More Smartphone Users Taking Pictures, Updating Statuses at Restaurants [INFOGRAPHIC]

More Smartphone Users Taking Pictures, Updating Statuses at Restaurants [INFOGRAPHIC]
by Samantha Murphy on Mashable

Playing on your phone might be taboo while out to dinner, but more people are pulling out their mobile devices to snap and share pictures of meals and update their Facebook statuses, a new study suggests.

According to an infographic by market research firm Lab42, about 19% of those that use their smartphone while at a restaurant update their status on Facebook. Meanwhile, about 24% said they take pictures of their entrees and 18% check-in to the restaurant on services such as Foursquare.

Not surprisingly, smartphone users (20%) are also communicating with others to make dinner plans and 19% use mobile devices to find nearby restaurants. Meanwhile, about one in five people who use their smartphones during their dining out experience do so to view a menu online and find directions.

Does it bother your when someone uses a phone while at a restaurant or is it now socially acceptable? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, robynmac

Source of Article: Mashable

Tablets Are a Dream Come True for Retailers [INFOGRAPHIC]

Tablets Are a Dream Come True for Retailers [INFOGRAPHIC]
by Zoe Fox on Mashable

Since tablets have burst into the ecommerce space in the last few years, they’ve drastically altered the online shopping experience.

That’s a good thing for retailers. Tablet users prefer to use tablets at home, an environment where they’re more likely to buy. This Milo infographic breaks down the trends in tablet use and retail.

According to an eMarketer report, tablets will be adopted even more quickly in the U.S. than smartphones. By 2014, more than one-third of U.S. Internet users will have tablets, meaning now’s the time for retailers to be looking toward the mobile shopping experience.

Milo makes one key recommendation for retailers: 31% of tablet users compare prices on their device before purchasing in a brick-and-mortar store. This trend means even retailers not specializing in e-commerce should be sure to optimize their stock for tablet shoppers.

What’s your preferred device for online shopping? Are you a desktop loyalist or tablet adopter?

Mobile Jobseeking is Going Mainstream [INFOGRAPHIC]

Mobile Jobseeking is Going Mainstream [INFOGRAPHIC]
March 31, 2012 by Lauren Hockenson on Mashable

Have you checked your company’s mobile job offerings recently?

While there are many people already using mobile to find their dream jobs, don’t be misunderstood — using a smartphone to check out job boards isn’t just for early adopters or technophiles. In fact, it’s quickly becoming a mainstream method of finding a lasting career.

According to this infographic by mobile job search and recruiting company JIBE — based on research done by marketing research company Kelton Research — more than 4 out of 5 of surveyed smartphone users would use an iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Windows phone to search for jobs. Of those, nearly half would actually apply to a job right from a smartphone. Given the number of American who own smartphones has surpassed 100 million mark, the level of jobseekers looking to potentially score a job right on their phones can be staggering.

So what does it all mean? Plain and simple: if your company doesn’t have a mobile-friendly job board, it’s time to begin building one as soon as possible. More and more jobseekers are turning to the convenience, simplicity and speed of mobile to access jobs on the fly. If your mobile application isn’t optimized to suit the needs of potential employees, there’s an opportunity to miss out on quality talent.

Take a look at the infographic below to learn more about how mobile is changing the way people are looking for jobs. Would you use mobile to find your new job, or integrate mobile into your company’s recruiting strategy? Let us know in the comments.

Infographic provided by JIBE.



article source: Mashable

How Major League Baseball Stacks up on Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]

How Major League Baseball Stacks up on Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]
April 4, 2012 By Sam Laird on Mashable

Spring is in the air and Major League Baseball season is officially underway. Hot dogs, beer and lazy days at the ballpark are on tap for the next several months. But how do the game’s players, teams and leagues stack up on the social web?

The social media agency Banyan Branch spent the offseason from October through March collecting Twitter and Facebook data to see who dominates baseball’s digital conversation.

Not surprisingly, the agency found that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox — high profile teams in major East Coast markets — rank highest in online popularity. The Yankees have nearly 6 million followers and fans on Facebook and Twitter, while the BoSox come in second with almost 4 million. The Philadelphia Phillies, however, have the most Twitter followers with aronnd 680,000.

Which teams are most active on Twitter? The San Francisco Giants lead the league with 18,000 all-time tweets. The Seattle Mariners come in second with 16,000 posts and the Toronto Blue Jays third at 13,000.

Among free agents this offseason, megastar Albert Pujols commanded the most online buzz with 35,000 Twitter mentions. Prince Fielder, Jose Reyes and the Japanese MLB newcomer Yu Darvish also inspired a ton of tweets.

Yankee Nick Swisher is Banyan Branch’s “Most Valuable Tweeter” with nearly 1.5 million followers. Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson has him beat by a longshot for actual tweeting, though. He comes in at 13,000 posts, compared to Swisher’s 1,200.

Check out the infographic below for the full picture of baseball’s social media landscape.

Who are your favorite baseball Twitter follows? Let us know in the comments.

Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, http://www.istockphoto.com/user_view.php?id=652260‬


Sorce of article: Mashable

A History of Hacktivism [INFOGRAPHIC]

A History of Hacktivism [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Alissa Skelton For Mashable

Hacktivism has hit its tipping point. The year 2011 had the most hacktivism-related crimes in history.

Hacktivists use digital tools to breach security systems to protest or take a stand on political issues. The New Age hacker is motivated by the pursuit of justice, and is often hard to stop.

On Tuesday, Shawn Henry, an FBI agent who will soon leave his post, told the Wall Street Journal that cyber criminals are too powerful for the government to stop. He also said the U.S.’s current methods for preventing hacks are “unsustainable.”

Hacktivism accounted for the majority of cybercrimes committed in the U.S. last year, according to the 2012Verzion Data Breach Investigation [PDF]. The report said hacktivism represented 100 million of the 174 million cybercrimes in 2011.

SEE ALSO: The Evolution of Anonymous

Web criminals target Wall Street firms, too. Cybercrime accounted for 38% of all economic crime [PDF] at financial companies in 2011, reported London-based firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. In 2009, financial firms did not report a single case of cybercrime. The crimes were likely happening, but the cybercrime wasn’t a well-known issue at the time.

The first uptick in cybercrime came in the early 2000s. The Internet Crime Complaint Center logged 16,000 complaints in 2000. By 2008, the number of complaints had jumped to 275,000. Today, the majority — 66% — of hackivists live in the U.S.

The way hacktivists define themselves is important — they don’t want to be associated with cyber criminals who hack websites for financial gain. Hacktivists set out to make political statements by attacking targeted websites and breaching databases.

Three types of hacktivism exist: the white hat hacker, grey hat hacker and the black hat hacker. White hat hackers use non-malicious methods to break security systems. Grey hat hackers hold ambiguous codes of ethics, and are willing to break hacking laws. Black hat hackers are the show-offs; they will breach security mainly because they know how.

Check out the following infographic, created by Frugal Dad, to learn how hacktivism became a powerful virtual weapon.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, zimmytws

How Product Announcements Affect Apple’s Stock Price [CHARTS]

How Product Announcements Affect Apple’s Stock Price [CHARTS]
March 09, 2012 By Matt Silverman For MASHABLE

Much of Apple’s market value hinges on the reception of its products. Will people love the new iPad? Will the next iteration of the iPhone change the mobile game?

Product announcement events are so important to Apple’s marketing that they can really move the needle on the company’s stock price.

SEE ALSO: How 9 Tech Giants Traded After Going Public [INFOGRAPHIC]
In the wake of Apple’s latest revelations, we thought it prudent to see how the stock price has been affected by product announcements of the past. Once again we’ve turned to our friends at Statista to chart the data, and as you might glean from even a cursory glance, the numbers tell a story of steady anticipation, followed by a steep decline, returning the stock close to or below its original value. The main exceptions to this rule were the original iPhone (announced in January 2007) and the iPad 2 (March 2011).

What do you make of these charts? Are they normal market fluctuations, or a sign of over-hype? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Graphic courtesy of Statista.com.

Thumbnail courtesy of Flickr, Stuart Caie.