Sunday, May 26, 2013

Google's Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen on the New Digital Age

Google-eric-schmidt-jared-cohen Adam%2520popescu-1564 By Adam Popescu2013-05-14 00:29:51 UTC

The growth of the web, the developing world and digital-age career skills were all topics of discussion last Thursday night at a special fireside chat with tech heavyweights Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen at Google's Venice, Calif., headquarters.

The talk felt like an in-person abstract for the duo's new book, The New Digital Age, which was finished after the two traveled to more than 25 countries to forecast the global digital evolution.

"In the next five to ten years, another 5 billion people will join the Internet," said Schmidt, the company's chief executive and one of the world's richest men.

Most of those people will be in places like Asia, Africa and South America. And while newfound access to information will level the playing field to a degree, it will also set the table for the world's villains as much as the up-and-comers, noted Cohen, Google's director of ideas, who spent nearly half a decade at the State Department. This coming influx means we'll keep seeing repressive governments censoring and stifling information and Internet access. And terrorists and hacker groups will continue to battle law enforcement in a fight that seems never ending.

"Everyones' lives will get better [with technology]," said Cohen. But it's "different degrees of assistance."

For most of the planet, struggles over power, water, food, violence and censorship will persist, and technology is not the silver bullet to solve these societal flaws, Cohen continued.

Schmidt agreed, saying that although he grew up with the assumption that technology is the great leveler, that is "in fact not the case."

While the rest of the world struggles to get plugged in, not to mention feed themselves, here we are in the first world arguing about our need for faster fiber optic cables, Schmidt joked.

Still, it's not all bad. Cohen countered with an example of the web's growing power for underserved populations. In Pakistan, he noted, victims of acid attacks are ostracized from society, yet able to live engaging, secondary lives online. In Libya last year, school girls used Google maps to create guides to help them travel and avoid bombings, maps which Cohen says were used by NGOs.

When you hear stories like these, it becomes obvious that innovations for the more privileged, like Google Glass and automated cars are, for the moment, just toys. There are countless underserved regions and peoples still not benefiting from more basic innovations. As the rest of the planet continues to gain Internet access, things will improve, but for all the money Google is investing in the developing world, the company is not powerful enough to be the world's custodian, a point skirted by Schmidt during the audience Q&A when a grey-haired academic asked: Is access to technology actually making us stupider?

"We can't disagree over facts," Schmidt said, reasoning that access to those facts, being reproducible and proven, will help us all.

Facts are essential to a free and informed society, but when every answer is but a touch or click away, the cultural argument is, 'How could it not foster a generation and culture of laziness?' There's a back and forth debate in tech circles whether the Internet makes our lives easier, and the use of search engines like Google are at the heart of the question. So polarizing are views that people can't even agree on the state of innovation. Some say information overload is in fact complicating our lives, while others champion the wealth of knowledge online; though Cohen and Schmidt did not touch on such topics during their talk.

Still, the audience of about 100 seemed genuinely interested and didn't take the two to task for not fully answering the academic's question. The crowd was filled with familiar faces in L.A.'s tech scene, including Search Engine Land's Danny Sullivan, Nicholas Smoot of the geolocation app Here On Biz, and Hank Leber of the social share service GonnaBe. I sat next to Norman Lear, the writer and creator of  the television hits All In the Family and Sanford and Son.

They all listened intently but the sporadic laughter at Schmidt's one-liners hinted at what seemed to be a general sense of a one-way dialogue.

The speakers ended the evening on a bit of career advice, saying that the U.S. desperately needs engineers. So desperate, said Schmidt, that it doesn't even matter if you're even a good one or not. Become an engineer and you will never have trouble finding a job, he said.

They even gave a bit of insight into Google's infamous hiring process: Sometimes they test applicants, said Schmidt, sometimes they threaten to test them and just scare them, and sometimes they test them so much they scare them.

The final question of the night was from a shy 17-year-old who nervously said he was a budding coder at an inner city program called Urban Txt. "I know HTML and Java," the teen declared, asking, how can I maintain my focus and trajectory?

You're already ahead of the game, Schmidt said, before adding, "You're going to be wealthy beyond your dreams."

Mashable composite of Cohen and Schmidt courtesy of Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images (left) and JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/GettyImages (right); event image by Adam Popescu

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KDDI's HTC J One variant packs a microSD slot (updated)

KDDI's HTC J One variant packs a microSD slot (updated) data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 315};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20575620' !== '') ? 'bsd:20575620' : ''; var postID = '20575620'; var modalMNo = '93319229', modalVideoMNo = '93320648', modalGalleryMNo = '93304207'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"acp-ld39.websys.aol.com",channel:"us.engadget", s_account: "aolwbengadget,aolsvc", short_url: "",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,",prop1:"article",prop2:"cellphones",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"", prop22:"jamie-rigg", prop54:"blogsmith",mmxgo: true }); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("10000057",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); onBreak({980: function () { adSetType("F");htmlAdWH("93319229", "LB", "LB"); adSetType("");}}); EngadgetMenu NewsReviews Features Galleries VideosEventsPodcasts Engadget ShowTopics Buyers Guides Sagas Store HD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Blackberry Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93308280", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});KDDI's HTC J One variant packs a microSD slot (updated) MobileBypostedMay 20th, 2013 at 3:50 AM 0

KDDI's HTC J One variant packs a microSD slot, additional camera features

These days, the presence of a microSD slot on new handsets is arguably more important than the amount of storage on the inside. One such slot found its way onto the Chinese variants of HTC's One, and now Japanese network KDDI has unveiled its model -- the HTC J One (aka HTL22) -- also with expandable memory on the spec sheet (up to 64GB cards supported). An accompanying promo video has informed us of some new camera modes as well, including a best shot feature like Nokia's Smart Group Shot or BlackBerry's Time Shift, the ability to edit out background photobombers, and creating slow-mo highlights within video clips. We'd hope to see a camera software update bringing these features to US Ones in the future, but for now, check out what you're missing in the video below.

Correction: We originally reported that some of the camera modes shown off in the HTC J One promo video below were new, but commentors have pointed out that these features already exist within the gallery / Zoe UI. The video gives the impression that these features were moved to the camera UI, alongside HDR and panorama (like on the GS4), but that's not the case. A few eyes also spotted there's some extra detail on the back panel below the camera. Fear not -- we're digging.

Update: We've come to the conclusion that the black oblong under the main camera -- similar to the one found on KDDI's J Butterfly variant -- is for IR communications (read: it's different from the power-key emitter). Oh, and that logo under the flash signifies FeliCa NFC-based payment support.

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How to Invoke the Goddess of Creativity

Photo By Matt Petronzio2013-05-11 17:41:18 UTC

Sometimes we need some otherworldly force to shine down and grant us divine inspiration, especially when we're experiencing blocks in creativity.

But in this comic, Josh Mecouch of Formal Sweatpants shows us that it's not all that easy — even the goddess of creativity needs us to make some sacrifices.

Creativity Goddess Comic, Formal Sweatpants

Comic illustration by Josh Mecouch, Formal Sweatpants. Published with permission; all rights reserved.

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HTC One for T-Mobile: what's different?

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HTC One for TMobile what's different

By most accounts, the HTC One is the most compelling Android smartphone on the market today, but only three of the major US carriers are wise enough to sell it. Up until this point, we've put the AT&T and Sprint models through their paces, and now we have an opportunity to round out the trio with T-Mobile's version. Given the carrier's recent shift to an unsubsidized pricing model -- which brings lower monthly fees in exchange for purchasing your phone outright -- you may be in for some sticker shock with the HTC One, which runs $580, but you can also pay $100 down with installments of $20 per month over the course of two years.

If you're currently on the fence about whether the HTC One is right for your needs, you'll definitely want to check out our full review, which features an in-depth look at the phone's design, camera and the many novel features that you'll find with HTC's custom software environment, Sense 5. Here, we'll explore the subtle nuances of T-Mobile's version, with plenty of benchmarks, impressions about the voice quality and battery life, an overview of the bundled apps and a comparison to the One's closest competitors on T-Mo. There's plenty to cover, so join us after the break as we explore everything that you need to know about the HTC One for T-Mobile.HTC One for T-Mobile review See all photos 12 Photos

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HardwareDNP HTC One for TMobile what's different

We've said it before, but the design of the HTC One is something worth gawking at. It's the supermodel of smartphones and it makes every other handset look a step or two behind the curve. Like the Sprint model, T-Mobile's version is free of any carrier branding, which makes it identical in appearance to the global edition. Also similar to Sprint, internal storage of the HTC One for T-Mobile is limited to 32GB, whereas AT&T offers both 32GB and 64GB options.

If you hope to store gobs of media on the One, but are adamant about using T-Mobile's network, you could also consider the HTC One Developer Edition, which includes 64GB of storage and runs $650 unlocked. Be aware, however, the Developer Edition doesn't support HSPA over the AWS spectrum. This means it can't take advantage of T-Mobile's 42 Mbps DC-HSPA+ network, and you could also experience poor network performance in areas where the carrier's 1900MHz 21 Mbps HSPA+ network isn't yet active. That said, since the Developer Edition supports LTE for T-Mobile, it's still a worthwhile option if storage capacity is an important factor.

HTC One for T-MobileDimensions137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm (5.41 x 2.69 x 0.37 inch)Weight5.04 oz. (143g)Screen size4.7 inchesScreen resolution1,920 x 1,080 (468 ppi)Screen typeS-LCD3Battery2,300mAh Li-Polymer (non-removable)Internal storage32GBExternal storageNoneRear camera4MP, BSI, f/2.0, 1/3'' sensor size, 2µm pixel size, OISFront-facing cam2.1MPVideo capture1080p, 30 fps (front and back)NFCYesRadiosGSM: (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900), WCDMA: (850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100), LTE: (Band 4 / Band 17)Bluetoothv4.0 with aptXSoCQualcomm Snapdragon 600 (APQ8064T)CPU1.7GHz quad-coreGPUAdreno 320RAM2GBEntertainmentMHL, DLNA, IR sensorWiFiDual-band, 802.11a/ac/b/g/n, WiFi DirectWireless ChargingNoOperating systemAndroid 4.1.2 (upgradeable to 4.2), Sense 5 UI

In all, so long as you're comfortable with the 32GB ceiling, you'll find a very strong argument for choosing T-Mobile's version of the One. Naturally, it plays nicely with the carrier's networks, but the handset also earns distinction as the most flexible and capable One in the US. Yes, T-Mobile's version supports 42 Mbps DC-HSPA+ (AWS), 21 Mbps HSPA+ (1900MHz) and LTE Band 4, but as a very nice surprise, it also supports LTE Band 17. While you'll never find that last bit on any of T-Mobile's spec sheets, the phone is fully capable of using AT&T's LTE network -- once you unlock it, that is.

Performance and battery lifeHTC One for T-MobileHTC One for AT&TSamsung Galaxy S 4 for T-MobileNexus 4Quadrant 2.012,35512,52012,6844,902Vellamo 2.02,4462,3891,9031,236AnTuTu 3.123,78223,64526,14310,122SunSpider 0.9.1 (ms)1,1941,0767721,975GLBenchmark Egypt 2.5 HD Offscreen (fps)34343930CF-Bench 27,39726,36728,11113,835SunSpider: lower scores are better

Once you move past subtleties such as storage capacity and radios, you'll quickly see that the HTC One shares identical hardware across all the US carriers. Naturally, this means a Snapdragon 600 lives at the phone's core, which includes a 1.7GHz quad-core Krait 300 CPU and an Adreno 320 GPU. The Snapdragon 600 currently leads the pack for performance (barring comparison to the octa-core Exynos 5), and you'll find it in all variations of the One, along with its contemporaries such as the Galaxy S 4 and Optimus G Pro.

Unsurprisingly, benchmarks show the HTC One for T-Mobile running neck and neck with its peers, with minor differences that aren't easily perceptible in real-world use. To that point, while the One's benchmark scores handily obliterate the Nexus 4 (which is based on the older Snapdragon S4 Pro), both phones feel equally quick and competent. Pitted side by side, the One is only slightly more responsive than the Nexus 4. Still, the HTC One for T-Mobile can hold its head high among the world's fastest smartphones, and this is unlikely to change until later this year when the Snapdragon 800 and Tegra 4 hit the market.

Unsurprisingly, benchmarks show the HTC One for T-Mobile running neck and neck with its peers.

Assuming that you're familiar with our review of the One, you already know that for all of the phone's strengths, its battery life is on the weaker side of average. That holds true for T-Mobile's version, and our battery rundown test -- which we attempted twice, for good measure -- suggests that it might be even worse. Here, the phone was able to provide just six hours of uptime, as opposed to six and a half hours for Sprint's model and seven hours and 29 minutes for AT&T's.

DNP HTC One for TMobile what's different

Don't be too alarmed by the results of the battery rundown process, though, because our real-world trials suggest that T-Mobile's version is still practical for daily use. After a 12-hour day of moderately heavy usage, which included extended web-browsing sessions, checking emails, taking photos and getting about town using Maps, the One ended the day with 40 percent of its battery life to spare. What's more, while we didn't take advantage of it at the time, we found ourselves preferring HTC's power saver option when indoors and at night, since the display is otherwise unnecessarily bright -- almost like the showroom settings on an HDTV. Needless to say, the power saver option is a practical way to squeeze additional mileage from the battery, and it can be configured to merely reduce the display's brightness to more pleasing levels; by default, though, it'll cripple the CPU and data connection as well.

NetworkDNP HTC One for TMobile what's different

Let's get back to the really good news. Call quality on the HTC One for T-Mobile is quite excellent, even in settings where excessive background noise might otherwise hinder a conversation. We tested the phone at a busy intersection with city buses and delivery trucks barreling along. And while the traffic was perceptible to our callers -- even to the point that they could discern the roads were wet from rain -- it was never a distraction from the conversation, as our voices were mutually clear and distinct, and always dominated the call.

As for data speeds, we tested the HTC One in Portland, Ore., aboard T-Mobile's HSPA+ network. Here, the phone managed 12.6 Mbps down and 3.4 Mbps up, which is serviceable, but disappointing given the availability of DC-HSPA+ 42 in the area. The HTC One for T-Mobile supports LTE connections, but like many metropolitan areas, Portland has yet to receive LTE service from the carrier. On the upside, T-Mobile's HSPA+ network is widespread and offers speeds that are more than adequate, and T-Mobile's LTE rollout promises to make a good situation even better.

SoftwareDNP HTC One for TMobile what's different

Like all smartphones that are subject to carrier whims, you'll find a number of customizations with the HTC One for T-Mobile. Some are quite useful, while others just seem to get in the way. The best of the bunch is easily WiFi Calling, and while the free service is less relevant now that the carrier isn't counting minutes, it'll undoubtedly come in handy if you find yourself in an area that has wireless internet, but lacks mobile coverage. Other reasonable additions include Lookout Mobile Security, which scans new apps for malware, and the My Account app, which allows you to check your usage, access billing info and get in touch with customer support.

T-Mobile walks a fine line between providing useful services and hammering you with up-sell opportunities.

On the whole, though, T-Mobile walks a fine line between providing useful services and hammering you with up-sell opportunities. Take T-Mobile TV. It'll be hard to ignore, because its widget dominates the home screen -- thankfully, it can be removed. Within the app, you'll find access to free content from the likes of PBS Kids, NBC News, Fox Business and The Weather Channel, but you'll also find consistent nags to sign up for T-Mobile TV Prime, a subscription service that runs $12.99 per month. You'll find a similar situation with T-Mobile Name ID, a caller ID service that starts out as a free, 10-day trial, but that ultimately costs $3.99 per month. Lastly, there's Visual Voicemail, a free service that has great utility, but which also offers text transcriptions at a $3.99 monthly rate.

Unlike Sprint, T-Mobile doesn't allow its customers to uninstall the bundled apps, which is both frustrating and a shame. Meanwhile, Android offers the ability to disable these programs, but this method won't remove the bloat from your phone. On the upside, if this sort of stuff gets under your skin, the HTC One for T-Mobile has an unlockable bootloader, which opens the phone to a world of custom kernels and streamlined ROMs that are free from carrier cruft.

Wrap-upDNP HTC One for TMobile what's different

More InfoHTC One reviewHTC One for AT&T and Sprint: what's different?HTC One available on T-Mobile's website today, arriving in stores April 24th

If you've been eyeing the HTC One as your next smartphone, it's safe to say that T-Mobile offers a very compelling option. By and large, the handset is a faithful interpretation of the original, which is all the more reason to fall in love. Unique to T-Mobile's version is LTE support for both T-Mobile and AT&T, which makes it the One to get if you're interested in its flexibility as an unlocked smartphone. For everyone else, the best argument in favor of T-Mobile's handset may be the carrier itself, where you'll find unlimited data plans that are served up by its speedy HSPA+ and LTE networks.

As for your options within T-Mobile, the One stands as a better value than its closest competitor, the Samsung Galaxy S 4. Speaking simplistically, you'll pay $580 for the One, which includes 32GB of built-in storage, whereas the Galaxy S 4 costs $630 and offers just 16GB of space. Combine this with the One's premium fit and finish, superior display and more versatile camera, and the argument for the One only grows stronger. Naturally, the need for expandable storage and superior battery life may shift the balance in favor of the Galaxy S 4, but the One is otherwise the more compelling of the two devices.

There's one other Android smartphone that deserves to be on your radar at T-Mobile, however, and that's the Nexus 4. Most significantly, the phone lacks LTE connectivity, and its display and camera are inferior in relation to the One, but at $299 for the 8GB model, it's far and away your best bet if the One's price tag is beyond your comfort zone. For everyone else, though, the HTC One is hands-down the best smartphone that you'll find on T-Mobile, and it's worth every penny.

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Jumping, Swimming, Climbing Robot Will Blow You Away

Sam-laird By Sam Laird2013-05-11 21:38:08 UTC

It jumps! It swims! It climbs! This is RHex, the latest DARPA-funded robot from Boston Dynamics.

The little guy has six legs, a compact body and can really get around. It can handle all kinds of terrain, as well as inclines of up to 60%, while its battery life lasts up to six hours. All that capability sure calls to mind some fascinating possibilities, and hints at just how advanced robotics will become in our lifetime.

For more, and to see RHex in action, check out the video above. What do you think RHex could be used for in the real world? Let us know in the comments.

Rhex

Homepage image courtesy Boston Dynamics

Topics: DARPA, Gadgets, Robot, Tech if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"tech","content_type":"article","top_channel":"tech","content_source_type":"Internal","content_source_name":"Internal","author_name":"Sam Laird","age":"0","pub_day":11,"pub_month":5,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"05/11/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"BC Video Lead","topics":"DARPA,Gadgets,Robot,Tech,Uncategorized"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://mashable.com/2013/05/11/robot-jumps-swims-climbs/"],["image_src","http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA1LzExL2RhL1JoZXguZTkxYTQucG5nCnAJdGh1bWIJNzIweDcyMCMKZQlqcGc/0d49da7b/4df/Rhex.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/05/11/robot-jumps-swims-climbs/"],["og:title","Jumping, Swimming, Climbing Robot Will Blow You Away [VIDEO]"],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:image","http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA1LzExL2RhL1JoZXguZTkxYTQucG5nCnAJdGh1bWIJNzIweDcyMCMKZQlqcGc/0d49da7b/4df/Rhex.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-05-11T21:38:08Z"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-05-11T21:39:22Z"]],"meta_name":[["description","It jumps! It swims! It climbs stairs! This little guy may represent the next generation in robot technology. See the video here. "],["keywords",["robots","darpa","uncategorized","tech","gadgets"]],["twitter:title","Jumping, Swimming, Climbing Robot Will Blow You Away"],["twitter:description","It jumps! It swims! It climbs stairs! This little guy may represent the next generation in robot technology. See the video here. "],["twitter:image","http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA1LzExL2RhL1JoZXguZTkxYTQucG5nCnAJdGh1bWIJNTYweDc1MAplCWpwZw/11aa621e/4df/Rhex.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/05/11/robot-jumps-swims-climbs/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","photo"],["twitter:image:width","560"],["twitter:image:height","750"]],"short_url":[["short_url","http://on.mash.to/11tzaVh"]]};

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Caught in an Elevator With the CEO? 3 Conversation Starters

Elevator The Daily Muse 2013-05-14 02:59:21 UTC

It’s Thursday morning, you’re in the elevator, and the CEO skates between closing doors to join you for a 30-floor ride.

You consider commenting on the unseasonably balmy weather, but inquire about her watch instead. You then exchange a series of jokes and, in perfect unison, toss your heads back in laughter. At the 25th floor, she insists that you join her in the company lounge for a bite to eat—she’d like to get to know you better. You take style points from Sandberg and lean in. Instant promotion.

Real life: Silence. You exit the elevator with pit stains and wonder if she heard you swallow that burp.

Sound familiar? You’re in good company—being trapped in a confined space with upper management is sure to send anyone into a tailspin. But, with some simple tactics on hand, you can navigate a terrifying situation with grace. Try on these life vests to avoid drowning like a conversation klutz.

Casual and approachable, Trader Joe’s employees are known for their infectious positivity. Whether it’s in the context of goat cheese or lentil breeds, they set a comfortable precedent because they don’t overthink simple human interactions. They wear contagious smiles above relaxed Hawaiian shirts, and they offer genuine inquiries that don’t overstay their word-exchange welcome. They just connect.

And by channeling their easygoing grocer tude, you can do the same.

You: “Hi! How’s your Wednesday going?”

CEO: Good, and yours?

You: “It’s going well, thanks. Just working on [whatever you’re working on] and getting some air. I don’t think we’ve met—I’m [first name, last name]. I work in [this department] with [your boss’ name].”

Throwing out a few details might spark further shop talk—and that’s great. Just go with it. Either way, make sure to flash a winning smile and repeat your counterpart’s name on the way out of the conversation. “[Name], it was nice to meet you.”

Senior executives are very accomplished people. Accomplished people love to talk about themselves. Therefore, by the power of syllogistic transitive property, senior executives love to talk about themselves. Namely, about their accomplishments.

Put that in your elevator-talk treasure chest.

You: “Hi [Name], I just watched the video from your keynote speech at the annual conference—I really enjoyed it.”

Important person: “Glad you liked it, thanks for watching.”

You: “Absolutely. I really admire your work and had a question about one of the things you touched on during your presentation.”

Take this as your opportunity to show your admiration and your interest in this person’s work. Don’t worry that you sound like you’re brown-nosing. So long as you don’t go overboard, you’ll portray a dialed-in sense of curiosity and community.

The following three statements about top executives are all true: They sleep on Egyptian cotton that quintuples the thread count of your jersey-knit blend. Spigots in their autos are more valuable than your entire sedan. And they travel more often than The Biebs on tour.

For the dual purpose of maintaining self-worth and combatting awkward small talk, lets focus on that third point. After all, assuming you’re not a translucent losing your days to meme generators and The Sims, you’ve likely been on a plane at least once. Use that common ground to pose any of the following questions:

“Hi [Name], welcome back! How was your visit to London?”

“Hi [Name], it’s great to see you in the office. Where was your last business trip?”

“Hi [Name], I hear you’re heading to Tokyo. Will you get a chance to break away from the office and explore the sushi scene?”

Allow the travel talk to run its natural course, and try not to focus on the differences that separate you and your co-navigator. So what if she fights jet lag in a plush Mandarin Oriental robe while you consider anything other than couch surfing an upgrade? Just be confident and conversational. You’ll prove to this satin-pajama-sleeping, Maserati-driving upper echelon that you deserve a first class seat at the table.

It’s important to note that not even the most non-awkward opening line guarantees conversation. Sure, you can offer your full name with a smile, glorify your talk-mate’s most shining accomplishment, or chat about exchange rates, but even despite your best effort, it may not go anywhere.

That’s entirely okay. So long as you’re not a too-cool-for-school observational humorist, an excessive life-sharer, or a lingering bore, you’re well on your way to a working relationship. Or at least a “Hi there!” and mutual smile next time you cross paths in the hallway.

Image via iStockphoto, vm

This article originally published at The Daily Muse here

Topics: Business, ceo, Jobs, promotion, Work & Play, workplace The Daily Muse is a Mashable publishing partner that offers career advice for the digital world. This article is reprinted with the publisher's permission.

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Unplanned Spacewalk a 'Precedent-Setting' Move for Space Station Crew

Space-walkRobert Z. Pearlman for Space.com 2013-05-11 16:25:41 UTC

HOUSTON — Astronaut Tom Marshburn was planning to spend Saturday (May 11) packing for home. After five months in space, his ride back to Earth is set to leave the International Space Station in just a couple of days.

But instead of getting ready for his return, Marshburn and his fellow flight engineer Chris Cassidy are making a last-minute spacewalk in hopes of finding and fixing a coolant leak in the orbiting outpost's main power system.

The contingency spacewalk is the latest in a long but still relatively-rare record of unplanned extravehicular activities (or EVAs) carried out by NASA astronauts. Under normal circumstances, the U.S. space agency prepares its crew members and ground teams to conduct spacewalks with the benefit of weeks of planning and months of training.

Watch the spacewalk live:

Saturday's spacewalk was devised and scheduled in less than two days.

Saturday's spacewalk was devised and scheduled in less than two days.

"From purely a station perspective, during an increment, I would say this is precedent-setting," Norm Knight, NASA's chief flight director, said Friday in a press briefing.

On Thursday (May 9), Marshburn and his space station crewmates reported seeing small white flakes floating away from the far left-side of the space station's truss structure. Imagery captured by the astronauts and data analyzed by Mission Control revealed ammonia used to cool the station's power channels was leaking at an alarmingly-increasing rate.

The crew was never in any danger — at worst, one of the station's eight power channels would be disabled and the systems it fed electricity to would be rerouted, maintaining full operations. But two things conspired to make a quick spacewalk prudent: the dissipating trail of the white flakes and the spacewalks Marshburn and Cassidy did together in 2009. [See photos of the spacewalkers hunting the ammonia leak]

"The fact that these two crew members had been out before and done an EVA together in this area is one of the many factors that allowed us to do the EVA before they departed," Michael Suffredini, NASA's International Space Station program manager, told collectSPACE.com. "The systems on the ISS are fine with seven of eight channels, so we really don't need to rush for that reason."

"One of the unique opportunities here is that the leak is big enough and conditions are ripe, at least in this phase of the leak, that if we can get in there and actually see the origin of the leak that is still emitting ammonia 'snow,' then we have a chance of figuring out the source of the leak and what we are going to do about it," Suffredini added. "Often times, because the leaks are so small, if it is not snowing, we just won't notice it with eyeballs staring at the very, very small holes or cracks."

During the six-hour spacewalk — in addition to trying to identify what caused the leak, such as the impact from a micrometeoroid — Marshburn and Cassidy are slated to replace the ammonia pump controller box suspected to be source of the problem.

Saturday's spacewalk, which is the 168th in support of the assembly and maintenance of the station, won't interfere with Marshburn going home as planned. Regardless of the outcome of the EVA, he, Expedition 35 commander Chris Hadfield and flight engineer Roman Romanenko will leave Cassidy and cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin and Pavel Vinogradov on the outpost and return to Earth on board a Russian Soyuz capsule on Monday evening (May 13).

A brief history of the unexpected EVA
Marshburn's and Cassidy's spacewalk is the not first time astronauts have been called on to quickly suit up and go out. It is not even the first time that an unexpected EVA was made to diagnose an ammonia leak — even from the same area on the space station.

On Nov. 1, 2012, Expedition 33 astronauts Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide conducted a 6 hour, 38 minute unplanned spacewalk in an effort to stop a growing coolant leak from the same truss section where Saturday's EVA is headed. At the time, it was believed that isolating a radiator would stop the leak.

Ammonia coolant was also behind a series of emergency spacewalks in August 2010. At that time, Expedition 24 astronauts Doug Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell Dyson did three EVAs to replace a pump after its sudden failure cut power to the space station.

The history of NASA's unscheduled spacewalks however, extends well beyond leaky coolant loops and back almost three decades.

While the spacewalks to save Skylab, the first U.S. space station, from nearly-crippling launch damage 40 years ago this month required some quickly-devised pre-launch planning and unscheduled in-space tasks, NASA's first unexpected spacewalk unfolded 12 years later in April 1985.

STS-51D crew members David Griggs and Jeff Hoffman didn't know they would be going outside the space shuttle Discovery when they launched on a mission to deploy two communication satellites. But when the second of the two satellites' motors failed to kick in, the astronauts donned spacesuits to attach "flyswatter" devices to the end of the orbiter's Canadarm robotic arm.

The homemade, or rather space-made, arm extensions did work at engaging the start lever but the satellite still failed to deploy.

In the 28 years since, astronauts have made unscheduled EVAs to deploy an orbiting observatory's stuck antenna, capture a satellite with only their hands, pluck a protruding strip of fabric ("gap-filler") from the belly of the shuttle and stitch close a tear in a station solar array using makeshift "cuff-links."

Photo courtesy NASA

This article originally published at Space.com here

Topics: International Space Station, space, Tech, U.S., World Space.com is a Mashable publishing partner that is the world's No. 1 source for news of astronomy, skywatching, space exploration, commercial spaceflight and related technologies. This article is reprinted with the publisher's permission.

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Galaxy S III Android 4.2.2 firmware leaked, adds several S 4 features (video)

Galaxy S III Android 4.2.2 firmware leaked, adds several S 4 features (video) data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 315};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20576230' !== '') ? 'bsd:20576230' : ''; var postID = '20576230'; var modalMNo = '93379667', modalVideoMNo = '93320648', modalGalleryMNo = '93304207'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"acp-ld39.websys.aol.com",channel:"us.engadget", s_account: "aolwbengadget,aolsvc", short_url: "",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,",prop1:"article",prop2:"cellphones",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"", prop22:"jamie-rigg", prop54:"blogsmith",mmxgo: true }); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("348-14-15-13f",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); onBreak({980: function () { adSetType("F");htmlAdWH("93379667", "LB", "LB"); adSetType("");}}); EngadgetMenu NewsReviews Features Galleries VideosEventsPodcasts Engadget ShowTopics Buyers Guides Sagas Store HD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Blackberry Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93379670", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});Galaxy S III Android 4.2.2 firmware leaked, adds several S 4 features (video) MobileBypostedMay 20th, 2013 at 12:23 PM 0

Galaxy S III Android 422 firmware leak adds various S 4 features

Samsung didn't stray far from its comfort zone when designing the Galaxy S 4, and now a leaked build of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean for the S III makes it even harder to distinguish the older flagship from the newer one. The folks at SamMobile got their mitts on a test firmware build and, better yet, have combed through it to see what's new. As you may know, the S 4 ships with 4.2.2 under a TouchWiz layer, so it's not surprising to hear most of the features new to this S III build are on the S 4 already: an updated version of S Voice, more lock screen options / unlock effects, new display modes, a redesigned settings interface, voice control, and more. SamMobile has put together a video walkthrough of the build (embedded below), and you'll find an expanded changelog and software screenshots at the source link. Apparently, the firmware "works perfectly," so if you'd rather not wait through the (often lengthy) carrier approval process, you can download it for your S III right now (flashing required, of course).

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9 Touching Mother's Day Portraits

UrsulaAmy-mae-elliott-dd49a7eaed By Amy-Mae Elliott2013-05-11 18:52:43 UTC

To mark this year's Mother's Day, we gathered some lovely portraits of moms from all around the world, as taken by their talented offspring.

We are highlighting nine photographs that caught our eye, accompanied by a comment from the photographer explaining what makes his or her mom so very special.

Take a look through our selection in the image gallery above. Have you snapped a pic of your mom that you're particularly proud of? Please share it in the comments section below.

Homepage image courtesy of Flickr, Eric Wüstenhagen

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Google+ app update for Android adds auto-backup and enhancement tools for photos

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Google Plus app update for Android adds autobackup and enhancement tools for photos

Google (and especially the Google+ team) are keeping very busy. While I/O 2013 may have wrapped up last week, the company's just unveiled a new update for its social network on Android devices. Packing some familiar new photo features (like auto-backup and auto-highlights), the refresh includes even more Snapseed filters and tools. Location sharing can now tap into your circle arrangements, and you'll be able to share geo-locations with specific sets of people. Related hashtags will now function within the app, like we've already seen on the web-based version, while (perhaps predictably) there's now one-tap access to Mountain View's Hangouts app too. Gotta keep 'em all connected, right?

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Sniff Your Phone: This Device Puffs Out a Scent

Jesse Emspak for Discovery News 2013-05-13 23:59:25 UTC

The sense of smell is a tough one to work into media — attempts at getting it into movies date back to the 1930s, and Disneyland and Walt Disney World include scents in some of their attractions. Technology companies have tried adding it to video games and television, so it was only a matter of time before someone tried to add it to a smartphone.

ChatPerf, a Japanese company, is rolling out a smartphone add-on about the size of a USB stick that attaches via the 30-pin connector on an iPhone (a company spokesperson told Diginfo TV that an Android version would be available this fall). The add-on is tiny “tank” that contains a given smell. After it’s attached to the phone, a screen comes up with a “puff” button that the user taps to release a scent.

The idea is that besides pictures and sound clips, one can send scents. ChatPerf seems to see a big application in gaming, one could smell gunpowder or maybe the poppies in the fields while watching The Wizard of Oz. The company also sees itself selling scent tanks with different scents. ChatPerf has also released a software development kit, to see what ideas smell-hackers might come up with.

The question is, of course, whether this will catch on. Smell-O-Vision-type systems did not prove a hit in movie theaters, even with the technological advances that made them cheaper to install. It might add another dimension to sending recipes, though, so there may be a market among foodies. And an online perfume outlet might find it useful. This device does require that the user’s nose be close by, and many people might not take to sniffing their phones.

Homepage image courtesy of Don Kennedy, DigInfo TV

This article originally published at Discovery News here

Topics: Apps and Software, Gadgets, iPhone, japan, Smell-o-vision, Tech Discovery News is a Mashable Publishing Partner.

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Yahoo confirms acquisition of Tumblr, but will run it as a 'separate business'

Yahoo confirms acquisition of Tumblr, but will run it as a 'separate business' data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 315};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20575753' !== '') ? 'bsd:20575753' : ''; var postID = '20575753'; var modalMNo = '93319229', modalVideoMNo = '93320648', modalGalleryMNo = '93304207'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"acp-ld39.websys.aol.com",channel:"us.engadget", s_account: "aolwbengadget,aolsvc", short_url: "",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,",prop1:"article",prop2:"internet",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"", prop22:"sharif-sakr", prop54:"blogsmith",mmxgo: true }); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("10000057",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); onBreak({980: function () { adSetType("F");htmlAdWH("93319229", "LB", "LB"); adSetType("");}}); EngadgetMenu NewsReviews Features Galleries VideosEventsPodcasts Engadget ShowTopics Buyers Guides Sagas Store HD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Blackberry Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93308280", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});Yahoo confirms acquisition of Tumblr, but will run it as a 'separate business' MobileBypostedMay 20th, 2013 at 8:13 AM 0

Yahoo confirms acquisition of Tumblr, but will run it as a 'separate business'

Hot on the heels of yesterday's rumors, Yahoo and Tumblr have jointly announced a "definitive agreement" for the former to acquire the latter for $1.1 billion. The agreement makes it clear that Tumblr will be "independently operated as a separate business" with its own branding and line of development. A frankly worded press release says that this arms-length arrangement will help Yahoo "not to screw it up" and promises that the 300 million monthly visitors to the blogging site will continue to experience Tumblr's "irreverence, wit, and commitment to empower creators." If all this is to be believed, those who have allegedly fled to WordPress, for fear of Tumblr being shut down or re-versioned, may have slightly jumped the gun.

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Daft Punk's 'Random Access Memories' Available to Stream on iTunes

Bahjournalist-5e1f0b4ff8 By Brian Anthony Hernandez2013-05-13 18:27:00 UTC

Electronic music duo Daft Punk are teasing their upcoming fourth studio album in a new video set in what looks like a futuristic spaceship filled with buttons and switches for who knows what. Despite the digital bells and whistles onboard, however, the spaceship's occupants pull out a vinyl version of the new album Random Access Memories.

When the vinyl hits the record player, the album's lead track, "Give Life Back to Music," plays for a few upbeat seconds. Update: Fans can stream the entire album on iTunes (and Grooveshark) ahead of its May 21 release in the United States. The album comes out earlier in Australia (May 17) and the United Kingdom (May 20).

Daft Punk roped in musicians from the 1970s and 1980s to collaborate on new music for the album. Their joint efforts will pay tribute to the music of those decades. The collaborators discuss their involvement and their history in an eight-part YouTube series titled "The Collaborators."

"What the world needs now is not only good dance songs that I think are out, the world needs something new," disco legend Giorgio Moroder says in his episode.

The teaser above also reveals the album's track listing:

Daft Punk previously released audio for the album's first single, "Get Lucky," on YouTube. The clip has racked up more than 21 million views in three weeks.

Image courtesy of Columbia Records

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Sony Xperia UL announced for Japan: 5-inch 1080p display and 15-frame burst photography skills (video)

Sony Xperia UL announced for Japan: 5-inch 1080p display and 15-frame burst photography skills (video) data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 315};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20575588' !== '') ? 'bsd:20575588' : ''; var postID = '20575588'; var modalMNo = '93319229', modalVideoMNo = '93320648', modalGalleryMNo = '93304207'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"acp-ld39.websys.aol.com",channel:"us.engadget", s_account: "aolwbengadget,aolsvc", short_url: "",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,",prop1:"article",prop2:"cellphones",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"", prop22:"mat-smith", prop54:"blogsmith",mmxgo: true }); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("10000057",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); onBreak({980: function () { adSetType("F");htmlAdWH("93319229", "LB", "LB"); adSetType("");}}); EngadgetMenu NewsReviews Features Galleries VideosEventsPodcasts Engadget ShowTopics Buyers Guides Sagas Store HD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Blackberry Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93308280", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});Sony Xperia UL announced for Japan: 5-inch 1080p display and 15-frame burst photography skills (video) MobileBypostedMay 20th, 2013 at 3:24 AM 0

Sony Xperia UL announced for Japan 5inch 1080p display and 15frame burst photography skills video

The FCC may have spoiled the surprise, but Sony's now gone official with yet another smartphone and this one's for its native Japan. The Xperia UL appears to be a slightly thicker riff on the Xperia Z, matching the display of the company's early-2013 flagship, with a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064) ticking behind the 5-inch 1080p screen. It's worth noting that it's a substantial resolution bump from the similar-looking 720p NTT DoCoMo Xperia A. Although it's not the Snapdragon 600 rumored, Qualcomm's S4 Pro flexes its muscle through Exmor RS 13-megapixel camera sensor, offering up the ability to capture 15 frames in a second. NFC, naturally, is already in attendance as well as the Felica wireless payment system. You'll also get the benefits of both a physical camera button and water (IPX5/8) and dust resistance (IP5X) -- two features in tandem that should help separate it from Sony's pair of existing 5-inch 1080p smartphones. The Xperia UL will launch on KDDI's au network in white, black and hot pink colors on May 25th. Check out the obligatory close-up ad after the break.

Update: The Xperia UL runs on an S4 Pro processor, not the Snapdragon 600 initially stated.

Sony Xperia UL press shots See all photos 7 Photos

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