Yogi Land

Two years have passed since the first 1GHz smartphones hit the market, and Samsung is already looking at the next big milestone in the smartphone gigahertz race: 2 GHz.

Such processor speed, Samsung claims, will narrow the gap between a smartphone and a full-fledged desktop PC, at least when it comes to data processing power.

“We are planning to release a 2Ghz dual core CPU-equipped smartphone by next year. This product will have the data processing capacities of a regular PC,” said a high-ranking official from Samsung according to South Korean search engine Daum.

Samsung also plans to sell the CPUs (which will probably be launched under Samsung’s Exynos brand) separately to other phone makers.

How do you feel about the prospect of a 2 GHz, dual-core smartphone? What impact will that kind of processing power have on battery life? Please, share your opinions in the comments.

[via Daum]

More About: 2GHz, CPU, dual-core, Mobile 2.0, processor, samsung, smartphone

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Peekaboo Mobile, makers of an iPhone and Android app for finding nearby mobile coupons, has been acquired by local advertising provider nSphere for an undisclosed, seven-figure sum.

The startup, founded in 2010, gives business owners the ability to create coupon deals, which are then accessible via the company’s mobile applications and partner network.

Peekaboo Mobile’s partner network includes location-based discovery app Where and membership card management service CardStar, which added a digital coupon clipping feature to its iPad app last year. “Through these relationships we can reach over 50 million consumers,” Peekaboo Mobile founder Ben Dolgoff says.

As part of the deal, Peekaboo Mobile’s team is joining nSphere but will continue to work on the mobile couponing business. Peekaboo Mobile is also now letting businesses use its service for free.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, trekandshoot

More About: cardstar, mobile coupons, peekaboo mobile, where

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Google Latitude, the search giant’s location-sharing mobile app, is launching checkin offers nationwide, giving users the ability to unlock discounts with a handful of launch partners.

Much like Foursquare and Facebook, Latitude now reveals different offers if a user checks in to locations hosting a Latitude deal. However, Google adds a twist to the traditional checkin offer with its “status” system. Offers such as 20% off at American Eagle Outfitters can only be unlocked with statuses such as Regular, VIP or Guru, although these titles are customizable by Google’s partners. They are acquired by checking in to a specific place multiple times.

Google’s initial list of partners includes Arby’s, Macy’s, RadioShack, Finish Line, Famous Footwear, Great Clips, Naturalizer, Tasti D-Lite, Quiznos, Wireless Zone, Cellairis, PostNet and American Eagle Outfitters. Quiznos is offering customers a free sub when they buy one of equal or greater value (and the title of “Champion of Taste”), while Finish Line is giving a $10 discount on purchases over $50. Most Latitude deals offer similar discounts.

Google only added checkins to Latitude recently, and the iPhone app only got checkins two weeks ago, so today’s announcement is rather aggressive. Google clearly understands that it’s way behind in the local deals space. It’s the same reason why Google tried (and failed) to acquire Groupon and why it’s building its own Groupon competitor.

Google’s new Latitude offers are available for Google Maps for Android (which includes Latitude) and for Latitude for iPhone, although its iOS app doesn’t include status level achievements yet.

What do you think of Google Latitude’s nationwide deals? Is it a smart move by Google, or is it late to the party?

More About: check.in, checkin, facebook, Facebook Deals, foursquare, Google, google latitude, gowalla

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

New ABC show Happy Endings may get off to a strong start with a mobile-to-Facebook push the network hopes to use as a template for future campaigns.

The network, working with Mogreet, is asking consumers to text “happy” to 21534, which returns to them a video featuring the show’s stars. Videos are updated every Wednesday when the show airs. The clip then shows up on each user’s Facebook wall. (See image below.)

The idea, like that behind any social media campaign, is to give influencers — who have so far been targeted with a back-page ad in Maxim with more traditional media placement coming — some social currency, which they can spread among their various networks to create buzz for the show.

One difference, which makes mobile more of a component, is the tune-in factor: The final message will roll out on 9:25 EST on April 13, five minutes before the premiere airs. Although many of the tech-savvy users targeted in the mobile campaign are likely to be time-shifted viewers, Gary Shanas, vice president of media strategy at ABC, says he thinks with the proper messaging, such consumers can be persuaded to tune in. “We’re optimistic if they’re around at that time, they’ll turn on their TVs,” he says.

Of course, ABC’s not the first network to try to spur viewing via mobile activity. MTV launched its controversial Skins program with a group texting campaign back in December.

More About: abc, facebook, Mobile 2.0

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Mozilla has unveiled the release candidate of Firefox 4 for Android and Nokia Maemo, paving the way for browser’s offical launch for mobile platforms.

Firefox 4 RC for mobile adds several new updates to its previous beta release, including faster scrolling, a more responsive version of Firefox Sync, text reformatting on zoom, a slimmed-down form helper and copy/paste functionality for HTML form fields. There are other UI changes, such as support for restartless add-ons, iframe scrolling and a redesign of the “New Tab Opened” popup.

Mozilla first released an alpha mobile browser last April. Back then it was called Fennec, not Firefox, and it was filled with bugs that would drain phone memory and crash the system on a regular basis. Mozilla has dramatically improved the product since then. The first official beta brought a better, more stable overall experience, and the launch of Beta 3 added faster booting, better page load times and major enhancements to Firefox Sync.

Apparently Mozilla is so happy with the results since then that it is nearly ready for the mobile browser’s official launch. In fact, the Firefox 4 RC is already available on the Android Marketplace and for download for Maemo. If no significant bugs are found by users of the release candidate, Mozilla will release the official version of Firefox for mobile soon.

With the release of Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo imminent, it’s now simply a matter of whether users will choose Firefox over the pre-installed browsers on their devices. Will you switch to Firefox 4 for your mobile device, or stick with your default Android/Maemo web browser? Let us know in the comments.

More About: android, Fennec, Firefox 4, Firefox 4 for Android, Firefox 4 for mobile, Maemo, Mobile 2.0, mozilla

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Groupon is fervently preparing for its most ambitious venture yet: the launch of a new mobile application that the company hopes will change when and how society chooses to eat, shop and play.

The application, known as Groupon Now, is remarkably and elegantly simple, yet it’s a radical departure from Groupon’s current deal-a-day business model. When a user opens up the smartphone app, he or she will be presented with just two buttons: “I’m hungry” and “I’m bored.” Clicking either button will open up a list of time-specific daily deals, based on his or her location.

The familiar $10 coupons for $20 worth of food are still there, but they’re not one-time offers. Instead, businesses can choose when they want these deals to be available. Say a restaurant is incredibly busy on Saturdays but could use more business on Wednesdays. With Groupon Now, that business can fill its seats during slow business days using time-specific deals.

That’s the beauty of Groupon Now: local businesses have never really had a simple way to manage their perishable inventory, especially labor and food. Why waste those resources during slow periods when you can bring savings-savvy consumers through the doors with a highly targeted Groupon deal?

“For merchants, the daily deal is like teeth whitening, and Groupon Now is like brushing your teeth. It can be an everyday thing to keep your business going,” Groupon founder and CEO Andrew Mason told Bloomberg Businessweek in an extensive interview on the new product.

The daily deals company has been on a tear recently — in fact it is the fastest growing company in history — but it faces stiff competition from companies with increasing muscle. Groupon is reportedly preparing for a $25 billion IPO just months after famously rejecting a $6 billion acquisition offer from Google, but its biggest competitor, LivingSocial, is preparing to raise half a billion dollars in funding. Not only that, but the #2 daily deals service has an app similar to Groupon Now already on the market.

Groupon clearly believes Groupon Now is the future, so much so that its employees call the current iteration of its daily deals service “Groupon 1.0.” While the market has made it clear that the group-buying business model is easily replicable, the coupon giant believes that its new offering will provide it with a unique technology and value proposition that will keep it ahead of the pack. With 70+ million subscribers and growing, Groupon will also have a big head start.

It won’t be long until we find out if Groupon Now is the future of local commerce; the mobile app launches in April.

Image courtesy of Flickr, GmanViz

More About: daily deals, groupon, Groupon Now, LivingSocial

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

HP CEO Leo Apotheker has a clear message for his competitors in the mobile and tablet space: we’re in this market to win.

Earlier today, HP’s new chief executive revealed the company’s new strategy to a group of analysts and members of the press. His keynote can be summed up in five words: cloud, cloud and more cloud. HP intends to provide cloud-based tools, software and connected devices that will power enterprise and dominate the consumer market.

Central to HP’s consumer play is its 2010 acquisition of Palm, which gave the PC giant access to Palm’s webOS mobile operating system and the Pre line of smartphones.

HP dominates the PC business, selling two PCs and two printers every second — by far the most in the industry, according to Apotheker. Now it intends to dominate the smartphone and tablet businesses too.

“We just announced our new devices, the TouchPad and the [Pre] smartphones,” Apotheker says. “Going forward, we don’t intend to play in the junior league in this business.”

HP has an uphill battle to becoming a player in the mobile market. Apple leads the pack with the iPhone and the iPad, but Google, Microsoft and RIM are all making big moves in this space. Confirming previous rumors, HP said the TouchPad will come out this June.

Will you wait for a TouchPad? Does HP stand a chance of grabbing some mobile market share? Let us know what you think, in the comments.

More About: HP, hp touchpad, palm, Palm Pre, PCs, pre, printers, Touchpad, webOS

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Based on interviews with Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, some analysts are predicting that Apple has already moved 1 million Verizon iPhone units.

Neither Apple nor Verizon has released official sales information about the device, with the exception of an earlier report that Verizon iPhone sales have so far exceeded all previous initial phone launches in the carrier’s history.

Verizon’s Daniel Mead also attributed the embarrassingly short lines for the Verizon iPhone with the fact that 60% of purchases were made online.

As Fortune‘s Phillip Elmer-DeWitt notes, 60% of what? That’s the big question — and one Verizon says it won’t answer until its next quarterly earnings report.

TheStreet‘s Scott Moritz reads this 60% figure as confirmation that Apple and Verizon moved more than 1 million units the first weekend the device was available. Moritz arrives at this number by using analyst estimates of 600,000 pre-orders. Assuming that number is accurate, that would account for 60% of launch sales, thus bringing the total to 1 million.

The iPhone 4 famously sold 1.7 million units in its debut weekend in June 2010.

We wouldn’t expect the Verizon sales to approach the iPhone 4 figures; after all, aside from the carrier, nothing about the device has significantly changed in eight months. Instead, it’s likely that the true demand of the Verizon iPhone — and its overall impact on AT&T’s churn — will be visible when the next iPhone launches. If history is any indicator, that will be in June.

We’re of two thoughts when it comes to the lack of any concrete Verizon iPhone sales figures. On the one hand, not having the information indicates that the figures have fallen short of expectations. On the other hand, the expectations of Verizon iPhone sales could quite possibly be out of the realm of possibility for any device or company. The fact is that this was the best phone launch in Verizon’s history — despite the launch being for an eight-month old device.

Apple will reveal the iPad 2 on Wednesday March 2, 2011. Perhaps the company will shed more light on Verizon iPhone sales then.

More About: apple, iphone, sales figures, stats, verizon, Verizon iPhone

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Notice something different in the air? No, it’s not hordes of people rushing out to buy Valentine’s Day presents — we’ve added a section to our weekly roundup.

We’re still bringing you all the tools and resources from the past week or so, but we’ve also combed through to pull out some of the best, most useful, or most interesting reads as collected by our editors. These include stories on the smart grid, a guide to Facebook privacy, and a break down of how 3D technology actually works.

Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time.

---

Editors’ Picks

---

• Facebook Privacy: 10 Settings Every User Needs to Know
  We’ve entered Facebook’s maze of privacy options and came out on the other side bruised, battered, but with 10 essential settings in our hands. Disregard them at your own peril!
• How Social Media Will Make the Smart Energy Grid More Efficient
  Web-enabled electric meters and appliances are part of the new smart grid. With the added layer of social media, we’re seeing a new level comparison and competition.
• HOW TO: Run a Global Charity Event From Your Laptop
  Twestival is possible thanks to a suite of online tools, a little missed sleep, and an enthusiastic team of global do-gooders. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how it all happens.
• How Does 3D Technology Work?
  From films to TVs to gaming, 3D is big right now. But how does this technology get your brain to “see” a screen in three dimensions?
• How an Online Game Plans to Reward Kids for Playing Outside
  By connecting physical sports equipment with its new online world, FunGoPlay is hoping to curb childhood obesity and encourage young athletes.
• 10 Online Resources for Free, Legal Music
  We’ve gathered together 10 resources for scoring tunes online for merely a song.
• Top 10 Most Shared Super Bowl Ads Of All Time [VIDEO]
  Excitement for Super Bowl XLV is upon up — football, the halftime show, and of course, the commercials. These are the most shared Super Bowl ads ever.
• Guitar Hero Gone: What Went Wrong?
  The plastic guitar game just flamed out. Activision is set to shutter the division that created Guitar Hero and its sequels.
• What Is 4G? An FAQ On Next Generation Wireless
  We’ve sifted through the buzzwords, technical overviews and acronyms to distill the facts about 4G and what it means for consumers.

---

Social Media

---

• 7 Years of Facebook: A Retrospective
  Mashable created this gallery to highlight the biggest Facebook events (and controversies) over the years.
• Fun With Twitter: 5 iPhone Games Made of Tweets
  If you thought Twitter couldn’t get any more fun, think again. These clever games turn tweets into puzzles, points and obstacles.
• Why Fashion’s Top Brands Are Flocking to Tumblr
  A look at the Tumblr strategies of fashion brands and retailers, including Kate Spade, Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen, Ann Taylor and ModCloth.
• Which Films Captured the Most Twitter Buzz During the Super Bowl? [INFOGRAPHIC]
  The Twitterverse was giving ample attention to TV spots advertising upcoming films.
• Watch Every Super Bowl XLV Ad [VIDEO]
  Here’s a gallery of 60+ Super Bowl ads.
• Why Virtual Worlds Play an Important Role in the Changing Arab World
  Virtual worlds like Second Life have increasingly become a place for Arabs to gather, speak their minds, and protest.
• Top 10 Funny YouTube Videos About Twitter
  We’ve scoured YouTube to bring you 10 funny Twitter-themed videos. From parody to satire to the downright silly, click here for some LOLs from the Twitterverse.
• HOW TO: Follow New York Fashion Week Online
  We’ve gathered together the best online resources to help you follow New York Fashion Week on your social platform of choice.
• How Premium Fashion Brands Are Maximizing Their Social Media ROI
  What are luxury brands doing to boost revenue streams from the social web? Check out these tactics from the likes of Marc Jacobs and DKNY.
• #TypeNerdyToMe: Top 5 Valentine One-Liners [PICS]
  Mashable asked readers to submit their best nerdy valentine lines. We’ve chosen and designed the five best entries, which can be viewed in this gallery.
• 7 Ways Print Magazines Are Using Social Media to Engage Readers
  Many print publications have been able to keep the conversation going beyond the page with social platforms. Here’s how they’re succeeding.
• Watson vs. Jeopardy: The Early Years [COMIC]
  Watson’s computational development was a slow and arduous process. In the early days, he just wasn’t all that good at Jeopardy.
• 7 Free Music Playlists for Valentine’s Day
  Here are 7 playlists to suit your romantic mood — whether it be bitter or sweet.

For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

---

Tech & Mobile

---

• HANDS ON: HTC Inspire 4G Is a First For AT&T [PICS]
  The first 4G phone using the AT&T wireless network is about to arrive, and we have one here for testing. I’m impressed with the hardware, but not with AT&T.
• 10 Stunning iPhone Sports Photographs [GALLERY]
  For our latest iPhotography gallery, we’ve looked to the wonderful world of sport, with some action-packed snaps and some careful studies in texture and light.
• The iPhone Ad War: AT&T vs. Verizon
  Verizon and AT&T are already starting a back-and-forth in ads over the iPhone.
• 5 Tech Advances That Are Transforming Digital Entertainment
  What technology has changed the way we experience digital entertainment? Read on for five picks that promise to do just that.
• 5 Decadent iPhone Apps for Chocolate Lovers
  Just in time for Valentine’s Day, these iPhone apps will whet your appetite for this sweet seductress.
• HOW TO: Transfer Your Blog From WordPress.com to WordPress.org [VIDEO]
  This screencast will guide you through the process of moving your content from a WordPress.com account to a self-hosted solution.
• 10 Free iPhone Apps for a More Romantic Valentine’s Day
  If you’re planning a special night, these free apps can help you take your romance game to the next level.
• Engineering Intelligence: Why IBM’s Jeopardy-Playing Computer Is So Important
  IBM’s Watson supercomputer will compete with Jeopardy champions next week, and it has a good shot at winning. We spoke with Stephen Baker, who chronicled Watson’s development, about this comp-sci achievement.
• Why Microsoft Is Nokia’s Last Best Hope [OPINION]
  Microsoft may have been Nokia’s only option, but it is far from a guarantee of success. Still, here’s why these two computing giants are a good fit.

For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

---

Business

---

• Are Cover Letters Still Relevant For Social Media and Tech Jobs?
  Here’s a look at why you may not want to send a cover letter, why it could still be useful to send one, and how to optimize your approach for social media and tech positions.
• Social Media: The Final Piece of the Super Bowl Advertising Puzzle
  In 2011, it’s not enough to drop $3 million on a great Super Bowl spot. You’ve got to port that engagement over to the online world.
• 5 Tips to Strengthen Your Company’s Social Media Voice
  When it comes to social media, even big brands need to have personality. These 5 tips will spark some better online conversations.
• HOW TO: Be a Better Coworker
  When your offices mates are all working toward different goals and projects, the etiquette can get a bit muddled. Check out these proven tips for keeping the peace in a shared workspace.
• HOW TO: Optimize Your Social Media Budget
  Inspired by Alitimeter Group’s recent report, check out this guide to budgeting for corporate social media programs, as based on a program’s maturity.
• How Brands Can Make the Most of Facebook’s New Pages
  What do the new Facebook Pages mean for brands? We’ve laid out a guide to the changes that affect the way companies interact on the social network.

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Rosaura Ochoa

More About: business, Features Week In Review, gadgets, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, social media, tech, technology

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

If your smartphone has one touchscreen too few, rejoice. Today Sprint launched the Kyocera Echo, a groundbreaking phone composed of two touchscreens.

The phone features two 3.5-inch LCD displays connected by an innovative hinge; the screens fold up in the manner of a netbook. The two screens can be used to run separate apps, or combined to run in “tablet mode” with both screens acting as a single display. The screens work in both portrait and landscape mode. Like the iPhone, the Echo employs an onscreen keyboard. Unlike the iPhone, it can be angled so that it looks like a mini-laptop, with the keys flat and the screen tilted.

The Echo’s operating system: Android 2.2, also known as Froyo. Its price: $200 with a two-year contract, available sometime this spring. Other features include a 5-megapixel camera with HD video recording and a charger that doubles as a battery pack.

The two-screen combination allows for some novel features. For example, you can watch one YouTube video in the first screen while queueing up a second video in the other display. You can run Twitter and Facebook simultaneously. You can check your e-mail while composing a text message. (Habitual multitaskers, your phone has arrived.)

However, Sprint said only a small number of apps would be able to play nicely with each other in this fashion at first. (The company calls such dueling apps “simultasking.”)

Clearly, developers are just beginning to explore the opportunities involved with two touchscreens. Sprint demonstrated a version of the Sims game that featured the controls on the bottom screen and the game on the top — kind of like the PlayStation Phone. The Echo’s most innovative apps are likely ahead of it, but we expect great things from this unusual device.

The Echo was launched amid much hoopla at a New York event featuring magician David Blaine doing tricks in a giant underwater tank. The connection? “Extreme multitasking can be magical,” explained Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. Given the much-cited Hewlett Packard study that showed office-based multitasking temporary reduces your IQ by 10 points — five points more than smoking marijuana — we’re not so sure.

More About: android, dual touchscreen, echo, Froyo, Kyocera, kyocera echo, Mobile 2.0, smartphone, sprint, sprint echo, touchscreen

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad