[From http://valleywag.gawker.com]

Silicon Valley must now be trying to make you hate it. There’s no other explanation for the “Startup and Tech Mixer,” an assemblage of 2,500 San Francisco techies who sipped cocktails, networked, rode a mechanical bull, and produced some of the most nightmarishly obnoxious quotes I’ve (the author) ever read…

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://valleywag.gawker.com/mechanical-bulls-and-open-bars-how-silicon-valley-does-1519889028?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

[From TechCrunch.com]

The kids woke up, the parents got called out of bed and for a few hours, shockingly, it looks like the family put down their mobiles on Christmas morning, according to data from Mixpanel, a mobile and web analytics company.

Welcome to the data-driven Christmas. A day that can be tracked in detail by mining the data on our phones and tablets. As proven by Mixpanel, data analytics can now tell when we open our presents, take a break and then once again immerse ourselves in our apps…

READ THE REST OF THIS STORY HERE: http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/27/what-the-data-says-about-how-we-spent-christmas-morning/?utm_campaign=fb&ncid=fb

[From istockphoto.com by Rebecca Swift]

Working with a graphic designer is the best way to make sure your website or printed materials look professional. But sometimes it seems like your designer speaks a completely different language. Bridge that communication gap with this quick glossary.

[From FireWireBlog.com]

Merchants now have the ability to plug in PayPal Beacon to provide their customers with a completely new shopping experience. The first device of its kind, PayPal Beacon allows merchants to connect directly to their customers PayPal app for automatic check-in.

Faster than swiping a credit card or tapping a mobile phone at the point of sale, PayPal Beacon will make the payment experience get out of the way. It will leverage Bluetooth Low Energy; a breakthrough technology that enables connected devices to communicate with each other seamlessly, while keeping the energy consumption at a very low level. By using BLE, transactions can take place without having to open up an app, without GPS being turned on, and even without a phone signal. When its time to pay, customers don’t have to lift a finger to take advantage of offers or complete the payment — its all done securely with no cash, no card and no signature required.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE: http://firewireblog.com/2013/09/09/introducing-paypal-beacon-shopping-made-seamless/

[From TheFireWireBlog.com]

Apple today introduced iPhone 5c, featuring an all-new design, packed with incredible features in five gorgeous colors—blue, green, pink, yellow and white. iPhone 5c is built on a foundation of features people know and love like the beautiful 4-inch Retina display, blazing fast performance of the A6 chip, and the 8 megapixel iSight camera—all while delivering great battery life. iPhone 5c comes with more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world, a new FaceTime HD camera, and iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE: http://firewireblog.com/2013/09/10/apple-introduces-iphone-5c/

[From FireWireBlog.com]

The iDoorCam ($130) is an easy-to-install device that connects to your existing doorbell wiring using only a screwdriver in just a couple of minutes.

It’s WiFi-enabled, and contains a button, day- and night-vision camera, microphone, speaker, and motion sensor, letting you see and communicate with whoever rings your door.

We need one of these at the Hub for sure!

READ REST OF STORY WITH PHOTOS HERE: http://firewireblog.com/2013/08/22/idoorcam-a-wi-fi-enabled-webcam-doorbell/

[From CNN.com]

More than 100,000 people are eager to make themselves at home on another planet. They’ve applied for a one-way trip to Mars, hoping to be chosen to spend the rest of their lives on uncharted territory, according to an organization planning the manned missions.

The Mars One