HP’s public cloud… IBM and Red Hat on board… Rackspace finally making the jump… OpenStack is so hot right now. To discover why, check out ServerWatch, which has some great OpenStack coverage. The bottom line is that here’s a platform that has the potential to do for cloud infrastructures — public, private and hybrid clouds — what Linux has done for commodity servers. In short, OpenStack “opens up” the power of cloud computing to the masses with the freedom of open source licensing. But will increased adoption also threaten to make…
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Most Topular Stories
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Power management on OpenStack clouds?
ecoINSITE14 May 2012 | 4:09 pm -
Behind the scenes of a Brazilian hacker space
Cleantech16 May 2012 | 9:45 amWhen I read that the Geeks on a Plane group, which I’m traveling with this week through Latin America, would be visiting a Brazilian hacker space, I didn’t envision a picturesque Italian villa, with a flowing fountain and a cobblestone-filled square. But that’s exactly where the folks of the Sao Paulo-based Casa da Cultura Digital (House of Digital Culture) are working out of. The group is a frat-style collective of developers, artists, journalists, photographers and videographers that work (and party) out of the same house, collaborate on projects, and share bills, as well… -
The Avon Lady Comes to Mozambique, Hawking Cookstoves
Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit16 May 2012 | 2:22 amCleanStar invests in, builds, and scales triple-bottom-line business models in emerging markets around the world. CleanStar Mozambique, their latest and fastest growing project, was founded to tackle the cook stove problem with a bilateral solution: new clean-burning stoves and an ethanol processing facility to fuel them. But how do they gain traction in a saturated market? -
Power in numbers: Crowd purchasing brings clean energy within reach
Grist16 May 2012 | 9:34 amBy Rebecca Messner When it comes to purchasing clean energy, the more the merrier. (Photo by Hepburn Wind.) We join together with our fellow humans for the sake of saving a buck all the time. That’s why public transportation exists — it’s cheaper for 20 people to get on one bus than it is for 20 people to drive their own cars. (Oh right, and buses are also super cool.) Or think of roommates — sure, they never wash their dishes, but living with them saves us hundreds of dollars in rent. Groundswell, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., wants to add clean electricity to the… -
Green Blog: Paul Weston, Founder of Sea Shepherd, s Arrested in Germany
NYT > Environment16 May 2012 | 1:12 pmPaul Watson, the founder and president of the controversial group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, is in a German jail, where he is being held on a warrant involving a boating operation in Costa Rica.
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ecoINSITE
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Power management on OpenStack clouds?
14 May 2012 | 4:09 pmHP’s public cloud… IBM and Red Hat on board… Rackspace finally making the jump… OpenStack is so hot right now. To discover why, check out ServerWatch, which has some great OpenStack coverage. The bottom line is that here’s a platform that has the potential to do for cloud infrastructures — public, private and hybrid clouds — what Linux has done for commodity servers. In short, OpenStack “opens up” the power of cloud computing to the masses with the freedom of open source licensing. But will increased adoption also threaten to make… -
Patent war clouds Open Compute Project progress
4 May 2012 | 9:46 pmWhile conducting some research on Facebook’s upcoming IPO, I ended up on the Open Compute Project (OCP) website (Facebook’s a member). It turns out that a lot has been happening in the past several months, and most of it is great news for the future of energy efficient data centers and cloud infrastructures. Unfortunately, it seems that even OCP isn’t immune to the patent wars. First, the good news. Here are some choice updates from founding board member Frank Frankovsky, starting with news that its membership is expanding with some pretty big names in IT. Dozens of new… -
Intel, Microsoft among top green energy buyers
25 Apr 2012 | 5:44 pmA couple of IT companies made a strong showing on the EPA’s National Top 50 list of renewable energy buyers. According to the EPA, companies qualify for inclusion by meeting the following conditions: Organizations can meet EPA Partnership requirements using any combination of three different product options: (1) Renewable Energy Certificates, (2) On-site generation, and (3) Utility green power products. Microsoft’s chief environmental strategist, Robert Bernard, wrote a Software Enabled Earth blog post about how Microsoft scored third place. According to the EPA’s Green… -
Apple and Greenpeace at odds over cloud data center
20 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pmIs Apple operating a dirty, coal-powered cloud? Greenpeace seems to think it is (PDF), along with industry heavyweights Microsoft and Amazon. By its estimates, Apple’s data center in Maiden, North Carolina not only consumes a lot of energy, but it relies on power derived from coal-fired plants that service the region. If it sounds familiar, that’s because Facebook was faced with the same criticism (reg req’d) two years ago when it picked Prineville, Ore. for the location of its first-ever data center build. It has led to some interesting back and forth between Apple and… -
Grow your green SMB customer base with SEO
17 Apr 2012 | 4:36 pmToday, Office Depot shared some great insights on SMBs and their green business practices. According to the company, a majority of small businesses have adopted eco-friendly practices or are planning to by 2014. Earlier, at Small Business Computing I wrote: Sixty-one percent of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are actively taking steps to reduce their environmental impact according to the latest Office Depot Small Business Index. And those numbers are growing. Of those surveyed, 70 percent are planning to “go greener” within the next two years. It’s not the most…
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Cleantech
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Behind the scenes of a Brazilian hacker space
16 May 2012 | 9:45 amWhen I read that the Geeks on a Plane group, which I’m traveling with this week through Latin America, would be visiting a Brazilian hacker space, I didn’t envision a picturesque Italian villa, with a flowing fountain and a cobblestone-filled square. But that’s exactly where the folks of the Sao Paulo-based Casa da Cultura Digital (House of Digital Culture) are working out of. The group is a frat-style collective of developers, artists, journalists, photographers and videographers that work (and party) out of the same house, collaborate on projects, and share bills, as well… -
EEStor says it’s still alive and progressing
15 May 2012 | 2:32 pmEnergy storage company EEStor put out a press release on Tuesday saying it’s still around and making progress on its technology. For years EEStor has been promising to commercialize a supercapacitor that can provide 10 times the energy of lead-acid batteries at one-tenth the weight and half the price, but has missed all of its deadlines, so take this release with a grain of salt. EEStor says it has been working on a 20 micron thick layer that makes up its supercapacitor and has made progress with increasing the reliability of the manufacturing process. But EEStor says it hasn’t… -
Battery maker A123 posts big losses
15 May 2012 | 1:00 pmA123 Systems was supposed to be a success story about an innovative U.S. battery company, but it has struggled to live up to that expectation. The lithium-ion battery maker on Tuesday posted lower revenues and greater losses for the first quarter of this year, about two months after it launched a program to replace batteries with defective cells. The Massachusetts company reported losses of $125 million, or $0.87 per share for the first quarter, compared with losses of $53.6 million, or $0.51 per share in a year-ago period. A123 generated $10.9 million in revenues, a 40 percent drop from… -
Amyris and the challenges of scaling biofuels production
15 May 2012 | 12:01 pmThe article first appeared on GigaOM Pro, subscription required. The disclosure on last week’s earning call from Amyris that it was shuttering or scaling down production at two of its three facilities, effectively putting off major biofuels production for another two to three years, is not altogether surprising. Once technology risk is surmounted in the lab and a feedstock can be converted into a petroleum at a decent yield, the question always becomes: Can you do it at scale? Early optimism The original goal had been for Amyris’s three facilities to produce 7.5 million liters of product… -
How a Mormon VC ended up betting everything on Mexico
15 May 2012 | 5:38 amWhat’s a Mormon white guy from Southern California doing running a tech fund in Mexico? Paul Ahlstrom, the founding partner of one of Mexico’s rare venture capital firms Alta Ventures, says he gets that question all the time. It’s no doubt on the minds of the 40 plus Geeks on a Plane group, a traveling tour of entrepreneurs and investors organized by the 500 Startups tech fund, that stopped through Mexico City last weekend to learn about what — if anything — is going on in Mexico. Back in 2005, Ahlstrom, who was running a successful venture fund in Salt Lake…
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Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit
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The Avon Lady Comes to Mozambique, Hawking Cookstoves
16 May 2012 | 2:22 amCleanStar invests in, builds, and scales triple-bottom-line business models in emerging markets around the world. CleanStar Mozambique, their latest and fastest growing project, was founded to tackle the cook stove problem with a bilateral solution: new clean-burning stoves and an ethanol processing facility to fuel them. But how do they gain traction in a saturated market? -
Interview: Matt Bannick, Managing Partner, Omidyar Network
16 May 2012 | 2:15 amTriplePundit's Nick Aster sits down with with Matt Bannick, Managing Partner for Omidyar Network to look for some perspective. -
Chevron’s 2011 CSR Report Provides a (Too) Rosy Picture of the Company
16 May 2012 | 2:14 amFew years ago a CSR report released by an oil company sounded like an oxymoron. Even later on when these reports have become more common, it still looked to many people as a greenwashing attempt. After all, can a company really show it cares about the environment and stakeholders when its core business is oil production? I was hoping Chevron’s 2011 CSR report would prove this assumption to be wrong and that the “bad guys try to be better.” Is it too much to ask in 2012? Apparently yes, although to be honest, there is no simple answer of Yes or No to this question. While it does look… -
Patagonia Maps Out Its Supply Chain For Even More Transparency
16 May 2012 | 2:13 amPatagonia has released its Footprint Chronicles, one tool to help customers and stakeholders learn more about the the company’s global operations and suppliers. -
Largest U.S. Mutual Funds Not Passing Climate Change Resolutions
16 May 2012 | 2:12 amAlthough the three largest mutual fund companies in the U.S. (American Funds, Fidelity and Vanguard) voted on a number of shareholder resolutions related to climate change, none of the resolutions passed.
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Grist
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Power in numbers: Crowd purchasing brings clean energy within reach
16 May 2012 | 9:34 amBy Rebecca Messner When it comes to purchasing clean energy, the more the merrier. (Photo by Hepburn Wind.) We join together with our fellow humans for the sake of saving a buck all the time. That’s why public transportation exists — it’s cheaper for 20 people to get on one bus than it is for 20 people to drive their own cars. (Oh right, and buses are also super cool.) Or think of roommates — sure, they never wash their dishes, but living with them saves us hundreds of dollars in rent. Groundswell, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., wants to add clean electricity to the… -
My quest for a family car has ended, and the winner is …
16 May 2012 | 9:09 amBy David Roberts Last week, I wrote about my quest to buy a new car. We’re sick of our minivan/land yacht and want something smaller and more fuel-efficient that will nonetheless fit our whole family (and our dog) for our daily city commute. I received all sorts of helpful advice/tips/info in the comments on that post. It made me appreciate anew the great community we have here at Grist. After so many years of doing this, I’ve even come to appreciate the more … enthusiastic feedback. I learned that I should get a new wife because mine complains too much, that I should… -
HBO’s ‘Weight of the Nation’ should have taken focus on food system change further
16 May 2012 | 7:12 amBy Michele Simon Editor’s note: For another perspective on this series, see this post. The Weight of the Nation — a four-part mini-series that ran this week on HBO (and online) — has received a lot of attention. Produced in coordination with several federal government agencies and paired with a major national conference, the show has been heralded as “groundbreaking” and “bold.” But it’s really just the same old story. The Weight of the Nation trailer alone smacks of tired stereotypes, but colleagues implored me to watch the entire series, so I did. And it was… -
In Argentina, factory farms replacing grass-fed beef
16 May 2012 | 5:12 amBy Jessica Weiss Estancia Ranch, one of few remaining traditional pasture-based ranches in Argentina. (All photos by Jessica Weiss.) Buenos Aires, Argentina: It’s no secret the people here love beef. In 1958, the average Argentine consumed 216 pounds of it per year. (For context: U.S. beef consumption peaked in 1975 at 89 pounds per person.) Argentina was once the world’s fifth largest economy, due largely to the strength of its global dominance in the beef trade. Because of a grand confluence of factors including climate and natural grass diversity, Argentina was long known as a… -
Beautiful people on bikes! (Procrastination, anyone?) [SLIDESHOW]
16 May 2012 | 4:18 amBy Grist staff Trying to get some work done? Banish the thought. It’s National Bike Month, it’s spring, and these lovely people obviously need company. Filed under: Article, Biking
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NYT > Environment
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Green Blog: Paul Weston, Founder of Sea Shepherd, s Arrested in Germany
16 May 2012 | 1:12 pmPaul Watson, the founder and president of the controversial group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, is in a German jail, where he is being held on a warrant involving a boating operation in Costa Rica. -
Green Blog: Clouds and Climate, Redux
16 May 2012 | 12:58 pmFor people further interested the role of clouds in climate, "Atmosphere, Clouds, and Climate," a new book written by Dr. Randall and published by the Princeton University Press, can help. -
Scientist at Work Blog: Artifacts From a Time of Many Droughts
16 May 2012 | 12:55 pmAfter finding more water jar pieces, researchers plan their return to Cara Blanca, Belize, to further study the Maya world and how its inhabitants survived multi-year droughts. -
South Kingstown Journal: In Rhode Island, Protecting a Shoreline and a Lifeline
16 May 2012 | 11:13 amCoastal erosion near Matunuck has imperiled seafront structures and threatened the only road that residents can use to get in and out. -
Boca Sanibeni Journal: Dam Project Would Displace Villages in Jungle Valley of Peru
16 May 2012 | 11:08 amA hydroelectric dam supported by the country’s president would send thousands of people to live elsewhere.
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Yale Environment 360
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Wildlife in Tropical Regions Has Declined 60 Percent Since 1970
16 May 2012 | 10:59 amWildlife populations in the world’s tropical regions have fallen by more than 60 percent during the last four decades, according to the latest version of the Living Planet Index. The Index — which tracks populations of 2,688 vertebrate species in tropical and temperate regions worldwide — found that species abundance in the tropics declined by about 44 percent on land, 62 percent in the oceans, and 70 percent in freshwater ecosystems from 1970 to 2008. Cumulatively, species abundance declined by about 1.25 percent annually every year compared with a 1970 baseline, according to the… -
State Oversight Helps Reduce Effects of Fracking, Study Says
16 May 2012 | 10:51 amA new study conducted by the University of Buffalo has found that state regulation helped reduce environmental problems associated with unconventional forms of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania since 2008. In an analysis of 2,988 violations at nearly 4,000 Pennsylvania hydraulic fracturing drill sites, university researchers found that roughly 38 percent (845 violations) were environmental in nature. Among these violations, 25 were classified as “major” — including site restoration failures, contamination of water supplies, land spills, blowouts, and venting and gas migration. As the… -
Interview: Taking Green Chemistry Out Of the Lab and into Public Policy
16 May 2012 | 6:52 amPaul Anastas is credited with coining the term “green chemistry,” the movement to make chemicals and industrial processes more environmentally friendly, and during two stints in Washington, D.C., he has worked to Michael Marsland/Yale University Paul Anastas promote those principles at the U.S. Environmental Protection. Anastas, 49, recently left his post as EPA assistant administrator and science advisor to return to teaching at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he talks about his role in EPA’s decision to approve the use of… -
Taking Green Chemistry Out Of The Lab and into Products
16 May 2012 | 6:42 amPaul Anastas pioneered the concept of green chemistry and has led the effort to rethink the way we design and make the products we use. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he talks about the challenges of bringing this approach to policy making and the frustrations of tackling environmental issues in a politically polarized era. BY ROGER COHN -
Record Number of Fish Stocks ‘Rebuilt’ in 2011, NOAA Study Says
15 May 2012 | 9:44 amU.S. officials say a record number of fish stocks recovered to healthy population numbers in 2011 while a declining number of species were subject to overfishing. In a reportto Congress, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Wikimedia Commons Chinook salmon Administration (NOAA) declared that six species have been “rebuilt,” including the Bering Sea snow crab, the summer flounder found on the mid-Atlantic coast, the haddock in the Gulf of Maine, the Chinook salmon on the northern California coast, the Coho salmon on the Washington coast, and the Widow rockfish on the Pacific coast.
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EcoGeek
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Saudi Arabia Aims for 41 GW of Solar Power by 2032
15 May 2012 | 4:42 pmSaudi Arabia is making a major push make renewables, especially solar power, a bigger part of its energy mix. The oil-rich country is aiming to have 41 GW of solar power capacity installed by 2032 as well as a host of other renewable energy projects like wind, geothermal and waste-to-fuel plants. The country is planning to install 16 GW of solar photovoltaic power and 25 GW of concentrated solar power. This breakdown makes sense with CSP being very well suited for hot desert environments. The country hopes to cut down on its oil use and increase its presence in the solar power industry. Saudi… -
SuperStation Grid Connecting Project Moves Forward in New Mexico
15 May 2012 | 4:22 pmWhen we first wrote about the Tres Amigas SuperStation back in 2009, it was a well thought-out concept that seemed far off from becoming a reality, but an influx of new investments has pushed it forward and the project is set to break ground this summer with the transmission hub being operational in 2015.The SuperStation will connect the three major grids in the country: the east, west and Texas grids. It will cover 22 square miles near Clovis, New Mexico and open the door for transferring renewable energy from one part of the country to another. Now wind power generated in Texas and the… -
Enclosed Rooftop Wind Turbines from Australia
15 May 2012 | 8:10 amA new, small-scale wind turbine suitable for rooftop use is under development in Australia. The Windpod looks more like a cylindrical, vertical-axis wind turbine, than a 'pinwheel' horizontal-axis turbine, but is deployed on its side. The Windpod G1 has a diameter of 450mm and a length of 2200mm (about 18 inches by 86.5 inches) and can produce up to 1 kilowatt of power. However, the cut-in wind speed seems to be around 4 meters/second (about 9 mph), and full power is not reached until a wind speed of 12.5 meters/second (nearly 28 mph). Locations with strongly directional prevailing winds… -
Toyota Unveils All-Electric RAV4
10 May 2012 | 11:46 amToyota unveiled the all-electric RAV4, the first all-electric SUV to hit the market, at the Electric Vehicle Symposium 26 in Los Angeles on Monday. The EV is the result of a partnership between Toyota and Tesla Motors, which provided the electric drivetrain and battery technology. The electric RAV4 looks a lot like its gas-fueled counterpart, but has some EV-only specs. The body was tweaked to deliver better aerodynamics and the headlights, daytime running lights and rear combination lights are all LEDs. The interior features an eight-inch touchscreen display for navigation, EV drive… -
Volkswagen Develops Crowd-Sourced All-Electric Hover Car Concept
8 May 2012 | 1:03 pmAs part of its People's Car Project (PCP) in China, Volkswagen has developed a concept car based on a crowd-sourced idea for an all-electric hover car that it will debut at the Beijing Auto Show. The car is a two-person city car that hovers above the ground and travels via electromagnetic roadways. The Hover Car looks a lot like a flattened fish bowl with its circular design and large glass panels. Simon Loasby, Head of Design at Volkswagen Group China, said "The creative ideas from the ‘People's Car Project' give us a valuable insight into the wishes of Chinese drivers. The trend is…
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Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
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Massive Whale Sculpture Pops Up in Patagonian Forest, Warns of a Species Under Threat
16 May 2012 | 1:20 pmAdrián Villar Rojas is a master at creating massive sculptures of clay, wood and cement that remind us about the uncomfortable relationship humans have with nature. My Family Dead, a representation of a life-sized blue whale in the forest outside of his native Ushuaia, Argentina is one such example. When you are not moved by the suffering the magnificent creature appears to have endured, the tree stumps protruding around and out of the whale’s body spark curiosity over what was there first – the whale or the trees. Read the rest of Massive Whale Sculpture Pops Up in Patagonian… -
Zipper8Lighting Transforms Hundreds of Soda Can Tabs into Glowing Lampshades
16 May 2012 | 1:00 pmZipper8Lighting saved hundreds of soda can tabs to create these shimmering eco-friendly lampshades, which emit a warm glow from beneath the layers of reclaimed materials. The tabs are carefully attached to a cylindrical plastic shade, and when the light shines through it creates a simple but dazzling effect. Hopefully the designer didn’t have to drink all of that soda on their own! Read the rest of Zipper8Lighting Transforms Hundreds of Soda Can Tabs into Glowing Lampshades Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: eco design, eco friendly lamps, etsy, green design, green lamps,… -
Artist Creates Epic Cityscapes Using Vintage Letterpress Pieces
16 May 2012 | 12:10 pmRead the rest of Artist Creates Epic Cityscapes Using Vintage Letterpress Pieces Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: cityscape sculpture, David B. Smith Gallery, Denver art, eco design, eco-art, green design, Hong Seon Jang, letterpress sculpture, recycled art, recycled sculpture, sustainable design -
Pakmat is a Green Air Mattress that is Stored Inside its Own Air Pump
16 May 2012 | 11:20 amDo you enjoy camping but find it hard to get a good night’s sleep? The Pakmat is a comfortable, eco-friendly, and compact product ideal for outdoor enthusiasts, as well as for emergency use during disaster relief efforts. There is no need to carry a separate pump or rely on an electrical power source, because the PakMat uses a handheld pump with human energy to inflate the bed. It’s the first air pump that is specifically designed to act as a clean storage unit for the airbed it is designed to inflate. + AeroBed Pakmat The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want… -
Wij krijgen Kippen’s Giant Egg Wanders Amsterdam to Provide Green Energy Education
16 May 2012 | 11:00 am“Wij krijgen Kippen,” which roughly translates from the Dutch to ”we pick up chickens,” has an unusual educational tool for informing the public about energy usage — their giant egg wanders through the streets of Amsterdam, and nests itself everywhere that local energy is generated. The group’s objective is to help the borough of Amsterdam Zuid transition from traditional energy sources to new, locally produced green energy. Supported by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Wij krijgen kippen is comprised of a growing group of…
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Latest Items from TreeHugger
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Extreme Rainstorms in Midwest Double Over Past 50 Years
16 May 2012 | 1:00 pmIn brief: Extreme storms have increased in number, with the most extreme storms increasing more than less extreme storms and both more than average storms. -
On the East Coast, a Sailing Regatta with Carbon Neutrality
16 May 2012 | 11:30 amUsing alternative fuels, carbon offsets, and strict on-board rules the Atlantic Cup aims to be the first carbon-neutral race in the U.S. -
First Satellite Study of Manta Rays Reveals New Areas for Conservation
16 May 2012 | 10:15 amManta Rays are big animals and they need a lot of space -- but how much an where? A new study tracks just where the rays go. -
Beautiful and Powerful: Audi's E-Bike Wörthersee
16 May 2012 | 10:05 amAfter Daimler and its Smart Electric Bike, it is now Audi's turn to unveil a special electric bike design. -
Little Sun Solar Light Is Both Life Saver and Work of Art
16 May 2012 | 8:35 amSolar lighting for rural and developing areas is a solution to the real problem of toxic kerosene lamps, but this little LED light strives to be a work of art too.
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TechCrunch
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Why The Internet Doesn’t Make Us Care More About Politics
16 May 2012 | 1:30 pmAmerican politics used to be fun: frequent political carnivals in the 19th century would mix parties, parades, and political speeches in an endless stream of local civic life. As a result, America had an astonishingly high turnout, between 70-90%, in presidential and local elections. Yet, the Internet has never quite captured the emotional gravity of real-life engagement, and keeps tripping up multi-million dollar campaigns designed to inject life into an otherwise passive electorate. For example, take two technology initiatives that were widely predicted to dramatically increase democratic… -
It’s Time For A Larger iPhone
16 May 2012 | 1:27 pmThe Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Apple is currently ordering larger screens for the next iPhone. With the usual nonsense, the WSJ cited people familiar with the matter and stated these screens measure at least 4-inches diagonally. Production is set to begin next month, they say. The Journal better be right, though. A 3.5-inch screen is just too small now. At this point to say anything to the contrary is pure fanboi nonsense. The standard argument that consumers don’t want a large phone is tired and overused. Besides, it’s effectively proven wrong by the 20… -
More Google+ In Gmail: Improved Circle Integration, Circle Search and Quick Access To Contact Details
16 May 2012 | 12:44 pmThe folks over at Google just love their Google+ social network and more and more Google+ features have been creeping into Gmail lately as well. Today, Google is bringing even more of Google+ to its email client. With this update, Google is especially focusing on adding a deeper integration with Google+ circles. You will now, for example, see profile photos from people in your circles when you select a circle in the left sidebar. You can click on those images to search for email from a specific contact. In addition, if you really take your Google+ circles seriously, you’ll be happy to… -
Bitly Kinda Says It’s Not Raising $20M, But Sorta Hints That It Is
16 May 2012 | 12:42 pmIs link shortener Bitly raising $20 million in new funding? The Verge says it is. In response to my email, a company spokesperson denied The Verge’s story, but in vague enough terms that it could probably turn around and announce a new round in the next few weeks or months. Here’s what the spokesperson told me: Want to quickly let you know that they’re always discussing potential funding and stay in touch with potential investors on an ongoing basis. Though, this article is not based on any facts. I’ll work with the folks at bitly to connect with you for the next… -
Viacom Gives Up Fight Against Time Warner Cable, Adds Channels to TWC iPad App
16 May 2012 | 12:35 pmCustomers of Time Warner Cable have some reason to rejoice today, as the cable company has gotten the go-ahead to add channels like MTV, VH1, and Comedy Central to its live streaming iPad app. The addition comes after the channels’ owner Viacom has settled its differences and resolved litigation with Time Warner Cable. The legal fight erupted last year, after Time Warner Cable released its iPad app, which lets subscribers stream live shows to tablets inside their homes. While many networks grumbled about the app, Viacom was most vocal in rejecting the app, taking its distribution…
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Mashable!
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NBA Star Uses Twitter — And a Platypus — to Prank Sports Media
16 May 2012 | 1:28 pmAround the sports media scene, Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee has a certain reputation: Quirky, unique, a bit out there, something of a laughingstock at times. Reporters and fans love to chuckle at his on-court goofiness. Examples abound, but here’s the best one: a legendary GIF of McGee throwing up a wild shot and then earnestly running back on defense — except his team still has the ball. This week, however, McGee decided to turn the tables on those who love to poke fun at a young millionaire basketball player just trying to do his best. On Monday afternoon, he posted this… -
Register Now to Join Mashable and Partners in Brazil for Rio+Social
16 May 2012 | 1:04 pmRegistration is now open for Rio+Social, the historic meeting of social media, technology, global development and sustainability leaders during the UN’s Rio+20 conference. Policy makers, journalists, technologists and environmentalists are now invited to register and apply for accreditation to the free conference. Ten exciting new speakers were added to the Rio+Social lineup Wednesday, including entrepreneurs, UN leaders and philanthropists. Former president of Ireland Mary Robinson and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation chief communications officer Kate James are among the… -
Thirst App Will Change The Way You View Twitter
16 May 2012 | 12:53 pmA new iPad application called Thirst might reinvent how you look at your Twitter stream. Using its own natural language processor, Thirst filters, organizes, and presents your Twitter stream in an engaging way, helping you find the tweets you want to read quickly and in context. “I wanted to make an app that no matter how often you check Twitter, these are the things you need to see, ” Thirst Co-Founder and CEO Anuj Verma told Mashable. The app is designed so it can be useful for people who check Twitter constantly throughout the day, as well as those who might only check Twitter a few… -
The Facebook IPO Timeline
16 May 2012 | 12:32 pmIf the Facebook IPO were a real person, we certainly wouldn’t blame it for posting braggy status updates. This infographic, created by our friends at mbaonline.com, imagines the road leading up to the decade’s most-anticipated initial public offering, as if it were documented on its own Facebook Timeline. As a Facebook user, give yourself a pat on the back for helping the company make it this far. You are one of 900 million, and you spend an average of 20 minutes per day surfing the network. That means Facebook’s usership logs 16,000 years of combined time on the platform… -
Facebook Fans Get to Pick Bonus Levels in ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD’
16 May 2012 | 12:06 pmActivision is polling fans via Facebook on which levels will be included as additional downloadable content on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD is a rebuilt version of the classic games. It features seven levels from the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, released in 1999, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, which came out in 2000. Players will be able to skate all over classic levels such as “Warehouse” and “Mall” that have been rebuilt using the old maps. Starting Wednesday afternoon, fans will be asked to pick which of their favorite Tony…
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ReadWriteWeb
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Startup Swingers: Swapping Founders to Generate Fresh Ideas
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmRemember "swinging"? Two people in a committed relationship go to a party with a bunch of other people in committed relationships. They all separate, find new partners for the evening and get jiggy. It may sound lurid and gross, but it’s the cool new thing for startup founders. Swapping Ideas, Not Spouses First, let’s be clear. We’re not talking about sex. We’re talking about Founder Swap, a June 1 event in New York where teams from six different startups will get together, trade partners for a day and go home with an injection of fresh ideas. The tagline? “Like Wife Swap but for… -
Google Goes Back to What It Does Well: Finding Things
16 May 2012 | 10:00 amSurprise! Google has completely transformed the way search works again. But this time, it's a kind of search that would have made the old Google proud. Today, starting with U.S., English-language users, Google unveils the Knowledge Graph. Search now looks at the words of your query and identifies the things in it. You're not just searching the Web anymore. You're searching the world. From Words to Things Most of Google users' queries are ambiguous. In the old Google, when you searched for "kings," Google didn't know whether you meant actual monarchs, the hockey team,… -
Read/Write Daily: Bionic Eyes That Can See Clearly
16 May 2012 | 9:45 amToday's theme is improving on life. Nature did a pretty good job of engineering some hardy life forms. But now we're able to tinker with life ourselves. We're further along than you might think. Researchers have lifted the lid on turtle evolution, a perfect demonstration that technology is natural. But now we have our own genetic ideas. We're able to triple the physical endurance of mice in the lab. This paper shows that high-resolution prosthetic human eyes are possible! Here are slightly and greatly more accessible articles about these bionic eyes. We've also developed low-cost artificial… -
Why the iPad Works for Writing
16 May 2012 | 8:02 amWhen the first iPad launched in 2010, critics were quick to lampoon the device for being geared too heavily toward content consumption. The criticisms weren't entirely without merit, especially considering that the first-generation iPad didn't even have a camera, and external media slots are still nowhere to be found. Over time, the iPad has evolved into something that's much more creation-friendly. It still doesn't compare to a desktop or laptop computer for many things, but it's great for quite a few others. Writing is one of them. I happen to write things for a living, but the… -
The Truth About Why Yahoo's CEO Got Fired
16 May 2012 | 7:02 amWhat's the takeaway from Yahoo's recent CEO fiasco? Don't lie on your corporate bio, for one, and make sure no one else has lied on your behalf. But the real lesson has nothing to do with falsified credentials. Sure, the world will remember Scott Thompson as the Yahoo CEO who got fired over a fake computer science degree, but the context is crucial: A battle with Yahoo shareholder Dan Loeb for control of the company. If not for Loeb, we may never have found out about Thompson's juiced resume, and he might still be CEO. The real lesson is: Beware the activist investor. Four months…
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GigaOM
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Netflix launches sexy new web-based video player
16 May 2012 | 1:27 pmNetflix just rolled out a completely revamped video player for browser-based viewing, and I gotta say, it’s pretty slick: Not only does it come with lightbox-like text overlays while a video is paused, users can also preview entire seasons of a TV show while they’re watching one episode of the show in full-screen mode. I was told by Netflix that this is currently rolling out across the web. The only downside of the new player seems to be that there can be some issues with Chrome on Mac OS – a warning screen told me to switch to Safari or Firefox for the best viewing… -
The newest phone app teens will hate but parents will love
16 May 2012 | 12:22 pmWith 11 teens killed while texting and driving per day, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that parents are turning towards apps to limit their kids’ phone use behind the wheel. The sad statistic comes from Chris Holbert, CEO of SecuraFone, which offers an app for iPhone and Android handsets that diables some phone features when moving 5 mph or more. SecuraFone doesn’t stop there though: It also allows parents to monitor where their kids are driving and how fast they’re going. SecuraFone was one of several safety apps featured on NBC’s Nightly News with Brian… -
Google launches Schemer app for the iPhone
16 May 2012 | 12:05 pmGoogle’s social team has had a lot of love for iOS lately: Just days after rolling out a revamped iPhone app for Google+, the company now released an iOS app for its social activity service Schemer. The app mimics Schemer’s Android app in form and functionality, allowing users to tell the world what they’re plans are – and then join with friends for group activities. Schemer has been an interesting initiative for Google. The service launched under the radar a few months back, then opened up to the public in April. Schemer is using a separate branding, but it’s tied closely… -
ISwifter’s TheWorx iPad app recreates Facebook, but with games
16 May 2012 | 11:33 amJust days before Facebook’s big IPO, the company is getting a lesson from another Silicon Valley startup on how to improve its iPad app. ISwifter is showing how it can create a full-fledged Facebook app that also includes Flash gaming. TheWorx iPad app, a Facebook application that is set to go live next month, will provide users with access to status updates, their news feed and photos. But the kicker is that it will also give iPad users access to Facebook’s Flash-based games through an App Hub. Currently, iSwifter’s iPad app allows people to play thousands of Facebook… -
Calvin: A fast, cheap database that isn’t a database at all
16 May 2012 | 11:12 amYale researchers Daniel Abadi and Alexander Thomson think they have developed the cure for Oracle and IBM dominance in the world of database performance, and it isn’t even technically a database. In a blog post Wednesday morning (and in a related research paper), the two researchers detail Calvin, a “transaction scheduling and replication coordination service” that they think can level the playing field between high-cost distributed relational databases and less-expensive, but limited, NoSQL and NewSQL databases. Abadi and Thomson aren’t dismissing either NoSQL or…
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Posts about Social Media from the Econsultancy blog
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18m UK consumers have used social media for customer service
16 May 2012 | 3:17 amMore than a third of UK consumers (36%) have engaged with brands through social media, according to a survey from Fishburn Hedges. This has doubled from 19% since August 2011 and equates to around 18m people. The increased interaction appears to be driven by the widespread belief among respondents (40%) that social media improves customer service, compared to only 7% who feared it would harm service. In fact 68% of those who have engaged with brands through social media believe that it “allowed them to find their voice.”More than two-thirds (65%) also believe that it is a better… -
GM ditching paid Facebook ads: report
16 May 2012 | 1:11 amFacebook apparently hasn't experienced any problems convincing investors to put their money into its IPO, but while the social network focuses its attention on Wall Street, it might do well to pay more attention to a nearby street: Madison Avenue.That's because, according to a Wall Street Journal report, GM, the world's largest car maker, apparently isn't hot on Facebook's paid ads.In fact, it's so unimpressed that the Wall Street Journal's sources say that the once-troubled automaker "plans to stop advertising on Facebook after the company's marketing executives determined their paid ads had… -
Twitter hits 10m UK users, 80% use mobile
15 May 2012 | 12:42 pmFacebook may be the subject of all of the headlines with its public debut looming this Friday, but another major player in the social networking space is reminding the world that it's still growing too. Twitter, which has built a company that one day might go public too on the back of 140 character messages, has waived its hands in the air by announcing that it has surpassed 140m users worldwide.As reported by The Guardian, 10m of those users are in the UK. That's good enough to make the UK Twitter's fourth largest audience behind the US, Brazil and Japan, and explains why the company has a… -
Facebook's vulnerability could make it the most interesting IPO ever
15 May 2012 | 8:24 amIn what may be the most anticipated IPO ever, Facebook, will go public this Friday. Mark Zuckerberg, the hoodie-wearing 28 year-old CEO of the world's largest social network won't be in New York to ring the NASDAQ opening bell. Instead, he'll be at his company's Menlo Park headquarters ringing it in virtually.When Facebook goes public on Friday, it will be selling 50.6m shares more than it originally planned to, and at $34 to $38 per share, the company's stock will debut in a higher-than-anticipated price range. All told, Facebook could raise nearly $15bn in its offering and hit the… -
Start Me Up! A profile of Achoo
15 May 2012 | 5:06 amAchoo is a social network which allows its users to brag about their achievements and build up a profile which will help attract future employers. The site was launched by Andrus Purde, and I've been asking him about Achoo, its business model, the challenges of launching, and his future plans. In one sentence, what is Achoo? A professional social network where marketers and other professionals can build their network, share their accomplishments and find new opportunities. What problems does Achoo solve? The traditional résumé and services built around it,…
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GreenMonk: the blog
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Utilities need to offer innovative energy services or risk being sidelined
13 May 2012 | 1:54 amThis post, written by Tom Raftery originally appeared on GreenMonk: the blog The EU has mandated a rollout of smart meters to at least 80% of households by 2020. What are some of the transformative ways we will we use the extra energy consumption information these meters will bring? Last November I wrote a blog post about new energy services and business models for utilities which the granular energy consumption smart meters measure will enable. In the post I noted that according to the US Census Bureau: The world’s 65-and-older population is projected to triple by midcentury, from 516… -
GreenMonk Sustainability Customer Reference series – Kimberly-Clark
10 May 2012 | 3:46 amThis post, written by Tom Raftery originally appeared on GreenMonk: the blog This is the second video in my Sustainability Customer Reference series project – it involves my going to SAP customers and interviewing them about the sustainability solutions they have implemented. The first SAP customer I visited was AkzoNobel in Sweden. In this second video, I talk to Kimberly-Clark’s Barry Podd. Here’s a transcription of our conversation: Tom Raftery: Hi everyone, welcome to the GreenMonk Sustainability Customer Reference Series, sponsored by SAP. With me I have Barry Podd from… -
Use open source platforms to find cloud computing’s energy and emissions footprint
7 May 2012 | 7:13 amThis post, written by Tom Raftery originally appeared on GreenMonk: the blog Regular GreenMonk readers will be very aware that I am deeply skeptical about claims that Cloud Computing is Green (or even energy efficient). And that I talk about the significant carbon, water and biodiversity effects cloud computing can have. One of the biggest issues with any claims of Cloud Computing being energy efficient, or Green, is the lack of transparency from the Cloud Computing providers. None Almost none of them are publishing any data around the energy consumption, or emissions of their Cloud… -
A six year old on trees: stories for Jubilee Woods
6 May 2012 | 9:01 amThis post, written by admin originally appeared on GreenMonk: the blog My son this morning told me about a book he was reading at school about the environment. He said he was worried about pollution from factories and carbon dioxide. He wanted to go to the shops and buy some explorer’s clothes and fly to Madagascar to replant trees that had been cut down there. I said that flying might not be the best way to help the planet, but that we could invest in forestry online. I got some excellent responses on twitter when I asked for ideas there, such as looking at the Woodland Trust,… -
Efficiency and Ecological Responsibility of Cloud Computing (including water footprint)
27 Apr 2012 | 4:27 amThis post, written by Tom Raftery originally appeared on GreenMonk: the blogA BrightTALK Channel Unfortunately the provider for this webinar requires a login to listen to this discussion. If you don’t wish to register, my username is tom@redmonk.com and my password is 000000 Mark Thiele from Switch recently invited me to participate in a webinar he was moderating on the Efficiency and Ecological Responsibility of Cloud Computing which took place yesterday evening. Also participating in the discussion were Harkeeret Singh (aka Harqs) Global Head of Energy & Sustainable IT at Thomson…
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Datamation.com
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Why Facebook Must Fix Its Broken Mobile Apps
16 May 2012 | 7:28 amPrior to its IPO, Facebook finds itself in scramble mode to do something about its flawed mobile experience. -
Vindication for Intel's Future-Seeing Dr. Genevieve Bell
15 May 2012 | 1:00 pmThe Intel technologist was honored by Women in Technology International for work in integrating the human element into technology. -
VMware Advances Cloud Automation with vFabric 5.1
15 May 2012 | 12:18 pmNew development framework for apps gets an in-memory database boost. -
Compuware Launches New Platform for Cloud, Big Data Applications
15 May 2012 | 10:17 amThe software vendor says the APM Spring 2012 Platform Release is the first ever "deep transactional management system" for dynamic clouds and big data platforms. -
Apple Gets Green Light to Seek Samsung Tablet Ban in U.S.
15 May 2012 | 10:07 amThe two companies are scheduled to begin settlement talks next week.
