U.S. TV networks court YouTube crowd in quest for digital viewers

By Lisa Richwine ANAHEIM, California (Reuters) – For the first time, cable TV network Nickelodeon staged a casting call at VidCon, a convention that draws stars of YouTube and social media like Vine, Instagram and Snapchat and their passionate followers. The Viacom-owned channel's talent search is one way traditional TV networks are recruiting Internet personalities to build audiences. YouTube stars include comedians, beauty gurus, product reviewers, gamers, musicians and fitness buffs who post videos of themselves, often looking directly into the camera.

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Clinton, congressional Benghazi panel at odds over appearance date

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign said on Saturday the former secretary of state will testify on Oct. 22 before a House committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi, Libya, attacks, but a spokesman for the panel said no date had been set. Republican Representative Trey Gowdy, chairman of the Benghazi investigation committee, had sought to hear from Clinton on the attacks, in which four Americans were killed, and her use of a private email account while she was America's top diplomat.

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As tech firms track your location, advertisers zero in for the sale

By Yasmeen Abutaleb SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Mapping technology advancements from Google Inc and Facebook Inc that provide more precise user location data than ever before are starting to dent advertisers' longtime skepticism about boosting mobile ad spending.

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A third of world’s aquifers are being sucked dry: NASA data

By Chris Arsenault ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Human water use is sucking dry around a third of the world’s largest underground water basins at an alarming rate, with potentially risky consequences for farmers and other consumers, researchers said. Eight of the planet’s 37 biggest aquifers are classified as “overstressed” because they have almost no new water flowing in to offset usage, according to two studies from the University of California based on NASA satellite data

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Oculus debuts consumer version of VR headset, partners with Xbox

By Yasmeen Abutaleb SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Oculus, the virtual reality company owned by Facebook Inc, debuted the much anticipated consumer version of its headset on Thursday and announced a partnership with Microsoft Corp's Xbox One gaming console. A prototype of the Oculus Rift has been available to developers since 2013, but Thursday marked the first time anyone had seen the consumer version, which will be available for pre-order later this year and will start shipping in early 2016

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Airbnb faces setback as San Francisco may limit length of stays

San Francisco may become the second California city in a month to limit length of stays arranged by accommodation services like Airbnb, which matches people wishing to rent out all or part of their homes to temporary guests. A city committee late on Monday advanced a proposal that would limit hosts to renting accommodation to no more than 60 days a year, down from 90 currently. Airbnb has grown quickly and is valued at far more than $10 billion, with analysts assuming it can overcome any major regulatory backlash

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Fitness studios keep clients on track with photos, social media

Boutique fitness studios are keeping track of clients' progress with methods ranging from videotaping their workouts to measuring their fat, to posting a friendly nudge on their Facebook pages. Gregory Chertok, a sports psychology consultant with the American College of Sports Medicine, said research has shown that even small amounts of social support can produce large and lasting gains in physical activity.

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Thailand worried by blast of anti-migrant vitriol on social media

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand expressed concern on Monday at a wave of anti-migrant vitriol on social media, which the government said underlined why it cannot accept any more of the asylum seekers who have been arriving by boat on its shores.

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