TECH BUZZ NET: January 2010

iPhone OS 3.2 Hints at Camera Support in a Future iPad

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 07:25 PM PST

One of the glaring things missing from the Apple iPad is a camera. Interestingly, though, a source confirmed to Engadget that the iPhone OS 3.2 — the operating system running on the iPad — has several different software hooks that include at least some basic support for video calling.
That strongly suggests Apple may include a camera in the next version of the iPad. Some code that supports toggling a video call between full screen and a smaller screen area also hints at the probability of being able to video chat and do other tasks at the same time. It’s not all that much to go on, but it does suggest that multi-tasking may be coming along down the road for the iPad, and perhaps the iPhone as well.
So why no camera in version one? It’s anyone’s guess, but maybe Apple decided to hold off on supporting video conferencing over 3G until either AT&T improved its network to better support the relatively high data bandwidth video calls require, or until they were able to reach an agreement with another cell carrier. Perhaps they wanted to come in as cheaply as possible and leave some room to grow in version two.
In any case, there’s good reason to hope for camera and video chat support in the next iteration of the iPad. Check out the Engadget post for some other details revealed from the iPhone OS 3.2 Software Development Kit, and let us know what you think: would the iPad be more attractive to you with a camera on board?
Tags: apple, camera, ipad, iphone, iphone OS 3.2, Skype, video chat

How the PGA Can Use Social Media to Rebuild Its Brand

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 04:43 PM PST

Jalen Rose is a former 13-year NBA star and current ESPN basketball analyst but may be best known for being a member of the famous University of Michigan Fab Five.
Let me start off by saying I don't play golf, but I do watch and I am a big fan of the sport. Over the past decade, I’ve watched as Tiger Woods has become the face of golf around the world. He is unbelievably important to the game, and that has to change.
Having been in the NBA for 13 years I know the meaning of a sport as a business. Sometimes, superstars in the game become synonymous with their sports. Just like in basketball we had Michael Jordan, in boxing we had Mike Tyson, in tennis we had Pete Sampras, in golf we have Tiger Woods. However, those other sports went on and flourished after those stars retired. What the PGA needs to understand and implement is the notion that they cannot hinge the business of golf onto just one player — it's not practical. Golf existed before Tiger, and it will exist after he leaves.

The PGA Needs to Move Post-Tiger

Tiger’s unfortunate actions late last year that led to his indefinite hiatus from golf have certainly forced the PGA’s hand in looking for ways to move the brand beyond Tiger. But regardless, expanding the brand image beyond a single player is smart business sense that will strengthen the league in the long run. Now that I'm an analyst and sitting on the other side, I really do see how important it is to grow the sport as a whole.
One way the PGA can move beyond Tiger is to utilize social media.

Using Social Media to Build Community

What the PGA needs to do is move forward and embrace social media to the max. Currently the PGA has a Facebook Page with over 14,000 fans and a Twitter account with a little more than 4,000 followers. I have more combined fans and followers than the PGA, an entire professional sports league. That, my friends, needs to change. There are many more people than that watching the sport. Golf is a worldwide game, so they need to address this globally, not just domestically. Players like Bubba Watson, Stewart Cink, and John Daly are just a few of the players that have embraced social media and really started growing their fan base and interacting with them.
There is a great opportunity here for the PGA to take advantage of technology that is really made for the fans and followers. Golf is a sport that has a great loyal viewership and dedicated fan base. The PGA needs to tap into that core audience and deliver. Here are a couple ideas:

– Engage the fans on Facebook, Twitter, and Ustream. The PGA needs to talk with the fans who are posting on their wall. They need to interact with people talking about golf on Twitter, and even have golfers give live lessons on Ustream! It’s time for the PGA to build a culture where golfers and golf fans come to the PGA’s social media accounts when they want to talk or find out more about the sport.
– Create content and promotions that allow the fans to reach out to the pros. For example, have players create personalized videos about various topics (the best shot I ever hit, my favorite course to play, etc.). Even better, set up golf clinics around the U.S. where social media fans who play the game can get a chance to meet and interact with professional golfers.

The Game Needs Tiger, But That Can Change

The other day, Phil Mickelson admitted to the press that the game of golf needs Tiger. I think that what the game of golf really needs to do is promote the other "Tigers" who are out there. When Michael Jordan retired from the NBA, the game still went on. And the NBA did not pin a single successor, but many successors that have taken basketball and the NBA to new heights.
Here is a chance for the PGA to take it to the next level. Every player in the game of golf has a story to tell, and the game has a story of its own. The PGA can use social media to tell those stories. Yes, the game misses Tiger, but the business must go on until he returns to a (hopefully) new and improved PGA that truly engages and interacts with its fans through social media.
And yes, my colleagues get on my case about not playing — I will get into it soon.

More sports resources from Mashable:

- When Social Media Gets Athletes in Trouble
- 5 Predictions for Athletes on Social Media in 2010
- 5 Social Media Lessons the NBA Can Teach Businesses
- 5 Reasons Every Sports Fan Should Be On Social Media
- 5 Athletes Who Would Have Been Social Media Mavens

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, RichVintage

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto, ustream
Tags: fab five, Golf, jalen rose, pga, social media, sports, tiger woods

Apple iPad: A Revolution in Parody Inspiration [VIDEO]

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 03:19 PM PST

As the debate rages on from consumers to competitors alternatively lauding and criticizing the iPad, College Humor has put their foot down with a definitive take on the device: it’s pure comedy gold.
Thanks to its “absurd and unwieldy size,” the iPad jokes apparently write themselves, according to CH’s Senior Vice President of Size Jokes. From alternatives names like “iPod jumbo” and “iPaid too much” to the inevitable feminine hygeine mockery this device is plainly asking for, the iPad will “change the way we make fun of Apple.”
Check out the video below and let us know what you think. Whether you love it or hate it, do you appreciate the comedic potential of the iPad?

Tags: apple, college humor, comedy, ipad, video

Apple vs. Amazon: The Great Ebook War Has Already Begun

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 01:35 PM PST

We’re not going to see the iPad hit stores for another two months, but it is already changing the ebook game and forcing publishers and consumers to pick sides.
Last night, several blogs including Venturebeat and NYT’s Bits Blog noticed something was amiss on the website of the world’s largest retailer: Amazon suddenly stopped selling books from Macmillan, one of the world’s largest book publishers.
Not every Macmillan book is gone, but popular ones such as The Gathering Storm are no longer sold by Amazon, either in physical or Kindle form. You can still find the Amazon pages for Macmillan’s books — you just can’t order the actual books.
According to the New York Times, the reason the books were pulled was the iPad. Macmillan told Amazon that it wanted to change its pricing and compensation agreement, upping the price of some books from $9.99 to $15 and splitting sales 70/30, the same model Apple uses for the iPhone app store and its upcoming iBooks store. Amazon’s apparent response was to flex its muscle and pull countless Macmillan books off the virtual shelves.

The Dynamics of the New Ebook War

Ever since we got word of the iPad’s existence, we’ve known that Amazon and Apple were on a collision course. Apple saw an opportunity to not only create a new category of device, but to get its hands into the publishing market. In the same way Apple has transformed music, the computing giant would reshape books and become the primary distributor of ebooks worldwide.
Back in September, we wrote a lengthy piece explaining why we believed Apple’s tablet would eat the Kindle’s lunch, displacing Amazon’s lordship over ebooks. We argued that its multipurpose functionality, color screen, and sexier interface and look would put it over the top. Now that we know the iPad’s starting price, ($499), our opinion hasn’t changed. While the Kindle will survive, its sales will likely never be the same.

Publishers like Macmillan apparently agree with us as well, otherwise they wouldn’t so boldly demand price changes from Amazon. Before the iPad was revealed, Amazon was the only player in the game. You played by its rules or you could take a hike. Now with a viable alternative only months away, publishers can run to Apple, where it will have more freedom over its ebook prices.
Amazon’s clearly worried, which is why it’s launching an app store and used its earnings report to remind us that the Kindle is far from dead. But if publishers decide to abandon the Kindle, then Apple will have won the war by default.
That’s why Amazon decided to use its biggest weapon, Amazon.com itself, against Macmillan to send a message to every publisher: If you don’t play by its rules, then you can’t be in its store. While a publisher can likely survive without the Kindle, the same cannot be said for Amazon.com. Publishers simply cannot afford to leave the world’s largest online retailer.
The Kindle and the iPad offer different experiences. The Kindle’s battery life and e-ink are strong selling points for the device as a reader, but the iPad offers so much more. Apple’s banking on those extra features and its undeniable reach to turn the Kindle into an endangered species.
Publishers now have to either choose a side or walk the tightrope between the two companies. The end result will be a long, drawn out war that will both help and hurt consumers. How it will end is anybody’s guess.
Tags: amazon, apple, Apple iPad, Apple Tablet, ebooks, iBooks, ipad, Kindle, Macmillan, Tablet, trending

Haiti, iPad, and Obama: The Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 11:09 AM PST

Out of all the social media tools out there, the one that people go to in order to figure out what’s hot on the web has to be Twitter. With millions of tweets crossing its servers and constantly updated trending topics, it’s easy to find out what’s happening right now.
We’re taking it a step further with a new series, Top Twitter Topics, a weekly recap of what people were buzzing about in the Twitterverse. Thanks to What The Trend, we know what events captured our collective attention.

What Was Hot This Week

Last week, Haiti and the Shorty Awards topped Twitter trends, with MLK day, the Golden Globes, and the Massachusetts special election all making appearance.
We’ve changed our analysis formula a little since then. This week, we’ve consolidated top trends and are utilizing a point system conceived by What the Trend that weighs time spent trending against how high related terms trended.
Here are some highlights from this week’s list:

- Haiti, relief efforts, and raising money to help remain the top topic of discussion.
- Unsurprisingly, the #2 topic of discussion was the iPad, along with discussion about the keynote and jokes about the product’s name.
- Obama’s State of the Union ranks in at #3. This confirms data we published yesterday: Steve Jobs beat Obama in buzz.
- Sadly, at #9 is “RIP Johnny Depp,” a hoax celebrity death that picked up steam and fooled way too many people.

Predictions: What Will Be Popular Next Week

1. The iPad: What, you think people won’t be buzzing about Apple’s new device a week from now?
2. The Grammys: I was a week off on last week’s prediction; now the buzz is starting to build.
3. Super Bowl: The big game is coming
4. Haiti: The people of the island nation still need our help.
5. Justin Bieber: The 15 year old singing phenomenon was discovered on YouTube, and his fans are as passionate as Twilight or Jonas Brothers fans. Be very afraid.

10 Most Popular Topics on Twitter, 1/23 to 1/29

All descriptions provided by What The Trend.

Rank	Topic	Top Index This Week	Change	Description
#1	Haiti	1		On January 12, 2010 an earthquake measured at 7.0 devastated the country’s capital. January 22nd saw a star-studed extravaganza to raise relief funds.
#2	Apple iPad	1		Apple announced their newest product, the Apple iPad (a tablet computer). Love it or hate it, many people tweeted their thoughts
#3	State of the Union	1	NEW	USA President Obama gave his first "State of the Union" address on 1/27/10. Folks are tweeting their thoughts.
#4	Super Bowl	1	NEW	The Indianapolis Colts play the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, the culmination of a season of National League Football play. The Super Bowl is treated almost as a holiday in the United States, with many people holding parties, some just to watch the commercials during the game.
#5	Conan O’Brien	1		Friday, January 22nd was Conan O’Brian’s last Tonight show. People discussed the last show, as well as adopting a catchphrase of "Dear Internet" in their own tweets.
#6	Shorty Awards	5	-4	The Second Annual Shorty Awards honor the most popular producers of short content on Twitter. Award winners are recognized in 26 official and 100s of user generated categories. There were some issues with voting irregularities.
#7	Justin Bieber	3	-4	The young Canadian R&B/pop singer has a lot of fans who like to tweet about him!
#8	Follow Friday	2	-3	Follow Friday is a tradition where people tweet people they believe are fun/interesting to follow (on Fridays).
#9	RIP Johnny Depp	2	NEW	A hoax that Johnny Depp died is circulating once again. (It came from a fake CNN page, in which the article was dated 2004.)
#10	RIP JD Salinger	2	NEW	J.D. Salinger, the legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose “The Catcher in the Rye” shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned, has died. He was 91.

You can also check out the raw data, which includes the top 25 trends of the week.

Reviews: Twitter, YouTube, twilight
Tags: Top Twitter Topics, trending topics, twitter, What The Trend

Firefox for Mobile Makes Its Debut

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 09:49 AM PST

Want the power and add-ons of the Firefox browser in the palm of your hands? That dream is quickly becoming a reality, starting with the Maemo OS and owners of the Nokia N900.
Mozilla has officially introduced Firefox for Maemo, the first officially launched version of Firefox for Mobile. It’s been in testing for some time, but now it’s available for download for those of you who own an N900 smartphone.
The new mobile browser comes equipped with an array of quite awesome features: the awesome bar, weave sync (sync your bookmarks, passwords, tabs, and history between mobile and desktop), tabbed browsing, and location-aware maps are all part of this launch.
Our favorite feature of the Firefox for Mobile launch though has to be the inclusion of add-ons. Yes, you’ll be able to customize your mobile browsing experience with add-ons like TwitterBar, AdBlock Plus, and YouTube Enabler. There is a Firefox mobile add-on website with around 40 add-ons, but the number is growing.
If you’re not an N900 owner but want Firefox on your iPhone, Blackberry, Android, or other smartphone, we have some good news and some bad news. The good news: Firefox is investigating Android and launching for other mobile phones soon. The bad news: don’t expect them on the BlackBerry or iPhone anytime soon.

Reviews: Adblock Plus, Android, Firefox
Tags: Fennec, Firefox, firefox for mobile, firefox mobile, Maemo, mozilla, Nokia, Nokia N900

4 New Mac Twitter Apps You May Have Missed

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 07:02 AM PST

Just when you think you’ve tried every Twitter app out there, a few more appear on the scene. For Mac users that might have either grown tired of, or are looking for alternatives to, Tweetie, Twitterrific, Kiwi or Socialite, never fear, there are indeed other native Mac OS X options out there!
While some of the best Twitter apps, in terms of power, are still the Adobe Air-based Seesmic Desktop and Tweetdeck, there are also some great, free native OS X clients (and one that runs on Mozilla’s XUL platform) worth checking out.

1. Itsy

Itsy is for the Twitter minimalist — someone who wants to have the ability to send a tweet, view @replies and maybe perform a search, but doesn’t want the app to take up tons of real-estate or attention. The app has a very small footprint, both in terms of memory and screen size, and offers up the basic Twitter features. Plus, it supports Growl notifications and keyboard shortcuts. If you want something simple and something that will stay out of your way, this just might be your app.
Itsy is free and requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.

2. Twitt

Twitt is a Twitter app for the Mac user who appreciates a good user interface and likes the ability to customize or theme his apps. Like Kiwi, Twitt supports HTML+CSS themes that are easy to install and change around. The app has the basic Twitter features covered, but adds a few things that power users should like too.
For instance, if you like to share photos via Twitter, you can use the built-in image uploader to send stuff to TwitPic or yFrog. It also supports multiple accounts, Growl, offline reading, the official Retweet button, plus you can set up notifications for certain content and create filters to prevent certain stuff from showing up in your timeline.
The only real feature that Twit lacks is Lists support, but as it stands, most native Mac apps don’t do that yet anyway. Twitt is free.

3. Echofon for Mac

Echofon for Mac is a desktop version of the popular iPhone app. The two apps share a lot of similarities, lots of features, and a clean, if not mindblowingly-awesome user interface. Echofon has a really nice browser drawer that can slide out of the side of the client, showing off conversation history or user information or user timelines, without obstructing your other screen. This is a great compromise between either having something always open in a browser, or the menu and column madness that some of the more powerful Twitter apps use.
Like Twitt, you can easily drag and drop to upload photos, a feature that’s a nice touch and something that many desktop clients ignore. You can also easily look at Twitter trending topics or view your saved searches from within the app, a feature that’s really handy.
If you use Echofon Pro for the iPhone, you can sync your unread tweets. And if you send an @reply or direct message to someone using Echofon for the iPhone, they can receive a push notification of your tweet instantly. Again, the only real feature that Echofon lacks is Lists support, but if that gets added, this will be a real competitor to the power-user apps. Update: Echofon for Mac just added list support, making it a very attractive option!
Echofon is still in beta and is free right now. Full pricing details will be announced in the future.

4. Yoono Desktop

Yoono Desktop is a desktop version of the popular Firefox add-on and it actually controls more than just Twitter. It also supports Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, AIM, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger and MySpace IM. The nice thing about Yoono is that you can update your status across networks and connect to all networks at once. It also supports real-time search across your different networks.
As a desktop app, Yoono includes most of the big features that came in the Firefox add-on. Unlike the other apps in this round-up, Yoono is not written using Cocoa — it’s based on Mozilla’s XUL-runner framework. That’s the same base that Firefox and Thunderbird use. I mention this because some of the interface features are going to differ — similar to what happens when you run Adobe Air apps. However, while XUL still tends to be poor with memory management in Mac OS X, it’s nowhere near as bad as Adobe Air. Users who want a powerful client that isn’t Air-based, this might be fore you.
Yoono can be run in a more compact space, but it really likes to take over as much of your screen real-estate as you can give it. Depending on what you like to monitor, that may or may not suit your needs. Still, for a power Twitter client that isn’t based on Adobe Air, Yoono is a great option. Mac users should also check out the Firefox add-on if you want a slightly more integrated approach.

Your Picks

Mac users, what is your favorite Twitter client? Let us know!

More Mac resources from Mashable:

- 5 Mac Apps to Boost Your Productivity
- Mac Gift Guide: 10 Buying Ideas for Apple Fans
- HOW TO: Create a Mac Theme for Windows 7
- Top 10 iPhone Apps as Judged by Mashable Readers
- 10 iPhone Apps to Avoid Work Disasters
- 20 Creative Apps For Your iPhone