Mashable: Latest 10 News Updates - including “HOW TO: Use Social Media for Recruiting”

Mashable: Latest 10 News Updates - including “HOW TO: Use Social Media for Recruiting”

HOW TO: Use Social Media for Recruiting

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 05:20 PM PDT


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

Finding the right candidate for a job is like finding a new apartment: timing, finances and quality all have to align just right. And somehow, the pool of options always seems to feel both prohibitively large and prohibitively limited at the same time.

So, in both types of searches, online tools have become invaluable. But while tweeting out a call for a good real estate agent is fairly straightforward, using social media for recruiting has nuances that, if overlooked, can render the process far less useful. Here are a few key pointers from experts in the field to remember when getting started.

1. Start Early

Simply tweeting out a link to a job posting might get you some viable candidates, but to really make sure you're reaching your target audience, it's important to cultivate your personality as an employer early on. "Social recruiting is about getting engaged and having conversations with people before they're even thinking about you as an employer," says Bruce Morton, CMO of Allegis Group Services, a company that provides human resources consulting. Morton also suggests that recruiters could "learn a lot from the consumer industry" in terms of marketing. In that analogy, your company is your brand, and the available job is just one of many products you have to offer. Keep that in mind when cultivating a social media presence for your brand that will eventually allow you to incorporate job announcements.

2. Know Your Audience

These days, it's the rare holdout who has avoided creating a Facebook profile. But just because potential candidates have a presence on a given social network doesn't mean that it's the right site to use when targeting them. Debbie Fischer, human resources manager for advertising agency Campbell Mithun, found resounding success by using Twitter as a recruiting tool for summer interns. But, she cautioned that "you have to think about the types of roles you're recruiting for," because while college students can be open about their job hunt, more seasoned professionals may not feel comfortable publicly sharing that they are considering a career move. For those types of roles, Morton says that LinkedIn can be a good place to start, because, as he puts it, "what LinkedIn has done is given people the permission to put their resume online," without fear of repercussions from current employers.

3. Get Creative

When you make the foray into social recruiting, you are entering a space in which both passive and active job seekers are already receiving a massive amount of information on a daily basis. So, to get the best results, your message has to stand out enough to make people take note. Additionally, presenting your job openings in a creative way allows companies to show more about their personalities as organizations, which in turn helps potential candidates get a feel for whether or not the culture is likely to be a good fit.

This year, Campbell Mithun hired for their "Lucky 13" internship program through a process that required those interested to apply by submitting 13 tweets over 13 days. Due to its novel use of social media, the campaign garnered press from national outlets like AdAge.com, as well as Mashable. Even a straightforward job description can spread like wildfire on social networks if it's written in a way that sparks discussion, like this announcement from a Florida newspaper that readers found refreshing for its candid and witty tone. And if you have more resources, you might consider creating a short video, as corporations like Facebook have done, to present your material in a more engaging manner. Morton says that when seeking Generation Y talent, recruiters can’t assume that candidates will read a page of text, “but they'll watch a video."

4. Be Open in Return

Finding candidates through social channels means you'll be asking them to share information with you via possibly public means. For the process to work, employers need to be willing to share information as well (while, of course, carefully and closely guarding any personal information they might have about their applicants). Morton says some employers express staunch resistance to putting jobs on Twitter, when in fact, the listings in question are all on Twitter through unofficial channels anyway. For Campbell Mithun, the finishing touch of a successful social media-driven hiring process was getting to showcase the talented, web-savvy young people they had selected. Kristine Olson, the agency's Director of Corporate Communications, had a communications strategy in place that was designed, fittingly, to use social media channels to share the results of the campaign, noting that the HR team "had to be really open to allow us to publicize who we were hiring."

Do you have any success stories about finding great candidates through social recruiting? Let us know in the comments.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, SchulteProductions

More About: career, facebook, human resources, job recruiting, linkedin, social media, twitter

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The Web’s Been Running Out of Space, But IPv6 Is Saving It

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 04:25 PM PDT


The Web Development Series is supported by Rackspace, the better way to do hosting. Learn more about Rackspace’s hosting solutions here.

The web has been running out of IP addresses, but some of the key players on the Internet have been testing a new protocol to ensure the future of connected devices.

Every device that connects to the web gets a unique IP address; the protocol for those addresses, IPv4, only supported around 4 billion addresses.

While some of those addresses are reusable, some are not. And the one-use addresses were leading up to the complete depletion of IP addresses.

IPv6 is the new protocol, and it’s replacing IPv4. IPv6 will make space for a huge number of IP addresses. Now, all we have to do is prepare for a worldwide transition from one overarching protocol to another.

June 8 was World IPv6 Day, and that’s exactly what participants were testing: whether or not websites, ISPs and consumers are IPv6-ready. Around 400 organizations teamed up and offered access to their sites via IPv6 for a 24-hour testing period. Here are some of the stats and findings that have emerged since these companies started working on the IPv6 problem.





























Series Supported by Rackspace

rackspace

The Web Development Series is supported by Rackspace, the better way to do hosting. No more worrying about web hosting uptime. No more spending your time, energy and resources trying to stay on top of things like patching, updating, monitoring, backing up data and the like. Learn why.

More Dev & Design Resources from Mashable:

- How the WordPress SEO Plugin Can Help Your Blog [INTERVIEW]
- Closed or Open Source: Which CMS is Right for Your Business?
- A Look Back at Eight Years of WordPress
- HOW TO: Get Started with the Less Framework
- 4 Free Ways to Learn to Code Online

[data sources: The Internet Society, Arbor Networks, Neustar, Internap, Google IPv6 Statistics]

More About: IPv4, IPv6, web development series, world ipv6 day

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4 Fun Apps for Foodies, Savers & Travelers

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:29 PM PDT


The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Each weekend, Mashable handpicks a few startups that we think are building interesting, unique or niche products. This time we’ve chosen applications and services specifically for the foodies, travelers, deal-lovers and nightlife-goers among us.

If you’re traveling this summer, why not take a trip to Fortnighter’s website first for a custom travel itinerary written just for you by one of the site’s contributing travel writers? Those staycationing instead might appreciate the deals and food information on venues just down the street as provided by Poggled or Foodstream.

And whatever your wants and desires may be, you can use Want! for iPhone to share them with friends and followers as photographs.

Fortnighter: Made-To-Order Travel Guides From Experts

Quick Pitch: Fortnighter provides users with customized travel itineraries written by professional travel writers.

Genius Idea: Bucking algorithms, user reviews and social recommendations in favor of expert travel suggestions.

Mashable’s Take: There are plenty of sites for getting travel recommendations and itinerary suggestions from your social network friends. While these contacts may have a few solid tips, chances are they’re not as familiar as seasoned travel writers with the local culture, the best hotel deals in town or the absolute-must-see attractions.

For the latter, sign up with Fortnighter, specify where you’re headed, who you’re going with and how long you’re staying. Then, complete the questionnaire so Fortnighter can get a reading on your tastes and interests. The site will return your itinerary, for a fee, in about a week.

“At Fortnighter, our motivation is helping you find your ideal hotel, giving you directions to a locals-only beach or telling you about that store where you want to buy one of everything,” the startup explains.

Fornighter’s founders are former food and travel writers with years of experience contributing to top publications. “The contributor team at Fortnighter consists of nearly a hundred experts who have written for almost every major travel outlet,” co-founder Colin Nagy tells Mashable.

Fornighter’s itinerary service isn’t cheap — we were quoted $150 fee for planning a five-night trip to Sonoma — but the level of detail the service provides could ensure that your next vacation is one full of rich and localized experiences.

Foodstream: Food Data & Deals on Your iPhone

Quick Pitch: Foodstream is an iOS app that aggregates all things food-related.

Genius Idea: Time-sensitive dining information mixed with nearby food and beverage deals.

Mashable’s Take: Think of Foodstream as a souped-up, deal-packed version of Urbanspoon.

The iOS application aggregates data from Allmenus and OpenTable, along with deals from a number of providers including Groupon and gives you a simple way to explore options at nearby restaurants and food joints via a list or map view. It includes photos, reviews, dining guides, information on take-out options and happy hour specials.

You can dive into individual categories via the app’s main menu or scroll through the entire Foodstream to view a timeline of food-related updates. You can also optionally create an account to save places as favorites, post photos and share reviews of the establishments you visit.

Foodstream is built by San Jose-based startup Chevia.

Poggled: Club, Drinks & Dinner Deals

Quick Pitch: Poggled is an anytime, anywhere nightlife deals service with apps for Android and iPhone.

Genius Idea: Bottle service for the rest of us.

Mashable’s Take: A night out on the town is a pricey affair. A select few of us can afford to buy bottle service at the club, but the rest of us wait in long lines and fight our way through packed crowds just to wait to pay primo prices at the bar.

Poggled, a venture-backed Chicago-based startup offering daily deals service for nightlife, could make the VIP lifestyle accessible to the rest of us. Deals included discounted bottle service, club packages, premium cocktails at well prices and even the occasional all-you-can drink wristband.

Right now, Poggled’s nightlife deals are limited to the Chicago area, but the startup plans to expand to additional markets in the near feature.

We’re a little iffy on whether the nightlife crowd is the right audience to target with deals. Deeply discounted coupons certainly work for spa treatments and daytime activities, but the nightlife scene is all about appearances and keeping up with the Joneses. Bar and club-hopping types may be more interested in appearing trendy than looking cheap.

Want!: Express Your Wants Through Photos

Quick Pitch: Want! is an iPhone application for sharing your desires through photographs.

Genius Idea: A social network for those who like to tell the world what they want.

Mashable’s Take: Want! is a photo sharing iPhone application structured around your wants and desires and those of the people you follow.

If you see something you want, snap a photo of it, say why you want it and where you saw it. Your photo is posted as a want and you can share it out to Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter and Tumblr. You can also follow the wants of other app users and click to indicate that you want their wants, too.

Want!’s purpose may be a bit simplistic, but we love the look of the application, the social integrations, the ease of uploading and sharing, and the ability to follow the wants of our social connections. Want! even tracks the most-wanted goods by category, location and venue.

Now, we just want more of our friends to use it.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, HPuschmann

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

More About: bizspark, Foodstream, Fortnighter, Poggled, spark-of-genius, Startup Weekend Roundup, Want

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Apple Isn’t The Only Company With A Spaceship [PHOTOS]

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 02:25 PM PDT


When Steve Jobs laid out plans for Apple’s new corporate campus to the Cupertino City Council on Tuesday, he noted that the giant circular building looks a bit like a spaceship.

We’ll have to give him that one. But does Apple really, as Jobs said during his presentation, have “a shot at building the best office building in the world?”

The architects we talked with did seem impressed:

“On the surface it does seem like a dream of forward-thinking product design and an environmental Eden,” said Sean Gallivan, a senior designer at HOK in San Francisco.

“I thought it was a wonderful sustainable improvement to what was there already,” said Carl Roehling, President and CEO of SmithGroup.

But neither anointed the building “the best” at first glance. Roehling raised questions about how the perfectly circular building could be adapted and added to as it ages. “Apple is a wonderfully creative company in industrial design that continues to morph their own product — before they're done with iPad 1 they bring out iPad 2. How does this building reflect that same ethic?” he asked.

Gallivan wanted to know more about how it would handle energy and carbon questions, how it would act as both building and campus, and how it would support Apple’s culture of innovation and creativity.

"The new Apple campus, with its woven system of supports tied together in a circular foundation and its cambered surface of glass, evokes the structure and geometry of a wreath. Wreaths by their very nature are symbols of welcome or closure,” wrote HOK Director of Design Paul Woolford. “Time will tell us which wreath we're being presented.”

Any way you slice it, the company’s plans for its new “AppleSaucer” (our term, not Apple’s) are certainly unique. But it’s not the first corporate headquarters with futuristic space flair. Here are four corporate spaceships that have already landed.


Vodafone Headquarters, Porto




Photo courtesy of Flickr, wojtekgurak


ING Headquarters, Amsterdam




Photo courtesy of Mister_Tee


Oracle Headquarters, Redwood Shores




dahlstroms


General Motors Global Headquarters, Detroit




Photo Courtesy of Flickr, dexxus


Nike World Headquarters, Beaverton




Photo courtesy of Flickr, tracylee


Capitol Records Building, Los Angeles




Some say this building resembles a stack of records, but we think it could pass as a spaceship, too.Image Courtesy of Flickr, DennisSylvesterHurd

More About: apple, architecture, corporate headquarters, spaceship, steve jobs, trending

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This Week in Politics & Digital: The Information Issue

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 01:45 PM PDT

us flag tech image

This week marks a return to news with stories on Tim Pawlenty’s Google-based economy cuts, a bill for tighter online privacy, the release of Sarah Palin’s emails while governor, and yes, a little Weinergate as well.

Anyone with a computer — let alone a television — was forced to follow the unfolding scandal of U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D- N.Y.). Weiner denied sending a picture of his namesake to a woman over Twitter, saying his account was hacked and the image was a prank. Well, turns out he did it. Weiner admitted to sending images and sexting to a group of women.

With the confession finally out in the open, the news clocks have settled on more relevant — and less personally embarrassing — subjects. Read on to find out what happened this week.

This weekly series picks out the week’s top stories in the intersection of digital technology and politics.

Pawlenty’s Google-It Economy

pawlenty imageIf you can Google it, then you can cut it from the budget, said former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. In an attempt to drastically cut government spending, the presidential hopeful looked to cut any programs that could be taken up via the private sector, reported CNN. “We can start by applying what I call ‘The Google Test.’ If you can find a good or service on the Internet, then the federal government probably doesn’t need to be doing it,” Pawlenty said. While the statement is of course theoretical, it does bring into question whether the private sector should release government spending by taking up services like Amtrak or even the post office.

Sarah Palin Releases Emails from Time as Governor

palin imageThis Friday, the Mama Grizzly released 24,199 pages of emails sent while she was in office as Alaska’s governor, thanks to a request under the Freedom of Information Act. The release quickly resulted in a media feeding frenzy as journalists simultaneously rushed to obtain and read boxes of documents. Mashable put together a guide on where to find the emails online, even as the press rushed to find juicy detail first. With 24,199 pages of emails, it’s nearly impossible there won’t be one slip from the former governor, but some cautioned the press not to throw stones from glass houses.

Corbett’s Internet Privacy Bill Killed by Social Giants

zuckerberg imageThis week California State Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett (D-Calif.) proposed bill SB242 that would require social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to default to hiding user information unless people opted in. This is different from most sites where personal information is usually displayed and users choose what they wish to keep private.

The Mercury News reported that the bill took several unsuccessful votes to pass out of the Senate. The killing blow was delivered by social media giants including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. They and other sites petitioned against the bill, NBC reported, saying it would limit their freedom to “innovate.”

Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, Pgiam, Images courtesy of Flickr, Gage Skidmore, david_shankbone, cattias.photos

More About: Anthony Weiner, email, politics, sarah palin, social media, Tim Pawlenty, week in digital politics, Weiner, weinergate

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Magician Separates Lies & Truth With 3 iPods [VIDEO]

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 12:54 PM PDT

Magician Marco Tempest uses sleight of hand and fortuitous timing on his three iPod Touches to show us his own brand of techno-three-card Monte.

Along the way, he makes some thought-provoking points about self-deception, lies and truth, and how sometimes lies turn to truth, resulting in magic. Lovely. Thanks, Marco, for making us think.

[via Gizmodo]

More About: ipod, Magic, Marco Tempest, trending, video

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Exclusive: Who Won The E3 Buzz Battle? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 11:55 AM PDT


Now that Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft have sung their spiels at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 (E3), let’s find out which company, publisher and celeb got the most buzz during the week.

Webtrends compiled these figures measuring buzz on Twitter, blogs and other social media sources, gathered from Monday, June 6 through Friday, June 10 at 10 a.m. PST.

Who won the buzz battle? Was it Microsoft, which didn’t have any new hardware to show off but flaunted some highly anticipated games? Or maybe it was Sony grabbing the big buzz with its reveal of the PlayStation Vita. Or could it have been Nintendo with its groundbreaking Wii U?

Do you think the amount of buzz each gaming platform got during the week was equal to the importance (and quality) of the products they announced?

More About: e3, electronic entertainment Expo, gaming, infographic, microsoft, Nintendo, PlayStation Vita, sony, trending, Wii U, Xbox 360

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10 Must-Follow Fake Twitter Celebs [PICS]

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 10:42 AM PDT


Twitter is well-known for giving us normal folks access to the day-to-day lives and thoughts of celebrities. It also allows us to imagine said celebrities’ day-to-day lives and thoughts through spoof accounts.

With hundreds of thousands of Twitter users tuning in regularly to be amused by parody profiles, we’ve taken a look at the top 10 fake Twitter personas from the world of celebrity.

Take a look through our gallery to see the accounts we’ve picked and let us know in the comments your favorite tweeting faux celebs.


1. Not Burt Reynolds




Not Burt Reynolds has less followers then most accounts on this list, but with tweets like "When I lose a follower, I just assumed they died. Because let's face it, it's hard not to love me," and "You can call it a mustache, or a hairy set of angel wings," the account's sure to catch fire. Follow this account for tweets documenting what you imagine Mr Reynolds' life would be like.


2. Betty F*ckin' White




Facebook fave Betty White gets an unofficial voice offering amusing one liners and witty comment on current and celebrity events. The fake account's jokes cover her age, love of food and supposedly amorous past.


3. Fake Michael Bay




Outspoken movie director Michael Bay is the subject of this amusing account. Fake Bay's tweets portray him as a super-rich, power-hungry, self-obsessed loudmouth.


4. Not Gary Busey




Gary Busey's eccentric exploits make him ripe for a parody account and this one's a doozy. It ranges from vaguely NSFW quips to outrageous comments. Anyone easily offended will do well to stay away, everyone else — enjoy.


5. Chuck Norris




There's no surprises to be had from this fake Chuck Norris profile, but it's a great source of Norris one-liners. It's been a while since it's been updated but a fresh batch of followers might goad the account holder out of vacation-mode. Let's hope!


6. False Steve Jobs




This profile was formerly @ceoSteveJobs but it was forced to change its name to make it clear it's a parody account, as per Twitter's guidelines. The Apple boss gets gently lampooned by this witty Twitter stream which imagines him banning Angry Birds from the App Store after a losing streak and firing someone for dropping the "F" bomb in a meeting. The "F" in question? Flash, of course.


7. Oprah Winfry




The talk show queen is sent up in fine style here. We'd recommend following sooner rather than later though, because the legit-looking account is vulnerable to a take-down notice, especially now that Oprah has a little more time on her hands.


8. Nick Nolte's Mugshot




This fake account portrays Nick Nolte as permanently impaired on various substances. While we don't know what the real Nolte thinks, we do know that more than 35,000 people find his fake alter ego amusing indeed.


9. Elizabeth Windsor




By no means the only majestic imposter on Twitter, Queen UK boasts impressive followers (subjects, surely?) totaling more than 335,000. Elizabeth Windsor's real-time, gin-soaked views on current affairs are a treat to see in your timeline. Long live the Queen!


10. Formerly C Walken




The mysterious "CWalken" was another account that got closed down. It lives on, however, in the guise of Formerly C Walken. Part poetry, part stream of consciousness, somehow these fabulous tweets capture just what you'd expect to come from the pen of the enigmatic Hollywood actor. Sheer class.

More About: celebrities, gallery, internet celebrities, Lists, trending, twitter, Twitter Lists, web celebrities

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Cellphone Executive Says 4G iPhone 5 On the Way

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 09:40 AM PDT


Apparently Apple’s steel barrier of secrecy hasn’t reached the United Arab Emirates, where cellular carrier Etisalat told the Gulf News Apple will roll out a 4G “iPhone 5” later this year.

Ali Al Ahmad, Chief Corporate Communication Officer of Etisalat said to the Gulf News:

“Yes, we are in talks with most smartphone manufacturers including Apple on the rollout of the 4G handset, iPhone 5 later this year. As the first telecom organization to roll out the 4G network, LTE, in the Middle East, we have already started talking to them for the handsets and chipsets in them.”

So is this the case of a clueless executive who doesn’t realize he’s revealing secrets, or not realizing the technology for cramming 4G circuitry into the currently known iPhone form factor doesn’t quite exist yet in sufficient numbers for such a popular device? And hasn’t he heard that analysts say it’ll be called the iPhone 4S?

While this is an enticing tidbit of information, we have our doubts, as does our source for this story, TUAW. Apple might be able to somehow pull together the technology for 4G connectivity by this Fall, but there’s another possible problem underneath this unconfirmed rumor: Maybe Apple thinks that 4G coverage isn’t widespread enough yet for a mainstream, mass-market product such as the iPhone.

We’re thinking Apple will wait for both the hardware and a more-complete 4G network buildout before releasing a 4G iPhone. Meanwhile, there’s no shortage of rumors about what the next iPhone will bring.

More About: 4G, apple, iPhone 5, rumors, speculation, trending

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5 Gadgets We’re Playing With This Week

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 08:27 AM PDT


Mashable recently kicked off its Gadget of the Day Series, supported by the Energizer Inductive Charger. Each week, we review five gadgets that catch our interest. In case you missed them, here are the gadgets from our fourth week — read on for our reviews of the Sound Freaq SFQ-01 Sound Platform, MSi GT683 Gaming Notebook, Soundmatters foxL v2.2 Bluetooth Speaker, The Lark and Samsung Chromebook Series 5 3G Notebook.

Looking for even more gadget reviews? This roundup will appear every weekend during the series, and you can check out all of our gadget coverage on the Tech & Gadgets channel.

1. Sound Freaq SFQ-01 Sound Platform

If you haven’t experienced Bluetooth music listening yet, this “Sound Platform” will serve as a worthy introduction. It instantly turns your mobile device into a sophisticated remote control, playing music that sounds surprisingly good.


Handsome, Slightly Retro




It's a style that grows on you. This one is black, but there's also a red one that is even more attractive.


It's Also a Dock




When your iPhone's battery is depleted from all that Bluetooth use, dock it front-and-center for replenishment.


Closeup, Right Controls




These are touch controls, pleasantly sensitive.


Closeup, Left Controls




The left button is for UQ3 Spatial Sound Enhancement, which resulted in some of the best simulated stereo sound I've heard. Unlike many others I've encountered, I actually used it most of the time.


What's That?




On the right, there's a plastic door, and behind it you'll find...


Remote Control




...this remote control, stored in a compartment. Nice. The remote controls basic transport functions of your iPhone when it's docked.


Rear




There's that acoustically-tuned dual-port chamber, a concept I can say first-hand is quite successful. The bass is not thundering, but it's loud enough for me. Overall, this box can play so loud that others in your household will complain.


Plug It In




On the left is where the electricity goes in (it doesn't work with batteries), on the right, plug in any audio device with a standard headphone jack, and an FM antenna -- yes, there's an FM radio on board too, and it's controllable from the remote.


Sound Freq App




Install Sound Freaq's free app on an iPhone or iPod Touch, and it duplicates the unit's remote control. It also lets you create playlists. While it's nice to have, I rarely used it because I preferred using Apple's iPod playback software, or better yet, Pandora Radio from my iPhone or iPad 2.

2. MSi GT683 Gaming Notebook

The first laptop with Nvidia’s brand-new GTX 560M graphics card, for the next few days this will probably be the world’s fastest gaming laptop. Its good looks and processing power could also serve you well if you edit video, create 3D graphics or have an unusual need for speed.


MSi Gaming Notebook




Notice the two lights on the bottom corners -- there are many more.


Attractive Design




There are even lights on the sides of the screen/lid.


Side View




The 7.7 pound notebook is not the lightest in the world, but it's not as heavy as many desktop replacement units, either.


Backlit Logo




Its piano-black finish is a fingerprint magnet. You'll need a microfiber cloth nearby to keep it looking this shiny.


Side View




Two USB 3.0 ports (with the "SS" logo) are on the left, then there's an SD card slot and a USB 2.0 port.


Back




Here's where you plug in power, ethernet, VGA, an eSATA drive and HDMI.


Other Side View




Here's where you'll find the audio ports (including surround sound) and another USB port.


Keyboard




The delete key is in an odd place, and the number pad makes the keyboard seemed crowded. The Page Up and Page Down keys are in odd places, too.


Track Pad




The ritzy looking trackpad looks like it was surrounded in gold, with helpful backlit indicator lights at the bottom.


Touch-Sensitive Controls




At the top of the keyboard are those touch-sensitive controls mentioned in the review, which come in handy, but they also are in a spot where they could be easily touched accidentally.

3. Soundmatters foxL v2.2 Bluetooth Speaker

Hold this hotshot in your hand and feel its incredible power. Such sound has never shoehorned itself into such tiny speakers and been worthy of such praise. Even though you get a lot of original technology for your money, it's pretty expensive at $199.


Palm-Sized




The white button just above the Soundmatters logo is the one you push to answer the phone.


Back




Behind that grille is the battery that doubles as a mini subwoofer, and it does a great job of enhancing the bass in this tiny unit. On the right are the two volume controls.


Left Side




The 3.5mm mini jack on the top is for an external subwoofer. Below that is a LED charge indicator, and at the bottom, a mini USB port.


Kickstand In Use




The speaker stands up perfectly well on its own without using the kickstand, but it's welcome nonetheless.


Right Side




The top port is an auxiliary port where you can connect any audio device with a 3.5mm plug. The bottom port is for power from the AC adapter.


Bulging Drivers




The two 25mm dome speakers are pushed out toward the front, to give the inside of the speaker more room for bass to resonate.


foxL Diagram




Here are the details of the foxL Bluetooth Speaker. This graphic is courtesy of Soundmatters.

4. The Lark

Anyone who works too hard, sleeps too little and sees diminishing returns will find The Lark useful for getting vital information about how well he or she sleeps. As a plus, the device wakes the user up without annoying his or her partner.


Meet Lark




The sleep aid product is lovingly presented, even if the cover model does look a little too much like Tom Cruise.


In The Dock




The transmitter plugs into its own charger. The poor old iPhone only gets a furrow to lie in. If you want to charge it, you have to plug the iPhone cable into the back of the dock.


The Charger




A close up of the dock you'll have to keep on your nightstand.


The Transmitter




Here's what it looks like wrapped around your wrist with a velcro strap. If you're a guy, watch out for trapped hairs.


On the Screen




Here's the kind of information you get in the morning: how long you slept for, how many times you woke up (the graph shows how long for), and a sleep score out of 10.


Nudge, Nudge




Someone at Lark is a fan of Monty Python.

5. Samsung Chromebook Series 5 3G Notebook

Samsung’s Chrome OS-running laptop with its 12.1-inch screen and adequate performance is refined from the get-go, quick to set up, hassle-free and easy to use. This slim and simple appliance could change the world of computing.


It's Thin




Its .79" thickness is scarcely thicker than a MacBook Air, and it weighs 3.3 lb.


"SuperBright" Display




Even turned down a couple of notches, this 1200 x 800 12.1-inch screen was still bright enough. As you can see, it's quite sharp and contrasty.


Chicklet Keyboard




Except for that missing Delete key, I was immediately comfortable with this keyboard.


Side Ports




Here's where you plug in power, and behind that little door there's an external VGA monitor port, another USB port and a jack for earphones or speakers.


The Other Side




There's a single USB port on this side, and just the right place for a mouse.


It's Called Arctic White




It's a clean machine. There's also a silver one.


Shiny Logo




No, there's no backlit Apple logo on the back, but at these prices, the shiny Samsung is a welcome sight.


Thin and Light




It's small, but it's not too small.

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Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 07:35 AM PDT

Twitter Chart Image

International soccer dribbled its way to the top of our chart for the second week in a row, thanks to a smattering of trends that kept the Twitterverse buzzing.

Talk of the E3 video game conference and its exciting reveals and previews grabbed hold of Twitter for most of the week, and rarely let go. Announcements about Nintendo’s Wii U, Sony’s Playstation Vita, and blockbuster game sequels like Halo 4 and Kinect Star Wars sent this trend to number two.

And the MTV Movie Awards, broadcast June 5, had enough staying power throughout the week to land it and related trends in the number three slot on our chat.

To see the full list, check out the chart below. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart. The aggregate is based on Twitter’s own trending algorithm, and does not necessarily reflect raw tweet volume.

You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topics section.

Top Twitter Trends This Week: 6/3 – 6/9

Rank
Topic
Intensity
Description
#1
Soccer/Football
2
Lots of random bits of news regarding football made this topic #1, including: Dutch football trainer Martin Jol signing a contract with Everton, Wayne Rooney’s rumored hair transplant, Poland’s victory over Argentina and Vasco da Gama, who won Brazil’s Cup.
#2
E3
1
The Electronic Entertainment Expo, known as E3, is an annual trade show for the computer and video game industry where many new games are launched or have trailers or previews released. The biggest trends were Playstation Vita, Wiiu, Nintendo 3DS and Far Cry 3.
#3
MTV Movie Awards
1
The MTV Movie Awards, hosted by SNL’s Jason Sudeikis, aired on the weekend. The Twilight movie series was the big winner, picking up several awards for the actors.
#4
Selena Gomez
1
Fans of the teen singer/actress Selena Gomez trended “Poor Selena” when MTV Movie Awards host Jason Sudeikis made a joke at her expense regarding her relationship with Justin Bieber. Gomez was later hospitalized for a minor ailment after an appearance on The Tonight Show.
#5
Les Paul/Google
1
Google created an interactive Doodle in honor of guitar pioneer Les Paul on the anniversary of his birth. The musician passed away on August 12, 2009.
#6
Alice Pyne
1
Reportedly, 15 year old Twitter user Alice Pyne has terminal cancer and has drawn up a bucket list. Pyne asked followers to sign up to the bone marrow donation.
#7
Apple
1
News about Apple was shared during its 2011 World Wide Developers Conference. Most attention was focused on iMessage, a new messaging platform that will use Apple’s existing push infrastructure to send text and pictures.
#8
Justin Bieber
1
Justin Bieber trended, as usual, this week primarily because he won an MTV Movie Award.
#9
LeBron James
1
The focus of basketball fans drew away from the Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks competition and was solidly focused on this athlete as #LeBronHairlineThemeSong and nicknames like LeBum, LeBrick and LeRobin hit Twitter’s top 10 trends.
#10
French Open
1
Veterans Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer met in a fourth French Open final on Sunday after dramatic but convincing semi-final wins last Friday. Nadal emerged as winner of the men’s singles. Li Na won the women’s singles title, becoming the first player from Asia to win a Grand Slam in singles.

Data aggregate courtesy of What the Trend.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, 123render

More About: apple, e3, Les Paul Google Doodle, List, Lists, soccer, social media, Top Twitter Topics, trends, twitter, Twitter Lists, twitter trends

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مرسلة بواسطة haytham ahmed في الأحد, يونيو 12, 2011

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