Mashable: Latest 13 News Updates - including “This Morning’s Top 3 Stories in Tech, Business & Social Media” |
- This Morning’s Top 3 Stories in Tech, Business & Social Media
- Hacker Takes Responsibility for Wikileaks Takedown
- Apple to Open Retail Store in Amsterdam [REPORT]
- Today’s Big Rumor: Google Buys Groupon for $2.5 Billion
- George W. Bush to Visit Facebook HQ for Live Video Q&A
- 5 of the Best New User Experiences of 2010
- Holiday Spending On the Rise at Online Retailers [STATS]
- How To Make Your Music Video Go Viral: 10 Tips From Cee-Lo, OK Go & More
- Celebs to Go Silent on Twitter and Facebook for Charity
- Skype Video Chat Coming to Facebook?
- WikiLeaks Targeted in DDoS Attack as Latest Leak Hits the Web
- 35 Essential Social Media & Tech Resources for Small Businesses
- Cyber Monday: Where Will You Be Looking For Deals? [OPEN THREAD]
- Especially For You: 8 Great Gadgets You Can Personalize
| This Morning’s Top 3 Stories in Tech, Business & Social Media Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:28 AM PST      Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on three particular stories of interest today. Black Friday Sales Soar for Online Retailers Online retailers saw an overall 15.9% growth in sales between Black Friday 2009 and Black Friday 2010, according to data from Coremetrics. The price of the average order also rose 12.1% from around $170 per order to $190.80. Wikileaks Hacker Comes Forward Controversial whistleblower website WikiLeaks was taken down by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack hours before the site was set to release thousands of new U.S. embassy cables this weekend. The site is up and running again; a hacker calling himself the Jester (or th3j35t3r) has claimed responsibility for the attack. Celebs to Go Silent on Facebook & Twitter for Charity A number of social media-active celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Seacrest, will go silent on Twitter and Facebook as part of a $1 million fundraiser for World AIDS Day on December 1. Further News
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59 More About: first to know series, wikileaks For more Tech coverage:
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| Hacker Takes Responsibility for Wikileaks Takedown Posted: 29 Nov 2010 05:20 AM PST   The distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that took down Wikileaks as the site published secret U.S. embassy cables over the weekend could be the work of a single hacker, working for his own agenda. The hacker, called the Jester (or th3j35t3r), describes himself as a “hacktivist for good” and posts the message “TANGO DOWN” after a successful attack, together with a link of the sites he takes down. The focus of his attacks, the Jester claims in his Twitter Bio, is “obstructing the lines of communication for terrorists, sympathizers, fixers, facilitators, oppressive regimes and other general bad guys.” Recently, a couple of messages pointing to Wikileaks have appeared on Jester’s Twitter account. The most recent of them read “www.wikileaks.org – TANGO DOWN – for attempting to endanger the lives of our troops, ‘other assets’ & foreign relations #wikileaks #fail.”  The Jester’s intentions are explained in detail on his blog, in a post dating from September. In the post, the Jester describes the flaws of Wikileaks “insurance policy” which consisted of making available of an encrypted file, supposedly containing the secret documents that were leaked afterwards. The file is useless without a decryption key, which would be provided by Wikileaks in case someone takes the site down. The Jester hints of having obtained some sensitive information about Wikileaks itself, but said he decided not to upload it on Wikileaks as he doesn’t believe the information would see the light of day. He then provides an encrypted file of his own, claiming the information is contained within – again, as “insurance.” While it is entirely possible for one experienced and resourceful hacker to take down a site – even a fairly large one – by a DDoS attack on his own, it’s not easy to prove whether the Jester is really behind the attack and – if he is – whether he was working on his own or if he had help. We’re sure the story will only give more fuel to the various rumors that are flying around the Wikileaks being taken down. What do you think? Is the most recent attack on Wikileaks the deed of a single person, or is a larger, more powerful organization behind it? Please, share your opinion in the comments. More About: hacker, hacktivist, takedown, the Jester, wikileaks For more Tech coverage:
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| Apple to Open Retail Store in Amsterdam [REPORT] Posted: 29 Nov 2010 03:33 AM PST   Apple plans to open a retail store in Amsterdam, in the same building where it set up its Benelux headquarters last year, Dutch blog One More Thing reports citing “very reliable sources”. The building in question is called the Hirsch building, and it’s located on Amsterdam’s Leidseplein. Apple has set up its Dutch headquarters on the third floor, and its retail store is set to occupy a large portion of the building’s ground floor. That space is currently open to visitors as it temporarily hosts an art gallery, OMT claims. You can see the map of the ground floor in the image below, with the space Apple plans to occupy marked red.  Apple has over 300 stores worldwide, but not that many in Europe. While the company has a very significant presence in the UK with 29 stores, the list of actual European countries it inhabits is short – UK, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France and Spain. A retail store in the Nederlands has been rumored to open for quite some time; perhaps the time has finally come for Dutch customers to start enjoying the benefits of that legendary customer service. Check out some images of the space Apple is supposed to take over below.   Images courtesy of One More Thing, Google More About: amsterdam, apple, europe, retail, Store For more Apple coverage:
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| Today’s Big Rumor: Google Buys Groupon for $2.5 Billion Posted: 29 Nov 2010 12:57 AM PST   Google has bought Groupon for $2.5 billion, Vatornews reports citing a “reliable source” familiar with the situation. The acquisition – which is unconfirmed at this point – follows the rumors about Google being in talks to buy the risingly popular local deals site, after Yahoo had failed to negotiate an acquisition for a $2-3 billion earlier this year. Groupon is one of the biggest Internet success stories as of late, with a $1 billion dollar valuation, reported revenues of over $50 million per month (the site is relatively new, having been launched in November 2008) and copycats, trying to emulate its success, sprouting nearly every day. The acquisition, if true, makes a lot of sense for Google, giving it a wonderful opportunity to fuse Groupon deals with its local business directory, Google Places. On the other hand, for Groupon it’ll be much easier to fend off all those similar services under Google’s wing. We’ve reached out to both Groupon and Google for comment on the deal, but haven’t yet received word from them. [via Vatornews] More About: acquisition, Google, groupon For more Business coverage:
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| George W. Bush to Visit Facebook HQ for Live Video Q&A Posted: 28 Nov 2010 02:50 PM PST   Former U.S. President George W. Bush's book tour will stop at Facebook's headquarters in Palo Alto on Monday, with the social networking site announcing a "Facebook Live" event for 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT. Bush has been making the media rounds over the past several weeks, appearing on The Today Show, Oprah and The Tonight Show among other programs to talk about his memoir "Decision Points." Like other Facebook Live events, users will have an opportunity to ask Bush questions, though at this point it's unclear how the event will be moderated or who will be asking user’s questions. While this will be the first appearance of Bush (or any President) on Facebook Live, the 43rd President has been on the site since June, when he setup a Facebook page. The page currently has more than 600,000 fans and is being used to promote the book and Bush's various media appearances. More About: decision points, facebook, facebook live, george w. bush, politics For more Web Video coverage:
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| 5 of the Best New User Experiences of 2010 Posted: 28 Nov 2010 02:49 PM PST   As part of the ongoing Mashable Awards, we’re taking a closer look at each of the nomination categories. This is “Best Website User Experience.” Be sure to nominate your favorites and join us for the Gala in Las Vegas!
The user experience (UX) of a site or app involves much more than looks; the UX is something that lingers on after the user has left your site. It lies in ease of use, perceived value, whether desired goals were achieved and so much more. The user interface (UI) is only part of that larger experience, but it can contribute much to a user’s impression of the app. In writing about the best web designs of 2010, form and function each played a large role in determining our choices. But when we think about user experience, function takes absolute precedence. What sites and apps were the most interesting, the most useful, the most innovative of the past year? In this post, we examine five groundbreaking new UX/UIs from 2010 and discuss how each one expands our expectations of the user experience. 1. QuoraOne of the earlier launches this year, Quora was a buzz-heavy private beta service in 2009. As a product of some of the best design minds at Facebook, the site was almost guaranteed to have an excellent UX from the start. We love Quora’s elegant interactions. It looks simple; it prompts instant and easy engagement; and it takes the hide-and-seek elements of a Q&A site away, leaving the user with a trove of relevant information at his or her fingertips. We’re not the only ones who love Quora’s design. For a bit of meta navel-gazing, read this Quora Q&A on why people like Quora’s design. Initially, another thing that made Quora’s UX so excellent was the quality of its membership. Have a question about Facebook? A Facebooker would likely answer it. Questions about venture capital? Here are some actual investors to talk to you. Marketing? Ad execs were on the site, too. 2. HipmunkOne thing we loved about Hipmunk from the start is that it took a traditionally bad user experience — airline flight search — and made it into a good one. This startup reimagined the most important element of online flight search: how results are displayed. It took a convoluted, multi-entry/multi-exit process and made it simple to behold and linear to walk through, creating a user experience that is far from the stress-inducing nightmare flight search once was. The company has also hinted it will be turning its eyes toward other types of travel services soon, possibly hotel search. We can’t wait. To get the big picture, check out the video above, and the excellent interview blogger Robert Scoble conducted with Hipmunk co-founder Steve Huffman. 3. Seesmic Desktop 2Seesmic launched a new iteration of its popular desktop app just a couple months ago. Dubbed Seesmic Desktop 2, the application also included an entire marketplace of plugins, making SD2 an all-in-one social media access point — a great set of features for run-of-the-mill social media narcissists, as well as businesses that need more control and monitoring tools for their web efforts. Seesmic’s Silverlight-built, Mac- and Windows-compatible product also came wrapped in a gorgeous and functional UI with elegant and subtle details, making it a joy to behold as well as a pleasure to use. During some turbulent times for third-party applications, Seesmic founder Loic LeMeur proved his very salient point: If you make a great product, build in great functionality, and give users a great experience, you can still build a business on someone else’s platform. 4. FlipboardFlipboard launched this year as one of the first iPad apps that sought to reimagine social media for a new form factor. The tablet gave designers and developers a chance to think about lean-back, glossy, high-end design experiences. Of course, magazines had a heyday; their content is already almost a perfect fit for the iPad. But when you think about social media content — those messy, spaghetti-like, intertwining and overlapping feeds of drama, irrelevance and the occasional gem — you begin to see what a challenge the makers of Flipboard had on their hands. Could social media be both beautiful and functional on a tablet? Flipboard integrates personalized Twitter and Facebook feeds to build a social magazine for each user. In an initial review we called it “gorgeous and a pleasure to use,” and the app has continued to rack up the platitudes from social media junkies around the web. Its core value proposition is more than just its beautiful, mag-like design; it makes the experience of reading social feeds simpler, faster and better. 5. RokuWithout a doubt, 2010 has been the first big year for Internet-connected living room devices. We’ve seen cool things in the past from PlayStation, Xbox and Boxee; however, 2010 brought something new: affordability and ease of entry. Roku’s set-top boxes start at just $60; already priced to win. Each model also comes with built-in WiFi and they are easy to install — they practically set themselves up. They connect to some of the most popular Internet content providers, including Netflix, MLB.tv and now Hulu, as well. The Roku UI is simple, clean, bright and intuitive; it reminds us of the more user-friendly gaming interfaces, like that of Nintendo’s Wii. It’s a design language that says, “I’m not technical; I’m fun.” Very quickly, the design itself fades into the background and the content becomes all the user notices. In a word, Roku’s UX is amazing because it makes something that was supposed to be complicated and scary (bringing Internet content to the living room) inexpensive, easy and a pleasure to use. What Are Your Picks?Those are five of our favorite user experiences from 2010; we’d love to know what impressed you this year. In the comments, tell us about the apps, devices and websites that you’ve loved using throughout 2010 or nominate them for a Mashable Award. The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas) In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances. Date: Thursday, January 6th, 2011 (during International CES Convention week) Sponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information. Thanks to our sponsors: Mashable Awards Gala Partner:
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Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications including the BlackBerry® wireless platform and the new BlackBerry PlayBook. For the latest on the BlackBerry PlayBook visit the Inside BlackBerry Blog. Mashable Awards Gala VIP Lounge sponsor:
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Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications including the BlackBerry® wireless platform and the new BlackBerry PlayBook. For the latest on the BlackBerry PlayBook visit the Inside BlackBerry Blog. Reviews: Boxee, Facebook, Foursquare, Hulu, Internet, Mashable, Seesmic, Twitter, Windows More About: best user experience, best ux, Flipboard, hipmunk, ix, mashable awards, mashable awards 2010, quora, UI, user experience, ux/ui For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| Holiday Spending On the Rise at Online Retailers [STATS] Posted: 28 Nov 2010 02:16 PM PST   More numbers are trickling in for the start of the holiday shopping season, specifically as it pertains to online retailers. Specifically, comScore reported on Sunday that online retail spending is up 13 percent in the first 26 days of November versus the same period last year. The research firm also indicates that Black Friday online sales were up 9 percent versus Black Friday 2009, with a total of $648 million spent. That’s a smaller increase than that reported by Coremetrics on Saturday, but a significant bump nonetheless. The strong numbers for online retail are perhaps more indicative of consumers shifting spending patterns than broad economic strength, however. Overall, Black Friday was essentially flat for retailers across the board, with ShopperTrak reporting an increase of just 0.3 percent in spending over last year to $10.66 billion. Within the online retail universe, Amazon appears to have once again been the big winner. According to comScore, the company saw a 25% spike in unique visitors on Black Friday this year, compared to increases of 9% and 1% for Target and Best Buy's sites, respectively. Image courtesy of Flickr, turtlemom_nancy. Reviews: Flickr More About: amazon, e-commerce, holiday spending, online shopping For more Business coverage:
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| How To Make Your Music Video Go Viral: 10 Tips From Cee-Lo, OK Go & More Posted: 28 Nov 2010 01:30 PM PST   They say that Internet killed the video star (or the Limousines did, but still). We would beg to differ. The web has opened up a tour bus-full of opportunities for bands hoping to get their music out there via the cinematic medium. And to back up that assertion, we’ve talked with musicians, including Cee-Lo Green, Auto-Tune the News and OK Go, and gathered together their top tips for making an eminently shareable music video. In the past, the realm of music videos was a whole lot less democratic — but that’s all changed dramatically in recent years. “Distribution is going through a massive upheaval,” says Fred Santarpia, general manager of Vevo. “Cable TV is not the primary paradigm for the format. Rather, tens of millions of fans actively seek out and share their favorite music videos online each month, and with the explosion of the video-enabled smartphone market, we at Vevo believe that music videos will go viral even faster than they do today as more fans turn to the screen in their hand to discover new music.” The folks over at MTV, who are currently working on amping up their video output, tend to agree. “The Internet has allowed all bands to make music videos that are guaranteed to be seen,” says Amy Doyle, who heads MTV's music and talent department. “Music fans want their music to be mobile and shareable… It’s a very on-demand music culture.” In addition to wanting their music and wanting it now, fans are increasingly asking for more content from artists. That is why a great music video can be such an effective way to garner new fans and keep those you already have loyal. “A great visual travels,” Doyle says.”You can hear a song and like the song, but I really believe that a really great music video, even a low budget one, is a a gateway to a musical experience you didn’t even know you wanted.” While we can’t tell you exactly how to make a music video go viral — marketers have been trying and failing to crack that code for a while now — we can give you some words of advice from those who’ve been there. Read on for tips and tricks from a cadre of musicians who have seen their vids blow up like oh-so many pyrotechnics. 1. Make The Video Its Own EntityYes, the point of having a video is to promote your song, but that doesn’t mean the vid should take backseat in the artistic realm. “The goal is to create a video that enhances the song and can stand on its own, a video that people are not only going to want to watch again, but want to show someone else,” says Kina Grannis, a YouTube phenomenon who has garnered her share of fame via web video. Having a video that stands on its own, as Grannis says, can bring you new fans — you know, people who might not otherwise be into klezmer, but really dig the way those ribbon dancers you hired move. 2. Try a Cover SongWe know you have your own sound that’s, like, 50 times better than any of the garbage out there, but no one’s going to listen if they don’t know who you are. One way to cut through the cacophony of voices on the web is to pay homage to a known entity by covering one of their jams. Bands like Pomplamoose have seen great success with this tactic, as have PS22, a chorus of kids from New York. “As far as how the group has reached a worldwide audience, the majority of credit goes to Tori Amos and gossip blogger Perez Hilton,” says Gregg Breinberg, the director of the kids’ chorus. “After posting a plethora of Tori Amos covers, her management contacted me back in 2007 to arrange a meeting. The kids sang for her, then with her, and after we posted the videos of the collaboration, Perez Hilton posted the performance on his blog. Ever since, he’s kept up with the kids, and continues to post their performances regularly.” 3. Be Patient“Things did not happen for PS22 overnight,” says Breinberg. “Over the course of five years, the kids continue to gain new fans and a wider audience. PS22 brings a consistent offering of music/videos that appeal to a wide demographic. That helps too.” Translation: Just as you’re not going to get a record deal after one gig, your first video may not blow up. Hey, if a bunch of kids can be patient, so can you. 4. Rehearse — A Lot“This may not be true for everyone, but we’ve found that most of our ideas, at minimum, take a week and often times months of rehearsal before we feel like we’ve got something good,” says OK Go’s Tim Nordwind. “After we come up with a simple concept, the four of us (and often times our collaborators) get together and start playing around with ideas until the concept starts coming to life, changing, and getting better than we ever could have imagined. Some of our videos, like the Rube Goldberg machine for ‘This Too Shall Pass,’ took six weeks of planning and building.” 5. Remember Fun? Have It“When thinking about making videos, we ask ourselves, what would be fun to do for a few weeks?” says Nordwind. “That’s where our ideas stem from; dancing with dogs, making a Rube Goldberg machine, a dance with time, performing with a marching band, they all just seemed like fun things to try to create.” Generally, if you’re having fun, people will have fun watching you. Unless you have wholly different ideas of recreation than the rest of the population. 6. Be FrugalIf people can get famous off of lo-fi home recordings, you bet your bass the same is true of videos. “Make sure your budget is $0, so you don’t mind when your video doesn’t go viral,” advises Andrew Gregory, of Auto-Tune the News fame. 7. Create Something RelatableEmpathy is an integral component of shareability. “We don’t all have an outlet to express ourselves, but chances are we’ve all had that experience. That experience of loss in relationships overall,” says Cee-Lo Green, whose song “F**k You” went hugely viral this summer and fall. “I think that’s why that song works…. It can be shocking to address a significant issue, but the sense of humor is smiling in the face of diversity.” 8. Know Your AudienceAs we stated in the introduction, the Internet has made the musical realm much more democratic. While Green’s jam was censored on the radio, it could be played in all its glory online. “I believe that the Internet is people’s radio — to where we have a sense of ownership and control and direct involvement. In that way, the song worked with people,” Green says. 9. Remember, Your Song Has to Be GoodWhile you’re out there Fellini-ing it up, remember that a good video won’t save a bad song. “Quality is my first concern,” Green says. “You have to be honest and you have to be considerate and compassionate. There has to be an underlying desire to be related to. Not just seen, heard — embraced. Needing and wanting that love to be reciprocated. If you don’t have that love, chances are you won’t succeed.” 10. And Then There’s Always CatsThe Internet loves cats. If you’ve got ‘em, flaunt ‘em. That’s part of the reason why Holy F**k’s song, “Red Lights,” spread around the web so quickly. Still, it’s not like the band set out to cash in on kitties. “If we would’ve known how trendy cats would’ve become online, we probably wouldn’t have made the video. [But] I’m glad we went ahead with the video,” says Holy F**k’s Brian Borcherdt, who directed the video as well. This from a band who premiered a single via Chatroulette last March. More Social Music Resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, dubassy Reviews: Internet, YouTube, iStockphoto, news More About: auto-tune the news, cats, cee-lo-green, kina-grannis, mtv, music, OK Go, ps22, vevo, viral videos, youtube For more Entertainment coverage:
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| Celebs to Go Silent on Twitter and Facebook for Charity Posted: 28 Nov 2010 11:42 AM PST   Millions of people will be deprived of their favorite celebrity musings later this week as the likes of Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Seacrest go dark on Twitter and Facebook. The silence will only be temporary, however, as it's part of a $1 million fundraiser for World AIDS Day, which takes place December 1. The project was organized by Alicia Keys on behalf of her charity Keep a Child Alive. According to the Associated Press, the celebs — which also include Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Jennifer Hudson and Serena Williams — will remain silent in the social media universe until the charity raises $1 million. The effort will be further supported by dramatic videos featuring the celebs in what the AP describes as "lying in coffins to represent what the campaign calls their digital deaths." Presumably, those videos will be tweeted out before the celebs sign off to raise awareness. We'll likely see more innovation in the social good space leading up to World AIDS Day. Last year, Twitter, Facebook and Google made customizations to their sites to show support, while Keys streamed a concert live on YouTube to raise money for her organization. Reviews: Facebook, Google, Twitter, YouTube More About: alicia keys, celebrities, entertainment, facebook, justin timberlake, Lady Gaga, ryan seacrest, social good, trending, twitter, world aids day For more Social Good coverage:
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| Skype Video Chat Coming to Facebook? Posted: 28 Nov 2010 10:23 AM PST   Even before Skype revealed a deep Facebook integration last month, there was speculation that Facebook might add Skype video chat functionality within the social networking site. Although that hasn’t happened yet, Facebook application developer Tal Ater has rekindled speculation around the idea in spotting a “VideoChat” object in Facebook’s code. Interestingly enough, the code has several properties that refer to Skype and Skype user IDs. Ater also postulates that Facebook is testing the feature with a select group of users as the code doesn’t appear every time the page is loaded. In some ways, Skype’s Facebook integration — which includes a Facebook tab that enables users to chat, SMS or call their Facebook friends on Skype — only left Facebook users wondering when Facebook integration with Skype video chat might arrive. But with the code referencing Skype user IDs, it might suggest that Facebook is building its own video chat that enables Facebook users to also video chat with their Skype contacts. After all, Facebook’s new messaging system is an attempt to make communication more seamless and synchronized across multiple platforms. It may very well be that video chat will be added to the mix or that Facebook is at least considering a Skype integration. However, similar code was spotted all the way back in May 2009 and Facebook responded by saying they were testing such a feature but had no plans to launch it to users. The question of Facebook and video chat functionality seems less of an “if,” but more of a “when.”  Image courtesy of Tal Ater. Reviews: Facebook, Skype More About: facebook, Skype, social media, social networking, video chat For more Social Media coverage:
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| WikiLeaks Targeted in DDoS Attack as Latest Leak Hits the Web Posted: 28 Nov 2010 09:28 AM PST  Controversial whistleblower website WikiLeaks is reporting that it’s under a “mass distributed denial of service attack” just as its much-hyped leak of secret embassy cables has been leaked early on Twitter. According to a tweet from the website’s official Twitter account, WikiLeaks is experiencing a DDoS attack. The reported attackers are not yet known. Several reports state that the website has been experiencing intermittent downtime. We are currently attempting to verify that Wikileaks is indeed under attack. The attack comes just hours before the site is set to release thousands of new secret U.S. documents. Those classified documents reportedly contain secret and embarrassing cables sent by the State Department. U.S. diplomats have been briefing foreign leaders about what could be in those documents in an attempt to minimize the potential damage (Update: the leak is out). Unfortunately for the whistleblower website though, it looks like the leak has been leaked early to several Germans, thanks to a leaked embargo copy of Der Spiegel. Gawker reports that the leak may not be as damaging as expected — for example, the cables praise German Chancellor Angela Merkel as being like “teflon” and compares Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Adolf Hitler. It’s safe to say that WikiLeaks is not having a good day.  Reviews: Twitter, Wikileaks More About: ddos, DDoS Attack, Secret documents, trending, twitter, wikileaks For more Social Media coverage:
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| 35 Essential Social Media & Tech Resources for Small Businesses Posted: 28 Nov 2010 08:57 AM PST   As this year begins to wrap up and businesses start preparing big plans for 2011, we expect social media and technology innovations to be a bigger part of small business digital budgets. To spark a bit of creativity and help get that process rolling, we’ve gathered 35 of our most useful small business posts from the past few months to make sure businesses are in the digital know. Each week we put together a roundup of essential social media resources that you may have missed that week — you can check those out here. But this week we decided to take it a step further and provide you with another megalist of just our top small business resources from the past few months, including social media, tech, marketing & advertising, dev & design and mobile articles written especially for our small business crowd. Of course, if you’re still hungry for more business resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Happy reading! Social Media
Tech
Marketing & Advertising
Dev & Design
Mobile
For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Image courtesy of Flickr, windsordi Reviews: Drupal, Facebook, Flickr, Google, Google Maps, Intuit GoPayment, Mashable, Skype, Tumblr, Twitter, WordPress, Yelp More About: advertising, business, conversational marketing summit, online advertising, online marketing, small business, social media marketing For more Business coverage:
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| Cyber Monday: Where Will You Be Looking For Deals? [OPEN THREAD] Posted: 28 Nov 2010 08:05 AM PST   The Web is already abuzz in anticipation of Cyber Monday deals. In the U.S., Walmart is trending on Twitter in part because of its Monday deals, which have been extended to include the entire week, and dubbed “Cyber Week.” With this year’s Black Friday seeing a 15.9% online sales growth in comparison to Black Friday in 2009, it’s likely that Cyber Monday may see a comparable growth. Last year, Cyber Monday broke traffic records with a 43% spike from the year before. With more shopping dollars shifting online, we might see a similar spike again this year. And this year, more Mashable Readers said they’d do their holiday shopping on Cyber Monday than Black Friday. Because more of you are going to be doing your holiday shopping on Cyber Monday, we’d like to know where you’ll be looking for deals? Share your tips and finds in the comments thread below. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Pgiam Reviews: iStockphoto More About: black friday, cyber monday, ecommerce, holiday shopping, online shopping For more Business coverage:
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| Especially For You: 8 Great Gadgets You Can Personalize Posted: 28 Nov 2010 06:19 AM PST Making a gadget your own is much more fun than joining the anonymous ranks of consumers toting identical tech. We’ve found eight examples of top technology that can be custom made, tweaked, tailored, personalized, customized and otherwise made special just for you — some of it even before it leaves shop shelves. Have a browse through our selection of personalize-able products below, and let us know in the comments which ones you’d choose to suit you. 1. Pentax RS1000  As well as eight alternative skins bundled in with the RS1000, there’s a free online gallery where you can browse, download and print more. And a stencil kit is included so you can make your own. Cost: $149.95  2. The Jelly Watch Shop With a total of 110 possible color combinations, it’s almost statistically impossible that you won’t be able to design your perfect watch from the crazy-fun Jelly Watch Shop. Cost: $175, $65 for extra straps 3. Dell’s Consumer Laptops Dell’s Mini, Studio and XPS laptops can all be customized with colorful lids. There are more than 240 designs from a variety of artists as well as partners such as Threadless, (PRODUCT) RED and Major League Baseball teams. Cost: Varies 4. Flip Video Cameras Buy a Flip video camera online and you can choose its casing design there and then. If you can’t find a design you like from the tons of top options available, you can personalize your own with the cool online design generator. Cost: From $149.99  5. Hu Custom Colored Televisions Want your television to co-ordinate with, or stand out from, your home decor? The Hu service can help. Any of the TVs bought from the Home Technology Store can be tinted to match a color swatch you supply. Cost: From $299 6. Ultimate Ears Custom In-Ear Monitors These custom-made earphones are not only available with a wide range of decorative finishes, but will be tailor-made to fit your ear canal. Cost: From $600 7. Mugo MP3 Players As well as a variety of fun limited edition designs to be found online, you can order one of these MP3 players-come-vinyl toys to decorate yourself. Now, that’s unique. Cost: From $49.99  8. TomTom In-Car GPS TomTom offers neat personalization options for its range of in-car GPS units. You can either choose a design from the gallery of options online or upload your own pic and add text to make a product just for you. Cost: From $109.95  More Related Resources from Mashable
Reviews: Threadless More About: dell, gadgets, List, Lists, pentax, tech, threadless, TomTom For more Tech coverage:
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When it comes to user experience, designers and developers must do much more than present their users with a “pretty face” web page.
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