Yahoo and Samsung team up to offer interactive tv

Yahoo and Samsung have joined up to bring interactive television to your living room. By combining Samsung’s Smart TV with Yahoo’s Broadcast Interactivity, viewers will have access to “intelligent content discovery.” This provides real-time content that operates alongside regular programming to complement what you’re watching, whether it’s a TV show, movie, or commercial.

When watching a show or commercial, viewers will be provided with on-screen prompts that provide additional content relevant to what is currently on. According to the press release, these prompts are “subtle,” and can be accessed using a remote or connected smartphone/tablet. Also provided with the service is trivia, show insights, and interactive gaming.

Said Vice President of Connected TV at Yahoo, Ron Jacoby, “By combining watching TV with engaging content, we can change the way audiences are entertained and informed. We are thrilled that our expanded partnership with Samsung extends our platform’s footprint, enabling our content partners and advertisers to reach many more consumers. Content owners can augment their programming, and advertisers can create compelling calls-to-action that allow audiences to engage on marketing messages the moment they are delivered.”

Both Showtime Networks and the National Geographic Channel are initial programming partners for the service. Real-time show identification is achieved via Yahoo’s SoundPrint technology, which works using “audio fingerprinting.” The combination of SoundPrint and Yahoo’s Connected TV creates the platform upon which the interactive TV is operated.

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NYC Startups Offer Each Other Power, Internet After Sandy

Following Hurricane Sandy, members of the New York startup community have extended offers of help fellow entrepreneurs and other residents of the tri-state area caught without power and Internet by the storm.

Social discovery startup Mirror Media, based out of Lower Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood, opened its offices Wednesday to entrepreneurs seeking power, Internet and workspace.

“As a startup founder and CEO, I understand how important it is to be productive. Each day is critical in the life of a startup,” said Mirror’s Daniel Mattio. “We have the available space to help New York entrepreneurs who may not have power in their homes or current workspaces. It’s the least we can do to help out fellow entrepreneurs in the New York area.”

Providing much-sought charging stations, Moxy is offering free cellphone charging and Wi-Fi to New Yorkers in need. Chase Bank invited Moxy to set up shop inside of one of its branches, to create a hub for lower Manhattan residents, who are still without power.

SEE ALSO: 7 Ways to Help Victims of Superstorm Sandy Online

Zaarly launched a virtual marketplace where people from around the country can purchase local services for New Yorkers, such as a basement cleaning, cooked meals or room painting. The startup is donating all proceeds toward the American Red Cross.

“People were asking if you know anyone in New York who needs help,” Bo Fishback, CEO of the San Francisco-based company told Mashable. “We spent a year and a half building a platform for the most talented and skilled people in New York, so we reached out to our sellers and many said they were able and ready to help out.”

AirBnB, which matches travelers with accommodations, is waiving fees on all properties in the areas affected by the hurricane. The startup was inspired when one seller offered her rooms for free to victims of the storm.

The New York Tech Meetup created a Google Doc where small businesses, non-profits, schools or government entities can ask for technology assistances following the devastation. The group will try to match requests with volunteers able to help.

Have you heard of any other startups helping in the wake of the storm? Let us know in the comments.

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"No traffic on the FDR today. This was all under water the night before. It's amazing how a storm like Sandy can completely shut down an entire city."

Via WanderingtheWorld

South Ferry Station, Manhattan

A submerged escalator at the South Ferry subway station in Lower Manhattan. Via MTA

"Bleeker Street Pizza: OPEN- The electricity was still out, but they were making pizza anyway, with the help of their gas-fired oven and a few spelunker head lamps."

Via Nick Sherman

East Village at Avenue C, Manhattan White Hall subway station in NYC

A tree uprooted in Long Island, New York. Via nikki_skye

"Main St. After Hurricane Sandy" Via DumboNYC

"Jane's carousel is basically an island now. Poor horses." Via andjelicaaa

Red Cross Digital Command Center

"President Obama visits the American Red Cross Digital Command Center following Hurricane Sandy"

Via Dell

"Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long, Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, visits Soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment Oct. 30 in Portsmouth, Va. "

Via Virginia Guard Public Affairs

Piscataway Township, New Jersey

"Spc. Anthony Monte along with Soldiers from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard, mobilized for Hurricane Sandy provide assistance to displaced residents at an emergency shelter at the Werblin Recreation Center, Piscataway Township, N.J., Oct. 29, 2012."Via U.S. Army

Damaged Space Shuttle Enterprise

"Virginia National Guard Soldiers trudged through high water and cut trees to clear a path for two rescue missions that transported seven adults and one child to safety at two locations on Cattail Road in the Mears, Va. area Oct. 30." Via The National Gaurd

A car that has been smashed by a tree in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Via CSondi

Image courtesy of Flickr, Peter Kaminski

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Boingo and Google Offer Free Wi-Fi in 4,000 Locations

Boingo Wireless, one of the largest Wi-Fi providers in the world, will team up with Google to bring free Wi-Fi to more than 4,000 hotspots across the U.S. for the month of September.

Through Google Play, the web-search giant will partner with Boingo to give Wi-Fi connections free of charge. In turn, these hotspots will enable advertisers to reach a big audience of consumers in a global advertising network. In other words, Google targeted ads will subsidize your free connection. Normally, unlimited access to Boingo Wi-Fi hotspots costs $10 a month, and there are also different hourly rates depending on the location.

According to a statement announcing the initiative, the Wi-Fi hotspots will be available to “users with Android phones and tablets, as well as Windows and Macintosh laptops.” The announcement doesn’t mention iOS devices like the iPhone or the iPad, hinting that those Apple products won’t be supported.

The California-based Wi-Fi giant acquired in August the advertising firm Cloud Nine Media, which offered free, ad-supported Wi-Fi networks in 6,000 locations across the world. This initiative is the first fruit of that acquisition.

“Google Play is the first to take part in our newly expanded Wi-Fi sponsorship network, which reaches millions of consumers each month with place-based brand engagements,” said Dawn Callahan, vice president of consumer marketing for Boingo Wireless, in a statement. “Sponsorships like this give users the free Wi-Fi they crave, advertisers the consumer interaction they need, and venues the revenue to offset the costs associated with providing a high-bandwidth Wi-Fi experience.”

The new ad-supported hotspots will be distributed across the country in airports such as New York’s John F. Kennedy and Chicago’s O’Hare, as well as some subway stations in Manhattan “and thousands of hotels, shopping malls, cafés and recreational areas.”

This is not the first time Boingo and Google have offered free Wi-Fi. During the summer Google Offers sponsored hotspots across New York City, including in six subway stations.

SEE ALSO: ‘Wall Street Journal’ Offers Free Wi-Fi in NYC, San Francisco

Watch the video above to know more about the deal between Boingo and Google Play.

Are you excited about these free Wi-Fi hotspots?

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Pentax K-5 II and K-5 IIs offer DLSR with or without anti-aliasing

Pentax’s Q10 isn’t the company’s only new camera today; there’s also a pair of new full-sized DSLRs, the Pentax K-5 II and K-5 IIs, for those wanting native K-series lens support. Each packing a 16.28-megapixel sensor and Pentax’s PRIME II imagine engine, the two new DSLRs offer ISO 100-12800 (ISO 80-51200 in expanded mode) and a 3-inch 921k dot LCD preview display with anti-glare finish and toughened glass cover.

The difference between the two cameras is the absence of an anti-aliasing filter in the K-5 IIs, which makes it good for landscape-style shorts where detail is paramount and distortion less likely. Otherwise, both get a custom shake-reduction mechanism which shifts the CMOS – by approximately three shutter steps – to avoid blur, and 7fps burst shooting for up to 30 shots.

The viewfinder supports 100-percent field of view, while the body is made of magnesium alloy and stainless steel; the body is dustproof and weather-resistant, as well as resilient to temperatures as low as 14-degrees Fahrenheit. There’s a digital level tucked inside too, and a battery good for up to 980 shots on a single charge.

The Pentax K-5 II will go on sale in October, priced at $1,199.95 body-only, or $1,349.95 with the DA 18-55mm WR zoom, or finally $1,549.95 with the DA 18-135mm WR zoom. As for the K-5 IIs, that will also hit in October, priced at $1,299.95 body-only.

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How to Get Dropbox Offer Up To 16GB Of Free Storage

You are here: Home » Tech News » How to Get Dropbox Offer Up To 16GB Of Free Storage

Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. The online digital storage company now doubles the amount of storage space for free users. Yes, Double!!!

Dropbox is now offering up to 16GB of free space for users who can get their friends and contacts to join Dropbox. Users of the free service can now refer up to 32 people. For every user that you add, Dropbox adds 500 MB of space to your account. Just add upto 32 people and get 16GB of free space in your free account. W0w!!.

Dropbox users can use their e-mail, Facebook and Twitter contacts to get the 32 referrals out and can enjoy the 16GB free cloud storage. Dropbox is the one of the most popular and oldest digital loud storage provider on the Web world. Dropbox as the center of our digital lives, keeping not only our documents in sync, but our apps, too.Head over to this link of Dropbox announcement and get started with Dropbox and refer your friends and get 16Gb free Cloud storage.

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Half-Price Freelance Writing Course Offer

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Many freelance writers share two problems during the month of December:

• Lack of money, due to the holiday season
• The inability to develop a business plan for the new year

Like last year, I wanted to do my part in helping. If you are interested in joining my freelance writing course, it will only set you back $50 for the first month. This is half-off the normal price.

Unfortunately, I cannot offer this deal to everybody. At this time, I only have three open slots. To move forward, send me a quick email. From there, we can get started. Not only will this save you money, but you will be in position to get off to a good start when 2012 finally arrives.

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