Google is getting more social , and its web analytics tools are no exception; Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools have added new tools for tracking the impact of tweets, likes, +1s & more on your website’s traffic. Google Webmaster Tools now has a “+1 Metrics” section, which provides reports on the impact of the +1 Button on search. The new analytics show how +1s affect your website’s clickthrough rate (CTR).
The Gadget of the Day Series is supported by the Energizer
One fun and free way to personalize your iPad is with a wallpaper background. There are thousands of wallpapers out there, so to help you narrow down the choices we’ve hand-picked 15 fabulous options that are available to download — for free — from trusted websites.
NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station at 11:55 p.m. ET Sunday, embarking on its last voyage toward home. After undocking, Endeavour flew around the station at distances of about 450 to 650 feet, with crew members taking videos and photos of the station. During the flyaround, the Endeavour crew conducted a series of tests called STORRM (Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation) which will make docking to the ISS easier for future spaceships. The Endeavour will spend another two days in orbit until it lands at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, June 1. See our choice of some of the most interesting photos from Endeavour’s last voyage below, and check out a more extensive gallery over at NASA’s official site . Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage Endeavour's final voyage [via NASA , Space.com ] More About: endeavour , shuttle , space For more Tech & Gadgets coverage: Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad
Here’s a novel idea: Hide a smartphone inside the back of a tablet, and you can have the best of both worlds. That’s what Asus has done with its PadFone, nestling its new Android smartphone into a docking bay in the back of its larger-screened tablet companion, complete with a small door that closes behind it, storing the handset out of sight. You’re looking at the first pictures to surface of this unusual configuration, which reminds us of the Motorola Atrix 4G smartphone.
Mashable recently kicked off its Gadget of the Day Series , supported by the Energizer Inductive Charger . Each week, we’ll review a number of gadgets that catch our interest. In case you missed them, here are the gadgets from our second week — read on for great reviews of Nike’s SportWatch GPS, the Logitech Alert Security System, Altec Lansing Orbit USB Stereo wireless speakers, Logitech’s HD Pro Webcam C910, and the GoFlex Satellite. Looking for even more gadget reviews? This roundup will appear every weekend during the series, and you can check out all of our gadget coverage on the Tech & Gadgets channel . 1. Nike+ SportWatch GPS Runners of all levels who want an accurate assessment of their runs should check out the Nike+ Sportwatch GPS. It’s accurate, and with a little software-side tweaking, it could be the perfect scoring system for your daily exercise routine.
Guess who’s back, back again? Mashable has wrapped another week jam-packed with tools and resources for your digital life. This week we have stories walking you through the startup investment process, Lady Gaga’s social media spectacle, a history of advertising on Twitter, and even some cool decals for your iPad. Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time. Editors’ Picks How Lady Gaga Created a Web Marketing Spectacle for Born This Way [PICS] Lady Gaga has paved a path for stars and brands to get inventive with the ways they use digital and social media to promote themselves and connect with fans. Here’s how she did it with her new album, Born This Way. Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer Conundrum Should Ballmer get the boot? Does Microsoft need a fresh, new face to guide it into a post-PC world? Let’s crunch the numbers. Hacking for Good: Three Ways for Devs to Get Involved Want to use your dev powers for the greater good
A bill that would allow consumers to opt out of online tracking was introduced in the House of Representatives on Friday by California Democrat Jackie Speier. If passed, the Do Not Track Me Online Act would provide an option for consumers to opt out of online tracking that advertisers use to target ads. The option would be analogous to the National Do Not Call Registry , and companies that didn’t respect an Internet user’s choice to opt out would be subject to legal consequences. A “Do Not Track” option has been on the wishlist of privacy advocates like Consumer Watchdog and the Center for Digital Democracy for quite some time, and eight such organizations have announced their support. The FTC also indicated that it would back a “Do Not Track” option in December report. Although bills have been introduced that offer solutions to consumers who wish to keep their online activities private, no “do not track” list has ever been explicitly introduced.
As Mobile World Congress approaches, we’re hearing rumors that Samsung is readying a successor to its Galaxy Tab and is planning to show off the unnamed tablet Sunday night in Barcelona. An unnamed source tells Pocket Lint the tablet will be thinner and lighter than its predecessor, and faster, too. It will reportedly have an 8-megapixel camera, a 10.1-inch touchscreen and a dual-core Qualcomm processor — perhaps the same 1.2 GHz chip said to be powering the Samsung Galaxy S2 Smartphone. This rumor doesn’t come a moment too soon, especially since consumers don’t seem completely happy with the current 7-inch Galaxy Tab (pictured above), reportedly suffering from a return rate of 16% . Compare that to the return rate of iPads at 2%, and there’s clearly a problem. However, much of that difficulty might have to do with the Android 2.2 “Froyo” operating system, which wasn’t specifically designed for tablets. This new Samsung tablet will likely be running the tablet optimized Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system that’s due to launch February 17. More About: android 3.0 , Galaxy Tablet , honeycomb , Mobile World Congress , samsung For more Tech & Gadgets coverage: Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad
The Opera browser is on its way to the iPad . Opera Software says the iPad version will show up first at the Mobile World Congress being held next week in Barcelona. Although the Opera Mini browser has been available for the iPhone since last April, we haven’t seen a scaled-up version for the iPad yet.