Here at Mashable, we’re always looking out for you (in a non-Big Brother way) so if your iOS 5 upgrade left you with a dead battery, you may have missed a feature or two. Never fear though, because we’ve gathered the weekly features right here for you.
Google+ had a hot week with the launch of its new brand pages. Although it’s too early to tell what’s to come of it, we did learn what users felt was missing from the social network. The newest tablet to enter the competition was released by Nook, and it might give the others a run for their money.
Looking for even more social media resources? We have everything you’re looking for below.
Editor’s Picks
Social Media
-
How Hashtagging the Web Could Improve Our Collective Intelligence
While Twitter generates mass interest and curates collective thought, its trends cannot represent the true pulse of world conversation. That needs to change.
-
Google+ Users Are Still Mostly Male
If you were to throw a dart at Google+, it would be more than twice as likely to land on a man’s profile as a woman’s profile.
-
10 Tips and Tricks for Better Google+ Brand Pages
We’re bringing you some handy tips and tricks, ideal for anyone new to Google+ brand pages.
-
9 in 10 Teens Have Witnessed Bullying on Social Networks [STUDY]
Teenagers can be mean. But a new survey suggests they’re no more so on social networks such as Facebook than they are in real life.
-
Google+ Brand Pages vs. Facebook Fan Pages
Will Google+’s brand pages give Facebook’s fan pages a run for their money? Check out what top brands are doing on each social network.
-
Top 12 Quotes From the Mark Zuckerberg Interview
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg addressed Google+, Steve Jobs and privacy concerns during Monday’s interview with Charlie Rose. We’ve collected their most significant responses.
-
16+ Universities Dive Into Google+ Brand Pages
Since Google+ launched brand pages Monday, universities across the world have not wasted time setting up pages for their communities to follow.
-
How Natural Language Processing Helps Uncover Social Media Sentiment
NLP refers to computer systems that process human language in terms of its meaning. Can these tools really help detect and analyze how a customer feels about a brand?
-
6 Tips for Holiday Social Good Campaigns
The holidays are just around the corner, and for many non-profits, that means big opportunities for fundraising. Here are some basic tips for any organization looking to run a social good campaign during the season.
-
20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week [CHART]
Which TV shows generate the most buzz on social networks? Find out each week from our new chart.
-
Comedian Louis C.K. Thinks Social Media Sucks [VIDEO]
Comedian Louis C.K. is never at a loss for strong opinions, and that holds true for social media. Frankly, he says he hates it.
-
Social Media Users In Love: Romance Update [INFOGRAPHIC]
Social media is a great accelerator for exposing you to potential mates, but does that change the basic way people interact with each other?
-
Justin Bieber: The Ultimate Story of Social Media Fame [SORRY]
Justin Bieber is arguably the most famous person on the Internet. And while he has the backing of traditional media outlets, his astounding reach is securely rooted in digital. This infographic breaks it all down.
-
How Algorithms and Editors Can Work Together to Burst the “Filter Bubble”
Eli Pariser is concerned that web personalization is only showing us content we “like,” and not content we need. But he proposed some solutions at the Mashable Media Summit.
-
What Facebook’s New Features Mean for Journalists
Vadim Lavrusik, journalist program manager for Facebook, shares how to use Facebook’s new features for breaking news, research and content analysis.
-
5 Essential Tips for Managing Your Users’ Social Profile Data
How do brands get to know users individually, rather than as one of many in an audience segment? Obtaining the user’s social profile data is the first step. Here’s how to leverage that data for better service and sales.
-
Why User Experience Must Always Account for the Human Condition
Mashable Media Summit attendees were probably wondering why Tor Myhren, president of Grey New York, was talking about losing his virginity. Well, it all started with the telephone….
-
Tweets Last Up to 67 Times Longer for Users With Higher Klout Scores [INFOGRAPHIC]
Klout studied the impact of a tweet over time, based on a user’s Klout score.
For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Tech & Mobile
-
Free College: How to Audit Courses From 7 Elite Schools Online
Thanks to the Internet, you don’t have to take on mountains of debt to snag a piece of that educational pie. Many Ivy League schools have online coursework available for free.
-
5 Google Paid Search Products You Need to Know
Google paid search has evolved to include everything from video to coupons and a call feature. Here are 5 Google products to learn.
-
How Sports Illustrated Got Ahead of the Tablet Publishing Competition [VIDEO]
One of the first publications to format for the iPad, Sports Illustrated has continued to successfully adapt its pages to tablet technology, said the magazine’s editor Terry McDonell at the Mashable Media Summit last Friday.
-
Lost Steve Jobs Interview Reveals Man on the Cusp of Change
Mashable talks to interviewer Robert X. Cringely about how Steve Jobs changed after his infamous “lost interview
-
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg on Why We Need More Women Engineers [LIVE]
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO, isn’t at a loss for words when it comes to getting more women in leadership roles in tech and business.
-
4 Key Considerations When Choosing Web Typography
Need good-looking, readable fonts for your website? These tips will help you select the typography that’s right for your message and brand.
-
80% of Smartphone Users Multitask While Watching TV [STATS]
Yahoo! Mobile and RazorFish polled 2,000 U.S. adults on their mobile habits and device preferences, to help marketers better understand consumer behavior.
-
Teachers: Embrace Technology or Students Will Leave You Behind
We are creating tools that offer limitless access to knowledge and collaboration, but we’re still putting the same textbooks in front of students. How can we better prepare kids for a connected world without sacrificing traditional educational values?
-
16% of Cellphones Have Poop on Them [INFOGRAPHIC]
This infographic, created by Keeping It Kleen, reveals the specs of our tech gadgets we don’t really want to know.
-
6 Best Practices for Modern SEO
If your business website needs clicks and visibility to survive, you’ll need to re-optimize for Google’s current algorithm and results pages. Here’s how.
-
Tennis: The Unlikely Testing Ground for New Video Game Tech
Some of the most popular and most beloved video games of all time are tennis games. Why do they make such perfect guinea pigs for new video game technology?
-
4 Ways YouTube Has Changed Broadway
From auditions to promotion, the persistence of video entertainment on YouTube has changed The Great White Way. Here’s a look at the 21st-century transformation.
-
Top 10 Role-Playing Games for iPhone
Role-playing gamers can now enjoy an adventurous quest in the palm of their hands. Here are the top RPGs for your iPhone.
-
11 Essential Tools for the Tech-Savvy Traveler
Traveling is a hassle, especially when you’re pressed for time and on a budget. These tools will organize your trip and ease your woes.
-
3 New Time-Saving Technologies
We focused on three startups that have created technological shortcuts to simple tasks.
-
5 iPhone Battery Cases to Keep You Connected Longer
We have found five cases designed for the Apple mobile — both the iPhone 4 and the 4S — that will extend the handset’s battery life.
-
20 Life-Tracking Tools for Better Health, Wealth and Productivity
Here is a list of the top 20 resources for tracking the most salient aspects of your life, from sleep and weight to money and sex. Use the data to improve your life.
-
Top 10 Tech This Week [PICS]
Catch up on the most unusual and spellbinding tech introduced this week, right here.
-
Review: Soundfreaq Sound Stack Sounds Freakishly Great [PICS]
The Bluetooth speaker dock market is becoming increasingly crowded, but Soundfreaq has punched through the noise with its Sound Stack, catering to audiophiles at a price that’s much lower than its high-end competition.
-
Siri: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
From her debut to her downtime, Siri’s short month in the public’s hands has been nothing short of a roller coaster.
For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Business & Marketing
-
13 Tech Tools for a Paper-Free Life
Here are a few services and gadgets that will significantly reduce your paper trail, making your company and your life more efficient while helping the environment.
-
10 Essential Tips for Planning the Perfect Industry Event
Here are 10 quick tips to help make event marketing work for your brand, strategy and your bottom line.
-
Google+ Badges Make it Simple for Users to Connect With Brands
Google has unveiled Google+ Badges for brand pages, a widget that lets brands promote their presence on Google’s social network.
-
How to Manage a Rebrand
So, you’ve launched a company, but you want to go in a different direction regarding logo, name and maybe even product. A rebrand is not easy, but it could be the “X factor” that drives your startup to success.
-
4 Innovative Projects Making Water More Accessible in the Developing World
Water access is one of the most important issues in the world right now. Here are four innovative ways organizations are trying to solve the problem.
-
Two Schools of Thought: The Key Difference Between Apple and Google
Apple and Google may look similar, but the companies couldn’t be any more different. They epitomize the ying-yang battle of design vs. data.
-
Want to Run a Contest or Promotion on Google+? Not So Fast
Google may have finally invited brands to participate on Google+, but it doesn’t plan to let them run promotions. How come?
-
12 Tips to Make Your Company More Creative
Although it seems to be on the decline, creative capacity is more important than ever. Check out these 12 ways to make your company more creative.
-
How to Set Up a Google+ Brand Page
We go hands-on to offer you a simple walkthrough, demoing just how quick and easy it is to get your business set up on Google+
-
8 Mainstream Celebrities Who Invest in Tech Startups
Even Hollywood celebs and mainstream musicians are getting into the tech startup space. Here’s where 8 top names have been putting their money.
-
How to Retain Your Startup Workforce
What employers do to retain hired talent and show the benefits of staying with their startup company is crucial to the business. Here’s why.
-
How To Ace Your Technical Interview
You’re ready for a tech job interview, but did you brush up on problem-solving skills? These tips will help you pass with flying colors.
-
4 Essential Facebook Page Apps to Improve Communication With Fans
For businesses, trying to determine which Facebook apps can help your organization can be daunting. To get you started, here are four time-saving Facebook apps that allow you to better reach and communicate with your audience.
-
6 Best Practices For Small Business YouTube Marketing
Mention YouTube and most people will picture cats playing the piano. But among a certain type of small businessperson, the name conjures another image: Dollar signs.
-
5 Places to Get Work Done When You’re Traveling
Just because you’re on the road doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice productivity. The Internet makes it possible.
-
8 Simple Tips for Your YouTube Ad Campaign
YouTube has proven hugely profitable for many companies. Want to get in on the action? Discover how eight companies have used YouTube to bolster their ad campaigns.
-
Steve Jobs Said Sports Illustrated‘s Tablet Demo Was “Really Stupid” — But Didn’t Mean It
Sports Illustrated editor Terry McDonell recalls a 2009 meeting with Apple founder and former CEO Steve Jobs.
-
From Startup to IPO: Groupon’s Major Milestones
Check out some of Groupon’s major milestones over the last three years.
For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Image courtesy of simpo-jo
More About: Business, Features Week In Review, List, Mobile, Social Media For more Media coverage: 
from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2011/11/12/62-digital-media-resources/?utm_source=feedbur...
We've seen nano-origami and robo-origami, but nothing quite as rapid and simple as this. Researchers at North Carolina State University have figured out how to neatly fold plastic using infrared light and an inkjet printer. Deep black lines are printed onto the plastic sheets, which then absorb the light and cause the material to fold without anyone having to touch it. The wider the line, the greater the angle of each fold, so it's possible to set, say, a 90-degree bend for a cube or 120 degrees for a pyramid. What's more, by giving the lines different patterns, folds can be made to work in specific directions, potentially producing the most perfect, most hygienic bento box that's ever contained your lunch. Click past the break to watch the folding unfold. Continue reading Scientists make magic auto-origami using ink and light (video) Scientists make magic auto-origami using ink and light (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | North Carolina State University | Email this | Comments
from Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/11/scientists-make-magic-auto-origami-using-i...
Throughout the day, I’m constantly scanning my Twitter feed, searching for news, tips and advice. It’s Twitter I head to first when I need a story, and I know I’m not alone. With more people turning to social media channels for information, two professors from the Wellesley College Department of Computer Science decided they needed to find a reliable way to determine whether or not the people behind the tweets are trustworthy. Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, now they can.
The Foundation has granted Wellesley $429,000 to develop an application that examines the origin, authenticity and trustworthiness of messages disseminated on social networks to help users make more informed decisions when determining whether or not information can be trusted. “Users leave a digital trace behind when they make an announcement,” said Eni Mustafaraj, a visiting assistant professor in the Computer Science Department at Wellesley, in a press release. “The application will follow those digital traces to determine whether a message sender is reputable, allowing the user to make a determination about whether a message should be trusted.” Mustafaraj and Panagiotis Metaxas, a fellow Computer Science professor and founder of Wellesley College’s Media Arts and Sciences Program, made headlines in 2010 when they released research showing how “Twitter-bombing” could manipulate Google real-time results, and how cyber attacks may have affected the Massachusetts senate election, allowing Scott Brown to win over Martha Coakley. Metaxas describes Twitter-bombing as creating a high amount of Twitter accounts and sending a large number — in that case, about 1,000 — tweets within a short period of time. After the 2010 study, the duo had planned to develop software that would allow users to identify spammers. As more politicians, celebrities, activists and media signed on to Twitter, however, and the site evolved, so did the researchers’ understanding of the platform. “Spam, itself, is multifaceted and ubiquitous,” Mustafaraj said. “Our focus is more on whether, at any given moment, a user should trust a piece of information that is being broadcasted by a Twitter account.” Trust will be measured by a combination of several factors, including: past history of the account; whether other Twitter users find the account trustworthy; whether a user has trusted information from the account in the past and have re-tweeted specific messages; or whether an identical piece of information is surfacing from different, independent sources. “It turns out spam accounts will rank very low, so they will automatically be classified as untrustworthy,” Mustafaraj said. This application will help social media users identify risks in a world where everyone can be both a producer and a consumer. To help students think about the risks, funding from the grant will also be used to develop an online course for undergraduate and high school students that examines sources and explains what critical thinking actually means in today’s highly interconnected world. Could we soon see a day where we could be saying “so long” to Twitter bots?
from BostInnovation.com http://bostinnovation.com/2011/11/11/how-trustworthy-are-tweeters-wellesley-c...
Turns out the Apple TV isn't the only one to see rehashed rumors making the rounds, as Bloomberg has dredged up "people with knowledge of the project" to say LG could show off hardware featuring Google TV at CES 2012. Of course, slow-to-materialize new software apparently put a stop to LG, Sharp, and Toshiba's plans at last year's show, leaving Samsung and Vizio alone to bear the flag. Making the timing of this rumor conspicuous however, is news of Logitech sitting out the next round of Google TV, the aforementioned Cupertino project, and Sony's promise of a " different kind of TV" floating around recently. Now that the Honeycomb update and Android Market access actually exist, Google's next big task is securing more partnerships for content and hardware -- we'll find out how successful it's been in January. LG might show off Google TV hardware at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Bloomberg Businessweek | Email this | Comments
from Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/12/lg-might-show-off-google-tv-hardware-at-ces/
Most HDTVs ship with default settings that are meant to look good in store showrooms, but more often than not, the default presets don't take into account how the TV will look in your home, how far away from it you'll sit, or what the normal lighting in your room will be like when you fire up a new movie or watch the big game. The result: A less-than-perfect picture from the device you spent hundreds of dollars on and spend hours in front of. Thankfully, with the right tools calibrating an HDTV to your viewing style is easy, and you can do it in less than a half-hour. More »
  
from Lifehacker http://lifehacker.com/5858625/how-to-calibrate-your-hdtv-and-boost-your-video...
 Much has been made of Steve Jobs' revelation in his authorized biography about having "cracked" how to develop a revolutionary interface for an integrated television set, a disclosure that has led to claims of Apple working to launch a Siri-enabled television set by 2013.
The Wall Street Journal takes a look at how seriously Sony is taking the Apple threat, sharing comments from Sony CEO Howard Stringer about the strategies the company is seeking to employ, beginning with a "platform" spanning all the way from mobile devices to television sets. Sony has a "four screen" strategy of offering network services on mobile phones, tablet computers, personal computers and TV sets. "I spent the last five years building a platform so I can compete against Steve Jobs," Mr. Stringer said. "It's finished, and it's launching now." Stringer also claims that Sony has some ideas about a "different kind of TV set" that it has been working on as it seeks to beat Apple to the punch. Mr. Stringer declined to discuss details of what Sony has on the drawing board, but said, "There's a tremendous amount of R&D going into a different kind of TV set." He added that he has "no doubt" Apple's late leader Steve Jobs also was working on changing the traditional TV set.
"That's what we're all looking for," said Mr. Stringer. "We can't continue selling TV sets [the way we have been]. Every TV set we all make loses money." Stringer touches on several other topics in his interview, including an admission that Sony failed to realize how difficult it would be to get content providers to sign on to provide 3-D programming, a reluctance that has significantly slowed adoption of the technology. Stringer also briefly mentions the iPhone and his belief that other platforms will match the iOS experience, but that those platforms will need to adopt the seamless experience Apple has championed for its "well organized" devices and ecosystem. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Apple Avoids Sharing Australian Carrier Contracts with Samsung
• Apple Releases AirPort Base Station and Time Capsule Firmware Update 7.6
• Apple Releases Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.9
• Voice Behind UK Siri Voice "Daniel" Speaks Out
• Nuance Launches 'Dragon Express' in the Mac App Store
from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - Front Page http://www.macrumors.com/2011/11/11/sony-seeking-to-beat-apple-in-revolutioni...
Social networking has become a pervasive part of our everyday online experience, and by extension, that means the analysis and application of social data is an essential component of business.
In the following interview, "Social Network Analysis for Startups" co-author Maksim Tsvetovat (@maksim2042) offers a primer on social network analysis (SNA) and how it has relevance beyond social-networking services.
What is social network analysis (SNA)?
Maksim Tsvetovat: Social network analysis is an offshoot of the social sciences — sociology, political science, psychology, anthropology and others — that studies human interactions by using graph-theoretic approaches rather then traditional statistics. It's a scientific methodology for data analysis and also a collection of theories about how and why people interact — and how these interaction patterns change and affect our lives as individuals or societies. The theories come from a variety of social sciences, but they are always backed up with mathematical ways of measuring if a specific theory is applicable to a specific set of data.
In the science world, the field is considered interdisciplinary, so gatherings draw mathematicians, physicists, computer scientists, sociologists, political scientists and even an occasional rock musician.
As far as the technology aspect goes, the analysis methods are embodied in a set of software tools, such as the Python-based NetworkX library, which the book uses extensively. These tools can be used for analyzing and visualizing network data in a variety of contexts, from visualizing the spread of disease to business intelligence applications.
In terms of marketing applications, there's plenty of science behind "why things go viral" — and the book goes briefly into it — but I find that it's best to leave marketing to marketing professionals.
Does SNA refer specifically to the major social-networking services, or does it also apply beyond them?
Maksim Tsvetovat: SNA refers to the study of relationships between people, companies, organizations, websites, etc. If we have a set of relationships that may be forming a meaningful pattern, we can use SNA methods to make sense of it.
Major social-networking services are a great source of data for SNA, and they present some very interesting questions — most recently, how can a social network act as an early warning system for natural disasters? I'm also intrigued by the emergent role of Twitter as a "common carrier" and aggregation technology for data from other media. However, the analysis methodology is applicable to many other data sources. In fact, I purposefully avoided using Twitter as a data source in the book — it's the obvious place to start and also a good place to get tunnel vision about the technology.
Instead, I concentrated on getting and analyzing data from other sources, including campaign finance, startup company funding rounds, international treaties, etc., to demonstrate the potential breadth of applications of this technology.
Social Network Analysis for Startups — Social network analysis (SNA) is a discipline that predates Facebook and Twitter by 30 years. Through expert SNA researchers, you'll learn concepts and techniques for recognizing patterns in social media, political groups, companies, cultural trends, and interpersonal networks.
How does SNA relate to startups?
Maksim Tsvetovat: A lot of startups these days talk about social-this and social-that — and all of their activity can be measured and understood using SNA metrics. Being able to integrate SNA into their internal business intelligence toolkits should make businesses more attuned to their audiences.
I have personally worked with three startups that used SNA to fine-tune their social media targeting strategies by locating individuals and communities, and addressing them directly. Also, my methodologies have been used by a few large firms: the digital marketing agency DIGITAS is using SNA daily for a variety of high-profile clients. (Disclosure: my startup firm, DeepMile Networks, is involved in supplying SNA tools and services to DIGITAS and a number of others.)
What SNA shifts should developers watch for in the near future?
Maksim Tsvetovat: Multi-mode network analysis, which is analyzing networks with many types of "actors" (people, organizations, resources, governments, etc.). I approach the topic briefly in the book — but much remains to be done.
Also, watch for more real-time analysis. Most SNA is done on snapshot-style data that is, at best, a few hours out-of-date — some is years out-of-date. The release of Twitter's Storm tool should spur developers to make more SNA tools work on real-time and flowing data.
This interview was edited and condensed.
Associated photo on home and category pages: bulletin board [before there was twitter] by woodleywonderworks, on Flickr.
Related:

from O'Reilly Radar - Insight, analysis, and research about emerging technologies. http://radar.oreilly.com/2011/11/social-network-analysis.html?utm_source=feed...
The new "whole home solution" from TiVo consisting of the four tuner Premiere Q DVR and Preview extender is finally available for the first time, from RCN. The initial rollout is taking place in the Washington D.C. area, marketed as the Whole Home Bundle consisting of one Premiere Q and one Preview for $29.99 monthly. Additional Preview extenders, which lack tuners and hard drives entirely, can be added for $9.99 per month. While DVR features like pausing live TV aren't currently available, Gizmo Lovers points out a DSLReports post by an RCN rep indicating that early next year it will gain the ability to start recordings on the Q remotely, so users can press record, then pause, rewind, or fast forward freely. The Preview box still has yet to hit retail, but those who need four tuners in their TiVo can always pick up the Premiere Elite which features a bigger hard drive than the Q. A press release with all the details is after the break, or you can check the forum post for more Q&A. Continue reading TiVo Premiere Q and Preview multiroom DVR setup finally debuts from RCN TiVo Premiere Q and Preview multiroom DVR setup finally debuts from RCN originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Gizmo Lovers | TiVo, DSLReports | Email this | Comments
from Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/09/tivo-premiere-q-and-preview-multiroom-dvr-...
|