Mashable Articles: August 2013

Saturday, August 31, 2013

6 Tech Relics Still Sold in Stores

In the switch to wireless, a massive amount of tech, gadgets and electronic gear became all but useless to consumers. What once required four or five separate devices â€" all needing AA batteries â€" can now be done on your smartphone alone.

Oddly enough, some major retailers throughout the world still haven't gotten the memo.

We've grabbed a few examples of bizarrely outdated tech that you can still purchase through large, reputable stores such as Walmart, Best Buy and Office Depot â€" and they will blow you away.

1. 500 Minutes of America Online

Image: Imgur, Horg

In the mid-'90s, this was our ticket to the Internet. We still typed "www" before any URL and going online required us to listen to about 60 seconds of tortured robot screams while the dial-up connection got us where we needed to be.

Apparently you can still buy "Per-Minute" Internet at Walmart.

2. AM/FM Radio-Cassette Player

Cassette radio Image: Best Buy

Tired of lugging around your 200-pound solid oak turntable to listen to music on the go? Head on over to Best Buy and grab yourself one of these newfangled magic music boxes. You can fit an entire album in your pocket!

3. Floppy Disks

floppy diskette Image: Flickr, Chris Devers

What could you do with 1.44MB of disk space? The possibilities are endless. Head to Office Depot and pick up a 100 pack of these suckers for the low price of $70. Keep in mind, however, that the same store sells a 64GB USB drive â€" about 45,000 times the storage capacity â€" for only $40.

4. Sony Walkman CD Player

Sony Walkman Image: Flickr, mpolla

The cool kids used to keep these somewhere in the depths of their cargo shorts and blast the latest hits from The Baha Men all day long. Relive your glory days by picking one up at Best Buy for $44.

5. Tamagotchis

Tamagotchi Image: Flickr, Stefan Kellner

Thanks to Walmart, these little pixel blobs are still around. Find your your nearest store location to clean up some ancient virtual poop for just $18.

6. VHS Tapes

VHS tapes Image: Flickr, Orin Zebest

Sure, we get that the switch to DVDs was forced and speedy, and some film fans may have resisted. But many years have passed since anyone has needed VHS tapes. Luckily, Walmart doesn't concern itself with what people need or use, and still have videocassette tapes for sale.

Here's a pro tip: Get a DVR.

What "ancient" tech have you seen in stores? Share your stories and photos in the comments.

Image: Flickr, the-difference

Colorization Time-Lapse Brings New Life to Old Photo

When done correctly, colorization is the best way to breathe new life into old, damaged photographs.

In a neat time-lapse video, YouTube user TheHatersalad shows off this challenging process from start to finish.

Watch as this old and weathered photo of a young woman is digitally retouched and recolored into a beautiful and new-looking image. You can also see the before and after on TheHatersalad's Imgur account.

Image: Imgur, hatersalad

Oh, the wonders of Photoshop.

Homepage Image: YouTube, TheHatersalad

[H/T Laughing Squid]

New Super-Heavy Element 115 Confirmed

Scientists say they've created a handful of atoms of the elusive element 115, which occupies a mysterious corner of the periodic table.

The super-heavy element has yet to be officially named, but it is temporarily called ununpentium, roughly based on the Latin and Greek words for the digits in its atomic number, 115.

The atomic number is the number of protons an element contains. The heaviest element commonly found in nature is uranium, which has 92 protons, but scientists can load even more protons into an atomic nucleus and make heavier elements through nuclear fusion reactions.

Scientists hope that by creating heavier and heavier elements, they will find a theoretical "island of stability," an undiscovered region in the periodic table where stable super-heavy elements with as yet unimagined practical uses might exist.

In experiments in Dubna, Russia, about 10 years ago, researchers reported that they created atoms with 115 protons. Their measurements have now been confirmed in experiments at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Germany.

To make ununpentium in the new study, a group of researchers shot a super-fast beam of calcium (which has 20 protons) at a thin film of americium, the element with 95 protons. When these atomic nuclei collided, some fused together to create short-lived atoms with 115 protons.

"We observed 30 in our three-week-long experiment," study researcher Dirk Rudolph, a professor of atomic physics at Lund University in Sweden, said in an email. Rudolph added that the Russian team had detected 37 atoms of element 115 in their earlier experiments.

"The results are by and large compatible," Rudolph said.

Super-heavy elements are generally unstable and most last only a fraction of a second before they start to decay. The scientists had to use special detectors to look for the energy signatures for the X-ray radiation predicted to be given off by element 115 as it quickly degrades.

A committee from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), which governs chemical nomenclature, will review the new findings to decide whether more experiments are necessary before element 115 gets an official name.

Some of element 115's neighbors have already been christened. Last year, the man-made elements 114 and 116 were named flerovium (Fl) and livermorium (Lv).

The new experiments will be detailed in The Physical Review Letters.

Image: Flickr, Ed Uthman

This article originally published at LiveScience here

BabyPing Monitor: Ace Gadget, Lousy App

By Natali Morris2013-08-25 00:00:27 UTC

The BabyPing baby monitor is a great high-quality video and audio monitor. Unfortunately the app you need to use it isn't up to speed.

We put this monitor to the paces for about a week and had repeated connection issue inside the app. The camera monitor itself never lost connection to my home Wi-Fi network, a very reliable network that I've clocked in at 81 mbps. The app was able to receive a signal but only for a few minutes at a time before losing picture and sound.

Baby monitors that run on your home Wi-Fi rather than short-wave radio frequencies are becoming increasingly popular because there is less interference, and you can add additional layers of security to prevent perverts from hacking your signal.

These are great systems when they work. But when they don't, it can be so so frustrating. I was particularly annoyed after I screwed this one into my daughter's wall.

If you are considering this monitor because the camera is capable of such high-quality video and audio (as well as night vision), be sure the app it requires has gotten a major update in the App Store before you buy. The company promises one with the upcoming release of iOS 7.

Image: BabyPing

Natali Morris

Natali is a technology reporter and host/editor-in-chief of Crash Test Mom, a parenting product review show. She is a regular contributor to CNBC and The TODAY Show, as well as an MBA student at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. She is ...More

Samsung Galaxy NX Smart Camera Hits U.S. Stores in October

Samsung's new Android-powered Galaxy NX smart camera will start selling in October.

The mirrorless Galaxy NX camera â€" a successor to the Galaxy Camera â€" allows for interchangeable lenses and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Similar to Android smartphones, the Galaxy NX has a 4.8-inch display on the back for interacting with Android apps.

Samsung said Thursday the Galaxy NX will hit U.S. stores in October for $1,599.99 (body only) or $1,699.99 (body with an 18-55mm lens).

The Galaxy NX is packed with some robust features: a 20.3-megapixel sensor, a hybrid autofocus system, a shutter speed that can capture as fast as 1/6,000 of a second and a 1.6GHz quad-core processor. In addition to Wi-Fi, the camera comes equipped with 4G LTE capability. With a data connection and the ability to download apps from Google Play, you could use the camera for instant uploading (e.g. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) and for editing.

Check out Mashable's hands-on review of the Samsung Galaxy NX.

Image: Mashable

60+ Events in Digital Media, Gamification and More

Mashable's Events Board is a great place to find the leading conferences in your industry â€" whether that's advertising, technology, media or public relations. This week, we're highlighting five events that we think can help move your career forward. Our picks include events in New York, the Bay Area and Atlanta. If you don't find something that's a fit for you, you can check out more than 50 events on our complete listings.

On the Events Board, you can sort listings by when they were added, get discount codes for Mashable readers and sometimes watch a video of a past event to get a preview of what to expect. You can also follow our events account on Twitter so you'll catch the best events before they sell out.

folio Folio: MediaNext Conference
Date: Oct. 28 to Oct. 30
Location: New York, N.Y.

MediaNext is the biggest and most important event for magazine and digital content producers across all the key markets: consumer, b-to-b, association and regional. The opportunities and challenges for all are the same. Come to MediaNext to learn from the industry's smartest leaders who will provide you with the tools, ideas and inspiration you need to succeed.

Enter MASHABLE to get $150 off registration fees.

AdMonsters OPS New York
Date: Sept. 26
Location: New York, N.Y.

Since the first banner ad appeared in 1994, just one thing has remained constant in digital advertising: change. In today's ever-shifting media landscape, there's only one conference for media leaders and digital strategists that unlocks how online media really works: OPS.

pitch Pitch San Francisco 2013
Date: Sept. 19
Location: San Francisco, Calif.

Join the hopping Startup party at AT&T Park â€" home of the SF Giants â€" with Pitch San Francisco '13, on Sept. 19. It's the place to mingle, check out 75 great startups and exhibitors, chow down on ballpark grub, get ballpark tours, hang with Giants Mascot Lou Seal, chit-chat with others in the Startup and tech community and have a ball!

We First Social Branding Seminar 2013
Date: Sept. to Sept. 25
Location: Hollywood, Calif.

We First Social Branding Seminar 2013 is a 2-day, hands-on, training all about how to tell the story of the good work you do in ways that build your company reputation, employee productivity, sales and social impact. You will learn how to harness the power of brand storytelling through the latest social and mobile technologies and walk away with a practical and actionable Social Branding Blueprint specific to your business.

Gamification 2013: Gameful Design, Research and Applications
Date: Oct. 2 to Oct. 4
Location: Stratford, Ontario

Gamification 2013 is a research focused conference on motivational design and applied use of game mechanics in non-game formats. The conference will feature a blend of academic research and experimental applications with industry and non-profit examples, procedures and best practices.

Visit our full list of upcoming conferences and events here.

Want to promote your event on Mashable's Events Board? Submit it here.

Image: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

1984 Day Sees 'Restore the Fourth' Protests Across the Country

Sunday was "1984 Day" across the United States, a day of protest against the recently disclosed NSA snooping programs. The name is a play on the date 8/4 and a nod to George Orwell's famous book on a surveillance state.

Restore the Fourth, an activism organization born on Reddit, chose the day to call for protests against the NSA in 20 cities across the country. The goal of the organization is to end what its members see as the NSA's unconstitutional surveillance regime and to ensure the enforcement of the Fourth Amendment and its protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The organization had its first rally on July 4. That event included rallies across the country, but Sunday's 1984 day included a smattering of activities. In Austin, protesters had a film screening, while in Boston the rally was a march.

San Francisco had a very vocal group of supporters. Their rally included Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and specifically targeted Nancy Pelosi. The House minority leader is under fire for her opposition to the Amash amendment that would have ended the NSA's collection of phone records through the Patriot Act. The measure lost by only 12 votes. The group is working on getting face time with legislators across the country to tip the balance during the congressional recess, which begins Monday.

In New York City, protesters also raised their voices against the controversial criminal prevention program "stop and frisk," and the alleged discriminatory surveillance of Muslim-Americans. The rally began in Bryant Park with a theatrical performance. Protesters wore masks of President Obama, George W. Bush and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly. Protesters then had a minute to speak about anything they wanted. Speakers ranged from a teacher, to a self-professed geek, to a girl who said, "I am 10. And I don't believe I should worry about every word that I write in my emails to my friends."

Check out our gallery above for images from the New York rally.

Image: Mashable

Digital marketing is a field that's constantly evolving. With each new social platform, mobile device or website redesign, a brand's strategy for reaching new audiences while engaging current ones changes.

And in today's landscape, marketing campaigns aren't always created after months of planning â€" many happen in real time, as events or news are unfolding.

With all the changes taking place in digital marketing, we are starting a conversation about the standout trends you're seeing in the field as well as learn about how digital marketers are continuing to innovate for brands.

On Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 2 p.m. ET, we will be hosting a Twitter chat on our @MashBusiness account to discuss some of the biggest questions in digital marketing: How has real-time marketing evolved over the last year? Is there a formula for making a brand video go viral? Which brands are leading the pack?

Join us on Twitter at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Follow @MashBusiness on Twitter and tweet your questions and comments.
Join the conversation using the hashtag #Mashies.

Contributing to the #Mashies Twitter chat are experts in the field (who are also judges in our inaugural awards ceremony, the Mashies), including Razorfish Global CTO Ray Velez, Huge CEO Aaron Shapiro, The Barbarian Group CEO and COO Benjamin Palmer and Kaplow Communication President and CEO Liz Kaplow, along with Mashable Business Editor Todd Wasserman.

Be sure to join us Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 2 p.m. ET to have an engaging discussion about digital marketing and share your expertise on the topic. We look forward to chatting with you.

Mashable composite. Image: iStockphoto, nihatdursun

Fans Cry as Lea Michele Tears Up About Cory Monteith at 'Teen Choice'

A teary-eyed Lea Michele won Choice TV Comedy Actress at Sunday night's Teen Choice Awards, dedicating the honor to her boyfriend and Glee castmate Cory Monteith, who fatally overdosed on a mix of heroin and alcohol on July 13 in a Vancouver hotel.

"He was very special to me and also to the world and we were very lucky to witness his incredible talent, his handsome smile and his beautiful, beautiful heart," Michele said in the 65-second speech during which she occasionally raised her hands to her heart.

"So whether you knew him personally or just as Finn Hudson, Cory reached out and he became a part of all of our hearts, and that's where he'll stay forever.

"So thank you guys so much. Thank you."

Just like when Michele addressed Monteith's death for the first time on social media on July 29, fans once again expressed their sadness on Twitter, with some Teen Choice viewers admitting they cried during Michele's televised speech.

Here's a transcript of Michele's full Teen Choice Awards acceptance speech:

"I just wanted to be here today to personally thank all of you and tell everyone out there how much all of your love and support has meant to me over these past difficult few weeks. Not that I had any doubt before, but you guys are most certainly the greatest fans in the world. And I wanted to dedicate this award to Cory for all of you who loved and admired Cory as much as I did, I promise that with your love, we're going to get through this together. He was very special to me and also to the world and we were very lucky to witness his incredible talent, his handsome smile and his beautiful, beautiful heart. So whether you knew him personally or just as Finn Hudson, Cory reached out and he became a part of all of our hearts, and that's where he'll stay forever. So thank you guys so much. Thank you."

Michele, other Glee stars, crew members and producers gathered July 26 at a private memorial â€" organized by the Fox show's creator, Ryan Murphy â€" to remember Monteith.

Monteith, the 31-year-old actor best known for his role as Finn Hudson on Glee, was found dead on the 21st floor of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in downtown Vancouver. After an autopsy was conducted, the BC Coroners Service revealed Monteith's cause of death, saying in a YouTube video that he died as the result of "a mixed drug toxicity, and it involved heroin, primarily, and also alcohol."

And here's a low-quality YouTube video of the speech:

Image: Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Christopher Polk/Getty Images for VH1

Watch Every Crazy VMAs Performance Right Here

Between Miley Cyrus twerking on Robin Thicke and 'N Sync reuniting on stage, it's hard to choose the craziest performance from Sunday's 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.

Nobody hosted this year's ceremony in Brooklyn, which meant more time for Moonman speeches, celebrities throwing shade and dazzling performances. If you don't have have cable or didn't have time to catch the awards show, we've got you covered.

Lady Gaga opened the VMAs at Barclays Center with a performance of "Applause," while a boxing gear-clad Katy Perry closed the show with "Roar" near the Brooklyn Bridge.