Now that Foursquare has mapped every business – time to start adding features

I remember a few years back when all the location-based services, like Foursquare, didn’t have a complete set of locations to check-into. I would often find myself creating a new location or skipping the check-in altogether.

Today, that seems like an issue of the past, as Foursquare recently said:

“We’ve hit a pretty amazing milestone – there are nearly 1,000,000 businesses claimed on foursquare.”

With a near complete set, the next step is to start adding features to each of those locations. Check-out Foursquare’s latest update as they do just that:

Starting today, you’ll start seeing updates…from the places where you’re a loyal customer. It’s an easy way to keep up with news from places you frequent, including things like new specials, pictures of the latest shipment of shoes, or a serendipitous food truck appearance. The best part is there’s no extra work for you to do: we already know you care about a place if you’ve checked in often or liked it, and will show you updates from it when you’re in the same city.

Also, when you look for places or when you check in, you’ll see these updates on the page – kind of like the chalkboard where a restaurant writes its daily specials. For example, when you’re on Northern Spy Food Co.’s page, you’ll see their recent update about their latest seasonal drink.

To see what these look like in action, check out some of the businesses that have started sharing updates. Some are national chains, like H&MTogo’s SandwichesOutback Steakhouse, and Wolfgang Puck. Some are universities on foursquare, like University of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity of South FloridaDuke University, Texas A&M UniversityIndiana University-Bloomington, and Boston University. And some are local New York favorites, like Luke’s Lobster,  New York Public LibraryNYC Parks Department, and Northern Spy Food Company.

 

Source: Foursquare Blog – Introducing Local Updates from businesses – keeping up with the places you love has never been easier!

 

 

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8 clean energy predictions from a decade ago…that were way wrong

From the Fresh Energy blog and a good reminder that most experts have trouble thinking exponentially.

 

WIND

  • In 2000, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published its World Energy Outlook, predicting that non-hydro renewable energy would comprise 3 percent of global energy by 2020. That benchmark was reached in 2008.
  • In 2000, IEA projected that there would be 30 gigawatts of wind power worldwide by 2010, but the estimate was off by a factor of 7. Wind power produced 200 gigawatts in 2010, an investment of approximately $400 billion.
  • In 1999, the U.S. Department of Energy estimated that total U.S. wind power capacity could reach 10 gigawatts by 2010. The country reached that amount in 2006 and quadrupled between 2006 and 2010.
  • In 2000, the European Wind Energy Association predicted Europe would have 50 gigawatts of wind by 2010 and boosted that estimate to 75 two years later. Actually, 84 gigawatts of wind power were feeding into the European electric grid by 2012.
  • In 2000, IEA estimated that China would have 2 gigwatts of wind power installed by 2010. China reached 45 gigawatts by the end of 2010. The IEA projected that China wind power in 2020 would be 3.7 gigawatts, but most projections now exceed 150 gigawatts, or 40 times more.

SOLAR

  • In 2000, total installed global photovoltaic solar capacity was 1.5 gigawatts, and most of it was off-the-grid, like solar on NASA satellites or on cabins in the mountains or woods.
  • In 2002, a top industry analyst predicted an additional 1 gigawatt annual market by 2010. The annual market in 2010 was 17 times that at 17 gigawatts.
  • In 1996, the World Bank estimated 0.5 gigwatts of solar photovoltaic in China by 2020, but China reached almost double that mark—900 megawatts by 2010.

 

 

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The Ralph Lauren Team USA men’s and women’s collection – London 2012 Olympics

The U.S.A. Olympic uniform designed by Ralph Lauren. (Splash News / Ralph Lauren)

 

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China doubles loans to Africa, now $20 billion, and agrees to operate responsibly

China said Thursday it would offer $20 billion in new loans to Africa, underscoring the relationship’s growing importance, as Chinese companies agreed to operate more responsibly on the resource-rich continent.

Beijing has poured money into Africa over the last 15 years, seeking to tap into its vast natural resources, and China became the continent’s largest trading partner in 2009.

But its aggressive move into the continent has at times caused friction with local people, with some complaining Chinese companies import their own workers, flout labour laws and mistreat local employees.

Addressing African leaders including South African President Jacob Zuma and Kenya Premier Raila Odinga, President Hu Jintao said the loans would focus on supporting infrastructure, manufacturing and the development of small businesses.

 

Source: Yahoo! News – China doubles loans to Africa to $20 billion

 

 

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Teddy Bears are banned in Belarus – so democracy activists fly them in

On Thursday, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed that a small aircraft piloted by democracy activists had violated Belarusian airspace in July when it crossed over from Lithuania. The aircraft was carrying a cargo of teddy bears, which parachuted into the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on July 4.

Lukashenko was peeved at his military commanders and air traffic control had failed to stop the plane’s raid into Belarus. Government officials have been trying to sort out how the activists planned the attack and why national security operatives failed to stop the small planes raid into controlled air space.

The plane was piloted by the cofounder of a Swedish ad agency on behalf of Charter 97, a Belarussian democracy advocacy group. The group has since organized other teddy bear assaults, including staging of teddy bears in front of the Belarusian Embassy in London-which caused embassy officials to call the police– to protest Lukashenko’s repression. Protestors have adopted the teddy bears as a symbol of resistance against Lukashenko.

 

Source: Foreign Policy – Teddy bear aerial assault over Belarus confirmed

 

 

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Twitter will soon release a way to retrieve your old tweets

Trying to remember that pithy, brilliantly composed tweet about the latest Wes Anderson movie that you fired off a few months ago? You’re out of luck: Twitter gives users access only to the last few thousand posts made to the site.

But Dick Costolo, Twitter’s chief executive, promises that this will eventually change.

“We’re working on a tool to let users export all of their tweets,” Mr. Costolo said in a meeting with reporters and editors at The New York Times on Monday. “You’ll be able to download a file of them.”

Other social media services, most notably Facebook, already allow users to download a file with all their data. Twitter has been slower to roll out a similar service, although a number of third-party services and developers have cobbled together ways to let people sift through portions of Twitter’s vast collection of messages. One recently released site, called oldtweets, lets people root through some of the first messages ever sent through Twitter’s servers.

 

Source: N.Y. Times – Twitter Is Working on a Way to Retrieve Your Old Tweets

 

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The coolest playgrounds in America

MonstroCity, St. Louis – Built out of found objects, this “post-Apocalyptic” structure is part of the eclectic City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri. (City Museum)

 

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The complete TV schedule for the 2012 London Olympics

Here are the big events for Fri/Sat, with the full schedule available from the L.A. Times – 2012 London Olympics on TV

 

Friday

2012 Summer Olympics 7:30 p.m. Friday, NBC: Opening Ceremony: London, the first city to host the Olympics three times, welcomes the world and Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the Games. (N)

 

Saturday

2012 Summer Olympics 6 a.m. Saturday, NBCSP: Soccer, Beach Volleyball, Volleyball, Equestrian, Shooting, Archery, Handball, Table Tennis: From London. Soccer, women’s: USA vs. Colombia, Brazil vs. New Zealand, France vs. DPR Korea; beach volleyball; volleyball, women’s: China vs. Serbia; equestrian: eventing dressage; shooting: women’s 10m air rifle; archery; handball; table tennis. (N)

2012 Summer Olympics 9 a.m. Saturday, NBC: Swimming, Cycling, Beach Volleyball, Volleyball, Basketball, Rowing: From London. Swimming: qualifying heats; cycling: men’s road race; beach volleyball, men’s: USA vs. South Africa; volleyball, women’s: USA vs. Republic of Korea; basketball, women’s: USA vs. Croatia; rowing: qualifying heats. (N)

2012 Summer Olympics 8 p.m. Saturday, NBC: Swimming, Gymnastics, Beach Volleyball: From London. Swimming, finals: men’s and women’s 400m individual medley, men’s 400m freestyle, women’s 4x100m freestyle relay; gymnastics: men’s team competition; beach volleyball, women’s: USA vs. Australia. (N)

 

And, if you’re away from the TV you can watch every event on the web, or on your smartphone, plus like your favorite athletes on Facebook.

 

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How zero waste, local food, and sustainable transport are a part of the London 2012 Olympics

Pulled from the London 2012 Olympics Sustainability report (pdf):

 

If everyone lived as we do in the UK we would need three planets.

Our unsustainable lifestyles have meant that for the last 30 years we have been ‘eating into the Earth’s capital’ rather than ‘living off its interest’.

The promotion of sustainable development has become one of the fundamental objectives of the Olympic Movement…through its Agenda 21– Sport for Sustainable Development.

London 2012, WWF and BioRegional have developed the concept of a One Planet Olympics.

Staging a One Planet Olympics in London would help achieve the first sustainable Games. Sustainability has been at the heart of the London 2012 Bid and Masterplan.

 

The principles, goals, and legacy of the One Planet Olympics:

 

Zero Waste

Developing closed resource loops. Reducing the amounts of waste produced, then reclaiming, recycling and recovering

Goals

  • No Games waste direct to landfill – all treated as a resource
  • Zero waste target a pivotal procurement driver
  • Closed-loop waste management at all venues
  • Public information campaign to promote high quality front-of-house waste separation

Legacy

  • Zero waste policies extend across East London based on high recycling rates and residual waste converted to compost and renewable energy
  • Increased market for recycled products
  • Closed-loop waste management to be standard practice for major sports events

 

Local and Sustainable Food

Supporting consumption of local, seasonal and organic produce, with reduced amount of animal protein and packaging

Goals

  • Promotion of local, seasonal, healthy and organic produce
  • Promotion of links between healthy eating, sport and wellbeing
  • Partnerships established with key caterers, suppliers and sponsors
  • Composting of food waste as part of Zero Waste plan

Legacy

  • Increased markets for farmers in the region
  • Markets, catering and retail outlets supplying local and seasonal food
  • Composting facilities integrated into closed-loop food strategy

 

Sustainable Transport

Reducing the need to travel and providing sustainable alternatives to private car use

Goals

  • All spectators travelling by public transport, walking or cycling to venues
  • Low/no emission Olympic vehicle fleet
  • Olympic Park Low Emission Zone
  • Carbon offset programme for international travel
  • Individualised travel plans as part of integrated ticketing process

Legacy

  • Increased connectivity across and between legacy developments and neighbouring communities
  • Reduced car dependency
  • Car free events policy adopted for other major events
  • Greater market for zero carbon transport

 

 

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Bob Ross remix Happy Little Clouds – YouTube video from PBS Digital Studios

If there are two things the Internet loves, and neither of those two things are allowed to be cats, they’re Bob Ross and autotuned remix vids. And PBS just served up the goods on both counts.

Bob Ross, longtime PBS host and painter of happy little trees, has joined the legendary Mr. Rogers in PBS’ ongoing series of remix videos featuring the icons of public television.

 

 

Source: Venture Beat – PBS really gets the Internet; check out the new Bob Ross remix video