Could First Else, the upcoming smartphone from Israeli company Emblaze Mobile, be vaporware? Very little is known of the actual final product (carriers, price and exact specifications are all unknowns), which means that what we see now could be very different from what we’ll eventually see in stores (if it ever makes it that far). But, being the geeks that we are, we just can’t ignore the sheer beauty of First Else’s futuristic UI that was unveiled at an event in London. The device sports a TI OMAP 3430 processor, a 854×480 pixel, 3.5-inch capacitive LCD touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera, and a 1450mAh battery, while the operating system is Access Linux Platform, which was announced back in 2006. but has never appeared on any actual device on the market.All that aside, what impressed us is the fluid, innovative interface of First Else; we’re not sure how well it’ll work in real life usage, but it definitely looks impressive, especially since you can mostly control it with a single finger. See a detailed demonstration in the video below.

  Want to find out what’s playing in theaters near you? Or you just want to check out the latest movie trailers? Google mobile searchnow has a special section that lets you check out movie listings, with locations, trailers, ratings, posters and upcoming showtimes. To try it out, fire up google.com on your iPhone, webOS or Android device, search for “movies”, and click on the “More movies” link. If you’re not getting any results, it may be because the service is only available in US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. You can also browse by theater, which will take you to a map displaying the theaters near your current location. Tapping any theater on the map will display a list of shows now playing. Finally, you can search for a movie or a theater directly. Check out a video demonstration of this new feature below. Reviews: Android, AustraliaTags: Google Mobile Search, Movies

  In a few weeks, one of the most anticipated and expensive movies ever made will debut on movie screens across the world: Avatar. The sci-fi epic is making huge buzz for its unparalleled filmmaking technology, its award-winning director (James Cameron), and its record-breaking $230+ million budget.As you might expect, the promotional campaign is in full swing. While several trailershave hit the web, we hadn’t stumbled across any very unique web campaigns. That is, until we discovered the official Avatar Adobe AIR app/interactive trailer.Billed as the “Official Avatar Interactive Trailer,” the AIR program brings Avatar’s Pandora natives straight to your desktop. Not only does it house all of the already-released Avatar trailers, but it includes dozens of video shorts that go in-depth into the making of the movie and the background of the main characters.Now for the interactive part: whenever you watch a trailer, special “hotspots” will come up where you can learn more about the characters. Even cooler though is the integration of Avatar’s Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube feeds. You can get all of the latest news right from the interactive trailer.Honestly? We’re very impressed with Avatar’s app. It’s slick, easy to use, and chock-full of content. If this doesn’t fulfill your need for an Avatar fix, then nothing but the actual movie will.BONUS: An Avatar Trailer!Reviews: Flickr, Twitter, YouTubeTags: Adobe Air, adobe air apps, avatar, Film, movie, twitter

  Newspapers and traditional media have seen their world and their business models crumble before their very eyes. Newspaper revenues have plummeted by nearly 30%in the last year alone, while newspaper circulation numbers are in the toilet. The web is destroying outdated business models and replacing them with more efficient ones.These newspaper and media companies aren’t just letting themselves get destroyed, though. Some have gone web-only, some are embracing social media, and then some are blaming Google. When we first heard that Rupert Murdoch intended to remove News Corp websites from Google, we weren’t impressed. We didn’t understand his plan, but we did believe that it wouldn’t work.Then This Google Thing Got Out of HandThat was, until we learned that Microsoft and News Corp are in discussions to remove content from Googleand that most recently, other newspapers and media companies are considering joining Murdoch’s insanity.Let’s think about this: in a few months, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and most of the 56 daily newspapers of MediaNews Groupcould be de-indexed from Google and Google News(and in News Corp’s case, displayed prominently on Bing).Experian Hitwise explored yesterday what would happenif this plan comes to fruition. As the following graph demonstrates, Google alone accounts for 20+ percent of newspaper traffic:Some of that traffic would remain intact (we really doubt Murdoch would remove the homepage of the Wall Street Journal from Google, thus searches for the WSJ in general would remain unaffected), but overall it’d be a devastating traffic blow. Google is still the main method of information discovery online, and that trend will only grow as more kids turn to Google instead of the $0.75 daily.In short: Rupert’s plan will gut his company and doesn’t set News Corp up for the future.Rupert, We Understand Your DilemmaLet’s give News Corp some leeway and a little credit though: they know that the old business models are dying and that they have to do something. Even back in August, we stated that good journalism isn’t cheap and that we have to find a better way to compensate media organizations for their work. Here is what we saidabout his plan to put his websites behind a paywall, with key points bolded:“Murdoch has essentially declared that the free-for-all in online news has ended. Specifically, he states that good journalism isn’t cheap (that’s true) and that, while the web has made distribution cheap, it has not made it free. He also hopes to gain more revenue from major celebrity scoops from his tabloid papers (i.e. the Sun). His bet is that people will indeed pay for news content.:The next paragraph explains our arguments, though:“We’re not so sure. While we don’t disagree with the need to find additional revenue streams for newspapers and quality journalism, we think there are plenty of alternative news resources to turn to. Murdoch must see something encouraging at the WSJ, because he wouldn’t be going with this plan if he didn’t think they could replicate that model without losing significant readership.”Sorry Rupert, but newspapers aren’t going to increase anytime soon and up-and-coming blogs and media companies aren’t going away. Maybe we were wrong about you seeing something in the WSJ model. Maybe you just don’t understand how media has been fundamentally altered by the web.This Isn’t the Future of Media, MurdochWe’ve had enough. Murdoch’s plan to de-index from Google is getting out of control, and it threatens to speed up the destruction of all traditional media. If other newspapers decide to join this insanity, here’s what will happen: more efficient organizations will step in to fill the gaps. There is no shortage of lean and socially savvy media organizations built in the last five years.The future of media isn’t in The Wall Street Journal, no matter how much value it provides society. No, the future is in the web, fast-paced blogs, and social media. The future is in companies that realize that news a day old is, well, a day old. The future is in information discovery, not in hiding content.We know your empire is not doing so well, Murdoch, but that doesn’t excuse you from taking your company down a path that will take you into oblivion. No Microsoft deal will fix the inherent problems with the newspaper business model. What News Corp should be doing instead: Finding more efficient means of distribution, leveraging its revenue-generating assets, exploring new methodsof payments, and encouraging innovation. We’re not psychics or high-profile consultants, but we know which models are winning and which ones are not.In short, Murdoch, take your ball and go home. Your plan can only hurt News Corp.Reviews: Bing, GoogleTags: bing, Google, microsoft, Murdoch, News Corp, rupert murdoch

  Subscription music services have been around for some time, but have never taken off in a way that eclipsed the success of the a la carte iTunes model. Napster and Rhapsody are two of the bigger names that remain, offering services between $7 and $15 per month for various flavors of streaming, MP3 downloads, and DRM-tethered mobile support.Now a new entrant will be breaking onto the scene at a $5 price point for all-you-can-stream playback and what looks to be a very nice interface for managing your music and playlists. The MOG Music Networkhas existed previously as an aggregated collection of MP3 blogs along with editorial curated content focused on identifying hot new trends in the music world. On December 2, they’ll be launching their ambitious new subscription servicethat hopes to find the sweet spot in the music subscription space.Tracks will stream at a high-quality 256Kbps in the for now browser-based service, which has plans to launch a mobile music component by as early as the end of 2009. The MOG service will be neck and neck with Spotify, another subscription-based music service that will offer some advertising supported and some paid levels of use when it crosses the Atlantic to launch in the U.S.Check out an introductory video about the MOG service below and let us know what you think. Many folks prefer to own their music collections, while some prefer the buffet-style approach and are eagerly awaiting both Spotify and MOG as new alternatives to Napster and Rhapsody. Would you consider spending a monthly subscription fee for unlimited access to a large on-demand music library? Reviews: Rhapsody, SpotifyTags: itunes, MOG, music, napster, rhapsody, spotify, subscription

  Search for Michelle Obama’s name via Google’s image search and you’ll likely find an image that has been characterized as a racist caricature of the first lady of the US in the top results.The image is offensive to many and while some are demanding it be removed, Google is holding firm and yet still apologizing. The Washington Posthas uncovered a formal apology from Googlein the form of an ad displayed above the offensive image that directs visitors to a page explaining how Google’s search results algorithm works.In short, while Google apologizes for upsetting searchers, it’s standing by the algorithm. The full text of the statement reads:“Sometimes Google search results from the Internet can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries. We assure you that the views expressed by such sites are not in any way endorsed by Google.Search engines are a reflection of the content and information that is available on the Internet. A site’s ranking in Google’s search results relies heavily on computer algorithms using thousands of factors to calculate a page’s relevance to a given query.The beliefs and preferences of those who work at Google, as well as the opinions of the general public, do not determine or impact our search results. Individual citizens and public interest groups do periodically urge us to remove particular links or otherwise adjust search results. Although Google reserves the right to address such requests individually, Google views the integrity of our search results as an extremely important priority. Accordingly, we do not remove a page from our search results simply because its content is unpopular or because we receive complaints concerning it. We will, however, remove pages from our results if we believe the page (or its site) violates our Webmaster Guidelines, if we believe we are required to do so by law, or at the request of the webmaster who is responsible for the page.We apologizeif you’ve had an upsetting experience using Google. We hope you understand our position regarding offensive results.Sincerely,The Google Team”As the statement implies, Google will pull a photo should the site hosting it serve malware, which was apparently the case with the image in question at one point, as it was temporarily removed from search results. In any event, it is now back in the top spot.Despite the inappropriateness of the image, we understand why Google would stand by their algorithm rather than play the role of censor. But do you? Let us know where you side on the heated image controversy in the comments.Reviews: GoogleTags: google image search, michelle obama

  Depending on how you look at it, live music was either the first or the last wave of music to hit the Internet. Live music trading groups have existed since the early days of USENET, and tape-friendly bands have allowed their live shows to be stored on archive.org, but with few exceptions, live concerts have not been made readily available for purchase unless it was specifically recorded as a commercial concert.Earlier this month, EMI discussed plansto potentially offer concert goers digital recordings of the show on CD, DVD, or digital device as they leave the venue. Today, concert promoter Live Nation and iTunes debuted an exclusive partnershipwith iTunes, pairing the largest events promoter with the largest music retailer.Starting today, live performances from Live Nation wired venues appear on iTunes, available as either audio or video — depending on the show. You can see the selection here(iTunes Link), and while the library is currently pretty small, we imagine more and more shows will be added, especially as more Live Nation venues become wired for in-house recording and mixing.Although individual artists and some smaller labels have offered same-day digital copies or CD or DVD recordings of live shows (and also paid downloads via FLAC or MP3 from the band’s website) for years — Bare Naked Ladies and Tori Amos are just two examples — larger promoters and record labels haven’t really embraced taking live performance digital. With the technology now making it easy to record and mix shows as they happen, it seems silly not to potentially capitalize on another avenue of revenue, especially when your industry is losing profits.What do you think of having more live recordings available from music services like iTunes? Would you be willing to buy individual shows from your favorite artists? Let us know!Reviews: iTunesTags: itunes, live music, live nation

  Last year, the very first TweetsGivingwas born and the social media effort raised close to $11,000 to build a classroom in Tanzania. This year the Thanksgiving Twitter-themed charity event is back in action and hopes to pull in more than $100,000 in a 48 hour International affair for charity.If you’re not familiar with TweetsGiving, it’s a global, volunteer-organized social media charity drive starting today and extending through Thanksgiving, similar in purpose and practice to Twestivalbut built around the notion of celebrating gratitude. TweetsGiving gives back to the Epic Change charity in an effort to raise money to build additional classrooms, a library, cafeteria, and dormitory for a school in Tanzania.Participating in TweetsGiving is as simple as sharing your gratitude on Twitter, or any other social media site, with the hashtag #tweetsgivingand a link to TweetsGiving.org. You can view the tagged gratitude tweets, photos, videos, songs, and blog posts on the TweetsGiving site. You can also retweet to spread the word, donate to the cause, meet the TwitterKids of Tanzania(the kids tweet and blog), or select from the city/state dropdown menu to find and attend one of the local parties or events held across the world.Although TweetsGiving is just getting started, they’re going to need a massive community push from online denizens like yourself to reach the $100,000 goal, as they’ve currently raised about $10,500. Let’s hope in a few days we can all be grateful for social media’s role in helping TweetsGiving to succeed.Reviews: TwitterTags: epic change, tweetsgiving

  Last week Microsoft rolled out a long-awaited social networking integrationto the Xbox 360 console that included support for Twitter, Facebook, and CBS-owned social music site last.fm. The early reports are coming in about adoption of the new update, and last.fm is reporting they saw a whopping nearly one million new users sign up for the service via Xbox Live in the U.S. and UK.That boils down to almost 300 new users per minute over the course of the last week, which last.fm says is the biggest growth spurt they’ve ever seen since the service first launched back in 2002. Additionally, over 120 million minutes’ worth of music has been streamed through last.fm on the console during that week. By all accounts, that’s a huge success for last.fm and a big win for the Xbox 360 as en entertainment hub beyond gaming.The stats are doubly impressive when considering the total volume of Xbox Live users is only about 20 million — meaning almost 5% of them signed up for last.fm after the social integrations went live. Free Xbox Live Silver members only have access to a trial version of last.fm with a 180 minutes streaming limit, but paid Xbox Live Gold members have unlimited streaming access. An additional last.fm subscription option at $3/month nets you ad-free, uninterrupted station listening, a view of recent profile visitors and a custom station of just the tracks you’ve loved (as well as member benefits on the last.fm site itself). Of course, it remains to be seen how many of those new signups will be converted to paid subscribers.Are you using any of the new social features on your Xbox 360? Were you a member of last.fm beforehand, or did you sign up for the service thanks to the integration with your game console? Let us know in the comments.Tags: cbs, Last.FM, microsoft, music, xbox, Xbox 360, XBox live

  Facebook, now worth $9.5 billionand rising, may have just taken its next step towards what many believe to be the company’s inevitable IPO.Just as Google did when it went public in 2004, Facebook has opted to adopt a dual class stock structure. According to The Wall Street Journal, current shareholders of Facebook (mostly employees, investors, and the executive team) will see their shares turned into Class B shares. Once a person sells them during an initial public offering however, those shares will be transformed into Class A shares with 1/10 of the voting power of Class B shares. Essentially, those with Class B shares will have more control over Facebook’s direction.The social media giant has long been rumored to be exploring an IPO. It has rebuffed the idea of an acquisition and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg prefers to maintain control of the company he started.Let’s be clear: a dual class stock structure doesn’t mean that the company is pursuing an IPO anytime soon, or that it will pursue an IPO all. Facebook even addresses this point in its statement (included below). However, it’s still a decision that you often find occurs within companies that are about to go public. There’s little doubt that the social network aspires to be a public company. The question is simply when it will happen.Here is the full statement from Facebook:“Facebook is a private company so we don’t typically share details on stock-related matters. But we did introduce a dual class stock structure because existing shareholders wanted to maintain control over voting on certain issues to help ensure the company can continue to focus on the long-term to build a great business. This revision to the stock structure should not be construed as a signal the company is planning to go public. Facebook has no plans to go public at this time.”[via WSJ]Reviews: Facebook, GoogleTags: facebook, ipo

  Black Friday tends to bring out the animalistic side of shoppers looking for great bargains. Smart retailersare hip to the craze, which has been somewhat of an internet meme ever since October, and they’re using the web and social mediaas platforms to generate even more interest.Toys”R”Usappears to have found the magic formula for not only building buzz but gaining thousands of Facebook fans by the day. The toy retailer has wisely decided to give their Facebook fans, and Facebook fans only, a full preview of Black Friday discounts, as well as exclusive access to “Mystery Deals.”Their calculating Facebook maneuver is helping them net hundreds of thousands fans. As they close in on 400,000 fans total, All Facebookis reporting that Toys”R”Us is currently the fastest growing brand on the social network.Interesting enough, Toys”R”Us is using Scribd to display its 35 page, 120 plus product, Black Friday extravaganza within their Facebook Page. Fans can sift through the discounts, unearth the mystery deals, and of course share their enthusiasm with their Facebook friends. Toys”R”Us isn’t just relying on Black Friday to encourage community participation and engagement on Facebook though, as they’ve also embedded their entire 80 page Big Book toy catalog as a part of their Page, and are posting in-store redeemable coupons.This holiday season, social media may hold the key to helping retailers become profitable for the year, and by all indications, Toys”R”Us is doing everything right.Reviews: FacebookTags: black friday, black friday ads 2009, toysrus

  The below video wins the Coolest Video of the Day, or perhaps of All-Time, Award: it’s the Muppets taking on Queen’s mega-hit Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s also a good excuse to remind you that YouTube recently added 1080psupport for playing back videos recorded at true high definition resolution.But really, it’s just a cheap excuse to look at Muppets. Can you blame us? Break on through to the permalink for the video.[via Wired]Tags: 1080p, bohemian rhapsody, muppets, video, youtube

  Shira Lazaris the co-host of Yahoo! TV’s recently launched “What’s So Funny?“, a daily 3-minute show that takes a look at the funniest moments from last night’s TV lineup and lets viewers vote on their favorites.The convergence between the small and even smaller screen continues, as some of our favorite TV shows find new ways to engage viewers online. @FOXBroadcasting, @tbsveryfunny, @tntweknowdrama, @lifetimetv, @latenightjimmyand @theofficenbcamong others have jumped on the social media bandwagon notifying fans of giveaways, sneak peeks and upcoming shows. Some of the stars who “get it” have also taken Twitter matters into their own hands, using their accounts to not only entertain, but maintain their own personal brand beyond their flagship shows.Whether you’re simply a fan or love a good laugh, you’ll want to follow these primetime comedy stars who never fail to bring on the funny and lighten up our day: How I Met Your Mother@ActuallyNPHWho: Neil Patrick Harris plays Barney StinsonWhy: After simply existing as @BrosLife, an account impersonating his TV character, the actor finally took the leap to the Twitterverse. Now he tweets while drinking his morning joe and takes pics from the set with other hot celebs. @alyDenisofWho: Alyson Hannigan plays Lily AldrinWhy: The new mom and actress is great at giving fans random tidbits from the set or just calling out her co-stars. The Office@rainnwilsonWho: Rainn Wilson plays Dwight SchruteWhy: The comedian’s tweets are like a snippet of a standup routine. His random observations about everything from the Flu-Shot to Obama will have you laughing off-screen too. @IAmKellyFierceWho: The character of Kelly Kapoor played by Mindy KalingWhy: Kelly tweets like only a funny Office lady would — ranting about cleavage and her new girl group, Subtle Sexuality. Oh, and did we mention she’s “super hot”? (Her Twitter page says so.)It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia@Danny_DevitoWho: Danny Devito plays Frank Reynolds.Why: Devito keeps it new school with awesomely random tweets, which include a series of pics he continues to update of his “Troll Feet” in random locations. @TheCharlieDayWho: Charlie Day plays Charlie KellyWhy: If you love the show, then you need to follow the brainchild behind it. He’s just funny and awesome. Period.Parks and Recreation@AzizAnsariWho: Aziz Ansari plays Tom HaverfordWhy: Not only is Aziz one of the funniest characters on the show, but his tweets prove that he’s super cool too. 30 Rock@JudahWorldChampWho: Judah Friedlander plays Frank RossitanoWhy: This comedian keeps the physical comedy going with tweets about jogging at midnight and doing kick ass karate moves. He’s also on a mission to be “The Champion of the World.” We don’t know what that really entails, but he does have a twitpic of himself playing ping-pong surrounded by hot chicks, if that’s any indication. @RealtracymorganWho: Tracy Morgan plays Tracy JordanWhy: It took an online campaignto get Tracy Morgan on Twitter. Now that he’s on, this crazy comic continues to deliver the laughs with tweets that include his random daily activities and bold words of inspiration. Community@JoelMcHaleWho: Joel McHale plays Jeff WingerWhy: The host of E!’s The Soup has successfully made the leap to starring in his own scripted comedy, Community. Yes, he does use Twitter to pimp out his own show once in a while, but he deserves a nod because he actually replies to a ton of his follower’s tweets. Late Night Fodder:@jimmyfallonWho: Jimmy Fallon from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBCWhy: He’s bringing the digital/techie/geek lifestyle to late night. Expect an inside look at the show with tweets about upcoming guests and where you can see him perform. @chelsealatelyWho: Chelsea Handler of Chelsea Lately on E!Why: This chick is hilarious and she’s taking over a slot typically dominated by men. Expect her typical dry and dirty jokes mixed in with some fun celeb gossip links. Oh yeah, who could forget a little @chuybravosidekick action mixed in there too.@StephenAtHomeWho: Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report on Comedy CentralWhy: Get your fix of slanted politics after the show with Colbert’s tongue in cheek tweets. Keep laughing and follow Shira Lazar (@shiralazar) and her co-host Michael Bachmann (@thebachmann) on Twitter. Plus, you can catch their new daily show, “What’s So Funny“, to see the funniest moments from last night’s TV lineup and vote for your favorite.More Twitter lists from Mashable:- Motivational Tweets: 25 of the Most Inspiring Users on Twitter- Football Tweets: 20 Must Follow NFL Players on Twitter- 15 Must Follow Comedic Film Actors on Twitter- Tasty Tweets: 55+ Foodies to Follow on Twitter- 20 Film and Television Directors to Follow on TwitterImage courtesy of iStockphoto, PaltoReviews: Twitter, iStockphotoTags: actors, comedy, Lists, television, tv, twitter

  Just in time to remind holiday shoppers, Amazon has announced an 85% battery life increaseas well as a native PDF reader application for the Kindledigital book reader. Whereas the previous battery life topped out at about four days with wireless access turned on, the updated Kindle will run for seven days without needing to be charged.The native PDF reading support is nice too, since previously users either had to pay a $0.10 per conversion charge or go through several steps in order to convert documents from PDF to the Kindle format used by the eReader. Now PDF can simply be transferred via USB connection or emailed to the user’s @kindle.com email address to be added to the Kindle.While the native PDF support will also be made available to existing owners of the Kindle (or at least, some of them — Amazon’s announcement doesn’t specify what the requirements are) via a wireless firmware update, the new battery life-infused Kindle will apparently only be rolling out to new buyers. It’s a couple of minor but nice updates, and a good excuse for Amazon to capitalize on the fact that the holiday season’s other hot digital book reader, the Barnes & Noble nook, is already completely sold outfor reportedly the remainder of the holiday gift-giving season. That’s more bad news for B&N, who are also busy fending off a lawsuitfrom Spring Design over its Alex eReader — which shares some of the key design principles with the nook, a similarity Spring Design says is no accident.Are you considering picking up a digital book reader for yourself or a loved one this holiday season?Tags: alex, amazon, barnes & noble, ereader, Kindle, nook, pdf, spring design