ars technica

Consumers dig mobile broadband: 3G device ownership up 80%Adoption of 3G in the US has surged in the past year. Thanks to more and cheaper devices, the US now has more 3G customers than Western Europe.Read More...
» 5 Sep 2008, 10:50 am

Michael Moore skips box office, film heads straight to 'NetFilmmaker Michael Moore plans to bypass movie theaters with the debut of his new film, Slacker Uprising. The movie will instead be offered online as a free thank-you to his fans, after which it will be sold on DVD. With more filmmakers experimenting with online distribution lately, major studios may be tempted to try it out too. Read More...
» 5 Sep 2008, 10:15 am

The Sims goes to the boardroomVideo games have come to the classroom—even to the venerable Harvard Business School. Instead of case studies, students are entering business simulations—with mixed results for the real world.Read More...
» 5 Sep 2008, 9:40 am

This is war: insider describes how devs punish game journosIt's not rare to hear talk about the pressure developers put on game writers for favorable coverage. What is unusual is hearing someone from the other side describe how he or she can break game writers... and why they think it's perfectly ok to do so. Read More...
» 5 Sep 2008, 9:06 am

Red Hat acquires Qumranet, will embrace KVMLinux distributor Red Hat has acquired Qumranet, the company behind the Kernel Virtual Machine. This marks a change of strategy for Red Hat, which previously aligned itself with Xen.Read More...
» 5 Sep 2008, 6:40 am

NebuAd loses CEO, business model in wake of tracking furorWith the loss of its CEO and the end of most of its ISP trials, web tracking company NebuAd hopes to retool itself as a more traditional advertising company.Read More...
» 5 Sep 2008, 5:55 am

FCC exempts small cable operators from HD must-carry ruleThe cable industry is cheering an FCC order exempting smaller operators from HD must carry rules. The question of Class A TV must carry still looms.Read More...
» 5 Sep 2008, 5:15 am

Study: heavy mental effort leads to much bigger mealsResearchers find that subjecting student volunteers to mentally challenging tasks causes them to eat significantly more food, even though the energy difference between thinking and relaxation is minimal.Read More...
» 5 Sep 2008, 4:15 am

Michigan law passed requiring MediaSentry to have PI licenseMediaSentry is the hired gun that hunts down filesharers for the RIAA, and the company's activities have raised the question as to whether it should be licensed as a private investigator in some states where it operates. Michigan was one such state, and has now enacted a law that clearly indicates MediaSentry needs a license.Read More...
» 5 Sep 2008, 3:10 am

A hands-on overview of the Access Linux PlatformA the recent LinuxWorld conference, Ars got the chance to test drive a mobile Linux platform that has developers talking: the ACCESS Linux Platform. We also spent some quality time with the SDK, and had a chat with the folks at ACCESS.Read More...
» 4 Sep 2008, 8:30 pm

Martin responds to Comcast lawsuit: we still want answersFCC Chair Kevin Martin says that even if Comcast is appealing its net neutrality Order, the agency still wants to know what the heck "protocol-agnostic" means. Read More...
» 4 Sep 2008, 7:20 pm

Beppe Grillo

DelirioIl Paese è in pieno delirio. Discutere con lo psiconano o con Topo Gigio Veltroni è impossibile. Sono nullità che si credono importanti. Uno è Napoletone e lÂ’altro lÂ’ Obama bianco de noantri. I primati bianchi al potere li abbiamo solo noi. Gli altri li esibiscono allo zoo. Mettersi sul loro piano vuol dire perdere il senno. Nulla di ciò che dicono è vero, ma neppure importante, ma neanche intelligente. Chi li vede dialogare dallÂ’esterno, come i media stranieri, non può capirli, sono dei pazzi in libertà. Hanno messo un tappo alla nazione con lÂ’informazione di regime.Il delirio della democrazia si diffonde e trasforma in merda ciò che tocca. I cittadini non possono filmare i loro dipendenti nelle sedute dei consigli comunali. N
» 4 Sep 2008, 6:48 am

La battaglia del granoSe le guerre di dopodomani si combatteranno per lÂ’acqua, le guerre di domani si faranno per il cibo. Grano, riso, frumento, soia. Rivolte e assalti ai forni sono già avvenuti in molti Paesi, dallÂ’Egitto allÂ’Indonesia, dalle Filippine allÂ’India. I raccolti stanno diventando più importanti del petrolio. EÂ’ meglio vivere da fermi che morire di fame in movimento.Gli Stati sovrappopolati si stanno muovendo sullo scacchiere mondiale comprando terreni coltivabili. La Cina in Brasile, Laos, Kazakhistan e Tanzania. LÂ’India in Uruguay e Paraguay. La Corea del Sud in Sudan e in Siberia. LÂ’Egitto in Ucraina. In parallelo, sta nascendo un nuovo protezionismo, quello dei morti di fame. Gli Stati che non producono sufficienti risorse alimentari
» 3 Sep 2008, 9:57 am

Prostituti di sè stessiIl sesso sta cambiando. I papponi stanno scomparendo. Ognuno è, se vuole, il prostituto, o la prostituta, di sé stesso. I portali del porno fai da te stanno scalando le classifiche di tutti i Paesi del mondo. Ogni posizione del kamasutra è spiegata dal vivo da decine di migliaia di interpreti che pubblicano le loro prestazioni sessuali per promuovere capacità amatorie o per esibizionismo. Si può scegliere il partner più vicino a casa, compaiono in elenchi che tengono conto della località dalla quale ci si collega, e invitarlo in chat per un drink. Quello che viene dopo lo decide lui, o lei. O loro.Il sesso può essere anche gratis. Sesso gratis con una persona di nostra scelta. Si può. EÂ’ sufficiente che si dia lÂ’autorizzazione a
» 2 Sep 2008, 8:04 am

Alitalia: una commedia italianaTesto dell'intervento di Marco Travaglio. "Buongiorno a tutti, riprendiamo il nostro appuntamento settimanale dopo le vacanze. Spero che vi siate riposati, tutti o quasi tutti, perché quest'anno ci sarà molto da fare. Forse avete visto sul blog di Beppe Grillo che abbiamo raccolto le prime dieci puntate di "Passaparola" in un DVD: chi fosse interessato trova le istruzioni per procurarselo.La notizia di oggi è che l'operazione Alitalia è un grandissimo successo per il governo. Chi l'ha detto? Il presidente del Consiglio Silvio Berlusconi che si loda e si imbroda da solo, anche perché dagli esperti ha ricevuto soltanto pernacchie e critiche, per non parlare della stampa e di tutti operazioni internazionali che si misurano sul libero
» 1 Sep 2008, 4:30 am

Un Beretta al giorno toglie il morto sul lavoro di tornoBeretta:Morti sul lavoro, in Italia il 50% in itinere Maurizio Beretta è un ex giornalista di regime. Maurizio continua a disinformare per conto di Confindustria nel suo nuovo ruolo di direttore generale. I morti sul lavoro trasformati in una guerra di numeri. Un taglio di 374 morti sul lavoro, un confronto falsato con gli altri Stati europei, trasformare i morti in cantiere in incidenti stradali. Un link scomparso dal sito dell'Inail. E il gioco è fatto. Il morto non c'è più e l'Italia è all'avanguardia per la sicurezza sul lavoro. Il rappresentante dei lavoratori per la sicurezza Marco Bazzoni risponde a Beretta punto per punto. Menzogna per menzogna.Leggete il libro "Morti Bianche" di Samanta Di Persio disponibile sul blog a prezzo
» 31 Aug 2008, 3:42 am

I blogger della MalesiaLe Croci di Malta-1Clicca l'immagine Raja Petra Karamudin è un blogger della Malesia. Lo scorso giovedì il suo blog, il primo di opinione politica del Paese, è stato oscurato dal governo. Malaysia Today è stato bloccato dalla società di telecomunicazioni di Stato Telekom Malaysia.I politici malesi si sono accorti, dopo le ultime elezioni, che la Rete può condizionare i risultati. E mandarli a casa. Raj Petra è solo lÂ’inizio. LÂ’obiettivo del primo ministro Abdullah Badawi è di normalizzare Internet, rendendolo simile agli altri media.Badawi ha ammesso di aver sottovalutato la Rete, che in Malesia è lÂ’unica reale alternativa allÂ’informazione di Stato. Il governo, per chiudere Malaysia Today, ha usato la Malaysian Communications
» 30 Aug 2008, 9:10 am

Stati SpAGli Stati sono sempre più simili a società per azioni. Gli Stati SpA possono fallire come una qualunque azienda e dichiarare bancarotta. Foreign Policy e The Fund for Peace hanno rilasciato lÂ’Indice 2008 degli Stati falliti. Quando uno Stato cessa di esistere? “Quando il governo nazionale perde il controllo di parte o di tutto il suo territorio e non è più in grado di assicurare la sicurezza personale dei suoi cittadini. Quando i governi perdono il monopolio del potere e delle leggi e lÂ’ordine inizia a disintegrarsi. Quando non riescono più a garantire servizi essenziali come lÂ’educazione, la salute e il cibo perdono la loro legittimazione”.(*)Il fallimento è accompagnato all'inizio dallÂ’aumento dellÂ’inflazione e dal deterioram
» 29 Aug 2008, 7:36 am

L'acqua non è una merceChi controlla i bisogni primari, controlla la società. PDL e PDmenoelle lo sanno bene. Senza acqua si muore, ma se l'acqua viene privatizzata i partiti vivono meglio. I concessionari sanno essere riconoscenti, voti, soldi, poltrone finanziati dal rincaro dell'acqua a carico dei cittadini.Le liste civiche del blog avranno come punto fondamentale del loro programma l'acqua. Non si può privatizzare. Non è una merce, è un diritto. Come respirare, parlare, amare. Gesù trasformò l'acqua in vino, Veltrusconi la vuole trasformare in business. Beati gli assetati di giustizia perchè vedranno i ladri dell'acqua in galera. Loro non si arrenderanno mai, noi neppure. "Caro Beppe,nel cuore di questa estate torrida e di questa terra calabra, lavora
» 28 Aug 2008, 9:20 am

Jurassic mediaLa giornalista De Gregorio ha preso il posto del giornalista Padellaro. Guiderà lÂ’Unità. Un giornale assistito dalla carità pubblica. Come gli altri, del resto. Vivono di pubblicità, sempre meno, e delle tasse degli italiani. Soru, governatore del centro sinistra, finanzierà il suo giornale con lÂ’IRPEF. Il nostro, non il suo. LÂ’Unità in un libero mercato avrebbe già chiuso i battenti con gli album delle figurine di Topo Gigio Veltroni. Altri, come Libero, Il Riformista, Il Foglio non sarebbero mai nati. I finanziamenti pubblici ai giornali non sono pubblici. Nel senso che non li decidono le persone. Nessuno finanzierebbe una Polito o una Feltri Onlus.Gli elemosinieri della stampa sono i partiti e le lobby. Sono TUTTI giornali schi
» 27 Aug 2008, 6:14 am

Una tranquilla Italia da pauraI sindaci sono in prima linea contro la violenza, ma non quella degli stupratori. Quella dei turisti che vengono in Italia a passare un tranquillo week end di paura. Un turismo sprovveduto. Gente che si espone a proprio rischio e pericolo in tenda o in camper. Un atteggiamento che rovina la reputazione dellÂ’Italia allÂ’estero.Una coppia di tedeschi con un cagnolino parcheggia la macchina e campeggia in una spiaggia di Torre Annunziata. Sono picchiati, la ragazza stuprata da tre ITALIANI che, secondo le cronache, fanno un giro con lei per due volte a turno in macchina. Il cagnolino morsica uno dei tre ITALIANI e per vendetta viene sgozzato.Giosuè Sparita, sindaco di centrosinistra di Torre Annunziata, ha tenuto a precisare che i due turist
» 26 Aug 2008, 5:28 am

Comuni a 5 stelle: AcquanegraConsiglio comunale Carate Brianza La democrazia in Italia non cÂ’è più. Non è attraverso un nuovo partito che le cose cambieranno, come alcuni, anche nel blog, credono. Tutto cambierà quando cambieremo noi. Nella nostra vita quotidiana, in quello che mettiamo nella borsa della spesa, nei nostri comportamenti. I partiti sono il passato. I cittadini sono il futuro. la democrazia deve essere partecipata, attuata. Attuata da me, da te, da tutti. La delega a Veltroni o a Berlusconi produce solo mostri. EÂ’ il sonno della democrazia. EÂ’, ormai, una pagliacciata. Non cÂ’è nessuno dallÂ’altra parte del muro. Troverete interessi economici, bancarottieri, mafiosi in doppiopetto, massoni, scarichi industriali, centrali nucleari, inceneritori e i
» 25 Aug 2008, 4:23 am

Daily Kos

Troopergate Investigation Report Date Moves UpABC: Investigation into Palin Now on Fast Track Sources Tell ABC News that Report Will Be Released Almost Three Weeks Early By LEN TEPPER September 5, 2008— ABC News has exclusively learned that Alaska Senator Hollis French will announce today that he is moving up the release date of his investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her office to get the Alaska public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, fired. The results of the investigation were originally scheduled for release Oct. 31 but will now come almost three weeks earlier, according to sources. The announcement is set for 9 a.m. AKDT time. The Alaska state senator running an investigation of Gov. Palin had accused the McCain campaign of using stall tactics to prevent h
» 5 Sep 2008, 12:45 pm

eBay Jet Sale? Didn't HappenOnce embedded in the popular consciousness, certain themes are hard to dislodge. Somebody starts a rumor or recounts a fable or embellishes an anecdote, and the next thing you know it's a fact: 'gators in the sewers or how a guy named Esteban (or maybe it was Bob) found a treasure map and buried it at the turn of the century somewhere in those hills up behind the high school. Debunk these tales 'til you're blue in the face, but often they simply cannot be uprooted. During the campaign season, scores of such stories come to light. Some stick, some don't. Many are, of course, pure fabrications. Others are only half lies. And still others merely fudge the truth around the edges in the interests of creating a solid applause line. The latter s
» 5 Sep 2008, 12:00 pm

What Makes Troopergate so Dangerous?The more things change, the more they stay the same. Yes, your new fresh face, that down home Average Hockey MomTM turns out just to be twice the Mayberry and every bit the Machiavelli: Aides to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin improperly obtained her former brother-in-law's state police personnel files and cited information from those records to raise complaints about the officer, the head of Alaska's state police union said Thursday. "It's apparent to us that the governor or someone on her staff had direct access to his personnel file, as well as his workers' comp file, and those are protected," said John Cyr, executive director of the Alaska Public Safety Employees Association. There are a million problems with naming someone as Not Ready f
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:00 am

Green Screen Mystery SolvedA lot of RNCC viewers were perplexed last night when McCain appeared from the light of the Obama logo, strolled to the podium, and began his lackluster speech before an enormous green screen.  We'd seen that lime green screen before and thought McGrinch had learned his lesson -- it was not a good look for McCain and was widely panned by pundits and the public alike.  So, why would he choose that hideous background for the biggest speech of his very long political career? It turns out the green screen was only part of the story.  The close-up at the podium made it appear to be a giant green screen, but the arena audience was treated to a much different image. Hat tip to Talking Points Memo for the image: Aaahhhhhh....much different. Â
» 5 Sep 2008, 10:15 am

Sciencedebate 2008 Answers from ObamaWhile we were waiting for Sen. McCain to personally divert Gustav to the drought-parched Atlanta area, Sen. Obama thoughtfully answered 14 issues questions posed by Sciencedebate 2008. Check the full list, but here's an example of an issue supported by a majority of Americans: Stem cells.  Stem cell research advocates say it may successfully lead to treatments for many chronic diseases and injuries, saving lives, but opponents argue that using embryos as a source for stem cells destroys human life.  What is your position on government regulation and funding of stem cell research? Stem cell research holds the promise of improving our lives in at least three ways—by substituting normal cells for damaged cells to treat diabetes, Parkins
» 5 Sep 2008, 9:25 am

McCain weeps for real estate investorsMost politicians at least pretend to speak to the economic troubles of those who are losing their homes in this brutal economic climate. Not McCain, because he's too mavericky. I fight for Americans. I fight for you. I fight for Bill and Sue Nebe from Farmington Hills, Michigan, who lost their real estate investments in the bad housing market. McCain weeps for the ones who lost "investments". Plural.
» 5 Sep 2008, 8:50 am

The AP saw McCain's alternate reality speechBush speechwriter Michael Gerson gets it right: he policy in the speech was rather typical for a Republican. Pretty disappointing. It didn't do a lot of outreach to moderates and independents on issues that they care about. The Associated Press' Liz Sidoti, apparently, saw a different speech: Not merely a Republican. Not merely a candidate. John McCain cast himself as a leader for all Americans, regardless of party or status. After several days of Democratic bashing by his supporters, the Arizona senator struck a nonpartisan stance and promised that he wouldn't be bound by political party in the White House as he accepted the GOP presidential nomination Thursday before thousands of Republican loyalists [...] The GOP nominee was maki
» 5 Sep 2008, 8:05 am

Voting Impact: ABC Poll Says Moderates Choose BidenElections are won in the middle. So, as we get ready for the McCain/Palin bounce, which is real, and expected, and irrelevant (we'll get back to reality by next Mon-Tues), this ABC poll, along with previous focus groups, is of interest. Taken 9/4, it is a single day poll (caution). Still, read carefully and understand that the Republican base is not majority America: Sarah Palin is receiving a highly partisan reception on the national political stage, with significant public doubts about her readiness to serve as president, yet majority approval of both her selection by John McCain and her willingness to join the Republican ticket. Given the sharp political divisions she inspires, Palin’s initial impact on vote preferences and on views
» 5 Sep 2008, 7:08 am

Your Abbreviated Pundit Round-upMore of what people thought about McCain's speech: Political Wire: We've now heard McCain's personal story as a prisoner of war dozens of times in just three days and he included again in his speech. It's truly inspiring. No one would ever doubt that McCain loves his country. But no matter the content, McCain had serious delivery problems with this speech. Starting with the awful lime green background (that later turned to blue) and continuing through McCain's difficulties reading from the teleprompter, the speech was very disjointed and hard to follow. To top it off, the crowd reaction at the end of the speech seemed forced and staged, almost like delegates were reacting to flashing "applause" signs at the side of the stage. Overall,
» 5 Sep 2008, 5:43 am

Musings Over Morning CoffeeWell, I watched the John McCain speech from the relative safety of my living room. It was something to see, I must say. At times stuck up against a ( White House one of McCain's 10 houses Walter Reed Middle School) lawn green background reminiscent of that disastrous green jello speech, McCain was sometimes maudlin, sometimes rambling, but always, inevitably, boring. it's unfortunate, really. Set speeches are just not his thing. His strengths lie elsewhere, mostly in an artificial image of a maverick, which really means everyone who's an establishment Republican in DC now despises him even more than they used to after this convention. Why should that be? Because McCain is openly running against them. Does that mean he's really not Bush II
» 5 Sep 2008, 4:41 am

Open Thread for Night Owls, Early Birds & Ex-PatsPeter Baker writes at The New York Times: The Party in Power, Running as if It Weren’t After watching two political conclaves the last two weeks, it would be easy to be confused about which was really the gathering of the opposition. As Senator John McCain accepted the Republican nomination for president, he and his supporters sounded the call of insurgents seeking to topple the establishment, even though their party heads the establishment. This was, of course, part Mr. McCain’s nature and part political calculation. It was also part history. For the first time since 1952, the party holding the White House has nominated someone other than the sitting president or vice president, someone without a vested interest in running on conti
» 4 Sep 2008, 11:02 pm

Dosh Dosh

The Lesser Evil: Being a Better Choice Than Your CompetitorsAs some of you might know from my Twitter profile, I enjoy following politics and have been an avid spectactor of the on-going 2008 U.S Presidential Elections. It’s very entertaining to see how political parties compete with one another during an election to win votes. A similar pattern has been repeating itself in the last few [...]
» 1 Sep 2008, 10:52 am

How ‘Surprise’ Helps Word-of-Mouth and Viral MarketingEmotional engagement is the key to viral marketing success. People share their everyday experiences by communicating them to others in and outside of their network. This social sharing is more rampant when the individuals develop intense feelings like fear, disgust, sadness, joy, anger and surprise. Of all these emotions, surprise is a necessary ingredient which encourages people to pass on information they come across. [...]
» 13 Aug 2008, 3:11 pm

The Power of Understanding and Solving ProblemsMany have made money and built reputations by solving problems. Doctors cure the suffering of illness, psychiatrists help heal the troubled mind, lawyers protect names from being tarnished, consultants offer marketing advice and a dazzling array of products help to remove any inconvenience you might possibly encounter in your daily life. Many people are solving problems. They’re all offering solutions to people who need [...]
» 6 Aug 2008, 6:49 pm

The Key to Effective Viral Marketing is Emotional EngagementViral marketing is the process of using peer-to-peer communications in order to rapidly spread information about a brand or message. The term ‘viral’ stems from the concept of a ‘virus’, a self-perpetuating phenomenon which infects whatever it comes in contact with, spreading itself in an expanding outward arc. Your message is the virus. The carriers are your audience. People encounter specific data or ideas [...]
» 29 Jul 2008, 7:38 pm

Ambush Marketing: The Art of Diverting AttentionAmbush marketing is a strategy used by companies to promote their brands at events without paying any sponsorship fees. An example: “Dutch buyers of Heineken beer were given green hats to wear to the recent Euro 2008 football tournament. Anyone who tried to enter a stadium wearing one, however, as many fans did in 2004, [...]
» 28 Jul 2008, 1:02 pm

How to Create Digg-Friendly Content: Cracked.com’s TemplateA while ago I wrote about using selective reporting to frame news, grab attention and make your content stand out from the rest of the competition. Now lets looks at creating original content specifically for a social media channel. How do you increase the chances of your article striking a nerve and spreading like wildfire within a specific [...]
» 16 Jul 2008, 3:48 pm

How to Say Nothing in 500 Words (A Lesson on Writing)The ability to write well is very useful for our personal and professional lives. It helps students, business people, politicians, writers,  bloggers, marketers and everyone who has ever needed to arrange words together to convey ideas or opinions. The written word has become an essential means of social communication: mastery of it helps you to enthrall and  persuade [...]
» 8 Jul 2008, 7:51 pm

How to Analyze and Improve the ‘Bounce Rate’ for Your WebsiteGetting users engaged with your content can result with a sale, subscription, bookmark and return visit. One of best ways to increase reader engagement is to make sure that your site architecture interlinks related content and displays them in a way which encourages the user to click around. If the first article doesn’t result in a [...]
» 3 Jul 2008, 10:54 am

What Will the Future of Advertising Look Like?A billboard located at the street corner is watching you. A camera is embedded in the billboard and a computer analyzes the people who pass by it. It tells the advertiser how many people walked in front of the screen, turned to face the ad and how long they looked at it. It reads your gender with an accuracy of [...]
» 30 Jun 2008, 1:09 pm

You’re Not Just a Writer, You’re the Editor-in-Chief.Blogs are quite often a one-person show. The owners maintain the blog, write the content and promote the site themselves. They switch between different roles whenever necessary and that’s the natural result of a DIY system where one is personally in charge of everything. Sometimes, we tend to see themselves more as writers and less as executive editors. We are [...]
» 27 Jun 2008, 7:44 am

Gizmodo

LightMate Pillow Looks Like Glowing Hentai Splooge Monster That Molests You to Sleep [Weeeeeeeeeird]Designed by artist Francesca Lanzavecchia, NightMates are "soft anthropomorphic pillows and warming lamps" that are supposed to keep you company (and comfy) at night. They come in different sizes, depending on how much anthropomorphic love you need, but you might wanna stick with the smaller ones that are more like Glo-Worms—the full sized ones are more than a little creepy, like something that slithered off the cover of one of my roommate's NSFW manga collection to do wrong things to you while you sleep. [LightMate via BB via popgadget]
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:45 am

New iPhone with Weird Guy and Gundam Photo, Now Outside the Factory [IPhone 3G]People keep finding photos in their new iPhones, and these keep getting weirder and weirder. This time, Giz reader Bryan Offenhauer claims that he found this funny shot of an anonymous guy next to a human-sized Gundam mecha: I just upgraded to the iPhone 3G 16gb and found this handsome gentlemen had beat me to the punch on using my new phone's camera. It doesn't look like this picture was taken while at any sort of factory, but he looks mighty proud of his giant Gundam. Anyway I was just wondering if there are other people that have gotten phones with odd pictures already stored on them. I can understand the factory tests, but this? Is Apple's attention to detail slipping at the factory level? Did they take the iPhone away from the assemb
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:43 am

DARPA Developing a Helicopter with a Spinning Disc Instead of Blades [Vehicles]DARPA is investing in developing a new kind of helicopter, one with what they're calling a Disc-Rotor. What makes a Disc-Rotor Helicopter different than a boring old helicopter? Well, when the blades start spinning fast, they're retracted into a disc. This disc continues to rotate, and it acts as a "rotating circular wing." The benefit of such a system would be to provide " mobility and responsiveness for troop and cargo insertion, satisfy an ongoing military interest for higher speed VTOL and hover capable vehicles, be survivable and bridge the gap in helicopter escort and insertion missions." Ho-Kay! I don't get it, but it sure will be neat looking, so I guess I'm on board. [The Register]
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:30 am

OSIM uSpace Full Body Massage Chair Balances Your Body, Bank Account [Gadgets]At $6,000, this OSIM uSpace full body massage chair better do what it says in addition to just looking all sci-fi and space Pac-Manish. According to the manufacturer, the chair fixes you using mood lighting, massage, and music. They say the uSpace has three different modes: "revitalize", "relax" or "balance" you. They explain that using specific lighting colors, with something called "synchronized" music will activate certain areas of your brain, putting you in any of those states. I don't know if it works or not, but the idea of putting my head inside the mouth of space Pac-Man here only makes me anxious. [OSIM via Dvice]
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:15 am

Pixel Drink Coasters Can Have Any 8-Bit Shape You Want [8-Bit]These pixel drink coasters are made of paper and come in 50-unit packages for $8. Nothing special there until you notice that they have different shapes, which are not actually made at the factory: The coasters come in a single sheet, folded in 50 segments that you can cut in any way you want using the one-centimeter-long square perforations that divide each segment in 110 pixels. The results are beautiful, including an obligatory Space Invaders theme. galleryPost('pixelcoasters', 3, ''); According to Technabob, the paper is special, which allows to resist the condensation and even get reused. [25togo via Technabob]
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:00 am

Monster Knows You Need Five Different Sprays to Clean Your iPhone, Camera, Phone, GPS and Laptop [Scams]The professional bullshit artists and dumbass fleecers over at Monster have devised another way to remove money from the wallets of the ignorant: cleaning sprays. They've released five different sprays for five different types of devices: a camera spray, a cell phone spray, an iPhone spray (Buchanan posits that this one is made of pure angel tears), a GPS spray and a laptop spray. Yes, Monster wants you to think that your GPS and your cellphone need separate sprays, lest your phone is destroyed by the magical chemicals that can only clean a surface that displays driving directions. While yes, perhaps laptop screens need a different spray than the glass iPhone, this is a bit beyond overkill. Each bottle of these precious fluids cost $10, whi
» 5 Sep 2008, 10:45 am

Scuba Steve Is Good With Children, Aquatic Pets [Figurines]Scuba Steve, 7" figurine, seems like a nice enough guy. His round face and charming monocle seem perfect for children's parties and lending an extra hand in bathroom sterilization. But then you read his description and see that "if a shark won’t listen to reason, then Scuba Steve pulls their teeth out (but still lets the shark live.)" And you realize, yeah, that Scuba Steve really is a great guy. $350. [Slobot via Gizmo Watch]
» 5 Sep 2008, 10:30 am

New Windows Ad Just an "Icebreaker" [Microsoft]Confession: I actually very much enjoyed the new Bill Gates/Jerry Seinfeld Microsoft ad. Yes, I found it funny and entertaining—the moment when Gates grins like a conspiratorial child revealing that his budget shoes were actual "leather" cracked me up. No, there wasn't much any substance, but who cares? If nothing else, it's positive branding and a fun way to kill commercial time otherwise filled with ads for new citrus-scented patio cleaners. Anyway, an internal Microsoft memo explaining the ads to employees confirms what most of us suspected as Seinfeld compared PCs to some sort of chocolaty dessert—the first commercial was just an "icebreaker." This first set of ads features Bill Gates and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Think of these ads
» 5 Sep 2008, 10:15 am

Twelve of CEDIA's Most Beautifully Expensive Audiophile Speakers [Dream On]Put simply, CEDIA is a trade show that trains its attendees to prep a home for MTV Cribs. Simple as that. So as a result, the audiophile gear on display is a sight (and an expenditure) to behold. Especially if your Cribs client prefers speakers that cost more than some small countries' GDPs in their champagne room to better reproduce the low-end punch of his John Mayer SACDs. We didn't give a single one of these speakers any kind of field test, and we're not going to pretend for a second that that matters. Thankfully, you and I are not the folks who have to view these speakers as anything more than absolutely beautiful monuments to silly rich audio fetishists. So let's ogle: take the Sonnance "Threewheeler" donught-y Bluetooth outdoor speak
» 5 Sep 2008, 10:00 am

Samsung Wants to Buy SanDisk to Complete Domination of World's Flash Memory [Flash]Samsung is already the world's largest maker of flash memory chips—seriously, their chips are in like everything—but it told regulators today that it's thinking about picking up ailing industry giant SanDisk. Part of the reason, no doubt, is that Sammy pays SanDisk up to $500 million a year in royalties thanks to its massive portfolio of flash memory patents. And of course, there's simply the old fashioned desire to tighten its already Hulk-like grip on the market, though one analyst says a buyout could shove Samsung's marketshare high enough to make the anti-trust police take notice. If it goes through, it would probably push up the price of flash memory (which is at rock bottom and precisely why SanDisk's life sucks right now), though
» 5 Sep 2008, 9:45 am

Nikon 41-Megapixel MX Format Sensor for Digital Rangefinder? [Rumor]We've been following this for a little while to let some meat stick on the skeletal rumors, and it's finally feeling substantial enough—though definitely still a rumor—to throw your way. It looks like Nikon's got a 41-megapixel medium format (MX) sensor up its sleeve, which is most likely for a digital rangefinder. Nikon itself teases something BIG for the Wedding & Portrait Photographer International convention in Feb. in the pages of Rangefinder magazine. Finally, Nikon Watch has a tip (albeit unsubstantiated) that the MX format sensor is 48x48mm and in fact 48MP, and will go inside of a digital rangefinder that's "not to [sic] dissimilar to the older film Mamiya 6 camera philosophy." There's more. Obviously, a new format means you'll
» 5 Sep 2008, 9:30 am

huffingtonpost

Palin Poll: 4 In 10 Say She's Experienced EnoughWASHINGTON — Just four in 10 say Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has enough experience to be president, while nearly two-thirds say so about Joe Biden, her Democratic counterpart, a poll showed Friday. Views of Palin largely reflect partisan loyalty and show she's having little initial impact on which presidential ticket people support, the ABC News survey showed. Eight in 10 Republicans and more than four in 10 independents say they have more confidence in Republican presidential nominee John McCain's decision-making for his selection of Palin. Six in 10 Democrats say it reduces theirs. More have a favorable than unfavorable view of Palin by 50 percent to 37 percent _ a bit less than the 54 percent to 30 percen
» 5 Sep 2008, 1:02 pm

Palin Trooper Scandal's Mike Wooten: "I'm Moving On"The Alaska state trooper at the center of a probe into whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power says he has "made mistakes, and I've learned from those mistakes." But, in an exclusive interview with CNN, Mike Wooten -- Palin's former brother-in-law -- also denies some of the biggest allegations against him, including drinking while driving. "I made mistakes. I fessed up to them. I was punished appropriately, and I'm moving on," said the 36-year-old, who went through a long, messy divorce and custody battle with Palin's sister.
» 5 Sep 2008, 12:38 pm

Republican National Convention Ratings: John McCain Speech Gets 38.9 Million Viewers, Beats ObamaJohn McCain has won the ratings race. The Republican nominee beat Democratic challenger Barack Obama's record-setting convention speech viewership by 500,000 viewers. McCain's address at the Democratic National Convention was seen by about 38.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. Obama received 38.4 million. That means McCain's speech is now the most-watched in convention history -- 41% higher than George W. Bush's acceptance speech four years ago, and 1% higher than Obama.
» 5 Sep 2008, 12:25 pm

Republicans Get Down At The RNC (VIDEO)There was plenty of speechifyin' in St. Paul this week, but the real action was on the floor of the Xcel Center, where Republicans were getting their Grand Old Party on right there in front of the cameras. V.F. reporter-researcher Ted Travelstead compiled some of the hottest moves.
» 5 Sep 2008, 12:12 pm

Michael Phelps Stripper Photos Posted By Radar (PHOTOS)Radar Staff Writer Neel Shah spent the evening in Las Vegas (more on that later), and was kind enough to send along these fine photos of Olympic hero Michael Phelps "massively skeeving on girls at the Playboy Club" in that city's Palms Casino. Neel notes that the Olympian was accompanied by an entourage of striped-shirted schmucks, one of whose sole duties appeared to be pointing a flashlight at anyone attempting to photograph the swimmer during his efforts to obtain a gold medal in ass-grabbing. ("It was unreal," says Neel. "Within moments of entering the club he summoned two girls over... I've never seen such an aggressive grip.")
» 5 Sep 2008, 12:07 pm

Nina Garcia: Sarah Palin Should Get Lasik, Shows "Promise"Vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin shows "a lot of promise," Garcia said, and suggested she wear designs by Carolina Herrera. "First, we have to lose the glasses -- Lasik or contacts," Garcia said. "But she's attractive. She seems to be feminine; I saw the high heels and little beaded skirt. She kind of broke up the suit which is a major move for a politician -- and she's curvaceous." Keep reading for her take on Cindy and Michelle. -or- See what stylists are saying about Sarah Palin's hair and what British fashion editors say about Sarah Palin's style. -or- Read the Sarah Palin Big News page.
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:58 am

Bike-Sharing Around The WorldWhat is Bike-Sharing? If you are at all familiar with the Zip Car model of car-sharing, then you should already undersand how bike-sharing works. Essentially, in a bike-share program bicycles are made available at special kiosks or racks that are strategically placed around a city. Users can access the bikes 24 hours a day, either by inserting a credit card or by paying an annual fee for a membership card. The bikes can then be returned at any of the stations in the city. While the details of the program vary by city, the basic concept has caught on and spread like wildfire. In fact, there was even a bike-sharing program in place at this year's Democratic National Convention! Bike-Sharing Goes Global Especially as gas prices rise and the c
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:49 am

AP's Fournier Noted Clinton's 21 "I"s -- But Not McCain's 100Last week, in an apparent effort to paint Sen. Hillary Clinton as self-absorbed, the AP's Ron Fournier counted the number of times she used "some variation of the pronoun 'I'" in her convention speech. Fournier came up with 17. Media Matters checked his work, and found 21 such uses. But Fournier's point was undermined by the fact that at least 13 of those uses of the pronoun were about Clinton's support for Obama, the importance of the 2008 election, or what matters in the election. So ... when can we expect Fournier to tally up the number of times John "cause greater than self" McCain used the pronoun "I" in his convention speech? It's well over 100 -- and that doesn't even count variations.
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:45 am

Bush Troop Reduction Plan Expected Next Week: Up To 8,000 Out Of Iraq By Mid-JanuaryWASHINGTON — President Bush will announce his decision on future troops levels in Iraq next week and is expected to largely follow the recommendations of military leaders to reduce the number by up to 8,000 by mid-January. The closely held plan forwarded by top Pentagon advisers calls for keeping 15 combat brigades in Iraq until the end of the year, according to senior defense officials. It would also send a small Marine contingent to Afghanistan in November to replace one of two units slated to head home then. Bush is scheduled to make remarks Tuesday at the National Defense University in Washington. White House press secretary Dana Perino says he has been talking with his national security team and will be consulting with membe
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:29 am

Hometown Paper Blasts Palin's Stonewalling In Two EditorialsThe Anchorage Daily News criticizes Sarah Palin's reaction to the scandal over a state trooper in two editorials. The first attacks her overall response: Gov. Sarah Palin is taking the wrong approach to Troopergate. She should be practicing the open and transparent, ethical and accountable government she promised when running for governor and boasts about now that she's on the national stage. Instead, Gov. Palin has begun stonewalling the Legislature's attempt to get the bottom of allegations that she, her family or staff violated ethical or state personnel rules. The second specifically targets her one of her lawyer's moves as "more obstruction": Gov. Sarah Palin's lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, made an absurd threat in his battle to get
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:26 am

Sarah Palin's Strange eBay Exaggeration [UPDATED]UPDATE: John McCain, fibbing his way through an introduction of Palin in Cedarsburg, Wisconsin, advances the falsehood: "You know what i enjoyed the most? She took the luxury jet that was acquired by her predecessor and sold it on eBay -- made a profit." Well...no. ________ Politicians lie. They all do. The ones we have running all will lie, and if you're not choked with pure idealism you'll admit it. In fact, if you're jaded enough, you might even come to accept it, even respect it when it's done well. The concept isn't perplexing, especially when a deftly placed, glibly drawn half-truth can get yourself out of a dead-end argument. What is perplexing, however, are unnecessary lies. Silly falsehoods, said for no apparent reason,
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:25 am

Lifehacker

Docstoc Sync Automatically Syncs Documents to the Web [Featured Download]Windows/Mac: Free application Docstoc Sync automatically synchronizes files between your desktop computer and previously mentioned document sharing web site Docstoc. Once installed, the application monitors your documents folders and automatically syncs any changes you make. Documents can be uploaded as either public or private (any file in your My Documents folder defaults to private), which means you can use the app to either share docs on the web or back them up privately. Docstop Sync is freeware, Windows and Mac only. Docstoc Sync [via TechCrunch]
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:00 am

Top 10 Home Automation Projects [Lifehacker Top 10]You've got a computer that backs up vital documents, launches applications at the tap of a key, and effortlessly pulls down the information you need from the web—and yet you spend precious weekend time doing menial tasks like watering the lawn and getting rice ready for dinner. You can apply the same geeky spirit to your home as you do your computer desktop, and we've got a host of projects that take a short time to tackle and free you up for the fun stuff. Check out our favorite home automation projects then tell us how you make your household self-maintaining. 10. Make your money handle itself. It seems obvious, but a surprising number of geeks still manually shuffle their money around each month, paying bills as they come (or forgettin
» 5 Sep 2008, 9:00 am

iRinger Turns Music and Video Files into iPhone Ringtones [Featured Windows Download]Windows only: Desktop app iRinger converts any video or music file into an iPhone ringtone, including YouTube videos. You already saw how to make a ringtone using only iTunes, but iRinger brings audio effects (like fade in and out, flanger, and delay) and video support to its single, simple interface. You can download any YouTube clip, for example, and import it into iRinger to create a tone. iRinger does nag you with a pop-up sponsor window that you can't close unless you donate to the project; otherwise it's a handy all-in-one iPhone ringtone utility. iRinger is a free download for Windows only. Non-iPhone owners, here's how to turn any MP3 into a ringtone. Thanks, nyifan! iRinger [via Life Rocks 2.0]
» 5 Sep 2008, 8:30 am

Do Ebooks, Legal or Not, Make You Buy Real Books? [Ask The Readers]Popular author Stephenie Meyer put her eagerly-anticipated vampire genre sequel Twilight Sun on indefinite hold after copies of her rough draft showed up on BitTorrent sites. The (obviously somewhat biased) TorrentFreak takes authors to task for not using online leaks as a promotional tool, but I have to ask: Would having access to a digital copy of a nearly-complete book inspire you to purchase the ink-and-paper version? Would having an advanced ebook reader, like the increasingly popular Kindle, change you answer? Let's hear both sides in the comments. Furious Author Cancels Pirated Book [TorrentFreak]
» 5 Sep 2008, 8:00 am

Tumbltape Turns Your Tumblr Blog into a Playlist [Playlists]Want to share music playlists Muxtape style but don't want to muck around with PHP and host it yourself using Opentape? New service Tumbltape creates playlists of songs hosted on our favorite blogging tool, Tumblr. The ReadWriteWeb blog runs down how Tumbltape works.
» 5 Sep 2008, 7:30 am

Recover a Lost Linux Password [How To]If your memory or mistyping leaves you without the right password to get into an account on a Linux computer, there's no need to reformat. Make Magazine's Hacks Blog gives a step-by-step account of the command line fix you can make by booting into "single user mode." The fix is written from an Ubuntu perspective, but applies to most any Linux system that boots with the GRUB manager. It's also a reminder that even a password-protected Linux box isn't truly protected from the curious, so consider encrypting your data or taking other measures. Photo by Carl Johan. HOWTO - reset a lost Ubuntu password [Hacks Blog]
» 5 Sep 2008, 7:00 am

Love and Money [Sponsors]Thanks to this week's sponsors for the firewood, marshmallows, and skewers: Chevy Fuel Solutions, IE8, Mike's Election Guide, Sharp Aquos, Sprint, Starwood Hotels, Symantec, T-Mobile, and Unscrew America. You too can toast your marshmallows on our bonfire—advertise on Lifehacker.
» 5 Sep 2008, 6:30 am

Break the Job Search "Rules" to Land a Great Gig [Job Search]Job listing site CareerBuilder lists seven so-called rules of job hunting that are sometimes necessary to break in order to land a job that's perfect for you. One in particular—applying for jobs without the listed experience requirement—should inspire anyone feeling overwhelmed: Forty-six percent of executives said they rely heavily on instinct when making a hiring decision, according to a survey by Robert Half International. If their gut says to hire the candidate with minimum experience but an explosive personality over the aloof applicant with years of experience — they'll usually take the former. For more job search tips and tricks, check out our compiled guide to nabbing the job you want. Photo by cmatulewicz. Seven exceptions to
» 5 Sep 2008, 6:00 am

Track Long-Term Goals on Your iPhone [Goals]Previously mentioned long-term goal tracker Lifetick adds a slick iPhone interface and iCal subscriptions, upping the everywhere-you-look usefulness. As with the standard site, free users can set four goals with unlimited sub-tasks; $20/year members get journals and data tools. [via]
» 5 Sep 2008, 5:30 am

Get More Omnibox Suggestions in Google Chrome [Google Chrome]The How-To Geek jumps into Google's browser and comes up with a tweak to change the number of suggestions and history items in the drop-down "Omnibox," the non-Firefox equivalent of an AwesomeBar. The trick is to add a preference, or switch, after the .exe in the shortcut you launch Chrome from. If you wanted Chrome to suggest 10 options, for instance, add this line: -omnibox-popup-count=10 Found any other undocumented command line switches in Chrome? Tell us about them in the comments. Increase Google Chrome's Omnibox Popup Suggestion Count With an Undocumented Switch [The How-To Geek]
» 5 Sep 2008, 5:00 am

Music, Stats, and Docks [Featured Desktop]The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser. Reader hhggrr's tweaked desktop configuration sports a customized dashboard with a focus on music, system stats, and docks that leave you questioning at first glance whether you're looking at a Windows installation. hhggrr's desktop puts several previously mentioned applications to great use, including: MiniLyrics to fetch and embed music lyrics Samurize for system stats and weather CD Art Display to embed album art and song information RocketDock Head over to Flickr for more details in the notes (namely which apps are used to achieve which effects). Got a desktop you think is worthy of the spotlight? Add it to the Lifehacker Desktop Show and Tell Group on Flickr. My MS
» 4 Sep 2008, 4:00 pm

Mashable!

Streamfile Simplifies On-Demand File Sharing (The Startup Review)Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series at Mashable - The Startup Review, Sponsored by Sun Microsystems Startup Essentials. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. STARTUP DETAILS: Company Name: Streamfile 20-word Description: Streamfile is an emerging startup with revolutionary technology in the file transfer space. CEO’s Pitch: Streamfile.com allows anyone to “stream” files that are too big to email without any additional need of installed software other than a browser. Streamfile is a hosted FTP replacement solution that allows streaming functionality. By streaming, we mean that when an uploader sends a file, downloaders are able to start the download process imm
» 25 Jul 2008, 10:10 am

Why I Love Corporate Blogs (And You Should Too)It seems that everywhere I look, there’s someone telling us why corporate blogs are not only a waste of time if you’re looking for something to read, but they offer no value and should be taken down as soon as possible. The detractors claim corporate blogs lack transparency, fail to adapt to the changing times, and generally play the PR game without ever admitting issues or entering into a discussion with the reader. I think that’s pure rubbish. Sure, most of these corporate blogs play the PR game and would rather tell you how wonderful they are than how awful they’ve performed over time, but who cares? Do you really go to a corporate blog looking for the company to bash itself? I seriously doubt the shareholders would be too ha
» 25 Jul 2008, 8:50 am

Firefox Plugin socialbrowse Expands Commenting Features (400 Invites)socialbrowse, the Firefox plugin that lets you surf the Web in a link-sharing social manner, has just re-released its service with a couple of major new features. The Y Combinator-backed startup as been in private beta for some time, and will remain in private beta for a little while longer, but those users testing the service will be able to access and utilize its new features (get your invite below). The new features revolve around the social sharing capabilities that socialbrowse has already laid out. The first new feature supports in-page commenting, which allows you to leave comments on a link you’re visiting without having to leave the page. Submitting a comment, just as with a shared link, will broadcast your content across th
» 25 Jul 2008, 8:01 am

Four More SummerMashes, Eight More Chances to Win Tickets to SXSWi in 2009!Mashable is headed on its second leg of the Summer Tour, beginning with Austin, followed by Miami, Boston, and ending at New York City. During each of these SummerMashes, attendees have a chance to score some sweet tickets to Austin’s hottest interactive festival. That’s right, the nice folks behind South by Southwest are giving away two tickets per city to SXSWi 2009, which will be held from March 13-17 next year. Be sure to sign up for the events now if you haven’t, because prices will go up (and not down) for each individual SummerMash. You could win tickets to one of the best tech events of the year! ---Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking Blog:FlashMashMeet @ Austin Airport Concludes SXSWiChance to Win 1 of 4
» 25 Jul 2008, 7:25 am

So, That’s Why Google Bought Russian Ad Company BegunThe 140 million dollars that Google dished out for Russian contextual ad company Begun now seems rather cheap, given their fantastic financial results for the first half of 2008. As reported by Profy, Begun has had 25% higher profits in the first two quarters of 2008 than in the entire 2007. Add to that the 173.000 publishers (an increase of 30.000 over last year) in Begun’s roster and it’s obvious that this company is on track to completely corner the huge Russian contextual advertising market. In other words, Begun was ripe for acquisition; it probably needed funds to be able to sustain its quick growth, and on the other hand it showed huge potential. The question is, how do Microsoft, AOL and others always manage to miss chances li
» 25 Jul 2008, 5:50 am

Thanks to This Week’s SponsorsThanks to this week’s advertisers and partners for helping us grow to be the #1 social news blog in the world. Advertise with us and get noticed. Help us to help you. Mashable is seeking out site sponsors for our large diverse audience — social media users, venture capitalists, PR people, developers, bloggers, and many more. You’ll receive hundreds of thousands of views a day in addition to weekly recognition to thank you as our premium sponsors. Are you interested? Contact us for more information and to receive our brand new media kit and rate card. This week, our valued sponsors are DEMOfall08, EdgeCast, IDrive, Clickatell, and Userplane. On September 7 through 9th, 2008, be the first to see the most innovative, marketing defining
» 25 Jul 2008, 3:06 am

And This is Why China is Every Internet Company’s Wet DreamAccording to the latest government data, China now has 253 million Internet users, due to recent sharp growth - 56 percent from last year. The inevitable has happened: China now has more Internet users than the USA, which is at 223.1 million with 71% online penetration. The fact that the Chinese government is exercising very strict control and censorship over internet use has immensely slowed down the growth of Internet use in this country, but when you’ve got a population of over 1.3 billion, even a relatively small fraction of it is enough to become a global leader. Yes, the really amazing thing is the fact that the online penetration is China is mere 19.1 percent, way, way lower than the USA and most European countries. Financial facts
» 25 Jul 2008, 1:38 am

Old Media Deathrace 5000I know there’s a good portion of you that are going to instantly groan at the headline, either because it’s a territory that’s been hashed out a number of times from a number of different angles or because you’re one of those folks who simply doesn’t believe there are such thing as “killer” technology (I’ve had that conversation with a few folks recently). But Duncan Riley put out an interesting, if not provocative, editorial this evening entitled “Television will be the first traditional media medium to fall.”  Personally, I have always felt that radio would be the first to falter, though in a neck-and-neck race with newsprint, but Duncan Riley puts some new stats to work in support the prediction today: The television
» 25 Jul 2008, 1:36 am

Twitter’s Communication Classification (video)Last Friday, our resident cranky fart Steven Hodson posited that Twitter wasn’t, in fact, a status micro-blogging utility but in fact a communictations tool most closely resembling instant messaging. Certainly when I’m attempting to explain Twitter to newbies, that is the easiest way to explain it, but quite a few of you Mashable readers took exception to the characterization. As of the time of this writing, the debate still rages on with the comment count in the triple digit range. From Steven’s editorial: It amazes me how anyone in all seriousness can even consider the inane twaddle that permeates the Internet from services like Twitter as even coming close to blogging or micro-blogging. Has anyone really paid attention to what is b
» 24 Jul 2008, 7:42 pm

Mashable Rocks: Get Your Mac OS X Dashboard WidgetYou know you want Mashable on your desktop’s Dashboard — that way you can ensure you never miss a post and see articles real time as we post them! Interested? Check out Mashable’s brand new Mac OS X Dashboard widget made by one of our dedicated readers, Joel Then. Enjoy reading Mashable whenever you pull up your Dashboard, and thank you to Joel for the awesome unexpected Mashable treat! ---Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking Blog:WidSets Officially Launches Completely Revamped SiteKuler Could Be Adobe’s First Apollo ReleaseUniversal Widget API DebutsReverbNation Widget Available in FreewebsPoptopus Pays When Your Song Gets PlayedPlacely’s Public Beta Launches with New FeaturesMuseStorm Launches Widget Tracking
» 24 Jul 2008, 6:35 pm

We’re All Live Blogging, But Why?When the CEO one of the most followed companies on the Web goes on stage for two hours, you can bet that the press will be listening to every word, looking to break a major piece of news for their respective organization. But yesterday, with Mark Zuckerberg on stage at F8, why did we all (including us) feel so compelled to “live blog” the event, given it was being broadcast live on video – quite publicly - via Facebook’s own web site? In retrospect, it seems rather ridiculous. While plenty of big news came out of the event – the launch of Facebook Connect, Facebook Translations for Developers, and the Great Apps program, just to name a few things – it seems like those who cared enough to get these announcements “live” we
» 24 Jul 2008, 3:37 pm

Perez Hilton

Dr. Laura's Anti-PalinThe Right's Dr. Laura plans to vote for John McCain, but she's not pleased with the choice of Sarah Palin as VP. The doc took to her blog and slammed Palin by calling her an unsuitable role model: I’m stunned - couldn’t the Republican Party find one competent female with adult children to run for Vice President [...]
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:44 am

Cute, But Still OverpricedLauren Conrad's hired hands did a fairly good job for her Fall 2008 collection. We think the Fall clothes are much cuter than the stuff they did for Summer. The threads are still way overpriced, though! That cute white number is $170. Big price for such little cloth! What do y'all think? U likey the looks???
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:37 am

Headline Of The Week Weak"Drug-addicted elephant kicks heroin habit" How was he addicted to heroin in the first place???? CLICK HERE to read the article accompanying this headline. [Image via WENN.] Drug-addicted elephant kicks heroin habit BEIJING - A once drug-addled elephant fed heroin-laced bananas by illegal traders will return home after emerging clean from a three-year detox program on China's tropical island [...]
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:23 am

Michael Moore's Feeling GenerousMichael Moore is taking a page from the Radiohead play book. He's releasing his latest movie, Slacker Uprising, as a free download for three weeks starting on September 23rd. We heart free! The flick follows Moore's 62-city tour during the 2004 election to rally young voters. According to reports, the free release is Moore's symbol of gratitude [...]
» 5 Sep 2008, 11:22 am

Talking VajayjayAs we mentioned in July, Jerry O'Connell and his wife, Rebecca Romijn O'Connell, have confirmed news that they are expecting their first child together. Actually, it'll be twins! Celebs sure are having a lot of twins lately. Jerry stopped by the Howard Stern show this week, where he opened up to Howard about his personal life. Stern chatted with [...]
» 5 Sep 2008, 8:30 am

Kiki Burglar Gets TimeA drug addicted burglar named Jarrod Beinerman, who broke into Kiki Dunst's NY hotel room in August 2007, will be doing some time. The burglar has been sentenced to 4.5 years in jail. He was allowed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of attempted burglary. Police say cash, cameras, an iPod, wallets and purses were stolen from [...]
» 5 Sep 2008, 8:15 am

Romeo Beckham's Star Studded Bday BashVictoria Beckham treated son Romeo to a star-studded, superhero-themed birthday bash on Thursday in Los Angeles. Supermodel Heidi Klum, rocker Gavin Rossdale and rock spawn Kingston Rossdale (sans new mommy Gwen Stefani) were among the partygoers. Aren't Romeo and Cruz Beckham just adorable in their superhero outfits? [Image via Fame Pictures.]
» 5 Sep 2008, 8:00 am

Ghostbusters Reunion!!!Hollywood's taking care of its senior citizens! According to Variety, Columbia Pictures has hired The Office exec producers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky to write a Ghostbusters reunion flick! Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson must be jumping for joy! How do y'all feel about the old dogs coming back to fight ghosts? With The [...]
» 5 Sep 2008, 7:42 am

A Worthwhile CauseCLICK HERE to read up and donate to a very worthwhile cause! "Family Support Line provides professional services in a supportive and caring manner to heal and prevent child sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse is an often-denied problem that occurs in all neighborhoods and has far reaching effects on children and families. Our community education programs work [...]
» 5 Sep 2008, 7:38 am

Drunkst=Insecure BitchUnfortunately, Kiki Dunst will be back on the big screen in the upcoming flick the How To Lose Friends & Alienate People, an adaptation of the book of the same name. And, according to a new report, Drunkst caused some mayjah dramz on the set. The book's author, Toby Young, has revealed that Kiki had him banned [...]
» 5 Sep 2008, 7:30 am

ProBlogger

Punctuation, Spelling and Grammar - Quality Control for BloggersIn our series on crafting blog content we’re at stage 7 (of 10) and having chosen our topic, crafted a title, written an engaging opening line, written a meaningful post, added a call to action and added depth - we’re finally ready to hit ‘publish’! Or are we? Image by geminicollisionworks Today I want to talk about Quality [...]
» 5 Sep 2008, 7:09 am

How to Make Money With Affiliate Programs on Your Blog - More ThoughtsYesterday I shared 5 lessons on making money with affiliate programs on your blog. As I read through the comments on that post and pondered it some more thoughts came to mind that I think are worth adding: Test and Track Results I’ve written numerous times on ProBlogger about testing and tweaking advertising on your blog (for example [...]
» 4 Sep 2008, 5:00 pm

5 Lessons on Making Money with Affiliate ProgramsIn the last 24 hours I’ve been interviewed 3 times and on each occassion I was questioned about affiliate marketing and how to make money from it. Here are 5 lessons that I found myself touching on in each interview. Image by foundphotolj 1. Relevancy between Audience, Product and Content One key to high conversion when promoting affiliate products [...]
» 3 Sep 2008, 7:32 am

Joel Comm Releases Book - ‘Click Here to Order’A couple of weeks ago I received a package in the mail from internet marketer Joel Comm. The package contained his new book - Click Here to Order. With a new baby in the house it’s been difficult to find time to read the whole book but having got halfway through it I’m happy to say [...]
» 2 Sep 2008, 10:49 pm

13 Ways to Add New Dimensions to Your Next PostWhat do you see when you look at this image? Image by Lord V OK - so it’s two flies right? Yes it is…. but look a little harder. Have you ever used one of those crazy eye cross eye 3D multidimensional pictures? This is one of them. Relax, cross your eyes a little and stare [...]
» 2 Sep 2008, 7:36 am

How to Get Noticed [the Art of Positioning]Jeremiah Owyang has written a good post today on how to get noticed. Getting noticed is a major problem for most bloggers starting out (and most who have been going for years also). Jeremiah’s suggestions are great: Have a goal, Develop a unique brand, Get personal, Attend local events, Lead events, Be interesting and Archive your achievements. He [...]
» 1 Sep 2008, 8:16 pm

66% of Bloggers Don’t Run RSS Ads On Their Blog [POLL RESULTS]In our last ProBlogger Poll I asked readers whether they run RSS ads on their main blog. The results are in - 66% of you don’t run RSS ads on your blog. What I find interesting is that 18 months ago I ran this same poll. The results were that 75% of readers didn’t run RSS [...]
» 31 Aug 2008, 1:25 pm

Do you Make Money Online from non Blogging Sources? [POLL]Time for another ProBlogger poll - looking forward to hearing what you’ve got to say on this question: Do you Make Money Online from non Blogging Sources? Yes No View Results If your answer is yes - tell us what the source is in comments below. Share This
» 31 Aug 2008, 7:01 am

Thesis WordPress Updates and Offers a Weekend BonusI’ve been behind checking my email this week and it could have cost you a great deal…. Apparently the fantastic Thesis WordPress theme (see my first impressions of Thesis here) is running a special this weekend. They’ve just updated the theme with some great new features (see below) but if you buy it before the end [...]
» 31 Aug 2008, 4:12 am

8 Reasons Why Your Blog Might Not Be Accepted Into an Ad NetworkMitch from Technipages.com shot me an email this week asking me for advice on getting accepted into CPM banner ad networks like ValueClick, TribalFusion and others. He commented that while he has decent traffic (around 140,000 page views a month) he hadn’t had much luck with being accepted and asked for advice. This is a question [...]
» 30 Aug 2008, 7:55 am

10 Ways to Make Money BECAUSE of Your BlogWhat if I told you that there’s a way to make money as a result of your blog where you don’t need to have a single ad on your blog, where you don’t have to run any affiliate programs and where you don’t have to write any paid reviews? Would you be interested? Image by iDream_in_Infrared Much is [...]
» 29 Aug 2008, 7:03 am