Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Play Minecraft in Real Life [VIDEO]”

Monday 24 September 2012 by IrwanKch

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Play Minecraft in Real Life [VIDEO]”


Play Minecraft in Real Life [VIDEO]

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 04:09 AM PDT


Tired of hacking away at Minecraft blocks in the virtual world?

Fans of the sandbox game can now fulfil their architectural fantasies in the real world. Technology developer Ben Purdy created cardboard cubes with a piezoelectric sensor on the inside, which is hooked up to an Arduino board. Together, they detect physical impact and send "serial data" to Purdy's computer, which then projects the corresponding images.

Purdy displayed his blocks at XOXO, an arts and technology festival in Portland, Ore., where players raced against each other.

Would you play Minecraft in real life? Tell us in the comments below.

More About: arduino, minecraft


Foxconn China Plant Closed After Massive Brawl

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:04 AM PDT


Taiwan's Foxconn, the company that manufactures parts for Apple's iPhone, has been forced to shut down its Taiyuan plant after a massive brawl among workers, 40 of which have been injured.

Reuters reports the incident has started as a personal dispute in one of the plant's dormitories, escalating into a full-on brawl involving 2,000 people.

The Taiyuan plant employs about 79,000 workers. According to China's Xinhua News Agency, it took around 5,000 police to stop the fighting.

"The cause of this dispute is under investigation by local authorities and we are working closely with them in this process, but it appears not to have been work-related," said Foxconn in a statement.

Fo
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More About: Foxconn, brawl, riot


Watch the Emmys Opening Skit: Jimmy Kimmel Cries, Gets Punched

Posted: 24 Sep 2012 01:47 AM PDT


Missed the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards or want to relive some of it? Watch the star-studded opening skit in which we find host Jimmy Kimmel in a beauty crisis just before showtime.

A panic-stricken Kimmel escapes into the ladies' restroom to grieve, but the funniest females on TV are nearby to console him. At one point bemoans, "I look hideous; I can't host the Emmys."

That comment draws the attention from a horde of reality TV hosts, who pop up in a stall next to Kimmel's.

SEE ALSO: Tracy Morgan's Emmys Stunt Instantly Sparks 25,000 Tweets

Also, HBO's Lena Dunham from Girls is naked eating a cake.


BONUS: The Emmys in Damn You Auto Correct Style

More About: Emmys, Emmys 2012, Entertainment, TV, celebrities, emmy awards, jimmy kimmel, social tv


How Social Media Distracts You at Work [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 10:42 PM PDT


How often does the social media monster swallow you whole?

More than you may think, according to Red e App, which lets consumers get notifications from businesses without having to provide their personal information.

The company developed an infographic, below, that details how interruptions impact employee productivity.

"Is it possible to be too connected in this digital age?" Red e App asks. "Research data indicates, yes."

Among the findings, the infographic shows that workers are interrupted approximately once every 10.5 minutes, and that it takes an average of 23 minutes to return to an assigned task. The impact of these interruptions is staggering -- costing the American ec…
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More About: Social Media, employees, trending


Watch Social Good Summit’s Global Conversation Live From Beijing, Mogadishu, Nairobi

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 10:18 PM PDT


One of the most exciting parts of the 2012 Social Good Summit is the Global Conversation, three satellite programs in Nairobi, Kenya; Mogadishu, Somalia; and Beijing, China. Each of these cities will be hosting its own Social Good Summit, which will stream live on the same feed as New York's.

Here's the schedule for the round-the -clock -- and world -- day of social good.

6:30 GMT / 2:00 a.m. ET Beijing, China (2:30 p.m. local time)
10:00 GMT / 6:00 a.m. ET Mogadishu, Somalia (1 p.m. local time)
13:00 GMT / 9:00 a.m. ET Nairobi, Kenya (4 p.m. local time)
15:00 GMT/ 11:00 a.m. ET New York, U.S.
End of Programme: 22:00 GMT / 6:00 p.m. ET New York, USA

This year's Social G…
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More About: Social Good, World, china, global conversation, social good summit, trending


Why Burberry Wants to Bring the Online Experience to Stores, and Not Vice Versa

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 09:50 PM PDT


Talk to a fashion executive about ecommerce, and he will inevitably cite the challenges of creating an online shopping environment on par with his flagship stores. Online shopping may be convenient, he will say, but customers will be denied the ability to try on a garment for fit, to feel the texture of a python bag, to be surrounded by the products, architecture, music and personnel that make up the store experience.

It's no surprise, then, that many apparel retailers, particularly those that fall in the luxury category, have invested heavily in bringing elements of the in-store shopping experience to their websites. While shopping on OscardelaRenta.com, you'll be encouraged to c…
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More About: burberry, christopher bailey, fashion, luxury, retail, trending


10 Tips and Tricks for Powerful Twitter Search

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 09:32 PM PDT


1. Understanding Twitter Search Results




Twitter search results are divided into sections. On the left, you can toggle between these categories: Tweets, People, Videos and Images. These results are determined by Twitter's search algorithms, as are the "top" tweet results. In Twitter's words, "We've built an algorithm that finds the tweets that have caught the attention of other users. Top Tweets will refresh automatically and are surfaced for popularly retweeted subjects based on this algorithm. We do not hand-select Top Tweets." For this reason, if you're looking for an at-a-glance look at a topic, Top Tweets is the way to go. If you're carrying out a more stringent search, be sure to click "All."

Click here to view this gallery.


With over 2,000 new tweets posted every second, there's a heck of a lot of information to wade through on Twitter, especially if you're looking for something specific.

If you want to get valuable Twitter search results, you need to learn the best strategy for finding that content in the first place. We have pulled together 10 useful tips and tricks for searching the microblogging platform, including how to find tweets by location and how to save searches for future reference.

SEE ALSO: 10 Facebook Tips for Power Users

Take a look though our handy hints in the slideshow above. Let us know in the comments below about any Twitter search tips you'd like to share.

More About: How-To, Social Media, Twitter, features, tips and tricks, trending


Social Good Summit Day 2: Highlights and Pics

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 08:56 PM PDT


Pete Cashmore, Mashable CEO




Click here to view this gallery.


The excitement continued through the second day of the 2012 Social Good Summit, with discussions of how social media could have prevented atrocities, bringing an end to human trafficking and social businesses for social good. The jam-packed day of fascinating presentations included the likes of U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, actor Forest Whitaker, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus and actress Mira Sorvino.

One highlight was environmentalist Jane Goodall teaching a chimpanzee call, and then mixing beats with DJ Apple Juice Kid.

Overnight U.S. time, the Global Conversation will kick off with partner events in Beijing, China; Mogadishu, Somalia; and Nairobi, Kenya, which will live
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More About: Social Good, Social Media, history, social good summit, trending


10 Cute YouTube Clips of Animals Playing Dead

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 08:29 PM PDT


1. Jesse Dramatically Plays Dead


This Jack Russell really hams it up.

Click here to view this gallery.


When you have a spare 10 minutes online, we suggest you watch watch a video of animal shenanigans. We scoured YouTube for classic clips of the ultimate pet trick -- playing dead.

For your amusement, we went beyond canines to cats, birds and even a dolphin trained to act dead.

SEE ALSO: Wheee! 10 YouTube Clips of Animals on Slides

Take a look through our video gallery of impressive animal trickery. Let us know in the comments below which critters you'd nominate for an animal Oscar.

More About: Video, Watercooler, YouTube, animals, features


13 Free iPhone Apps to Make Life Easier

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 08:01 PM PDT


1. iRuler




Instead of eyeballing it, messing up and having to go through the whole process again, measure with iRuler. The app is free of advertisements, and users can click to switch measurement types.

Click here to view this gallery.


With hectic days and packed schedules, we could use all the help we can get. Why not let your phone lift some of the burden? Your iPhone can help assist with everyday tasks — and all the apps are free.

SEE ALSO: 10 Free iPhone Apps You'll Use Every Day

From receipt storage to flashlights, these 15 free apps will help you avoid headaches and keep you organized.

More About: Mobile, apps, features, iphone, trending


The 10 Best Tech Rivalries of All Time

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 07:30 PM PDT


Bill Gates has pledged to give away $60 billion, making him probably the most generous philanthropist in history. Yet Steve Jobs was unimpressed. For him, such largesse was merely proof of Gates' utter dorkiness.

"Bill is basically unimaginative and has never invented anything, which is why I think he's more comfortable now in philanthropy than technology. He just shamelessly ripped off other people's ideas," Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson in Steve Jobs.

For his part, Gates was not afraid to kick Jobs when Apple was down, in 1998. "What I can't figure out is why [Jobs] is even trying [to be the CEO of Apple]?" Gates said at the time. "He knows he can't win." Cue evil laughter.…
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More About: Business, Google, IBM, Tech, apple, features, microsoft, trending


5 Ways to Use Pinterest for Your Job Search

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 07:00 PM PDT


Now that Pinterest is a full-blown cultural phenomenon, people have started considering it for uses other than inspiration for recipes, home decor and the latest fashions. And with a shaky economy and millions of people either out of work, underemployed or looking to change jobs, Pinterest is now being used as a job search tool.

At the beginning of 2012, Mashable asked, Can Pinterest Help Your Job Search?, and we're answering "Yes!" with five ways to use Pinterest in your job search and your career development.

1. Pin Your Resume

Search for "my resume" on Pinterest, and you'll get thousands of hits. Be more specific with your search terms (writ…
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More About: features, job search, job search series, mashable, pinterest, trending


Tracy Morgan’s Emmys Stunt Instantly Sparks 25,000 Tweets

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 06:45 PM PDT


During the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, host Jimmy Kimmel urged viewers to take to Twitter and type about comedian Tracy Morgan passing out on stage, instantly sparking 25,000 tweets.

"OMG. Tracy Morgan just passed out on stage at the #Emmys. Turn ABC on right now." ~ @jimmykimmel, telling viewers what to tweet.— Brian A. Hernandez (@BAHjournalist) September 24, 2012
Oh my God - Tracy Morgan just passed out onstage at the Emmys - turn ABC on NOW!"— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) September 24, 2012

Of course, Morgan didn't really pass out, but he did lie on the stage. Morgan even stayed on his back when the award for Best Writing for a Drama was announced and the Homeland
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More About: Emmys, Emmys 2012, Entertainment, TV, celebrities, emmy awards, social tv, trending


Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 06:31 PM PDT


Niall vs. Food




One Direction's Niall Horan claims the most-shared photo this week. The picture? A snapshot of three dinner plates -- presumably the remains of the hungry popstar's lunch. Who would have thought a picture of three empty plates would be so popular? Photo stats: 18,852 retweets, 29,396,552 people reached.

Click here to view this gallery.


"Wait, who is Justin Bieber?" ... said nobody, ever.

The Bieb Train was all up in the Twitterverse this week, posting six of the most popular photos people shared. British boy band One Direction held their own, though, with three of the top 10 pics -- including the most shared. It's the USA vs. the UK: teen-heartthrob-Instagram-sharing edition.

Our friends over at Skylines went through 52,846,148 photos from the week to compile this list. Browse through the gallery above to see the top 10.

Any photo you think should have made the list? Let us know in the comments.

More About: trending


Top 5 Apps Your Kids Will Love This Week

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 06:07 PM PDT


Your weekly roundup is here and brings with it five new apps that your kids will love. From space exploration and LEGO building, to monsters and superheroes, these apps are sure to provide hours of
interactive, educational fun.

SEE ALSO: The Top 5 Apps Your Kids Will Love This Week

Children's Technology Review has shared with Mashable five top apps from its comprehensive monthly database of kid-tested reviews. The site covers everything from math and counting to reading and phonics.

Check back next week for more Top Kids Apps from Children's Technology Review.

More About: Feature, Top Kids Apps, android, apps, contributors, games, ipad, iphone, trending


The Emmys in Damn You Auto Correct Style

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 05:30 PM PDT


1.




Click here to view this gallery.


Paying homage to the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, the folks at Damn You Auto Correct have shared with Mashable some of blog's funniest TV-related text message typos.

More About: Damn You Auto Correct, Emmys, Emmys 2012, Entertainment, TV, celebrities, emmy awards, social tv, trending


How Forest Whitaker Is Using Technology to Spread Peace

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 05:02 PM PDT


Actor, humanitarian and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Forest Whitaker gave an in-depth look at PeaceEarth, his new digital-first project designed to promote peace-building efforts around the world, on Sunday at the 2012 Social Good Summit.

Put simply, PeaceEarth is a non-profit focused on educating and empowering peacebuilders and global youth on the topics of peace and conflict resolution. It's also involved with real-world, on-the-ground capacity building in societies emerging from conflict.

To accomplish those goals, PeaceEarth will engage with people living in war-torn societies and elsewhere, on its website and through social media. It will deliver a wide range of content, includ…
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More About: Social Good, World, social good summit, trending


The Next Generation of Crash Test Dummies Has Arrived [VIDEO]

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT


General Motors is taking the world of crash-test dummies to the next level. The automaker is working on a new generation of the devices designed specifically for use in the back seat of vehicles.

The latest generation of the dummies comes from a group of engineers at Chalmers University in Gothenburg, Sweden. The dummies have 24 simulated vertebrae –- just like humans -– so they can accurately replicate what might happen to the human body in a crash.

Called BioRID, the dummies need to deliver repeatable, reproducible test results before they can be accepted for use, which is where GM comes in.

One test engineer, Barbara Bunn, developed an…
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More About: GM, trending


How to Watch the Emmys on Twitter, Desktop and Mobile

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 03:25 PM PDT


The Television Academy and Twitter have made it easier than ever to follow the Emmys online with second-screen experiences that give you unprecedented access to what's happening backstage, on the red carpet and at the after-party.

Although a stream for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards won't be available online, there are several ways you can enhance your Emmys night on the web. Here's how:

Twitter Offers an #Emmys Event Page and a Who to Follow Hub

Twitter is putting its new hashtag pages, which rolled out in June, to good use for the Emmys. The #Emmys page (see above) employs algorithms and human curation to showcase tweets and photos from viewers, the Television Academy, celebri…
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More About: Emmys, Emmys 2012, Entertainment, TV, Twitter, celebrities, emmy awards, social tv, trending


How to Use Mobile Devices to Solve Global Problems

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 02:52 PM PDT


In 1999, half of the world had either never used a phone or had to travel more than two hours to reach the nearest one. Years later, mobile devices are being used in extremely innovative ways to connect and empower people around the world.

"It's not about being connected," said Larry Irving, co-founder of the Mobile Alliance for Global Good, at the 2012 Social Good Summit on Sunday. "It's about being connected with a purpose."

That purpose is to solve the world's most pressing problems. Irving referred to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and how many people sent money through text messaging, but said that that was just the tip of the iceberg. People are monitoring climate change in arc…
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More About: Mobile, Social Good, trending


20 Apps Updated For The iPhone 5′s Taller Screen

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 02:43 PM PDT


Itching to get the most out of that new iPhone 5's screen?

While you can certainly run any iPhone app that's currently available in the App Store on your iPhone 5, a few app developers have already updated their apps to take advantage of the iPhone 5's additional screen real estate.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 5 Torn Apart and On Display [PICS]

We took a look through the App Store and picked out 20 apps that have already been updated for the iPhone 5's larger screen. Some are just a basic update, while others offer you a little more functionality along with their larger size.

Take a look at them all –- complete with download links -- in the gallery above.

Have any of your…
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More About: App, apple, iPhone 5, trending


How Social Media Is Empowering Women in Haiti

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 02:19 PM PDT


Actress Maria Bello began helping the women of Haiti because she was "pissed."

Bello has long been an activist and humanitarian -- especially in Haiti -- but it took getting angry at traditional red tape and infrastructure to reach out to grassroots movements and create change.

"We were pissed off that the women's groups [in Haiti], who were most organized, weren't getting the access and funding they deserved," Bello said at the Social Good Summit on Sunday. But Bello can't take all the credit for trying to bring enlightenment and engagement to the women of Haiti. Some of that credit belongs to Oprah.

Oprah's ability to discuss important women's topics from breastfeeding to r…
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More About: Social Good, haiti, social good summit


STEM Careers: The Need to Get More Women Involved From the Start

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 02:04 PM PDT


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

We hear a lot about the need for greater emphasis on subjects like technology and engineering that are critical to our country's infrastructure. A recent report from the White House Council on Women and Girls said it's "especially disconcerting" that women make up only 25% of the STEM workforce. The report goes on to suggest non-participation in STEM may have an even higher cost for women.

Pair that with a very different issue that's regularly been the headlines this year: the number of women now running powerful technology corporations; like Meg Whitman at Hewlett-Packard, Virginia Rometty at IBM and Marissa Mayer at Yahoo!

The success of these business leaders achi…
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More About: STEM, contributors, features, women in technology


How the iPhone 5 Has Affected the Smartphone Market [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 01:36 PM PDT


With all the new smartphones announced over the past few months -- including the iPhone 5 -- it should come as no surprise that many people are looking to buy a new smartphone.

AYTM Research, working with Mashable, conducted a detailed market research study of the smartphone market as it stands now at the end of 2012, and created this exclusive infographic looking at what prospective buyers are most interested in, particularly looking at the iPhone market.

Some of its findings:

73% of people looking to buy a smartphone in the next 6 months are already smartphone owners
Current Android owners are 2.4x more likely to switch to an iPhone than vice versa
87% of current iPhone owners p…
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More About: apple, iphone, smartphone, trending


U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice: Twitter Crucial to Her Mission

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 01:30 PM PDT


How do you responsibly conduct foreign policy with a haiku?

That's what Susan Rice felt was the challenge when first introduced to Twitter. The United States Ambassador to the United Nations was a self-proclaimed "skeptic" of the power of social media.

"I thought it might cheapen the coin," Rice said at this year's Social Good Summit while speaking with Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore.

But Rice said she quickly changed her tune, realizing that Twitter and other social media outlets provide the tools and machinery to make everyone more aware of global issues, to bring great visibility to important issues in places that can't be seen and engage people that are often overlooked in co…
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More About: Presdient Obama, Social Media, Twitter, UN, social good summit


Tim Pool, Guerrilla Journalist of the Digital Age [VIDEO]

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 12:50 PM PDT


In 2011, Tim Pool didn't hear about the Occupy Wall Street movement from the news -- he discovered it through social networks like YouTube and Facebook. He ended up seeing a video of a police officer dragging a protester by his leg, and Pool noticed that the protester's hands were bleeding.

It was at that moment that Pool decided to see what was going on for himself.

He hopped on a bus from Chicago to New York City, and soon he was in the thick of things. Pool started filming and documenting the protests, armed with only his smartphone. Before long, he became one of the foremost independent journalists broadcasting Occupy Wall Street and the events that followed online.

"My stan…
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More About: Occupy Wall Street, citizen journalism, journalism


The Digital Smackdown: Obama 2008 vs. Obama 2012

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 12:36 PM PDT


Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign was lauded for its embrace of digital tools, as it accomplished unprecendented levels of community engagement from a national politician. The Obama team was on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, plus it had its own social network, My.BarackObama.com, to boot.

The campaign rallied early adopters generally not engaged in the political process behind the slogan "Change," which drove historic fundraising success. Following Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention in 2008, the Obama campaign racked the most donations in a single 24-hour period ever -- $10 million from some 130,000 donors.

"Were it not for the Internet, Barack Oba…
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More About: 2012 Presidential Election, 2012 presidential campaign, Politics, Social Media, features, obama


Viral Video Recap: Funniest Memes of the Week

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 12:20 PM PDT


Let's face it: There are tons of videos on YouTube -- way too many for you to ever make it through them all. That's why we here at Mashable have created the Viral Video Recap, to ensure that you can keep up to speed with the best of the past week.

This week we finally find out if cats love Gangnam Style as much as humans do. The judges on X Factor didn't get quite what they expected when a 17-year old with lighting-bolt sideburns took the stage, and the iPhone 5 may be all the rage now, but YouTube brought us a super-advanced look at the iPhone 10.

A pig also helps out a goat friend at a petting zoo, a feat you'll have to see to believe.

Chec…
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More About: Viral Video Recap, YouTube, viral video, viral-meme


ShoutAbout Aims to Inspire Social Action Based on News Stories

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 11:57 AM PDT


Sunday at the 2012 Social Good Summit, former Red Cross Communications Officer Mat Morgan publicly launched his new startup, ShoutAbout, which intends to empower consumers of news to actually create social change.

"There's this huge barrier between awareness and action," explained Morgan, who said news coverage drives people to care about social issues. Yet, while news media is great at making people passionate about the topics they read, there are no direct ways to jump from consuming information to acting on it.

"You become more aware of problems" by reading news, said Morgan, "but you are unable to act on any sort of constructive solutions."

ShoutAbout is a widget that can b…
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More About: Social Good, Startups, social good summit


Top 10 Tech This Week

Posted: 23 Sep 2012 11:38 AM PDT


There was spectacle, there was controversy -- it was a profound week in the technology world. We narrowed it down to only the best -- right here on Top 10 Tech.

More About: Future Cars, Hasselblad, Top 10 Tech, apple, iOS 6, iPhone 5, robots, trending


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