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Monday, March 05, 2012
TRENDING STORIES IN TECH & GADGETS Windows 8 on a Tablet: First Impressions [VIDEO] Evidence of iPad 3 and iOS 6? Server Logs Tell the Tale Mercedes Rolls Out Invisible Car [VIDEO] ALL STORIES IN TECH & GADGETS Rocket Passes Big Test for 1st Private Launch to Space Station 4:47:14 AM Space.com A private SpaceX rocket sailed through a dress rehearsal Thursday (March 1) for the launch of the robotic Dragon space capsule, which could blast off toward the International Space Station as early as next month. The five-hour launch readiness test, held at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, went through full countdown procedures, including fueling, for the next Dragon test flight, which is slated for late April. It was designed to check out any potential issues with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, Dragon and associated ground systems. SpaceX officials were pleased with the results. "We ran down the countdown clock to a planned abort at T - 5 seconds at 12:18 p.m. Eastern," SpaceX spokeswoman Kirstin Brost Grantham told SPACE.com in an email. "The test went well." The aerospace firm planned to practice loading cargo onto Dragon today, she added. SpaceX holds a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to fly 12 unmanned supply missions to the space station. In December 2010, the company launched Dragon on its maiden test flight, becoming the first private firm to send a spaceship to orbit and retrieve it successfully. [Photos: SpaceX's Dragon Spaceship] Dragon's upcoming flight will be the second — and, if all goes well, final — demonstration before operational cargo missions begin. During the test, SpaceX wants the capsule to dock with the orbiting lab and unload some supplies, just as it would during an actual cargo flight. The original plan called for the station-bound Dragon to launch on Feb. 7, but in January SpaceX pushed that back to March 20, saying it needed more time to prepare the vehicle. The target date later slipped again, to late April; an exact date won't be chosen until SpaceX works through some minor issues, NASA officials have said. SpaceX is not the only company vying to fill the cargo-carrying void left by the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011. Orbital Sciences Corp., for example, is developing its own cargo freighter under a $1.9 billion NASA contract. The company, based in Dulles, Va., is building its Cygnus spacecraft to carry supplies to the space station, with the first test flight expected later this year. While Dragon will transport solely cargo initially, SpaceX is also working on a crewed version of the capsule that it hopes will carry astronauts to the space station and, eventually, Mars. Other U.S. companies are also developing their own private crewed spacecraft, some (like SpaceX) with NASA funding. The U.S. space agency currently relies on international partners like Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency to launch cargo and crew to the space station. SPACE.com assistant managing editor Clara Moskowitz (@ClaraMoskowitz) contributed to this story. You can follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter: @michaeldwall and get the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. 48 New Digital Media Resources You Might Have Missed Sunday, March 04, 2012 6:03 PM Matt Petronzio Been away from Mashable for a few days? Maybe you were sorting through hundreds of Oscar memes. Perhaps you've been busy working on integrating your brand with Facebook Timeline. Or have you been trying to figure out what the iPad 3 will look like? For whatever reason you've missed our new digital media resources this week, let us catch you up in a flash with our features roundup. This week we have the marketer's guide to Pinterest, a list of YouTube's most shared ads in February and everything you wanted to know about 3D printing but were too afraid to ask. We've also covered the new socially inclined Lytro camera, tips for better Facebook parenting and an explanation of how startups can establish relationships with journalists. And look at all the infographics! Editor's Picks How a Team of Doctors Uses Social Media to Drive Awareness and Save Lives For small non-profit medical teams working outside the U.S., Twitter and other social media tools have become an invaluable lifeline. How Startups Can Build Lasting Relationships With Journalists Build strong, long-term relationships with reporters in order to promote your product or service. Try these tips to forge media connections. Everything You Wanted to Know About 3D Printing But Were Too Afraid to Ask 3D printing is a booming business. Here, we explain how it works, where it's headed and what you might soon be printing. Meet the Winner of Mashable's Facebook Short Story Contest We're proud to announce the winner of Mashable's Facebook short story contest. We've included a Q&A with the author and the winning story. 6 New Gadgets Helping People With Disabilities Here's a look at some of the latest assistive tech products on display at the Tech and Persons with Disabilities Conference. 10 Strategies for Non-Profits on Pinterest Non-profits are leveraging Pinterest for social good, but how did they get there? What are the strategies behind it? Social Media Oscars 2012: Who Won the Award for Most Social Buzz?/a> Sunday's Academy Awards generated a ton of social media buzz. Check out this year's fascinating social stats from Trendrr.tv. 8 Strategies for Launching a Brand Presence on Pinterest For brands looking to develop a Pinterest presence, try these seven simple steps. The Oscars for Most Social Celebrity and Best Tweet Go To ./a> While the stars lit up the stage at the 84th Academy Awards, viewers set the social web aflame, posting nearly 2 million Twitter messages. How to Turn Social Feedback into Valuable Business Data If you have a social media presence, you're already generating valuable data. The next step is to prevent it from slipping through the cracks. How to Turn Off Google Search plus Your World Results/a> A video shows you how to turn off "Google Search, plus Your World" results. How to Add Photos to Your Facebook Map Adding photos to your Facebook map is a great way to chart where you've been and what you were up to when you were there. 20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week/a> Which TV shows generate the most buzz on social networks? Find out each week from our new chart. Need More YouTube Views? Try Pinterest Lionsgate didn't anticipate is how effectively Pinterest could promote its YouTube presence, but pinning videos has paid off extremely well. 6 Tips for Better Facebook Parenting We all struggle to help our kids through their tumultuous teen years. Here's how to use Facebook to reach your kids. The Rapid Rise of Pinterest's Blockbuster User Engagement/a> Pinterest is not only gaining a ton of users, but those users are spending a lot more time on the site lately. How Pinterest's Female Audience Is Changing Social Marketing Marketers are turning to Pinterest, a social network comprised mostly of women, to learn how to reach the world's most powerful consumer group. Facebook Marketing: Why News Feed Still Trumps Timeline Pages Amidst the buzz of Facebook's new Timeline Pages, don't lose sight of the power and importance of News Feed marketing. Why Team Coco Takes Social Media Comedy Very Seriously We spoke with Team Coco to figure out how it manages to curate hilarious Conan content all over the social web. 20 Facebook Page Cover Photos to Inspire Your Brand Timeline has finally rolled out to brand Pages and companies have quickly hopped on the opportunity to get creative. Facebook Brand Timelines: 6 Big Changes Every Marketer Needs to Understand While you get your brand ready for the new Timeline format, here are six important changes to keep top-of-mind. How Tumblr Rekindled the Art of Animated GIFs Animated GIFs have been circling the Internet since 1987, but Tumblr has given the art form a new life. Curators of the network's GIF tag talk about what makes them so appealing. Introducing Mashable's Facebook Timeline Facebook rolled out Timeline for brand Pages on Feb. 29, and Mashable was proud to update ours on day one. The Most Viral News Sources on Twitter and Facebook/a> The BBC, The Huffington Post and The Guardian are the three most viral news sources on Facebook and Twitter, according to a new report. How to Animate Your Google+ Profile We have previously highlighted some striking animated Google+ profile pages. Now we're showing you how you can make your own animated profile with a simple online tool. 20 Infamous Crimes Committed and Solved on Facebook/a> Criminals are taking to the web just as quickly as police are meeting them there. Facebook Timeline for Brands: The Complete Guide Before you get cracking on your company's Facebook Timeline, be sure to catch up on all our coverage of the new features. Why Pinterest Aligns Perfectly With The Today Show's Content Strategy The Today show believes its viewers and Pinterest users in general consume content in a very similar way. Here's why their social strategy has been a success. How to Maintain Traditional Customer Service in the Social Media Age Social media requires you to track a new set of customer service metrics. Learn how to balance social and traditional customer service channels. For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable's social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Business & Marketing 4 Reasons Your Startup Needs a Better Job Applicant Tracking System Looking for the best and brightest to get on board with your new company? Applicant tracking may help with that. The Marketer's Guide to Pinterest/a> Marketers can get their butts up to speed on the latest Pinterest tips and tricks with this infographic. The Power of the Social Consumer/a> Social media makes it possible for dissatisfied customers to change the course of business, even at giant companies. Here are a few examples. Timeline for Brands: How to Prepare for Your Company's New Facebook Page Facebook Timeline for brand pages is here, but you have some time before the changes roll out. Here's how to prepare. Facebook Ads Announcements: Everything You Need to Know At the top of Wednesday's Facebook Ads announcements was Premium, a new suite of products for marketers designed to leverage the social network's access to your friends and friends of friends. 3 Best Social Good Startup Accelerators You've Never Heard Of Consider these options if you want to accelerate the growth of your social impact startup.? 10 Ways to Optimize Your Ecommerce Site for Google Search Want to up your PageRank and get more views for your ecommerce content? Here are 10 ways to climb the search list on Google.? YouTube's 20 Most-Shared Ads in February/a> Most of February's top YouTube ads were aired during the Super Bowl. What other ads made the cut?? Content Marketing: 5 Non-Profit Success Stories to Learn From These days, non-profits are strategizing online content to help engage web audiences. Is your non-profit using content marketing?? 6 Branded Mobile Apps on the Cutting Edge of Innovation These brands are kicking butt on mobile platforms -- find out what makes them stand out.? To B or Not to B? Weighing the Benefits of Benefit Corporations What exactly are the differences between B Corps and Benefit Corporations? And what are the "benefits"? Here's an overview to help shed some light. For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable's business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Tech & Mobile Can the iPad Really Replace Your Laptop? Sure, there are tons of apps and ample reason for Mac lovers to ditch their laptops for the iPad. But, is it really the right choice? 8 Things That Could Make iPad 3 More Expensive Than iPad 2 The iPad 3 is rumored to be loaded with new tricks, but they might come with a heftier price tag. Google Privacy: 5 Things the Tech Giant Does With Your Data Google's new privacy policy went into effect March 1 -- but what exactly does it do with all that information? We break it down here. 13 Lytro Photos That Will Make You Look Twice Here are some of our favorite photos we've taken with Lytro's light-field camera. Apple's iPad 3 Event Invitation: 7 Clues You Might Have Missed We asked Mashable readers what clues they could spot in Apple's March 7 event invitation. Here's what they found. 6 Excellent iPhone Apps Worth Paying For Here's a handful of iPhone apps worth buying -- it's OK to splurge once in a while. Have You Been SmartphOWNED? 13 Humorous Viral Texts Texts gone awry have taken center stage in the viral humor arena, and this time we're taking a look at SmartphOWNED. How To Hire a Great Developer/a> Got an idea? Need a dev? This flow chart will help you navigate your search for a killer developer. For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable's tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sd619. The Best Instagram Photos Ever Taken [PICS] Sunday, March 04, 2012 5:40 PM Amy-Mae Elliott As Instagram's popularity continues to grow, millions of people around the world are sharing details from their daily lives via the iPhone app. While we've previously brought you the most followed Instagram photographers, we thought it would be interesting to see which Instagram images are the favorites of the team behind the popular app. We got in touch with Instagram's community team, made up of Josh Riedel (@josh on Instagram) and Jessica Zollman (@jayzombie) to get their take on the app's phenomenal success. "Since we launched in October 2010, it's been both rewarding and humbling to see people around the world embrace Instagram as a way of sharing small moments of life through gorgeous mobile photos," Josh told Mashable. "Every day, we get the chance to discover what's happening around the world and in our friends' lives by scrolling through our Instagram feeds, and we're excited for the many beautiful photos we're bound to see as the community continues to grow." SEE ALSO: 10 Amazing Hipstamatic iPhone Photos Take a look through the gallery above for Josh and Jessica's selections. Link us in the comments to your fave Instagram imagery -- snapped by you or others. Windows 8 on a Tablet: First Impressions [VIDEO] Sunday, March 04, 2012 4:29 PM Pocketnow After the Windows 8 Consumer Preview was released on Wednesday, it took me a few hours to decide if I wanted to install it on my old HP TouchSmart tm2. I bought that tablet a while before the original iPad was released, and use it daily. After the Windows 8 setup program told me just about everything I had already installed would be compatible, I decided to take the plunge. It turns out Windows 8 is going to be a lot like Windows Phone 7 -- and that's probably a good thing. You've got full screen "Metro" style apps that have no reminants of application chrome or even operating system controls. There are gorgeous live tiles that animate with pictures, social network notifications, messages, emails and weather. Everything is smooth and responsive to the touch. However, there are some big differences. First of all, I was quite content with the Windows 7 touch interface. You touch the buttons and they activate. That's pretty simple. But now that I've been using Windows 8, I'm much more impressed. The touch UI is designed to be both ergonomic, highly efficient, and clutter-free. The main controls are right next to the bezel where your thumbs would be if you were holding a tablet. Just swipe your thumb along the left side to flip between open apps. Swipe across it and then back to show a list of thumbnails representing open apps that you can easily tap to open the one you're looking for. Then swiping on the right side with your thumb opens the "charms" for other types of operating-system interactions. It's really quite nice once you learn how to use it, and there's only one issue: There's nothing on the screen giving you any kind of indication on how to interact with this new user interface. Overall, I'm impressed with the speed, usability, and preview apps in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. I'm glad Microsoft went this direction for their new tablet initiative rather than scaling up a mobile operating system like Windows Phone 7. The fact that you can easily jump back into a desktop computer interface to run all of your high-end content-creation programs (even though they may not be designed for touch UIs) is fantastic for mobile productivity. Have you tried the Windows 8 Consumer Preview yet? Are you looking forward to new Windows 8 tablets becoming available? iPad 3: Who's the Boss Now, iPad 2? [COMIC] Sunday, March 04, 2012 3:10 PM Charlie White As the reign of the iPad 2 as the world's top tablet comes to a close, it's time for the iPad 3 to take its seat at the top. Now those haughty iPad 2 owners won't be able to brag about their superior purchase over lesser tablets, as they've been doing for the past year. Keeping that in mind, Mashable's editor-in-chief and chairman of cartoons Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) shows us which tablet will be the new boss in his latest exclusive illustration, "One iPad Leads to Another". Is This the iPad 3? [VIDEO] Sunday, March 04, 2012 1:35 PM Samantha Murphy Itching to see what the iPad 3 looks like and don't want to wait until Wednesday? Tech blog MIC Gadget has reportedly obtained parts of the next-generation iPad. If this is real, it's the closest look yet at the new tablet from Apple. In line with industry speculation, the clip reveals that the iPad 3 touts a larger camera lens and a slightly thicker shell. In addition, it will once again include a home button, disputing rumors that the touchscreen itself could serve as the home button. Apple announced last week it will be holding a press event on Wednesday, March 7 in San Francisco to unveil something to "see" and "touch." Flurries of speculation have since circulated the Web with many looking for clues about the highly-anticipated launch of the iPad 3. According to MIC Gadget, the iPad 3 will be introduced with its standard set of memory sizes, including 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Although various reports have indicated there could be a jump in price, the iPad 3 could remain the same if the super-fast long-term evolution (LTE) network is not integrated. MIC Gadget also cited sources that LTE -- which is more costly to build into devices -- is unlikely for the next-generation Apple device since the market may still be too premature for it. SEE ALSO: Clues in Apple's iPad Invite/a> | Apple TV Announced Next Week?/a> The specs revealed in the video show that the exterior design updates are slight, so iPad 2 covers are still be able to fit the new version. Voice-assistant software Siri is also likely to be included. Meanwhile, Gizmodo is reporting that the device could be called the "iPad HD," as it will likely feature a HD retina display, and boost a major update to iOS. The Internet is never shy about Apple rumors. There are even claims that a 7.85-inch model could be introduced in the third quarter of this year, with the same resolution as the conventional iPad 2 with 1024x768 pixels and no retina display. What do you think will be unveiled at the event? Which features do you want to see most? Let us know in the comments. Apple Invite Sparks iPad 3 Frenzy on Twitter Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ymgerman Evidence of iPad 3 and iOS 6? Server Logs Tell the Tale Sunday, March 04, 2012 11:06 AM TabTimes Are some Apple employees already surfing the Web using new iPad 3 tablets? That would not be a surprise if the device, as rumored, is set for release next week, but finding hard evidence of the iPad 3 in action would be. Tech site Ars Technica doesn't have smoking-gun proof of the iPad 3 in use, but said a recent Google Analytics report found it had 365 visits from a device with a screen resolution of 2048x1536, the same resolution rumored to be included in the so-called "retina display" of the iPad 3. Ars Technica notes that while screen resolution isn't much to go on, a Web search revealed very few devices in current use run at that particular resolution; one is a $5,000 NEC display for medical use. Separately, the site said iPad user agents coming from Apple's corporate IP block in Cupertino showed evidence of Web surfing using "what looks like iOS 6.0 and a newer build of WebKit." But evidence of iOS 6 in use isn't necessarily connected to the iPad 3, in fact Ars Technica thinks the next iPad will run the 5.1 version of iOS, though iOS 6 may be previewed. Top 10 Most Amazing iPhone Puzzle Games Sunday, March 04, 2012 10:25 AM Carter Dotson Since the days of Tetris on the original Game Boy, puzzle games and handheld devices have gone hand in hand. With the App Store encouraging creative developers to come up with their own ideas for addicting brain-teasers, there are plenty of quality puzzle games out there for the iPhone and iPad. But these puzzlers are the cream of the crop. From new takes on familiar ideas to unique hybrids -- these are the ten best puzzle games for iOS. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, youngvet.		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