Mashable: Latest 6 News Updates - including “Eureka Earthquake Caught on Video [YOUTUBE VIDEO]”

Eureka Earthquake Caught on Video [YOUTUBE VIDEO]
Eureka Earthquake: Twitter Pics Tell the Story [PHOTOS]
Google Nexus One vs. iPhone: Mashable Talks to CNN [VIDEO]
Who Chatted with Me Most: Facebook App Creates 19,450 Rogue Comments?
Free Multiplayer Android Games [3 of the Best]
HOW TO: Use Social Media to Connect with Other Entrepreneurs
5 Eye-Popping 3D YouTube Videos

Eureka Earthquake Caught on Video [YOUTUBE VIDEO]

Posted: 09 Jan 2010 08:03 PM PST

UPDATE: A commenter suggests that this video is from an earlier earthquake in Hollister, CA, rather than this afternoon’s Eureka quake. We’re attempting to verify with the LesNews team, but for now, treat with skepticism.

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With video cameras and camera phones becoming nearly ubiquitous, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that the Eureka earthquake this afternoon was reportedly caught on tape by at least one person – and it’s likely more will be uploaded to YouTube over time.

That’s part of the change being brought about by social media: with the tools of content creation in everyone’s hands (video cameras in phones, Twitter apps, mobile blogging), we’re reaching a point at which everyone is a reporter.

As we mentioned previously, some of the first pics of the damage caused by the Eureka earthquake were posted to Twitter. Now, according to French-language news outlet @lesnews, we have an actual video of the event, taking place during the filming of a fairly ordinary scene. It was, of course, posted to YouTube.

Have you seen more YouTube videos of the Northern California earthquake? Let us know in the comments.

Reviews: Twitter, YouTube

Tags: california, Earthquake, eureka

Eureka Earthquake: Twitter Pics Tell the Story [PHOTOS]

Posted: 09 Jan 2010 06:51 PM PST

A strong earthquake (magnitude 6.5) hit Northern California today, breaking windows and taking out power lines in some areas. The quake hit at 4:27 pm PT, with the epicenter around 25 miles from Eureka.

Being a Saturday with most of the news media not at work, it was left to Twitter to tell the story, with users posting pics to photo site Twitpic almost immediately.

Here are the most retweeted Twitpics from the incident, all of them from @amyeureka – her full Twitter feed paints a picture of the damage more detailed than any news outlet has achieved.

Got more Twitpics of Eureka earthquake damage? Add links to them in the comments!

Reviews: Twitpic, Twitter

Tags: Earthquake, eureka, trending, twitpic, twitter

Google Nexus One vs. iPhone: Mashable Talks to CNN [VIDEO]

Posted: 09 Jan 2010 05:29 PM PST

Mashable’s Ben Parr showed off his Google Nexus One to CNN at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, talking through the basic features and comparing the device to his iPhone.

Parr explains how the Nexus One launch took the steam out of mobile launches at CES, and also gives a side-by-side comparison of the Nexus One and his iPhone. The video clip is embedded below.

What do you think? Can the Google Phone challenge Apple’s domination?

Tags: Ben Parr, cnn, Google, google phone, iphone, mashable, nexus one

Who Chatted with Me Most: Facebook App Creates 19,450 Rogue Comments?

Posted: 09 Jan 2010 02:53 PM PST

Mashable reader @jonahgrant tells us that a Facebook app called “Who Has Chatted with Me The Most?” is generating tens of thousands of spam comments on his wall, plus thousands of Facebook “likes”.

The screenshots below show the extent of the issue: posts with 19,000+ comments and 3,000+ likes being posted to a Facebook wall by people the user claims aren’t even friends.

Our guess: the app maker has realized that getting lots of likes and comments is a good way to push an app toward more success on Facebook, and figured out a way to get all the app’s users leaving comments and likes without their explicit permission.

Have you had trouble with the “Who Has Chatted with Me The Most?” app? Are we right or off base here? Let us know in the comments.

Reviews: Facebook

Tags: chat, facebook

Free Multiplayer Android Games [3 of the Best]

Posted: 09 Jan 2010 01:39 PM PST

android games image The pickings for multiplayer Android games are still slim, but the beefier processing power of the Nexus One and Motorola Droid hardware might push developers in the right direction.

In the meantime, we’ve highlighted some interesting and fun implementations of social gaming for Android devices that you can snag from the Market for free, right now. These offerings illustrate some directions in which mobile multiplayer gaming may be headed.

Sketch Online

Think quick-draw Pictionary in a handheld chat room. Sketch Online is a great execution of a highly social game.

Create a screen name, add a photo of yourself, and jump into any number of game rooms divied by language and topic (animals, objects, etc.) If your device has a keyboard, unpack it quickly, because the guessing is fast and furious.

Watch as the other players draw live on the screen and do your best to guess what the image is. Incorrect guesses (and other chatter) pop into the chat window. A correct guess scores points for you and the sketcher, and the answer is hidden from other players while the round is still on.

As the turns rotate, it will soon be up to you to quickly sketch the word that appears. You can alter your brush size, choose a color, eraser, and even clear the board and start over if you’re on the wrong track. Sweep your finger over the canvas to draw. If a word is too hard, you can opt to use one of your limited skips.

Sketch Online is not only fun and easy to play (even over 3G, despite recommendations to use WiFi), but the social aspect is well implemented. Player profiles can contain biographic info and multiple photos, and there’s even a separate chat room where players can hang out. I was pleasantly surprised by how much good-natured banter flowed in each game room, and how much information players included in their profiles — all signs that a solid community is forming around this app.

Cestos

Cestos is another unique multiplayer game. Players control multiple marbles and determine their direction and velocity on each turn. Once all players have locked in their trajectories, the marbles are let loose simultaneously. The goal is to avoid falling through pits and being blown up by hidden land mines, depending on which map you’re playing.

The game is easy to learn and has some good strategic depth, as you must anticipate where your opponent will shoot his marbles, and aim to bombard or avoid accordingly.

Socially speaking, there are a few options. Your marble avatar is customizable (with unlockable items from the game) and there is a chat lobby where you can ‘friend’ players whom you plan to pwn regularly. The app has a lot of fans, and there are always players online to compete with.

Parallel Kingdom

Parallel Kingdom, which has been available on Android and the iPhone for some time, gives new meaning to persistent multiplayer online gaming.

The game world is overlaid on a real-time view of Google Maps. Your position on the map is determined by your mobile signal or GPS, and game events (such as encountering other players, battling monsters) happen in real time at your location.

There is a small radius within which your character can venture from the comfort of your couch. But if you want to further explore the “world,” and meet other players, you’ll have to physically get out and go there. As you delve a bit further into the game, you’ll uncover other methods of virtual travel, most of which are connected to the ways in which other players stake out territory.

The game has a lot of depth, as players can explore, collect items, even claim territory and found cities. It’s a mobile MMORPG with an augmented reality twist that takes some commitment to learn, navigate, and enjoy. But the payoff, especially for future, more graphically-rich AR and location-based games is huge.

Here’s the trailer for the newest iteration of the game, “Age of Emergance.” Though the video is arguably more “epic” than the game may warrant, it illustrates a lot of Parallel Kingdom’s interesting features.

Are there any other social or multiplayer games for Android that you enjoy? Are there some great multiplayer games for the iPhone that you hope to see in the Android Market soon? Share your thoughts in the comments.

More Android resources from Mashable:

- 3 News Apps for Android Compared
- The Best Free Twitter Apps for Android
- 30 Android Apps to Watch
- 8 Android Apps Worth Paying For (And Some That Aren't)
- Mobile Advertising: 5 Things You Need to Know to Succeed in 2010

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Photolyric

Reviews: Android, Android Market, Google Maps, iStockphoto

Tags: android, droid, games, gaming, Google, List, Lists, nexus one, social games, social gaming, social media

HOW TO: Use Social Media to Connect with Other Entrepreneurs

Posted: 09 Jan 2010 10:30 AM PST

business computer image This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

Starting a company is often a lonely and nerve wracking process. One day, you're working at a big company with tens of thousands of people and health benefits, and then the next day it's just you, maybe a co-founder, and a lack of steady income.

Yet you're really not alone. There are thousands of others making similar journeys around the world, and even more who have not only gone down the entrepreneurial path, but succeeded. These people are more than happy to share their advice, insight, and stories — if you know how to find them.

That's where social media tools come into play. Forging new connections has never been easier due to the increasing accessibility of people, ideas, and information. Web communities based around business, entrepreneurship, and programming are thriving all over the place. Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks have become an amazing way to learn new lessons and keep in touch with other entrepreneurs.

If you're looking to enrich your entrepreneurial journey by sharing with others, I have a few social media suggestions that will help:

Follow Entrepreneur Twitter Lists

A few months ago, Twitter launched a feature called "Lists," which gave users the power to create lists of their favorite users. Many have used this to create Twitter lists of top entrepreneurs and startup founders.

Following these people and interacting with them is a good step towards building connections. Check out Listorious' collection of entrepreneurship Twitter lists to start.

Connect With Amazing Entrepreneurship Communities

Entrepreneurs are already gathered in a lot of great places on the web. Finding these hidden gems of community and startup enthusiasm could be just what you're looking for.

To start out, we suggest checking out Hacker News (a community sharing some of the best articles on startups, development, and human nature), TheFunded (focused around raising money for your startup), and PartnerUp (helps you find business partners and co-founders). For more, check out a list of Mashable's favorite entrepreneur communities.

Use Social Media to Find Local Events

While connecting online is great, there is no substitute for shaking hands and meeting in person. Luckily, social media can help you in this regard by helping keep you in the loop about events you'll want to attend. Tools like Meetup and searches for Facebook Events are good ways to get started.

Just Reach Out

In the end, social media only helps make it easier to connect – you still have to do the hard work of building a relationship with fellow entrepreneurs. Use social media to find them and reach out, but be sure to take it the next step and start a long-lasting conversation.

More small business resources from Mashable:

- HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
- 9 Great Document Collaboration Tools for Teams
- 5 New Year's Resolutions for SMBs
- HOW TO: Choose a News Reader for Keeping Tabs on Your Industry
- Top Mobile Productivity Tools for the Small Business
- 5 Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
- 4 Ways Social Media is Changing Business

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Cimmerian

Reviews: Facebook, Hacker News, Twitter, iStockphoto

Tags: business, entrepreneur, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, List, Lists, small business, social media, social networks, trending

5 Eye-Popping 3D YouTube Videos

Posted: 09 Jan 2010 10:11 AM PST

3d glasses image 3D is set to be the next big thing in home cinema this year, as the multitude of three-dimensional television launches at CES have shown.

While many of you may have caught a high profile 3D flick in cinemas over the last year with Up, Monsters vs Aliens, and of course, Avatar, it’s another thing to get ready to view 3D content on the small screen.

To help ease you into the prospect of things jumping out at you in your own living room, we’ve picked five great YouTube videos that demo 3D well.

So, grab your glasses, make your own, or if you want to watch sans comic eyewear, then chose YouTube’s cross-eyed option from the drop-down menu on its recently organized 3D offerings.

You’ll need to watch the videos below on YouTube directly for the full 3D experience (double click on any video below to view it on YouTube.com), but you can begin your journey here.

1. 3D Waltz of the Flowers

We’re easing you in to the 3D experience gently. This is a great clip to start with as it’s so very genteel. Enjoy this footage of hot house flowers set to Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite. Take a moment to adjust those glasses or cross your eyes in the most civilized way.

2. 3DigitalVision Demo Reel

Next up is a demo reel of various locations and activities, offered up in three dimensions that will gradually introduce you to more 3D action. Continue here so as not to induce any sudden nausea.

3. 3D Wide Angle Night Drive

Easy-peasy so far, yes? Well, how about some driving footage to get your brain ticking and your stomach ready for bigger and better things? This user-generated video gives you an idea of what real life looks like shot in 3D. The wide-angle aspect and HD quality make it an immersive experience.

4. Roller Coaster Simulation

Now, always an IMAX classic, and for good reason, we have some old school roller coaster footage. Strap those cardboard glasses on and press play. If you can stand up while watching, it’s even better, as you may find yourself swaying with the motion. We dare your stomach not to lurch during this 3D clip.

5. Jaws 3D

Duh-dun, duh-dun… Jaws 3-D was made during a revival of interest in 3D in the 80s. As we’re due such a revival now, and because the horror genre is particularly suited to the 3D format, it seems an appropriate clip to end with. If you’re of a nervous disposition, then look away just before the end. Nah, not really, it’s pretty tame, but hopefully it’s enough to whet your appetite for the 3D-fest to come in 2010.