Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “‘Obama That I Used to Know’ Parodies Gotye With Political Twist”

Tuesday 7 August 2012 by IrwanKch

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “‘Obama That I Used to Know’ Parodies Gotye With Political Twist”


‘Obama That I Used to Know’ Parodies Gotye With Political Twist

Posted: 07 Aug 2012 04:36 AM PDT


It was only a matter of time until someone on the Internet made a parody of Gotye's mega-hit, "Somebody That I Used to Know," about U.S. President Barack Obama.

While we all say we're "so over" the Gotye track, there's still something irresistible about the song.

SEE ALSO: What Happens Every Time Gotye Starts Playing

In this version, the male lead voices his disappointments with Obama's first term, as would be expected from the parody. While this may seem entirely predictable, we love the image of the two singers painted into the iconic Obama "Hope" portrait.

More About: YouTube, election 2012, gotye, obama, parody


Microsoft Reveals Windows 8 Packaging [PIC]

Posted: 07 Aug 2012 04:11 AM PDT


Microsoft just unveiled the packaging for its yet-to-be-released WIndows 8 operating system.

The colorful boxes showcase a multi-colored Windows logo on two different backgrounds -- white for Windows 8, and black for Windows 8 Pro. The images were acquired by The Verge.

Earlier reports suggested that Microsoft would no longer provide the retail boxed copies of Windows 8, aside from some upgrade DVDs.

Microsoft announced Oct. 26 as the consumer launch date for Windows 8. Last week, the company said it was releasing the operating system to its manufacturer partners.

What do you think of the packaging? Tell us in the comments

Image courtesy of The Verge

More About: Windows 8, microsoft


Not on Facebook? Employers, Psychiatrists May Think You’re a Psychopath

Posted: 07 Aug 2012 03:29 AM PDT


There are more than 955 million Facebook users, and it could hurt you to not be one of them.

Some psychiatrists and employers now find it suspicious for an individual to keep off Facebook, reports The Daily Mail. That's because for today's young generation, having Facebook is considered "normal," while opting out is considered "abnormal."

Employers may suspect that an applicant's absence from the social network means the account is so full of offensive material that it had to be deleted. After all, 90% of recruiters check out candidates' online profiles.

Similarly, psychologists see Facebook activity as a reflection of a healthy social life.

"The Internet has become a natural…
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More About: Facebook, Jobs, careers, employment, psychology, trending


Amazon Announces Ebooks Now Outsell Print Books in UK

Posted: 07 Aug 2012 03:02 AM PDT


It's been two years since Kindle launched in the UK, and in celebration Amazon released some interesting statistics.

Amazon UK now sells more ebooks than paperback and hardback print editions combined.

The retailer says for every 100 print books sold, 114 ebooks are purchased. These figures are specific to Amazon.co.uk and don't factor for print or ebook sales bought anywhere else online or in physical stores. Even so, this upsurge marks a definite -- though not surprising -- shift in the publishing world.

Kindle launched in the UK the summer of 2010, and within months became the best-selling product on Amazon. The family of Kindle ereaders allow users to download and read eb…
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More About: Kindle, amazon, ebooks


Florida Student Punished for Making Online Course Selection Easier

Posted: 07 Aug 2012 02:32 AM PDT


A Florida university punished student Tim Arnold after he built a service that aimed to make online course enrolment easier for his fellow classmates.

"U Could Finish" immediately notifies students via text when a spot in their desired class has opened up. Arnold, a senior at University of Central Florida, said in a June Reddit post that it checks myUCF, the university's online portal for course registration, every 60 seconds for free seats.

Arnold launched the service, which costs $0.99, via Facebook on June 2. U Could FInish had 500 users within six days, according to its official website, though university administrators blocked the service shortly after.

Arnold is now facing…
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More About: University of Central Florida, course, online, trending


AT&T Launching Shared Data Plans August 23

Posted: 07 Aug 2012 01:13 AM PDT


AT&T will officially launch shared data plans August 23, allowing you to share data between all your devices rather than need separate data plans for each individual gadget.

Plans are available in sizes ranging from 1GB to 20GB. Each plan is required to have one smartphone on it -– which will receive unlimited talk and text as part of the plan -– and can then have up to nine other devices added on to share the same data, with an extra charge if that device happens to be a phone. Each plan includes tethering, as well as access to over 30,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots.

Mobile Share plans won't be mandatory for new customers, so you can still rock an individual or family plan if you decid…
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More About: Mobile, att, smartphones, tablets, trending


Amazon Launches Textbook Rental Service

Posted: 07 Aug 2012 12:09 AM PDT


Amazon is trying to lighten the load for college students heading back to campuses this Fall. The company announced today that they are launching a textbook rental service for co-eds to get books on a per semester basis.

Textbook costs have always been a significant portion of a student's yearly fees, forcing kids and parents to spend upwards of $600 a year at collegiate bookstores just for class required materials.

With Amazon's new service, students simply search for their required reading books on the site and pay the fee (Amazon says its service can save students as much as 70 percent off the retail price). At the end of the semester, students must return the book -- Amazon w…
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More About: amazon, trending


The FBI Finally Abandons Paper, Goes All-Digital

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 11:24 PM PDT


The Federal Bureau of Investigation's agents have finally made the leap into the future, upgrading from paper files to a digital case management system at a cost of more than $600 million.

Sentinel, the agency's all-digital system, features a web browser-style user interface that allows agents to enter and review information about cases or suspects. Agents can do quick searches to see if one of their cases has any similarities to other cases, an improvement which should speed up investigations. Additionally, agents can electronically sign documents using an identification badge reader.

Certain elements of Sentinel have been in use by FBI agents f…
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More About: FBI, Newsy, US, government, trending


Amazon Launches Game Studio, Gives Zynga Competition

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 09:29 PM PDT


Amazon is entering the social gaming market with the debut of its new department, Amazon Game Studios.

In a blog post, the ecommerce retailer says the studio will be developing "innovative, fun and well-crafted games."

Amazon cites the popularity of social games among its customers as the reason for its foray into the market.

"We know that many Amazon customers enjoy playing games -- including free-to-play social games -- and thanks to Amazon's know-how, we believe we can deliver a great, accessible gaming experience that gamers and our customers can play at any time," the post said.

The Seattle-based company debuted its first major release, titled Living Classics, on Monday.…
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More About: Facebook, Zynga, amazon, social games, social gaming, trending


Take a Look at Andy Warhol Cookbook Illustrations From 1961

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 08:54 PM PDT





Image courtesy of Crossett Library

Click here to view this gallery.


Famed pop art icon Andy Warhol is perhaps best remembered for soup cans and Marilyn Monroe, but before the eccentric artist gained fame for his paintings, he worked as an commercial illustrator.

To celebrate what would have been Warhol's 84th birthday on August 6th, we looked back at some of his earliest work, published in a 1961 cookbook.

The recipe tome, Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Cook Book, predates Warhol's first solo pop art exhibition in New York City. The illustrations include simple sketches of meat cuts, decorative lemon slices and buffet party layout options.

A Ribbon Tea Sandwich salute to you, Mr. Warhol.

More About: Watercooler, art


Wisemarkit Lets Aspiring Entrepreneurs Launch Virtual Boutiques

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 08:20 PM PDT


Wisemarkit is an online shopping platform that rewards its members for curating successful online boutiques. If your recommendations drive sales on third-party websites, you'll earn a cut of the revenue.

More About: bizspark, online shopping, wisemarkit


Rogue Shopping Cart Guy Causes Traffic Delays [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 07:59 PM PDT


Things that cause traffic jams: flat tires, fender benders and some dude rolling along on a shopping cart.

Commuters on a highway in Russia had to slow down to avoid colliding with a man who looked like he got lost on his way into the market.

More About: Watercooler, YouTube, viral videos


Men Are More Likely to Back Up Their Files Than Women [STUDY]

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 07:32 PM PDT


Computer failure happens. The loss of important data can hobble your productivity, your business and leave a hole in your digital memory.

While many now conduct their work and play on far-flung servers (we store our messages in Gmail and keep our family photos on Facebook), there are likely critical files on your PC or smartphone that would not be recoverable in the event of hardware failure.

Seagate and Harris Interactive conducted a survey of 2,205 U.S. adults -- 90% of whom feel their digital content is valuable. Yet, 30% of women surveyed do not back up their files at all. That compares with 19% of men who never back up. Only 10% of adults surveyed back up their files daily.

An…
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More About: backup, data, infographics, online backup, trending


Curiosity Rover Tweets Otherworldly Footage of Descent to Mars [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 07:11 PM PDT


Ever wonder what it'd be like to hurtle through the Martian sky down to the surface of Earth's closest planetary relative? A new video from the Mars Curiosity rover provides a fascinating glimpse, thanks to social media.

The @MarsCuriosity Twitter account posted a link to a YouTube video late Monday afternoon chronicling its recent descent to the Red Planet. The stop-motion video, compiled via 297 frames shot during the final two-and-a-half minutes of the rover's journey, is embedded above. Below, is the tweet that the rover's sassy, silly Twitter account used to share the video with the world:

Look out below! What descent to the surface of Mars looked like from my POV #MSL #MARD
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More About: Mars, NASA, curiosity rover, space


Study: 45 Million Americans Used Their Phones to Shop in June

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 06:48 PM PDT


Shopping on your mobile device is becoming simpler. As app developers continue to make the mobile shopping experience more seamless, consumers are eager to test out new apps and mobile shopping experiences.

A recent Nielsen survey showed 45 million American smartphone owners used an app from the Shopping/Commerce category in June 2012 -- accessing shopping apps an average of more than 17 times during the month.

In June alone, shopping apps for eBay and Amazon attracted 13 million and 12 million unique users, respectively. Daily deals sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial aren't far behind with more than 10 million Americans using those apps in June.

"Retailers are finding that…
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More About: Mobile, ecommerce, mobile commerce, smartphone


Hey Apple, Make this NASA Picture Your New Ad Campaign

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 05:47 PM PDT


Apple disappointed fanboys and critics alike with its most recent series of commercials that aired during the first week of the Olympics.

The "Genius" spots struck a tone that had fans questioning if the company lost its advertising Midas touch.

Well, scratch that lapse in marketing judgement -- because NASA has come to the rescue.

The pictures of the agency's Curiosity Rover Mission Control, where apparently everyone uses Macs, could easily become the basis of new ads. The tagline? Something like Apple: For Doing Stuff Like Landing on Mars.

Maybe the copy needs a bit of tweaking, but you get the idea.

Via @lhasapso

More About: Mars, NASA, Watercooler, apple, curiosity rover, space


Online Campaign Raises Money for Victims of Sikh Temple Shooting

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 05:27 PM PDT


An Indiegogo campaign has raised over $45,000 for the victims of Sunday's Sikh temple shooting just south of Milwaukee, Wis. -- surpassing its initial goal of $25,000 in less than one day. With 25 days left in the campaign, viral philanthropists continue to donate toward the new goal of $75,000.

UPDATE: As of Tuesday morning, the $75,000 goal has been reached, and the campaign has a new goal of $100,000.

The money from the Support the Milwaukee Community campaign will be used to offset the costs of medical bills, funeral expenses and psychological counseling for the victims and their families. The names of the people who started the campaign and their contact information are listed…
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More About: Social Good, crowdfunding, indiegogo, shooting, viral philanthropy


Meet NASA’s Mohawk Guy [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 05:08 PM PDT


While NASA's team was accomplishing the incredible feat of landing its Curiosity rover on Mars, the legendary Mohawk Guy -- spotted throughout NASA TV's livestream Sunday evening -- rapidly became an Internet sensation.

But Mohawk Guy isn't just a fun haircut. He's Bobak Ferdowski, flight director of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity mission. And once he went viral, it didn't take tweeps long to find his Twitter account, @tweetsoutloud – which shot from 200 followers to more than 20,000.

Shira caught up with Bobak to learn more about his rise to online stardom, his eccentric hairstyles, and what it takes to land on Mars.

More About: Curiosity, Mars rover, NASA


An Olympic Gymnast’s Bad Day Is Much Worse Than Yours

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 04:40 PM PDT


The Cry Heard Around the World




U.S. gymnast Jordyn Wieber breaks down after failing to qualify for the women's all-around finals on July 29.

Click here to view this gallery.


Here's what women's gymnastics have taught us at this year's Olympic Games: Everyone hates the balance beam; a perfect score of 10.0 no longer exists; button earrings are the new Scrunchies.

But the most important lesson we've learned is that you are never guaranteed a sticky landing -- no matter who you are.

SEE ALSO: This Tumblr Celebrates the Greatest Olympic Tradition: Scrunchies

Perhaps the reason we love our gymnastics is because we love also love drama. And drama in (sort of) real time is always a win.

Gabby Douglas and the Fab 5 blew the world away with their sick moves. But gold medals and toothy grins don't come without a high price of faceplants and gut-wrenching ded…
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More About: animated GIFs, gymnastics, olympics


Can a Viral Video Help Unemployed Veterans?

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 04:16 PM PDT


For military veterans returning to home to the U.S. from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's not always easy finding a civilian job: the unemployment rate among young veterans is more than 12% and about four percentage points higher than the national average for all workers.

Veteren unemployment is an underreported problem, but one company thinks it's found the answer to tackling the issue head-on: viral videos.

Training Camp, an IT training and certification firm, is hosting a viral video contest for unemployed veterans, replete with cash prizes for the winners. The idea? Veterans make short videos that can be "funny, silly, heartwarming or witty" centered around a common them…
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More About: US, YouTube, military, viral videos


100+ Hot Jobs in Social Media, Tech and Digital Media

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 03:54 PM PDT


Mashable's mission is to inform the connected generation; but we can help you put that knowledge to work, too.

Since 2005, Mashable has been committed to bringing the top digital, social and tech news and resources to our readers. Over time, we've built a readership of 20 million people who are well versed in digital trends, social media and all the hottest technologies. So when the world's best companies are looking to fill open positions, they post them on the Mashable Job Board. New jobs are added every day, and many positions are "exclusive" (denoted with an asterisk) -- employers know that if they're going to find the right person for the job, they're going to find them reading Mash
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More About: Jobs, mashable


RIP YouTube iPhone App, 2007-2012 — Why You Won’t Be Missed

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 03:35 PM PDT



Mashable OP-ED: This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.

Back when the iPhone first launched, there was a joke about the YouTube app on it. One nerd, or tech reviewer, would describe it as a "dumbed-down YouTube experience." To which another would shoot back: "is that even possible?"

Well, here we are, five years later. YouTube the service has gotten a whole lot stronger and smarter in so many ways (as well as a whole lot dumber in some of its corners -- something which turns out to be exceedingly and eternally possible).

But the iPhone app, even transplanted to the iPad, has stayed exactly as dumb as it always was. It'll find the YouTube content you want a third of the time, if you're lucky. They should call it YouRoulette, because…
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More About: YouTube, ios6, iphone


Flexible Battery Could Lead to Gadgets That Fold Up [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 03:09 PM PDT


Korean scientists have created a battery that's so super-thin and flexible that it could one day lead to gadgets with big screens that can be folded away into your pocket.

A big limitation on the screen size of portable electronics is screen size. Since today's phones, tablets and e-readers are rigid, there's an upper limit to what can fit in a pocket or handbag. But the gadget can fold up, that's another story.

We've had flexible screens for a while -- both E Ink screens (common on ereaders) and OLEDs (on some phones) can be made flexible. However, other components aren't quite so adaptable, especially the battery, which tends to be one of the largest single parts of any portable…
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More About: battery, e-readers, flexible screens


Guitarist Slash Rolls Out Cutting-Edge Apps for Music Fans

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 02:45 PM PDT


Electric guitar legend Slash from Guns N' Roses will never admit it to you, but he's a pretty tech savvy guy. In addition to his love for playing Angry Birds in Space, sending tweets and checking out music on Spotify, the top-hat wearing icon has his own new collection of iOS apps that give fans a new way to experience music and albums.

In partnership with his album "Apocalyptic Love" featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators -- which debuted in May 2012 -- Slash recently rolled out two cutting-edge apps: The Slash 360 app [iTunes link], which gives an inside look at the recording of the album, and the AmpliTube Slash edition app, allowing fans to play, practice and record music vi…
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More About: AmpliTube, Entertainment, angry birds, apps, slash


Spoiler Meme: Tumblr Parodies Batman Villain

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 02:21 PM PDT





GIF courtesy of People Dying Like Marion Cotillard

Click here to view this gallery.


Spoiler Alert: If you're the last person on Earth who hasn't seen The Dark Knight Rises, this Tumblr will reveal a big plot point.

People Dying Like Marion Cotillard features folks putting their own spin on the French actress' dramatic demise in the Batman flick. Could the over-the-top death scene put Cotillard in the running for her second Academy Award? Somewhere the frequently killed off and Oscar-less Leonardo DiCaprio weeps.

More About: Watercooler, batman, tumblr


Justin Bieber Effect Launches Lucky Startup [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 02:02 PM PDT


There's no denying teenage singing phenom Justin Bieber's star power. His good looks, luscious locks and soulful voice can make a stadium full of girls weep. But, can Bieber also push tech startups to stardom?

Apparently so -- over the weekend the social ratings iPhone app Stamped soared in the Apple App Store after Bieber mentioned them on Twitter. The Canadian singer–songwriter is a force to be reckoned with on the microblogging platform with 26.2 million followers and counting.

SEE ALSO: You and Bieber Together at Last, With Augmented Reality App

Stamped debuted in late July with immense star power behind it. The startup's investors inc…
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More About: Social Media, Twitter, Video, apple, apps, justin bieber, stamped


Top 8 Comments on Mashable This Week

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 01:44 PM PDT


This week on Mashable, commenters debated Apple's latest ad campaign, Eminem's social media presence and discussed the usefulness of laptop "feet." From the Olympics to malicious trolls, giant yachts and millionaires, commenters had a lot to talk about this week.

Apple's latest commercials sparked a love/hate debate amongst our readers. The 3 commercials aired last week and show a "Genius" who uses his savvy to assist seemingly inept Apple users in real life situations.

Commenters also had a lot to say about how NBC and the International Olympic Committee have been handling the Olympics broadcast. Lance Ulanoff, editor-in-chief of Mashable wrote an op-ed about the issue and our r…
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More About: community, mashable follow, top comments


Watch Usain Bolt’s Epic 100M Victory — in Legos! [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT


If you missed Usain Bolt's 100M run Sunday night, here's another option to view the race. The people at The Guardian were nice enough to depict the epic Olympics triumph in Legos.

In this clip, you'll get all the drama -- including Bolt's friendly rivalry with fellow countryman Yohan Blake -- encapsulated into the original 9.64 seconds plus a replay. Olympic moments dramatized with Lego just don't get any better than this.

More About: 2012 Olympics, Lego, viral videos


Top 20 Fashion Accounts to Follow on Pinterest

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 01:21 PM PDT


1. Lauren Santo Domingo




Lauren Santo Domingo, a contributing editor at Vogue and co-founder of luxury retail startup Moda Operandi, is a qualified Pinterest addict with more than 3,200 pins. Her boards are full of the people, clothes and rooms that inspire her. Be sure to check out Santo Domingo's boards of her own outfits (she was just named to Vanity Fair's 2012 International Best Dressed List) and summer fashion.

Click here to view this gallery.


Over the past year, fashion brands and enthusiasts have taken to Pinterest with the same enthusiasm they first brought to Tumblr a year before. Style and fashion is the third most popular category on Pinterest, and the network continues to grow as a repository for beautiful, inspiring fashion content.

SEE ALSO: 10 Etsy Shops for Covetable Fashion Accessories

But anyone who has used Pinterest for awhile begins to notice that some of the content is redundant. Users often pick from the same sources (Scott Schuman, Tommy Ton, Net-a-Porter), and certain pins appear in one's feeds over and over again.

With that in mind, we selected 20 fashion-focused Pinterest accounts that not only o…
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More About: fashion, pinterest


Music Monday: Robot Rock

Posted: 06 Aug 2012 01:07 PM PDT


It's no secret that Mashable loves robots. From a giant 4,000-pound, six-legged hydraulic robot to small vacuum cleaning robots, we love bringing you the latest on how these machines are changing our lives.

Robots can be found everywhere from our homes to our doctors' offices. They can defuse bombs, operate vehicles and even play ping-pong. You name it — some form of robot has been built to do it.

This week we put together a playlist dedicated to these life-changing machines. From techno to classic rock this Music Monday features some of our favorite robot tunes.

Music Monday is a weekly post that allows us to share our love of music with you. So every Monday we publish a Sp…
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More About: music monday, spotify


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