social media news: septembre 2014

mardi 2 septembre 2014

7 Mysterious Treasures the World Is Still Looking For

Time to channel your inner Jack Sparrow. Buried treasures aren't just pirate myths. While there are a few legendary pirate booties still allegedly floating around, troves of valuable items still await claim.

From stolen Aztec gold to missing European art work, here are seven antiquated treasures at large around the world.

1. The Treasure of La Noche Triste

Location: Beneath Mexico City

In late June 1520, the Aztecs finally had enough of Hernan Cortes and the Spanish conquistadores. As the indigenous army drove their Spanish conquerers out of the capital city of Tenochitlan, Cortes commanded his men to gather as much gold and treasure as they could, stuff it in their armor and bolt for their ships. Read more...

More about Features, Money, History, Us World, and World

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1nsYIXN

German Court Bans Uber Across the Country

A court has banned Uber from operating in Germany, creating a new hurdle in the company's plan to expand in Europe.

The state court in Frankfurt ruled late last week that the car-sharing company lacks the necessary permits established by German transport laws to operate in the country, slapping it with a temporary injunction that bars Uber from legally operating in Germany pending a full hearing

This ruling is the result of a lawsuit brought forth by Taxi Deutschland, a German cab association that also offers a taxi-ordering app. Taxi Deutschland argues Uber skirts safety and insurance regulations that apply to conventional cabs Read more...

More about Europe, Germany, Uber, Startups, and Us World

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1nsYEY1

17 Cats That Just Can't Deal With This Week

You may think the life of a cat is easy, but you'd be dead wrong.

Though they're much cuter about it, these cats still feel the harrowing reality of the return from a long weekend just as much as any human. Some take out their frustration on a roll of paper towels and some prefer to hide in a brick wall's crevice.

Let these cats take you to the end of the workday. If they can do it, so can you.

Read more...

More about List, Pics, Humor, Cats, and Watercooler

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1q6m5Lr

Dramatic Photos of Flames Engulfing Sydney Office Building

SYDNEY - A fire broke out in an office building in the Sydney central business district on Tuesday afternoon, causing chaos and the evacuation of 100 workers.

In dramatic scenes, dark smoke billowed from the seven-story complex on the busy George Street before flames raced up an exhaust flue and onto the roof just before 4pm AEST.

Firefighters told the Sydney Morning Herald the blaze started in the Emperor's Choice Chinese restaurant.

"The fire's occurred in a downstairs area in a restaurant and has travelled up the chimney, or the flue, up the outside and onto the roof," Fire & Rescue NSW Superintendent Ian Krimmer said. Read more...

More about Australia, Us World, Sydney Cbd Fire, and Sydney Fire

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1rbgvHF

OPPO Launches Four Mobile Devices in Australia, Including Selfie Phone

SYDNEY — Chinese electronics manufacturer OPPO has pushed into the Western mobile phone market by launching four mobile devices in Australia on Tuesday, including a phone for taking the perfect selfie.

OPPO decided to branch into the Aussie market due to the amount of tech-savvy consumers who are passionate about the latest gadgets. The range initially includes the Find 7, N1 Mini, Find 7a and Neo 5, which will be available locally via their website on Wednesday.

Michael Tran, OPPO's head of marketing, said the company — which in previous years had been focussed on BlueRay and DVD products — is known for pushing boundaries in the tech space. "We want to offer groundbreaking approach to mobile devices, to show high-end phones don't have to cost a fortune," he said at a launch event in Sydney. "We have a huge amount of devices in the pipeline." Read more...

More about Apple, Mobile Phone, Samsung, Australia, and Oppo

via Mashable http://ift.tt/Y7Mu13

Everyone Wants To Live in The Land Down Under, Here Are Some Tips

SYDNEY — International workers are moving to the lucky country in droves, as Australia becomes one of the most desired countries in the world to work in.

Australia has been ranked the 12th most desired country to work in out of 54 countries and more than one in 10 job seekers globally are looking for work here, according to a survey released by Indeed Hiring Lab

The government granted more than 258,000 working holiday visas in the 2013 financial year, which was an increase of 16% on the previous year. With 3.2 million of workers living in Australia born overseas, a new web resource is helping foreigners settle in to life in Australia. Read more...

More about Australia, Sydney, Us World, Travel Leisure, and Work Play

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1nryBk7

A New Star Wars Universe Begins ... Now

This will be a day long remembered: a new dawn for Star Wars, in all its forms of media

Pay attention, people of Earth: that distant rumble you hear is the gears of the world's most popular film franchise slowly cranking up into full dream-generating and money-minting mode. If you think the speculation about the contents of Star Wars Episode VII published in the past 18 months has been frenzied, or if you think Disney reached the heights of international success with Frozen , then to borrow a line from a guy who liked to borrow lines from movies, you ain't seen nothing yet

More about Star Wars, Entertainment, and Star Wars Rebels

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1nrkN9h

lundi 1 septembre 2014

'Extant' Episodes 7-10 Recap: 'Everything Comes at a Cost'

For the past two weeks, Extant has aired two episodes back-to-back, with 7 to 8 and 9 to 10 each functioning like continuous two-hour mini movies. They marked a turning point for the sci-fi series, which until now, had been largely lackluster and derivative of other similarly themed shows.

While Extant is not necessarily a slow-burn thriller, it took some time for the development of the series' two major plot lines — Molly Wood's alien offspring and the evolution of Humanich Ethan Woods — to pay off. In short, Extant has finally become compelling.

More about Cbs, Television, Recap, Entertainment, and Tv

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1ucFtXs

Cuba Cracks Down on What Travelers Can Bring Into the Country

Over the last five years, travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba have eased to the point where travelers now bring in as much as $2-billion worth of products annually.

But new restrictions enforced Monday — an attempt by the Cuban government to crack down on abuses, and likely to increase tax revenue and boost local business — could greatly affect what is brought into the country.

Usually, passengers on flights arriving from Miami are carrying duffel bags crammed with goods, ranging from everyday items like soap and socks to luxury items like bicycles, big-screen televisions and game consoles. Travelers arriving in Cuba on Monday complained that the new restrictions would leave their families wanting. They include higher customs duties and stricter limits on both the number and total value of items. Read more...

More about Cuba, Us, World, Lifestyle, and Travel Leisure

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1noIPSl

Joan Rivers Reportedly Brought Out of Coma as Family Considers Lawsuit

Joan Rivers' daughter Melissa Rivers said on Sunday that she is keeping her "fingers crossed" for the comedian's full recovery, as doctors begin to bring her back from a medically induced coma, according to a report

Rivers remains in "serious" condition, and the family is considering legal action, Melissa said, according to New York Daily News.

The 81-year-old comedian went into cardiac arrest during a surgical procedure on her throat on Thursday. She was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was placed in a coma for her safety Read more...

More about Joan Rivers and Entertainment

via Mashable http://ift.tt/W3DCrC

Survivor Singer Jimi Jamison Reportedly Dies of Heart Attack at 63

Survivor and Cobra frontman Jimi Jamison died of a heart attack Sunday night in Los Angeles, according to a report published Monday. He was 63.

The energetic Cobra singer who later joined Survivor in 1984 after the band's frontman Dave Bickler (who was the voice on "Eye of the Tiger") left because of vocal-health issues

Jamison is well-known for such 1980s rock singles as "Burning Heart," "High on You," "The Search Is Over," "Man Against the World" and "Is This Love?"

He also memorably sang the Baywatch theme song.

Mashable has reached out to Jamison's manager, promoter and booking agent for details about his death. We'll update this post when we receive a response Read more...

More about Music, Entertainment, Us, and Deaths

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1w1ok3o

Aussie Football Players Dress Up as Rolf Harris and Victim

SYDNEY — Two Australian Football players are at the centre of a costume controversy after they dressed up as entertainer Rolf Harris, recently convicted for indecent assaults on children, and a young girl.

Dean Terlich wore an eccentric coat, grey facial hair and glasses to dress up as the disgraced Australian music icon, while his Melbourne Demon teammate Alex Georgiou wore a red dress with a wig with pigtails. The incident happened during Mad Monday celebrations, a party to celebrate the end of the football season that traditionally involves heavy drinking.

More about Australia, Us World, Sports, Mad Monday, and Afl

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1rJIdxF

Grover Norquist Had an Awesome Burning Man

When some Burning Man veterans heard that Washington, D.C.-based anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist was planning to attend their favorite desert festival for the first time this year, an eyebrow or two was raised

Surely this conservative campaigner, creator of the tax-cutting pledge that still binds the hands of nearly every GOP lawmaker, would turn his nose up at something that outsiders often mistake for an ultra-liberal hippy holiday?

Well, the verdict is in: Norquist had an awesome time. So much so, in fact, that he's already planning on coming again in 2015 — and bringing the kids next time. Read more...

More about Burning Man, Us World, Politics, Us, and Travel Leisure

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1nQgZyd

Man Who Inspired the Ice Bucket Challenge Is Now a Father

The 29-year old man who inspired the world to raise millions of dollars for ALS research through the Ice Bucket Challenge now faces a different kind of challenge: parenthood.

Pete Frates and wife Julie Frates welcomed the birth of a 7 pound, 8 ounce baby girl named Lucy Fitzgerald Frates on Sunday morning, according to Boston television station WCVB.

The new parents made the announcement on their Facebook page Read more...

More about Babies, Charities, Us World, Us, and Family Parenting

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1q4oDdg

Browser Extension Tells You Wi-Fi Speed at Hotels Before You Book

If getting online while you're on the road is important to you, slow Wi-Fi at hotels can be a pain

A browser extension launched Monday wants to help travelers avoid the hassle of bad Internet connections by adding information about hotel Wi-Fi speeds and quality, on top of what is already available on popular booking sites.

In July, Hotel Wi-Fi Test announced its rankings of hotels according to Wi-Fi speed and quality. Now, it's integrated that information into popular booking and travel sites through an extension that works on Chrome and Firefox browsers, showing Wi-Fi information on Hotels.com, Expedia.com, Booking.com and TripAdvisor. Read more...

More about Wi Fi, Hotels, Lifestyle, Travel Leisure, and Work Play

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1nnTyw9

Iceland's Bardabunga Volcano Puts on Breathtaking Lava Display

The Bardabunga volcano in Iceland continues to put on quite a show, with lava pouring out of a gash, or fissure, in the ground

The latest fissure eruption, which began on Sunday, could go on for weeks, if not longer. It may also lead to a greater hazard — an explosive eruption that sends large clouds of ash into the air and melts glacial ice, causing flooding.

Such ash clouds are hazardous to modern jet aircraft, and an explosive eruption in Iceland could snarl trans-Atlantic air traffic again — as when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010 Read more...

More about Iceland, Volcano, Iceland Volcano, Us World, and World

via Mashable http://ift.tt/W33pjE

Celebrity Photo Leak: Is Poor iCloud Security to Blame?

As dozens of celebrities dismiss, deny, explain or fire back over the leak of an untold number of nude or compromising photos reportedly stolen from their Apple iCloud accounts, some security experts think they know how the leak started.

According to a report in TheNextWeb, a hack called iBrute was posted Saturday on GitHub by mobile security firm HackApp. Though technically a mere proof of concept, it showed hackers how to exploit an apparent "brute force" vulnerability in the Find My iPhone API.

Find My iPhone is part of a trio of services connected to iCloud, including Photo Stream and Apple's password manager, iCloud KeychainA brute-force security attack is essentially a trial-and-error-way of breaking through security, and it usually only works if there is a weakness in the security of a system that allows an unlimited number (or a very high number) of login attempts. Read more...

More about Hacking, Security, Iphone, Apple, and Celebrity Pictures

via Mashable http://ift.tt/1pBd3Xy