Yogi Land

In tablets generally and the iPad particularly, consumers have found a device conducive to reading news.

It’s no surprise then that a growing number of newsreading apps have appeared, from individual, branded apps such as the Wall Street Journal for iPad to independent apps such as Flipboard, Editions and Zite, which are designed for consuming content from a variety of sources.

The last of these was acquired by CNN Tuesday. In an emailed statement, CNN’s general manager of digital, KC Estenson, suggested that Zite will continue to work with a wide array of media partners and that its technology will also be leveraged “to help CNN’s websites and apps serve more personalized content, making our current digital services even better.”

Zite would continue to operate as an independent company on a day-to-day basis under existing CEO Mark Johnson, the statement said.

Still, we were left with many questions. Why Zite? Will it truly remain independent? Will the new subsidiary be free to strike partnerships with other media outlets? Will the algorithms be tweaked to feature CNN content more prominently?

These are some of the questions we posed to both Estenson and Johnson in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon, parts of which are transcribed below.

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Q&A With KC Estenson, CNN & Mark Johnson, Zite

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Why Zite?

Estenson: We saw in Zite a best-in-class product. It’s deeply loved by the people who have it, and we thought it would be a nice addition to our digital portfolio. Secondly, there’s great technology behind it. We’re seeing a lot of inteest in this space now, but these guys have been working on this for six years.

Johnson: The iPad is really well suited to reading. I think what’s interesting about Zite is that it brings you really interesting information you might not have otherwise read. It’s not just repackaging information.

We’re seeing Flipboard move into TV and film, while Pulse is getting into bookmarklets and extensions. Where is Zite going next?

Johnson: We still see a huge market in giving you the information most relevant to you. We’re focusing on content right now, news-type content. We really want to focus on giving people a great personalized iPad magazine.

Your competitors are striking partnerships with content publishers left and right. Are you doing the same?

Johnson: We’re certainly having a lot of conversations right now. We’re looking at ways to work with publishers to help them monetize and distribute their content. But we have nothing to announce right now.

Flipboard has recently begun displaying ads in its app. Are you planning on doing the same?

Johnson: We’re not going to rush the business model here. Part of the [attraction of] the deal was not to have unnatural pressure on Zite to deliver financially. The goal is to get a great product and the business model will follow. We can imagine a variety of ways this company can monetize itself.

And how do you plan on integrating Zite with CNN’s existing digital properties?

Estenson: Zite is going to stand alone as an independent operation. Mark will be running it in San Francisco. The development office is in Vancouver. The technology that powers Zite over time we will begin to leverage with CNN’s digital services, but it won’t be an overnight thing. But over the course of the next 18 months or so I can imagine a world where CNN starts to serve up more personally relevant content. That can help with CNN’s traffic recirculation and those sorts of things on the site. The important thing is that Zite stays.

Can we expect CNN’s content to feature more prominently on Zite in the future?

Johnson: Absolutely not. Our personalization algorithms look for most interesting content on the web, whether that comes from CNN or elsewhere. Our algorithms are completely agnostic.

Will Zite still be free to pursue partnerships with media companies beyond CNN?

Estenson: Yes. You’ll see them do a wide variety of deals. We have a lot of experience at CNN with content partnerships. The web is a really interconnected space, a lot of linking and crosslinking of articles. That same philosophy will be remixed and repurposed. You’ll see us help Zite with that in a variety of ways.

More About: cnn, interview, zite

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“It’s fairly common knowledge that a startup can’t execute on two products simultaneously,” reasons Michael Seibel. Seibel, who will be transitioning out of his role as CEO of Justin.tv, is now the CEO of the newly independent startup Socialcam.

Socialcam was created inside Justin.tv in just 60 days to address challenges associated with sharing video via mobile. The iPhone and Android application traffics in quick clip-sharing in the same way that Instagram makes mobile photos instantly sharable.

In four months time, Socialcam “destroyed targets” and surpassed one million downloads, Seibel says.

Now, the product is being spun out as its own entity, and will go it alone with Seibel and a team of three engineers all moving over from Justin.tv. The foursome hopes to dethrone Facebook, YouTube and Apple and become top dog in the mobile video-sharing department.

“The big entrenched players don’t do what we do well,” Seibel boasts. “People are carrying around smartphones. They have a video capture device in their pockets twentyfour-seven,” he says. “But, they don’t have an easy way to take videos and share them with their friends.”

Facebook, YouTube and Apple — the three largest players in the mobile video market, as identified by Seibel — make for an encumbered or clunky social video experience on mobile. It’s too challenging to upload and discover videos on Facebook, too difficult to find YouTube videos from Facebook friends and impossible to see the quality content stored in a friend’s Camera application, he explains.

These factors, he says, have enabled Socialcam to grow at an ever-accelerating rate.

As for Justin.tv, Seibel will be replaced as CEO by former Justin.tv CTO Emmet Shear, who will continue to push forward on TwitchTV, Justin.tv’s new online destination for video gamers.

Considering Seibel’s departure and his statement about a startup not being able to execute on multiple products, one has to wonder: Where does this leave Justin.tv? “We still believe in that product,” he says. “We just believe Twitch and Socialcam are operating in markets that are significantly larger and are more underserved.”

Seibel declined to comment on how Socialcam will be financed, saying only that new investors will have the opportunity to invest in the spun off company.

[via TechCrunch]

More About: justin-tv, socialcam, startup

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Each week, Mashable picks a popular song, finds 10 covers of it and asks you to vote for your favorite.

At the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28, Katy Perry’s “Firework” battles Adele, the Beastie Boys, Bruno Mars and Tyler, The Creator for the coveted Moonman trophy in the Video of the Year category.

In honor of the song’s nomination, we’re pitting a myriad of covers — which have attracted more than 7.5 million pageviews on YouTube — against each other. Vote for your favorite rendition in the poll below.

Peter Hollens

AHMIR

Kina Grannis

Eli Lieb

Rochelle Diamante

Lawson

Passion & Victor Kim

Colton Jacobson

Liptease

Avery

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Last Week’s Face-Off Winner

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In our inaugural YouTube Cover Song Face-Off last week, people from 80 countries cast nearly 2,500 votes for the 10 covers of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” The winner: Angie Johnson and Sidewinder’s “military” cover, which garnered 55% of the votes.

What popular song should we pick next week for the YouTube Cover Song Face-Off?

More About: music, music videos, viral videos, youtube, YouTube Cover Song Face-Off

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Now that Hurricane Irene is attacking the East Coast in earnest, it’s time to keep a close eye on current hurricane conditions — that is, if you’re lucky enough to still have some sort of Internet connection.

In addition to the 12 ways to track the storm we’ve already offered you, now we bring those up to date with added video sources and more.

SEE ALSO: Calm Before the Storm Pics | Hurricane Irene’s Twitter Account

Even if you’re not riding out the storm on the East Coast, you might want to watch that white spinning monster from a safe distance, keeping tabs on what’s happening every minute:

Google Crisis Response Dashboard

The Google Crisis Response dashboard is an excellent way to keep track of Irene, giving you a variety of overlays with which to visualize the storm. Using data from the National Weather Service, it not only shows you wind speeds and storm tracks, but can also predict where storm surges might be at their worst.

NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center

Here's the proverbial horse's mouth of hurricane information, right on Facebook. If you're looking for a concise "just the facts" report, the NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center posts its updates every three hours on its Facebook page. After all, this is where most of the other weather service providers are getting a lot of their data.

Ray Wert's Jalopnik Live Blog

Our friend Ray Wert, who also is a car expert who edits the site Jalopnik, is holed up in the middle of the evacuation zone A in the Manhattan Financial District, weathering the storm while live blogging about his experience. Ray tells us he's stocked up with plenty of batteries, flashlights, food, 20 of his closest friends, and yes, liquor, to last through the duration, which is expected to span all the way into Sunday afternoon. he's been venturing outside from time to time to get a first-hand look at weather conditions, but we're hoping he'll stay inside once the winds start picking up. Along with Ray's live updates, get a visual fix on the scene with this live stream from midtown Manhattan. This camera is on the 16th floor of LiveStream's New York headquarters:

Watch live streaming video from breakinglivenow at livestream.com

Twitter: Hash tag #irene

You'll see a lot of personal tweets at this #irene hashtag, as well as impressions and opinions about the storm, comments and noise. Buried within is lots of information and pictures of the hurricane from a wide and unpredictable variety of sources. Join in the free-for-all by adding that #irene hash tag to whatever you tweet.

Weather Channel Hurricane Central

If you don't have access to cable TV or a fast streaming video service, this is your next best bet. There's data galore and it's all up-to-the-minute. Better yet, if you have faster Internet service, don't miss the Weather Channel's live stream on Facebook (requires Windows Media Player plugin). If you don't mind waiting through all the commercials, it gives you the same content you get on cable TV.

More About: Hurricane Irene, Storm, tracking, trending, web sources

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This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.

Hamilton Chan is CEO and founder of Paperlinks. With the free Paperlinks iPhone app, featured previously by Apple as the #1 New & Noteworthy app, consumers can scan and view QR code content with a native app experience. Paperlinks also provides a powerful platform for generating QR codes, hosting content and tracking their performance.

If you raise the subject of QR codes among tech early adopters, you are likely to elicit a passionate response. Some people think QR codes, those scanable black and white squares on everything from billboards to product packaging, are on an unstoppable growth trajectory, while skeptics are quick to dismiss them as a fad.

This reaction is common whenever new technology formats or standards are being decided upon. Pundits want to exhibit their knack for predicting the future and stakeholders (of which I am undeniably one) want to make sure their format wins out. The general public, meanwhile, tends to lay in wait for a particular format to show dominance.

QR codes, in particular, make great fodder for debate because the codes are inherently big and ugly. So far, they have not experienced the same popularity in North America as they have enjoyed abroad, in part because many consumers are still getting used to seeing these codes and figuring out what to do with them.

In my opinion, there is little question that these real-world hyperlinks are increasingly going to be part of our reality and everyday life. Although QR codes won’t be the only technological option for hyperlinking in the real world, I believe they’ll soon be recognized as one of the best-suited options to connect items in the physical world to the Internet.

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Why Real World Hyperlinking Is on the Rise

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If there is one thing that can be counted on in our technological future, it’s that information will continue to become more widespread, available and relevant. The Internet will expand from a network of computers to a network of everything, with interactivity pre-programmed into nearly every object we use.

There’s no doubt that QR code traction in the U.S. is on the rise. Evidence has been shown in a number of recent market reports, including a study by Mobio Technologies Inc., which reported a 9,840% increase in QR code use for the second quarter of 2011 (compared to the same time last year).

Even a recent annual report from Gartner, a market research firm, puts QR codes on the “slope of enlightenment” when it comes to mainstream adoption of the technology. Further adding to the evidence, comScore reported that in June of this year, more than 14 million Americans scanned a QR code, representing more than 6% of the U.S. mobile population.

It may take some time before we switch to scanning objects for information, but this direct relationship between an object’s online persona and the consumer will ultimately make life easier. Run out of razor blades for your shaver? Scan a real world hyperlink on your can of shaving cream and order more blades.

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What Skeptics are Saying

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Despite the mounting evidence that QR codes are here to stay, many skeptics still believe this technology is no more than a shiny new marketing tool with no future. These are the three arguments I’ve seen repeatedly:

• QR Codes are just a transient technology: It’s true that there are many alternatives to QR codes and, as our world increasingly becomes interconnected, there will be a variety of technology options for businesses to choose from. This assumes that one technology will take over the market. It’s more likely that a suite of options will be available to businesses and marketers seeking to leverage the mobile web. Different applications will demand different technologies, and no single hyperlinking technology will be suitable for every marketing application. The main advantages of the QR code are cost, simplicity and ease of implementation. QR codes provide no incremental cost to an agency already printing or selling ads. QR codes, however, deliver greater engagement, quantifiability and potential mobile commerce opportunities. Alternate technology options (such as Near Field Communication chips) are still a ways off from being as widespread and accessible as QR codes.
• More work with little to no payback: Yes, in order to read a QR code, consumers first need to be able to identify what a QR code is and how it works. They then need to download a QR reader app, if they do not already have one, in order to read the code. Once the code is scanned, however, the potential payback for consumers is vast and limited only by one’s imagination. Whether it’s access to exclusive content, deals, promotions or discounts, companies have a number of options to reward their consumers for scanning.
• It doesn’t solve consumer problems: There are two types of technological innovations: Those that solve consumer pain points in an existing market and those that provide an entirely new approach toward everyday life. QR codes are a new approach that ultimately simplifies the way mobile users can get information. While it’s just as simple to look up information on the mobile web, savvy businesses are realizing that one of the main benefits of a QR code campaign is to provide their mobile customers with instantaneous access to something that is unique and can’t be accessed in another way.

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Conclusion

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Whether you are a fan or critic of QR codes, one thing is certain: Real world hyperlinks are here to stay. QR codes are just one of the many linking possibilities, but they are popping up everywhere – across all verticals and businesses of all sizes. The popularity of QR codes will continue to gain momentum. Moving forward, the catalyst for their success will ultimately lie in the creative ways they are implemented.

Marketers have the ability to reach their mobile customer base in a way that wasn’t possible before. They need to reward consumers for helping blaze this new trail. The results will be captivating.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, youngvet

More About: business, Mobile 2.0, Opinion, qr, qr code, Tech

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You may have noticed a change on your web-based Twitter profile. The service recently rolled out an image gallery feature that displays recent photos that you’ve shared or retweeted from other users.

It got us thinking that this profile real estate could be put to some creative use. As luck would have it, our pal Jeremiah Warren whipped up a great step-by-step video (above) on how to slice and dice your Twitter slides, Photoshop style. He’s even provided a template file, which you can download here to get started. (A PNG file is also available for those not using Photoshop).

SEE ALSO: 10 Creative Uses of the New Facebook Profile [PICS]

This solution is still very much a hack — you’ll have to annoy your followers with four to six image tweets in a row. And if you share or retweet any subsequent image links (TwitPic, Instagram, etc.) you’ll muck up your precarious masterpiece. But that certainly shouldn’t stop you from dabbling. We expect to see some fantastic creations in the coming weeks.

Video HOW-TO compliments of Jeremiah Warren.

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Created or Seen Any Excellent Twitter Gallery Hacks?

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Upload screenshots or links of your favorites below, and we’ll feature them in a subsequent post on Mashable.

More About: Photos, social media, twitter, video

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In response to the resignation of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, many media and technology professionals took to Twitter to share their feelings about the news.

Jobs is stepping down as Apple CEO and handing over the day-to-day running of the company to Tim Cook, but will stay on as Chairman of the Board.

Jobs was heralded as “the greatest leader our industry has ever known,” the “most important person in personal technology,” and as a “genius.” Due to Job’s lingering health issues, several wished for his health and well being.

SEE ALSO: Tim Cook Named Apple CEO | Apple Stock Falls | Share Your Steve Jobs Moments

If you have seen other reactions you feel we have missed, please let us know in the comments below. Also, please feel free to share your memories of Steve Jobs’ lengthy and influential tenure as Apple CEO in our Open Thread.

@harrymccracken

@jeffjarvis

@PerfectMarket

A quote from Steve Jobs' speech from the 2005 Stanford Commencement.

@urnhart

@JasonHirschorn

In response to people lamenting about Jobs' declining health as a factor for his resignation.

@Benioff

@thejoelstein

@hodgman

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The 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Virginia and rolled through much of the east coast Tuesday caused more inconvenience than damage. Case in point: though no cellphone towers were knocked out, high call volume meant massive service interruptions for users of AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile.

But one cellphone-based service managed to work as normal, according to Bloomberg: RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger.

BBM, which can run on either a phone’s data connection or local Wi-fi, and uses unique wireless protocols, has gained a reputation for reliability and security. In the Chilean earthquake of 2010, and in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 in New York, it was the only service left standing.

In London earlier this month, BBM was deemed a little too reliable and secure: it was the primary method for rioters to communicate and coordinate. RIM’s unwitting role in the riots has come under scrutiny from the UK government.

But on a day when the carriers have all experienced what one Sprint spokesman called “an intermittent mass calling event”, RIM has added a much-needed sheen to its reputation. Its stock closed a dollar higher in late New York trading — not a huge bump, but considering RIM’s share price is off 53% this year overall, not to mention the fact that BlackBerry has slipped to third place in the smartphone market, the company will take what it can get.

More About: bbm, blackberry, smartphones

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Four ways technology is changing consumer behavior, and expert tips for marketers

Whenever I hear the phrase “back-to-school shopping,” I invariably remember that amazing series of Staples commercials with parents dancing down the aisles to the strains of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” as their kids looked on dejectedly.

The ads may be hilarious, but Back-to-School (B2S) is serious business. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend $68.8 billion outfitting students for school this year. A new Yahoo! study took a closer look at how digital media and new technology is affecting how consumers shop for back-to-school. Check out the four key findings we uncovered to help marketers.

Study finding #1: Consumers are shopping earlier and spending more

Yahoo! found that seven in ten consumers plan to spend more or about the same for back-to-school this year. Consumers say they will increase their budgets by 7% compared to last year. The biggest opportunities by category are in basic school supplies, clothing and media purchases.

The study also found that shopping starts much earlier than purchase. In fact, researchers found a five-point increase from 2010 for those shopping earlier. Approximately 60% of consumers told us that they are shopping at least three weeks before the start of the new school year. Searches on Yahoo! for "back to school" as early as July confirm that B2S is on people's minds well before the peak of the shopping season.

Study finding #2: Mom isn’t the only one doing the shopping

When it comes to back-to-school shopping, it's no longer just about convincing moms what to purchase. Specifically, Yahoo! found that 23% of dads and a whopping 84% of teens are getting involved in B2S shopping. Researchers found that dads are more likely than moms to shop for certain consumer electronics items, which tend to be pricier purchases. One in five dads said they plan to buy a tablet for B2S.

Study finding #3: Shopping happens online and offline

The vast majority of shoppers (75%) are using online and offline information to research purchases for B2S. Yahoo! also found a growing reliance on digital content, with 58% of consumers saying they read articles and 28% watching videos around the topic of back-to-school. Interestingly, Yahoo! found that dads are twice as likely to read articles on content portals about B2S than moms. Dads are also three times more likely to watch professional videos about Back-to-School than moms.

Study finding #4: Shoppers want deals, deals and more deals

Given the state of the economy, it’s not surprising that 69% of consumers say they have a budget for back-to-school. At least 59% plan to use coupons more this year than they did last year, while 75% of consumers said they will be using both on and offline channels to find these deals and promotions. A third will be using smartphones to take advantage of B2S deals.

Tips for back-to-school marketers

• Target shoppers over a longer time period so you can influence them during the research phase and drive the ultimate purchase behavior.

• With the growing influence of kids and dads in B2S purchases, marketers can use new channels in their media buys.

• Consumers are leveraging video and articles to optimize their shopping lists, so be where they are. Check out a great example of a bac-to-school article on Shine, sponsored by Target.

• With consumers leveraging online more for deals, spread deals through digital ads and extend location based deals when at the store.

• Leverage Yahoo!’s targeting opportunities to reach a highly engaged B2S audience at scale with offers and promotions.

For more on the Back-to-School Shopping season, attend our webinar on August 25 at 11:00 am PT/2:00 p.m. ET.

-- Dianne Molina

The group messaging battle just heated up with the announcement Sunday that Skype has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire GroupMe, a group messaging service that will enhance Skype’s ability to facilitate text and photo messaging.

With this acquisition, Skype said in a press release that GroupMe will provide “best-in-class text-based communications and innovative features that enable users to connect, share locations and photos and make plans with their closest ties.”

Given the hyper-competitive backdrop of this booming group messaging field, it’s no surprise that Skype’s CEO Tony Bates told The Wall Street Journal about how important he thinks the mobile group messaging space is to his company. That’s evidenced by the multiple deals in that space taking in the past year, including Google’s purchase of group messaging company Slide in August of last year, Facebook’s rollout of its Group Chat capabilities after it acquired group messaging app Beluga in March of this year, and Apple’s June announcement of iMessage in iOS 5 that’s also capable of group messaging.

Even though Skype agreed in May to sell itself to Microsoft for $8.5 billion, that transaction has not been completed yet. Skype’s CEO didn’t specify the terms of the agreement between Skype and GroupMe, which is expected to close on Monday.

More About: deals, groupme, Skype

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