David Lidsky's Blog, page 4565

Virgin Enters 'Underserved' iPad Magazine Market With New Publication, Maverick

Virgin, Sir Richard Branson's company, is to go into e-publishing, with an iPad-only publication called Maverick. And, if the AdAge report is anything to go by, it sounds like it's going to be a direct competitor to FastCompany.com. So, here's the first review of the app--before it's even out, that's how ahead of the curve we are: It's AWFUL. (Oh, that's just my rich sense of British irony getting in the way of an interesting story, we at FC are magnanimous enough to welcome new kids on the...

More Social Media Policies: LA Times, Harvard Law, Microsoft and Cisco

In our earlier story (Corporate Social Media Policies: The Good, the Mediocre, and the Ugly), we asked you to send us more corporate social media policies, and you delivered. Here is a second batch, with good, mediocre and ugly guidelines.

If you've not already done so - please send yours to ideas@fastcompany.com.

LA Times – shared by Martin Beck, LA Times Reader Engagement Editor

Elegantly worded and thoughtful, the LA Times social media guide was revised late last year to be more "user...

MySpace Resuscitated With UI and Social Messaging Makeover?

MySpace is still alive, which may not be surprising, but the fact that it's alive and kicking is a bit of a shock: It's due to give a sleek revamp to its hideous profile pages, and has bought Threadbox to rejig its social messaging skills.

The news about a revamp to MySpace's profile pages first came via a tweet from a MySpace executive, but then MySpace confirmed it via a short statement: "We're testing a new look and feel of our site among users" it noted, adding that clients seemed to like...

Enphase Energy Releases First Smart Solar-Connected Thermostat

So you've done your part and purchased a smart thermostat to help micromanage your home energy use. But if you plan to install rooftop solar panels, it makes sense to have a thermostat that can also check on panel performance. Enphase Energy's new Environ Smart Thermostat, the first smart thermostat with solar-monitoring capabilities, can do just that--but only for customers who have solar photovoltaic panels outfitted with Environ's solar microinverters.

The company's microinverters attach...

Latest Old Spice Parody Gets an A+

This week, the Internets have mostly been talking about Old Spice's awesome advertising campaign. Actor Isaiah Mustafa's take on the man that men want to be, women want to be with has had just about everyone trying their hands at it. From amateur bodybuilders, to overweight "comedians", to tattooed "comedians." Most of them just don't get it.

The Harold B. Lee Library, part of the Brigham Young University in Utah, however, does. It's cribbed the Old Spice from head to toe, for a campaign but...

Poll: Facebook Has More Real Friends Than Twitter

Several months ago, a poll by Denmark-based Red Associates concluded that Facebook users aren't the friendliest. But a new survey by Stanford's Andreas Weigend finds that Facebook is at least a far friendlier social network than Twitter.

According to the study, Twitter users have not physically met 48.2% of the people following them. Facebook, conversely, provides a far more personal atmosphere, with users of its social network having physically met more than 88% of their friends...

iFive: Success in the Gulf, Google Results, Goldman Sachs' $550 Million Fine, Paul Allen's Generosity, Facebook Murder Saga

While you were sleeping last night, innovation was stealing your ideas as you dreamed, making huge amounts of money and then being forced to hand it over in fines.

1. The cap on the Deepwater oil leak seems to be holding, but BP is still awaiting the data from its pressure tests on the device. Less exciting for the firm must be the seven-year ban it is facing on offshore drilling from Congress. Fans of bewildering British comedy might enjoy former Python Terry Jones's critique of BP. It's a...

Apple Says Bloomberg Antenna Report Is "Simply Not True"

Last night, Bloomberg released a report saying that according to inside sources, a senior Apple engineer named Ruben Caballero warned the Apple higher-ups, including the big man Steve Jobs himself, that the iPhone 4's external antenna design could cause it to drop calls. Allegedly, a source at AT&T also voiced concern about the iPhone 4's antenna.

Apple responded to Bloomberg's report, saying it's
"simply not true." In a quote given to the Wall Street Journal:

In
response to the article, an...

Firefox Home Enters the App Store, Connects Your PC's Browser to Your iPhone's

Firefox Mobile, also known as Fennec, is only truly available for the little-used (in the States) Maemo operating system, with alpha and pre-alpha versions available for Windows Mobile and Android, respectively. Basically, it's still going to be awhile before you get the full Firefox experience on an iPhone or Android device. But the newly approved Firefox Home app for iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch) is a pretty good halfway point.

Firefox Home is an add-on for the desktop version of...

What Will Apple Do Or Say At Tomorrow's iPhone 4 Briefing?

Apple's called a press event for a select group of reporters on Friday July 16th. The corporate line is simply that it's about iPhone 4. But in all likelihood it's related to the furor over the new phone's antenna problems.

The media thrum about the iPhone 4's antenna design is certainly five full bars strong. It was already pretty vicious, but a study from Consumer Reports (which is somewhat misleading, in my opinion) stirred things up even more. Analysts are now predicting the company will...