Killer quake hits India, Nepal

Kathmandu: On Sunday evening, at least five people were killed, three in Kathmandu alone, dozens injured and houses collapsed as a major earthquake hit Nepal, triggering panic and chaos nationwide.

Measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, the quake hit Nepal at 6.25 pm, lasting for around two minutes. Power supply and telephone lines have been disrupted since the quake hit.

The British Embassy building in Kathmandu, located in the Lainchaur area, close to the Indian Embassy, collapsed after the quake, smashing a car and killing three persons who were in the car.

Two more people were said to have been killed in the congested Kalanki area of the capital city, but there was no immediate official confirmation.

There was no immediate official confirmation of a large number of deaths in the tea garden district of Jhapa in eastern Nepal, contrary to reports in the Indian media.

The army personnel and police battled to remove the debris of the British Embassy and rescue the people trapped under it. Three of the injured died in Manmohan Memorial Hospital during treatment and at least two more were receiving treatment.

The dead were identified as Sajan Shrestha of Gorkha district, his daughter Ashima and Bir Bahadur Majhi.

Four others were said to be badly injured and were under treatment at the hospital.

There were angry outbursts from locals and passersby who blamed the embassy authorities for the mishap.

In Sunsari, eastern Nepal, two men were killed, the police said. They were identified as Santosh Pariyar and his nephew Bimal Pariyar.

In Sankhuwasabha in eastern Nepal, at least 16 buildings were affected, including a police camp, a bank and a school.

Nepal's Parliament was in session when the quake struck, causing alarmed lawmakers to scream and run out for safety, causing Chairman Subash Nembang to adjourn the house for sometime.

The epicentre of the quake in Nepal was Taplejung and Sankhuwasabha, initial reports said.

Hundreds of people rushed out of their houses on to the streets in the cramped capital with little open space, crying and taking the names of gods as the tremors started.

It was the biggest tremor to hit the quake-prone nation after 1990 when thousands of people were killed in Nepal and Bihar in India.

The chaos was compounded by heavy rains and blackout. Telephone lines were disrupted and the dark roads were filled with the blare of ambulances.

There have been a series of warnings by international organisations that Nepal will be hit harder than Haiti -- struck by a 7-point Richter scale temblor in 2010 -- if another killer quake struck, because of the hill nation's lack of readiness to cope with disaster.

Kathmandu especially is chock-a-block with old decrepit buildings, which are endangered and liable to collapse, adding to the crisis.

The disaster comes ahead of the former Hindu kingdom gearing up to celebrate its biggest festivals Dashain and Tihar starting next month.

Suddenly It’s Clear: 10 Transparent Screen Trick Shots [PICS]

Here at Mashable we’re big fans of photos that make you look twice. The “transparent screen” trick shot does just that, offering your eyes a delicious dose of unreality.

To celebrate such cunning creations, we’ve collected 10 of our favorite “see-through display” images into a gallery for yourviewing pleasure.

SEE ALSO: 10 Ingenious iPad Self-Portraits [PICS]

Suspend disbelief and take a look through the photo gallery below. Link in the comments to any transparent screen shots you’ve created and, if you don’t know how — stayed tuned for a tutorial coming soon.

Facebook’s Navigation Bar Becomes Omnipresent

Many Facebook users (us included) noticed that the top navigation bar is now locked on top of the screen even if you scroll the page down. This behavior is new: Before, the top navigation bar would scroll up with the page, and now it’s visible all the time.

This subtle change lets users always access some of the most important features on Facebook: friend requests, messages, notifications and search on the left side, as well as home and profile anchor buttons and account settings on the right.

For comparison, Twitter uses a similar floating design for its navigation bar, which is also always visible on top.

Inside Facebook thinks this may be the first stage in a much bigger redesign, which is to be unveiled at Facebook’s F8 conference. If they’re right, Facebook is looking to lock the ads on the right side of the screen to be always visible, too, which would surely increase the click-through rates but would also make the page a bit more crowded.

Has the new, locked top navigation bar gone live for you? How do you like it? Please, share your opinions in the comments.

Emptiness :'(

Emptiness :'(

Official website of Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

http://www.rio2016.org/

New 'Wrong Turn 4'

Wow, are we at Wrong Turn 4 already? Three Finger, Saw-Tooth and One-Eye are at it again (in the dead of winter this time). Who would have guessed that when the original Wrong Turn came out over eight years ago that these mutants would have had franchise potential?

Last month we got a look at the trailer and cover art for the DVD. Now there's another bloody glance at the film.

"At an isolated hospital deep in the West Virginia wilderness, three hideously deformed mutants go on a merciless killing spree. Now, decades later, this family of blood-thirsty cannibals is stalking new prey: a group of young skiers trapped by a blizzard. The abandoned medical wards soon become killing fields as the panicked victims come face to face with a chilling choice: fight back or die. With bonus footage too graphic for theaters, WRONG TURN 4 takes you to the most terrifying place of all...the beginning"

Hit the jump for the pic. Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings is out on Blu-ray and DVD October 25th. 

Shun Your Fake Facebook Friends with This New Feature

Finally, Facebook is helping users create a list of real friends inside their official friends list. There's no need to share everything with everyone, after all. But watch out, because people will know when they're downgraded to your D-list. (Update below.)

Throughout the next week, Facebook will create empty lists of "close friends," "acquaintances" and "restricted" buddies for everyone, according to the Facebook blog. As you add friends to these lists, their posts will be specially weighted in your news feed, and you'll be able to target status updates and photos at them. Facebook will also generate, and magically pre-populate, "smart lists" of work, school and family friends at whom you can also target content.

It's a great feature, turning Facebook relationships from binary, weirdly robotic Friend vs Not Friend associations into something more nuanced and more reflective of the gray areas of real world social interaction. There's one big downside though: Facebook lists are, by default, public -everyone can see who is on your "close friends" list and who has been relegated to "acquaintance," unless Facebook has quietly made some change to its system (none has been mentioned). The lists even show up right on your profile. Instructions for fixing this are here; you'll basically need to make a "Custom" group of people who can see your friend lists ("close friends" would be a good choice).

This feature is also long overdue. Many of Facebook's recent privacy scandals came because the company pushed content like status updates, profile photos, friends lists, and likes and interests into public view, when people in fact wanted more, not less, control over their privacy. With this feature, Facebook is taking another step in the direction of what users seem to want.

It took long enough, though. Facebook was quite obviously spurred to action by intense competition from Google Plus. But then the company's founder and CEO is not exactly known as an expert on the subtleties of human to human interaction. In the spirit of building bridges between normal people and Facebook cyborgs, BEGIN COMMUNICATION: 010001110110111101101111011001000010000001101010
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Update: Facebook will change its defaults when this feature launches, such that your friend lists are no longer visible from your profile, by default. This reverses the old behavior, described in the links we used above. A Facebook spokesman contacted us to say that this should keep your lists well hidden from your friends, so people won't know where they've been slotted. Very encouraging.

Dead Island Review: It's Time For A Vacation

My trip to Banoi taught me a few things. It taught me to know when to stay and fight and when I should haul ass in the opposite direction. It also taught me the importance of teamwork, because surviving in this zombie infested hellhole will definitely require a little help. And lastly, it showed me just how crucial it is to be mindful of my surroundings. You'll need to be alert every second you spend in this island city, because every sound and every shadow can give you important information about just what the fuck that thing is that's waiting for you around that next corner.

As gamers, most of us have experienced our fair share of zombie games. From Resident Evil to Dead Rising, Left 4 Dead to Call of Duty's Zombie mode, there's a very good chance you're familiar with what it takes to slay a being of the undead persuasion. Dead Island knows this, in fact, it's more than aware that you know that conserving ammo is crucial to survival and aiming for the head is the best way to take these bastards out. The game doesn't mess with this tried and true formula, so instead it builds a gorgeous world around it, throws in an engaging story, and sprinkles on a few RPG elements. How does all this work together? Let's find out.

The Baby Factor: If Fallout 3, Borderlands, and Dead Rising decided to get together for a Ménage à trios, Dead Island would be their beautiful, bloody baby.

I really don't want to bury the lead here, because Dead Island is a truly fantastic game. Sure, it's a little rough around the edges and could use a little polish in a few areas, but for an open-world zombie RPG with somewhere between 20-30 hours worth of content, this is a damn fine experience, and a surprisingly bug-free one at that.

No, it's not completely bug free, but when you compare it to other similarly lengthed games it's not bad at all. Occasionally, I'd have textures that would take their sweet time loading in, character models that would glide right through objects, or audio synching issues, but nothing that ever hurt the experience. I did see zombies teleport through walls only to start wailing on me. That was scary because I thought I was safe, then all of sudden I'm being raped very intimately by an elderly woman. Sometimes, no does mean no.



You're probably wondering aloud to yourself, possibly even in a Elizabethan accent, that a game of this length can't possibly maintain an intense pace throughout the entire game. To that I proclaim, in an equally as unfittingly chosen accent that it does in fact, keep up the pace. I dare say it improves over time. Dare I? Yes, I think I shall. Despite being in the 20-30 hour range (assuming you do the side quests, and you really should), it's an incredible frantic game the entire way through.

Dead Island manages to pull from a variety of sources while making everything it borrows its own. It takes a few pages out of Fallout 3's book, the weapon crafting of Dead Rising, the loot-whorishness/4-player co-op of Borderlands, and maybe a little combat from Condemned. Some of these things work well in the world that's been created, others do not. The characters look and act as strange and robotic as the ones in Fallout, but scavenging for items and completing quests for items/EXP/cash rewards is incredibly satisfying.

This game is definitely going to get compared to Dead Rising, but the comparisons end past your ability to craft weapons. This is one thing Dead Island managed to take and actually improve, because instead of your weapons breaking and vanishing after they're used up, you can just repair them. This means if you get a weapon you really like, you don't have to worry about losing it. There also aren't any time limits, so fuck you Dead Rising.



Did I mention this game has loot? It does, and while it might not be the greatest game for a loot whore such as myself, it's still insanely addicting getting as many cool weapons as you can. I was always immediately excited when I came across a random purple or orange weapon in the world, but sadly, that excitement almost always vanished when I realized the unique item I just found actually wasn't very good. This is rarely an issue because for the most part you're going to be using modded weapons you created yourself using one of the game's many recipes.

Then there's the 4-player co-op, which is obviously the game's biggest selling point, and it's been done incredibly well here. Playing online has been made as intuitive as possible; say you're playing the game alone and someone that's also playing in a joinable game comes near, all you have to do is press a button and voilà! You're in. I suggest playing with other people because this game is painfully difficult alone. I can't tell you how many times I died in the second area you make it to (there are three total), but thankfully, the punishment for dying isn't severe. You lose a little money and go back a few paces, leaving all the damage you dealt against the nearby enemies in tact.

As for the RPG elements, you can choose from four characters that are each experts in a certain field, including sharp weapons, but weapons, throwing, and guns. I chose the sharp weapons expert because I can appreciate a woman who knows how to wield a knife. Sharp weapons can sever limbs, blunt ones can break them (side note: it's never not funny watching a big walker zombie shuffling about, flailing his shattered limbs while he tries to headbutt you), and the guns shoot bullets. Adding to the customization are the skill trees, so you can tailor your character to suit how you play. This also means that even if you have multiple characters of the same type, there's a very good chance that you still won't be exactly like the other players in the game.



Dead Island isn't a perfect game, but it does manage to do everything that's important incredibly well. The loot is solid, the weapons are satisfying, the combat is surprisingly good, and the gore is top-notch. For a game that takes place primarily in the daylight, it's also really fucking terrifying. This is an unforgettable experience that's as addicting as it is well-paced. If you're a fan of RPG's, zombies, or sandbox games, or simply want a game to play with your friends.

The Final Word: Dead Island is a place you should definitely consider visiting. Just bring sunscreen, because sunburns suck so hard.

7 Tips for Dealing With Upset Facebook Fans

By Jim Belosic
Published August 30, 2011 

What do you do when you’ve just received a less-than-complimentary Facebook wall post from someone who likes your business (or used to, so it seems)?

The customer could have a simple complaint, or be so upset he’s gone on the offensive, making sure you and the rest of your community knows he’s angry.

Your next steps are key to retaining not only the business of the angry customer, but the business of other fans who like your page as well.

#1: Respond no matter what

It’s vitally important that the complaints and issues your fans pose on your wall are addressed. Inactivity on your part will appear as though you’re trying to ignore the issue and sweep it under the rug. Being unresponsive does nothing more than incite more anger and increase the chance the user will come back with even more angry wall posts.

Moreover, your community can see that angry post. If you don’t reply, it appears as though you are unconcerned with customer support, which can be detrimental to your reputation.

A response that illustrates respect and understanding for customers’ concerns willindicate your intention to rectify any problems. By addressing this upset fan,Newegg is demonstrating that they value their fans’ opinions—even the negative ones.

An upset fan who promises to shop Newegg less frequently still receives prompt, respectful customer service.

#2: Be patient and understanding

In dealing with upset fans, you must remember that you are closer to your industry, products and services than they are. What may seem like basic, common knowledge to you is often foreign to the end user.

Take a step back and put yourself in your customer’s shoes. This can go a long way in understanding why he or she is frustrated. It may not be your company’s fault that the customer is upset.

Whether or not the fault lies on your end, a simple apology will go a long way in keeping the customer’s business. Instead of trying to figure out where the blame lies,turn upset fans into loyal customers by making their experience better.

#3: Contact the Customer Privately

Sending a private message or email to the customer opens up more options for you to address his or her complaints. The goal here is to extend some sort of token letting the customer know you’re sorry he or she is dissatisfied with your company, and you’re willing to make it right. Whether that’s offering the number of the manager’s direct phone line or a discount off the next purchase, moving the conversation from public to private allows you to give the customer a personal touch that signals you care.

However, offering things like direct lines and special discounts publicly can lead to other people creating problems just to get that special treatment, so it’s best to keep these practices off the wall.

While Hayneedle’s customer shown below isn’t visibly upset about the damaged order, Hayneedle handles the situation perfectly, and contacts the customer privately to resolve the issue.

Hayneedle moves conversation with a customer from the Facebook wall to private messages to better help the customer.

#4: Consider asking the fan to remove the post

Say you’ve discussed the issue privately, any problems have been straightened out, and the faultfinder is, once again, your happy customer.

While your wall is an integral part of your web presence, the customer may be unaware of how important it really is to your reputation. If he or she is satisfied with the resolution you’ve reached and grateful for the time you’ve spent making things right,there’s nothing wrong with privately asking the person to remove the post.Most of the time, he or she will remove the angry wall post.

#5: Respond back to the original post

As a general rule, you, the Facebook page admin, should not remove negative posts.Not everyone is going to have a glowing review of your product or company. Social media users know this, and if they see nothing but positive comments, they’ll assume your company is deleting the bad comments.

If you don’t feel comfortable asking your customer to remove the post, you do have the option of publicly responding back to that post. Express happiness in the resolution you’ve reached and thankfulness for her business. Even a negative post can be a good thing, as long as the last comment is positive. Your reputation among your community will soar when they see how well you take care of your customers.

Zappos is shown below addressing a negative comment. The helpful attitude effectively nullifies any poor reflection on Zappos or their services.

Zappos responds quickly with understanding and a desire to create a better experience for their upset fan.

#6: Let your community respond

Letting your community respond for you is really the end result of all the earlier steps. It requires copious time, energy and patience with your fans, and a fantastic product. After you’ve engaged with your fans for a period of time by answering questions and offering support, you’ll notice that your fans will be more active on your page, even to the point of assisting each other.

What’s great about getting this community support is that there’s a genuine credibility when fans endorse your business for you. They become your eager virtual support agents, answering questions and solving problems before you have a chance to. But this is a level you can only achieve if you’ve nurtured and supported your community.

The Pampered Chef has built a fantastic online community of users who love the product so much, and who have been given such great support themselves, peers will answer each other’s questions before The Pampered Chef has to respond.

An outpouring of community support is the direct result of The Pampered Chef's top-notch customer service.

#7: The Last Resort

If the offended party is unreceptive to your customer service attempts, blatantly hostile and only active in your community to start arguments, banning the individual is a last-resort option. And anyone leveling expletives or racial slurs against your staff or fans should be banned. Your staff and your fans don’t deserve to be subjected to the abuse, and in the end, they will respect you more because you took the initiative.

Win Free Tickets to Facebook Success Summit 2011

By Phil Mershon
Published September 9, 2011 

Want to win a free ticket to the largest online Facebook marketing event of the year?

Social Media Examiner has worked hard to bring you our second-annual Facebook Success Summit. It’s even better than last year! And we’ve come up with a fun way to get you involved.

First, what is this event?

Facebook Success Summit 2011 is an online conference dedicated to helping businesses master Facebook marketing. More than 900 businesses have already signed up, including Sony, CNN, Hewlett-Packard, Smucker’s, Zealand, Virginia State Parks, Hampton Inn and hundreds of smaller businesses.

Nineteen of the world’s most respected Facebook marketing experts will share their strategies with you. Hear from Guy Kawasaki (author, Enchantment), Mari Smith (co-author, Facebook Marketing), Robert Scoble (co-author, Naked Conversations), Dave Kerpen (author, Likeable Social Media), Jesse Stay (author, Facebook Application Development for Dummies), Michael Stelzner (founder, Social Media Examiner), Jay Baer (co-author, The Now Revolution), Andrea Vahl (co-author, Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies), Amy Porterfield (co-author, Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies),Chris Treadaway (co-author, Facebook Marketing), Paul Dunay (co-authorFacebook Marketing for Dummies) and Richard Krueger (co-author, Facebook Marketing for Dummies)—as well as experts from Intel, PETCO, Applebee’s andIntuit.

Presentation topics include developing a Facebook marketing strategy, growing and engaging a Facebook following, selling with Facebook and Facebook integration (just to mention a few!). Check out all the sessions.

At last year’s summit, 96% of attendees said they’d recommend the event to a friend and attend again.

How can you win tickets?

We have three free tickets to the summit, valued at $597 each, plus the opportunity to be promoted to more than 100,000 of your peers! And remember, this is an online conference—so no travel is required to participate.

Two ways to win: There are three tickets up for grabs and two ways to win:

#1: Twitter entry

Simply click the button on the right or tweet what you see below for a chance to win one ticket:

I want to win a ticket to Facebook Success Summit http://bit.ly/winFBSS11 (via: @smexaminer ) #winFBSS11

You can tweet up to two times per day. Each tweet is an entry to win. We’ll randomly draw the winner of a free ticket. All tweets must have the #winFBSS11 hashtag included.

#2: Written entry

This winner gets two tickets PLUS a mention in the Social Media Examiner newsletter(100,000+ subscribers)!

Simply write why we should award you a free ticket in the comments box below (scroll down).

The judges (Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner and Mari Smith, co-author Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day) will select the winning entry. Their decisions are subjective and final.

What you need to know

1. You can enter to win either or both prizes.
2. Tweets must contain #winFBSS11.
3. The deadline is Friday, September 16, and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
4. If you’ve already purchased a ticket, no worries. If you win, we’ll either give you a full refund or you can give your spare ticket to someone you really like.
5. No purchase is necessary to win.

We look forward to seeing your blog posts, comments and tweets. Good luck!