Skype Can Now Get You Access to 500,000+ Wi-Fi Hotspots

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Skype announced a new partner program for its Wi-Fi hotspots service, Skype Access, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Monday.

Using Skype Access, Skype users can pay for Wi-Fi hotspot access using Skype Credit on a pay-as-you-go (per minute) basis, rather than having to pay by day or by hour. Skype introduced this program in January 2009 and has slowly expanded the network over time…

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Mitsubishi Breaks 5 Guinness World Records in 24 Hours

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A true award winner.

Mitsubishi is taking a unique approach to draw attention to its all-wheel drive vehicles: The automaker broke five Guinness World Records relating to driving in winter conditions.

(video after jump…)

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The Race is On to Grab Custom Domain Name Suffixes

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The price tag to apply for a custom domain name suffix is only $185,000.

The pillar of the basic Web address – the trusty .com domain – is about to face vast new competition that will dramatically transform the Web as we know it. New Web sites, with more subject-specific, sometimes controversial suffixes, will soon populate the online galaxy, such as .eco, .love, .god, .sport, .gay or .kurd.

AOL To Buy Huffington Post For $315 million

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“The Huffington Post has already been growing at a prodigious rate. But my New Year’s
resolution for 2011 was to take HuffPost to the next level — not just incrementally,
but exponentially,” Arianna Huffington wrote of the deal.

Online company AOL Inc. is buying online news hub Huffington Post in a $315 million deal that represents a bold bet on the future of online news.

The deal announced early Monday puts a high-profile exclamation point on a series of acquisitions and strategic moves engineered by AOL CEO Tim Armstrong in an effort to reshape a struggling Internet icon. AOL was once the king of dial-up online access known for its ubiquitous CD-ROMs and “You’ve got mail” greeting in its inboxes.

Perhaps just as important as picking up a news site that ranks as one of the top 10 current events and global news destinations, AOL will be adding Huffington Post co-founder and media star Arianna Huffington to its management team as part of the deal…

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Facebook Has Already Trademarked ‘Face’ In Europe – Is ‘Book’ Next?

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I was aware that Facebook is close to trademarking the term ‘face’, at least in relation to online social networking and related activities, in the United States. But as far as I know, nobody has yet pointed out that Facebook has already pulled that stunt in the EU, i.e. the union of 27 European member states (which include the UK, Germany, France and Spain).

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Five Traits Low-Stress, Happy Work Cultures Have In Common

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If you’re happy and you know it be low-stress.

Around the world you’ll find scientifically identified pockets of happy people ranging in size from neighborhoods to entire countries. Researcher Dan Buettner spent years studying them to find out what makes them so special, and how others can emulate their success in the happiness department.

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StartingPage Now Returns Google Search Results, Privately

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Google and other search engines track what users search; over time, the data collected can be pretty revealing, so much so that the DOJ wants access. For the most part, privacy policies are only as good as the lawyers backing them, and “law of the land” can trump anything. And all of that adds up to worrisome prospects for all of us.

But what if no data were collected to begin with?

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Did the “Organic Elite” Sell Out to Monsanto?

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In corporate America, avoiding litigation with Monsanto is infinitely more important than consumer safety.

By now, most of us have read the miscellaneous (numerous) statements from companies like Whole Foods, Organic Valley, Stonyfield, and the Non-GMO Project in defense of their participation in the so-called “coexistence” talks with the USDA and proponents of GE alfalfa.

These companies have claimed that they had no choice but to get in there and fight for safeguards against contamination and restitution for farmers whose fields are contaminated. Neither of which ended up happening.

They’ve said that they had a choice between staying to fight for protections, and walking away and letting Monsanto have their way. Monsanto, as we’ve seen time and time again, has had their way anyway…

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The Evolution of the Social Media Manager: Social Monetization Manager?

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A Social Monetization Manager may be the next big thing to be!

The next evolution of the social media manager position may very well focus on a puzzle piece that is largely missing in the social media strategy of news companies: monetization.

Cox Media Group digital posted an opening Wednesday for a “Social Monetization Manager (SMM)” — someone who will focus on a strategy and implementation that will drive revenue to the company’s 100+ TV, radio and newspaper properties.

Although Cox is one of the first news media companies to hire for a position of its kind, this may signal a larger shift for news companies experimenting with ways to monetize social media…

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San Francisco Could Become 1st U.S. City to Ban Unsolicited Phone Books

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Yellow Pages distributors will be required to ask businesses and residents if they would like a copy.

San Francisco could become the first city in the country to require distributors of the Yellow Pages to ask businesses and residents if they would like a copy of the hefty tome before leaving it on the doorstep, under new legislation introduced today.

 

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Socialnomics – The Impact of Social Media Around the World

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Social Media Revolution 2 – Based on the book Socialnomics by Erik Qualman

A fascinating, research-based look at the impact of social media on businesses and consumers around the world, and what’s in store for the future.

 

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Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.