A McKinsey iConsumer survey spotlights key trends in e-commerce, mobile, multichannel, social media, and big data. From McKinsey via Visual.ly. Tons of excellent infographics in one place.
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5 Trends in European Digital Consumption [Infographic]
Holy Kaw!23 May 2013 | 12:59 pm -
Join Us in Malaysia for Tech Empowerment Event WomenDeliver+SocialGood
Mashable23 May 2013 | 12:18 pmBuilding on our long-standing commitment to social good, Mashable is thrilled to announce our next event, WomenDeliver+SocialGood. This summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 27 at 7 p.m. MYT, will address how digital tools can address the challenges women and girls face across the world WomenDeliver+SocialGood corresponds with U.N. Women's Women Deliver conference, the largest women's health and empowerment conference to date. Women Deliver will gather more than 5,000 global leaders, advocates, civil society members, media and more. Make sure to RSVP here if you can attend. To address the… -
Is “I Wish My Son Had Cancer” Appropriate Ad Copy?
Fast Company23 May 2013 | 11:29 amAn ad for a rare disease makes an uncomfortable statement.Read Full Story -
On-Demand Delivery Startup Postmates Is Preparing For Launch In New York City
TechCrunch23 May 2013 | 12:40 pmPostmates is looking to expand its business and make mobile, on-demand deliveries a widespread thing throughout cities around the country — that we already know. The company has been operating in San Francisco for a while, and launched in Seattle about three months ago. But where will it land next? All signs point to New York City. Postmates has a mobile app that allows customers to get food from restaurants, groceries, and even goods from retailers like the Apple Store or Nordstrom delivered within an hour for a low, fixed price. Thanks to a little scouring of the Internet and some… -
Thoughts on education and the burgeoning trophy shortage
Seth's Blog23 May 2013 | 2:00 amIt's graduation season, so a few relevant links about school, students and our future: Here's the audio of an interview I did with PlayBuffet My TEDx talk about education And a reminder about Stop Stealing Dreams, a free manifesto that asks, "what is school for?" I hope we can ask this question more and more often... Feel free to share with your favorite graduate. Or her parents. Bonus: 20 video minutes at Creative Mornings.
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Holy Kaw!
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5 Trends in European Digital Consumption [Infographic]
23 May 2013 | 12:59 pmA McKinsey iConsumer survey spotlights key trends in e-commerce, mobile, multichannel, social media, and big data. From McKinsey via Visual.ly. Tons of excellent infographics in one place. -
Dog beards now barking for attention
23 May 2013 | 11:04 amYou may have noticed cat owners prowling around the Internet lately sporting peculiarly feline facial hair, so it shouldn’t be surprising that dog people are lining up to put their mark on this particular meme. According to Laughing Squid, You can view more photos of people sporting a dog beard by searching in the Instagram tags#DogBeard and #DogBearding. And [...] -
Know your cables [infographic]
23 May 2013 | 10:53 amEver idly wonder what the difference was between a coaxial cable and an ethernet cable? Wonder no more thanks to this infographic by DSL.com, and enjoy talking shop with the cable or phone guy next time he comes to call some time between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Via DSL.com. Feel a little smarter with [...] -
Zoom map now available for Oklahoma disaster area
23 May 2013 | 10:41 amThose who call Oklahoma home but have addresses elsewhere or are worried about the areas where their loved ones lived can now see how severely specific areas were affected thanks to the cooperative efforts of Google Maps, the City of Oklahoma City, the City of Moore, and Cleveland County. The data was collected on May 22, [...] -
From the Reassuring Files: Power utilities under near-constant cyberthreats
23 May 2013 | 8:03 amThere was a report released this week by a couple of democrats about the threat to critical infrastructure including US electric power utilities. I don’t think that this is a partisan concern, though. Their report is called “Electric Grid Vulnerability: Industry Responses Reveal Security Gaps,” and describes the results of 160 utilities that were [...]
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Mashable
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Join Us in Malaysia for Tech Empowerment Event WomenDeliver+SocialGood
23 May 2013 | 12:18 pmBuilding on our long-standing commitment to social good, Mashable is thrilled to announce our next event, WomenDeliver+SocialGood. This summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 27 at 7 p.m. MYT, will address how digital tools can address the challenges women and girls face across the world WomenDeliver+SocialGood corresponds with U.N. Women's Women Deliver conference, the largest women's health and empowerment conference to date. Women Deliver will gather more than 5,000 global leaders, advocates, civil society members, media and more. Make sure to RSVP here if you can attend. To address the… -
LIVE: Chris Hadfield and Fellow Astronauts on Google Hangout
23 May 2013 | 11:54 amThe Internet's favorite astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield may no longer tweet from the International Space Station, but that doesn't mean he's giving up on social media outreach NASA is hosting a live Google Hangout today with Hadfield and fellow astronauts Kevin Ford and Tom Marshburn. You can join the live hangout here starting at 3 p.m. EDT. However, if you can't stop by at that time, Mashable will update this story with highlights after the hangout ends BONUS: Chris Hadfield's Best Moments in Space Image courtesy of NASA Read more...More about Space, Nasa, Astronauts, Us World, and Us -
Anthony Weiner Is Playing It Safe on Twitter
23 May 2013 | 11:52 amAnthony Weiner's Twitter account feels human again — but a very safe human. Weiner first returned to Twitter last November, but his tweets lacked the, ahem, personality of his former social presence. Following his Tuesday announcement that he's running for mayor of New York City, his tweets have been slightly less robotic, slightly more personal and definitely hashtag-heavy: anthonyweiner.comIt's a website for my campaign for mayor.Take a look#GoingWithUnderstatementToStart — Anthony Weiner (@anthonyweiner) May 22, 2013 On with @brianlehrer 10am#SorryIMissedPledgeWeek —… -
30 Overused Buzzwords in Digital Marketing
23 May 2013 | 11:48 amWe've all sat through meetings that are teeming with buzzwords. Optimization! Synergy! Collaboration! Engagement! While some buzzwords actually have substance (i.e. big data), many people use (and overuse) buzzwords just to try to sound smart, when in fact, they have no idea what's going on. Over the past 30 days, we've led you through the buzzword lexicon — highlighting the most confusing jargon in the digital marketing dictionary. Hopefully you're caught up and won't be blinded by glittering generalities the next time someone spouts off about custom activations or refers to himself as… -
Jon Stewart Rips Senators for Letting Apple Off Easy on Corporate Taxes
23 May 2013 | 11:27 amJon Stewart derided a Senate panel's kid-gloves treatment of Apple Inc.’s testimony on its complex corporate tax structure. Tuesday's hearing in front of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was meant to discuss the corporate tax laws that allow Apple to shelter more than $102 billion through a web of foreign subsidiaries. However, it quickly became a forum in which senators expressed their love of the company’s products to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. “I love Apple!,” Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., asked Cook why he had to…
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Fast Company
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Is “I Wish My Son Had Cancer” Appropriate Ad Copy?
23 May 2013 | 11:29 amAn ad for a rare disease makes an uncomfortable statement.Read Full Story -
These Deadly Weapons Are Made Entirely From Plants
23 May 2013 | 11:24 amWhat if our instruments of violence were actually made of something a little more friendly? Harm-Less is a project that reimagines firearms as parts of the natural world.Read Full Story -
Building A Social Network For Clean Water With Apps And Cheap Tests
23 May 2013 | 10:00 amThe app mWater provides low-cost water tests to people in the developing world and then crowdsources their results, creating definitive maps of where water is safe to drink. John Feighery became interested in water testing while working for NASA. Spaceships have sophisticated systems for recycling condensates and urine, and it was Feighery’s job to ensure that what astronauts drank was safe. When it comes to water testing, a space station isn’t so different from, say, rural Africa. Both places lack expensive equipment for analysis and storing samples. So, Feighery is transferring… -
Renovation On The Sly: Same Footprint, Twice The Volume
23 May 2013 | 10:00 amChristopher Polly’s eco-renovation of the Cosgriff House is a study in thrift. Families grow and need space to stretch out. Just not in the last few years; economic woes halted people’s enthusiasm for renovation projects. That’s poised to change: Home improvement spending is expected to bounce back, post-recession, at the rate of about 17% this year. In response, architects are being calculated about what they propose: renovations that are beautiful but easy on the wallet. Christopher Polly's overhaul of the Cosgriff house doubled the size of the property--but is neither a… -
You’ve Shipped Your Pants, Now Get Big Gas Savings At K-Mart
23 May 2013 | 9:48 amKmart follows up its viral blockbuster with more ass-focused wordplay. Remember when Kmart instructed you to Ship Your Pants and created a viral sensation? Well, now the retailer and agency Draftfcb are telling you the truth about your Big Ass…Savings, that is. This new ad for Kmart brings back the funny-sounding word humor, this time emphasizing how funny the term "big gas" sounds in different accents.Read Full Story
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TechCrunch
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On-Demand Delivery Startup Postmates Is Preparing For Launch In New York City
23 May 2013 | 12:40 pmPostmates is looking to expand its business and make mobile, on-demand deliveries a widespread thing throughout cities around the country — that we already know. The company has been operating in San Francisco for a while, and launched in Seattle about three months ago. But where will it land next? All signs point to New York City. Postmates has a mobile app that allows customers to get food from restaurants, groceries, and even goods from retailers like the Apple Store or Nordstrom delivered within an hour for a low, fixed price. Thanks to a little scouring of the Internet and some… -
Homeland Security Reportedly Warns 3D-Printed Guns Are “Impossible” To Contain
23 May 2013 | 12:08 pmA new bulletin from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warns that lethal, undetectable 3D-printed firearms may be “impossible” to contain, Fox News reports After a Texas law student designed and released digital blueprints for the world’s first fully printable gun, the files have allegedly been downloaded more than 100,000 times, despite a domestic ban on distributing the files from the U.S. State Department. “Significant advances in three-dimensional (3D) printing capabilities, availability of free digital 3D printer files for firearms components, and… -
Google Starts Using Computer Vision To Let You Search Your Google+ Photos
23 May 2013 | 12:03 pmGoogle almost completely revamped the Google+ photo experience last week, but somehow the company didn’t get around to announce one of the coolest photo-related features in its repertoire yet: Google now uses computer vision and machine learning to let you search your own photos for things like sunsets, food and flowers. I also tried terms like “cars,” “beach” and “bikes” and Google consistently returned the right results. This search is build into Google+, but you can also use the regular Google search and use the query term [my photos of xyz] to… -
With Metrics Up Since Acquisition, Parse Could Get Developers Integrating Facebook And Buying Ads
23 May 2013 | 11:44 amAfter being acquired by Facebook, the mobile back-end service Parse has been busy integrating itself into the company, as well as launching new services like web hosting for developers. The service has built tools to help developers focus on the front-end of their product, while handling all of the messy back-end things like cross-platform compatibility and testing. Naturally, Facebook integration is easier than ever for mobile developers thanks to the acquisition. Its been six years since Facebook’s Platform launched, and during a whiteboard session at its Menlo Park headquarters, the… -
Lambda Labs Is Launching A Facial Recognition API For Google Glass
23 May 2013 | 11:29 amLambda Labs, an early stage startup out of San Francisco, is preparing to release a facial recognition API for developers working on Google Glass apps. The API will be available to interested developers within a week, company co-founder Stephen Balaban says. The move comes on the heels of a Congressional inquiry into Google’s new wearable technology, still very much in the prototype phase. The startup’s facial recognition API, launched into beta last year, is already used by 1,000 developers, including several major international firms. It now sees over 5 million API calls per…
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Seth's Blog
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Thoughts on education and the burgeoning trophy shortage
23 May 2013 | 2:00 amIt's graduation season, so a few relevant links about school, students and our future: Here's the audio of an interview I did with PlayBuffet My TEDx talk about education And a reminder about Stop Stealing Dreams, a free manifesto that asks, "what is school for?" I hope we can ask this question more and more often... Feel free to share with your favorite graduate. Or her parents. Bonus: 20 video minutes at Creative Mornings. -
Let's start with "sorry"
22 May 2013 | 2:43 amBy the time the phone rings, there's already trouble. When that manager is called or this department is reached, it's because someone is disappointed, angry or stuck. Illness, broken promises or a real urgency have led to this new conversation even taking place. So don't start with, "[Name of company] mumble mumble" as if there's a blank slate just waiting to be written on. There's already a lot of writing on that slate. Don't demand to know the record number or begin with doubt and an edge of dismissal. Be on our team. "It sounds like we've got a situation on our hands..." is a fine way to… -
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…
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NYT > Home Page
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The Caucus: Mark Mazzetti on Obama's Speech on Drone Policy
23 May 2013 | 12:24 pmThe Times’s Mark Mazzetti provided analysis and context about U.S. drone policy during the president’s speech. -
Obama Narrows Scope of Terror Fight
23 May 2013 | 12:02 pmIn a widely anticipated speech on Thursday, President Obama said he would impose a higher standard on the use of drone strikes, and he sought to renew his effort to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. -
Wall Street Recovers After Worldwide Slump
23 May 2013 | 11:41 amStocks regained ground in New York after global investors were rattled by signs of a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing and a potential easing of central bank support for the economy. -
A Bitter/Sweet Shift in Cockroach Defenses
23 May 2013 | 11:04 amSome populations of roaches have evolved a highly effective strategy to avoid sweet-tasting poison baits, researchers say. -
House Passes Student Loan Bill, Setting Up Showdown
23 May 2013 | 10:36 amThe bill would head off a doubling of interest rates, instead tying the rates to prevailing market trends, an approach not favored by Senate Democrats.
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Wired Top Stories
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Obama Swears Drone Surge Is Done
23 May 2013 | 12:04 pmDrone strikes will remain a fixture of U.S. counterterrorism. But President Obama, in a major speech, signaled that he's going to rein in their use. -
WikiLeaks Donations Down to a Trickle
23 May 2013 | 11:42 amAs WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange approaches the one-year anniversary of his confinement in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, a report released Wednesday reveals that donations to the secret-spilling site have slowed to a trickle. -
Kim Dotcom Claims Ownership of Two-Factor Authentication
23 May 2013 | 11:37 amInfamous file-sharing kingpin Kim Dotcom claimed today he is the inventor of two-factor authentication, a method of securing online services. -
Strange Dark Matter Interactions Could Create Galactic Disks and Dark Light
23 May 2013 | 11:02 amA small percentage of the dark matter in our universe might be able to interact with itself through an as yet unknown dark force, forming dark atoms and possibly even emitting dark light. -
This 23-Ton, 5.3-Million-Brick X-Wing Is the Biggest Lego Model Ever
23 May 2013 | 8:00 amThis full-size X-Wing model is not only awesome, it's also the largest Lego model ever built.
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@ProBlogger
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How to Create a Blog Purpose Statement in 3 Simple Steps
23 May 2013 | 8:54 amYesterday, I shared a series of questions to help those bloggers seeking a little clarity when it comes to what their blog could be about. Today, I wanted to share 3 more questions – these are not so much focused upon YOU as a blogger but upon your readers. Hopefully they’ll also help you achieve a little clarity. Who are your readers? What do they need? How will they change as a result of reading your blog? Answer these 3 questions and you will actually have a pretty good purpose statement for your blog. You could certainly go into some real depth on each question but even doing… -
7 Questions to Ask Yourself to Bring Clarity to Your Blogging
22 May 2013 | 8:28 amDo you feel like you’ve lost clarity around what it is that you’re trying to do with your blog? I’ve recently bumped into a few bloggers grappling with this idea. Some were new, even ‘Pre’ Bloggers, while a couple had been blogging for a while but had lost some direction. Out of these conversations, I put together a set of questions to help them think it through. The questions revolve around asking: What are YOU About? While I won’t guarantee you instant clarity on answering these questions I hope that putting a little time aside to work through them… -
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).
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Entrepreneur
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4 Lessons From the Nightmarish Amy's Baking Company
23 May 2013 | 11:00 amThink the customer is always wrong? Here are a few lessons in entrepreneurship from the latest Kitchen Nightmares' season finale. -
NHL Playoffs: Lessons in Building a Winning Sales Team
23 May 2013 | 10:00 amLike a successful hockey team, empower your employees and play to their strengths. -
6 Ways to Track Your Competition's Marketing Strategy
23 May 2013 | 9:30 amStaying on top of your competitor's marketing tactics is key if you want to be ahead of the game. But you don't need a big budget to do it. Here are six easy ways to stay in the know. -
Startup Weekend and Startup America Partner to Jumpstart Global Entrepreneurship
23 May 2013 | 8:55 amWith the support of AOL Co-Founder Steve Case, new organization UP Global aims to accelerate startup communities around the world. -
Just Sitting on the Dock of the Bay? Next Time, Avoid Importing Delays
23 May 2013 | 8:30 amGet your products across the border more quickly with these tips from shipping experts.
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Lifehacker
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Show Us Your Favorite Smart Playlist
23 May 2013 | 12:30 pmWhether it's built in or available through an add-on, most music players allow you to create smart playlists that are populated based on criteria you set. You can create a smart playlist that contains songs from specific genres or dates, matches particular moods or speeds, or uses justt about any other data about your music you can think of. We'd like to see yours.Read more... -
Fix Google+'s Biggest Annoyances with These Userscripts
23 May 2013 | 12:00 pmLast week at Google I/O, the company's social network got a big facelift. In some ways, it looks great, but it also introduced a slew of new problems. Enter userscripts to clean things up.Read more... -
Keep Windows' Blue Screen of Death from Automatically Restarting
23 May 2013 | 11:30 amIn the event of a serious problem with Windows, a blue screen error code can help you figure out what's wrong. If your system reboots too quickly to see what the code is, disable automatic restarts.Read more... -
Do Beans Belong in Chili?
23 May 2013 | 11:00 amThe question of whether beans belong in chili has been a source of contention for over a century. Ask different aficionados from different regions and you'll get as many different answers. Now, we aim to settle the debate once and for all. Make your opinion heard chili fans, because we'll be posting a follow-up article next week with the best discussions.Read more... -
Create Multiple "Tablet Stations" with Command Hooks
23 May 2013 | 10:30 amPick up a few inexpensive command hooks and you've got an instant holder for your tablet in any (or every) room of your house.Read more...
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MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors
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Apple Confirms WWDC Keynote Presentation Will Be Monday June 10th
23 May 2013 | 9:54 amIn an unsurprising announcement, Apple has confirmed that the keynote address for the Worldwide Developers Conference will be at the Moscone Center on June 10, the first day of the conference. The company did not disclose any speakers or agenda, but Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to take the stage with other Apple executives to present new versions of both OS X and the iOS operating systems. Prior WWDC keynotes have started at 10 AM Pacific time. Tickets for the 2013 WWDC sold out in two minutes this year, an all-time record for the event. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Evernote Adds… -
Apple's Tight Control Over Components Keeping iPhone 5 Repair Costs High
23 May 2013 | 7:38 amMarketWatch takes a look at the state of the repair industry for the iPhone 5, noting that costs for display replacements remain very high eight months after the device's launch in the United States. The report points to Apple's tight control over components as being the major contributor to high costs, even as the device's new design makes it simpler to replace the display than on previous models.There is a tight control on iPhone 5 components in the market, [repair firm iCracked founder AJ] Forsythe says. “Market forces determine the price,” he says. “Apple sells about 300,000 iPhones… -
Apple's Smart Watch May Not Launch Until Late 2014, Use Biometrics and iPod Nano Technology
22 May 2013 | 3:24 pmKGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has on a number of occasions offered accurate information about Apple's product plans, issued a new research report this week outlining his expectations for Apple's rumored smart watch device, informally dubbed "iWatch". Despite some expectations that the device could launch later this year, Kuo believes that both hardware and software issues will result in the iWatch making its debut in the second half of 2014.Apple may not have adequate resources to develop an iWatch version of iOS because it may require big changes to iPhone and iPad iOS this year. -
Corning Pits Gorilla Glass 3 Against Sapphire, Plans Reflection Reduction and Antimicrobial Technology
22 May 2013 | 1:59 pmFollowing Apple's adoption of sapphire crystal as a strong and durable covering for the rear cameras on the iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch late last year, rumors of expanded uses for the material have gained some traction. Back in March, we covered a report suggesting that sapphire could see wider adoption as coverings for displays on mobile devices, and just last week a sketchy rumor claimed that Apple is planning to use a sapphire-covered capacitive home button with integrated fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 5S. Amid these discussions of the potential of sapphire, Corning has… -
Apple Details Five Patents Violated by Samsung Galaxy S4 and Google Now
22 May 2013 | 10:29 amLast week Apple told the U.S. District Court in California that it planned to add the Samsung Galaxy S4 to its patent lawsuit already underway against Samsung. As promised, Apple today filed a motion (via Foss Patents) that details five different patents that the S4 allegedly infringes on. The filing includes two Siri-related patents violated by Google Now, Google's robust voice activated search assistant. Patents '604 and '959 cover a "universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system." The other three patents in the filing cover a "graphical user interface using…
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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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30 Quick Editing Tips Every Content Creator Needs to Know
23 May 2013 | 4:00 amInbox 0: in a bad way. Has your brilliant content still not scored you that dream writing position, lucrative business partnership, or sweet recognition among your peers and target audience? If you think your articles are top-notch, but there’s a lonely tumbleweed blowing through your barren website, it may be because you’re just a writer. You heard me, Gloria. If everybody wants you, why isn’t anybody calling? Once you create a blog or email newsletter, you need to also actively take part in its evolution. While keeping diligent focus on your content production, you must also review… -
How to Nail the Opening of Your Blog Post
22 May 2013 | 5:00 amThe opening four notes to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony are the most popular notes in Western music. Dun dun dun dum … They are stormy. Heroic. Disorienting. Short enough to be remembered. Portentous enough to be memorable. Today you’ll find those notes everywhere. In movies, commercials, and songs when the dramatic and foreboding are needed … And we hardly bat an eye. We recognize them, we know them, and we love those first four notes. Not so for Beethoven’s opening night at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien in 1808. One contemporary composer of Beethoven —… -
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… -
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…
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Macworld
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On Android, market share, and watermelons
23 May 2013 | 11:11 amJohn Kirk nicely deconstructs the argument that market share is what matters, showing that Apple is playing a very different game than the one its critics seem to be watching.(techpinions.com) -
The Macalope: Bigger is better just because
23 May 2013 | 11:00 amWriting for the clown show that is Forbes, Darcy Travlos asks the Betteridge’s Law-challenging question “Apple And Google: The New ‘Old’ Reality?” (No link but tip o’ the antlers to the Jony Ive parody account on Twitter yet again.) Uh … no? Huh. IDC’s smartphone operating system rankings released last week showed acceleration in the Google Android platform against the Apple iOS platform in terms of smartphone unit shipments. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here -
Review: Attractive Locus Workstation standing desk an excellent choice
23 May 2013 | 11:00 amFocal Upright’s Locus Workstation is the company’s flagship product. Martin Keen, the man who founded the Keen shoe company, designed this upright desk. After he sold his shoe company, Keen started Focal Upright, and the Locus Workstation began shipping last year. The Locus Workstation is something of a hybrid between an adjustable height desk and a standing desk. The desk is fully adjustable for height and pitch—it can accommodate anyone at a height between 4-feet 1-inch and 6-feet 8-inches—and features a large hand crank that changes the pitch of the desk surface from completely… -
Researchers find more versions of digitally signed Mac OS X spyware
23 May 2013 | 9:47 amSecurity researchers have identified multiple samples of the recently discovered “KitM” spyware for Mac OS X, including one dating back to December 2012 and targeting German-speaking users. KitM (Kumar in the Mac), also known as HackBack, is a backdoor-type program that takes unauthorized screen shots and uploads them to a remote command-and-control (C&C) server. It also opens a reverse shell that allows attackers to execute commands on the infected computers. The malware was initially discovered last week on the Mac laptop of an Angolan activist at the Oslo Freedom Forum, a human… -
Mountain Lion: Which features do you really use?
23 May 2013 | 9:00 amApple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is just over the horizon, and many of us are expecting to hear something about the future of Mac OS X. With that in mind, we cast our minds back to last year’s introduction of Mountain Lion. At the time, many of us were excited about features like integration with iMessages, Notification Center, and AirPlay Mirroring, but a year later, how much have they really impacted our lives? We’d like to hear what you have to say: Do you use these features? Often? Occasionally? Never in a million years? Let us know by filling out the poll below before 11:59…
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ReadWrite
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News Flash! Tablets Are Not Smartphones
23 May 2013 | 9:33 amYou probably already knew this, but a new report from Forrester wants to emphasize this seemingly obvious point: Tablets are not simply larger touchscreen smartphones. There are significant difference in where people use them, how they use them and for how long - all of which have big implications for app developers, marketers, tablet makers and a lot of other folks. As the table market continues its white-hot growth - nearly 50 million tablets were sold last quarter alone - these differences will force both innovation and disruption in publishing, advertising, retail, gaming and… -
Shazam's New iPad App Is Designed For Watching TV With A Tablet, Too
23 May 2013 | 8:37 amShazam, an app best known for identifying songs playing around you, is making a big move into identifying all kinds of media playing around you. That promises to move Shazam from our pockets, where its smartphone apps mostly identify songs, to our living rooms—and hence to the tablets we typically keep near our TVs. Those tablets are becoming known as "second screens"—and Shazam wants to have a big presence on them. The most intriguing aspect of Shazam's latest version is its added capability to tag events on live TV in the U.S., a clear sign that Shazam wants to be the gateway app for… -
Google App Engine Cuts Prices By One-Quarter
23 May 2013 | 8:15 amGoogle is reducing Datastore prices by up to 25%, according to an announcement on their Cloud Platform Blog. This price change impacts both App Engines HRD and the new Cloud Datastore introduced last week at I/O. The price decrease is sure to capture the attention of Amazon Web Services, perhaps even to the point of a small cloud price war. (Also read How Amazon's Rising Headwaters Could Threaten Google.) -
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Saves Companies Money - But Could Cost Users Big
23 May 2013 | 7:06 amBring Your Own Device (BYOD) polices are increasingly popular as a way for companies to let workers use the hardware they like best and are most productive with. But according to a new study from Cisco, that not be the best way to think about BYOD. Implement a strong BYOD policy, Cisco says, and your organization could save $1,300 per year per mobile user. Users meanwhile, report that they are happier and more productive - even though they may end up paying more out of their own pockets! (See also Worried Workers: BYOD Or You're SOL [Infographic]) Happier, More Productive, But Poorer? The… -
Android Dramatically Extends Lead With Open Source Developers
23 May 2013 | 6:03 amDespite Google Android's long market-share rise against Apple iOS, developers continued to stick with iOS as their first deployment target. While Android offered superior volume, that volume was fragmented between different versions of the OS and disparate hardware. Meanwhile, Apple offered better development tools plus clearer, more profitable revenue options. Even open-source developers tended to congregate on highly proprietary iOS. Something changed in 2012, however, and Android-related open-source development exploded. According to new research from Black Duck Software, new…
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Smashing Magazine Feed
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Building The New Financial Times Web App: A Case Study
23 May 2013 | 2:52 amWhen the mockups for the new Financial Times application hit our desks in mid-2012, we knew we had a real challenge on our hands. Many of us on the team (including me) swore that parts of interface would not be possible in HTML5. Given the product team’s passion for the new UI, we rolled up our sleeves and gave it our best shot. We were tasked with implementing a far more challenging product, without compromising the reliable, performant experience that made the first app so successful. We didn’t just want to build a product that fulfilled its current requirements; we… -
Designing CSS Layouts With Flexbox Is As Easy As Pie
22 May 2013 | 5:31 amFlexible box layout (or flexbox) is a new box model optimized for UI layout. As one of the first CSS modules designed for actual layout (floats were really meant mostly for things such as wrapping text around images), it makes a lot of tasks much easier, or even possible at all. Flexbox’s repertoire includes the simple centering of elements (both horizontally and vertically), the expansion and contraction of elements to fill available space, and source-code independent layout, among others abilities. Flexbox has lived a storied existence. It started as a feature of Mozilla’s… -
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…
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CNN.com - Top Stories
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Conan mocks Weiner's mayoral ad
23 May 2013 | 12:22 pmEx-Congressman Anthony Weiner is running for mayor of NYC. Conan takes a look at his new ad. -
London attack
23 May 2013 | 12:20 pmPrime Minister David Cameron will meet today with Britain's security team in the aftermath of the "shocking and barbaric" hacking death of a man thought to be a British soldier. FULL STORY -
Hear Obama speech heckler
23 May 2013 | 12:20 pmPres. Obama tries to rationalize with a heckler while explaining his plans to close the detention facility at Guantanamo. -
Coburn: No, I don't oppose tornado aid
23 May 2013 | 11:55 amSen. Tom Coburn says, despite what some reports say, he agrees with FEMA funding for tornado relief, but if it runs out, he will stick to his policy. -
Obama: We're at 'crossroads' in terror
23 May 2013 | 11:33 amPresident Barack Obama will announce changes in America's counter-terrorism policy, including an all-out push to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba, senior administration officials told reporters in a teleconference on Thursday.
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Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider
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It’s Free Stuff Thursday!
22 May 2013 | 10:13 pmThe Digital Photography Book Part 1 – Second Edition Okay, Scott already announced the release of the new version of his best-selling book, The Digital Photography Book Part 1 – Second Edition. But since today is Free Stuff Thursday, I figured we would give away FIVE FREE copies to some lucky commenters! Whether you already have the first edition and just want the latest version, or if you want to give a copy to a friend, or if you just don’t have any version of this book and want it, leave a comment for your chance to win! Or, you can head over to KelbyTraining.com, Amazon,… -
It’s Guest Blog Wednesday featuring Vincent Versace!
21 May 2013 | 9:01 pmPhoto by Douglas DublerA Tale of Two PhotosOnce a year, on the anniversary of Guest Blog Wednesday, Scott affords me the opportunity to share some thoughts. All I can say is that it is a good thing that he gives me a year between these guest blog posts. Once again, thank you, Scott, for your gracious generosity.Tale 1Of all of the images I have or will take in my life, I suspect “Paris in Snow” will be by far my most iconic. It is the cover of my book From Oz to Kansas, and Epson uses it as the image on their worldwide packaging of Cold Press Natural paper. So the image has received some… -
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…
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Digital Photography School
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3 Tips for Taking Portraits that Reflect the Character and Spirit of your Subject
23 May 2013 | 7:57 amA Guest contribution by Hailey Bartholomew from You Can’t Be Serious. 1. Do Something Who are you photographing? If you don’t know them well, find out what they love to do and where they relax the most. Maybe they love to row boats or take picnics at their favourite park every Sunday. Maybe you are photographing your grandmother who loves to be out in her garden. Go and do that with them. Whatever they love to do to relax, tag along with your camera. But don’t sit back on the sidelines hoping to catch a moment from far away – get down and into whatever they are doing. -
Learn How to Use the Sharpening Tools in Lightroom
22 May 2013 | 12:23 pmThere’s no question that Lightroom is a powerful piece of photo processing software, but due to that power sometimes it’s not as easy to wrap our heads around everything it has to offer, that’s in part why I started my Let’s Edit YouTube series a weekly segment in which I share my own editing workflow for viewers to learn from. After starting this series one of the most commonly asked questions was to go into more detail on how the sharpening tools in Lightroom work. Sharpening in Lightroom is broken down into four different sliders – Amount, Radius, Detail and… -
Discover the Secrets to These 11 Special Effects Images: New eBook
22 May 2013 | 9:33 amToday we’re launching a new dPS eBook that I suspect is going to give a lot of our readers hours of fun while playing with their digital cameras. It’s called Photo Magic: Special Effects Photography Made Easy – an eBook by Neil Creek. As an Early Bird special you can grab it today at 25% off (just $15 USD). Over the years we’ve published thousands of tutorials here on dPS – many of which are on topics like Portraiture, Landscapes, Macro and Street Photography. However some of our most popular tutorials over the last few years have been when our authors have… -
Canadian Travelogue – Newfoundland – Cape St. Mary’s
21 May 2013 | 12:57 pmCape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve is about a one hour drive south on Highway 100 from the Marine Atlantic ferry terminus of Argentia. The drive to the reserve itself is fascinating and provides many opportunities for images of the rugged maritime coastline, particularly around Ship Cove and Gooseberry Cove. Should your departure point be the international airport at St. John’s, the drive will take about three hours as you travel inland via Salmonier Line, and south across the Avalon Peninsula to St. Bride’s. Should you want the most scenic drive from St. John’s, take the 350Km… -
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…
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TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog
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Twitter #Music adds new chart features
23 May 2013 | 1:30 pmWhen Twitter launched its music discover service Twitter #Music last month the service had a lot going for it. Spotify and Rdio support for streaming full songs, music discovery based on what was trending at the moment, and the #NowPlaying feature that shows what your friends are listening to added a lot to the service. But it had one major flaw: It lacked specificity. It lacked Charts that allowed you to see the top artists in genres, that you cared about. And now, that problem has been fixed. Twitter has added genre charts to its Twitter #Music app in the hopes of helping you better find… -
Daily Deals for May 23, 2012
23 May 2013 | 1:25 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 Other World Computing: [Computer Accessories] OWC 2012 Featured Move 'em Out Sale: RAM, accessories, HDDs, more MacMall: [Apple Computers] MacMall Memorial Day Sale: Up to $1,099 off Macs, iPads, and more Dell Home: [Hard Drives] Hard Drives at Dell Outlet Home: 25% off, deals from $53 + $8 s&h Other World Computing: [Media Receivers] NewerTech NuStand… -
Daily Update for May 23, 2013
23 May 2013 | 1:15 pmIt's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSSDaily Update for May 23, 2013 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 23 May 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our… -
NYT Columnist Joe Nocera laughably calls Tim Cook a liar
23 May 2013 | 1:00 pmAs we reported previously, Tim Cook and two other Apple executives appeared before Congress earlier this week to discuss Apple's tax practices. The focus of the hearing centered on how Apple manages to keep the bulk of its foreign earned cash overseas and what might be done to incentivize Apple to bring that cash back to the U.S. In an op-ed piece in the New York Times today, columnist Joe Nocera misconstrues the events which took place at the hearing and proceeds to characterize Tim Cook as a liar who, according to Nocera, learned how to create a 'reality distortion field' from Steve Jobs. -
Jon Stewart covers Tim Cook and Apple's tax issue
23 May 2013 | 12:30 pmOn the Daily Show last night, Jon Stewart covered, in typically hilarious fashion, Apple's recent trip to Washington D.C. to defend its tax practices. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook Funny stuff, per usual. My favorite moment was Stewart's sarcastic take on various Senators heaping praise upon Apple. How about we pay you?! How about that? For the inconvenience of you having to keep your money overseas. I mean, the upkeep must be unbelievable, like having a pony. The Tax Code Nano bit is also great.Jon…
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Strobist
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Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters is Now Available on DVD, and Netflix Streaming
22 May 2013 | 9:00 pm©Gregory Crewdson Netflix have acquired the rights to stream Ben Shapiro's excellent 77-minute documentary, Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters. You can also buy it outright on DVD for $24. Sadly, the Netflix access this is US-only (maybe Canada? nope!) and only for Netflix streaming subscribers. But this is still far and away the biggest audience to have had access to the film. There's no telling how long it will be up to stream. Netflix is notorious for having, then not having, the rights to a movie. So just in case, don't wait too long. You can stream it here. (Many thanks to reader Tim… -
On Assignment: Back to the Well
21 May 2013 | 9:00 pmTian Lu (left) and Yuri Shadrin are both accomplished pianists in their own right. But when they play as a duet (on the same piano) they produce an intuitive mix of music and banter that could only come from the married couple that they are. He is Russian, she is Chinese. Which made them the perfect choice to perform in China later this month in commemoration of an upcoming regional trade partnership between China and Russia. So I shot their publicity portraits in one of my favorite little environmental portrait nooks in Howard County—under the fountain downtown at the lakefront. I have… -
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-
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News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Canon still pursuing Foveon-style multi-layer sensor design
23 May 2013 | 11:32 amCanon has patented a color-sensitive multi-layered sensor design, showing the company is still pursuing the technology. Like Sigma's Foveon chips, the multi-layered design allows each of the sensor's pixels to capture color information without the need for colored filters. The patent, discovered by the Japanese Engineering Accomplishment blog, suggests a system to promote resonance within the sensor, in an attempt to make the lower layers of the sensor more sensitive. (from Egami blog) -
Photographer captures concert with DSLR-mounted GoPro
23 May 2013 | 11:20 amIf you've never had the chance to stand in the front row and shoot a live concert, Montreal-based photographer Pierre Bourgault has the next best thing. He attached a GoPro camera to the top of his Canon DSLR and recorded a seven-minute video of his shooting experience at a Dead to Me concert. He then overlaid the actual photos taken at the show, which you can view after the break. -
Leica teases 'Mini M' for 11th June release
23 May 2013 | 9:32 amLeica has placed a teaser on its Facebook page for a new 'Mini M' camera to be launched on June 11th, that apparently will slot into its range between the M rangefinder and the X2 fixed-lens compact. It's given no other details, but we think it could make sense for the company to produce a full-time live view version of the M Typ 240, using the same sensor but with the expensive rangefinder assembly removed. This would result in a 24MP full frame mirrorless camera that would be able to use almost any manual focus SLR or rangefinder lens ever made, without a field-of-view crop. -
Fujifilm updates X-Pro1 and X-E1 to improve AF with 55-200mm lens
22 May 2013 | 10:00 pmFujifilm has updated the firmware for its X-Pro1 and X-E1 mirrorless cameras, to improve the autofocus speed with the recently-launched XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS telephoto zoom lens. Versions 1.05 for the X-E1 and 2.04 for the X-Pro1 are available to download from the Fujifilm website. Click through for the links. -
DxOMark Mobile Report: Samsung Galaxy S4
22 May 2013 | 3:19 pmWe just published the DxOMark Mobile Report for Samsung's new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4 on connect.dpreview.com. DxO's imaging experts have analyzed 14 aspects of mobile imaging including detailed image quality assessment, flash performance, autofocus reliability and more to calculate a final score. This report will be integrated into our full review once it is finished but for now click through to find out how the Samsung Galaxy S4's camera performed in the DxOMark lab tests.
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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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Angry Birds Space Named App of the Week, Available for Free
23 May 2013 | 10:03 amRovio's Angry Birds Space has been named Apple's App of the Week, and as a result, both the full iPhone and the iPad version of the game can be downloaded for free for the first time ever. Angry Birds Space features the same bird flinging gameplay found in other Rovio titles, but it incorporates new zero gravity game mechanics and space-themed level design.Angry Birds Space features over 160 interstellar levels on planets and in zero gravity, resulting in spectacular gameplay ranging from slow-motion puzzles to lightspeed destruction. With regular free updates, new in-app purchases, brand new… -
Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More
23 May 2013 | 6:35 amShazam was one of the early App Store success stories, offering users the ability to easily identify music by capturing a snippet of the song and matching it against a database to provide title and artist information. The service has since expanded to integrate with the iTunes Store, YouTube, lyrics, and more, with TV shows and ads even adopting Shazam to allow users to easily learn more about the show or product. Shazam has offered separate apps for the iPhone and iPad since 2010, but the company today unveiled a universal version of the iPhone app that includes a completely rebuilt… -
Gmail Management App 'Mailbox' Gains iPad Compatibility
23 May 2013 | 6:07 amPopular email app Mailbox, which launched for iPhone in early February with a reservation system that saw well over one million users sign up before the company eliminated reservations last month, has now gone universal with a native interface for the iPad. ReadWrite has more on the development, including a brief interview with Mailbox founder Gentry Underwood about how designing for the larger tablet screen was actually more difficult than for the iPhone."[Tablets] are these weird hybrid devices that sit in between," said Underwood. "They're part luxury mobile phone, and they're part… -
Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price [Updated]
22 May 2013 | 5:42 pmAs noted by The Verge, Microsoft has released a new Windows 8 tablet ad that uses Siri to highlight a few of the iPad's shortcomings, depicting the ASUS VivoTab Smart tablet as a robust productivity machine while implying that the iPad is more suited to entertainment. In the ad, which is entitled "Less Talking, More Doing," an iPad is depicted next to the aforementioned VivoTab Smart, showing off the system's multitasking capabilities and its built-in office apps. A Siri voiceover points out that the iPad does not support multiple windows at once and does not offer Microsoft Office apps. "I'm… -
Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon
22 May 2013 | 3:21 pmRealmac's gesture-based list making iPhone app Clear has been updated to version 1.2.2, adding a feature that allows users to email their lists to other people. When viewing a list, Clear users can shake their phones to bring up the new emailing option. Emails sent from Clear contain the app's lists plus a link that provides the option to open the sent lists within the app. The Clear update also provides additional secret themes and comes with an announcement that an iPad version of the app is currently in the works.One of the biggest feature requests we've had has been the ability email…
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CNN Travel
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Barcelona officials: 'Space hotel' a concept far, far away
23 May 2013 | 7:00 amWe’ll believe it when we see it, but we kind of want to see itGiant ray gun or futuristic hotel? In terms of new architecture, some cities embrace the shiny, the bold, the outrageous. Dubai, for instance, or Shanghai, or even Seoul these days. One city, however, is turning up its nose at one in-your-face building. Plans for a massive man-made island off the coast of Barcelona featuring a 2,000-suite “space hotel,” a covered marina, “zero-gravity” spa and 24-hour mall have been met with something less than enthusiasm from city officials. More on CNN: Insider Guide: What to do in… -
Opinion: Why I hate the beverage cart
22 May 2013 | 7:51 pmResponsible for more crushed knees than MMA, it’s time to protect ourselves from the airline drinks trolley Unless they’ve signed up for a gym membership, people don’t typically pay for experiences that come with a high probability of physical trauma. That’s why it’s odd to me that when you book an aisle seat on an airplane, there’s no disclaimer mentioning there’s about a 30% chance that you’re going to get hit with a moving filing cabinet. Because, basically, that’s an accurate description of an airplane’s beverage cart (galley cart, drinks trolley, mobile foot smasher,… -
Beijing hotels: 9 fantastic new places to crash
22 May 2013 | 3:00 pmFive years after the 2008 Olympics construction boom, new Beijing hotels keep right on comingLeading up to the 2008 Olympics, Beijing went on a hotel building frenzy. Unlike in other Olympic cities, however, long after the medal winners moved on the tourists kept coming. The newest hotels to hit China's capital are seen as ambassadors of the new Beijing. The nine properties listed below have each launched in the last 18 months. Rates are based on a stay in August -- the fifth anniversary of the Olympics' opening ceremony -- and are the lowest offered by the each hotel, based on double… -
The man bringing cheese to Beijing
21 May 2013 | 7:00 pmProving you don't have to be in France for great artisanal cheese, Liu Yang is teaching the Chinese to appreciate dairyMany locals experience a shock the first time they visit Liu Yang’s shop: they’ve never seen something quite like this before. Some just pass by, merely peeking in the windows of his tiny, two room workshop. “I think some people before they come by prepare themselves psychologically,” says Yang. “Maybe they’ll come back, maybe they won’t. We won’t get disappointed because of this. Most Chinese people are not used to cheese culture.” "Most Chinese… -
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…
