Pranksters Hijack Mountain Dew’s Drink Naming Contest

Mountain Dew’s promotion to name the brand’s new drink appears to be being hijacked. Top in the running so far: “Diabeetus.”

Other names that most likely won’t see the light of day:
Most Nugget
DickButt
NukaCola
Cumsplosion
Hitler Did Nothing Wrong

Mountain Dew, which has crowdsourced the names of new drinks before on Facebook, recently launched an effort to name a green apple flavored extension. Monday morning the “gallery of names” on DubtheDew, a dedicated site, could not be accessed, though when it did, it appeared with a less controversial list. (Leading name: “meany greeny.”) Reps from the PepsiCo brand could not be reached for comment.

The apparent hijacking comes after David Thorpe and Jon Hendren, the minds behind the popular humor site Something Rotten did the same with a Walmart promotion for Energy Sheets. The Facebook-based promotion awarded the city with the most likes with a visit by rapper Pitbull. Thorpe and Hendren rigged the votes so that Pitbull visited a Walmart in Kodiak Island, Alaska, the most remote Walmart location in the U.S.

It’s unclear, meanwhile, who is behind the latest Mountain Dew effort. A Reddit thread, however, points the finger at controversial online community 4chan while 4chan claims that the whole thing was concocted by Reddit.

Jack Daniel’s Sends the Most Polite Cease-and-Desist Letter Ever

When Patrick Wensink was commissioning the cover for his book, Broken Piano For President, he probably wasn’t expecting a cease-and-desist letter from Jack Daniel’s Properties — the owner of the Jack Daniel’s trademarks.

Looking at the cover for the book, it’s easy to see why the Jack Daniel’s people might take issue with the design. The typeface isn’t exactly the same, but the border and presentation is a dead-ringer for the classic black label of that sweet, sweet Tennessee whiskey.

Usually when we write about trademark disputes, one party claims that another party is using its size to “bully” to get its way.

Not this time.

In what might just be the nicest cease-and-desist letter we’ve ever seen, the people at Jack Daniel’s Properties not only politely explained the situation to Wensink, the company even offered to help pay for the cost of designing a new cover.

Jack Daniel’s Properties isn’t even forcing Wensink to take his book off the shelf. Instead, the company just wants him to change the cover when it’s reprinted.

Even better, the publicity around this rare act of lawyerly kindness might end up helping sales for Wensink’s book.

On his blog, the author says that Powell’s is already sold out of the paperback, but Amazon still has some copies in stock. In his own words, “that baby’s going to be a collector’s item.” Hey, you never know.

All we know is that if more trademark complaints were handled like this, the world might be a better place.

What do you think of the way Jack Daniel’s Properties handled this situation? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Mashable

Kissenger: virtual lips for long-distance lovers

SINGAPORE—Finding it hard to keep up the passion in a long-distance relationship? Help might be on the way.

A robotics professor in Singapore has invented a gadget equipped with motion-sensitive electronic “lips” that allow amorous but absent couples to exchange long-distance smooches via the Internet.

Shaped like a small head with oversize silicone lips, the “Kissenger” — short for Kiss Messenger — was unveiled in June at a scientific conference in Britain and is still being refined for commercial launch.

“It can be used between humans to improve their communication,” its creator Hooman Samani told Agence France-Presse.

Couples just have to connect the devices to computers via USB cables, link up online and start kissing the silicone material to trigger sensors that move the gadget on the other side.

They can stare at each other on screen while exchanging kisses.

“The main issue is to transmit the force and pressure, and also the shape of the lip,” Samani said.

The “special silicone material” chosen for the lips offers “the best sensation and feeling”, said the scientist, who has personally tested the device.

But the Kissenger is not yet ready for the market despite “a lot of offers” from interested parties because there are “ethical issues” that need to be resolved on top of the technical aspects, he said.

“Kissing is very intimate so in order to have a product in market which is going to deal with this sensitive issue we have to do proper studies and investigation on the social point of view, cultural point of view,” he said.

The device is still being refined at a laboratory jointly set up by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Keio University of Japan.

Samani calls his field of study “lovotics” — research into the relationship between robots and humans — and the Kissenger is just one of several devices being developed by his team.

Source: Inquirer.net

US man’s ‘confession’ obituary goes viral

LOS ANGELES—A US man’s self-written obituary, in which he reminisces about the good times – and makes a few confessions, including never having earned the PhD he claimed in life – has gone viral.

Val Patterson, who died of throat cancer last week, professed his abiding love for his wife and remembered the joy of being young in Utah. But he also admitted to some things he shouldn’t have done.

“As it turns out, I AM the guy who stole the safe from the Motor View Drive Inn back in June, 1971. I could have left that unsaid, but I wanted to get it off my chest,” he said in the obituary in the Salt Lake Tribune.

“Also, I really am NOT a PhD. What happened was that the day I went to pay off my college student loan… the girl working there put my receipt into the wrong stack, and two weeks later a PhD diploma came in the mail.

“I didn’t even graduate, I only had about three years of college credit. In fact, I never did even learn what the letters ‘PhD’ even stood for.”

The 59-year-old described himself as an “artist, inventor, business man, ribald comedian, husband, brother, son, cat lover, cynic.

“I had a lot of fun,” he wrote.

“It was an honor for me to be friends with some truly great people. I thank you. I’ve had great joy living and playing with my dog, my cats and my parrot.

“But, the one special thing that made my spirit whole, is my long love and friendship with my remarkable wife, my beloved Mary Jane. I loved her more than I have words to express.”

Nonetheless, he said: “My regret is that I felt invincible when young and smoked cigarettes when I knew they were bad for me.

“Now, to make it worse, I have robbed my beloved Mary Jane of a decade or more of the two of us growing old together and laughing at all the thousands of simple things that we have come to enjoy.”

He concluded: “If you knew me or not, dear reader, I am happy you got this far into my letter. I speak as a person who had a great life to look back on.

“If you knew me, remember me in your own way. If you want to live forever, then don’t stop breathing, like I did.”

The online obituary was linked to a memorial video on the website of a local funeral parlor – which crashed Tuesday under the weight of people trying to log on to see more, at one point receiving 100,000 hits a minute.

Here's the actual obituary written by Val.

I was Born in Salt Lake City, March 27th 1953. I died of Throat Cancer on July 10th 2012. I went to six different grade schools, then to Churchill, Skyline and the U of U. I loved school, Salt Lake City, the mountains, Utah. I was a true Scientist. Electronics, chemistry, physics, auto mechanic, wood worker, artist, inventor, business man, ribald comedian, husband, brother, son, cat lover, cynic. I had a lot of fun. It was an honor for me to be friends with some truly great people. I thank you.  I’ve had great joy living and playing with my dog, my cats and my parrot. But, the one special thing that made my spirit whole, is my long love and friendship with my remarkable wife, my beloved Mary Jane. I loved her more than I have words to express. Every moment spent with my Mary Jane was time spent wisely. Over time, I became one with her, inseparable, happy, fulfilled. I enjoyed one good life. Traveled to every place on earth that I ever wanted to go. Had every job that I wanted to have. Learned all that I wanted to learn. Fixed everything I wanted to fix. Eaten everything I wanted to eat. My life motto was: “Anything for a Laugh”. Other mottos were “If you can break it, I can fix it”, “Don’t apply for a job, create one”. I had three requirements for seeking a great job; 1 – All glory, 2 – Top pay, 3 - No work.

Now that I have gone to my reward, I have confessions and things I should now say. As it turns out, I AM the guy who stole the safe from the Motor View Drive Inn back in June, 1971. I could have left that unsaid, but I wanted to get it off my chest. Also, I really am NOT a PhD. What happened was that the day I went to pay off my college student loan at the U of U, the girl working there put my receipt into the wrong stack, and two weeks later, a PhD diploma came in the mail. I didn’t even graduate, I only had about 3 years of college credit. In fact, I never did even learn what the letters “PhD” even stood for. For all of the Electronic Engineers I have worked with, I’m sorry, but you have to admit my designs always worked very well, and were well engineered, and I always made you laugh at work. Now to that really mean Park Ranger; after all, it was me that rolled those rocks into your geyser and ruined it. I did notice a few years later that you did get Old Faithful working again. To Disneyland – you can now throw away that “Banned for Life” file you have on me, I’m not a problem anymore – and SeaWorld San Diego, too, if you read this.

To the gang: We grew up in the very best time to grow up in the history of America. The best music, muscle cars, cheap gas, fun kegs, buying a car for “a buck a year” -- before Salt Lake got ruined by over population and Lake Powell was brand new. TV was boring back then, so we went outside and actually had lives. We always tried to have as much fun as possible without doing harm to anybody - we did a good job at that.

If you are trying to decide if you knew me, this might help… My father was RD “Dale” Patterson, older brother “Stan” Patterson, and sister “Bunny” who died in a terrible car wreck when she was a Junior at Skyline. My mom “Ona” and brother “Don” are still alive and well. In college I worked at Vaughns Conoco on 45th South and 29th East. Mary and I are the ones who worked in Saudi Arabia for 8 years when we were young. Mary Jane is now a Fitness Instructor at Golds on Van Winkle – you might be one of her students – see what a lucky guy I am? Yeah, no kidding.

My regret is that I felt invincible when young and smoked cigarettes when I knew they were bad for me. Now, to make it worse, I have robbed my beloved Mary Jane of a decade or more of the two of us growing old together and laughing at all the thousands of simple things that we have come to enjoy and fill our lives with such happy words and moments. My pain is enormous, but it pales in comparison to watching my wife feel my pain as she lovingly cares for and comforts me. I feel such the “thief” now - for stealing so much from her - there is no pill I can take to erase that pain.

If you knew me or not, dear reader, I am happy you got this far into my letter. I speak as a person who had a great life to look back on. My family is following my wishes that I not have a funeral or burial. If you knew me, remember me in your own way. If you want to live forever, then don’t stop breathing, like I did.

Source: Inquirer.net, starksfuneral.com

Internet Urges Batman to Visit Victims of ‘Dark Knight’ Shooting

The mass killings that occurred Friday morning at the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado served as a tragic reminder that villains exist in the real world, not just in Gotham City.

James Holmes, a 24-year-old student from the University of Colorado, allegedly showed up in head-to-toe protective gear and opened fire on a packed and unsuspecting theater full of people, killing 12 and injuring another 59.

Social media users are calling for a hero.

Since late yesterday, Facebook pages, videos and petitions have been popping up all over the web urging actor Christian Bale to pay a visit to recovering victims of the massacre — dressed in his Batman suit.

Many of those wounded in the incident were children and teenagers who are avid fans of the franchise. A visit from the The Dark Knight would certainly bring a smile to their faces, and perhaps remind them that heros can be just as real as villains.

Those interested in taking action need only spread the word. The power of social media as a collective voice is undeniable.

Do you think Batman will rise to the occasion? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Mashable

Fan art lends support for shooting victims

Source: Yahoo!

Warner Bros. Issues Statement on ‘Dark Knight’ Theater Shooting

Warner Bros. on Friday issued a statement about the mass shooting in Aurora, Colo., at a midnight show for The Dark Knight Rises.

The studio says:

  “Warner Bros. is deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident. We extend our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time.”

Twelve individuals were killed and 38 wounded in the shooting, which took place at approximately 12:39 a.m. at a movie theater in Colorado.

The studio has also cancelled the Paris premiere for the film and cancelled all media interviews with director Christopher Nolan and cast members for the film.

The Dark Knight Rises is one of the most anticipated films of the year, with record advance ticket sales.

Source: Mashable

Lenovo CEO Gives His $3 Million USD Bonus to 10,000 Employees

10,000 workers get generous bonus from Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing

It will come as no surprise to anyone who follows the technology world that CEOs at major corporations make a ton of money. Often their bonuses are even more than their yearly income. The CEO of Lenovo, Yang Yuanqing, recently received a fat bonus of $3 million. Rather than stuffing that big bonus away in his own bank account, Yang Yuanqing gave it away.

The CEO took the $3 million bonus and distributed it among 10,000 junior level employees. Among the employees to receive a piece of the pie were receptionists, production line workers, and assistants. Each of those 10,000 employees received a bonus of 2000 yuan, which works out to about $314 USD.

Lenovo had its best fiscal year ever, which ended in March. Lenovo saw a 73% increase in net profit compared to the previous year and Yang had previously said that it was a "record-setting year for Lenovo."

It's nice to see an executive giving away a huge chunk of money to the employees that had as much to do with Lenovo's successful year as any executive within the company.

Lenovo has recently launched several new products and services, including new no-contract broadband plans for its mobile computers.

Source: http://www.dailytech.com

10 Tips for Job Seekers in the Digital Era

What does it take to land your dream job? In this digital era, job candidates have a plethora of tools at their disposal to help them ace the interview, including advice websites, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

But how exactly should someone use these to their advantage? Here are ten tips for landing the gig of your dreams.

1. Research, Research, Research

A likely first question any interviewer will ask is, “what does our company do?” This seems like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised at the number of people that have no clue. If you’re not prepared to discuss the company, they probably don’t want you.

Take the time to know the company inside and out. Research what they do, follow their social-media pages, and understand the industry and the competitors. Basically, have the company’s elevator pitch down pat. To be safe, practice it on a friend.

2. Connect Before the Interview

As you’re researching the company on their social media pages make sure to like some of their posts, leave a comment or two, and re-tweet what you find interesting. The reality is that you never know who might be watching. Many recruiters prefer finding talent via Facebook and LinkedIn rather than through a job site like Monster.

Does the company sponsor or organize any events? If so, show up at some of them and meet the representatives from the company. They can serve as a good “in” to the people who are hiring. If possible, connect with this person on LinkedIn afterwards.

3. Build Your Social Presence

Are you popular in the social sphere? Do you blog, Yelp, and have a ton of friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter? If so, great. You want to continue to build your social presence. If you haven’t flexed your social muscles yet, then you better get going! This is a critical way that recruiters assess how passionate you are about digital.

4. Be Prepared

Find out how the interview will be structured and plan accordingly. Determine who your interviewers will be, find out as much about them as possible, and then impress them with your knowledge.

Also, make sure you ask questions. Questions that haven’t been thought through very well leave a bad impression. Write questions down ahead of time and be precise, but don’t overdo it.

Another big item is the company’s dress code. Check out their Facebook page, look for photos in the news. People want to see how you assimilate into a culture. That said, always dress one step up from the code.

5. Arrive Early

Arrive at least fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. The interviewers are scheduling their days around you so be ready to go. If you are going to be late, it better be for an excellent reason. Call and let the person who is waiting for you know.

6. Be Flexible

Don’t bring up money in the first interview. It positions you poorly. Acknowledge that you appreciate being trained and will be a strong asset in the future. Remember that it’s not about what you get paid the first day. It’s what you end up getting paid the first year.

That being said, if the company really likes you then money might come up so be prepared with a realistic number. There are some good sites that offer salary estimates. Feel free to take those into consideration, but not as the final word.

7. Don’t Pigeonhole Yourself

Companies want people with diverse interests. If you like to work in different areas, let that be known and don’t pigeonhole yourself into one department. Also, don’t feel shy about sharing your hobbies and interests. Varying interests bring character and color to a company’s culture.

8. Think Career, Not a Job

Make it clear you’re interested in a career, and not just a job. Ask what you can expect over the next ninety days, and communicate what exactly you’ll be bringing to the table. But don’t communicate that in blanket statements like, “I’m good at sales” or “I like to take initiative.”

Instead, if you’re good at sales say, “In one year I closed five new accounts and grew three existing ones, resulting in $300,000 in new business.” Or, if you’re a go-getter, describe a problem you helped solve and the result. Show your real impact and potential by talking about accomplishments in your career.

9. Keep the Details in Mind

Keep these small, but important, details in mind when interviewing: Shut your phone off, don’t chew gum, sit up straight, don’t say “yeah” or “like” or “you know,” don’t talk over the interviewer, maintain eye contact, and don’t tell the interviewer about where else you’re interviewing.

At the end always go for the close and ask about next steps.

10. Follow Up and Maintain Contact

After the interview, make sure to get everyone’s business card and send a thank-you email that day. Then check in every now and then with your main contact to see how the process is moving along.

If you don’t get the position, that’s OK, too. Learn from the experience, improve your talking points, and keep up positive communication with the company. Maybe they found someone with more experience, but that doesn’t mean another position won’t open up in a few months that you’re perfect for, and because you remained in contact, they might call you up for that job instead.

Source: Mashable

Other News: Spanish rallies turn violent as million people protest in 80 cities

Spanish police have clashed with protesters marching against the latest batch of austerity measures. Over a million public employees, trade union members and fed-up citizens have taken to the streets in over 80 Spanish cities.

Violence erupted in Madrid around midnight after dozens of protesters reached the city’s Puerta del Sol square and clashed with riot police. Security forces used batons, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd as it tried to enter the congress building located on the square. Some of the protesters lobbed bottles at officers.

In some urban areas, activists set trash cans on fire and tried to block police vehicle access with barricades of plastic bins and cardboard boxes. No injuries or arrests have been reported.

Demonstrators carried flags and banners decorated with scissors, symbolizing the country's harsh spending cuts. The streets of Madrid were paralyzed by the boundless crowds of people bellowing “Hands up, this is a robbery!” An estimated 100,000 people participated in the demonstrations in the capital.

In Barcelona, similar scenes were reported. About a dozen protesters were arrested outside the local parliament building.

Eight firemen stripped naked in the northern town of Mieres near Oviedo. "With so many cuts we have been left naked," declared a banner on the wall above them.

The demonstrations were organized by unions who have been outraged by the government’s new measures. One such measure is an end to Christmas bonuses for civil servants, which amounts to a 3.5 to 7 per cent reduction in annual pay.

"There's nothing we can do but take to the street. We have lost between 10 and 15 per cent of our pay in the past four years," demonstrator Sara Alvera, 51, a worker in the justice sector, told AFP.

"We are two and a half million votes. I hope they are thinking about that," said Jose Luis Martinez, 52, who works at the interior ministry, told Reuters.

"We have to make some noise, because they're making fun of us and of all working people," said Iria, 34, an auditor in the treasury.

Earlier Thursday, Spanish Parliament approved a new package of spending cuts and tax hikes aiming to save $80 billion in a bid to take a bite out of the budget deficit. Since the measure was announced last week, Spain has witnessed a series of daily demonstrations, some of which have erupted into violence.

Europe's fourth-largest economy also has the EU's highest unemployment rate. About a quarter of working-age Spaniards are unable to find work.

Meanwhile, Germany’s lower house approved a $122 billion rescue package for Spanish banks in a bid to help the country cope with "excessive" market fears and prevent the eurozone's debt crisis from spreading further.

Source: RT.com

Without Social Media, 18% Of Teens Would Stop Communicating

18% of teens would stop communicating altogether if their favorite social networks shut down. That’s according to a recent survey of American high school and college students done by email marketing company AWeber.

According to the survey, 90% of teens are on Facebook, and an astounding 93% of teenagers use mobile phones -– the same amount that use email. 74% of teens are YouTube users, and 47% use Skype to keep up with others.

Facebook and Email own almost equal parts of teens’ hearts. With teenagers going for both when they wake up in the morning, while they’re in class, and even while they’re on vacation.

6% of teens thought they might replace their cell phones with a landline or writing more letters if mobile phones suddenly became unavailable. A whopping 18%, however, thought that they would stop communicating altogether if their favorite channel of communication disappeared.

Check out the infographic below for a closer look. What would you do if your favorite social network suddenly closed? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Mashable

Happy Birthday OFK

FBI Wants a Database of Your Tattoos

The FBI is consulting local police and vendors about technology currently in use that can spot crooks and terrorists by interpreting the symbolism of their tattoos, according to government documents.

The inquiry follows work already underway at the bureau and Homeland Security Department to add iris and facial recognition services to their respective fingerprint databases.

The FBI on Friday issued a request for information on existing databases “containing tattoo/symbol images, their possible meanings, gang affiliations, terrorist groups or other criminal organizations.”

The mass collection of multiple biometric markers, potentially including vocal tracks and handwriting samples, has upset immigrant communities who say the FBI and DHS are misusing the technology to deport innocent people.

On July 11, the Wall Street Journal reported that the government denied green cards to spouses of permanent U.S. residents, some with no arrest records, because their tattoos resembled gang symbols. This week, a Senate panel is scheduled to question the FBI about the civil liberties consequences of facial recognition.

Friday’s RFI asks law enforcement agencies, vendors and academics to supply by Aug. 13 information about the capabilities of tattoo analysis systems. The bureau is interested in learning how body art databases draw on the knowledge of gang experts and cryptanalysts as well as how they document “possible meanings and gang affiliations” observed by officials nationwide.

Privacy implications are only briefly addressed, in the context of policies regarding “what special guidelines will be followed when dealing with tattoos in ‘sensitive’ locations?”

The bureau also wants to learn about vetting pictures, sharing access to the database; and ways for multiple agencies to coordinate on data gathering.

The request does not discuss the reliability of such systems. Researchers at the University of Notre Dame recently found that iris patterns alter with age and the accuracy of sensors used to capture iris images degrades over time, raising doubts about the use of that single physical trait to confirm identities.

Source: Mashable