Congratulations Crunchies Winners! Twitter Takes Best Startup Of 2010

This year?s fourth annual Crunchies Awards have just concluded, and we?re happy to say that it was an overwhelming success. For those who weren't at the event or watching our livestream, we?ve included the list of nominees and winners below. Our most sincere congratulations to the winners and to all of the nominees as well. It was an incredibly tight race for many of the categories, and it?s safe to say that everyone on this list is at the top of their field. We?d like to take a moment to point out Twitter?s win for ?Best Overall Startup Or Product?, the first time the company has won a Crunchie in this category. Twitter has become an indispensable part of social communication and a key ingredient in the fabric of the web. And congratulations to Groupon's Andrew Mason, who won for CEO of the Year; Mark Pincus, who took Best Founder of the Year, and Quora, which took Best New Startup in 2010.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/_26qaess9U8/

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How to Blow and Pour Liquid Smoke [Video]

Smoking is bad for you! But let's be honest, smoke itself looks sorta cool. Here's a video of smoke looking like liquid, which makes it even cooler looking. You can even swirl the smoke around and pour it out like water. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/EU7PDomnZLo/how-to-blow-and-pour-liquid-smoke

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Apple patent application details magical mouse with a built-in display

Could the Magic Mouse be replaced by an even more "magical" input device? It might, if a just-published Apple patent application ever results in an actual product. Described simply as a "computer input device including a display device," the application clearly details a mouse that would have both a touch-sensitive surface and a built-in display. That, the application suggestions, could open up a whole range of new input possibilities, including using the mouse as numeric keypad, a phone, a personal digital assistant, or a graphics pad, to name just a few. What's more, the nature of the collimated glass used for the mouse would also apparently allow it to display a magnified image of anything underneath, and the images displayed would seemingly appear to be directly on the surface on the mouse, and not appear to be under the glass (we're not talking about a regular capacitive touchscreen on a mouse here). Of course, all of this is still just a patent application, and Apple has a long, long string of those that have yet to result in anything -- still, something about this one strikes us a bit more likely than, say, a head-mounted iPhone display.

Apple patent application details magical mouse with a built-in display originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/iEW8gJXm-1Y/

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Britney Spears Going For A More 'Urban' Sound, Danja Reveals

Producer says singer is still recording tracks for upcoming album.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


Britney Spears
Photo: Fame Pictures

According to music producer Danja, Britney Spears is still hard at work on her March album release. The producer, who has worked with Spears on songs like "Gimme More," "Break the Ice" and "Kill the Lights" in the past, reveals that he and the pop superstar are still working on tracks together.

"Britney, I don't have too much news, but I'm always creating something," he told MTV News on Thursday, just as Spears' first single, "Hold It Against Me," reached the top of iTunes charts worldwide. "Still recording. She still has songs to cut, but we'll see what happens."

When asked what kinds of songs he's throwing together for Britney, his comments echoed those he made last June. "I just took my track level up. I just wanted to make sure it's still hard-hitting and still that same energy that people heard, but very today's time," he said. "So we'll see. I don't know what the project will end up being, but we'll see. We did have a meeting like a year ago, and they wanted it to sound urban, hard-hitting, not so much dance, but just that similar sound."

Danja says that he has yet to actually get in the studio with the star, but he has been in conversation with her about any potential songs that might be included on her still untitled album. "Well, for me, this time around I haven't been in with her yet," he revealed. "It's just been us writing and creating and really nailing a sound or a song more than anything."

In addition to working on tracks for the album, Spears is also hard at work on the video for her first single. Her choreographer Brian Friedman spoke to MTV's "The Seven" this week, describing what fans will see when the video drops.

"I think you can expect the unexpected from Britney," he said. "She is taking risks when it comes to fashion, when it comes to choreography, when it comes to this music — she's grown up so much, and she's pushing 30 years old soon, so she's a strong, independent woman and I think she wants to show that."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655957/britney-spears-going-more-urban-sound-danja-reveals.jhtml

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Skype plug-in for Firefox blocked by Mozilla due to crashes, epic slowdowns

We're not very big fans of browser toolbars to begin with, and today's news from Mozilla is a perfect example of why. The Mozilla team has decided to block the Skype plug-in, citing serious stability and performance issues. Skype will be added to Mozilla's plug-in blocklist, though users will be prompted and given the option to re-enable it if they wish.

As Stephen Shankland points out over at CNET, the Skype plug-in has had a lengthy run as the #1 or 2 cause of crashes in Firefox 3.6.X. Right now, the total tally is running at about 40,000 crashes per week -- a number that Mozilla just isn't OK with. They also call out Skype's phone number detection and linking feature as a major problem, causing big-time slowdowns when Firefox tries to render a Web page.

If you're concerned this might break Skype on your system, it won't. The Skype program itself will continue to work as it has, you'll just be missing the toolbar in Firefox and the clickable phone numbers on Web pages -- and we don't know many people who will miss those.

Skype plug-in for Firefox blocked by Mozilla due to crashes, epic slowdowns originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/21/skype-plug-in-for-firefox-blocked-by-mozilla-due-to-crashes-epic-slowdown/

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The Insurgent Bloggers of Iran [Book Excerpt]

Iran has long stymied political dissent by shuttering newspapers and intimidating journalists, so effectively applying the same methods of control to the Internet and Iranian blogs should be a piece of cake, right? Right? More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/MUwZYAdJwIM/iran-cant-control-its-bloggers

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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Hid Evidence, Guard Testifies

Testimony has Conrad Murray removing IV stand and two bags of medication.
By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Kara Warner


Alberto Alvarez, Michael Jackson's bodyguard, leaves court after testifying at the preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray on January 5
Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images

The second day of testimony in the preliminary hearing of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, featured damning testimony from one of the late King of Pop's bodyguards about Murray's actions in the critical minutes after the singer was found unresponsive.

After a former Jackson staffer testified Tuesday that Murray appeared to not know how to perform CPR properly, security guard Alberto Alvarez said on Wednesday (January 5) that the cardiologist frantically grabbed medical evidence from the star's bedroom before instructing Alvarez to call 911.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Alvarez said he was the first person to walk into Jackson's bedroom after Murray realized his patient was not breathing, where he found the cardiologist administering chest compressions with one hand while Jackson lay on his bed, which goes against the recommended procedure for the life-saving method.

"I said, 'Dr. Murray, what happened?' " Alvarez told the court. " 'He had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction,' that's all he said." Alvarez choked up as he described how Jackson's daughter, Paris, followed him into the room and screamed when she saw her father sprawled out and unresponsive on the bed.

He said Murray then instructed him to get the children out of the room, noticing as he left that Jackson's penis was out of his underwear and that medical tubing was attached to it. When Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked Alvarez if he knew what a condom catheter was, the security guard said he did not.

Alvarez said he then witnessed Murray grabbing a handful of bottles, which he instructed the security guard to put in a bag. He told the court that he held open the bag as the doctor dropped the bottles of medicine inside and then put it in a brown canvas bag on the floor, per Murray's instructions. Murray also allegedly told Alvarez to grab one of the two bags hanging on an IV stand next to Jackson's bed and put it in another bag. Alvarez said he noticed a "milk-like substance" in the bottom of the IV bag.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an acute intoxication of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic sometimes referred to as "milk of amnesia" thanks to its milky white appearance. Only after the medical materials had been put away did Murray tell Alvarez to call 911.

"After you had collected the bottles per Dr. Murray's instructions, and after you had collected the bags per Dr. Murray's instructions, did Dr. Murray instruct you to call 911?" Walgren asked. "Yes, sir," Alvarez responded.

TMZ reported that during cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff got Alvarez to admit that he never told police about Murray ordering him to remove the bottles and Alvarez later admitted that he may try to sell his story.

Later in the day, EMT Richard Senniff testified that he arrived at the Jackson home, just four minutes after the 911 call was placed. According to TMZ, Senniff said that, based on the condition of Jackson's body, it appeared that Murray waited at least 20 minutes to call 911. Senniff also stated that when he asked Murray what meds Jackson had been administered, he only listed lorazepam (Ativan).

Jackson cook Kai Chase also testified, revealing the food she prepared for Jackson prior to his death (seared ahi tuna and salad, white bean Tuscan soup) and that she knew something was wrong when Murray came downstairs in a panic and summoned Jackson's son, Prince.

The preliminary hearing is aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. It is expected to last two to three weeks.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655367/michael-jackson-doctor-conrad-murray-hid-evidence-guard-testifies.jhtml

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Gizmodo's Looking for an Investigative Journalist [Announcements]

Gizmodo's looking for an investigative journalist to tear at the seams of the PR machine's flawless image. You must be an ace reporter, hungry for scoops and know how to hit the phones and the online databases. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/uqI41FqQi8s/gizmodos-looking-for-a-investigative-journalist

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Hot Wheels Video Racer has a VGA camera under its hood, confirms that kids have it all

Damn kids these days and their cool tech toys! We know we sound cranky, jealous, and old, but how are we supposed to react to Mattel's new Hot Wheels Video Racer? Yep, just as the headline reveals, everybody's favorite matchbox car is now home to a VGA video camera that can capture 30 to 60 frames per second and a .95-inch LCD that allows you to play back that recorded footage right on the belly of the tiny vehicle. While a short clip of the Video Racer flying off a self-made jump may be pretty awesome, Mattel will also include protective cases so those wild and crazy kids can mount the cam to a skateboard or helmet. Disappointingly, the small car only houses 512MB of storage, which can only hold 12 minutes of video, but at $60, Mattel also includes a rubberized mini USB to USB cord for connecting the cam to a Mac or PC and child-friendly editing software. The Video Racer won't actually peel out until the fall, but we managed to take a few shots of the little thing this week and nab some video of it while at CES. Hit the break for that video and start saving that allowance!

Continue reading Hot Wheels Video Racer has a VGA camera under its hood, confirms that kids have it all

Hot Wheels Video Racer has a VGA camera under its hood, confirms that kids have it all originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/21/hot-wheels-video-racer-has-a-vga-camera-under-its-hood-confirms/

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