emerging trends

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• Sign up with Google using OpenID
  Some websites use the OpenID standard so that users don’t even need to type a password to sign in. While Google does not yet support the usage of OpenID for replacing passwords on its own sites, we are involved in the OpenID community’s efforts to research how to best implement that type of support. As a next step in those community efforts, we announced today the use of OpenID for the Google signup process. Currently, Google only offers this feature for Yahoo! users. However, as it is based on an Internet standard, we plan to use it in the future with other email providers that add support for this usage of OpenID and related standards like OAuth, such as in the Microsoft Live identity APIs. Other websites that need to verify a user’s email address can also implement this technique using Yahoo!’s OpenID API. In addition, it can be used to verify the addresses of Gmail and Google Apps users because those email systems expose the necessary APIs for OpenID. For example, Plaxo is one of the many websites that takes advantage of this feature of Gmail and Yahoo! Mail. By Tzvika Barenholz, Internet Identity Team
• Google's Schmidt: Autonomous, Fast Search Is 'Our New Definition'
  In a big-picture keynote at Berlin’s IFA home electronics event, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) CEO Eric Schmidt said Google’s new guiding principle is in serving users automatic search results, all the time, super-quick…

  “Our new definition of Google, we’re trying to get you something fast - never underestimate the importance of fast. “Ultimately, search is not just the web but literally all of your information - your email, the things you care about, with your permission - this is personal search, for you and only for you. “The next step of search is doing this automatically. When I walk down the street, I want my smartphone to be doing searches constantly - ‘did you know?’, ‘did you know?’, ‘did you know?’, ‘did you know?’. This notion of autonomous search - to tell me things I didn’t know but am probably interested in, is the next great stage - in my view - of search.”

  Two thoughts occur - 1) Android is already a considerable power hog without searches being performed at every footstep; 2) if Google can increase searches to this incredible frequency, can it also ramp up search advertising in lockstep? Schmidt also offered some hints and metrics about current and forthcoming products… —Google TV: Google TV will call up both free and paid web video, including PPV from DISH Cinema, Google TV product marketing manager Brittany Bohnet demonstrated. Android Market on Google TV is coming early in 2011, she said. —Google Music: “Think about a music player - if it’s not connected to the internet, it just has what’s stored on it; it can’t get the music nearby, it can’t get the latest music. It has to be on the net. The same is true of everything.” —Mobile: “One in three queries from smartphones is now around where I am. Our mobile search traffic grew 50 percent in the first half of 2010 - it’s growing much quicker than everything else. Search traffic from Android phones tripled in the first half of 2010.” —YouTube: “Business is doing very well with more than two billion monetized views a week. The number of monetized views is up 50 percent in the last year.”
  
• Διαφύλαξη των ψηφιακών δεδομένων της Ευρώπης
  Σε μορφή λογισμικού ανοικτής πηγής διατίθενται πλέον τα εργαλεία που αναπτύχθηκαν με χρήση ενωσιακών πόρων, προκειμένου να διασφαλιστεί η διαφύλαξη ψηφιακώς αποθηκευμένων δεδομένων, η πρόσβαση και η κατανόησή τους στο διηνεκές.
• Gov 2.0 Summit Spotlight: Fueling the Innovation Economy
  Real innovation doesn’t just mean tinkering around the edges. It means remembering your goals, and finding a new way to get there. At Gov 2.0 Summit, we’ll explore some of the most exciting new sources of innovation, and how they can be harnessed by government, as envisioned by some of today’s foremost innovators and leaders, including: Next Generation Models for Education (Jim Shelton, U.S. Department of Education) The Startup Visa: Why We Need More Immigrant Entrepreneurs (Brad Feld, Visa) Increasing Innovation by Speeding up SBIR and SBIC (Sean Green, U.S. Small Business Administration) The Power of Pull (John Seely Brown, Deloitte Center for the Edge) A Smart Grid for Education (Dale Dougherty, Make / O’Reilly Media) TED: The First 21st Century University? (June Cohen, TED Conferences) Technology and Education (Karen Cator, U.S. Department of Education) —– We hope you can join us next month in Washington, D.C. Attendance at Gov 2.0 Summit is by invitation only. Reserve your seat today and request an invitation.
• Networking outsourcing: Why the U.S. is an exception
  Executives in the United States have become accustomed to outsourcing a variety of jobs, from textile workers to call center employees. Yet if there is one task that U.S. wireless carrier executives remain loath to outsource, it is the management of their wireless networks. "It's a strange dichotomy that I never quite have been able to put my hands on," said John Ramirez, vice president of the managed services division at Alcatel-Lucent (NASDAQ:ALU). "The U.S. was the birthplace of outsourcing. And yet you get to networks, and the rest of the world seems to be embracing it." With a few high-profile exceptions--namely Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) outsourcing deal with Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and LightSquared's outsourcing deal with Nokia Siemens Networks--U.S. wireless operators have been reluctant to outsource network management to a vendor, mainly because they continue to believe that they are best equipped to handle those kinds of operations, analysts and representatives from vendors said. Nonetheless, the global network outsourcing market is set to boom over the next few years. According to ABI Research analyst Aditya Kaul, revenues from network-related managed services are expected to more than double from $5.8 billion in 2008 to over $14.4 billion in 2013. Network outsourcing has taken off mainly in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region so far. However, Kaul said that ABI predicts North American total managed services revenue--including IT and network-related--will grow from $3 billion at the end of 2009 to $6 billion by 2013. Ericsson, which analysts consider to be the leader in the market, has announced more than 100 contracts for managed services with operators worldwide since 2002, and the deals now cover 750 million subscribers. The company has inked agreements with the likes of Vodafone, TeliaSonera and Softbank. For its part, Nokia Siemens Networks has more than 265 managed services contracts covering more than 380 million subscribers. The vendor has deals with Orange Spain, Tata Telecom and Vodafone Hutchison Australia. And Alcatel-Lucent has 90 managed services deals worldwide. Costs and benefits There are several reasons why U.S. carriers have been resistant to engaging in network outsourcing. One reason, especially for larger carriers such as Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) that have strong balance sheets, is that it simply is not a prudent business decision that will yield tangible gains, said Phil Marshall, an analyst at Tolaga Research. However, the biggest stumbling block to the growth of network outsourcing is the deeply ingrained attitudes of the carriers themselves. "They've got it figured it out. They've been doing it for years," Current Analysis analyst Peter Jarich said, describing the mindset of many carriers. "They believe that coverage and capacity are key differentiators that they don't want to give up." Representatives from Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile USA declined to comment. Vendor representatives uniformly said they understand and respect carriers' attitude toward outsourcing, but argued operators' point of view is short-sighted and that market dynamics are bound to change in favor of network outsourcing. Moreover, they said, the benefits for operators are clear. Alan Petry, the head of managed services for North America at Nokia Siemens, said carriers have "started to understand that [the network] is not the strategic advantage it used to be." Ramirez was blunter. "It's an emotional argument. It's understandable," he said, noting that European operators like Vodafone and Orange made similar claims years ago. "But it's really one that's not based in fact, it's based in emotion." There are three core benefits to network outsourcing, according to the vendors. Chief among them is pure cash savings. "The customer is paying less from day one," said Valter D'Avino, the head of managed services at Ericsson. D'Avino also said that because Ericsson has developed uniform processes for dozens carriers around the globe, operators also benefit from entering that "world club" and gaining access to Ericsson's accumulated knowledge--and purchasing power. The second key benefit flows from the first: flexibility. If carriers are not as focused on their daily network operations, they will have more opportunities to spend time and resources on marketing, customer care and other key elements of their business. "What is it you want to be?" Ramirez asked. "We're not here to tell you what business to be in; we're here to help you be successful in that business."   And finally, the vendors argue, with more streamlined and focused operations, carriers can more quickly deliver new features to subscribers. "The carriers are really moving at the speed of light just to try and get that stuff implemented," Petry said. "We try to focus on aligning what they want to accomplish in their business strategy and really picking up the speed to do that."  Special cases The most high-profile U.S. network outsourcing deal to date is, of course, Sprint's $5 billion deal with Ericsson, which went into effect nearly a year ago. Bob Azzi, senior vice president of networks at Sprint, led the team that selected Ericsson and has managed the transition. He said Sprint wanted a partner that would help to continuously improve the quality of its network and manage back-end operations, like network and capacity engineering. Now, one year into the deal, he said the time he spends worrying about day-to-day operations is around 10 percent of what it used to be. He said that through the processes Ericsson has put in place, Sprint now has a more systematic way of understanding the stresses on its network. Azzi also noted that now his team has had more time to focus improving Sprint's CDMA network and enhancing the company's 4G product set. Ericsson likes to term what it does "transformation." "We're living it now," Azzi said.  The other large deal is LightSquared, which is launching a wholesale LTE network next year that will allow for terrestrial-only, satellite-only or integrated satellite-terrestrial services. The company inked a $7 billion deal with Nokia Siemens to design and build its network. "We're well down the path on managed services to stand up that operation, from the monitoring to the field operations to the core system services," Petry said. However, analysts said the Sprint and LightSquared deals represent anomalies in the U.S. market due to the carriers' unique positions.  Petry acknowledged that LightSquared's position as a greenfield operator helped drive its decision to outsource. "I would say they're definitely outliers," Tolaga's Marshall said, adding that Sprint made its move out of desperation in a bid to recover ground against Verizon and AT&T. Azzi conceded that Sprint's situation was unique. "It would be certainly true that we had motivation to open our minds to the idea of managed services. If circumstances were different, one can speculate, would we have been so open-minded about it?" For carriers to buy into the model, Azzi and others said, operators must have clear goals. "It has to be a compelling case," said Strategy Analytics analyst Susan Welsh de Grimaldo. "It's a change, so it takes time and focus and attention to get it done right." Catalysts for change Analysts and vendor representatives acknowledge that most U.S. carriers likely will not emulate their European counterparts in adopting networking outsourcing--certainly not on the same scale--in the near future. However, there are several opportunities that could open up the market. Jarich said network outsourcing might start on a smaller scale--it might include discrete applications or parts of the network, for example, or even something as simple as supply chain management for the network. "If you can offload that or take off some of that, that's significant," he said. Another opportunity is the emergence of LTE--and multiple LTE standards in the U.S. market. "From my standpoint, this is a matter of time," Ericsson's D'Avino said. Smaller operators that do not have the resources or capability to manage LTE network expansion and management could be key movers, he said. Still another opening could center on capacity as a service, in which network capacity is offloaded to a third party, said Ericsson's D'Avino. But challenges remain. "You have to get through a couple of emotional hurdles," Sprint's Azzi said. Alcatel-Lucent's Ramirez said there are numerous pressures weighing on carriers--the transition to 4G networks, Internet calling taking away revenues, competition from over-the-top players like cable companies. This confluence of factors could push U.S. carriers to be more open to network outsourcing. "I think we're at an 80-degree temperature," he said. "When we get to 100, I think you'll start to see a move."    
• Year One Labs Brings A Startup Incubator To Montreal
  Startup incubators are popping up everywhere. Year One Labs is launching today as a “seed accelerator” in Montreal. Similar to recently announced startup incubator AngelPad, Year One Labs was founded by four software entrepreneurs, Ben Yoskovitz, Raymond Luk, Alistair Croll and Ian Rae; with the hope of advising and funding Canadian startups based in Montreal. Year One Labs is taking a hand-on approach to advising, focused on co-creating startups with entrepreneurs in the program. The program itself is dedicated to the “Lean Startup methodology,” which centralizes around the customer development process, validating the idea and market strategy before product development. Besides advising and mentoring, accepted startups will receive $50,000, issued in tranches based on milestones in the development. Startups will also be able to rent space in Year One Labs for free. In exchange for this, Year One Labs takes a minority stake in startups, typically between 10 percent and 20 percent of equity. CrunchBase InformationYear One LabsInformation provided by CrunchBase
  
• Ο ηλεκτρονικός αναγνώστης LumiRead της Acer, επίσημα με WiFi, 3G και barcode scanner
  Ανακοινώθηκε επίσημα στην IFA και κυκλοφορεί τον Οκτώβρη στη Γερμανία. 6 ίντσες, barcode scanner για τους αριθμούς ISBN και από 199 ευρώ για το μοντέλο με WiFi.
• 10 Great Watches for Gadget Lovers [PICS]
  
  Everybody loves a good watch, and the best thing about watches is that they actually serve a practical purpose. These handy, portable gadgets are more than just decoration, which means you can usually justify spending money on a decent one.However, being geeks, we want more from our timepiece than the ability to inform us of the hour, so we’ve found 10 great watches that offer some special geek-friendly functionality too.Whether you want to use your wristwatch to make a call, to control your iPod or record video, the gallery below has got a watch for you. Let us know your favorites in the comments.
  1. Casio Databank DBC32C-3B
  
  
  Casio is such a giant in the geek watch space it could easily warrant a top 10 list of its own. For now, we're bringing you news of the limited edition Databank that offers up-to-date geek functionality in a design reminiscent of Casio's classic calculator watches.Cost: $59
  2. Wifi Finder Watch
  
  
  This watch will sniff out Wi-Fi at a distance of 100 meters, meaning you'll be kept abreast of when you're in a hotspot or not without the trouble of pulling out your laptop or smartphone to check. Tidy!Cost: $65.99
  3. LG GD910 Watch Phone
  
  
  Available on contract in the UK and some other regions, the LG GD910 - or Watch Phone - can be purchased SIM-free in the States, if you're willing to pay the price. Arguably one of the only credible phone-watch combos to have ever hit the market, the GD910 boasts a 1.3-inch touchscreen, video as well as voice-calling capabilities. It can be used with a Bluetooth headset or for those yes-I'm-with-the-Secret-Service moments, via the built-in speakerphone.Cost: From around $800
  4. Nike Amp+ Sport Remote Control
  
  
  This clever bit of gadgetry integrates with your iPod nano and Nike+ running system to offer remote control over your iPod, and voice feedback on your time, distance, calories burned and pace. Its reduced price on the Nike online store suggests it's heading towards end-of-life (it's been around since 2007), so if you are interested, you might want to grab one sooner rather than later.Cost: Currently $39.99, down from $79
  5. Spy Camera Video Watch
  
  
  Want to be able to record audio and video from your wristwatch? Of course you do! No one would suspect this classic-looking mini-clock is in fact capable of such cloak-and-dagger video capture. There's a tiny lens between the hours 12 and 1 that will capture events around you in AVI format, ready to be transferred to your PC next time you're back at HQ.Cost: $79.99
  6. Sony Ericsson MBW-150 Music Edition Bluetooth Watch
  
  
  Falling short of full-fat phone-watch capabilities, this Bluetooth-enabled timepiece hooks up to your phone and displays data such as the name and number of incoming callers and when a text has been received. In addition, for anyone with a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone, there are media buttons to control your music on the move.Cost: Approx $120
  7. USB Hidden Flash Drive Watch
  
  
  The true geek never leaves the house without a flash drive. Concealed in the side of this watch is a teeny-weeny storage stick boasting 8 lovely gigs of flash memory.Cost: $49.99
  8. Stanley Tape Measure Watch
  
  
  Part of a range of tooled-up Stanley watches released in Japan, gadget emporium Brando offers an easy way to import this item. It cunningly conceals a 3-foot tape measure behind its plastic exterior, offering a charmingly lo-fi way to geek out.Cost: $44.50
  9. Luminox Men's 3051 EVO Navy SEAL Colormark Watch
  
  
  Ideal for a tough gal or guy geek, there's some cool sci-fi tech in this timepiece used by the Navy SEALs and U.S. Air Force pilots. Glowing 100 times brighter than your average luminous watch, the 24/7 luminosity comes via tiny gas lights (technically known as "borosilicate glass capsules") which are good to glow for over 25 years.Cost: $168.99
  10. InPulse BlackBerry Smart Watch
  
  
  If you're a red-blooded, gadget-loving BlackBerry owner, then you're really going to want to take a look at the inPulse watch. Thanks to some Bluetooth magic, it'll hook up to your RIM-made device and offer you on-screen info on incoming e-mails, texts and calls - meaning if you're in a meeting (or otherwise socially engaged) a quick glance at your watch is all you'll need to do to stay connected.Cost: On pre-order for $149 with a September beta release plannedDisclosure: RIM is a Mashable sponsor.More Tech Resources from Mashable:

  - Life After Google: 15 Startups Founded by Ex-Employees
  - 7 Services That Will Suggest Things You Like
  - HOW TO: Change the Google Logo to Your Favorite Google Doodle
  - 10 Cool and Unusual Laptop Sleeves [PICS]
  - 10 Entertaining eBay Facts You Might Not Know

  More About: blackberry, Brando, casio, gadgets, geek, geeky, inPulse, LG, List, Lists, luminox, Nike, Sony Ericsson, Stanley, tech, thinkgeek, watches, wristwatchesFor more Tech coverage:Follow Mashable Tech on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Tech channelDownload our free apps for iPhone and iPad
• 6 BlackBerry Apps to Cure iPhone Envy
  
  We’ve all run into someone with a new iPhone. And we’ve all learned to expect the inevitable “watch this” moment involved in this encounter.Whether they identify the background music with Shazam, pull up a fancy screen saver, or fire up a classic PC game, it’s easy for even the most loyal BlackBerry owner to feel a slight pang of jealousy while witnessing these demonstrations. The iPhone is so shiny, so trendy, and it does so many cool tricks.It’s better to cope with these feelings than to admit them. There’s no need to give up your BlackBerry. The following six iPhone tricks can be accomplished by BlackBerry Apps (and by the way, Shazam makes a BlackBerry app, too).1. Cute Bubble Text MessagescrunchSMS changes BlackBerry text messages to an iPhone-like speech bubble format. All you need to do is block incoming text messages from your regular inbox, and you can use the app as an alternative.2. DoodlingDoodle Buddy lets iPhone and iPad users finger paint all over their touch screens, drop in stamps, and even collaborate with friends over the Internet.Doodle allows owners of the touch-screen BlackBerry Storm do the same thing for $0.99. Similarly, Make a Mess has fewer features but doesn’t charge. BlackBerry enthusiasts who prefer navigation via ball don’t need to feel left out, either. SketchIt allows them to make Etch A Sketch drawings using the scroll ball or keypad.3. PhotoshopAdobe makes an app for the iPhone that crops, rotates, changes the color of, and draws on photos. There’s even a Soft Focus feature. Sadly this awesome app has no BlackBerry sister, but the unbranded BlackBerry version, imgEdit, accomplishes just as many editing tasks. Plus it a has “a special Warhol effect.”4. Doppler RadarThere’s something about the weather that turns us all into geeks. The iPhone has widgets and apps specifically designed to supply live radar maps to wannabe weathermen. While there isn’t a specific radar map app available for BlackBerry users, the “maps” feature of the Weather Channel’s free app is more than adequate for backing up amateur forecasts.5. InstaPaperOften cited as one of the coolest apps for the iPhone, InstaPaper sends articles you find on the web directly to your phone so that you can read them later, even if your phone is offline. It turns out that the BlackBerry can do that, too. Save Web Page adds a “save PDF” option to your phone’s browser. Saved pages can be read without connecting to the Internet.6. Remote Control CapabilityiPhone users can purchase an accessory that plugs into the USB port and allows them to use their iPhone as a TV remote. The problem with this is that it changes the “where is the remote?” question to a “where is my USB accessory?” question. BlackBerry’s version of a home theater remote control, however, is a box that sits near entertainment equipment rather than connecting to a phone. The AV Shadow can use one phone to control your television, TiVo, DVD player, and satellite box. You can even use your BlackBerry to control Apple products like iPods.Disclosure: BlackBerry is a Mashable SponsorMore BlackBerry Resources from Mashable:

  - 8 Free BlackBerry Games Worth Downloading
  - A Look Back at the Last 5 Years in Mobile
  - 10 Must-Have BlackBerry Apps for Small Business
  - 4 Ways BlackBerry Can Stay Relevant

  Image courtesy of iStockphoto, PeskyMonkeyReviews: BlackBerry Rocks!, Internet, Shazam, Tvider Blackberry App , iStockphoto, instapaperMore About: AV Shadow, blackberry, Bubble text, crunchSMS, Doodle, Doodle Buddy, Doppler radar, imgEdit, Instapaper, iphone, Mobile 2.0, Photoshop, remote control, Save a Web Page, trendingFor more Mobile coverage:Follow Mashable Mobile on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Mobile channelDownload our free apps for iPhone and iPad
  
• 35 Entertaining 404 Error Pages
  
  “404 Not Found.” These three little words can make any Internet explorer an unhappy camper. After all, who hopes to click on a broken link or stumble upon a moved or deleted page while cruising around the web?Luckily, some web designers have chosen to end the misery of encountering a 404 error page. Instead of letting their site readers bump heads with a nasty dead-end error message, they’ve managed to squeeze a little entertainment out of it.Below you’ll find some of the most entertaining 404 error pages on the web. We’ve listed them alphabetically to avoid playing favorites, but they’re all worth a look. Share your favorite 404 error page designs in the comments below!
  1. 501st Legion
  
  
  501st Legion is a Star Wars costume organization. It only makes sense that its 404 page would play on Obiwan's famous jedi mind trick with a "weak-minded" stormtrooper.
  2. Abduzeedo
  
  
  Yes, Houston, a 404 is definitely a problem.
  3. Apartment Home Living
  
  
  A nice ol' chap comes to your assistance on ApartmentHomeLiving.com if you run across a 404 error page. Click the lovely lady peering from behind the frame for proper navigation suggestions.
  4. Astuteo
  
  
  "Uh-Oh! SpaghettiOs!" You know you're a part of pop culture if your jingle makes it into a 404 error page. The popular SpaghettiOs marketing jingle is here to stay.
  5. Blippy
  
  
  Head over to Blippy's 404 page for an adventure. Keep clicking on the boy dressed in a unicorn outfit to discover a triple rainbow! Who knew a 404 page could be so fun?
  6. Factor D
  
  
  In an ode to early horror films, Factor D features an appropriately horrific 404 error accompanied by a beautiful, yet terrified scream queen.
  7. SureDev
  
  
  Many 404 error pages apologize for the error. Not this one. It's obviously your fault.
  8. Blue Daniel
  
  
  This 404 error page is a beautiful depiction of "Track 404," a fictitious NYC subway line. Check it out to experience the full animation.
  9. Brandstack
  
  
  "You can click anywhere else, but you can't click here." Love it.
  10. Center'd
  
  
  Bottom line: You can't go wrong with cute kittens.
  11. Chris Jennings
  
  
  Most of us would like to run into a 404 error page just as much as we'd like to run into the Grim Reaper.
  12. Colour Marketing & Design
  
  
  When you're facing "sharks with laser beams attached to their frickin' heads," what do you expect? Definitely a 404 error.
  13. CSS-Tricks
  
  
  Well, that can't be good.
  14. CSSscoop
  
  
  Picking a 404 error page design that is consistent with your name is an appropriate move. CSSscoop chose a melting ice cream cone, with a scoop of ice cream, of course.
  15. Digitalmash
  
  
  Sarcasm in dire situations is always appreciated, right?
  16. Good Old Games (GOG)
  
  
  Try not to make any missteps on GOG, or you'll end up lost in the cosmos.
  17. HomeStarRunner.com
  
  
  Insulting your readers doesn't usually help, but this 404 made me chuckle.
  18 Hoppermagic
  
  
  Hoppermagic chose to stick to its brand imagery when creating its 404 page.
  19. iFolderLinks
  
  
  There's just something about a really frustrated baby that catches your attention. And if you've made it to this 404 page, you probably feel his pain.
  20. Itchy Robot
  
  
  If you can't think of something clever to say on your 404 page, just write exactly what your users are thinking.
  21. Jackfig
  
  
  Jackfig added a creative touch to its 404 error page, with an inspirational haiku.
  22. Jolie Poupée
  
  
  Jolie Poupée, creator of eco-friendly children's clothes, serves up an audience-appropriate 404 on its site.
  23. Mark Dijkstra
  
  
  This 404 error page is reminiscent of the kitschy tourist shirts that your lousy friends and relatives buy you when they visit amazing places.
  24. Merge
  
  
  Prithee, go medieval on your site's visitors if need be.
  25. Milrayas
  
  
  Imagery always makes a 404 more entertaining.
  26. OrangeCoat
  
  
  Some 404 error pages do a wonderful job of explaining to users exactly what caused the 404 error. OrangeCoat provides a fun decision tree for lost web surfers that is sure to help them along their merry ways.
  27. Oroza
  
  
  Have fun with colors, shapes and exclamations.
  28. Sick Designer
  
  
  Sick Designer captures the depression that a 404 can cause on its error page.
  29. Student Market
  
  
  How fitting that a student-centric site would feature an addition problem on its 404 page.
  30. The Brand Surgery
  
  
  This page just pops. We like it.
  31. The North Face
  
  
  For true entertainment value, why not just tell a story? The North Face does just that by creating a tale about link-eating mountain goats.
  32. Tinsanity
  
  
  You might have been pwned, burned, punk'd or rickrolled recently, but have you been 404'd? Click here to join the party.
  33. TK Designs
  
  
  Excitement! Adventure! Ahhhhh, where I am?!
  34. Urban Outfitters
  
  
  Our sentiments exactly.
  35. Urban Pill
  
  
  If, after searching for hours, you still can't find the page you were seeking, Chuck Norris probably has it.More Web Design Resources from Mashable:
  

  - 12 Beginner Tutorials for Getting Started With Photoshop
  - Use Adobe Fonts in Your Own Web Designs
  - 10 Essential Free E-Books for Web Designers
  - 12 Beginner Tutorials for Getting Started with Adobe Illustrator
  - 6 New Mac Apps for Designers and Developers

  More About: 404, 404 error pages, error page, web design, Web DevelopmentFor more Dev & Design coverage:Follow Mashable Dev & Design on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Dev & Design channelDownload our free apps for iPhone and iPad
  
• Did E-mail and the Internet Kill the 9-5 Workday?
  A recent survey indicates that the 9-5 workday and the 5-day workweek are both dead as workers no longer know when to disconnect and walk away.
  
  
  
  Workweek - United States - Labor - Social Sciences - Arts
• Ο δακτύλιος επιστρέφει τη Δευτέρα
  Μέχρι τις 15 Ιουλίου 2011 θα ισχύσει ο δακτύλιος, ο οποίος επιστρέφει στην Αθήνα τη Δευτέρα. Οι παραβάτες των περιοριστικών μέτρων τιμωρούνται με διοικητικό πρόστιμο 200 ευρώ. Ο δακτύλιος από τη Δευτέρα μέχρι και την Πέμπτη ισχύει από τις 7 το πρωί μέχρι ... ...
• Ελευθεροτυπία: Η ανάδυση του ψηφιακού βιβλίου
  
  Ένα ενδιαφέρον άρθρο από τη σημερινή Ελευθεροτυπία για τα ηλεκτρονικά βιβλία και την ηλεκτρονική ανάγνωση. Μια αναγκαία διόθωση πάντως: όπως γνωρίζουν όσοι παρακολουθούν το blog ή το έχουν ψάξει οι ίδιοι τα Kindle του Amazon δεν κυκλοφορεί μόνο στις ΗΠΑ και οι Reader της Sony δεν κυκλοφορούν μόνο σε ΗΠΑ και Βρετανία.
  
  Του Βαγγέλη ΧατζηβασιλείουΤο ψηφιακό βιβλίο θα σημάνει, αργά ή γρήγορα (ακόμη και για τη μονίμως βραδυπορούσα Ελλάδα), τη μετάβαση σε μια καινούργια ήπειρο (για να θυμηθώ έναν κάπως πεπαλαιωμένο όρο του Λουί Αλτουσέρ), όπου τα πάντα (κείμενα, συγγραφείς, εκδοτικοί οίκοι, πνευματικά δικαιώματα) θα μπουν σε μια διαδικασία σαρωτικού μετασχηματισμού.Τι ακριβώς, όμως, είναι το ψηφιακό βιβλίο; Σύμφωνα με έναν αρκετά επίσημο ορισμό, τον ορισμό που δίνει το Λεξικό της Οξφόρδης (διατίθεται στον τόπο της Wikipedia), το ψηφιακό βιβλίο είναι ένα κείμενο όπως όλα τα άλλα, με τη διαφορά ότι βρίσκεται αποθηκευμένο σε ηλεκτρονική μορφή και διαβάζεται μέσω μιας ειδικής συσκευής. Η συσκευή αυτή μπορεί να είναι ασύρματη, όπως το Kindle της Amazon, χωρίς σύνδεση με υπολογιστή (κυκλοφορεί μόνο στις ΗΠΑ), και το Reader της Sony, που συνδέεται με υπολογιστή (κυκλοφορεί στις ΗΠΑ και στη Βρετανία).Ηλεκτρονική ανάρτηση και πνευματικά δικαιώματαΗ πρόσφατη απόφαση της Google να ψηφιακοποιήσει εκατομμύρια τίτλους βιβλίων (τίτλους τους οποίους αντλεί από τις μεγαλύτερες βιβλιοθήκες της υδρογείου κατόπιν ειδικής συμφωνίας), κινητοποίησε συγγραφείς και εκδότες σε ολόκληρο τον κόσμο. Αμέτρητα τα ερωτήματα και, κυρίως, τα προβλήματα. Αντλώ στοιχεία από πρόσφατα ρεπορτάζ της «Ελευθεροτυπίας». Ποια βιβλία θα μπορούν να «κατεβάζουν» από το Διαδίκτυο οι αναγνωστικές συσκευές; Οσα είναι κλασικά και δεν έχουν δικαιώματα ή και άλλα, που μπορεί να μην κυκλοφορούν στην αγορά, αλλά δεν παύουν να έχουν δικαιώματα; Και τι θα συμβεί στο μέλλον με τα φρεσκοτυπωμένα βιβλία; Θα μπορούν να αναρτηθούν στο Διαδίκτυο με τη σύμφωνη γνώμη του συγγραφέα, αλλά χωρίς άδεια του εκδότη (τα λεφτά θα πηγαίνουν τότε μόνο στον συγγραφέα), ή θα απαγορεύεται η ηλεκτρονική τους ανάρτηση από τον συγγραφέα και τον εκδότη, με τον κίνδυνο να αναρτηθούν παρανόμως και να εκτεθούν σε ανεξέλεγκτες παραποιήσεις, που θα είναι σκέτη καταστροφή και για τον συγγραφέα και για τον εκδότη;Και πόσες πιθανότητες επιτυχίας θα έχει μια μέση οδός, με την παροχή ενός βαθμού προστασίας σε όλες τις πλευρές; Κι ακόμη, τι ρόλο θα παίξουν οι ατζέντηδες σε αυτή την τεράστια ανακατανομή θέσεων και δυνατοτήτων; Πώς θα ισορροπήσουν ανάμεσα στους συγγραφείς, τους εκδότες και στην Google και πώς θα βγει άκρη με μια μεσολάβηση που κάποια στιγμή θα καταλήξει απείρως περίπλοκη και απρόβλεπτη για τους πάντες;Εν τω μεταξύ, για να έρθουμε στα δικά μας, οι Ελληνες εκδότες ρίχνουν κιόλας στην αγορά τα ψηφιακά τους προϊόντα, που σε καιρό κρίσης ίσως αποδειχθούν ικανά να υπερκεράσουν τα οικονομικά εμπόδια του χαρτιού και της διανομής, κατεβάζοντας το κόστος της παραγωγής και της πώλησης. Ως προς τις αναγνωστικές συσκευές, θα πρέπει να πω πως στις αρχές του καλοκαιριού βρήκα σε κεντρικό αθηναϊκό βιβλιοπωλείο την ολλανδική συσκευή Be book, με ιδιαιτέρως φιλική οθόνη (καμιά σχέση με την οθόνη του υπολογιστή), που προσπαθεί να μην παραβιάσει τις πολύχρονες οπτικές συνήθειες του παραδοσιακού αναγνώστη.Και επειδή απέναντι στο βιβλίο είμαστε ακόμη όλοι παραδοσιακοί αναγνώστες, ανεξαρτήτως ηλικίας και γενιάς, οι γκρίνιες, οι φόβοι, αλλά και οι εσχατολογίες δεν λείπουν. Πολλοί μιλούν για την κατάργηση της ανάγνωσης ως ιεροτελεστίας: η επιλογή του τίτλου από τα ράφια του βιβλιοπωλείου ή της βιβλιοθήκης, το αργό και αμέριμνο ξεφύλλισμα, ο σελιδοδείκτης και ο σελιδοκόπτης, η επαφή με την υφή και τη μυρωδιά του χαρτιού, όλη με δυο λόγια η χειρωνακτική κουλτούρα του Γουτεμβέργιου, μαζί με την αισθησιακή και την ηδονική της βάση, θα πάει οσονούπω περίπατο, κυριαρχημένη από το απόλυτα ομογενοποιημένο πεδίο των bites (ό,τι η ψυχανάλυση του Friedrich Kittler ονομάζει «τεχνική της πληροφορίας»).Μια πορεία χωρίς επιστροφήΟλα αυτά μπορεί να είναι σωστά, αλλά και ο Ουμπέρτο Εκο, δεινός ιστορικός και σχολιαστής των βιβλιακών φαινομένων, έχει δίκιο όταν θυμώνει με το κύμα διαμαρτυρίας που ξεσηκώνει το ψηφιακό βιβλίο.Ολοι μιλούν και γράφουν εναντίον του ψηφιακού βιβλίου, λέει ο Εκο, χωρίς κανένας στην πραγματικότητα να ξέρει ή να είναι σε θέση να φανταστεί τι όντως εστί ψηφιακό βιβλίο.Μπορεί το τέλος του τυπωμένου βιβλίου να μην έρθει εν τέλει ποτέ ή να αργήσει υπερβολικά (το e-book είναι γνωστό από τις αρχές της δεκαετίας του '70, αλλά μπήκε στο κέντρο της συζήτησης μόνο μετά τις τελευταίες εξελίξεις στο πεδίο των αναγνωστικών συσκευών), η ηλεκτρονική πραγματικότητα, ωστόσο, αποτελεί αδήριτο γεγονός και η ανάπτυξη του ψηφιακού βιβλίου είναι μια πορεία χωρίς επιστροφή.Εκείνο, άλλωστε, το οποίο πρόκειται να χαθεί, αν χαθεί στ' αλήθεια, δεν είναι η ανάγνωση, αλλά ένα εξαιρετικά μακρόβιο μέσον της, η τυπογραφία, το οποίο έχοντας περάσει εδώ και χρόνια από τη στοιχειοθεσία και τη φωτοσύνθεση στους ηλεκτρονικούς υπολογιστές, ετοιμάζεται τώρα να παραχωρήσει τη θέση του στο ψηφιακό σύμπαν, που με τις ασύλληπτες ικανότητές του για αποθήκευση και συμπύκνωση θα ξαναμοιράσει τα χαρτιά σε όλα τα επίπεδα (από τη μελέτη και την έρευνα μέχρι την απόλαυση της ανάγνωσης), απελευθερώνοντας ριζικά νέες δυνάμεις και ανοίγοντας, παρά το πλήθος των δυσκολιών, πρωτόφαντες προοπτικές. *Το ποντίκι, το «αργό διάβασμα» και το e-bookΤο «αργό διάβασμα» είναι ένας σχετικά νέος ακτιβισμός, που θέλει να αποσπάσει τον χρήστη του υπολογιστή από την αλόγιστη ταχύτητα, την τυχαία επιλογή και την αποσπασματική κατανάλωση του πληροφοριακού υλικού με το οποίο έρχεται σε επαφή μέσα από το αλόγιστο σερφάρισμα, μετατρέποντάς τον σε ψαγμένο και πραγματικά ενημερωμένο αναγνώστη.Οπως το κίνημα του «slow food» επιδιώκει να ανατρέψει την ισοπεδωτική λογική της μαζικής και άγευστης εστίασης, βάζοντας μπροστά μας πιάτα που απαιτούν την ενεργό προσοχή και την προσωπική συμμετοχή μας, έτσι και το κίνημα του «αργού διαβάσματος» ζητάει άγρυπνους αναγνώστες, πρόθυμους να αναμετρηθούν με τα κείμενα τα οποία έχουν προ οφθαλμών και ικανούς να πιάσουν μεγέθη απαγορευτικά για το συνεχές κλικ του ποντικιού.Το ηλεκτρονικό βιβλίο δεν αποκλείεται να αποδειχθεί πολύτιμος αρωγός προς μια τέτοια κατεύθυνση. Μεταφέροντας τους νέους σε μια περιοχή με την οποία νιώθουν απολύτως εξοικειωμένοι (την ηλεκτρονική οθόνη και τα πλήκτρα της), παίζοντας, για να το πω διαφορετικά, με τους εντελώς δικούς τους όρους, μπορεί να τους εθίσει (με τη συνδρομή των υποστηρικτών του «αργού διαβάσματος») στο ζητούμενο της αναγνωστικής επιβράδυνσης και να εξασφαλίσει την ανταπόκρισή τους στα κείμενα, χωρίς να τους αναγκάσει να υποστούν το κρύο ντους της ξαφνικής μεταπήδησης από την υπερκινητικότητα του ψηφιακού χώρου στην ακινησία της τυπωμένης σελίδας.Η δεδομένη ευκολία του αστραπιαίου εντοπισμού λέξεων, θεμάτων και ονομάτων μπορεί έτσι να λειτουργήσει ως πολύτιμο εργαλείο στα χέρια νεότερων και παλαιότερων, προκειμένου να τους οδηγήσει σε κάτι το οποίο αρκετοί διατείνονται πως έχει εκλείψει οριστικά από την εποχή μας: στα μικρά και τα μεγάλα μυστικά (στα κρυφά και ανεκδήλωτα μηνύματα) του κειμένου. Κι εκείνο το οποίο υπερισχύει σ' έναν τέτοιο ορίζοντα δεν είναι, πιστεύω, η τυφλή αισιοδοξία, αλλά ο λογικός υπολογισμός των πιθανοτήτων και ο πραγματισμός.
• Google Chrome 6 released
  Οι φίλοι του browser της Google, έχουν έναν σημαντικό λόγο αναβάθμισης, αφού η νέα έκδοση του Google Chrome 6 είναι πλέον διαθέσιμη για όλους. Καλύτερος στα σημεία, βελτιωμένος, με ανανεωμένο UI και με υποστήριξη hardware acceleration σε γραφικά και video έρχεται να αντικαταστήσει την προηγούμενη έκδοση με σαφή προσανατολισμό την προετοιμασία για το Chrome Web Store που αναμένεται τον επόμενο μήνα. Επιπλέον η νέα έκδοση προσφέρει μεγαλύτερη σταθερότητα, βελτιώσεις σε Javascript και HTML5 με αποτέλεσμα ακόμη ταχύτερο browsing για τους χρήστες. Με λίγα λόγια είναι βελτιωμένος σε όλα!! read more
• Νέοι ανταγωνιστές του iPad της Apple
  Ο ανταγωνισμός για το ήδη εμπορικά πετυχημένο iPad της αμερικανικής Apple εντείνεται διαρκώς, καθώς η κορεατική Samsung και η ιαπωνική Toshiba αποκάλυψαν τους δικούς τους φορητούς υπολογιστές-ταμπλέτες (tablet PCs ή απλώς tablets). H Samsung, σύμφωνα με τα πρακτορεία Γαλλικό και Ρόιτερ, παρουσίασε -σε διεθνή έκθεση ηλεκτρονικών στο Βερολίνο- το Galaxy Tab, που διαθέτει οθόνη αφής επτά ιντσών (16,8 εκατοστών), μικρότερη από την…
• Πάνω από 10 χιλιάδες κλήσεις στο «1142» τις δύο πρώτες μέρες εφαρμογής του νόμου για το κάπνισμα
  Έντονο υπήρξε το ενδιαφέρον του κοινού για τα μέτρα που αφορούν στην απαγόρευση του καπνίσματος, καθώς κατά τις δύο πρώτες ημέρες εφαρμογής του νέου νόμου (1-2 Σεπτεμβρίου) οι κλήσεις στην τηλεφωνική γραμμή ενημέρωσης και υποστήριξης για το κάπνισμα «1142» έφθασαν τις 10.418.
• Τηλεδιάσκεψη μέχρι 10 ατόμων για το Skype 5
  Στη νέα beta του Skype 5 για Windows μπορείτε να οργανώσετε μια τηλεφωνική συνδιάσκεψη μέχρι δέκα ατόμων!
• Twitter Now Over 145 Million Users, Almost 300,000 Apps
  When I read Twitter CEO Evan Williams post tonight about the state of Twitter from a mobile perspective, the first thing that jumped out at me what that Twitter for Android, an app Twitter worked hard on, isn’t even in the top 10 most-used apps for the service. But Williams also used the post to whip out some impressive numbers. Chief among them: Twitter now has over 145 million registered users (though presumably less than 150 million, or he would have said that). And there are now nearly 300,000 registered apps in the Twitter ecosystem. The latter number above is technically the number of registered OAuth apps in the ecosystem (and includes multiple instances of some apps). Twitter made the switch over from basic authentication to OAuth a few days ago, leaving behind some apps, such as the old Tweetie (which was reborn as Twitter for iPhone). Williams says this number of registered apps has tripled since their Chirp conference — which was only this past April. Other big numbers thrown out there by Williams: Mobile users have jumped 62% since mid-April 16% of all new users to Twitter now start on mobile (it was 5% before Twitter started doing branded mobile clients) 46% of active users use some sort of mobile Twitter experience 78% of people who interact with Twitter still do so through twitter.com — though that number includes people who use more than one app m.twitter.com is the second most-used Twitter interface at 14% SMS and Twitter for iPhone are tied at 8% Lastly, he throws in that Twitter’s Promoted Products (read: their first big monetization pitch) has “exceeded our expectations.” No word on if that means Twitter has turned a profit, but that seems pretty unlikely. Still, revenues are undoubtedly growing. CrunchBase InformationTwitterInformation provided by CrunchBase
  
• iOS 4.2 to bring AirPlay, printing, iPad compatibility
  Although iOS 4.1 is only set to launch next week, Apple also used today's press event to preview iOS 4.2. Critically the update will be the first version of iOS 4 to work on iPads, bringing along many advancements already on the iPhone and iPod touch, such as folders and multitasking. Universally the firmware will gain still more features, including wireless printing, which pops up a Print Center app in the Dock when a job is active. Multiple printers can be chosen from....
  
  
  Cisco IOS - Operating system - CompTIA - Network - Voice over Internet Protocol
• Preview: Apple’s Ping Music Social Network In Action On iOS [Pictures]
  One of the big announcements at Apple’s event today was Ping, the music social network that Apple has baked into iTunes. But it’s not just on iTunes for the computer, it’s also a part of iTunes on the iPhone and iPod touch. This will be a part of the new iOS 4.1 release which is going out to developers right now, and should be out for consumers next week. In the demo area after the event, Apple had a bunch of iPod touches loaded with iOS 4.1, so we got to play around with it. It’s a pretty slick experience on the device because it’s so simple. Below find some pictures of how it works. Update: It looks like Apple magically rolled out Ping on iOS iTunes without any update needed! Disregard the part about iOS 4.1 — it’s simply any iOS 4 device. As you can see, Ping is the new middle button on the iTunes app itself. The main screen that loads when you click on it is the Activity stream, which is populated with music choice updates from the people you follow (both friends and artists). This account happens to follow 27 people. Only artists are shown here, but again, this People tab includes both artists and your friends. Here’s a page for an artist showing their most recent activity on Ping. Arists can upload pictures (such as from tours) and videos to this feed. Obviously, there is the nice one-click purchase of music. You can “Like” or “Comment” on any item in this feed. The “My Profile” tab is obviously the profile tied to this account (in this case, one Erin Steed). She has 0 followers (sad), but it’s not clear if that’s her own choice — Ping has settings so you can can be followed by anyone, have to accept followers, or be followed by no one. Fairly standard looking comment page — almost Facebook-like (the iPhone version). Here’s the one-click-to-buy option in the stream. You can also stream music previews (only 30 seconds still). Here’s a regular old album page on iTunes — but as you can see there is now the Like and Post button below the main info. Here’s what comes up when you click on post (a place to comment if you choose). And here’s what happens when you post — it goes right over to your profile (and in your followers’ streams). Obviously, all of this info syncs with iTunes on the computer and vice versa. CrunchBase InformationAppleiTunesInformation provided by CrunchBase
  

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