This is a critique of Facebook cover images of news channels leading up to the 2012 election.  Are News channels doing balanced, current, and relevant coverage? I typically watch the following channels as well as doing my own research when it comes to the news, and these will be examined:

  • CNN
  • BBC
  • ABC
  • FOX
  • CBS
  • MSNBC
  • Huff post

Facebook National News Covers

This post will take a quick look at the news channels facebook covers.  I’d like to leave you to make your own assumptions on not only design, but also whether or not the news channels are unbiased in their focus on social networks. Read more

Interesting read on SOPA thanks +Igor Plaksiy for the share.
http://news.yahoo.com/author-u-online-piracy-bill-vows-not-buckle-013659789.html

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57349540-281/sopa-opponents-may-go-nuclear-and-other-2012-predictions/

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Author of U.S. online piracy bill vows not to buckle
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) – The lawmaker behind a bill to combat online piracy vowed on Thursday to press ahead in the face of fierce criticism from Internet giants such as Google and Facebook. "It is ama…

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See the Inside of iMac, iPad, and iPhone with These X-Ray #Wallpapers http://ow.ly/1Dy9u3 #tech #mac #apple #coolLowTech

I have no idea how I came across this one other than it was on one of my feeds and I remember having something like this on my cyrix (PC) machine back in the late 90's. Those were the days… well not really, but this did take me back a little!

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See the Inside of iMac, iPad, and iPhone with These X-Ray Wallpapers
See the Inside of iMac, iPad, and iPhone with These X-Ray Wallpapers

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PayPal and Point-of-Sale at HomeDepot http://ow.ly/8oVtr

#PayPal #mobile #point -of-sale #homeDepot #AJB #retail #gameChanger #ebay

I have been a fan of PayPal for years, and a member since before they were owned by eBay. They have only gotten better over the past 5 years. I used my PayPal account for a large majority of my purchasing this past holiday season… ALL of which was done online. I have to say it was the best holiday "shopping" experience I have ever had. One thing I would enjoy is to have PayPal option at my local retail store. Would this entice me back into a retail store during holiday season? Probably not, but on a normal / non-holiday weekly basis? Absolutely. Excellent job PayPal and AJB. Looking forward to this changing the way we shop and conduct commerce. Read the full TechCrunch on this below.

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TechCrunch | PayPal Partners With Point-Of-Sale Software Company AJB To Scale In-Store Payments Option To Big Box Retailers
Exclusive: We've received more details on how PayPal will be scaling its in-store payments technology at major retailers. As we reported last week, PayPal is currently testing the mobile payments and …

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http://ow.ly/1DApwT #adobe #photography #beta #lightroom #aperature

So far I am impressed, but will have more time to "play" this weekend. Kudos to Adobe for releasing a beta for Lightroom 4 for Mac, Windows 32 bit and Windows 64 bit.

Anyone dabbled yet?

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Adobe launches Photoshop Lightroom 4 beta | Macworld
New Map and Book modules widen the photo tool's range

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http://ow.ly/8nLjP #apple #CES #tech #social #brand

Has the Apple brand grown so strong over the past 10 years that not being involved with events such as the CES are irrelevant? +Mike Elgan via Cult of Mac describes "a consumer electronics show without Apple is like an Internet search show without Google, a social networking show without Facebook or a, er, MacWorld Expo without Apple". Are CES shows now for the runners up to the brand leader? Great read, of an interesting time in our culture.

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Why Apple Will Dominate CES | Cult of Mac
Why Apple Will Dominate CES. The biggest company at CES this year is Apple. No, Apple isn't giving keynotes, hosting a booth or even taking meetings, as far as I know. But Apple dominates CES like…

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10 Must Like Facebook Pages for Social Studies Teachers http://ow.ly/8m22O #education #social #facebook #pages

Although I have an opinion toward online education (think love/hate with a tad more hate), I love knowledge. I think wisdom is a person who values the opinions of his/her mentors and continually seeks knowledge.

Thoughts? Opinions?

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10 Must Like Facebook Pages for Social Studies Teachers
It seems like everyone has a Facebook page. Companies, organizations, schools. I'm pretty sure my Jack Russell terrier has her own page. So where to start? Are there pages worth liking? Try the 10 ……

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"Transact Socially? The Social Payment System http://ow.ly/1DrBUk #social #payment #theFuture Will this have a future in our system?"

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Transact Socially – The Social Payment System
The Social Payment System – buy & sell In exchange for a Tweet or a Facebook post!

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These are great ideas for any startup, small business or business that is trying to establish their engagement. http://scottdgerber.com/ did a great job of creating a list of helpful tips straight from small business owners. Kudos! Enjoy the read:

http://ow.ly/8ijGl

#party #customerEngagement #facebook #fans #contests #smallBusiness #startup

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10 Easy Customer Engagement Ideas for Small Business
How can you create a customer experience that sets you apart from the competition and keeps customers coming back? We asked 10 entrepreneurs.

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#iphone #css3 http://ow.ly/8gWxr

Thanks for the share +Frank Sorbello

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iPhone 4 in pure CSS3!
This rendering of iPhone 4 and its icons was made in pure CSS3. No images, no base64, no SVG, no canvas, just 3395 lines of CSS code and 335 lines of Javascript code (with jQuery, of course)

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6 tools that could benefit a #publisher #Outbrain #SimpleReach #ARC #Zemanta #tubeMogul @stumbleUpon http://ow.ly/8gWZN

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6 Turnkey Tools for Content Distribution
These five solutions can help publishers build an audience with the push of a button.

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At the time of this post they have over 140k followers. This actually happened 5 days ago, but I am still in shock that 2011 is over. That went too fast.

I find it interesting how social has fully infiltrated all components of our lives. CPG brands, Electronics, Events, travel, services, etc. etc. all need a social element to their brand.

Good for @Nike and I am liking their tag #makeitcount http://ow.ly/8gVBN

Also, great use of timing of a launch with a seasonal event (New Year). Kudos.

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Just Did It: Nike Finally Opens a Twitter Account
Nike's Twitter feed just went live on Thursday.

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Again #advertising #transform #media #web #TV #online #retail http://ow.ly/8ibgH

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Get Ready For the Advertising World to Transform, Again | DigitalNext: A Blog on Emerging Media and Technology – Advertising Age
Ad & Marketing News. Creativity; Ad Age Data Center; Ad Age China; Ad Age On Campus; Insights; Jobs; MarketFinder. Register Now | Login. Digital. Advanced Search. Subscribe to Advertising Age toda…

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well… you get the idea. #permissions #apps #2012 #clean #fresh #privacy

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Start 2012 By Taking 2 Minutes to Clean Your Apps Permissions
Start 2012 By Taking 2 Minutes to Clean Your Apps Permissions. Try guessing how many apps have permissions to access your private information… Now click the icons and get ready for a surprise! To ge…

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This surreal and stunning #teaser for the #spanish #book "Pincel de Zorro" written by Sergio A. Sierra is a visual treat. Meritxell Ribas Puigmal is the illustrator and #grattage #artist. Grattage involves scrapping off the paint from the canvas. The music was composed by Albert Alay and the #animation was composited by Hug Codinach. I truly hope this becomes either an animated short or full production. It might have to be toned down a bit to be a feature. I truly hope that the creators use kickstarter.com or another private investment to help fund a larger project. Job well done!

Please forward or comment to show your appreciation for this group of creative individuals. Who wants to see more? Who would pay to download a short or feature of this from iTunes?

Also, here is the Spanish version: Pincel de Zorro HD Trailer (Spanish Version)

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This is cool though. I do miss #NFL football and sitting all day with my fantasy #football team while I engage in "friendly" competition with my colleagues, friends and family. #eBay is making shopping a unique experience (again), and this time with an #iPad app that allows you to purchase while you watch. The downside of this (for me) is that I would typically not watch commercials and be switching between 4-6 games at a time on multiple screens.

Why not advertise in the lower thirds of the screen? Premium spot (even if annoying at times), yet popping a #QR code in the bottom right of the screen for a players jersey would work for me. I once bought a Hines Ward Jersey after watching him demolish a team. that was 6+ years ago. Also, in #Europe they show NFL games so differently. Used to #soccer they really do not have the sponsorships/advertisers that the US has. So instead of the mind numbing #commercial breaks they switch to commentators who analyze the game and talk strategy. PERFECT time for those QR codes and advertising. I enjoy watch UK broadcasts online much more than in the US.

Do I see myself getting #cable #fios or #satellite #TV again soon? Nope, but I am still a huge fan of #innovation of all forms. The annoying threshold must be watched though!

Who still has cable? Is this innovation of interest to you (sports or otherwise)?

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App helps viewers shop while watching TV programs
TORONTO (Reuters) – Looking for the dress you saw on a hit television show or the jerseys worn during a football game or soccer match? An iPad app aims to help viewers shop while watching TV.Unlike te…

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I have always been a bit annoyed by the lackluster care for #design on #YouTube.com. It has always seemed as though they were so focused about #functionality that the #aesthetics were irrelevant. On December 1st, 2011 at 4:30 p.m. EST, YouTube.com released its #redesign to everyone! The focus is now on channels and seems to be a move on cable #TV.

http://youtube.com/

What do you think about the redesign of YouTube? Do you think aligning more with #Google is a good thing? I have not had a paid TV service (cable, dish, satellite, etc.) in almost 3 years, and I have to admit I am looking forward to this. Is this a play for even more of the TV market?

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YouTube – Broadcast Yourself.
Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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The Wall Street Journal ( #WSJ ) has just surpassed #Mozilla Firefox as the number 2 most used browser. In the US, Google's browser is still number 3. I have been using #Google #Chrome and enjoy the light weight, but I still enjoy #Firefox.

Good for Google, and the future success of their browser! And to help out with the annoyances of the number 1 browser (Internet Explorer) here is a quick share that some of my followers might enjoy ( #IETester): http://www.my-debugbar.com/wiki/IETester/HomePage

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Google Chrome Surpasses Firefox
Google's Chrome browser topped Mozilla's Firefox as the No. 2 Internet browser by market share for the first time globally, closing the gap behind leader Microsoft.'s Internet Explorer.

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This should be entertaining. #Microsoft is actively working on development of a social network, called #Socl. It might never be open to the public, but it would have an interesting support like system for current MS applications. Cheers to Microsoft for building this on HTML5 rather than silverlight.

What are your thoughts on Microsoft's leap into the social network scene? Will it be as successful as #Bing (could it support and help strengthen Bing)? Is it realistic for an individual to sustain this many social networks? Who is Microsoft's target market?

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Microsoft testing its social networking site Socl – Computer Business Review

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Some of you may know I am an avid #Starcraft2 gamer. I have a decent rig, but have been frustrated with my mouse/keyboard/pad combination. So if you didn't know I was a nerd, now you do! 8P

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SteelSeries Sensei – 8-btn Mouse – Wired – USB
A powerful 32 bit ARM processor allows Sensei to reach up to 11,400 DCPI. The most customizable mouse in the world. Whatever you want, however you want it. Light up your wheel, …

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I've always wanted to throw a #Chevy out of a plane, but I never thought I would see it happen. Great #marketing and #advertising tactic Chevy. Job well done.

http://letsdothis.com/

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Let's Do This
I am helping to push a Chevy Sonic over the edge of a ridiculously tall platform. Help push at www.letsdothis.com

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eBay in London on Dec. 1, 2011 – Anyone going to be in London to check it out?

eBay to open brick-n-mortar shop in London for this holiday season only (5 days only). They are using QR codes in the store and no items will be able to be purchased in store. This seems to be a great way to receive media hype:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8896172/eBay-to-open-its-first-UK-shop.html

and also, drive traffic during the busiest retail time of the year. This could be the start of a trend for online retailers. Should they (and other online only retailers) consider all major cities during the holiday season? The ROI is trackable via the QR codes, and the overhead for 5 days even in a prime location might be worth it.

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eBay to open its first UK shop – Telegraph
eBay, the online shop, is to open its first UK shop, in the latest sign that
internet retailers are moving onto the high street.

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Monday, Google+ allowed a long requested element to their social network. #Marketers and #advertisers have been waiting to align their respective publishers and clients on the fastest growing social network. The addition of #pages will be good for advertisers and marketers, in that, now #Facebook and #Google+ will offer more features and hopefully the ability to allow for direct advertising through their networks. The Google+ users will win as well as they will be able to interact directly with their favorite brands, organizations, and bands. Love it when the consumer wins and the marketer can offer more products. #Winning

See below for a few recognizable #brands that are already setting up their presences on Google+

Do you think Google+ is too late, and the majority of #organizations will not want to focus on updating their Google+ page and their Facebook page?
Will you be setting up a Google+ Page for your business? Will larger online retailers be able to make a presence for the holidays this late in the season? Target seems to be without a page yet, and Walmart.com is stagnant. Amazon.com seems to be "winning" right now.

Let the race begin!

Also included as samples are #Lexus (Auto), #Pepsi (CPG), The #Muppets (Entertainment), and #H&M (Fashion Retail)

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I have enjoyed using a stylus for my iPad, so I think this could be interesting as well. Not sure if this would work for the holidays at my house. Seems pieces and boards end of flying off the table, more often than not. imagines iPad flying off the table… Could you find yourself using this rather than traditional board games?

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iPawn – Play Board Games On Your iPad Using Real Pieces — AppAdvice
Royal Jumbos iPawn board game pieces are impressive. Once purchased and unpackaged, the pieces can be used in board games like Snakes and Ladders, Game of Goose and Air H

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This is an interesting advancement that could be used for so much more than simple advertising.

Do you think this is a good advancement or do you think most people will reject this tactic and omit use of their web cams?

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The all-telling eye

We know what you’re thinking

IMAGINE browsing a website when a saucy ad for lingerie catches your eye. You don’t click on it, merely smile and go to another page.

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Enjoy, and happy friday everyone!

Reshared post from +Mike Elgan

A boat for the 0.1%.

It's a mega yacht. With a built-in lagoon.

Called the Tropical Island Yacht, this giant $100 million boat from Yacht Island Designs features a volcano waterfall, which flows as a stream into a tide pool, then into a lagoon pool.

It's just a concept. But they'll build you one if you have the money.

http://dsc.discovery.com/gear-gadgets/cant-decide-between-a-private-island-or-a-mega-yacht-get-both-in-one.html

* * *

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eBay's new push comes as e-commerce sales in China are expected to soar, from $80 billion in 2010 to $300 billion in 2015, according to Goldman Sachs.
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_19177171

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http://mobile.designtaxi.com/news.php?id=350841

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Artist Carves Animated Faces on Pumpkins – DesignTAXI.com
Artist Carves Animated Faces on Pumpkins. 20 Oct 2011. When New York-based artist Ray Villafane digs into pumpkins as a Fall hobby, he leaves the orange-yellow fruits with realistic animated expressio…

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I feel like an ice cream sandwich, while I check my fantasy football scores on my iphone.

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I am a fan of #Adele, but we (+Gloria Alejandra Perdomo Diaz and +ryan lowe) are going to miss her tomorrow.

We are visiting #Austin this weekend… and I hear there is NO music there… 🙂 What am I going to do? Post this video that's what I'm going to do

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Great watch. I am most interested in some of the innovations on redlaser (jump to 1:06:25)

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/17909324

Hmmm… Does ustream have the youtube capability to add jump to markers?
for example, #t=1h6m30s appended to the end of my above URL would jump you nicely to the section of the video I am referencing. Oh well, enjoy.

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Keynote #1 : October 12, 2011, X.commerce Innovate Developers Conference 2011 PayPalX on USTREAM. Conference
Keynote #1 : October 12, 2011:X.commerce Innovate Developers Conference 2011 recorded on USTREAM. Conference

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A good friend of mine once said he did great in K-1st grade because of TV and the "educational" shows he would watch. Will kids today get an even larger jump? Cheers to education and "online courses" changing for the better.

Reshared post from +Drew Olanoff

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Stickery is reinventing mobile gaming and education for kids
Stickery, a company that is building a mobile learning platform focused on games for kids, generates progress reports for teachers and parents, using curriculums that are approved by …

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just go to maps.google.com and check the bottom left for allowing mapsGL, much quicker overall.

This was still one of my favorite executions of this next gen browser tech:
http://www.chromeexperiments.com/detail/3-dreams-of-black/?f=

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Chrome Experiments – "3 Dreams of Black" by Google Data Arts Team
“3 Dreams of Black” takes you on a journey through three dream worlds constructed through a combination of rich 2D drawings and animations interwoven with interactive 3D sequences. Throughout various …

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http://allthingsd.com/20111012/live-at-ebays-developer-conference/

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eBay’s Not Just a Retailer Anymore, It’s a Tech Company
Catch the announcements live from eBay's developer conference, where it will unveil its plans for mobile, social and local commerce with partners on stage, such as Facebook.

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LIFE:
I was coming home from AWANA tonight with, my two year old daughter, Eva. We had such a good night. We were both so happy. Moments like this are what make life worth living.

DEATH:
She made stars tonight in her group. We were singing our song "estregeta dondesta (sp?)" (english = twinkle twinkle, little star), when we heard the news on the radio of Steve Jobs (former CEO of Apple) dying at 56 years of age. So sad. I am almost three decades older than my daughter but we both use Apple products. She is two years old and loves the iPhones and iPad in our family.

We all share a common fate of dying, but remember to live everyone. Good night.

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+Robert Scoble interesting results, especially with today's Apple announcements… well maybe it was underwhelming. Ha!

I have a theory on why no iPhone5… Apple might be working with the wireless companies to speed up the delivery of their concurrent data transference pipes (this will allow 5G). hmm…

Apple has proven that the tech is not the driving force behind their devices though.

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Will your next phone be an iOS-based one (Apple) or an Android-based one (Google) or a Windows Phone-7 based one (Microsoft)?
The best free online polling website for Twitter. Create and share polls and votes with your friends and followers.

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WHO SHOULD BUY
I recommend the upgrade to anyone who does not have an iPhone4.

I recommend the iPhone3GS to first time smart phone owners / non-tech savvy.

RATIONALE
This is a great opportunity to get someone a great "starter" smart phone or for someone less tech savvy. The 3GS is FREE (with contract). My mom is going to appreciate this just for getting pictures of her grandkids, etc. No retinal on the 3GS, but you still have camera/video (480p). Not bad for … FREE. AT&T only for the 3GS though. The marketing move behind this Apple … AWESOME

DESIGN
Lastly, the design of the new iPhone page on apple… very clean and well thought out. The product display shots in the POV rotators are on point.

iconography and Siri look great. How they will function… to be determined. Overall job well done.

CHANGES
The only thing I would have changed is calling this the iPhone5 (instead of iPhone4S) and working on the physical design. There could have been improvements due to my recent mishaps with glass breaking (both front and back).

NOTE: I do not use a case, and have two little kids… so this one is on me, not Apple.

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Down! yes 🙂

and now the 4S rumors begin.

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Like the slimmer look. I still love the weight of my iPhone4 though. Any other images of potential prototypes caught your eye out there?

Also, sprint… competition is a good thing! The consumers always benefit from competition.
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/10/03/sprint-commits-to-buying-20-billion-worth-of-iphones-to-get-redesigned-iphone-5-exclusively/
Thanks MacRumors.com!

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No you didn't so i was about to ask our front end developers to build this in flash…
http://www.adidas.com/women/nl/pages/beat-mashine-ss11/

Funny eh? I still love flash. (_expecting haters in 3, 2, 1…._)

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the adidas beat mashine
Five girls. Five dance styles. Multiplied by unlimited talent. Mash it up with the adidas Beat Mashine and see where they take it.

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http://www.pandora.com/

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Pandora Radio – Listen to Free Internet Radio, Find New Music
Pandora radio is the personalized internet radio service that helps you find new music based on your old and current favorites. Create custom web radio stations, listen free.

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http://www.google.com/trustedstores/#overview
This will be great for small – medium retailers that want to compete.

As always… google is great.

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Trusted Stores
Get Google's help when you need it. When you make a purchase at a Google Trusted Store, you can opt in to receive free purchase protection from Google. You're likely to have a great experience…

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