Thursday, April 25, 2013

Zooey Deschanel Identified as Boston Bombing Suspect in Closed-Captioning Gaffe

ZooeyTodd Wasserman2013-04-20 01:37:38 UTC

Blame the heat of the moment or a hard-to-spell name, but Fox affiliate apparently identified Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as actress Zooey Deschanel.

Though the purported gaffe could have been a hoax, Deschanel herself responded to the image, which circulated on Twitter as police were closing in on Tsarnaev Friday night:

Image via Getty, Jason Kempin

Topics: Boston Marathon, Pics, Watercooler, Zooey Deschanel if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"watercooler","content_type":"article","top_channel":"watercooler","content_source_type":"Internal","content_source_name":"Internal","author_name":"Todd Wasserman","age":"0","pub_day":20,"pub_month":4,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"04/20/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"Default"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://mashable.com/2013/04/19/zooey-deschanel/"],["image_src","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzJmL1pvb2V5Ljc4ZGNiLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTcyMHg3MjAjCmUJanBn/4e0c3ee7/a33/Zooey.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/19/zooey-deschanel/"],["og:title","Zooey Deschanel Identified as Boston Bombing Suspect in Closed-Captioning Gaffe"],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:image","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzJmL1pvb2V5Ljc4ZGNiLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTcyMHg3MjAjCmUJanBn/4e0c3ee7/a33/Zooey.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-04-20T01:37:38Z"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-04-20T01:37:48Z"]],"meta_name":[["description","Blame the heat of the moment or a hard-to-spell name, but Fox affiliate apparently identified Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as actress Zooey Deschanel."],["keywords",["uncategorized","watercooler","pics","boston-marathon","zooey-deschanel"]],["twitter:title","Zooey Deschanel Identified as Boston Bombing Suspect in Closed-Captioning Gaffe"],["twitter:description","Blame the heat of the moment or a hard-to-spell name, but Fox affiliate apparently identified Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as actress Zooey Deschanel. Though the purported gaffe could have..."],["twitter:image","http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzJmL1pvb2V5Ljc4ZGNiLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTU2MHg3NTAKZQlqcGc/607b22d3/a33/Zooey.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/19/zooey-deschanel/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","photo"],["twitter:image:width","560"],["twitter:image:height","750"]],"short_url":[["short_url","http://on.mash.to/17Myhqi"]]};

View the original article here

New Aerial Images Show Boston Bombing Suspect In Boat

Boston-boatAlex Fitzpatrick2013-04-20 20:05:17 UTC

Massachusetts State Police released five images taken of Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's hiding spot after he was discovered in a boat parked in a Watertown, Mass. backyard. The boat's owner was the first to find Tsnarnaev in the boat, calling police to report his discovery shortly thereafter.

The first three images were taken using thermal cameras, which are designed to pick up the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Such technology is often used by police to locate suspects and by the military to isolate targets, as human body heat is particularly recognizable when juxtaposed with objects that aren't giving off nearly the same amount of heat.

The images were taken by the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing, per the department's Twitter account:

Police air support played a key role in Friday's operations, which resulted in Tsarnaev being taken into custody badly hurt, but alive.

"Our helicopter had actually detected the subject in the boat," Massachusetts State Police Col. Timothy Alben said as quoted by NBC News. "We have what's called a FLIR — a forward-looking infrared device — on that helicopter. It picked up the heat signature of the individual, even though he was underneath what appeared to be the 'shrink wrap' or cover on the boat itself. There was movement from that point on. The helicopter was able to direct the tactical teams over to that area."

The latter images also seem to show the boat's tarp was removed with a tool attached to a specialized law enforcement vehicle, not a robot as police said earlier. Mashable has requested clarification on this point from the Boston Police Department.

Images courtesy Massachusetts State Police

Topics: Boston, Boston Marathon, U.S., US & World if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"us-world","content_type":"article","top_channel":"us-world","content_source_type":"Internal","content_source_name":"Internal","author_name":"Alex Fitzpatrick","age":"0","pub_day":20,"pub_month":4,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"04/20/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"Default"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/aerial-images-boston-bombing/"],["image_src","http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwL2QyL2Jvc3RvbmJvYXQuODM3NzYuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNzIweDcyMCMKZQlqcGc/16d2e72e/64b/boston-boat.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/aerial-images-boston-bombing/"],["og:title","New Aerial Images Show Boston Bombing Suspect In Boat"],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:image","http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwL2QyL2Jvc3RvbmJvYXQuODM3NzYuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNzIweDcyMCMKZQlqcGc/16d2e72e/64b/boston-boat.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-04-20T20:05:17Z"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-04-20T20:11:16Z"]],"meta_name":[["description","Massachusetts State Police has released a series of aerial photos, some taken with a thermal camera, of the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing."],["keywords",["us","boston","uncategorized","us-world","boston-marathon"]],["twitter:title","New Aerial Images Show Boston Bombing Suspect In Boat"],["twitter:description","Massachusetts State Police released five images taken of Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's hiding spot after he was discovered in a boat parked in a Watertown, Mass. backyard. The boat's owne..."],["twitter:image","http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwL2QyL2Jvc3RvbmJvYXQuODM3NzYuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNTYweDc1MAplCWpwZw/992585d3/64b/boston-boat.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/aerial-images-boston-bombing/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","photo"],["twitter:image:width","560"],["twitter:image:height","750"]],"short_url":[["short_url","http://on.mash.to/Zc609K"]]};

View the original article here

Tech Startup Asks Employees to Keep Diet and Exercise Log

Joggingfor PSFK 2013-04-21 01:27:34 UTC

Citizen, a mobile tech company in Portland, Ore., has taken its health and wellness programs in an interesting direction. The company encourages its employees to submit health and fitness data such as what they eat, how much they exercise and how many hours of sleep they get.

The employees upload their results to a central server as part of a wellness program to determine whether healthy employees are indeed happier or more productive.

The system, called C3PO (Citizen Evolutionary Process Organism), takes a cue from the quantified self movement, which is basically self-tracking your well-being with statistics.

Employees gather information from personal self-tracking tools, like RunKeeper and Fitbit and several software tools within the company — its project-management tool and time-tracking application, for instance — to determine how the employees are doing. The main goal of the program is to help employees become more productive by developing better personal habits.

The program at Citizen is fairly new and is completely voluntary. Only about 10% of its employees have signed up for the program, and the company can only access information to which the employee gives access. Employees can also take their information with them if they leave the company.

The company is aware of the potential privacy issues that can come out of the program, but for now those backing on the system are determined committed to making it work. They hope that they can use the system to change how the company operates or improve their attrition rate.

Image courtesy of Flickr, lululemon athletica

This article originally published at PSFK here

Topics: diets, employees, exercise, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, startup community, Startups, tech companies PSFK is a Mashable publishing partner that reports on ideas and trends in creative business, design, gadgets, and technology. This article is reprinted with the publisher's permission.

if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"lifestyle","content_type":"article","top_channel":"lifestyle","content_source_type":"MPP","content_source_name":"PSFK","author_name":"PSFK","age":"0","pub_day":21,"pub_month":4,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"04/21/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"Default"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://www.psfk.com/2013/04/startup-employee-health.html"],["image_src","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIxLzE3L2pvZ2dpbmcuZmIwMjYuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNzIweDcyMCMKZQlqcGc/6c8b2d92/a31/jogging.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/citizen-diet-exercise-log/"],["og:title","Tech Startup Asks Employees to Keep Diet and Exercise Log"],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:image","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIxLzE3L2pvZ2dpbmcuZmIwMjYuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNzIweDcyMCMKZQlqcGc/6c8b2d92/a31/jogging.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-04-21T01:27:34Z"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-04-21T01:27:43Z"]],"meta_name":[["description","Citizen, a mobile tech company in Portland, Ore., has taken its health and wellness programs in an interesting direction. The company encourages its employees to submit health a..."],["keywords",["diets","exercise","employees","uncategorized","startup-community","startups","tech-companies","lifestyle","health-fitness"]],["twitter:title","Tech Startup Asks Employees to Keep Diet and Exercise Log"],["twitter:description","Citizen, a mobile tech company in Portland, Ore., has taken its health and wellness programs in an interesting direction. The company encourages its employees to submit health and fitness data such as..."],["twitter:image","http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIxLzE3L2pvZ2dpbmcuZmIwMjYuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNTYweDc1MAplCWpwZw/304a57f6/a31/jogging.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/citizen-diet-exercise-log/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","photo"],["twitter:image:width","560"],["twitter:image:height","750"]],"short_url":[["short_url","http://on.mash.to/17aYu0H"]]};

View the original article here

These 10 Cats Are More Awesome Than Yours

8642457606_916203ecf1_hAmy-Mae Elliott2013-04-20 18:02:42 UTC

As with humans, some cats just have "it" — that mysterious quality that somehow sets them far apart from lesser kitties.

We have found 10 such kitties that are almost certainly more awesome than the average mog.

Take a look through our photogenic pool of cool cats in the image gallery above. If you think your cat can compete with this classy collection, link us to a pic in the comments section below.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Pete Coleman

Topics: animals, cats, funny, gallery, humor, Pics, Watercooler if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"watercooler","content_type":"article","top_channel":"watercooler","content_source_type":"Internal","content_source_name":"Internal","author_name":"Amy-Mae Elliott","age":"0","pub_day":20,"pub_month":4,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"04/20/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"Gallery"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/cool-cats/"],["image_src","http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzQxLzg2NDI0NTc2MDYuOGVkM2EuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNzIweDcyMCMKZQlqcGc/1dda9f31/9dc/8642457606_916203ecf1_h.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/cool-cats/"],["og:title","These 10 Cats Are More Awesome Than Yours"],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:image","http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzQxLzg2NDI0NTc2MDYuOGVkM2EuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNzIweDcyMCMKZQlqcGc/1dda9f31/9dc/8642457606_916203ecf1_h.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-04-20T18:02:42Z"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-04-20T18:11:56Z"]],"meta_name":[["description","We have found 10 cats that are almost certainly more awesome than the average mog. "],["keywords",["gallery","features","animals","humor","cats","funny","uncategorized","watercooler","pics"]],["twitter:title","These 10 Cats Are More Awesome Than Yours"],["twitter:description","As with humans, some cats just have \"it\" -- that mysterious quality that somehow sets them far apart from lesser kitties. We have found 10 such kitties that are almost certainly more awesome than the ..."],["twitter:image","http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzQxLzg2NDI0NTc2MDYuOGVkM2EuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNTYweDc1MAplCWpwZw/e50a0626/9dc/8642457606_916203ecf1_h.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/cool-cats/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","photo"],["twitter:image:width","560"],["twitter:image:height","750"]],"short_url":[["short_url","http://on.mash.to/ZFECwt"]]};

View the original article here

Map Shows Hundreds of Tweets From Boston Marathon Bombing

Boston-marathonAlex Fitzpatrick2013-04-20 18:32:56 UTC

This map, created by a Syracuse University professor and student, shows approximately 200 tweets sent from the scene of the Boston Marathon with the #BostonMarathon hashtag during the hours immediately following Monday's bombing.

Andrew Bauer, a student working on the project with Professsor Anthony Rotolo of Syracuse University's School of Information Studies, told Mashable his team collected more than 500,000 tweets with the hashtag, then whittled down the number to those geotagged in the Boston area.

The project is part of the school's New Explorations in Information and Science, or Nexis, a lab dedicated to data analysis and other Internet research.

"I realized we had all this location data," said Bauer, adding that a goal of his is to show technology's connection to the real world. "So location's been a big thing, to bring technology back into the physical world and show people that connection, that the things people do online, they apply to real life, it's not just pie in the sky sort of stuff."

The #BostonMarathon map displays as a heat map, allowing users to click into specific areas of Boston to reveal tweets — some with photographs — sent that tragic day.

"Even people who weren't super familiar with Twitter and its capabilities could realize all these people were sitting in the area at the time tweeting these things that were happening in real time," said Bauer. "I feel like it makes it just a little more concrete than just looking at a Twitter feed."

The full map can be accessed at Tweets From Boston.

Three people were killed and more than 170 injured in Monday's bombing. The elder suspect, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died early Friday following a shootout with police. The second suspect, his 19-year-old brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was apprehended alive but severely wounded Friday evening following a confrontation in Watertown, Mass.

Image via Kayana Szymczak/Getty Images

Topics: Boston, Boston Marathon, U.S., US & World if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"us-world","content_type":"article","top_channel":"us-world","content_source_type":"Internal","content_source_name":"Internal","author_name":"Alex Fitzpatrick","age":"0","pub_day":20,"pub_month":4,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"04/20/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"Default"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/boston-marathon-twitter-map/"],["image_src","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzBiL2Jvc3Rvbm1hcmF0LmE1NDhlLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTcyMHg3MjAjCmUJanBn/44ce78b6/1d4/boston-marathon.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/boston-marathon-twitter-map/"],["og:title","Map Shows Hundreds of Tweets From Boston Marathon Bombing"],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:image","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzBiL2Jvc3Rvbm1hcmF0LmE1NDhlLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTcyMHg3MjAjCmUJanBn/44ce78b6/1d4/boston-marathon.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-04-20T18:32:56Z"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-04-20T18:33:07Z"]],"meta_name":[["description","This map shows hundreds of tweets sent from the scene of the Boston Marathon bombing as it unfolded."],["keywords",["us","boston","uncategorized","us-world","boston-marathon"]],["twitter:title","Map Shows Hundreds of Tweets From Boston Marathon Bombing"],["twitter:description","This map, created by a Syracuse University professor and student, shows approximately 200 tweets sent from the scene of the Boston Marathon with the #BostonMarathon hashtag during the hours immediatel..."],["twitter:image","http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzBiL2Jvc3Rvbm1hcmF0LmE1NDhlLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTU2MHg3NTAKZQlqcGc/7cfef860/1d4/boston-marathon.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/boston-marathon-twitter-map/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","photo"],["twitter:image:width","560"],["twitter:image:height","750"]],"short_url":[["short_url","http://on.mash.to/1067z4B"]]};

View the original article here

32 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

Digital-media-resources2Elisha Hartwig2013-04-21 00:45:23 UTC

As the tragic events of this week unfolded, many of us across the country sat glued to our TVs, news sites and Twitter feeds hungrily searching for updates about the Boston Marathon bombing, or the Waco, Texas explosion. In times like these, we are all forced to reexamine our priorities and come together as a nation.

If you want a quick update of the news in the tech and social media spaces, we've gathered the most newsworthy announcements and changes for you here. Read on for details about Facebook's new Chat Heads for iPhone and some new apps to help make your life easier.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's digital media download.

For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable's social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Simon & Schuster Brings E-Books to NYC Libraries
Simon & Schuster is the last major publisher to offer its ebooks to libraries.

3 Elements of Every Successful Business Plan
If you've got a great product, platform or business you're stoked to start up, take a look at our tips to help you craft the perfect business plan.

'The Guardian' Calls for Citizen Journalists Via App
The Guardian creates a platform for submissions from citizen journalists.

Why Brands Should Be Human on Social Media
The success of any social media program is ultimately determined by its ability to connect on a one-to-one, human level. But how can your brand be more human?

Wanderu Makes It Much Easier to Book Bus Trips
Wanderu is the first web portal to find bus travel between various bus carriers to help you easily find the best way to reach your destination.

A Facebook Fan Is Worth $174, Researcher Says
How much is a Facebook fan worth to a brand? The answer is $174, according to one recent study.

5 Tactics to Grow Your Email List
In January, many email marketers said increasing their lists was their top goal for 2013. Well, spring is here. Is your mailing list growing as fast as your flowers and lawn? If not, it's time to execute a new plan.

Disconnect.me Lets You Control Your Data Online
Disconnect.me is a browser extension that helps users block more than 2,000 websites from tracking their data online.

Why Twitter Is Getting Into the Music Discovery Business
So why is Twitter getting into the music business? In a word, advertising.

Hiring Experts Reveal Resume Pet Peeves
One surefire way to prevent your resume from making the circular file is to avoid some of these most common resume pet peeves of hiring managers.

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable's business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable's tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

For more digital lifestyle news and resources, you can follow Mashable's lifestyle channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Image courtesy of Flickr, telwink

Topics: Apps and Software, Business, Family & Parenting, Features Week In Review, Gadgets, Lifestyle, Marketing, Mobile, Social Media, Tech, Travel & Leisure if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"social-media","content_type":"article","top_channel":"social-media","content_source_type":"Internal","content_source_name":"Internal","author_name":"Elisha Hartwig","age":"0","pub_day":21,"pub_month":4,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"04/21/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"Default"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/digital-media-resources-77/"],["image_src","http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIxLzYzL0RpZ2l0YWxNZWRpLmM0YWMyLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTcyMHg3MjAjCmUJanBn/207e314a/8e5/Digital-Media-Resources2.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/digital-media-resources-77/"],["og:title","32 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed"],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:image","http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIxLzYzL0RpZ2l0YWxNZWRpLmM0YWMyLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTcyMHg3MjAjCmUJanBn/207e314a/8e5/Digital-Media-Resources2.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-04-21T00:45:23Z"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-04-21T00:45:41Z"]],"meta_name":[["description","It's been another busy week in the digital world. Catch up on the latest digital media resources with our weekly features roundup."],["keywords",["mashable","features","business","tech","features-week-in-review","uncategorized","marketing","social-media","apps-software","gadgets"]],["twitter:title","32 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed"],["twitter:description","As the tragic events of this week unfolded, many of us across the country sat glued to our TVs, news sites and Twitter feeds hungrily searching for updates about the Boston Marathon bombing, or the Wa..."],["twitter:image","http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIxLzYzL0RpZ2l0YWxNZWRpLmM0YWMyLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTU2MHg3NTAKZQlqcGc/bd237f9e/8e5/Digital-Media-Resources2.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/digital-media-resources-77/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","photo"],["twitter:image:width","560"],["twitter:image:height","750"]],"short_url":[["short_url","http://on.mash.to/17aVJwe"]]};

View the original article here

Filmmakers Have Earned $128 Million in Pledges on Kickstarter

Kickstarter-project-at-oscarsBrian Anthony Hernandez2013-04-20 20:52:14 UTC

Film projects on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter have raised $127 million in pledges since April 2009, Kickstarter's Stephanie Pereira announced onstage at TFI Interactive. The $127 million figure has now increased to $128 million on Kickstarter's live stats page.

More than 1 million people have pledged money to help fund one of 9,700 independent films, features, documentaries, shorts, web series or other video projects, said Pereira, director of art programs at Kickstarter, on Saturday at the Tribeca Film Institute event in New York.

Several of the finished projects have earned accolades at awards shows, praise at film festivals and airtime on such networks as HBO, PBS and Showtime.

Inocente, for example, won Best Documentary (Short Subject) at this year's Oscars. Inocente had attracted 294 backers who collectively pledged $52,527 on its Kickstarter page in 2012.

"[Kickstarter] helped fund a bunch of the film and kept us going through post-production," Inocente co-director Sean Fine previously told Mashable backstage at the Oscars. "It's a great outlet for films especially for documentaries."

Two other Kickstarter-backed films received Oscar nominations this year: Kings Point in Best Documentary (Short Subject) and Buzkashi Boys in Short Film (Live Action). In previous years, Kickstarter-backed films Sun Come Up, Incident in New Baghdad and Barber of Birmingham also earned nominations.

In January, Kickstarter had announced it surpassed the $100 million mark in the film and rounded up these highlights about completed projects (details as of April 2013 weren't readily available at press time):

At least 86 Kickstarter-funded films have been released theatrically, screening in more than 1,500 North American theaters, according to Rentrak. Another 14 films have theatrical premieres slated for 2013.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, three of the 20 best-reviewed films of 2012 are Kickstarter-funded (The Waiting Room, Brooklyn Castle and Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry). Another Kickstarter-funded film, Pariah, was among the best-reviewed of 2011.

Kickstarter-funded films comprised 10% of Sundance's slate in 2012 and 2013. In total, 49 Kickstarter-funded films have been official selections at the prestigious festival.

Kickstarter-funded films comprised 10% of the 2012 slates at the SXSW Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival. In total, 57 Kickstarter-funded films have premiered at SXSW and 21 at Tribeca.

At least 16 Kickstarter-funded films have been picked up for national broadcast through HBO, PBS, Showtime, and other networks.

Kickstarter-funded films have won at least 21 awards at the Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Cannes and Berlinale festivals.

Eight Kickstarter-funded films are nominated for Independent Spirit Awards this year.

Image via Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Amanda-palmer-kickstarter Ardusat Brooklyn-castle Double-fine-adventure Pebble Lowline Continuum Untitled-2 Elevation-dock Penny-arcade Topics: Entertainment, Film, fundraising, kickstarter, tribeca film festival, Tribeca Film Institute if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"entertainment","content_type":"article","top_channel":"entertainment","content_source_type":"Internal","content_source_name":"Internal","author_name":"Brian Anthony Hernandez","age":"0","pub_day":20,"pub_month":4,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"04/20/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"Default"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/kickstarter-films/"],["image_src","http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzc1L0tpY2tzdGFydGVyLjUyMTVlLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTcyMHg3MjAjCmUJanBn/2bd416ce/733/Kickstarter-Project-at-Oscars.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/kickstarter-films/"],["og:title","Filmmakers Have Earned $128 Million in Pledges on Kickstarter"],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:image","http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzc1L0tpY2tzdGFydGVyLjUyMTVlLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTcyMHg3MjAjCmUJanBn/2bd416ce/733/Kickstarter-Project-at-Oscars.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-04-20T20:52:14Z"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-04-20T20:52:33Z"]],"meta_name":[["description","Film projects on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter have raked in $128 million in pledges since April 2009, Kickstarter revealed onstage at TFI Interactive."],["keywords",["films","entertainment","movies","fundraising","kickstarter","uncategorized","tribeca-film-festival","film","tribeca-film-institute"]],["twitter:title","Filmmakers Have Earned $128 Million in Pledges on Kickstarter"],["twitter:description","Film projects on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter have raised $127 million in pledges since April 2009, Kickstarter's Stephanie Pereira announced onstage at TFI Interactive. The $127 million figure h..."],["twitter:image","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzc1L0tpY2tzdGFydGVyLjUyMTVlLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTU2MHg3NTAKZQlqcGc/a00e5b8d/733/Kickstarter-Project-at-Oscars.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/kickstarter-films/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","photo"],["twitter:image:width","560"],["twitter:image:height","750"]],"short_url":[["short_url","http://on.mash.to/ZAemaB"]]};

View the original article here

Party On, Wayne — FlashFlow Syncs Lights to Music

Eric Larson2013-04-20 20:36:11 UTC

Who's got the time and money for dance clubs when you can keep the party at home with FlashFlow?

A Kickstarter project is currently raising funds for FlashFlow, a gadget that syncs your lights — lamps, string lights or whatever else you've got — to your music playlists. According to its creator, the device listens to whichever song is playing and reprograms itself in real-time to flash the lights it's connected to based on the volume, tempo and frequency of the audio.

The gadget, pictured below, has outlets and jacks on both sides to connect your lights with your music device, and can power up to 150 40-watt light bulbs. It also syncs to video game audio — in the project's Kickstarter video, Call of Duty is played as the lights in the room flicker on and off with each explosion and gun shot.

At time of writing, the project was about $3,000 into its $20,000 goal, with 27 days left to donate. Watch the video above to learn more.

Would you use this in your house? Tell us what you think about it in the comments.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, puuikibeach; above image courtesy of Matthew Ryder

Topics: Conversations, crowdfunding, Gadgets, Home, kickstarter, Newsy, Tech, Video, Work & Play if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"tech","content_type":"article","top_channel":"tech","content_source_type":"Internal","content_source_name":"Internal","author_name":"Eric Larson","age":"0","pub_day":20,"pub_month":4,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"04/20/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"BC Video Lead"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/flashflow-music-lights/"],["image_src","http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzI3L2xpZ2h0cy5kYmJlMC5qcGcKcAl0aHVtYgk3MjB4NzIwIwplCWpwZw/408f8b10/d35/lights.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/flashflow-music-lights/"],["og:title","Party On, Wayne \u2014 FlashFlow Syncs Lights to Music"],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:image","http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzI3L2xpZ2h0cy5kYmJlMC5qcGcKcAl0aHVtYgk3MjB4NzIwIwplCWpwZw/408f8b10/d35/lights.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-04-20T20:36:11Z"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-04-20T20:36:21Z"]],"meta_name":[["description","A new gadget called FlashFlow, currently raising funds on Kickstarter, syncs your music playlists to your lights. "],["keywords",["video","gadget","crowdfunding","kickstarter","uncategorized","tech","gadgets","newsy","conversations","home"]],["twitter:title","Party On, Wayne \u2014 FlashFlow Syncs Lights to Music"],["twitter:description","A new gadget called FlashFlow, currently raising funds on Kickstarter, syncs your music playlists to your lights. "],["twitter:image","http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA0LzIwLzI3L2xpZ2h0cy5kYmJlMC5qcGcKcAl0aHVtYgk1NjB4NzUwCmUJanBn/774102df/d35/lights.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/04/20/flashflow-music-lights/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","photo"],["twitter:image:width","560"],["twitter:image:height","750"]],"short_url":[["short_url","http://on.mash.to/11rvC0u"]]};

View the original article here