MKTG

Yes, it’s that time once again, folks — time for the Friday Poll!

This week’s big news was once again delivered by one Steve Jobs, who revealed all the details of iPhone OS 4.0, which will roll out to iPhone and iPod touch owners this summer and iPad users this fall. Of the seven “tentpoles” (which makes us curious about the shape of this tent Apple is building) announced, what new features stand out as your favorites?

As usual, we’ll start off with some answers from the Mashable staff, then invite you all to have at it in the comments. Let us know what you think!

Mashable Faves

Adam Ostrow: Social gaming center — as Sam analyzed yesterday, I think this has massive potential for developers and users.

Ben Parr: I’m most excited about multitasking, but I believe iAds will have the biggest impact on the markets.

Jennifer Van Grove: Multitasking. Most excited to see this come to the iPad, as multitasking could make it a sophisticated work device and legitimate laptop replacement.

Christina Warren: Agree with Jenn, multitasking. Though I actually think the iAd move is the one that, while the least compelling for many people, probably will have one of the biggest overreaching impacts if executed properly.

Brenna Ehrlich: iBooks seem pretty cool, although the idea of reading a book on an iPhone sends my eyeballs into panic attacks. Think I’ll stick to my Droid and real-life books.

Josh Catone: Multitasking. Unfortunately, I still have a 3G, so I won’t be able to try it out without upgrading. Boo!

Adam Hirsch: Multitasking will give me the ability to use my iPad as my “travel laptop.”

Frederick Townes: Multitasking.

Matt Silverman: As an Android user who already enjoys multitasking, I’m happy that my Apple brethren will finally be able to partake.

Barb Dybwad: Definitely multitasking will be rad, but I also will love having Gaming Center as a third strong platform with XBLA and PSN that I’ll be able to enjoy across my iPhone and iPad.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ericsphotography

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Tags: apple, gaming center, ipad, iphone, iphone os, iphone os 4.0, iPod Touch, multitasking

Back in November, we started hearing murmurs that Google was considering whether or not to factor site speed into its search ranking algorithm. In a blog post today, the search giant confirms it is now adding site speed to its list of criteria that could affect your Google ranking.

It’s another step on Google’s long road toward achieving maximum speed and efficiency. The company even launched a Site Performance tool as part of its Webmaster Tools suite to help assess site performance statistics and make changes accordingly. Today’s blog post recommends a few other tools for evaluating your site’s speed as well, including the Firefox Add-on Page Speed, Yahoo’s YSlow and WebPagetest.

The new site speed criterion isn’t weighted as heavily as something like page relevance, however. Google says less than 1% of actual search queries performed are being affected by the site speed dimension in the current implementation.

Do you think web site performance should affect search result rankings?

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Tags: Google, performance, Search, site speed, Web Development

Sure, that Apple-flavored brushed aluminum finish might work for most iPad owners, but what if you’re a unique snowflake whose extremely non-conformist identity must be reflected in every item of consumer electronics you own?

Enter the folks at ColorWare, who want to help add some serious Technicolor flair to your shiny new Apple tablet. You can customize your own look and feel by picking your a color scheme for the back, logo and home button separately using the company’s web-based Design Studio.

Unfortunately, your commitment to non-conformity comes at a steep price: a $410 service charge, to be exact. You can either send in your own iPad or pay the retail price plus service charge to order a new unit directly from ColorWare. You’d be looking at shelling out $1,110 to get a custom colored 64 GB iPad, but then, what’s the cost of your individuality? Priceless.

As you’re watching the video below, be sure to listen to that song from the tunnel scene in Willy Wonka. Would you be willing to part with $410 to have your iPad show your true colors?

[via Engadget]

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Tags: apple, colorware, customization, ipad, tablets

Even if you’ve already read up on all of today’s iPhone OS 4.0 news, you may yet hanker for a glimpse of His Steveness in patented black-turtlenecked action. Given that the man is a master at making even jaded technology pundits hang on his every word waiting for that “one more thing,” we can’t blame you for heading over to download the event video at low, medium, or high resolution.

What was your favorite moment from today’s presentation?

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: apple, ipad, iphone, iphone os, iphone os 4.0, iPod Touch, steve jobs, video

It’s an already hot space that’s getting hotter: The e-book market just got a few big jolts, with Apple adding iBook support to the iPhone and now two of the frontrunning e-reader devices coming to retail.

Engadget reports that Barnes & Noble’s Nook will be sold at Best Buy starting April 18, and that Amazon’s Kindle will come to Target on April 25.

The Nook already enjoyed some measure of retail presence in Barnes & Noble stores, but with a new footprint in one of the few remaining consumer electronics retailers (even Radio Shack is in trouble) the device will see more exposure to the casual consumer who doesn’t necessarily follow the still-emerging e-book space.

Both moves into retail likely reflect an acknowledgment of the threat from Apple in this ecosystem. Apple, too, has the benefit of a retail presence — in its own stores of course, as well as with the iPhone and iPad at Best Buy. And with the announcement of iBooks for iPhone OS 4.0, Apple essentially just added about 85 million potential platform users to its 450,000 iPad install base of potential iBook buyers.

It seems inevitable that more and more of us will be reading published works on our assortment of mobile devices, but it will be interesting to see if there will be a pull-away winner in the device or content space — or both. If you’re the wagering type, what’s your guess on who might win this race? Or will there be room in the market for a few fairly significant players?

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: amazon, apple, barnes & noble, ebooks, ereaders, ipad, iphone, Kindle, nook

It’s an already hot space that’s getting hotter: The e-book market just got a few big jolts, with Apple adding iBook support to the iPhone and now two of the frontrunning e-reader devices coming to retail.

Engadget reports that Barnes & Noble’s Nook will be sold at Best Buy starting April 18, and that Amazon’s Kindle will come to Target on April 25.

The Nook already enjoyed some measure of retail presence in Barnes & Noble stores, but with a new footprint in one of the few remaining consumer electronics retailers (even Radio Shack is in trouble) the device will see more exposure to the casual consumer who doesn’t necessarily follow the still-emerging e-book space.

Both moves into retail likely reflect an acknowledgment of the threat from Apple in this ecosystem. Apple, too, has the benefit of a retail presence — in its own stores of course, as well as with the iPhone and iPad at Best Buy. And with the announcement of iBooks for iPhone OS 4.0, Apple essentially just added about 85 million potential platform users to its 450,000 iPad install base of potential iBook buyers.

It seems inevitable that more and more of us will be reading published works on our assortment of mobile devices, but it will be interesting to see if there will be a pull-away winner in the device or content space — or both. If you’re the wagering type, what’s your guess on who might win this race? Or will there be room in the market for a few fairly significant players?

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: amazon, apple, barnes & noble, ebooks, ereaders, ipad, iphone, Kindle, nook

It’s an already hot space that’s getting hotter: The e-book market just got a few big jolts, with Apple adding iBook support to the iPhone and now two of the frontrunning e-reader devices coming to retail.

Engadget reports that Barnes & Noble’s Nook will be sold at Best Buy starting April 18, and that Amazon’s Kindle will come to Target on April 25.

The Nook already enjoyed some measure of retail presence in Barnes & Noble stores, but with a new footprint in one of the few remaining consumer electronics retailers (even Radio Shack is in trouble) the device will see more exposure to the casual consumer who doesn’t necessarily follow the still-emerging e-book space.

Both moves into retail likely reflect an acknowledgment of the threat from Apple in this ecosystem. Apple, too, has the benefit of a retail presence — in its own stores of course, as well as with the iPhone and iPad at Best Buy. And with the announcement of iBooks for iPhone OS 4.0, Apple essentially just added about 85 million potential platform users to its 450,000 iPad install base of potential iBook buyers.

It seems inevitable that more and more of us will be reading published works on our assortment of mobile devices, but it will be interesting to see if there will be a pull-away winner in the device or content space — or both. If you’re the wagering type, what’s your guess on who might win this race? Or will there be room in the market for a few fairly significant players?

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: amazon, apple, barnes & noble, ebooks, ereaders, ipad, iphone, Kindle, nook

It’s an already hot space that’s getting hotter: The e-book market just got a few big jolts, with Apple adding iBook support to the iPhone and now two of the frontrunning e-reader devices coming to retail.

Engadget reports that Barnes & Noble’s Nook will be sold at Best Buy starting April 18, and that Amazon’s Kindle will come to Target on April 25.

The Nook already enjoyed some measure of retail presence in Barnes & Noble stores, but with a new footprint in one of the few remaining consumer electronics retailers (even Radio Shack is in trouble) the device will see more exposure to the casual consumer who doesn’t necessarily follow the still-emerging e-book space.

Both moves into retail likely reflect an acknowledgment of the threat from Apple in this ecosystem. Apple, too, has the benefit of a retail presence — in its own stores of course, as well as with the iPhone and iPad at Best Buy. And with the announcement of iBooks for iPhone OS 4.0, Apple essentially just added about 85 million potential platform users to its 450,000 iPad install base of potential iBook buyers.

It seems inevitable that more and more of us will be reading published works on our assortment of mobile devices, but it will be interesting to see if there will be a pull-away winner in the device or content space — or both. If you’re the wagering type, what’s your guess on who might win this race? Or will there be room in the market for a few fairly significant players?

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: amazon, apple, barnes & noble, ebooks, ereaders, ipad, iphone, Kindle, nook

It’s an already hot space that’s getting hotter: The e-book market just got a few big jolts, with Apple adding iBook support to the iPhone and now two of the frontrunning e-reader devices coming to retail.

Engadget reports that Barnes & Noble’s Nook will be sold at Best Buy starting April 18, and that Amazon’s Kindle will come to Target on April 25.

The Nook already enjoyed some measure of retail presence in Barnes & Noble stores, but with a new footprint in one of the few remaining consumer electronics retailers (even Radio Shack is in trouble) the device will see more exposure to the casual consumer who doesn’t necessarily follow the still-emerging e-book space.

Both moves into retail likely reflect an acknowledgment of the threat from Apple in this ecosystem. Apple, too, has the benefit of a retail presence — in its own stores of course, as well as with the iPhone and iPad at Best Buy. And with the announcement of iBooks for iPhone OS 4.0, Apple essentially just added about 85 million potential platform users to its 450,000 iPad install base of potential iBook buyers.

It seems inevitable that more and more of us will be reading published works on our assortment of mobile devices, but it will be interesting to see if there will be a pull-away winner in the device or content space — or both. If you’re the wagering type, what’s your guess on who might win this race? Or will there be room in the market for a few fairly significant players?

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: amazon, apple, barnes & noble, ebooks, ereaders, ipad, iphone, Kindle, nook

It’s an already hot space that’s getting hotter: The e-book market just got a few big jolts, with Apple adding iBook support to the iPhone and now two of the frontrunning e-reader devices coming to retail.

Engadget reports that Barnes & Noble’s Nook will be sold at Best Buy starting April 18, and that Amazon’s Kindle will come to Target on April 25.

The Nook already enjoyed some measure of retail presence in Barnes & Noble stores, but with a new footprint in one of the few remaining consumer electronics retailers (even Radio Shack is in trouble) the device will see more exposure to the casual consumer who doesn’t necessarily follow the still-emerging e-book space.

Both moves into retail likely reflect an acknowledgment of the threat from Apple in this ecosystem. Apple, too, has the benefit of a retail presence — in its own stores of course, as well as with the iPhone and iPad at Best Buy. And with the announcement of iBooks for iPhone OS 4.0, Apple essentially just added about 85 million potential platform users to its 450,000 iPad install base of potential iBook buyers.

It seems inevitable that more and more of us will be reading published works on our assortment of mobile devices, but it will be interesting to see if there will be a pull-away winner in the device or content space — or both. If you’re the wagering type, what’s your guess on who might win this race? Or will there be room in the market for a few fairly significant players?

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: amazon, apple, barnes & noble, ebooks, ereaders, ipad, iphone, Kindle, nook

It’s an already hot space that’s getting hotter: The e-book market just got a few big jolts, with Apple adding iBook support to the iPhone and now two of the frontrunning e-reader devices coming to retail.

Engadget reports that Barnes & Noble’s Nook will be sold at Best Buy starting April 18, and that Amazon’s Kindle will come to Target on April 25.

The Nook already enjoyed some measure of retail presence in Barnes & Noble stores, but with a new footprint in one of the few remaining consumer electronics retailers (even Radio Shack is in trouble) the device will see more exposure to the casual consumer who doesn’t necessarily follow the still-emerging e-book space.

Both moves into retail likely reflect an acknowledgment of the threat from Apple in this ecosystem. Apple, too, has the benefit of a retail presence — in its own stores of course, as well as with the iPhone and iPad at Best Buy. And with the announcement of iBooks for iPhone OS 4.0, Apple essentially just added about 85 million potential platform users to its 450,000 iPad install base of potential iBook buyers.

It seems inevitable that more and more of us will be reading published works on our assortment of mobile devices, but it will be interesting to see if there will be a pull-away winner in the device or content space — or both. If you’re the wagering type, what’s your guess on who might win this race? Or will there be room in the market for a few fairly significant players?

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: amazon, apple, barnes & noble, ebooks, ereaders, ipad, iphone, Kindle, nook

One of the finer points Steve Jobs let loose at the end of the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement today is that only the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch third generation (the most recent iteration from fall 2009) will have the capacity to support the iPhone OS 4.0’s new multitasking features.

In other words, owners of the iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G, and first or second generation iPod touch models will not be able to multitask.

The current generation of devices “will run pretty much everything” in the new mobile operating system. The earlier iterations of iPhone and iPod touch, however, “will run many things, but not everything.” Jobs says they won’t be able to support multitasking because “the hardware just can’t do it.”

That’s bad news for owners of those products, who won’t be able to take advantage of one of the major updates coming in the new OS. This is certainly not unprecedented in the fast-paced world of technology development, but we’re sure there are a number of users of earlier iPhone and iPod touch models who are a wee bit miffed at this point.

What do you think: Is this par for the course? Should Apple have done more to support older product lines? Or should owners of initial generation Apple products get used to sucking it up and either upgrading or doing without? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: apple, iphone, iphone 3g, iphone 3Gs, iphone OS 4, iPod Touch, multitasking

One of the finer points Steve Jobs let loose at the end of the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement today is that only the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch third generation (the most recent iteration from fall 2009) will have the capacity to support the iPhone OS 4.0’s new multitasking features.

In other words, owners of the iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G, and first or second generation iPod touch models will not be able to multitask.

The current generation of devices “will run pretty much everything” in the new mobile operating system. The earlier iterations of iPhone and iPod touch, however, “will run many things, but not everything.” Jobs says they won’t be able to support multitasking because “the hardware just can’t do it.”

That’s bad news for owners of those products, who won’t be able to take advantage of one of the major updates coming in the new OS. This is certainly not unprecedented in the fast-paced world of technology development, but we’re sure there are a number of users of earlier iPhone and iPod touch models who are a wee bit miffed at this point.

What do you think: Is this par for the course? Should Apple have done more to support older product lines? Or should owners of initial generation Apple products get used to sucking it up and either upgrading or doing without? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: apple, iphone, iphone 3g, iphone 3Gs, iphone OS 4, iPod Touch, multitasking

One of the finer points Steve Jobs let loose at the end of the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement today is that only the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch third generation (the most recent iteration from fall 2009) will have the capacity to support the iPhone OS 4.0’s new multitasking features.

In other words, owners of the iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G, and first or second generation iPod touch models will not be able to multitask.

The current generation of devices “will run pretty much everything” in the new mobile operating system. The earlier iterations of iPhone and iPod touch, however, “will run many things, but not everything.” Jobs says they won’t be able to support multitasking because “the hardware just can’t do it.”

That’s bad news for owners of those products, who won’t be able to take advantage of one of the major updates coming in the new OS. This is certainly not unprecedented in the fast-paced world of technology development, but we’re sure there are a number of users of earlier iPhone and iPod touch models who are a wee bit miffed at this point.

What do you think: Is this par for the course? Should Apple have done more to support older product lines? Or should owners of initial generation Apple products get used to sucking it up and either upgrading or doing without? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: apple, iphone, iphone 3g, iphone 3Gs, iphone OS 4, iPod Touch, multitasking

One of the finer points Steve Jobs let loose at the end of the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement today is that only the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch third generation (the most recent iteration from fall 2009) will have the capacity to support the iPhone OS 4.0’s new multitasking features.

In other words, owners of the iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G, and first or second generation iPod touch models will not be able to multitask.

The current generation of devices “will run pretty much everything” in the new mobile operating system. The earlier iterations of iPhone and iPod touch, however, “will run many things, but not everything.” Jobs says they won’t be able to support multitasking because “the hardware just can’t do it.”

That’s bad news for owners of those products, who won’t be able to take advantage of one of the major updates coming in the new OS. This is certainly not unprecedented in the fast-paced world of technology development, but we’re sure there are a number of users of earlier iPhone and iPod touch models who are a wee bit miffed at this point.

What do you think: Is this par for the course? Should Apple have done more to support older product lines? Or should owners of initial generation Apple products get used to sucking it up and either upgrading or doing without? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: apple, iphone, iphone 3g, iphone 3Gs, iphone OS 4, iPod Touch, multitasking

One of the finer points Steve Jobs let loose at the end of the iPhone OS 4.0 announcement today is that only the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch third generation (the most recent iteration from fall 2009) will have the capacity to support the iPhone OS 4.0’s new multitasking features.

In other words, owners of the iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G, and first or second generation iPod touch models will not be able to multitask.

The current generation of devices “will run pretty much everything” in the new mobile operating system. The earlier iterations of iPhone and iPod touch, however, “will run many things, but not everything.” Jobs says they won’t be able to support multitasking because “the hardware just can’t do it.”

That’s bad news for owners of those products, who won’t be able to take advantage of one of the major updates coming in the new OS. This is certainly not unprecedented in the fast-paced world of technology development, but we’re sure there are a number of users of earlier iPhone and iPod touch models who are a wee bit miffed at this point.

What do you think: Is this par for the course? Should Apple have done more to support older product lines? Or should owners of initial generation Apple products get used to sucking it up and either upgrading or doing without? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: apple, iphone, iphone 3g, iphone 3Gs, iphone OS 4, iPod Touch, multitasking

Oh dear — looks like it’s time to add FarmVille to the list of internet addiction scares after a 12-year-old UK boy has amassed £905 in FarmVille debt. About £288 of that came from the boy’s own savings, while £625 was billed to his horrified mother’s credit card.

The debt — which is equivalent to about $1400 USD — was racked up in all of about two weeks’ worth of gameplay. In the popular casual Facebook game, players can spend real money to accrue virtual currency and items. It’s a business that’s booming enough to garner the game’s developer Zynga an estimated valuation as high as $5 billion.

Neither Zynga or the mother’s credit card company HSBC responded positively to requests for refunds; the latter indicated only a criminal proceeding could trigger eligibility for getting the funds reinstated. A spokeswoman for HSBC indicated that had the expenditures been on a gambling site the escalating transactions would have raised warning flags, but since the purchases were technically Facebook Credits, they didn’t warrant suspicion.

What do you think: is FarmVille destined to replace World of Warcraft as the favorite scapegoat for cable news gaming addiction scare segments?

[via Games.com]

For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: casual games, debt, facebook, facebook credits, farmville, games, gaming, microtransactions, trending, virtual goods, Zynga

Oh dear — looks like it’s time to add FarmVille to the list of internet addiction scares after a 12-year-old UK boy has amassed £905 in FarmVille debt. About £288 of that came from the boy’s own savings, while £625 was billed to his horrified mother’s credit card.

The debt — which is equivalent to about $1400 USD — was racked up in all of about two weeks’ worth of gameplay. In the popular casual Facebook game, players can spend real money to accrue virtual currency and items. It’s a business that’s booming enough to garner the game’s developer Zynga an estimated valuation as high as $5 billion.

Neither Zynga or the mother’s credit card company HSBC responded positively to requests for refunds; the latter indicated only a criminal proceeding could trigger eligibility for getting the funds reinstated. A spokeswoman for HSBC indicated that had the expenditures been on a gambling site the escalating transactions would have raised warning flags, but since the purchases were technically Facebook Credits, they didn’t warrant suspicion.

What do you think: is FarmVille destined to replace World of Warcraft as the favorite scapegoat for cable news gaming addiction scare segments?

[via Games.com]

For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: casual games, debt, facebook, facebook credits, farmville, games, gaming, microtransactions, trending, virtual goods, Zynga

Oh dear — looks like it’s time to add FarmVille to the list of internet addiction scares after a 12-year-old UK boy has amassed £905 in FarmVille debt. About £288 of that came from the boy’s own savings, while £625 was billed to his horrified mother’s credit card.

The debt — which is equivalent to about $1400 USD — was racked up in all of about two weeks’ worth of gameplay. In the popular casual Facebook game, players can spend real money to accrue virtual currency and items. It’s a business that’s booming enough to garner the game’s developer Zynga an estimated valuation as high as $5 billion.

Neither Zynga or the mother’s credit card company HSBC responded positively to requests for refunds; the latter indicated only a criminal proceeding could trigger eligibility for getting the funds reinstated. A spokeswoman for HSBC indicated that had the expenditures been on a gambling site the escalating transactions would have raised warning flags, but since the purchases were technically Facebook Credits, they didn’t warrant suspicion.

What do you think: is FarmVille destined to replace World of Warcraft as the favorite scapegoat for cable news gaming addiction scare segments?

[via Games.com]

For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Tags: casual games, debt, facebook, facebook credits, farmville, games, gaming, microtransactions, trending, virtual goods, Zynga

Oh dear — looks like it’s time to add FarmVille to the list of internet addiction scares after a 12-year-old UK boy amassed £905 in FarmVille debt. About £288 of that came from the boy’s own savings, while £625 was billed to his horrified mother’s credit card.

The debt — equivalent to about $1400 USD — was racked up in all of about two weeks’ worth of gameplay. In the popular casual Facebook game, players can spend real money to accrue virtual currency and items. It’s a business that’s booming enough to garner the game’s developer, Zynga, an estimated valuation as high as $5 billion.

Neither Zynga nor the mother’s credit card company HSBC responded positively to requests for refunds; the latter indicated only a criminal proceeding could trigger eligibility for getting the funds reinstated. A spokeswoman for HSBC indicated that had the expenditures been on a gambling site the escalating transactions would have raised warning flags, but since the purchases were technically Facebook Credits, they didn’t warrant suspicion.

What do you think: Is FarmVille destined to replace World of Warcraft as the favorite scapegoat for cable news gaming addiction scare segments?

[via Games.com]

For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: casual games, debt, facebook, facebook credits, farmville, games, gaming, microtransactions, trending, virtual goods, Zynga

This just in from the “Strange Bedfellows” department: apparently Nintendo has enlisted the help of Google to create a Wii game where players compete to guess the most popular search terms.

The game, entitled Ando Kensaku, will be out in Japan on April 29 and won’t likely see much of a release elsewhere given its quirkiness. The screenshot above gives you an idea of the cutesy avatar style of the title, featuring 14 mini-games where several players can choose from a multiple choice search term spread.

Who knew SEO could be fodder for a casual Wii game? Anyone else have a hankering for a special Web Nerd U.S. Edition of this thing?

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: Ando Kensaku, games, Google, Nintendo, Search, SEO, video games, Wii

This just in from the “Strange Bedfellows” department: apparently Nintendo has enlisted the help of Google to create a Wii game where players compete to guess the most popular search terms.

The game, entitled Ando Kensaku, will be out in Japan on April 29 and won’t likely see much of a release elsewhere given its quirkiness. The screenshot above gives you an idea of the cutesy avatar style of the title, featuring 14 mini-games where several players can choose from a multiple choice search term spread.

Who knew SEO could be fodder for a casual Wii game? Anyone else have a hankering for a special Web Nerd U.S. Edition of this thing?

For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: Ando Kensaku, games, Google, Nintendo, Search, SEO, video games, Wii

Fans of Aerosmith or rhythm games in general may enjoy drummer Joey Kramer’s iPhone app Hit Hard, which anyone who’s played Tap Tap Revenge will be familiar with. Similarly to the way the latter and many other rhythm games work, notes descend toward a timeline and points are scored by tapping the appropriate drums on beat with the music.

The game features five levels at increasing beats per minute (bpm), each with an easy, medium, and hard difficulty setting. The audio is comprised of original beats created and recorded by Kramer himself. Completing a level on any difficulty nets you an audio message from Joey reflecting on your performance, and after completing all the levels players can submit their scores to the High Score Contest leaderboard for a chance to win monthly prizes.

There’s also a freestyle mode (pictured above right) where you can bang the virtual skins to your heart’s content, similar to a handful of one-off instrument apps like Drum Meister. Overall Hit Hard is an easy-to-use rhythm game meets lightweight freestyle finger drum app for a reasonable $1.99, which nets Aerosmith and Joey Kramer fans a chance to compete for bragging rights and enter the monthly special prize contest.

What’s your favorite music app for the iPhone?

For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: Aerosmith, drums, games, Hit Hard, iphone, iphone apps, Mobile 2.0, music, tap tap revenge, video games

Fans of Aerosmith or rhythm games in general may enjoy drummer Joey Kramer’s iPhone app Hit Hard, which anyone who’s played Tap Tap Revenge will be familiar with. Similarly to the way the latter and many other rhythm games work, notes descend toward a timeline and points are scored by tapping the appropriate drums on beat with the music.

The game features five levels at increasing beats per minute (bpm), each with an easy, medium, and hard difficulty setting. The audio is comprised of original beats created and recorded by Kramer himself. Completing a level on any difficulty nets you an audio message from Joey reflecting on your performance, and after completing all the levels players can submit their scores to the High Score Contest leaderboard for a chance to win monthly prizes.

There’s also a freestyle mode (pictured above right) where you can bang the virtual skins to your heart’s content, similar to a handful of one-off instrument apps like Drum Meister. Overall Hit Hard is an easy-to-use rhythm game meets lightweight freestyle finger drum app for a reasonable $1.99, which nets Aerosmith and Joey Kramer fans a chance to compete for bragging rights and enter the monthly special prize contest.

What’s your favorite music app for the iPhone?

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Tags: Aerosmith, drums, games, Hit Hard, iphone, iphone apps, Mobile 2.0, music, tap tap revenge, video games

Fans of Aerosmith or rhythm games in general may enjoy drummer Joey Kramer’s iPhone app Hit Hard, which anyone who’s played Tap Tap Revenge will be familiar with. Similarly to the way the latter and many other rhythm games work, notes descend toward a timeline and points are scored by tapping the appropriate drums on beat with the music.

The game features five levels at increasing beats per minute (bpm), each with an easy, medium, and hard difficulty setting. The audio is comprised of original beats created and recorded by Kramer himself. Completing a level on any difficulty nets you an audio message from Joey reflecting on your performance, and after completing all the levels players can submit their scores to the High Score Contest leaderboard for a chance to win monthly prizes.

There’s also a freestyle mode (pictured above right) where you can bang the virtual skins to your heart’s content, similar to a handful of one-off instrument apps like Drum Meister. Overall Hit Hard is an easy-to-use rhythm game meets lightweight freestyle finger drum app for a reasonable $1.99, which nets Aerosmith and Joey Kramer fans a chance to compete for bragging rights and enter the monthly special prize contest.

What’s your favorite music app for the iPhone?

For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Tags: Aerosmith, drums, games, Hit Hard, iphone, iphone apps, Mobile 2.0, music, tap tap revenge, video games

Not only is it kid friendly, but the iPad is also apparently TSA friendly as well.

Unlike your laptop, which the Transportation Security Administration requests you take out and place in a separate bin during airport security screening, Apple’s new tablet is apparently deemed small and thin enough to not warrant a separate check. In a statement issued by the agency, they relayed that you won’t need to remove your iPad from your bag unless specifically requested to do so.

Beyond its comparatively smaller size, the TSA said the iPad is less likely to be accompanied by a range of accessories and external drives that can obscure a clear image via the X-ray scanner. A range of “checkpoint friendly” laptop cases play on this point by isolating the computer itself — but as with the iPad, even though you may be safe for the most part you should be ready to remove any particular item the TSA requests.

The news is certainly another boon for Apple, who could now legitimately tout the iPad as a more travel-friendly device. Do you think the tablet deserves its special TSA friendly status?

[via Ars Technica]

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Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: airport, apple, ipad, security, travel, tsa

Not only is it kid friendly, but the iPad is also apparently TSA friendly as well.

Unlike your laptop, which the Transportation Security Administration requests you take out and place in a separate bin during airport security screening, Apple’s new tablet is apparently deemed small and thin enough to not warrant a separate check. In a statement issued by the agency, they relayed that you won’t need to remove your iPad from your bag unless specifically requested to do so.

Beyond its comparatively smaller size, the TSA said the iPad is less likely to be accompanied by a range of accessories and external drives that can obscure a clear image via the X-ray scanner. A range of “checkpoint friendly” laptop cases play on this point by isolating the computer itself — but as with the iPad, even though you may be safe for the most part you should be ready to remove any particular item the TSA requests.

The news is certainly another boon for Apple, who could now legitimately tout the iPad as a more travel-friendly device. Do you think the tablet deserves its special TSA friendly status?

[via Ars Technica]

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: airport, apple, ipad, security, travel, tsa

Not only is it kid friendly, but the iPad is also apparently TSA friendly as well.

Unlike your laptop, which the Transportation Security Administration requests you take out and place in a separate bin during airport security screening, Apple’s new tablet is apparently deemed small and thin enough to not warrant a separate check. In a statement issued by the agency, they relayed that you won’t need to remove your iPad from your bag unless specifically requested to do so.

Beyond its comparatively smaller size, the TSA said the iPad is less likely to be accompanied by a range of accessories and external drives that can obscure a clear image via the X-ray scanner. A range of “checkpoint friendly” laptop cases play on this point by isolating the computer itself — but as with the iPad, even though you may be safe for the most part you should be ready to remove any particular item the TSA requests.

The news is certainly another boon for Apple, who could now legitimately tout the iPad as a more travel-friendly device. Do you think the tablet deserves its special TSA friendly status?

[via Ars Technica]

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: airport, apple, ipad, security, travel, tsa

Not only is it kid friendly, but the iPad is also apparently TSA friendly as well.

Unlike your laptop, which the Transportation Security Administration requests you take out and place in a separate bin during airport security screening, Apple’s new tablet is apparently deemed small and thin enough to not warrant a separate check. In a statement issued by the agency, they relayed that you won’t need to remove your iPad from your bag unless specifically requested to do so.

Beyond its comparatively smaller size, the TSA said the iPad is less likely to be accompanied by a range of accessories and external drives that can obscure a clear image via the X-ray scanner. A range of “checkpoint friendly” laptop cases play on this point by isolating the computer itself — but as with the iPad, even though you may be safe for the most part you should be ready to remove any particular item the TSA requests.

The news is certainly another boon for Apple, who could now legitimately tout the iPad as a more travel-friendly device. Do you think the tablet deserves its special TSA friendly status?

[via Ars Technica]

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

Tags: airport, apple, ipad, security, travel, tsa

For once, the Internet provides a measure of cuteness that does not involve cats (or turtles) — this time it’s an adorable 2-year old who takes to the iPad like a fish to water. It’s no wonder app makers are scrambling to get apps like Dr. Seuss onto the iPad.

For a company who prides itself on making easy-to-use products, this kind of unsolicited marketing is pretty much pure gold. The litmus test for “user-friendly” until recently was “can my mom use it?” Increasingly it might become “can my toddler use it?”

Kids today don’t know how good they have it. Back in my day, we were happy if we had two Lincoln Logs to stack together. However, parents contemplating the iPad’s suitability as a children’s toy might also want to consider some iPad insurance.

[via Mike Elgan]

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Tags: apple, ipad, Kids, tablets, trending, video, viral video