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LivingSocial Now Testing Food Delivery & “Room Service”

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:58:34 +0000

LivingSocial is now testing a new food ordering and delivery service as a part of LivingSocial Instant , the company announced this morning. At launch, members in the Washington D.C. area can now order food from select area restaurants and have the meals delivered to their home or workplace. In conjunction with the restaurant delivery service, the company is also launching something called “LivingSocial Room Service,” which will offer “white glove delivery” from top restaurants, with special amenities and personal touches, like those you would find at a nice hotel. The standard food delivery option offers the ability to order from over 70 D.C. area restaurants, including Wisey’s, Chix, Sala Thai and Shawafel. The restaurants will be able to utilize LivingSocial’s marketing tools in order to link their Daily Deals to LivingSocial Instant, the company explains. For example, a restaurant whose daily deal voucher was offered on a Wednesday can become immediately redeemable on Thursday via the new delivery service. The company also hopes it will entice new customers to join LivingSocial for the food delivery option, and then return for the daily deals. As for the fancier LivingSocial Room Service, this option will include “high-quality tableware, dining accessories, top-shelf presentation of food and a special after-dinner treat.” (Let’s hope they mean dessert.) Unlike Instant Ordering, Room Service will only be available downtown on Thursday and Friday nights and will feature one restaurant per week. The prix fixe menu will change based upon each chef’s expertise and specialities, as it would if you were dining out at the restaurant that night. Both services are online now for D.C. residents at livingsocial.com/instant . To order, just input your current location and preference (pickup, delivery or dine in).

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LivingSocial Now Testing Food Delivery & “Room Service”

T-Mobile should be part of Google Music event

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:19:58 +0000

T-Mobile and Google sent us an invite to an afterparty for the night of Wednesday’s rumored Google Music event but you have to wonder what role T-Mobile is going to play in that announcement. Leaked screenshots suggest Google will begin selling tracks and albums as part of Google Music but the company has also promised a bit of a social twist with it. Some are speculating that you’ll be able to use Google+ to share tracks or at least, one playing of the track. Being able to offer this service in the Android Market or somewhere in Android would help Google remain as competitive as possible with Apple’s iOS, which boats the iTunes juggernaut underneath it. Still, there’s nothing we’ve heard from the coming Google Music service which desperately calls out for a mobile partner and that’s why it’s intriguing that T-Mobile is sponsoring the afterparty. Perhaps there could be a mobile-specific aspect of the music service that T-Mobile will have exclusive rights to at first. It’s also been about a month since we’ve seen the Galaxy Nexus announced and the device will be coming in an HSPA+ version, so T-Mobile could theoretically support it and it does have a good history with the Nexus lineup. Will this rocking event be the product’s first unveiling in the United States? We’re only a few short days from finding out, friends. T-Mobile should be part of Google Music event originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-11-14T22:19:58Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j

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T-Mobile should be part of Google Music event

Possible Google Music Store Screenshots Surface

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:54:55 +0000

A Spanish-language blog has leaked what are purported to be screenshots from the new Google Music Store, a service that the company may announce on Wednesday. The blog, TechnoDroidVe , appears to be based in Venezuela. Its authors claim they got access to an unreleased version of the service by using an HTC Inspire to access the Android Market. Screen grabs displayed on the site show images from artists including Green Day and Shakira. Prices range from $0.99 to $1.29 per song. Albums are priced between $8.49 and $9.99. There is also a “Free Song of the Day,” according to the site. Reps from Google could not be reached for comment. The alleged existence of the Google Music Store comes after Google sent out a mysterious invitation to an event in Los Angeles on Wednesday. In October, reports surfaced that Google would open its own MP3 store “within a few weeks,” but that the company was unlikely to secure rights to sell music from two of the four major label groups, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, by launch. Google’s new store could be connected to Google Music Beta , which was released in May. Such an offering would vie with iTunes Match , a cloud-based offering from Apple that would let users access songs and playlists from other devices for $24.99 per year. Apple has not yet indicated when it will offer that product. (UPDATE: Apple released iTunes Match Monday.) A Google Music Store would also compete with Amazon Cloud Player , a product the company introduced in March that costs $20 per year and has no storage limits. Chino & Nacho App provides short descriptions of artists, according to TechnoDroidVe Click here to view this gallery. More About: Amazon Cloud Player , google music , itunes , itunes-match , trending For more Entertainment coverage: Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Entertainment channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad

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Possible Google Music Store Screenshots Surface

Overexposed? Artist Fills Room With 24 Hours of Flickr Photos

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:43:45 +0000

Photography has received a boost in recent years with the advent of more powerful cameras in our phones and the explosion of picture-sharing on the social web. In fact, we likely share millions of photos a day and the sheer scale of that sharing is a little hard to imagine. Or is it? Dutch visual artist Erik Kessels is going beyond imagination by literally printing out every image uploaded to Flickr in a 24-hour period. Judging from the above picture, that’s a lot of images. More over, these are just the pictures from Flickr; imagine what it would look like if Kessels dug into Facebook , Twitter and other photo-hosting sites such as Picasa. The installation is on display at the Foam photography gallery in Amsterdam as part of What’s Next? , an exhibit examining the future of photography. Kessels’s goal was to make-real the mountains of personal information and data that people share every single day, he told Creative Review : “We’re exposed to an overload of images nowadays… This glut is in large part the result of image-sharing sites like Flickr, networking sites like Facebook, and picture-based search engines. Their content mingles public and private, with the very personal being openly and un-selfconsciously displayed. By printing all the images uploaded in a 24-hour period, I visualise the feeling of drowning in representations of other peoples’ experiences.” People have been taking and sharing pictures since the first daguerreotypes were created in the 1800s. Kessels’s exhibit certainly forces us to examine how much media we share every day, but couldn’t the same be said for earlier generations who were just as snap-happy even if they didn’t have a Flickr account? The question is less about how many pictures we take but rather how freely we share those images with complete strangers online. Are we a society of over-sharers? Is it shocking to see how many photos are uploaded in a 24-hour period or should we be sharing even more? Let us know in the comments. More About: art , flickr , photo , photography For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad

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Overexposed? Artist Fills Room With 24 Hours of Flickr Photos

Docphin Launches A “Bloomberg For Doctors”

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:00:58 +0000

Today, Docphin is launching a new Web service the company likens to a “Bloomberg for Doctors.” The site aims to help physicians organize, bookmark, read and track medical news and research from a number of sources, all within a single dashboard interface. Included with the service are simple tools to view and filter through hundreds of medical journals, something which has been difficult to do using traditional research methods. The service even offers a built-in personalized Twitter widget for keeping up with medical societies, sources and other leaders in a doctor’s given speciality. One of the most important things to know about Docphin is not the sum of its features, but who’s behind it. This is a company built by doctors- slash -entrepreneurs who have direct knowledge of what their fellow physicians need. The service’s founders include Mitesh Patel, Derek Juang and Sachin Nanavati. In addition to being an entrepreneur, Patel is also a physician and clinical researcher, and has served as the business development consultant for more than ten healthcare startups. His research has been featured in the New England Journal of Medicine and The New York Times. Meanwhile, prior to Dochpin, Nanavati worked at IMS Consulting Group, which specialized in global strategies for pharmaceutical clients. He also has an MBA in Healthcare Management from Columbia Business School. Finally, Juang, like Patel, is an MD. He currently works as a staff physician at the Department of Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System and as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California in San Diego. Essentially, the concept for Docphin is that of a personalized news dashboard – something which numerous startups have built in the past, but mainly for consumers. Like any good news dashboard, Docphin is simple to set up and use. In less than five minutes, a new user can create their own page to aggregate information from medical journals, news media and Twitter feeds. The site’s filters and tools let doctors sort and browse through the articles, share articles with their colleagues, start discussions by posting comments, bookmark articles for later reading and more. Docphin has been in testing for over a year, and has established partnerships with three academic medical centers: the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan and the University of California-San Diego. The company plans to expand nationwide in 2012. Docphin is currently self-funded and looking for angel and VC funding.

LG rumored to debut Google TV at CES 2012

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:47:48 +0000

After news of Logitech killing the Revue and Sony developing its own Smart TV platform , it looks like Google TV could have a savior in the works in the form of Korean electronics manufacturer, LG. According to a report from Bloomberg – their sources claimed that Google and LG might be revealing a Google TV-powered TV at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January next year. With LG being the world’s second-largest TV maker, having them onboard with Google TV is going to be a pretty big deal. However, if Google doesn’t make some massive changes to Google TV or garner the support of content providers to improve the service, it is quite unlikely that LG will see any success with it either. If rumors turn out to be true, let’s hope Google has some tricks left up its sleeve for Google TV; since LG hasn’t been doing too well with Android handsets , it would be unfortunate for them if Android-powered TVs didn’t work out as well. What do you think of these rumors, and can LG help Google TV out of its current slump? LG rumored to debut Google TV at CES 2012 , By Ubergizmo . Top Stories : Epic 4G Touch Review ,

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LG rumored to debut Google TV at CES 2012

Veterans Day 2011: Google Doodle Salutes Troops

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:28:58 +0000

Google is remembering troops this Veterans Day by flying a yellow ribbon on its homepage. Its latest Google Doodle, a watercolor-style pastoral scene, swaps the “l” in the Google logo for a tree with a yellow ribbon tied to it. Displaying yellow ribbons is a tradition that predates the civil war in songs and folklore as a symbol of loyalty to loved ones welcomed home. “In recent years,” says the website of Yellow Ribbon America , “it has been displayed to show our support for our service men and women to keep them first and foremost in our hearts and prayers.” SEE ALSO: Top 10 Animated Google Doodles [VIDEOS] | Where Do Google Doodles Come From? Veterans day, originally named Armistice Day, is celebrated in the U.S. every Nov. 11, the day fighting between the Allied nations and Germany officially ended in 1918. Google last honored the holiday with a Doodle in 2009 . The annual National Veterans Day Ceremony will take place on Friday at 11 a.m. ET in Arlington National Cemetery. Regional sites for Veterans Day activities can be found at the Department of Veterans Affairs website . BONUS: More Google Doodles The Christmas Google Doodle Each package gets larger with a mouse-over, and a click on it returns search results pertinent to a specific country or the particular items featured in a scene. This one is from December 24, 2010. Click here to view this gallery. More About: google doodle , Veterans Day For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad

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Veterans Day 2011: Google Doodle Salutes Troops

IBM Debuts Mobile Security Service For Smartphone And Tablet Use In The Enterprise

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:59:47 +0000

As the usage of smartphones increases in business operations, IBM is debuting a new service to help businesses secure mobile devices with access to corporate data. Called the Hosted Mobile Device Security Management service, the new product includes a security application for smartphones and tablets, along with managed services including policy management and user compliance monitoring. IBM says the Device Security Management hosted service helps organizations protect against and monitor data loss and other risks caused by device theft, unauthorized access, malware, spyware, and inappropriate apps. The service allows businesses to configure and monitor employee smartphones and tablets to comply with security policies, secure data in the event that a device is lost or stolen, help to find a lost or stolen device, protect against spyware and viruses, detect and remove malicious and unapproved applications, track user activity, and maintain secure web connections. IBM says it is working with Juniper Networks to provide the protection and device management technology for the service, which will be available for Apple iOS, Google Android, BlackBerry, Symbian and Microsoft Windows Mobile. As more and more businesses adopt smartphones and tablets for employee use, the need to secure these mobile devices both when it comes to business data and everyday security issues like malware. The product sounds very similar to the Lookout’s Mobile Security App , Zenprise and Enterproid. Of course, it’s a little surprising that IBM didn’t just acquire one of these companies considering its acquisitive nature.

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IBM Debuts Mobile Security Service For Smartphone And Tablet Use In The Enterprise

PSA: Steam Hacked, User Info May Be Stolen, But Personal Data Safe

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:08:51 +0000

Valve CEO Gabe Newell has contacted all users of the Steam game distribution platform to let them know that the company has suffered a security breach. The hack was originally thought to be limited to the official Steam forums, but further investigation has revealed that the hackers had access to a database containing “user names, hashed and salted passwords, game purchases, email addresses, billing addresses and encrypted credit card information.” That said, they says that they have no evidence that any personally identifiable information was actually taken, and have detected no fraudulent credit card information. Users of the service are advised to change their passwords and be on the watch for suspicious account activity. Here’s the notice in its entirety: Dear Steam Users and Steam Forum Users, Our Steam forums were defaced on the evening of Sunday, November 6. We began investigating and found that the intrusion goes beyond the Steam forums. We learned that intruders obtained access to a Steam database in addition to the forums. This database contained information including user names, hashed and salted passwords, game purchases, email addresses, billing addresses and encrypted credit card information. We do not have evidence that encrypted credit card numbers or personally identifying information were taken by the intruders, or that the protection on credit card numbers or passwords was cracked. We are still investigating. We don’t have evidence of credit card misuse at this time. Nonetheless you should watch your credit card activity and statements closely. While we only know of a few forum accounts that have been compromised, all forum users will be required to change their passwords the next time they login. If you have used your Steam forum password on other accounts you should change those passwords as well. We do not know of any compromised Steam accounts, so we are not planning to force a change of Steam account passwords (which are separate from forum passwords). However, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to change that as well, especially if it is the same as your Steam forum account password. We will reopen the forums as soon as we can. I am truly sorry this happened, and I apologize for the inconvenience. Gabe.

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PSA: Steam Hacked, User Info May Be Stolen, But Personal Data Safe

Drumo Is Quora For Cities

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:11:09 +0000

It’s hard when you’re new to a city and have no friends. When I visit a new city I tend to hide in trees and behind garbage bins and watch people from afar, seeing where they go to eat and socialize. Then I go to those places at night, when they’re closed, and sniff the air for their scent. However, Drumo offers an improved method for finding out specific things about a city using Quora -style discussion connected to geodata of major metropolitan areas. As it stands, the service is limited to Sydney, Singapore, and Tokyo, thus limiting your choices. However, it is still in beta and looks to be an interesting way to figure things out on the ground. For example, you can ask about sushi restaurants and the best watch shops and get real answers from real people. You’re rewarded with points and badges for correct answers and there are tie-ins with local businesses. The questions range from the mundane to the fairly urgent and it seems sparsely populated right now by friends of the devs. However, the design is whimsical and cute and the service, on the surface, seems useful. Australia’s Design Royale built and funded the app and there is no current public investment. They’re growing the service slowly but surely and they should be adding new cities, including Osaka and Hong Kong, over the next few months. There is an iPhone app available now and an Android app forthcoming. Now I can satisfy my sinister urges with the help of hundreds of willing volunteers and, given the Quora-like interface, I can now find locations with outdoor seating to sniff. That, my friends, is what the Internet was made for. Click to view slideshow.

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Drumo Is Quora For Cities