committee hearing examining the tax avoidance strategies of Apple and other multinational corporations. CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and Apple's head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock will appear in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation in the second part of a committee hearing running now. The hearing is streaming live on the subcommittee's website and below. We will be liveblogging the hearing at the bottom of this post. Update: iOS…
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chrisbrogan.com
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Be Open to Inspiration
10 May 2013 | 8:41 amI’ve been in a bit of a fog the last week or so. Nothing worth talking about, really. Depression stuff. But then it lifted. What’s interesting to me is how I found my footing and how I got back on track, and so there are two items I want to share with you from this: the actual learning, and more importantly, the realization of what got me there. Be Open to Inspiration Humans have this way they deal with too much information. They discard tons of inputs and keep what they feel is important. This is necessary, by the way. Can you imagine how busy your brain would be if you thought… -
Do Local Businesses Deserve Your Money?
7 May 2013 | 1:38 pmI sat at the counter at my local restaurant the other day and waited for over 7 minutes without anyone bothering to acknowledge that I was there. And then I walked out. And so did my money. For good. In fact, I drove to McDonalds, got some scrambled eggs and an iced coffee, and was in and out of the system within the same 7 minutes. (You can save your comments with disdain for McDonalds. If you’re a parent, you go there, unless you don’t. Either way. It’s not the point.) Now, before you try to defend this other place, no, it wasn’t busy. Yes, at least two employees had seen me, and… -
Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools?
30 Apr 2013 | 4:21 pmWhy should you bother using tools like Vine and Instagram, and the like? That question was asked to me by Pam Vitaz, and she asked it somewhat in this context (my words not hers): Vine’s interesting, but you basically just shot a funny video. Why do that? Here’s the video she meant: Can’t see the video? Click Here. Can’t hear sound? Hover over it and click the little sound thingy. On the surface, it’s the kind of question you can answer with “why not?” But that’s not good enough. Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools? First, it’s your… -
Can You Work at Being Fearless?
29 Apr 2013 | 7:03 amFear is at the heart of most of our worst choices. I read this facebook post by James Altucher and it really punched me in the stomach. But that’s just one punch in a series, because every time I question how I ended up somewhere, the real answer (underneath all the bull answers) is fear. It’s why most stupid things happen, why all bad things happen (when humans are involved), and is even worse than you think. I’m afraid of a weird collection of things. I’m afraid of sharks (ever since seeing Jaws at a very young age – because I pestered my parents tirelessly til… -
Sponsored Post – Mobile Productivity and the Future
24 Apr 2013 | 4:53 amCan you be productive while on the road? I say yes. In fact, I’m writing this from a hotel room before heading off to a meeting with a client. The following is sponsored by Cloud Powered Work, which is a project with IDG, LinkedIn, and Microsoft’s Office365. Everything in this post is mine, and my opinions are my own. I just produced an episode of my radio show from my hotel room, because I realized that an episode was due and I hadn’t done the work before I took off for the day. Last night, while I waited for my slightly delayed airplane, I cracked open SkyDrive pulled down…
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Copyblogger
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5 Things Every Copywriter Needs to Know About Their Prospects
21 May 2013 | 4:00 amWhat do you really know about your prospect? Their age range perhaps? Where they live? What they do for a living? Useful definitely, but not enough to create copy that rouses emotion and compels action. For that we need to take a journey much deeper into the dark recesses of our customers’ minds … Want to join me? Today’s article is inspired by someone who understood that in writing, how well you knew your ‘characters’ made the difference between captivating an audience, or boring them. In 1946 The Art of Dramatic Writing, (now regarded as one of the best works… -
MyCopyblogger: 14 Free Ebooks and an Updated 20-Part Internet Marketing Course
20 May 2013 | 5:00 amCan’t see the video? Click here. Free Registration About the Author: Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and CEO of Copyblogger Media. Get more from Brian on Google+. Related StoriesWhy We Still Need to Write, Even When We’re Scared5 Ways to Bond with Your Blog’s Audience11 Compound Word Errors that Might Make You Look like a Numbskull -
5 Writing and Productivity Links You Can Use
18 May 2013 | 5:00 amThis week on The Lede … How A Copywriter Evaluates A Great Website The Unexpected Antidote to Procrastination The Daily Rituals of the World’s Most Creative People 4 Things That Lead to Success (or Failure) with Email Signup Forms How to Do More By Planning Less: The Power of the Anti-Plan Want to grab even more useful links (beyond those that make The Lede)? Follow @copyblogger on Twitter. // The Unexpected Antidote to Procrastination Procrastination: that merciless thief of our time, creative output, and potential reward. Mr. Bergman delivers a unique — but convincing… -
How to Become a Content Marketing Expert
17 May 2013 | 9:00 amYou hear everyone talking about online content marketing, because with today’s Internet-empowered prospect, content marketing is what works. And yet, you may be struggling with creating content that works for your business or your clients. Or maybe you’re just trying to take your game to the next level. There’s a lot to learn, and even then you’re left asking potentially expensive and time-consuming questions: How do I apply this particular strategy for my business? Is this a solid idea, and how should I execute it? Has anyone taken this approach before, and what were the… -
Why We Still Need to Write, Even When We’re Scared
17 May 2013 | 8:00 amWriting is scary. Sometimes when we publish something, it makes us feel like our insides are hanging out, for all the world to see. We feel vulnerable. We feel naked. We feel … terrified. But here’s the thing — we have to keep writing, in spite of the fear. If we let fear stop us, our content will have no spark, no life. And everything we write will be completely unremarkable. Right now, I’m working on a blog post (on a different topic) that scares the living heck out of me. I am afraid of the strong opinions and passion that are rising from some long-buried place inside me.
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Macworld
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Advice from an Apple Tech: When your Mac takes a fall
21 May 2013 | 3:30 amIf you’ve never heard that noise before, you’re bound to hear it someday: that amazing, dull crunch as your Mac slips out of your hands or off a desk and makes a date with the ground at 9.8 meters per second squared, gravity having played the role of a yenta-like matchmaker bringing together your computer and an admirably dense surface. The crunch registers in your brain, and you have a sudden mental image of the universe collapsing. julianbl/neowin.netA MacBook Pro that fell out of a motorcyclist's backpack. Here’s how to make the best of a terrible situation, get as much of your data… -
The Macalope: Loose talk
21 May 2013 | 12:00 amIf you were wondering if ReadWrite had cleaned up its act since Dan Lyons left, fret not: Its Apple coverage is still as vapidly negative as it’s ever been. Derek Brown muses: “The Epic Battle Between Apple & Google Is All But Over—Who Won?” (No link is provided, but tip o’ the antlers again to the Jony Ive parody account on Twitter.) Turns out, it’s not Apple. Surprise! Oh, you Apple zealots may respond with any number of “facts” pointing out that Apple’s doing quite well, thank you very much. But Brown has a retort that will leave you withering in the iron grip of his… -
Remains of the Day: Face the music
20 May 2013 | 4:30 pmSony and Apple are at loggerheads over streaming music, AT&T gets ready to open the floodgates on video chat over its network, and the head of Turkey drops in on Silicon Valley. The remainders for Monday, May 20, 2013 are up a stream without a paddle. One issue holding up Apple iRadio: The economics of skipping songs (CNet) If you were expecting Apple’s rumored music streaming service to roll out at next month’s WWDC, you might be disappointed. CNet reports that Sony Music is at odds with Cupertino over what Apple will pay for songs that users skip or rate poorly. Here’s a tip,… -
Senate report: Apple claims subsidiaries with no taxing jurisdiction
20 May 2013 | 2:54 pmApple has set up three foreign subsidiaries that the company claims are not resident in any nation for taxing purposes, in an effort to avoid paying tens of billions of dollars in taxes to the U.S. and other countries, according to a new report from a U.S. Senate subcommittee. Apple has set up a “complex web” of offshore entities to avoid paying taxes, with some subsidiaries set up in low-tax Ireland, according to a report released Monday by the investigations subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. One of the subsidiaries set up by Apple has paid… -
Apple to tell Senate it pays every cent of its taxes
20 May 2013 | 2:08 pmTim Cook’s taking on the tax man. On Tuesday, the Apple CEO will appear before the U.S. Senate’s permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to discuss that body’s look into multinational companies and how they pay taxes. As a special preview to those who really can’t wait to hang on Cook’s every word, Apple on Monday released its head honcho’s testimony. Those searching for even the merest hint of Apple’s future plans will want to find another tree up which to bark: the 18-page testimony deals almost exclusively the relatively dry subjects of Apple subsidiaries, the company’s…
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ReadWrite
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Xbox One: Microsoft's Big Bid To Pwn The Living Room
21 May 2013 | 12:11 pmIt's not every day one of the big three gaming powerhouses announces a new console. In fact, we've been waiting a solid eight years. In an event on its Redmond, Washington home turf today, Microsoft announced the Xbox One, its next generation Xbox gaming console — and more. In fact, the Xbox One is pretty much an audacious land grab by Microsoft, an attempt to stake out your living room as its undisputed turf. Here's how. The new console packs 8GB of RAM, a base 500GB hard drive, USB 3.0, wi-fi direct, and built-in Blu-Ray. The One runs on a custom eight-core AMD chip and will come… -
Sorry, Internet: Tumblr Founder David Karp Is Not A Billionaire
21 May 2013 | 10:54 amOn Monday, Yahoo announced it was buying Tumblr, the blog network, for $1.1 billion. And then the tweets started, with people declaring that Tumblr founder David Karp was now a billionaire. The conflation of Tumblr's purchase price with Karp's net worth assumed that Karp got nearly all of the Yahoo payday. And that's simply not how it works for venture-backed startups. Investors like Union Square Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz will share in the take, with Karp getting an estimated $275 million. (See also: Tumblr's Perverse Lesson: To Get Rich, Don't Make Money) That's a lot of money,… -
Who's Got Big Brands? Tech's Got The Biggest Brands Of Them All
21 May 2013 | 9:59 amAccording to the 2013 BrandZ Top 100 report, tech companies hold the top three slots in this year's list of top global brands — Apple, Google and IBM leading the pack in that order. Microsoft rolls in at number 7 on the list. There's big money in them thar brands, too. The ClickZ report pegs Apple's brand as worth $185.1 billion, up 1% from last year. Google rose more from last year, up 5% to a brand worth of $113.7 billion. IBM's brand shrank 3% to $112.5 billion and Microsoft shrank even more: 9% down to $69.8 billion. These valuations are based on proprietary valuation methods, so… -
New Opera For Android Makes Switch From Presto To WebKit
21 May 2013 | 7:30 amBrowser maker Opera just released a new version for Android with a slew of new features, an upgraded design and better performance. And, for the first time for Opera, it is not running on its own Presto rendering engine. Opera for Android is running WebKit. In February, Opera said that it was ditching Presto in favor of WebKit, the open source browser engine that powers the likes of Apple's Safari browser and Google Chrome. The release of the new Opera for Android is the first "final" (gold version, not in a beta stage) release of Opera running WebKit, according to Falguni Bhuta from the… -
Dell Kills Its Public Cloud, Continues To Flail In Post-PC Era
21 May 2013 | 6:50 amDell is a computer company desperately in search of a new market as the desktop and laptop PCs dwindles. But the Austin-based company is finding that that an elusive target. Public Cloud? That's So 2011 Yesterday the company announced it was dropping Dell Cloud, its home-grown infrastructure-as-a-service public cloud service. It is also pulling the plug on its planned OpenStack-based public cloud service and online storage service before they even get off the ground. Dell isn't out the cloud game altogether, mind you - it will be reselling public cloud services through its new Dell Cloud…
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Smashing Magazine Feed
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Mobile UX Research: Exploring Ten Fundamental Aspects Of M-Commerce Usability
21 May 2013 | 6:30 amEveryone is talking about mobile. Some e-commerce websites are venturing into it. Mobile commerce (also known as “m-commerce”) has immense potential, exhibiting a 86% growth rate and hitting $25 billion in 2012 (set to reach $86 billion by 2016, according to eMarketer). It’s also a whole new platform, with new interaction methods and usage contexts that introduce a host of limitations and pitfalls to watch out for when designing and running an m-commerce website. With few best practices yet established, m-commerce is, to a large degree, unchartered territory when it… -
Case Study: Typographic Design Patterns And Current Practices (2013 Edition)
16 May 2013 | 7:25 pmGood typography has always been a defining aspect of effective Web design, and this holds true especially for websites in which the emphasis is on presenting a large amount of content — specifically, articles, news and stories. Whether for a magazine or international newspaper, the designer of any website that distributes a lot of content has always had to consider typographic details as seriously and thoroughly as a print designer would. In 2009, we conducted a survey of then current typographic practices. Since then, responsive design techniques have clearly gained… -
A Beginner's Guide: Migrating A Website To WordPress Is Easier Than You Think
15 May 2013 | 1:33 amNow powering over 17% of the Web, WordPress is increasingly becoming the content management system (CMS) of choice for the average user. But what about websites built with an outdated CMS or without a CMS at all? Does moving to WordPress mean starting over and losing all the time, energy and money put into the current website? Nope! Migrating a website (including the design) over to WordPress is actually easier than you might think. In this guide, we’ll outline the migration process and work through the steps with a sample project. We’ll also cover some of the challenges you… -
A Client- And Server-Side Approach: Providing The Best Mobile User Experience Possible
14 May 2013 | 5:53 amNow and again, I hit the swimming pool. It’s a good way to exercise, but also to relax after a long day in front of my PC. I can do quite a few laps in my front crawl, but only because I don’t use my legs much. I kick steadily to ensure that my legs stay lifted and don’t slow me down. I don’t use my legs much for forward propulsion. An instructor once explained to me that legs can definitely help with propulsion in the front crawl, but only at the cost of much higher energy consumption. He also explained that champions use their legs a lot. Their hearts are powerful, and… -
Fables, Myths And Narratives: Converting Our Stories Into Multi-Screen Experiences
13 May 2013 | 5:24 amStorytelling takes many forms. In the past, stories were told orally, with people telling and retelling myths, fables and even histories. As writing technology became more prevalent, we began to record our stories, and we told them in the pages of books. Now, our society is awash in different devices and technologies, and those traditions of spoken stories and printed stories are blurring. Multi-screen narratives are being told across all kinds of platforms, pages and devices, making for truly immersive experiences. We are watching them, tapping them and learning from them. They…
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CNN.com - Top Stories
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They dug with their bare hands
21 May 2013 | 12:45 pmStorm survivors come together to try and rescue other victims trapped under the rubble. CNN Affiliate KFOR was there. -
The picture worth a thousand words
21 May 2013 | 12:43 pmPhotographer Paul Hellstern snapped his shutter just minutes after the tornado reduced Oklahoma City's Briarwood Elementary School to rubble. -
Against the odds, she found her dog!
21 May 2013 | 12:43 pmA woman who survived the devastating tornado in Oklahoma finds her dog buried under rubble during an interview with CBS. -
Terror, heroics: Inside a tornado-ravaged school
21 May 2013 | 12:27 pmThe schoolchildren were looking forward to going home -- playing with friends, eating snacks. Then they found themselves fighting for their lives. Some lost. FULL STORY -
The raw emotion of reunions
21 May 2013 | 12:26 pmStudents emerge from Briarwood Elementary moments after a massive storm ripped through Moore, Oklahoma.
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Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider
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Motorcycle Shoot (behind-the-scenes)
21 May 2013 | 4:22 am(Above) Here’s a behind-the-scene shot from Friday’s shoot. This is a three-light shoot: Two 4-foot strip banks above (with Elinchrom strobes), and there’s one additional softbox in front (you can see the light-stand right behind my laptop) that’s putting some extra light on the engine — it was a little dark in there with just the two strobe directly above the bike.I asked my Creative Director Felix Nelson if I could shoot his Harley, but he was doing some serious tinkering with it at home and it wouldn’t be ready for days, so he suggested calling our… -
The 2nd Edition “Refresh” of my “Digital Photography Book, Part One” is here
19 May 2013 | 9:01 pmOK, if you already have the first edition of the book, DON’T BUY THIS ONE!!!! That’s because it’s a “refresh” and not a “rewrite.”The original book was published back in 2006, so I brought the book up-to-date with a pretty significant refresh using today’s latest cameras, updates and changes in gear; plus I added a short chapter with some advice I’ve learned since then; I went through and updated all the photos (man, it’s excruciating to look back at the images you were taking seven years ago), and techniques where needed… -
Please join me in welcoming our new Photoshop User TV co-host, the awesome Jessica Maldonado (AKA “Photoshop Girl”)
16 May 2013 | 9:01 pmThis week we kicked off the new season of Photoshop User TV (the weekly Photoshop show) and I got the honor of introducing our viewers to our new co-host of Photoshop User TV, and the latest addition to “The Photoshop Guys”, it’s Jessica Maldonado, our own “Photoshop Girl.” (wild cheers ensue!).I know what you’re thinking. About #$&% time! (I totally agree) I also know what some of you are thinking, and just so you know, Jessica chose the nickname “Photoshop Girl” herself (though some suggested “Photoshop Gal” cause they… -
It’s Free Stuff Thursday!
15 May 2013 | 9:01 pmFree 24-Hour Trial for National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP)! Want to know what you’re missing out on by not being a NAPP member? Try it out for FREE for 24 hours right here! Check out the full-length classes and quick tutorials from the top Photoshop instructors in the world for a full 24 hours. Whether you’re a photographer looking for Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Photoshop tips or a designer looking for new techniques and getting in-depth with layers, blend modes, and type, you can find it at NAPP.Straight From My Camera with Zack Arias The newest addition to The… -
It’s Guest Blog Wednesday featuring Donna Dotan!
14 May 2013 | 9:01 pmHow to Create an Architectural Photo: Manhattan StyleI’d first like to thank Scott and Brad for inviting me to be a guest blogger! When I was asked to write a post, I was very excited and immediately began thinking about what to share. I love when photographers show how they created one of their favorite images from start to finish, so that’s what I’m going to do for you.Although architecture is a relatively small niche of photography, there are many architectural photographers out there; each with their own style of shooting and retouching. Some do very minimal retouching, if…
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Digital Photography School
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How to create a reflection in Photoshop in 6 easy steps
21 May 2013 | 9:13 amCreating a reflection using Photoshop is one of those things that at first glance looks really hard, but really isn’t, once you break down the steps (just light Light Painting which I covered in another two part series). In this article I’m going to demystify creating a reflection, a technique that works particularly well on images with open pavement, and HDR processed images which tend to make the pavement look wet already. We’re going to learn how to go from this . . . To this! In less than 10 minutes! I recently showed one my HDR classes how to do this, and they all… -
DISCUSS: When you Photograph People in Black and White, you Photograph their Souls
20 May 2013 | 9:06 amCanadian photojournalist – Ted Grant – is quoted as saying: “When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!” This quote often comes to mind when talking about portraiture and I thought it might make an interesting discussion starter. Do Ted’s words resonate with you? Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips. Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips. DISCUSS: When you Photograph People… -
Props Are Evil: How To Use Them For Good
20 May 2013 | 9:04 amA Guest Post by Lynsey Peterson. Nothing freaks me out like props. Every time I see a picture of flower girls holding an empty frame that is outlining a bride and groom kissing in the distance, I die a little inside. Whenever I am subjected to a photo that attempts to bring in a letter jacket and a football and a casual I’m-just-hanging-out-here-in-my-letter-jacket-holding-my-football expression, I try to remember that I am terrible at making coffee and therefore cannot give-up photography immediately and go get an application at Starbucks. We have come to a place where portrait… -
6 Winning Ways to Work Wide
19 May 2013 | 12:01 pmToday Joe Decker shares some tips on wide angle photography. One of the first lens purchases aspiring landscape photographers typically made is a wide or super-wide lens, anything (in full-frame 35mm terms) from 24mm on down, and with good reason, wides offer photographers the ability to capture the sweeping vistas of the natural landscape. But they can also be a challenge to use effectively, it’s all to easy to end up with a wide-angle shot that lacks the power and grandeur we felt when we were shooting. In this article, I’ll explain why that’s so often the case, and… -
Make your Photos Sparkle with GIMP
19 May 2013 | 9:28 amA Guest Contribution by Anotherphotograpbynoob.com. What this tutorial will show you In short: how I made the photo on the right become the photo on the left. In this tutorial, we will cover basic tools of the free photo editing software GIMP. Here is a quick rundown of the features covered in this tutorial: Crop a photo in GIMP Increase contrast with the Levels panel Make the colors pop with the Hue & Saturation panel Adjust colors with the Color Balance panel Add a color filter to boost the warm colors in your photo. Sound hard? Don’t worry. I’ll guide you through the whole…
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TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog
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How iPads, YouTube help bands practice
21 May 2013 | 1:00 pmMark Crump at GigaOm has an interesting piece on how the iPad is becoming an important tool for music bands. Crump is an amateur musician whose band is rehearsing for a gig. What's interesting is Crump's realization that the iPad is almost all his band needs at rehearsal. Crump explains how his iPad fits into band rehearses. First, he chooses the songs in the Music player app and sends his friends links to the songs on YouTube. Next he'll use the AmpliTube app (free) to load up his selected song from the iPad's music app and play along with it via a Fender Squire USB guitar. To chart the… -
Daily Deals for May 21, 2013
21 May 2013 | 12:30 pmIt's time to save some of that hard-earned cash with our Daily Deals, featuring a handy list from Dealnews and our own hand-picked selections that include some sweet deals on iOS and OS X software (all prices are USD). Deals from Dealnews Monoprice.com: [24-Inch LCDs Or Larger] Monoprice 27" IPS-G LED LCD Display for $474 + $17 s&h Oyen Digital: [Drive Enclosures] DataTale SMART 4-Bay Thunderbolt HDD Enclosure for $540 + free shipping MacUpdate Promo: [Mac Software] Drive Genius 3 for Mac downloads for $40 Other World Computing: [Media Receivers] NewerTech NuStand Alloy Display Stands… -
Daily iPhone App: Blendoku has you lining up colors to match
21 May 2013 | 12:00 pmBlendoku is based on a crazy idea, made even crazier by the fact that it works. I am just plain terrible at colors. When I was working retail, I spent an entire day learning to lay out merchandise according to color. I was so bad at it, the trainer sent me right back to customer service. That's the very skill set that Blendoku tests, yet I still enjoy playing it. You're presented with several different colors which must be sorted by shade, lightness, or various other qualities. Some levels are simple, with just a strip of various colors going back and forth, but some are very complicated,… -
Tim Cook: US-made Macs will be assembled in Texas
21 May 2013 | 11:35 amTim Cook on Tuesday morning appeared before Congress to talk about Apple's tax practices, with a specific focus on Apple's foreign stash of cash. As it stands now, the bulk of Apple's revenue is derived from overseas sales. Consequently, Apple has chosen to keep that cash abroad where it's subject to much lower tax rates than the corporate income tax rate of 35% it would be subject to if it brought that cash back. During his opening remarks, Cook highlighted all Apple has done for the U.S. economy, emphasizing how much the company already pays in domestic taxes and how it's been responsible… -
"The world's only 7-Star hotel" is giving 24k gold-plated iPads to guests
21 May 2013 | 11:00 amThe Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai is often referred to as "the world's only 7-Star hotel." And now you can see why. The hotel has announced that it will be giving 24-carat gold-plated iPads to guests at check-in. The iPad will act as a "virtual concierge" for the hotel's guests, with information like maps, housekeeping services, spa services, and more. Guests will be required to give the iPads back when they check out, unless they choose to purchase it (there's no word on the cost). The gold-plated iPad isn't the only Apple product that the Burj Al Arab's guests can enjoy: each of its 202 rooms…
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Strobist
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Q&A: Photek Softlighter II or Paul Buff PLM?
17 May 2013 | 3:00 amSydney, Australia-based photo assistant Diego asks: You seem to use the Photek Softlighter a lot. How would this compare to the Paul Buff PML Soft-Silver with the White Diffuser? While they are similar (both sub-$100 Octa killers) they are pretty different under the skin, So which model you'll prefer depends on how you'll use it… Read more » -
Readers Shoot Back: Vivian Chung
13 May 2013 | 8:11 amDontcha hate it when your bride-and-groom portrait gets photo-bombed? Okay, maybe not if it's by a Beluga whale. And for Vancouver wedding photographer (and Strobist reader) Vivian Chung, this well-planned cameo was no accident. Complicating things, she only had a little time—and a key technical restriction—to make this shot. Read more » -
Lighting In Layers on Lynda.com
13 May 2013 | 8:00 amI am happy to announce that Strobist's video series, Lighting in Layers, has by special arrangement been adapted for the video tutorial site Lynda.com. Those of you who are Lynda subscribers can now view the videos there. (This includes Lynda's many corporate subs, so check with your company.) Last week saw the launch of the first segments, which are primarily aimed at beginners. Additional sessions will be released each week. So even if you are not a newb, stick around. It'll get more complex soon enough… -30- -
HCAC: Soprano Rebecca Hargrove
8 May 2013 | 12:00 amIt's May. Which always means two things for me: dealing with heavy allergies and beginning my next batch of portraits for the Howard County Arts Council. The drudgery of allergies is offset by the pure pleasure that is getting to work with a group of insanely talented young people. Doing the portraiture for the Rising Stars program is one of my favorite projects of the year. One of the first this year was soprano Rebecca Hargrove, who we photographed in the venerable Garaj Mahal Studios… Read more » -
What Really Happens When a Fuji X100s "Syncs" at 1/4000th of a Sec
5 May 2013 | 7:35 pmFor leaf-shutter flash geeks only: high-speed Phantom v1610 video of a Fuji X100s shutter not-quite-really syncing at 1/4000th of a sec. Sorry, I know many of you will be bored to tears by this. But the full technical article photographer Kevin Housen developed around this video (and others, at different shutter speeds) will really peel the onion for you if you want to know about the demonstrable quirkiness of this camera and ultra-high speed sync. -30-
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News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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When disaster strikes, photo editors can help save memories
21 May 2013 | 12:35 pmWhen homes are damaged, often the most important items cannot be replaced. For victims of fire, floods and other natural disasters, family photos are among the worst things to lose. Operation Photo Rescue brings together victims with professional photo editors to turn damaged images back into clear memories. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com. -
All-new Flickr comes with free terabyte - and ads
20 May 2013 | 4:21 pmFlickr fans may find the lure of a free terabyte attractive, but they might be put off by the accompanying advertisements that support Flickr's new free account model. A major update to the photo sharing service has completely revamped the look of accounts and restructured the way users may pay for Flickr in the future. We take a look at the changes on connect.dpreview.com. -
New York Times details photo editing policy for fashion magazine
20 May 2013 | 3:40 pmA cover image in the latest issue of the New York Times' monthly style magazine, T, has led to an interesting discussion about the newspaper's policy on photo retouching. While editors forbid any image manipulation beyond, 'minor color-toning and brightness' in news stories, retouches and removal of blemishes are allowed in the style magazine's fashion photography. Does a newspaper risk credibility by allowing retouching on editorially-branded content? Click to read more and share your thoughts. -
Google releases more photocentric Google+ app for Android
20 May 2013 | 2:16 pmAt last week's I/O developer conference Google announced a number of upgrades to the photo section of its Google+ social network, including features such as 'Auto-Highlight', 'Auto-Enhance' and 'Auto'-Awesome'. To make the same experience available on its mobile platform the search giant has released an upgraded Google+ app for Android. Click through to Connect to find out more. -
Book Review: Shooting in Sh*tty Light
20 May 2013 | 1:46 pmLindsay Adler and Erik Valind, both working professionals and educators, have written a beginner’s guide to photographic lighting with an unusual conceit at its core. By structuring a book around a list of common challenges - what they call the 'top ten worst situations' - they've created a digestible, useful 'lighting 101' guide. In this short review, Adam Koplan takes a look at their book 'Shooting in Sh**ty Light: The Top Ten Worst Photography Lighting Situations and How to Conquer Them'.
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Lightroom Killer Tips
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Should You Create Multiple Catalogs In Lightroom?
20 May 2013 | 11:01 pmFor years, catalog questions tend to be the most popular questions I get at my Lightroom seminars. One of those questions is whether or not to create multiple catalogs in Lightroom. See, back in Lightroom 1, it became fairly common knowledge that when your catalog grew to a certain size in photos (say 20,000) that it would slow down and you should create a new catalog so Lightroom would keep running quickly. But that’s not the case anymore. Lightroom doesn’t have a photo limit that anyone has hit. Adobe doesn’t even recommend creating multiple catalogs anymore. So the first… -
Lightroom And WPPI Coming Your Way (Chicago, Atlantic City, Vegas and LA)
15 May 2013 | 9:00 amIf you live in Chicago, Atlantic City, LA or Las Vegas then you’ve got a WPPI “On the Road” stop coming your way. NAPP and WPPI are teaming up to provide you with some killer Photoshop and Lightroom training at each event. RC Concepcion, Pete Collins and I will be teaching along side plenty of other great instructors in each city. Here’s the link to WPPI’s website if you want to find out more and below is the list of cities and dates. Hope to see you there! • Chicago: May 21-22 • Atlantic City: June 3-4 • Los Angeles: July 15-16 • Las Vegas: August… -
A Super Quick Way To Convert Your Photo To Black And White
9 May 2013 | 11:01 pmHey everyone. Here’s a great little tip for you if you want to see quickly see what your photo looks like as a black and white, without going to a different panel and messing with sliders. Ready… just go to the Develop module and press the V key. Yup… that’s it. It does the default black and white conversion, and gives you a good idea of whether you’d want to process the photo any further as a B&W. If you like it, then head down to the B&W panel and make some more adjustments. If not, just press the V key again and it’ll take you back to the color… -
What Photoshop CC (Creative Cloud) Means For Lightroom Users?
6 May 2013 | 11:01 pmThere’s obviously lots of feedback, buzz, interest, and excitement, from Adobe’s announcement yesterday. If you missed it, in a nutshell, Photoshop as we know it is going totally subscription based. So basically, you can’t buy a stand alone boxed or download copy of it anymore. You have to subscribe to the Adobe Creative Cloud to get Photoshop CC (CC means Creative Cloud). However, for now you’ll still be able to buy Lightroom standalone without subscribing (even though it’s also included in the CC). By the way, if you hadn’t noticed Photoshop CS is no… -
Lightroom Tip: Hiding Panels
2 May 2013 | 11:01 pmDid you know that you can hide specific panels in Lightroom? You probably knew that you can collapse a panel just by clicking the tiny arrow next to the name of the panel. But you can also hide them so they simply don’t show up. For example, personally I don’t use the Split Toning panel, so why even have it show up there anymore? To hide it (or any other panel) right click under the Histogram in the dark gray empty area in the Develop module (just to the left of the word Basic in the Basic panel). The panels that are visible will be checked. To hide one or more just click on it.
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MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - iOS Blog
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Vudu Player for iOS Gets Updated With Ability to Download Movies
20 May 2013 | 6:35 pmVUDU, the third most popular internet video-on-demand provider behind Apple's iTunes and Amazon's Instant Video, today updated its app with a feature that allows users to download movies for offline viewing, a redesigned video player, and more. Previously, VUDU users using the VUDU Player app had to stream their content from within the app and could not view their movies and TV shows offline. With the new update, users can download their content at various qualities for use when an internet connection isn't available. Other changes include a redesigned video player that's easier to use,… -
Apple to Open New Adelaide Retail Store in Australia on May 25
20 May 2013 | 5:21 pmFollowing the opening of a new retail location in Melbourne last month, Apple is set to open another Australian Apple Store on May 25, this time in Adelaide. The Adelaide Apple Store will be Apple’s 20th retail location in Australia, and it is located at Rundle Place, a four-story shopping center that houses more than 70 stores. Adelaide is Australia's 5th largest city and the new Apple Store will be the first in the state of South Australia. At store openings, Apple typically hands out commemorative T-shirts to the first 1,000 customers to visit. The store is set to open at 10 a.m. this… -
Burj Al Arab in Dubai Introduces Gold-Plated iPads for Guest Use
20 May 2013 | 3:10 pmThe Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai is perhaps the world's most luxurious hotel, and the latest addition continues that tradition. The seven-star hotel is now giving 24-carat gold-plated iPads from Gold & Co to guests for use during their stay. The iPads will act as a 'virtual concierge', offering information on restaurants in the hotel, as well as spa treatments and butler services. They carry the Burj Al Arab's logo on the back and they are available for purchase in the hotel's boutique. -
Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface
20 May 2013 | 11:16 amJust as Yahoo has announced its acquisition of Tumblr, the Tumblr team has released an update for its iOS app bringing a redesigned user interface that offers up a brand new post type chooser, displaying post options that fan out vertically from the app's redesigned compose button to allow for speedier posting. The redesigned menu is similar to the radial posting options used by social networking app Path, which displays buttons unobtrusively in the corner of the app. Previously, hitting Tumblr's compose button opened a new window with square-shaped posting icons, which was more obtrusive… -
Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase
19 May 2013 | 1:13 pmAnatolia News Agency reports that Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Apple yesterday as part of a tour of Silicon Valley companies ahead of the country's move to purchase 10.6 million tablets for its schoolchildren. Erdoğan also visited Microsoft's Bay Area outpost and Google during his trip. Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (left) visits Apple The meeting at Apple was just the latest of numerous interactions between Apple executives and Turkish government officials as Apple seeks to win the massive tablet contract. A number of Apple executives including vice…
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CNN Travel
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Beijing shopping: The city's top 12 boutiques
20 May 2013 | 3:00 pmThe rise of China's homegrown design talent has spawned some of the coolest little shops in Asia Gone are the days when Beijing shopping meant traditional qipao garb and Louis Vuitton knockoffs. China's capital is now home to some of the most in-demand shops in the world, from European fast-fashion behemoths to Japanese couture houses. But the real draw is the sudden emergence of homegrown talents, whose designs reflect a burgeoning aesthetic unique to China. For the Beijing visitor operating with limited shopping time, here are the city’s must-see boutiques. iReport assignment: What… -
Think your flip-flops have been through hell? Try a pair of Gandys
19 May 2013 | 11:00 pmCreated by orphans of the 2004 Asian tsunami, Gandys flip-flops aim to do more than sit around on the beachIf there’s a single iconic travel fashion accessory, it’s flip-flops. The universal footwear is worn the world over by backpackers, package tourists, beach bums and wealthy vacationers alike. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry. For British brothers Rob and Paul Forkan, flip-flops also represent a memory, a legacy, a way of life and the avenue toward a dream of establishing a successful business, as well as a network of orphanages. In 2012, the entrepreneurial pair launched… -
10 Tumblr sites that make travel more interesting
19 May 2013 | 7:45 pmTumblr isn't as big as Twitter, but some are using it to make some great travel blogsReports this weekend from AllThingsD point to Tumblr being acquired by Yahoo for nearly $1.1 billion. Although popular, Tumblr has yet to become a necessary part of any brand’s content strategy, the way way Pinterest or Twitter have. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t doing interesting things on the platform. We looked at sites that are adding something new to the Web or, if they’re curating something else they found, at least adding their own distinctive twist. It’s often used by bloggers… -
Beijing travel: 72 hours in the Chinese capital
19 May 2013 | 3:00 pmSome travelers can now visit the city visa-free for up to 72 hours. Here's how to cram the best of Beijing into three daysTravelers looking to visit Beijing without the hassle of obtaining a visa are in luck: at the beginning of 2013, the Chinese government lifted visa requirements for tourists laying over in Beijing or Shanghai for up to 72 hours. Are three days enough to take in the best of Beijing? It's a tight squeeze, but here’s how to make the most of a 72-hour trip to one of the world’s most vibrant cities. More on CNN: Visas waived for Beijing transit travelers Day 1 Lama… -
Rising from the revolution: Life in Benghazi
17 May 2013 | 3:00 amThere may be a little too much gunfire to make Benghazi a top 10 holiday destination, but this hopeful Libyan city makes for one fascinating tourCurrently, few visitors to Benghazi arrive on leisure trips. The murder of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three colleagues profoundly shook confidence in “Free Libya.” The United States advises against all travel to the city while hearings continue over the American response to last September's attack. The backlash against Islamist militias, however, has seen their presence and influence much reduced. Although the prevalence of private…
