social media company

Website, Social Media and Non-Profit Sector

2011-08-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

Website, Social Media and Non-Profit Sector
Welcome to Social Media Statistics

By Gary Davies
The use of Internet media and social media by nonprofit organizations is likely to increase. Nonprofit organizations from around the world became aware of the benefits of the internet. Many organizations see the Internet as an easy revenue for the fund-raising through the website, Facebook, and Twitter, or other social media that reaches hundreds of

There are two types of social media networks: In-house and commercial. A network of in-house designed 'in-house' specifically for the use of members and supporters of nonprofit organizations or specific or rather the non-profit network of friends and relatives, school, social taupun. A commercial site is a site built and owned organistaion or corporation. Facebook and Twitter commercial network of the most widely used by nonprofit organizations, and not coincidentally, the two most popular social networking sites on the Internet. Facebook and twitter become a leader in social media tools for the company, besides still considered safe also has superb facilities such as facebook pages that accommodate more like friends and

The advantage of using non-Facebook in conjunction with the website grows. Facebook is a social networking site's most commercially used by nonprofit organizations. 86% of non-responding advantage of Social Networking Nonprofit Survey, conducted by the Nonprofit Technology Network, uses Facebook to traffic fundraising, awareness and driving to their own web sites. Especially for Internet users in the world such as Indonesia's largest social media tools certainly like facebook and twitter to be a trend setter in making the Issues, a new nonprofit organization that lists each day, which is actually bad news for those that were using Facebook. It is reported that the groups and fan pages actually have seen a decline in the number of members over the last year. Still as a marketing platform Facebook provides access to 400 million members worldwide and has created a page dedicated resources to help nonprofit organizations use this site.

Twitter is a social networking site with the greatest increase in users of non-profit. The average number of followers grew from 286 in 2009 to 1792 followers in 2010, that increased 627%. 60% of nonprofit organizations from the same survey using Twitter, many in conjunction with Facebook to increase their support base.

So what exactly is a nonprofit hopes to get out of using the internet?
Twitter, Facebook and Blogs help to open up a nonprofit organization, shows the public what it takes to carry out the work they do and their need for support.
Social networks and professional networks can help smaller nonprofits connect with others in their industry.
Nonprofit organization that seems most pleased with the results of their use of social media and sites are also non-profit organization committed the most resources, time and staff. It seems that designing a web page and create a Facebook page is not enough to produce a good web marketing. 84.9% of survey respondents for Social Networking Nonprofit Survey reportedly employs only one quarter of full-time staff member to the internet and social marketing.Welcome to Social Media Statistics

Griffin Elan Form + Chilewich = Cool iPhone 4 Cases

2011-06-13T22:46:00.000-07:00

Innovative design and unique features cool iPhone 4 cases are easily under the media spotlight or becomes the subject of immediate discussion once there are introduce to the market. This round, we want to reveal the success secret of iPhone cases product launch formula.

For our cool iPhone 4 cases 2011 collections, the Griffin Elan Form + Chilewich series is surely one of our awesome iPhone 4 case. It's a two-piece design with a top frame that completely snaps over the iPhone body. A classic design element that promised a better protection for your iPhone. The case body is made of polycarbonate and covered with the trademarked woven vinyl textile.

The unique features of this cool Griffin Elan Form iPhone 4 cases are what we should look for when going for shopping. Obviously, this Griffin product comes with a hybrid design that fits iPhone 4 models from all carriers (iPhone 4 and Verizon iPhone 4). Not many iPhone 4 cases are design for both blue or red camp users in mind! The outer shell of Sandy Chilewich's trademarked Mini Basketweave woven vinyl textile surely a iconic feature that only available here. This is a perfect combination that showcase to make the best use of designer's trademarked and functionality.
Color: Light Gray, Light Gold and Dark Walnut

Available: iPhone 4 / Verizon iPhone 4

You pay: $39.99

Our score: 9.1/10

This Griffin Elan Form + Chilewich iPhone casefeature a slim body design with two layers of protection for your iPhone 4. This is yet another big name designer enter the ever hot iPhone cases businesses. Chilewich and Griffin collaboration is a landmark project to showcase how technology, interior design and materials can work together to create awesome and beautiful products to maintain their industry and market leader status.
Well, this is just the beginning of the war of iPhone cases market for 2011 and beyond. Meanwhile we are waiting for the arrival of iPhone 5, we're already seeing shadow of some interesting iPhone 5 cases getting market attention!! Before entering the exciting 2012, we are expecting more excitement from Spring, Autumn and Winter collections of coolest iPhone 4 cases or maybe the iPhone 5 by the end of 2011!!

Posted by S.Webex

Labels: cool iPhone 4 cases 2011 collections, designer cool iphone 4 cases, Elan Form iPhone 4 cases, iPhone 5 cases

Lee's new-look Better Communication Results blog - Do we HAVE to social media?

2011-06-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

Lee's new-look Better Communication Results blog - Do we HAVE to social media?
In This Issue...

* Do we HAVE to social media?
* More Recent Articles

rip_and_rollI HAD an interesting discussion with a client yesterday about the 'Rip & Roll' kerfuffle that occurred recently.

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Synopsis: Billboards and bus shelter ads appeared in Brisbane showing two gay men, one of which was holding a condom. Pretty quickly the outdoor advertisement company, adShel, started receiving complaint phone calls about the ads from members of the public.

At the same time, Brisbane City Council also started receiving complaints from members of the public, as did the Advertising Standards Authority.

adShel, sensitive to local cultures, took the step to remove the adverts. This act prompted a storm of protest in the Twittersphere and on Facebook where one of the models in the original adverts set up a campaign to get the adverts reinstated. (Tim Mumbrella makes some good points.)

But then the truth came out: the phone calls were not from Bruce and Kylie Public, but were in fact part of an orchestrated campaign run by the Australian Christian Lobby up in Brisbane. So adShel put the posters back up. What is not clear is what role social media had to play in adShel's decision, if any. Just because there was a large amount of noise in the echo chamber doesn't mean that adShel listened to it.

Now, take that train of thought and apply it to the recent Burson-Marsteller cock-up (Neville Hobson has great coverage, and the Daily Beast also makes for interesting reading). B-M's facebook page at the time of being 'outed' was full of spleen-venting from those outside of the company. B-M have now pushed those ventings down the timeline and out of sight by creating a lot of status updates announcing job vacancies in its various US offices. They have moved the conversation on.

For a while things were ugly on their wall, but through their own efforts it has largely moved off the front page (but not off of Google's yet).

So here's my thoughts (two of them):

1. Having a Facebook Page where you allow comments from others opens you up to potential criticism (as it equally opens you up to having evangelists and fans coming unrequested to your aid, as they did for B-M and have done in countless previous instances for other organisations);

2. By adShel not having a place where the conversation could be taken to, the conversation happened on other people's turf, BUT FACEBOOK SCRAPED THEM UP ANYWAY. Below is an auto-generated Facebook Page about adShel; you will note how Facebook has scraped people's comments about it. In the screen grab you will also note that the Page is created from the comments and status updates of friends of mine. Therefore what you would see if you typed in 'adShel' into your Facebook search bar would differ, but still reflect what your friends are saying; and friends, as any psychologist will tell you, are your principle source of your opinions.

screen grab of adShel auto-generated Page on facebook
Conclusion

The conclusion? Whether you like it or not, the conversations are happening around you. Whether you choose to participate or not is entirely up to you and your communications strategy (and yes, I have come back to the view that n0t all companies need to be on Facebook), but I still maintain that if you want to reserve your digital space and influence the conversation, you should be social mediarising. Probably on Facebook.

Technorati Tags: facebook, rip&roll, rip and roll, acl, australian christian lobby, neville hobson, daily beast, burson marsteller, burson-marsteller, pr, psychology, opinion, social media, business communication, lee hopkins

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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Pocket-Sized Bluetooth Speaker Delivers Astonishing Sound”

2011-06-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Pocket-Sized Bluetooth Speaker Delivers Astonishing Sound”

* Pocket-Sized Bluetooth Speaker Delivers Astonishing Sound
* Find Out When Your Favorite Bands Are Playing While On The Go
* Wimbledon Finals To Be the First 3D Broadcast on the BBC
* Paramount Offers Twitter Users Advanced Tickets to Super 8
* Steve Jobs Proposes Spaceship-Shaped Cupertino Campus [VIDEO]
* Foursquare Checkin Could Land You a Trip to Space
* Facebook’s Automated Photo Tagging Prompts EU Probe
* Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Now Available for Pre-Order at Best Buy
* Facebook Privacy Probe, Verizon Blocks Tethering, iOS 5 Jailbroken: This Morning’s Top Stories
* Google Releases Stable Version of Chrome 12
* Why Augmented Reality Is Poised To Change Marketing
* The UN Takes a Bite Out of Social Innovation
* Investor Relations Tool Helps Fortune 500 Companies Get Social
* Facebook Turns On Facial Recognition For Tagging By Default
* WordPress.com Comments Gain Support for Facebook & Twitter Logins
* Twitter Automates Link Shortening for Its Web App
* Spirit Airlines Cashes in on Weinergate
* Why Apps, Not Apple, Are Killing BlackBerry
* Can a Gmail Tool Make Us More Considerate Email Senders?
* Louis Vuitton Takes Checkins to China
* NBC’s The Voice Treats iTunes Sales As Viewer Votes
* LinkedIn App Lets You Play Tetris With Your Network Profiles
* Join Us for Mashable’s Social Media Day Celebration in NYC
* Twitter-Based iPhone Photo App Puts Emphasis On Who You’re With
* 6 New & Innovative Social Media Campaigns to Learn From
* 10 Eco-Friendly Accessories for a Greener Office [PICS]
* HOW TO: Have the Cancer Talk
* Woman Gets Facebook Friend Sleeve Tattoo [VIDEO]
* 9 Beautiful One-Page Websites for Design Inspiration
* Mashable Teams With PepsiCo To Find Europe’s Most Promising Startups

Pocket-Sized Bluetooth Speaker Delivers Astonishing Sound

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 08:04 AM PDT

The Gadget of the Day Series is supported by the Energizer® Inductive Charger, which brings you the next generation of charging with Qi technology. Qi is the new universal standard for wireless charging … now that's positivenergy™.

Product: Soundmatters foxL v2.2 Bluetooth Speaker

Price: $199

What It’s Good For: Taking high fidelity along with you in a palm-sized package.

Who It’s Good For: Frequent travelers who own Bluetooth devices and like to listen to music; well-heeled audiophiles who appreciate great sound in a small form factor.

Limitations: No auto-off function, pricey.

Bottom Line: Hold this hotshot in your hand and feel its incredible power. Such sound has never shoehorned itself into such tiny speakers and been worthy of such praise. Even though you get a lot of original technology for your money, it’s pretty expensive at $199.
A Close-Up Look At The Soundmatters foxL v2.2 Bluetooth Speaker

There are plenty of Bluetooth speakers in the world, but none are like the foxL v2.2. Even though it’s a mere 5.6 inches wide, this 9.5-oz speaker rocks some downright amazing sound.

Although it feels like metal, Soundmatters has constructed the speaker out of something it calls “glass-filled composite,” otherwise known as fiberglass, the same thing surfboards are made of. That makes it lighter than it would be if it were built entirely of metal. That light weight and its small size practically beg you to take it with you on your next trip.

We can thank ex-NASA engineer and actual rocket scientist Dr. Godehard Guenther for the clever ideas that went into this product. Revered in the audio industry, he’s figured out unique ways to get maximum sound out of the smallest amount of space.

The speaker’s two 25mm drivers are powered by four digital amplifiers, pumping out a total of 8 watts of power, which is a lot for a speaker of this size. Dr. Guenther has freed up space inside the speaker by moving the “BassBattery” toward the outside, where it’s also utilized as a moving part that he calls a “moving wall radiator” that generates a surprising amount of bass.

Let’s put it through its paces. After four hours of charging a battery that’ll run for about five hours on a charge, the foxL was ready to go, its Bluetooth radio pairing up almost immediately with a laptop, iPhone and iPad 2. If you don’t want to use Bluetooth, you can plug any audio device with a standard headphone jack into the foxL’s auxiliary port.

So what is the overall effect of all this serious engineering? Astonishing sound, that’s what. It’s a kick to turn this thing on and hold it in your hand, feeling it rocking your arm from fingertips to elbow with its vigorous sound.

But it’s when you put it on a solid surface that its true nature is revealed. There’s actually enough bass pumping out of its little drivers to make you feel like moving your feet. Even though its optimal listening distance is about three feet away, it sounds good from further out, too. Plug it into an AC outlet or USB port, and suddenly it’s running on twice the wattage than the battery, giving it a noticeable increase in oomph. It’s remarkable.

It also performs admirably as a speakerphone, and if you have it linked to a smartphone via Bluetooth, when a call comes in it immediately turns into speakerphone mode, letting you answer the call with a slightly awkward routine of pressing and holding a Bluetooth button. And its built-in mic faithfully reproduces your voice, sounding better than most speakerphones I’ve used.

Summing up, if you can afford it, you’ll want to take this whippersnapper along with you on your next adventure. It’s beautifully designed, pumps out plenty of clean sound even at low volume and plays loud enough to entertain a rowdy crowd.

Come along on a tour of the foxL Bluetooth speaker in this gallery:

Palm-Sized

[Palm-Sized]

The white button just above the Soundmatters logo is the one you push to answer the phone.

Back

[Back]

Behind that grille is the battery that doubles as a mini subwoofer, and it does a great job of enhancing the bass in this tiny unit. On the right are the two volume controls.

Left Side

[Left Side]

The 3.5mm mini jack on the top is for an external subwoofer. Below that is a LED charge indicator, and at the bottom, a mini USB port.

Kickstand In Use

[Kickstand In Use]

The speaker stands up perfectly well on its own without using the kickstand, but it's welcome nonetheless.

Right Side

[Right Side]

The top port is an auxiliary port where you can connect any audio device with a 3.5mm plug. The bottom port is for power from the AC adapter.

Bulging Drivers

[Bulging Drivers]

The two 25mm dome speakers are pushed out toward the front, to give the inside of the speaker more room for bass to resonate.

foxL Diagram

[foxL Diagram]

Here are the details of the foxL Bluetooth Speaker. This graphic is courtesy of Soundmatters.

Series Supported by Energizer®

The Gadget of the Day Series is supported by the Energizer® Inductive Charger, which brings you the next generation of charging with Qi technology. Qi is the new universal standard for wireless charging. Energizer® has always been designed with performance and responsibility in mind … now that's positivenergy™.

More About: audio, foxL bluetooth speaker, Gadget of the Day Series, ipad, iphone, ipod, review, speakerphone

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Find Out When Your Favorite Bands Are Playing While On The Go

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 08:00 AM PDT

Songkick, a service that informs you when your favorite bands are playing, is out with a new mobile app that makes it easy to track concerts and plan music-filled nights out.

A kind of concert-going social network, Songkick, lets you track bands from Last.fm, Pandora and iTunes, get email alerts when your top acts are playing near you, buy tickets to shows and create show calendars that you can export to Google Calendar, Outlook or iCal.

The iPhone/iPod touch app [iTunes link], available for free from the iTunes store, takes that functionality and puts it in your pocket, a much more natural fit for the avid concert-goer. Yes, email alerts are awesome when it comes to planning a show-heavy weekend, but what about when you’re out and about and want to hit up a show? The app seems much more intuitive.

After installing the app, preexisting users can sign in and access all their saved artists, shows, etc. The app will scan your iTunes, and from that data — taking location into account — compile a list of shows you might be interested in attending.

You can also scroll through a list of your favorite artists and see which ones are touring. You can then create a personalized concert calendar, and be alerted via push notifications when your favorite bands are playing. You can also look up ticket info, venue location, show time, lineup, etc., and tell friends about shows via Twitter, Facebook and email. Shows are tracked in more than 70 countries, and you can change the location setting when you travel.

Granted, this app isn’t exactly revolutionary. SuperGlued‘s iPhone and Android apps do something very similar (like scanning your iTunes), as do specialized apps like Festival Explorer Austin Edition, which was designed for SXSW. There’s also GigKick, which connects to your Songkick profile to display upcoming shows.

Still, Songkick’s app is pretty slick and offered me some accurate show recommendations for the upcoming weekend, so it’s likely to become a standby app on my iPhone, at least. Although I do wish the app included song previews, like some of its competitors.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Stephan Geyer

More About: App, concert, iOS, iphone, iPod Touch, mobile app, music, songkick, startup

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Wimbledon Finals To Be the First 3D Broadcast on the BBC

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:35 AM PDT

Like it or not, 3D is coming. The BBC has succumbed to the latest trend, announcing its first 3D broadcast: this year’s Wimbledon finals.

The broadcast will include both men’s and women’s singles finals, which are taking place over the first weekend in July, and will only be shown on the BBC HD channel — free to cable or satellite subscribers, as well as customers with Freeview HD boxes.

Of course, users will need a 3D-enabled TV, as well as 3D glasses to be able to watch the finals in their full glory.

This is just a trial for the BBC, but the company has high hopes for 3D. "This is a hugely important experiment for us and I'm pleased that we have the opportunity to show some of our stunning sports coverage to our audiences, in 3D for free," said BBC’s George Entwistle in a statement.

It’s becoming more common to air 3D TV broadcasts in the UK; Sky 3D has been showing live sporting events as well as movies and entertainment in 3D for some time now.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Marc Di Luzio

More About: 3D, 3D broadcast, bbc, television, tv, wimbledon

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Paramount Offers Twitter Users Advanced Tickets to Super 8

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:19 AM PDT

Paramount Pictures’s Super 8 is ramping up its social media marketing efforts before it hits U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday, first by premiering the first full-length trailer on Twitter, and now with promotions on Foursquare and Twitter.

Paramount is offering the latter’s users advanced showings through the hashtag #Super8Secret, which the company is also pushing as a Promoted Trend. There is, of course, nothing secret about the promotion, and that’s the point; Paramount has essentially guaranteed that the movie will be trending on opening day, thanks to all of the advanced reviews on Twitter.

As we’ve seen before, however, the film will still have to stand on its own merits; Twitter can just as persuasively keep moviegoers out of theaters as it can bring them in.

More About: advertising, Film, MARKETING, paramount pictures, social media, Super 8, twitter

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Steve Jobs Proposes Spaceship-Shaped Cupertino Campus [VIDEO]

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:32 AM PDT

Steve Jobs presented his plans for a giant, spaceship-shaped campus to the Cupertino City Council Tuesday.

“Apple is growing like a weed,” he said. “And as you know, we’ve always been in Cupertino.”

The company has staff scattered in rented buildings throughout the city. The plan for the future campus puts 12,000 to 13,000 employees inside a single four-story oval building.

Jobs, fresh off of WWDC, made a convincing case for what he calls “a shot at building the best office building in the world.”

By moving parking underground, 80% of the 150-acre property will be landscaped. Apple has hired the lead arborist from Stanford to fill it with 6,000 trees, and the company will build its own “energy center” power source.

Apple also pays more taxes than any other company in Cupertino, Jobs reminded the somewhat starstruck council.

“We’d like to continue to stay here and pay taxes,” he said. “Because if we can’t, we have to go someplace like Mountain View.”

More About: apple, cupertino, office

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Foursquare Checkin Could Land You a Trip to Space

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:21 AM PDT

Foursquare has partnered with 7-Eleven and the team behind Paramount Pictures’ forthcoming film Super 8 to send users on a mission to space.

From now until June 30, Foursquare users ages 14 and up can check in to a U.S. 7-Eleven location for a chance to win tickets to Super 8 (every 88th checkin), a Zero-G experience, which enables participants to float and move about as if they were in space on a modified Boeing 727 (every 88,888th checkin), and even a trip to space via Space Adventures’ Suborbital Spaceflight program if 888,888 checkins are made.

(Maybe you’ll be the second person to check in to space.)

Entering is as simple as checking in at a 7-Eleven using Foursquare’s apps for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows 7, Palm or Ovi, and clicking through the “Unlocked Special” to the registration form.

In terms of prizes, it’s one of the more creative Foursquare promotions we’ve seen to date.

More About: 7-Eleven, foursquare, Super 8

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Facebook’s Automated Photo Tagging Prompts EU Probe

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:06 AM PDT

European Union data-protection regulators will probe Facebook after it started a global rollout of its new face-recognition photo-tagging system.

The new feature “recognizes” faces in photos, shortening the often tedious tagging process, which enables users to connect a face in a photo with an actual friend on Facebook. The process is now semi-automated: Facebook provides suggestions for individuals in photos, and the user chooses to accept or reject them.

The feature is enabled by default, but it can be disabled by customizing your privacy settings.

However, European Union regulators think that this feature is a potential privacy risk. "Tags of people on pictures should only happen based on people's prior consent and it can't be activated by default," said Gerard Lommel, a Luxembourg member of the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party.

In the past, EU regulators have scrutinized companies such as Microsoft (for bundling Internet Explorer with Windows) as well as Google and Yahoo for storing data search queries for too long. Facebook, too, was criticized for not doing enough to protect the privacy of its users.

What do you think? Is this feature a privacy risk? Should it be enabled by default?

[via Bloomberg Businessweek]

More About: face recognition, facebook, photo tagging, privacy

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Now Available for Pre-Order at Best Buy

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 05:20 AM PDT

The revised, ultra-thin version of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 is now available for pre-order at Best Buy.

Some New York City shoppers will also be able to actually buy the device, which is coming (in limited quantities) to the Union Square Best Buy store.

The dual-core powered, Android 3.1 Wi-Fi device comes in two colors: white and metallic gray (Best Buy also mentions a “metallic gray black” variant but we’re not sure if that differs from the regular metallic gray one). The 10.1-inch screen boasts 1280×800 pixels, and the tablet also has a 3-megapixel back camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats.

The pride of owning the thinnest Android tablet on the market will cost you $599 if you choose the 32 GB version, while the 16 GB version of the device costs $499.

More About: galaxy tab, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Samsung Galaxy Tab

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Facebook Privacy Probe, Verizon Blocks Tethering, iOS 5 Jailbroken: This Morning’s Top Stories

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 05:20 AM PDT

Social Media News

Welcome to this morning’s edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on three particular stories of interest today.

Facebook Turns On Facial Recognition For Tagging By Default

As Facebook rolls out its Tag Suggestions feature, which uses facial recognition to suggest tags for friends in users’ photos, the social networking site is simultaneously enabling facial recognition as a default privacy setting, provoking an EU probe in the process.

Verizon Blocks 4G Tethering

The FCC has received a complaint arguing that Verizon Wireless shouldn’t be allowed to block tethering apps, which enable consumers to connect to the Internet on their computers and mobile devices through their phones’ 4G wireless data network.

iOS 5 Successfully Jailbroken

iPhone owners have already begun jailbreaking the mobile software Apple released at WWDC Monday, iOS 5.

Google Releases Stable Version of Chrome 12

Google Chrome 12 is now the stable release of Google's web browser, bringing several improvements in security, privacy and graphics capabilities.

Further News

* The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is now available for pre-order.
* Twitter has announced that links shared on Twitter.com will be automatically shortened using the service's t.co URL shortener.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59

More About: first to know series

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Google Releases Stable Version of Chrome 12

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 02:50 AM PDT

Google Chrome 12 is now the stable release of Google’s web browser, bringing several improvements in security, privacy and graphics capabilities.

Chrome now checks downloaded files for malware, and Google claims it has designed the feature in such a way that it doesn’t have to know which URLs you visited or which files you downloaded to be able to detect malicious files.

You can now also fine tune the data that websites store on your computer, including Flash Player's Local Shared Objects (also known as Flash cookies), directly from Chrome.

On the graphics front, Chrome 12 includes support for hardware-accelerated 3D CSS, which enables some nifty effects such as rotating and scaling videos. Try this Chrome Experiment to see some of the new features in action.

Finally, Chrome 12 brings several minor improvements such as an improved interface for setting a homepage and searching for Chrome Apps directly from the address bar.

Google Chrome 12 is available at www.google.com/chrome. Existing users will be automatically updated to the new version in the next couple of days.

More About: browser, chrome, Chrome 12, Google, google chrome, web browser

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Why Augmented Reality Is Poised To Change Marketing

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 11:25 PM PDT

Sam Travis Ewen is the CEO and founder of Interference Incorporated, a non-traditional marketing agency, and is co-founder of Supertou.ch an immersive technology company focused on bringing human computer interaction (HCI) to real-world environments.

If you’ve read Daniel Suarez's techno thriller Daemon or William Gibson's Spook Country, then you’ve encountered a world where there is no dividing line between physical and virtual realities. This vision is also advanced in the films Blade Runner, Minority Report or Children of Men which feature floating screens and active surfaces that come alive at a gesture or command. While this may seem like fantasy, those in business and marketing need to start paying attention to how real this all becoming.

The fields of augmented reality, projection mapping and Kinect hacking are where some of the most exciting work is happening. The changes are occurring so rapidly and in such variety that it is hard to keep up. But what many startups, hackers, corporations and tech artists are creating — a hybrid between computer interactivity, data, social media and how those relate to our physical world — is not only mind-blowing, but it is also a teaser for what media and communication experiences will look like in the near future.

Here is a taste of what’s going on.
Augmented Reality

Remember when AR was all about little black-and-white codes that made pretty little animations play on your webcam? It seemed like a fun trick back then, and a few brands (Lego, best of all, and maybe Ray-Ban for an honorable mention) used it to create new ways to digest their products or play simple games.

Actually, there was very little 'reality' being augmented with those. But now that the concept has matured, we’re starting to see a very different AR come to life. With your phone's camera becoming the input device, apps are popping up that let you view a building in your city and find out if there is available office space for rent in it, make newspapers, magazines and outdoor imagery come to life, get translation on the fly or see a person's social profile as they pass you on the street.

As our desire to check in and share location-related media grows, we’re going to see the ability to overlay those actions on real space through these tools and new ones coming.

Where to start:

* Rofo on junaio: AR Real Estate application for cities (above)
* Aurasma from Autonomy: Activating still visuals
* Lego Retail AR: See how the product will look when built
* TAT Augmented ID: Social profiling via AR

Projection Mapping

Projection mapping has been around for a few years now, but it is starting to come into its own with some high profile stunts. Projection mapping software looks at the shape of an object and creates a 3D map of it, allowing an artist to overlay imagery — usually on a large surface or structure.

Why is this interesting? Because it provides the ability to change the experience of a physical object creatively, so at one point the object was one thing, and then right in front of your eyes it appears to be another. Ralph Lauren made a recent splash with this tech at a high profile event, projecting a 3D spectacle on the facades of flagship stores in New York and London.

Infiniti and Toyota have used the technique effectively to make their cars defy the laws of nature at private events. Others have used it to augment architecture and living spaces in such dramatic ways that you would have to touch them to see if the change was real or simply a visual trick. If all the structures around us were a canvas, imagine what we could do with them.

Where to start:

* Ralph Lauren: “4D Experience”
* Mr. Beam: “Living Room”
* Infiniti: “Journey of Inspiration”
* Toyota Auris: “Get Your Energy Back”

Kinect Hacking

On November 4, 2010, Microsoft took a major step toward reasserting itself as a leader in future tech. The release of the Kinect for its Xbox system, — and how the Kinect was adopted by the creative/hacker community — has ushered in a new era for augmented reality.

Why is the Kinect so innovative? It’s not really breaking new ground, technology-wise. But it’s the way in which it combines existing tech — a multi-array microphone, an RGB camera, an infrared depth sensor — that makes it smarter and cheaper than preceding attempts. Perhaps more importantly, it’s hackable. And recognizing the innovation that could come of this, Microsoft is due to release an SDK that will allow the curious and the research-minded alike to tinker with ease.

In just a few short months, developers have used the Kinect to create everything from optical camouflage to body-controlled light shows. Beyond the novelty, the practical implications of tying gestures to computer control are abundant.

Here are a few impressive examples of Kinect hacks in action:

* Phil Reyneri: Kinect Light/Laser Control
* blabblabLab: Be Your Own Souvenir
* Controlling A Humanoid Robot via Kinect
* Coverflow
* Become Your Own Superhero

These technologies (and a variety of others) are radically changing the way the physical and digital worlds interface. Because media and marketing are moving ever closer to the technologies that feature (and often reward) user engagement and user creation, these innovative types of input/output mechanisms will directly lead us into a new era of active and reactive brand communication and experience.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Jason McDermott.

More About: 3D projection mapping, Augmented Reality, business, kinect, Kinect hacking, MARKETING, Sam Ewen, tech, technology

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The UN Takes a Bite Out of Social Innovation

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 10:36 PM PDT

un image

The UN Social Innovation Summit took place in New York on June 6, and it had its fair share of controversy.

The summit was partly about how to improve corporate social responsibility (i.e., big business making philanthropy a part of its operation) and partly on how emerging technologies can revolutionize social good.

Of course, with so much on the line, the many speakers took impassioned and sometimes opposing views on how to tackle those two topics. Mashable attended the summit and took some notes while we were at it. Here are some brief highlights from the UN’s Social Innovation Summit.

The afternoon kicked off with a panel on healthcare innovation. From the start, the main problems were questions of efficiency, efficacy and how to scale.

Kathy Pickus, the VP of the Abbott Fund, summed up the panel’s main point: Corporations can make “a long-term sustainable difference by overlaying business practices with causes.” Non-profits cannot operate solely on good will; they also need business strategies that don’t rely on fundraising and donations. Pickus went on to say that because of their charitable actions, “businesses are now finding themselves at tables they weren’t previously invited to,” including government task forces both nationally and internationally.

The second panel was about creating a socially responsible technology enterprise. Here, the real barn-burner was Nicholas Negroponte, the founder and chairman of One Laptop Per Child. In his comments, Negroponte lambasted the idea of applying business models to philanthropy, saying: “Sustainability is a bad word because it’s a sign of small thinking, of an economic model that runs all by itself.”

Negroponte said that social good campaigns aiming for modest returns — improving literacy by 10%, for example — were also small-minded, and he asked the audience to think bigger. “If you have to measure the result, it’s not worth doing.” He also pointed out that the U.S. spends approximately $2 billion each day on war. Negroponte said the cost of three and half days of war could give a computer to every single child in Afghanistan.

Contrapuntally, Jonathan Teplitz, J.P. Morgan’s COO of Global IT, announced a web portal called Match.com (not that match.com). The site would match up specialists and experts, including J.P. Morgan’s own staff, with international non-profits and causes that need but can’t afford top-notch digital support.

Most of the panels were largely on-message — brands need to cooperate, adopt new technologies, make causes a key part of their identity — with some sparks flying out of a panel on media activism. In that panel, Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post called for an app to let us users know when they were ethically and mentally veering off course.

Nancy Lublin, the CEO of DoSomething.org, lauded mobile as the next big tool while comparing her signing Katy Perry in the shower to corporations funding celebrity charity projects like Madonna opening schools in Africa. In other words, Lublin feels corporations should put money behind experts with deep knowledge of their core issues as opposed to stars that view it more as a hobby or part-time job.

Alec Ross, the Senior Advisor for Innovation at the U.S. Department of State, said that in the wake of social media’s role in the Arab spring, “The 21st century is a lousy time to have control.” He said the age of one white guy in a red tie talking to another white guy in a red tie about what to do was effectively over as social tools empowered everyday people across the globe.

What do you think of these claims and ideas? What is business’ role in social good? What’s next for social innovation? Let us know in the comments.

You can watch a recap of the summit here.

More About: charity, corporate social responsibility, csr, non-profit, social innovation, social media, UN, un social innovation summit

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Investor Relations Tool Helps Fortune 500 Companies Get Social

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 09:02 PM PDT

StockTwits, the Twitter app-turned-social network for investors, is targeting investor relations professionals at Fortune 500 companies with the release of StockTwits IR Suite.

The suite is intended to help corporations better monitor, distribute and measure news through social media.

Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Ford are among 50 public companies that have already added social media to the workflow of IR departments by way of the StockTwits IR Suite.

StockTwits IR Suite is comprised of three components. The Verified Ticker Page lets corporations assume control of their ticker symbol on StockTwits and put their best faces forward with links to their blogs, YouTube channels or SlideShare presentations.

The Social Dashboard is where IR professionals manage their corporate social messaging and track how their messages are spreading.

The final piece, “Social Distribution” as StockTwits calls it, offers users a simple way to push each message out to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, along with financial portals such as CNNMoney, Reuters and Yahoo Finance.

“It’s a disruptive tool to help public companies disseminate news in real-time,” StockTwits co-founder and CEO Howard Lindzon explains.

Investor relations professionals — the internal corporate staffers tasked with communicating with shareholders and investors — have not readily embraced social media for communication purposes, Lindzon says. This is partly due to law compliance concerns as well as a general lack of understanding of how social media impacts their companies, he explains.

“We have to think about IR as corporate communications,” Lindzon asserts. “There’s power in finding out what users who follow company tickers want.”

“This is like training wheels,” he adds, indicating that the tool will give web-wary IR folks a way to dip their feet in to the social pool. “It’s the smartest way to listen in to a group of investors,” says Lindzon.

The suite also includes a Social Compliance upgrade costing $99 per month. This feature appends the necessary legal disclaimers in all of the messages shared via StockTwits. The add-on is meant to monetize the otherwise free offering by providing public corporations with peace of mind.

Prior to Wednesday’s release, StockTwits has been testing these IR services in private beta with 50 public companies.

StockTwits has raised $8.6 million in funding over the course of its three-year history. It hopes to become the Facebook of finance and has roughly 100,000 users.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Michael Menard

More About: finance, financial services, fortune 500, investor relations, social media, StockTwits

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Facebook Turns On Facial Recognition For Tagging By Default

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 07:31 PM PDT

If you have a bunch of tag-happy Facebook friends, you may want to read this. Facebook has been rolling out a facial recognition feature that makes it easier to tag friends in snaps, and it has introduced this feature as a default setting.

We first heard about Tag Suggestions back in December.

The feature basically means that whenever you're offered the chance to tag groups of your friends in an album, Facebook will use its facial recognition technology to group similar faces together and automatically suggest the friend you should tag them with.

The option has been rolling out to international users over the past few months, and according to a report from Sophos, the social networking site has been making the facial recognition feature a default setting. Facebook explained the rollout in a post on Tuesday.

If you don’t want Facebook to suggest you when your friends go to tag everyone in that picture from last week’s naked mud-wrestling pool party, here’s how you disable the feature:

1. Go to your privacy settings.
2. Click “Customize settings.”
3. Scroll down to “Things others share.”
4. Find “Suggest photos of me to friends.”
5. Edit accordingly.

Although this is an easy fix, we can see some privacy-focused users getting peeved about the option being turned on without their knowledge. And this wouldn’t be the first time Facebook has turned on a feature without users’ consent (heck, we even wrote an entire guide to Facebook’s privacy features).

What do you think of this latest change?

UPDATE: European Union data-protection regulators will be investigating the new feature and its privacy implications.

More About: facebook, Photos, privacy, social media, tag-suggestion, trending

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WordPress.com Comments Gain Support for Facebook & Twitter Logins

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:27 PM PDT

wordpress image

Visitors to WordPress.com blogs can now leave comments with their Twitter or Facebook accounts.

It’s a small new feature on the surface, but it opens up a lot more commenting opportunities for WordPress.com blogs. Third-party commenting systems such as Disqus and Echo have allowed users to authenticate with their Twitter or Facebook accounts for quite some time, but this is a big move for the hosted blogging platform.

In the blog entry announcing the new feature, WordPress.com’s Scott Berkun points out a nice feature of the new login system: Users can stay logged in to multiple services at the same time. This is especially handy for users that might want to comment using Twitter or Facebook on some sites but want to use their WordPress.com account for others.

Comments from Twitter or Facebook accounts aren’t pumped back into those social services, though. Instead, the logins simply act as a way to authenticate users. In the future, WordPress.com might work toward also giving users the option to publish or share comments back on Facebook or Twitter.

For self-hosted WordPress.org users, comments suggest that Facebook and Twitter comment authentication might be coming via a future update to the JetPack plugin developed by Automattic.

More About: comment systems, facebook, twitter, WordPress, WordPress.com

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Twitter Automates Link Shortening for Its Web App

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 05:31 PM PDT

Twitter has announced that links shared on Twitter.com will be automatically shortened using the service’s t.co URL shortener.

Links of any length will be cut down to a tidy number of characters — 19, to be precise — and an ellipsis when the sender clicks the Tweet button.

Although each link is assigned a unique t.co link ID, the links will appear on Twitter as abbreviated versions of their originals so users always have some idea of where their next click will take them — a smart move on Twitter’s part given the number of URL-shortened spam or scam links that have made the rounds on the microblogging platform over the past year or so.

Still, you can expect to see plenty of other URL shorteners floating around Twitter — especially ones like Hootsuite that give their users a full analytics rundown for each link. Twitter said users can still use any third-party link-shortening services on Twitter.com.

Here’s what the automated URL shortening will look like on the web app:

More About: link shortener, twitter, url shortener, URL shortening

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Spirit Airlines Cashes in on Weinergate

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 03:58 PM PDT

Most marketers are steering clear of the Anthony Weiner lewd photo scandal. Spirit Airlines isn’t one of them.

The brand sent an email to its customers Tuesday afternoon with the following message: “Check out our Weiner Sale boasting fares just too hard to resist! This scandalous sale is no secret so get socially connected … book now before this sale gets hacked!”

Spirit’s homepage offers more Weiner puns. If you’re curious, here’s the link.

Spirit, which doesn’t do much in the way of traditional advertising, has leveraged news topics before for maximum social media buzz. In 2009, the airline ran an “Eye of the Tiger Sale” to cash in on the Tiger Woods scandal. Spirit’s homepage featured a tiger driving an SUV into a fire hydrant to promote its $9 fare sale.

The airline has also had some fun with acronyms. In February 2010, it ran a promo called MUFF to diving destinations. MUFF, of course, stood for Many Unbelievable Fantastic Fares. That was preceded by a MILF promo (“Many Islands, Low Fares.”)

Image courtesy of Flickr, David Boyle

More About: Anthony Weiner, Spirit Airlines

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Why Apps, Not Apple, Are Killing BlackBerry

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 03:38 PM PDT

Apple just announced free cloud storage and a slew of cool new features for iOS 5. Google announced a tap and pay system for Android phones earlier this week. And what has RIM, the third major smartphone player, done for us lately?

Well, there’s BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). The company has focused its commercials, display advertising and legal efforts on the feature that provides limitless instant chat between its customers.

This feature lost some of its residual glitz, however, after group messaging apps emerged, enabling BBM-like capabilities between different platforms. When Apple announced that it would be including iMessage — BBM for Apple products, essentially — in its iOS 5, any residual glitz BBM may have retained was washed away.

The fact that BBM has some competition only adds to RIM’s woes. According to data from Nielsen, the BlackBerry OS market share has been in steady decline compared to iOS and Android since June 2010, before the first notable group messaging app launched (GroupMe in August 2010).

How to explain BlackBerry’s decline? Part of it has to do with how far behind the OS is falling in the app game. About a year ago, Apple had up to 20 times the number of app downloads as RIM. At that point, RIM still had more market share than either Apple or Android.

BlackBerry apps are typically the last version that companies like Shazam, Instapaper or Pandora develop. They’re often also more expensive than their counterparts on other platforms. If you’re a BlackBerry owner, you get to pay $4.99 to play Angry Farm while your friends are playing Angry Birds for $0.99 on iOS and Android. When everyone else is raving about their free Netflix app that streams movies to their phones, you have to settle for Movela Netflix Queue Manager, which costs $4.99 and doesn’t stream anything.

Most app developers consider coding for BlackBerry OS to be a pain. “[With] BlackBerry, the API changes a lot between the major versions [of the OS]…The code needs to optimized for each version,” explains Narayan Babu, the CEO and CTO of app developer Dextera. “Another major problem with BlackBerry is that the devices have very diverse specs, right from the form factor and screen resolution, to components like Wi-Fi, GPS and the touchscreen.”

Even though RIM CEO Jim Balsillie claimed BlackBerry’s relatively skeletal app selection was a strategy last November (“You don’t need an app for the web”), it seems to be becoming a problem. Apps may once have been viewed as tricks for showing off a new smartphone. Now they are so indispensable that Apple is starting to borrow their best features for iOS 5. In other words, there’s a feedback loop. More apps makes the OS itself stronger.

Back when other phones lacked security, a solid calendar and reliable email capabilities, RIM’s phones thrived based on solid basic features. Now, as other smartphones have nearly matched RIM’s security and practical business functions, that foothold may be weakening. A 2010 survey found that although RIM still provides the majority of corporate cellphones, Apple OS and Android are fast gaining market share in the enterprise space.

In short, BlackBerry phones need something — other than solid basic functions — worth talking about. RIM announced Tuesday that it had acquired social gaming company Scoreloop, a departure from its calendar- and communication-enhancing previous acquisitions. That’s a start.

More About: android, apple, blackberry, icloud, iOS 5, RIM

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Can a Gmail Tool Make Us More Considerate Email Senders?

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 02:54 PM PDT

If our friends, family members and contacts knew that we were drowning in unread emails, would they wait until the madness died down to send us email? Courteous.ly, a new service for Gmail users, hopes that the answer is yes.

Courteous.ly is the product of a new research project at Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing. It was developed to make email inboxes more socially considerate spaces.

Give Courteous.ly access to your Gmail account and it will analyze your email patterns, the state of your inbox, your unread message count, total messages and your sent mail volume to determine your current level of email traffic.

The service provides you with a link to share with friends or include in your email signature. That link will direct contacts to a page that indicates whether your email load is low, normal or high.

You can specify what Courteous.ly measures, and you can have the app instruct senders to put [whenever] in the subject line to reach you at a more opportune time, once your email load has gone down. You can also tick a box so an email that contains nothing but a one-sentence question in the subject line jumps right to the top of your inbox.

The upshot is that email senders will respect your time with brief, one-sentence emails or messages sent at your convenience. You will, in theory, then reward the sender with your complete attention and a response.

“I think we're really good at the etiquette part when we have the cues that allow us to be polite," Georgia Tech Assistant Professor and Courteous.ly developer Eric Gilbert says. "Courteous.ly helps manage expectations and lets people choose to send mail when it's best for you.”

Could this simple solution to a very common problem actually make us more considerate email senders? Gilbert will be monitoring users' accounts over the next several months to measure the tool’s actual impact on email loads.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Tim Morgan

More About: Courteous.ly, email, Georgia Tech, gmail

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Louis Vuitton Takes Checkins to China

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 02:26 PM PDT

Louis Vuitton, which has already utilized Foursquare for location-based marketing efforts in the U.S. and UK, is launching a similar experiment in Beijing.

The luxury manufacturer has partnered with Chinese checkin service Jiepang for its travel exhibition at the National Museum of China. Those who check in to the exhibition using Jiepang’s mobile app between June 9 and August 30 will receive a branded virtual badge, and can also peruse Louis Vuitton’s profile page for tips and information about the brand and conceptual design.

It’s an experimental move for the fashion brand, given that location-based services are have only just sprung up in China, about two years after similar services became popular in the West, as research from IHS iSuppli indicates.

Now about 50 location-based apps are vying for a lead in the market. Jiepang is one of the largest, with 1 million registered users to date.

More About: china, location-based marketing, louis vuitton, MARKETING

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NBC’s The Voice Treats iTunes Sales As Viewer Votes

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 02:01 PM PDT

Traditionally, talent shows like American Idol have relied on text-based audience votes to decide on the winning crooner. NBC’s The Voice plans to marry democracy to commerce — by taking votes via sales on iTunes.

After Tuesday night’s live show, fans can vote one of four ways: 1). Via phone. 2). Via the NBC Live app. 3). Online at NBC.com. 4). By buying the songs that the artists perform on the show from iTunes (all available from Universal Republic Records). Of course, that means anyone buying the tunes is participating in the vote, whether they know it or not.

“This new voting opportunity reflects the reality of music lovers who vote every day for their favorite artists by downloading and purchasing their music,” said Paul Telegdy, executive vice president, alternative programming, NBC and Universal Media Studios in a statement.

The whole deal reflects the Billboard charts model, at least in part (Billboard has tons of charts reflecting different metrics), equating sales with popularity. Although we would have liked to see other digital players (such as Amazon) factored in, this is an interesting idea all the same.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, shulz

More About: itunes, MARKETING, music, television, the-voice

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LinkedIn App Lets You Play Tetris With Your Network Profiles

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 01:16 PM PDT

LinkedIn has shown its whimsical side once again with a new app that lets you play Tetris with pictures of people in your network.

Called DropIn, the game mimics Tetris, but uses head shots instead of blocks. Writing in LinkedIn’s blog, Matthew Shoup, the site’s technical marketing manager, said he created the app to celebrate Tetris’ 27th birthday, which was on Monday. He said he also wanted to showcase how easy it is to implement the LinkedIn Platform Javascript API.

The app also integrates your contacts’ latest updates. “DropIn takes the classic Tetris experience to a professional level,” Shoup writes. “Rotate and stack your LinkedIn connections' faces, while discovering the fresh content they're sharing online. There's never been a more relevant and productive time to play games at work.” You can try the app here.

Known as a networking site for businesspeople, LinkedIn has displayed a less buttoned-down image of late with a series of satiric training videos sponsored by FedEx and, most recently, a Connection Timeline that visualizes your connections over the years.

LinkedIn isn’t alone in seeing the social networking potential in Tetris. The game was recently celebrated in an app for backpack maker Eastpak that did the same thing DropIn does, only with your Facebook friends.

More About: apps, eastpak, facebook, linkedin, Tetris

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Join Us for Mashable’s Social Media Day Celebration in NYC

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 12:57 PM PDT

Social Media Day is Mashable‘s global celebration of the technological advancements that enable everyone to connect with real-time information and communicate from miles apart. It’s a global event that will be recognized by Mashable readers throughout the world with local Meetups on June 30.

Here in NYC, we’re ringing in our second-annual Social Media Day with a huge event at Brooklyn Bowl. There will be free bowling from 6 to 7 p.m. and networking all night. We hope to fill the 600-capacity venue, so come join us for a night of socializing with your online community offline!

West Coasters, stay tuned for an announcement about our San Francisco Social Media Day event later this week.
NYC Social Media Day Details

Date: Thursday, June 30, 2011
Time: 6 to 9 p.m.
Location: Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
RSVP: Meetup, Facebook Event, Plancast
Hashtag: #smday

View Larger Map

As a bonus, all Social Media Day attendees are invited to stay for DJ Questlove‘s Bowl Train show. He’ll play at 11 p.m., helping Social Media Day 2011 to go out with a bang.

We can’t wait to celebrate our biggest and best Social Media Day yet. Hope to see you there!

Interested in Social Media Day NYC event sponsorship opportunities? Email us at sponsorships@mashable.com.

Not in NYC? Attend a Social Media Day Meetup Near You »

More About: community, mashable meetup, questlove, smday, social media day

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Twitter-Based iPhone Photo App Puts Emphasis On Who You’re With

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 12:43 PM PDT

Path, maker of the “personal network” app for iPhone, just launched a new app that provides another alternative to the traditional social network — the “interaction network.”

With [iTunes link] for iPhone, released Tuesday, encourages you to share who you are with — that is, physically next to — by providing a stylized photo. The app serves up photos of the people you follow, and their interactions, in a visual timeline.

The application is built on top of Twitter, making it an extension of your Twitter social graph.

On With, the friends you are with the most will rise to the top of your profile. The closer the friendship — based on your posted interactions — the more benefits.

“At Path, above all we believe in empowering simple design, quality craftsmanship, and creative freedom,” the startup explains in a post announcing the new application. “At a recent hackathon, we discussed an idea that we thought to be fairly powerful: A fun, simple way to share who you are with. The idea seemed to have legs.”

Indeed it does. Here’s why: Big or small, the moments that make up our days are often more poignant when they’re shared with other people.

We share these moments publicly through photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, and some of us share them privately via Path. But that means the visual of the moment itself overshadows the people making the moment happen. With, on the other hand, tips the scale toward the relationships formed by those moments. That’s why the startup likes to call the app “authentic”.

With is also quite nice to look at. The app could be a bit more intuitive, but once you figure out that you’re meant to post who you’re with by tagging your Twitter friends, snap a photo and apply a lens, you’ll get it.

Or perhaps you’ll get it just by seeing the interactions of your Twitter friends, which are already waiting for you after you log in. The Twitter social graph and the single sign-on feature are two of With’s strongest qualities — the moment you log in with your Twitter account, you have something stunning to look at.

Path insists that it remains dedicated to its primary iPhone application, but With has the all right ingredients to be a more commercial and social success.

More About: iphone app, Mobile 2.0, Path, With

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6 New & Innovative Social Media Campaigns to Learn From

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 12:17 PM PDT

The Social Media for Business Leaders Series is supported by The Awareness Social Marketing Hub, the leading social media marketing software for marketers to publish, manage, measure and engage across the social web. Request a demo here.

We’re always on the lookout for innovative social media campaigns at Mashable. This week we scoured the web and our Twitter feeds to find some of the most interesting campaigns out there.

From utilizing online video in an inventive way to creating a unique presence on Facebook, these six social media campaigns are some of the most original pieces of work as of late. Let us know about your favorite recent social media campaigns in the comments below.
1. Intel: Targeting a Digitally Savvy Audience

Ad agency Amsterdam Worldwide unveiled the first in a series of blogger films, called "Visual Life," for technology brand Intel back in January 2011. The series showcases top bloggers discussing how they use technology and how it has transformed their work.

The first video of the series documented the work of fashion blogger and photographer Scott Schumann, The Sartorialist. The video garnered nearly a quarter of a million views in its first two weeks and has been viewed more than 850,000 times on YouTube and the Intel site, helping increase Intel's YouTube channel views by 200%.

The video went viral when it was embedded on The Sartorialist blog, but also gained a lot of views from Facebook, The Cool Hunter and mobile devices. This campaign has done quite well, as it targets a digital savvy audience that is interested in learning about how top bloggers are utilizing photo and video technologies. Such viewers are more likely to share the videos with their social graphs, increasing the virality of the series.

This week, the campaign launched its most recent video (embedded above), which documents the role technology plays for two young Chinese wedding photographers, Kitty and Lala.

Overall, the series takes on a lifestyle approach that is uncommon for tech brands, focusing on the effects that technology has had on each video’s featured subject, both personally and professionally.
2. The Century Council: Using YouTube Ads for a Good Cause

In April, The Century Council, a national non-profit organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking, teamed up with a bipartisan group of 23 attorneys general from around the country to release a creative public service announcement (PSA) in conjunction with Alcohol Awareness Month. The attorneys general each taped an animated or radio version of the PSA that encouraged kids to say “yes” to a healthy lifestyle and “no” to underage drinking. The animated version of the PSA leads attorneys general through many scenes depicting the type of behavior that the council is promoting.

The campaign, called “Ask, Listen, Learn,” has proven to be an amazing success, garnering millions of views via The Century Council’s YouTube Channel. Much of this success was due to smart ad placements on YouTube.

“Utilizing YouTube’s TrueView ad format, we worked with Google’s specialists to buy keywords likely to rack up traffic fast within our core demographic,” says Ralph Blackman, president & CEO of The Century Council. “For example, two of our top five Ad Group Themes were ‘first dance Justin Bieber youtube’ and ‘Baby lyrics Justin Bieber YouTube.’ Utilizing YouTube’s TrueView format, we were less concerned with ad waste and more concerned with impact, as disinterested users were more likely to skip through the ads, resulting in no cost to us.”

“Our main goals were to get our message across to kids nationwide and to put the participating attorneys general in front of their youngest constituents,” says Blackman. “In that regard, we considered our ad buy an enormous success. We racked up more than 2.5 million views over the campaign, had all of our videos frequently embedded, and had website traffic at 11 times its normal levels. Our view-through rate hovered at around 25%, with daily views anywhere from 60,000 to 125,000. Many attorneys general afterward said they were surprised at the reach it delivered as well — constituents frequently mentioned seeing their PSAs.”
3. Johnson’s Baby Canada: Offering Low-Value Prizes for High Return

Johnson’s Baby Canada tripled its Facebook fan count in just three weeks with a baby photo contest that offered users the chance to have their little ones featured on the Johnson’s site.

For Johnson’s Canada, offering a low-value prize (placing a baby’s photo on its website) yielded high returns in fans and engagement. Besides tripling its fan base, it also garnered more than 1 million visits to the Facebook application, more than 3.5 million photo views, and more than half a million votes. The brand benefited from entrants who shared through their social graphs to rally votes; there was an average of 10 clicks per shared link.

The campaign was developed by Edelman Digital on the Strutta contest platform and was available in English and French, as it was targeted towards a Canadian audience.
4. Ford Fiesta: Behind-the-Scenes Product Placement

Car manufacturer Ford, product placement company Stone Management and online marketing agency Wpromote, recently teamed up to launch a behind-the-scenes social media campaign in conjunction with the forthcoming Tom Hanks film Larry Crowne.

The campaign promotes the Ford Fiesta via product placement and features Hanks’ assistant Bo Stevenson, also known as “FiestaBo.” During the filming of “Larry Crowne,” Stevenson and Stone Management took videos and pictures of behind-the-scenes action, which would later be used as engaging content for both the movie and the new Ford Fiesta. The content was then posted to YouTube and Facebook. The YouTube channel has received more than 70,000 video views, and the Facebook Page has garnered nearly 16,000 Likes.

In the embedded via above, Stevenson explains the campaign as a “social media experiment” that attempts to give fans a true behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to work in Hollywood. As Stevenson assists Tom Hanks, viewers get to see what it’s like to drive Hanks to work every morning, fetch a typewriter for Hanks to make old-school script changes and chat with the other actors on set.

While the success of the campaign is mediocre, we’re more impressed with the innovative approach to product placement. As the film wasn’t car-centric, Wpromote and Stone Management needed to launch a creative way to showcase that the Ford Fiesta was key to the movie’s filming. Highlighting the daily life of Tom Hanks’ assistant as he drove around in the lime green Fiesta was an inventive way to do just that.
5. Samsung: Driving Engagement and Sharing

Created by social media agency Ignite Social Media, Samsung TV’s “Like It, Reveal It, Win It” campaign features a weekly product giveaway on Facebook that incentivizes users to participate regularly and invite friends to join them.

After “liking” Samsung TV’s Facebook Page, users are able to enter to win Samsung products by unlocking pixels, which can be done by recommending the contest to friends. The more pixels a user unlocks, the more chances he or she has to win the hidden weekly prize, a Samsung TV-related product. The contest also dynamically incorporates hidden Easter-egg prizes that can be unlocked instantly.

Unlike a standard contest, where users enter once and then leave the page, this campaign actively engages fans on a weekly basis and gives them a reason to invite more of their network to the page.

Facebook fan acquisition is Samsung’s key goal with this campaign. The company saw an increase of more than 12,000 new fans within the first week and a half, and reports that growth seems to be accelerating as the contest continues and entrants reach out to their networks.
6. Mello Yello: Relaunching with an Existing Fan Base

Remember that citrusy soda from your childhood called Mello Yello? Well, it still exists, and it’s doing what it can to make a comeback.

Mello Yello recently relaunched its brand under the campaign “They Call Me Mello Yello,” which circles around retro kitsch and a remake of Donovan’s 1966 hit song. The brand is utilizing social media, especially Facebook, to spread its message.

After discovering a consumer-created Facebook Page for Mello Yello, marketing agency BFG Communications identified the owner of the page, contacted him and worked with him to transition it to an official brand page. At that point, BFG worked with Mello Yello to develop a brand voice by creating a character sketch that would become the framework for the tone, language and topics the brand would use on Facebook. This distinct voice officially came to life as the brand took on management of the Facebook Page in August 2010, focusing on posting fun content, answering fan questions and responding to comments.

The Facebook Page features a Retro Smooth Photo Generator, which enables users to transform a photo of themselves (by uploading or using their webcam) from “not so smooth” to “smooth,” using a hipster-feeling photo filter. The Page also features a Smooth Quiz, where users can find out just how suave they really are. For a limited time, users can also download the free “Mellow Yellow” remix.

“The goal was to reach 10,000 fans by the end of 2010,” a brand representative told Mashable. “Without any gimmicks or ads, we surpassed that goal within one month of content and community management. The Page continues to grow, and currently has around 78,000 fans. It is also notable that about 80% of the Page’s fans are 24 or younger, showing that the brand is reaching a new generation of fans, not just the consumers who remember Mello Yello from the early ’80s. Many brands focus on bells and whistles to attract a social media audience. The Mello Yello experience shows that personality, content and responsiveness, while simpler, can go a long way and lead to long term engagement.”
Your Picks

The Internet is a massive abyss that’s not easily traversed — consequently, it’s inevitable that we’ve overlooked some amazing campaigns. Feel free to school us by sharing the details of your favorite social media campaigns in the comments below.

Disclosure: Ford is a Mashable sponsor.

Series supported by The Awareness Social Marketing Hub

The Social Media for Business Leaders Series is supported by The Awareness Social Marketing Hub, the leading social media marketing software for marketers to publish, manage, measure and engage across all their social channels. The Awareness Social Marketing Hub is leveraged by companies of all sizes including Sony, MLB, American Cancer Society, and Starwood Hotels. Request a demo here.

Download a complimentary ebook from Awareness: A Marketer’s Guide to Social Media: Developing and Implementing a Social Media Marketing Strategy.
More Business Resources from Mashable:

- Social Media Marketing: 5 Lessons From Business Leaders Who Get It
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- HOW TO: Write a Standout Job Description
- How JetBlue's Social Media Strategy Took Flight

More About: digital marketing, facebook, intel, MARKETING, online marketing, samsung, social media, social media for business leaders series, social media marketing, youtube

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10 Eco-Friendly Accessories for a Greener Office [PICS]

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 11:49 AM PDT

You maintain green habits at home, but are you as conscientious in the office? We’ve found 10 great accessories that will help you stay eco-friendly even when you hit your workplace.

From clever trash bins to reusable cutlery to designer paper clips, these objects will add some environmentally-friendly credentials to your office, and hopefully inspire your colleagues to go a little green as well.

Take a look through the photo gallery of planet-loving choices and let us know in the comments below which ones you would like to take to work.

1. BASKETBIN

[1. BASKETBIN]

A great, green solution to stick under your desk, the BASKETBIN has a small, dishwasher-safe cup clipped inside for your messy food waste, leaving the body of the bin free for your paper to be recycled.

Cost: Approx $65

2. Foldable Battery Box

[2. Foldable Battery Box ]

Stick this handy box in a prominent position and it will help everyone remember to recycle their dead batteries.

Cost: $2

3. Staple-less Stapler

[3. Staple-less Stapler]

Saving staples from ending up in the landfill might seem like a small thing, but every little thing helps. These staple-less staplers also mean you'll never run out of supplies again.

Cost: $16 for a set of two

4. Tapi

[4. Tapi ]

Tapi converts your faucet into a mini drinking fountain. Putting one in your office will mean a lot less plastic in the world.

Cost: $9.95 for a set of two

5. Perpetual Calendar

[5. Perpetual Calendar]

This perpetual calendar saves money and paper. Plus, it looks pretty swish.

Cost: $40

6. Dine-Ink Pen Utensil Set

[6. Dine-Ink Pen Utensil Set]

It's bad to use disposable cutlery. This re-usable set is perfect for your office drawer and will fit onto most pens for desktop dining.

Cost: $9.99

7. Hu2 Eco Reminders

[7. Hu2 Eco Reminders]

Described as "sustainable habit reminders," Hu2 offers a range of wall decals to place around light switches and power sockets to help you remember to turn them off.

Cost: Varies, from approx $16

8. Desktop Bamboo Dry Erase Board

[8. Desktop Bamboo Dry Erase Board]

How much paper do you use writing notes, to-do lists and phone messages? This dry erase board is the eco option for your desktop.

Cost: $13

9. Porcelain Travel Mugs

[9. Porcelain Travel Mugs]

These gorgeous double-insulated travel mugs should give you the incentive to ditch your cardboard cup habit forever.

Cost: $21

10. Rock Paper Scissors Clips

[10. Rock Paper Scissors Clips]

These rock-paper-scissors-themed clips are a great alternative to paper clips and are a lot less likely to get chucked.

Cost: $13 for 30

More About: design, eco, gadgets, gallery, green, List, Lists, office, office accessories, tech

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HOW TO: Have the Cancer Talk

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 11:16 AM PDT

cancer image

No one likes to have the sex talk with their kids, but it can be equally hard for kids to have “The Cancer Talk” with their parents. F–k Cancer, an organization that promotes awareness around early detection, launched a campaign to get kids talking to their parents.

Kids can log on to the website, which lets users send personalized celebrity voicemails that set up a time to talk about cancer in person. It’s a simple tool, but it’s one that takes a lot of pressure off children. Users can choose voicemails from Fran Drescher or Michael Winslow and fill in personalized details about the parent such as age, whether they smoke or drink, and body weight. The questions are appropriately light with fun multiple choice options like measuring your parent’s weight as “super-scrawnsville (tiny)” or “A little on the chubby side. Kind of like a Doughboy.”

The organization won’t send kids in alone, providing cheat sheets, information and tips on specific cancers and how to speak to their parents about a potentially tricky topic. To break the ice, F-Cancer has posted a slew of celebrity videos talking about their own awkward sex-talk conversations with their parents. There are videos from Adrian Grenier, Terrell Owens, Perez Hilton, Deepak Chopra and more. The general message is that even though awkward conversations are tough, they come from a good place and have a huge impact.

In fact, F-Cancer claims that parents are more willing to take the advice of their children over their partners, friends and even medical professionals. If found early, 90% of cancers can be treated. The charity is hoping that “The Cancer Talk” helps make Generation Y the first generation to end late stage cancer diagnoses by accomplishing three goals. Families can have frank discussions about their cancer history, identify personal risks and early warning signs, and encourage relatives to stay on top of their regular cancer screenings every year.

It can be tough for kids to give their parents advice, especially around difficult topics like cancer. F-Cancer is using humor and a light touch to empower children to make a difference, but is it the right approach? Let us know what you think of the project and the role kids can play in making a difference.

More About: cancer, cancer talk, charity, f cancer, fuck cancer, health, let's f cancer, non-profit, sex talk, social good, social media

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Woman Gets Facebook Friend Sleeve Tattoo [VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 10:58 AM PDT

Each day, Mashable highlights one noteworthy YouTube video. Check out all our viral video picks.

Friends are a many splendored thing — and it’s natural to carry them in one’s heart throughout one’s ever-storied life. It seems a little extreme, however, to tattoo them on one’s arm.

Apparently, this woman (from what we can tell from the video), saw fit to tattoo her 152 Facebook friends on her arm. Granted, this could all be some kind of publicity stunt — remember that guy who got Ray-Bans tattooed on his face? Then again, T-Pain got a Facebook “Like” button on his arm, and who are we to question trends set by T? (Except auto-tune. That was just bad.)

Say what you will about the prudence of this tat-enthusiast’s decision, at least she adhered to Dunbar’s Number.

SEE ALSO: 10 Great Geeky Tattoos [PICS]

More About: facebook, t-pain, tattoo, trending, video, viral video, viral-video-of-day, youtube

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9 Beautiful One-Page Websites for Design Inspiration

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 10:37 AM PDT

Single-page websites have been commonplace on the web for a few years now. First made popular by designers seeking a clean, simple way to showcase portfolios, the one-page website now has a number of uses, including advertising software and promoting events. It’s a great way to have a large impact with a small amount of content.

Below, we’ll take a look at 9 great one-page websites, explore how they’re used and what makes them so awesome. Get ready to be inspired!

1. Blacktie

[1. Blacktie]

The designers over at Blacktie have put together a slick portfolio showcasing some of their best works. What we love most about Blacktie is its bold color palette and smooth navigation. Browsing the portfolio feels responsive and snappy. Changing the background color to white (via the links at the top right) dramatically changes the feel of the portfolio. It's also a nice touch to feature screenshots on the devices for which they were created.

2. Corpus

[2. Corpus]

Corpus is a content management system that's a little more "cerebral." Type, color and illustrations combine to set a mood that feels more suited to academia than web development. However, that's just the feeling that Corpus is aiming for. Its web app is focused on inspiring creativity and freedom of expression without the limitations of a content management system. The site offers just enough information to pique one's interest: There's just a brief introduction, a short list of features, logos of existing clients, and a large, centrally located email for further inquiries.

3. Think Green Meeting

[3. Think Green Meeting]

Think Green Meeting is a conferencing service for the environmentally conscious. It's a unique and accurate look at the benefits of digitizing your workplace. The site has some great interactive components like the grid of automobiles and airplanes that vanish when moused-over. It's a cool metaphor for the reduction in cost and emissions which the company stands for. Other great elements include the earthy, natural color palette and large, tightly-spaced headings juxtaposed by spacious body copy to give the site a very clean, modern and sophisticated feel.

4. Owl Concept

[4. Owl Concept]

Owl Concept is an example of a one-page site that takes advantage of the screen real estate afforded it. Upon visiting the site you see a large photographic backgorund in cool colors with a subtle grid overlay in bold colors. It's visually impressive. Click on the portfolio link to the far right, however, and distractions slide away and you are presented with two carousels of featured works on a white background (hover effects complement the rollover effect on the navigation menu), with the header, navigation and footer remaining in place for consistency.

5. Captain Wallace

[5. Captain Wallace]

Here's an idea - how about designing your website to directly mirror the UI and illustrative style of the application it's promoting? That's exactly what the designers of the Captain Wallance iPhone/iPad application have done. The site is fun and immediately draws you in with its soft color palette, large, friendly type and cheery illustrations. It's almost impossible to look at this site without wanting to at least try out the touch app for preschoolers. You get an immediate feel for the application, its straightforward interface, and the lovely illustrations of animals you'll encounter while adventuring with the Captain.

6. Head 2 Heart

[6. Head 2 Heart]

Single-page sites aren't just for iOS apps and portfolios. A number of non-profit organizations are starting to utilize these high-impact, user-friendly sites as brochures for a number of causes and programs. Head 2 Heart is a fundraising campaign by newly-forned NGO Collyde, which aims to raise money for programs dedicated to providing clean water, medical care, and promoting a safe environment for young girls in developing countries. Head 2 Heart takes you on a cleverly illustrated journey as you step through the side-scrolling website via the bottom navigation. It presents factoids and talking points along the way, explaining the goals of the organization and eventually bringing you to a donation page and list of additional ways you can support the cause.

7. Kickoff App

[7. Kickoff App]

Kickoff App is collaboration software for Macs. The site developers do a great job capturing that Apple feel in everything from the typography, the icons, the arrangement of the screenshots and the grid that makes up the underlying structure. Sometimes innovation in design isn't necessary. Sometimes what you really need is a just a solid layout that's easily recognizable for what it is. This gives users a sense of familiarity and clearly promotes your product with minimal distraction. Kickoff App's website does a great job doing just that.

8. Garbageman

[8. Garbageman]

Garbageman is an iPhone/iPad app from Doubleleft. The goal is simple: Clean the city and earn money. We like the fun illustrations that tie in with the look and feel of the app along with the large slideshow. The layout is simple and the content minimal, giving you just enough information to get a good impression of the game and how it works without overloading you with too many details. Finding the balance on just the right amount of content is an important consideration when choosing whether to build a single-page site or something more complex. Doubleleft's Garbageman page is an example of single-page content done well.

9. Enzo Li Volti

[9. Enzo Li Volti]

Until recently, doing sophisticated typography on the web was over-complicated at best. But as web font technogies and delivery services improve, more and more designers are getting creative with text. Italian designer Enzo Li Volti lets layout and typography do all of the talking on his personal website. Breaking from the traditional thumbnail and screenshot portfolio with just a series of links, Li Volti creates his work of art with letters and font faces. We love the bold simplicity of this site, which would look just as great as a poster on the wall.

More About: case study, landing page, one page site, social media, web

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Mashable Teams With PepsiCo To Find Europe’s Most Promising Startups

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 10:14 AM PDT

Mashable has once again teamed up with PepsiCo to help find promising new startups with a new twist: We're looking for emerging tech companies based in Europe.

Much like last year's PepsiCo10, Mashable will be participating as a media partner, meaning we'll be reaching out to our community to help find the best ideas.

We'll also be participating in the process of helping PepsiCo select the companies that will ultimately present for a chance to become one of the startups that pilots a project with a brand like Pepsi, Gatorade, Tropicana or Quaker (below, several of last year's winners talk about their projects with me at a panel at SXSW).

Last year's PepsiCo10 featured startups looking to change everything from how you pay at restaurants to how you wait in line at amusement parks to how you wake up in the morning. This year, PepsiCo is looking specifically for companies within the areas of social media, mobile marketing, place based technology, digital video, gaming and learning technologies.

Other partners of the program include Highland Capital Partners, Omnicom Media Group and Weber Shandwick. You can learn more in the video below and on the PepsiCo10 website. Stay tuned to Mashable in the coming weeks for more news about the program.
About PepsiCo10

Last Year’s Winners Speak at SXSW

More About: mashable, pepsico

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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “The 4 Biggest Stories in Tech, Social Media & Business This Morning”

2011-06-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “The 4 Biggest Stories in Tech, Social Media & Business This Morning”

* The 4 Biggest Stories in Tech, Social Media & Business This Morning
* Pawngo Launches Internet Pawnshop for the Upper Classes
* HTC Blows Away Predictions, Reports May Sales of $1.42 Billion
* Apple Blesses Twitter, Makes It the Social Network on iOS Devices
* Google, Facebook, Mozilla & Others Rev Up for IPv6
* PlayStation Vita: First Impressions [PHOTOS]
* 4 Social Video Lessons Brands Can Learn From Hollywood
* Wristband + iOS App = Silent Alarm System
* Say Hello to PlayStation Vita, Sony’s Next PSP
* Sony’s E3 Announcements: 3D, PlayStation Move & More [LIVE VIDEO]
* HANDS-ON: iTunes in the Cloud [PICS]
* Texts, Tweets & To Dos: What’s New in iOS 5
* 7 Services That Apple Just Challenged or Changed
* Rep. Weiner Meant To Send Lewd Photo as Direct Message
* 30+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events
* Who Owns the Advertising Space in an Augmented Reality World?
* Neil Young Releases 26-Year-Old Music Video for “Amber Jean”
* Rep. Weiner Admits Tweeting Lewd Picture
* TuneCore CEO: Apple Has Just Monetized Pirated Content
* A Look Inside HP’s Social Good Machine
* Evernote Hits 10 Million Users
* Halo 4 Is Coming: Here’s the Trailer [VIDEO]
* iTunes To Finally Get Wireless Syncing With iOS 5
* HOW TO: Optimize Text Ads for Search
* Blackbird Blackbird’s Latest Music Video May Remind You of Your Last Relationship
* Apple’s iMessage Is Like BBM for iOS
* Deep Twitter Integration Coming to iOS 5
* iOS by the Numbers: 200M Devices, 25M iPads & 14B App Downloads
* Xbox Live Getting Live TV, YouTube & Bing Voice Search
* Mac OS X Lion Coming This July for $29

The 4 Biggest Stories in Tech, Social Media & Business This Morning

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 05:06 AM PDT

Social Media News

Welcome to this morning’s edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on four particular stories of interest today.

Apple Unveils iCloud, iOS 5 & More

At its developer conference Monday, Apple announced its much-anticipated iCloud service; that the next version of Mac OS X, Lion, will be out in July for $29.99; that its next-generation mobile software, iOS 5, will be deeply integrated with Twitter, offer wireless syncing, its own messaging service and newsstand, and more.

Rep. Weiner Admits to Tweeting Lewd Picture

Admitting that he had "not been honest with myself, my family and my constituents," Rep. Anthony Weiner confessed at a press conference Monday that he sent a lewd photo via Twitter and that he had since lied about his account being hacked.

HTC Reports Strong May Sales

HTC says it generated $1.42 billion in sales in May, which is more than double than the same month in 2010 and a solid improvement from April's $1.35 billion.

Xbox Live Getting Live TV, YouTube & Voice Search

Microsoft unveiled a redesigned version of Xbox Live at E3 Monday, one that includes more voice commands, YouTube integration and live television.

Further News

* Tuesday is World IPv6 Day, and Google is leading the charge to test and adopt the new Internet Protocol.
* As expected, former CBS Evening News anchor Kate Couric has signed a multiyear contract with Disney/ABC Television Group to host her own nationally syndicated talk show and join the ABC News team.
* Sony's next-generation handheld gaming system, the PlayStation Vita, made its official debut at E3 Monday.
* Microsoft has released a trailer for Halo 4.
* Note-taking platform Evernote now has more than 10 million registered users, up 67% from January.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59

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Pawngo Launches Internet Pawnshop for the Upper Classes

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 05:03 AM PDT

People have been pawning their jewels and wares for cash for hundreds of years. Pawngo launches Tuesday as a new alternative to the brick-and-mortar pawnshop, targeting a more well-to-do clientele in need of big-ticket loans.

Pawngo lets online denizens use their valuables as collateral to secure short-term loans for up to $250,000 — and all without leaving the comfort of their own homes. The startup has loaned more than $1.3 million to beta testers prior to its launch.

“Our system lets you use the items you already own to get a loan that won't get you into trouble down the road,” Pawngo co-founder and CEO Todd Hills says.

Would-be pawners describe the items they’d like to pawn, upload photos and enter their contact information. Pawngo follows up with a loan offer or estimate for buying the item in a few hours, using real-time and historic pricing data to determine resale value. Should the user accept the offer, he then prints the prepaid FedEx shipping label and sends the item to Pawngo for confirmation. After that, Pawngo wires the funds to the user’s bank account.

The startup issues what it calls “short-term, low-interest” loans — up to six months at 3% to 6% interest — from $250 to $100,000. It stores and insures all the items in its care and returns them to the user once the loan is paid off.

By taking the pawnshop off the streets and on to the web, Pawngo hopes to lessen the stigma associated with walking into a sketchy pawnshop. The idea would appeal to an audience who would otherwise avoid pawning their collectables.

Pawngo comes from Lightbank, the investment vehicle of Groupon co-founders Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell, and online pawnbroker Internet Pawn. It’s raised $2.3 million in funding across Series A and B rounds.

More About: lightbank, pawngo, startup

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HTC Blows Away Predictions, Reports May Sales of $1.42 Billion

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 02:57 AM PDT

If you still need proof that Android as a platform is a good choice for phone and tablet manufacturers, you needn’t look much farther than the success story of Taiwanese company HTC.

HTC said its sales for May reached $1.42 billion, which is more than double than the same month in 2010 and a solid improvement from April’s $1.35 billion, Reuters reports.

HTC entered the smartphone arena with Windows Mobile devices (the company currently also produces Windows Phone 7 smartphones), but its sales really took off in 2009 when it shifted its focus on Android-based smartphones. Recently, HTC posted its Q1 2011 earnings, reporting 9.7 million units shipped, a 192% year-over-year increase, and revenues of $3.63 billion, a 174% year-over-year increase.

The company’s own Q2 predictions forecast a 103 – 113% year-over-year increase in shipments and a 97% year-over-year increase in revenue.

HTC’s first tablet, the Android-based flyer, has recently hit the U.S. market, and the company plans to launch several high-end Android-based smartphones in the near future, including the HTC Sensation and the HTC Evo 3D.

[HTC via Reuters]

More About: android, htc, smartphones, tablets

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Apple Blesses Twitter, Makes It the Social Network on iOS Devices

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:20 PM PDT

Jack Dorsey may have trouble defining Twitter, the information network he helped to create, but Apple seems less confused.

The highly valued technology company has built Twitter into iOS 5, essentially making it the default social graph and social network on Apple’s iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

“We hear from a lot of our customers on iPhone, and iPad and iPod Touch that they love Twitter, so we want to make it even easier for all of our customers to use Twitter on iOS products,” Scott Forstall said during the WWDC 2011 keynote.

When iOS 5 is released this fall, device users will able to sign in to their Twitter accounts once and then tweet with a single tap from Apple’s applications — Camera, Photos, Safari, Contacts, YouTube and Maps — and third-party applications that support the single sign-on capability.
Twitter: The Social Network On iOS Devices

Apple launched a music social network in iTunes called Ping in September of last year. At launch, Ping had Facebook integration, but a disagreement between the two companies resulted in Facebook integration being removed, much to the detriment of Ping’s success.

But Apple’s complicated relationship history with Facebook paved the way for its new intimate romance with Twitter.

Facebook is in no way integrated in iOS 5, nor is its familiar blue logo is nowhere to be found in Apple’s promotional materials. Twitter, by contrast, is everywhere. It will soon be the social layer of iOS, enabling users to turn individual actions such as snapping a photo or reading an article into instant social activities.

“Building Twitter into iOS 5 truly creates the easiest way to share everything that's happening in your world. Take a picture, tap “Tweet,’”Dorsey said of the news. “Tweeting has never been simpler.”

The implications are vast. Twitter will essentially become the default social network for iOS users. It’s as if Apple reached down in a God-like fashion, grabbed Twitter with its almighty hand and lifted it up to the social networking heavens.

Facebook’s social graph may reign supreme today — many consider Facebook to own the social graph — but Apple will play a huge role in equalizing the playing field.

Look no further than the Contacts integration as proof. iOS users who perform the single sign-on with Twitter can automatically have their contact records updated with the Twitter avatars and usernames of their Twitter friends.

“Want to mention or @reply to a friend? Contacts applies your friends' Twitter usernames and profile pictures. So you can start typing a name and iOS 5 does the rest,” Apple explains. “You can even add a location to any tweet, no matter which app you're tweeting from.”

If you want your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to become an instantly social device, use Twitter, so sayeth the almighty Apple. Never before has Twitter’s value proposition sounded so simple.

Twitter in iOS 5

[Twitter in iOS 5]

Tweet From Safari, YouTube & Maps

[Tweet From Safari, YouTube & Maps]

Tweet a Photo

[Tweet a Photo]

More About: apple, facebook, iOS 5, twitter, WWDC 2011

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Google, Facebook, Mozilla & Others Rev Up for IPv6

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:38 PM PDT

Tuesday is World IPv6 Day, and Google is leading the charge to test and adopt the new Internet Protocol.

IPv6 is the web’s solution to “the Internet is running out of addresses” dilemma that’s been floating around for a few months.

In January, Google, the Internet Society, and several other web companies announced World IPv6 Day, when each organization would enable IPv6 addresses on their websites for a 24-hour period. Now, that list of organizations has grown to more than 400 tech companies, including Facebook, Mozilla, Bing, YouTube and many others.

These companies’ services have been tweaked, upgraded and prepared for the IPv6 changes. The 24-hour test period will allow the above organizations to ensure bug-free IPv6 support.

Most users won’t likely notice the test, says Google. The company estimates that around .05% of systems involved, especially home network equipment such as routers, may not revert to IPv4 after the tests. Affected users might find some of the aforementioned sites slow or unresponsive.

IPv6 is the sixth revision to the Internet Protocol and is the successor to IPv4. Both protocols provide the unique IP addresses necessary for Internet-connected devices to communicate. However, IPv6 utilizes 128-bit Internet addresses. IPv4 and IPv6 run as parallel networks, so exchanging data between these protocols requires special gateways.

image courtesy of iStockphoto user ahlobystov.

More About: Google, IPv4, IPv6

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PlayStation Vita: First Impressions [PHOTOS]

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:09 PM PDT

Sony’s next-generation handheld gaming system, the PlayStation Vita, has finally made its official debut. How does it stack up against Apple, Nintendo and the rest of the competition?

We had an extended chance to play with the PlayStation Vita at Sony’s E3 press conference in Los Angeles. After going topsy-turvy while shooting robots in Little Deviants and shooting baddies in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, we have a few thoughts on Sony’s new gaming system and where it fits into the gaming ecosystem.

Here are our first impressions of the PlayStation Vita:

* The Vita feels big but light in your hands. It’s significantly bigger than an iPhone or even a Droid X or an HTC Evo, but it’s easy to carry. The casing is made of plastic, so it doesn’t have the nice feel of glass or aluminum, but this doesn’t actually detract from the Vita experience.
* The controls are nice. The analog sticks are smooth, and we had no problem with the touchscreen controls. The killer feature, though, is the touch interface on the back of the device, which opens up a ton of new gaming possibilities. Apple should take notice.
* The screen resolution is killer. We loved playing games on the device. We could definitely watch movies on this thing.
* LittleBIG Planet for Vita has some fun game play. Unlike some of the other games we played, it really knows how to combine the analog and touchscreen controls for a seamless experience.
* The tennis game we played though can be played with just touchscreen controls or just analog controls. Sure, you can use both, but there’s no point. Games need to figure out how to integrate the two control inputs.
* The $249 price tag will scare some people off, but it’s affordable for a handheld gaming system of this quality. Still, only true gamers will be dropping money for this, especially when the so many high-quality smartphones with gaming capabilities are on the market.
* The front- and back-facing cameras make for some interesting augmented reality gameplay. Little Deviants is a good example of how to make augmented reality gaming work, though you won’t want to play that game on the train or the bus station.
* The biggest question: Is the Vita better than the Nintendo 3DS? While Nintendo’s implementation of 3D on the portable is actually pretty good, the Vita feels like a system with more power. If you’re a more casual gamer, you’ll want the 3DS, and if you’re more on the hardcore side, you should get the Vita.
* Does the Vita bring enough to the table to warrant getting it if you already have a smartphone? It’s all about paying for a deeper gaming experience. The Vita isn’t cheap, and its games will cost more than the standard mobile game. What you get in return are games with greater gameplay and more replay value. Once again, this is a device the hardcore gaming crowd will love, but we don’t think there’s enough to get the casual gaming crowd interested.

PlayStation Vita

[PlayStation Vita]

PlayStation Vita

[PlayStation Vita]

AT&T Is PlayStation Vita's 3G Partner

[AT&T Is PlayStation Vita's 3G Partner]

PlayStation Vita

[PlayStation Vita]

PlayStation Vita

[PlayStation Vita]

LittleBIG Planet

[LittleBIG Planet]

Street Fighter X Tekken

[Street Fighter X Tekken]

PlayStation Vita

[PlayStation Vita]

PlayStation Vita

[PlayStation Vita]

PlayStation Vita Station

[PlayStation Vita Station]

More About: e3, NGP, playstation, PlayStation Vita, sony

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4 Social Video Lessons Brands Can Learn From Hollywood

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 08:50 PM PDT

Chris Schreiber is director of marketing at social video advertising company Sharethrough. A leading expert on social content strategy, Chris will be co-presenting a two-hour workshop on viral video later this month at the Cannes Lions festival, entitled “Making Videos Go Viral: Creative, Social, and Technological Techniques.”

Summer blockbuster season is upon us, and we’re already starting to see some truly innovative social video campaigns coming out of Hollywood. In many ways, movie studios are leading the charge when it comes to social video advertising, using groundbreaking interactive features, creative distribution strategies and original content to successfully drive huge amounts of viewership and sharing. Brands looking to up their social video game will benefit from closely watching Hollywood’s creative approach to online video marketing.

Here are four things that brands can learn from Hollywood when it comes to social video.
1. Think Content, Not Ads

Getting people to watch and share your content requires some fundamental shifts in how marketers think about video advertising. Sharing has to be the starting point when developing content. Hollywood gets it: Great content is their currency. This is one reason why movie trailers were shared 184% more than the industry average for brand video content over the last quarter, as measured by Sharethrough's distribution network.

For example, to promote the new Muppets movie, Disney released a short original video called “Green With Envy,” a parody of the Rom-Com genre. It has more than 1.4 million views on YouTube alone.
2. Mix It Up

While television and much of online video advertising inventory is limited to 15 or 30-second videos, social video advertising allows for distribution of video content of varied lengths and styles. Hollywood is taking full advantage of the flexibility of this medium to mix in “red band” (read: racy or R-rated) trailers, long-form trailers, interactive videos and viral videos along with their standard trailers to keep things interesting.

For example, a recent red-band trailer for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo did a fantastic job of stirring up buzz. The shaky camera — evoking a sense that the video is a bootleg — added to the intrigue and exclusivity. Many in the marketing and film worlds have expressed their belief that this “bootleg” was created by Sony as part of a campaign intended to go viral. If that’s the case, they’ve even gone so far as to remove it from YouTube on copyright grounds.

Another great example of non-standard content is an amazing interactive YouTube video page for Kung Fu Panda 2, featuring a mix of fun videos of Jack Black and the animated main character, Po. The page's videos have generated millions of views and nearly 4 million Likes on their Facebook page.

Brands should look to mirror this approach and come up with different versions of the same themed content to reach different audiences and prevent fatigue.
3. Look for Social Distribution

In the old model of TV advertising, demographics ruled. Now, film marketers are going one step further in search of an audience with social influence that is most likely to watch and share their content. For example, Hollywood was early to experiment with the distribution of movie trailers in social games on Facebook, and they are trailblazing the emerging trans-media distribution world. Integrating brand video content into social media is critical to maximize sharing.

With the launch of Facebook’s recent program that enables brands to distribute their videos into over 300 social games (and provides Facebook Credits to users who watch them), any brand marketer can take a page from Hollywood’s play book and get their content in front of hundreds of millions of socially active consumers.

Another good example of cross-media promotion was the addition of an ad for the film Super 8 as a playable level inside the hit video game Portal 2. Game review site Kotaku released a YouTube video about the trailer, which has generated hundreds of thousands of views to go along with the millions of people who played the game.
4. Use Social Analytics to Test Content

Movie marketers were some of the first to embrace social metrics such as “sharethrough rate” — the rate at which a video is shared — in order to quantify success. Data collected from sharethrough rates now help movie studios make informed decisions about which trailers to use for online advertising campaigns, which demographics to include in campaign targeting and even potential markets for film releases. Brands are also beginning to use social metrics as a proxy for the overall success of their campaigns. They should look to further use sharing data to optimize their creative assets and distribution strategies, as well as test new markets for their products.

More About: business, Hollywood, MARKETING, social media, trending, video, viral

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Wristband + iOS App = Silent Alarm System

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 08:07 PM PDT

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: LARK

Quick Pitch: LARK is a silent "un-alarm" clock, sleep sensor and personal sleep coach designed by sleep experts.

Genius Idea: Wake up in silence.

A few years ago, Julia Hu was sleep deprived. She was attending MIT for grad school and had recently moved in with her boyfriend. Each morning, he would unintentionally wake her when his alarm would go off an hour-and-a-half before she needed to be up.

Hu’s sleep deprivation inspired her to use her engineering education to create a product that could make the world happier and healthier through better sleep.

One week ago, Hu’s mission came to fruition with the release of LARK, a wireless wristband, device dock, online portal and iOS silent alarm system.

Sleepers don the wristband at night; it wirelessly talks to the iOS application to track your sleep patterns across thousands of data points as you sleep. You’ll wake up to a gentle nudge from the vibration of the wristband, and be greeted with data on how well you slept and how often you awoke in the night.

“Our goal is to help people realize how critical sleep is to their health and well-being,” Hu says.

Hu, LARK’s CEO and founder, spent more than 1.5 years developing the patent-pending system with a team of sleep scientists and fellow classmates. The business was moved to Palo Alto, incubated and later backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners.

The self-motivated types can buy the basic package for $129, but those that need a little more encouragement and sleep development will need to shell out an additional $60. For $189, LARK Pro buyers get the seven-day sleep assessment and Personal Sleep Coach to track their sleep goals and change their bad habits.

“Giving people an understanding of how they sleep naturally motivates them to sleep better,” says Hu. “Competitive feelings arise, so people will make small adjustments and later see the effects of these behaviors on their sleep. We think you can be personally coached to better sleep,” she asserts.

LARK, available for purchase online, will also be sold in every Apple store in North America beginning June 14.

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

More About: Alarm Clock, bizspark, iOS app, LARK, lightspeed venture partners, spark-of-genius, startup, technology

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Say Hello to PlayStation Vita, Sony’s Next PSP

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 07:05 PM PDT

Sony has just lifted the curtain on the PlayStation Vita, the company’s next-generation portable gaming device.

The device, originally codenamed “NGP,” made its debut at Sony’s E3 press conference in Los Angeles. The device looks exactly like the prototypes that leaked earlier this year.

The PSP’s successor includes a high-resolution, 5-inch OLED touchscreen (960 x 544 pixels), two analog sticks, rear touch controls, 6-axis motion sensors and dual front- and back-facing cameras. The device is supposed to run a quad-core ARM Cortex A9 processor.

The Vita also comes with 3G and WiFi connectivity. AT&T will be the Vita’s exclusive 3G launch partner (much to the disappointment of the audience).

The PlayStation Vita hits the market sometime during this year’s holiday season. It will cost $249 for the Wi-Fi version and $299 for the 3G version. Some of the titles in development for the Vita include LitteBIG Planet, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Street Fighter X Tekken and Ruin.

More About: NGP, playstation, PlayStation NGP, PlayStation Vita, PSP, sony, sony playstation

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Sony’s E3 Announcements: 3D, PlayStation Move & More [LIVE VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 05:54 PM PDT

Sony has kicked off its E3 press conference with a message for its customers: “You are the lifeblood of the company.”

During its E3 event, Sony Computer Entertainment of America CEO Jack Tretton addressed the PlayStation Network hack controversy. He thanked third-party developers and retailers for their support since the original PlayStation. “You gave us retail space when the PlayStation brand wasn’t even there,” he said.

To consumers, Tretton had one simple message: “You are the lifeblood of the company. Without you, there is no PlayStation.”

The press conference is live right now. Check out all the action in the livestream we’ve embedded.

More About: e3, gaming, playstation 3, playstation network, PS3, PSN, sony

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HANDS-ON: iTunes in the Cloud [PICS]

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 05:05 PM PDT

At WWDC on Monday, Apple officially unveiled its much anticipated iTunes in the Cloud feature.

The feature will be part of iCloud, which will formally launch alongside iOS 5 this fall, but users can get a taste of some of features today.

iTunes in the Cloud allows users to access songs, albums, music videos, apps and books that were previously purchased but that don’t exist locally on a user’s device. That means if you don’t have a copy of an album on your iPhone or iPad but you really want to hear your favorite song, you can just redownload the track from your account free of charge rather than having to sync with your Mac or PC.

In the fall, Apple will also introduce an iTunes Match service that will make it easy for users to gain cloud access to all the music they haven’t purchased on iTunes for just $25 a year. Starting today, however, users can take advantage of the larger “access your iTunes purchases” feature.

GSM iPhone 4 owners (sorry Verizon folks) and iPod touch or iPad users running iOS 4.3.1 or higher will now see a new “Purchased” tab in the iTunes app in iOS. iTunes 10.3 beta brings that functionality to the Mac or PC.

We’ve spent some time with iTunes in the Cloud and put together this gallery to show off the major features in this early preview. On the outset, we have to say we’re impressed at how easy it was to browse through our purchase history and download single tracks or complete albums at the push of a button, both on the iPhone and on the Mac.

I have a large iTunes collection, and many of my purchases are not on my MacBook Pro. Some aren’t even on my iMac but are instead archived on an old iPod video. Thanks to iTunes in the cloud, I can redownload content I purchased years ago, including bonus and exclusive track, for free.

Purchased Button

[Purchased Button]

In the iTunes app in iOS 4, a new "Purchased" button now appears on the bottom of the application.

You can choose to see all music or just the songs/albums not on your current device

Recent Purchases

[Recent Purchases]

In addition to browsing alphabetically, you can see the most recent 50 items purchased from iTunes.

Artist View

[Artist View]

Selecting an artist name will bring up a listing of every album or partial album you have from that artist.

iTunes includes music videos as well as songs in the mix, scrolling below the album section will show music videos

.
Download Screen

[Download Screen]

The download screen for an album gives the user the opportunity to download individual songs or the entire album in one action.

Purchased Section in iTunes

[Purchased Section in iTunes]

The iTunes 10.3 and 10.5 betas have a new feature in the iTunes Store sidebar, "Purchases."

Album View

[Album View]

Just like in iOS, users can download individual tracks or full albums at the press of a button.

Album View, Partially Downloaded

[Album View, Partially Downloaded]

A nice touch is that iTunes recognizes if you already have some of the items from an album in your iTunes library.

In my case, I because I downloaded some of the pre-order tracks for this album on a different computer, only those tracks will be downloaded.

App Purchases and Downloads

[App Purchases and Downloads]

Just like music and books, users can browse their app purchases and past downloads by device type, name or download date.

More About: apple, icloud, iOS, itunes, itunes-in-the-cloud, trending

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Texts, Tweets & To Dos: What’s New in iOS 5

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 03:59 PM PDT

The latest version of iOS 5 has finally been announced, and it has a bundle of new features — more than 200, by Apple’s count.

Several of the new features were poached from the best of Apple’s own app store, including reading queue apps like Instapaper, group messaging apps like GroupMe and photo editing apps. There’s also a lot of integration with Apple’s new cloud service iCloud.

The iOS 5 beta software won’t be available to users — at least, those who aren’t in the iOS Developer program — until this fall. At that point, it will be free to download for owners of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad, or the iPod touch (third and fourth generations). We’ve highlighted the most exciting new features below.
Notification Center

With iOS 5, Apple has essentially added a personalized news feed to all of its devices. The feed, which Apple calls the “Notification Center,” can be customized to display things like the current weather, a stock ticker, new emails, texts and friend requests. The feed can be accessed by swiping the top of the screen. You’ll be able to view it while the device is lock mode, much as iOS 4 displays the time and push notifications while locked.
iMessage

iMessage is BBM for Apple products. Like BlackBerry’s once distinguishing feature, it allows you to send unlimited instant messages to other users and to see whether recipients have read them or are typing a response. The new feature allows group messaging as well as photo, video, location and contact sharing. It’s expected to put a dent into the thriving group messaging app startups. The advantage that those apps still have is the ability to instant message phones with multiple operating systems. For now, Apple’s messages can only be sent to others who are using iOS, on iPhones and iPads.
Newsstand

Newsstand is a folder that holds your magazine and newspaper app subscriptions. All purchases go directly to that folder, which displays them on a virtual newsstand, and new issues are automatically downloaded and delivered there. Your newspaper subscriptions will arrive in time for breakfast.
Reminders

Reminders is iOS 5′s to-do list app. The feature includes an option to make items location based. Your phone will, for instance, remind you to pick up the milk when you are at the grocery store. You can sync reminders with iCal, Outlook and iCloud so that a change in one program automatically updates the others.
Deep Twitter Integration

On iOS 5, you can directly tweet from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube or maps. Twitter will also work together with contacts in the operating system, making it easy to find a friend’s Twitter handles when you start typing a name. This level of integration is still notably missing for Facebook.
Camera and Photos

Apple iOS makes the iPhone a better camera. You can now open the Camera app directly from the lock screen, which makes it easier to point and click quickly. The app also has more of the features of a regular digital camera: grid lines, single-tap focus and exposure locks. The volume-up button now works as a shutter button.

Apple has also built photo-editing capabilities into its Photos app. This means you can crop, rotate, enhance, and remove red-eye without leaving your camera roll. With iCloud, it’s also possible to automatically load new photos to your desktop, if you prefer to edit them there.
Safari

Apple’s mobile web browser now includes a feature that mimics the capabilities of popular reading queue app Instapaper. Its “Reading List” lets you save articles you want to read later. iCloud pushes these articles to all of your iOS devices, much as Instapaper’s separate desktop and mobile apps allow you to read articles that you save on the go.
Other Features Worth Noting

* PC Free: You no longer need a computer to set up and activate an iOS device. With iCloud, you can even back up the data without tethering it to a PC or Mac.
* Calendar: The iOS calender now has year view.
* Game Center: Game center now has profile pictures and friend recommendations
* Wi-Fi Sync: Every time you connect your iOS device to a power source, it will automatically back up any new media to iPhones.
* Video Mirroring: Stream whatever is on your iPad to your Apple TV.

More About: apple, icloud, iOS 5

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7 Services That Apple Just Challenged or Changed

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 03:30 PM PDT

Apple unveiled a heaping helping of news at WWDC 2011, the Apple developers' conference, on Monday. And, as always when innovations come to light, we’ve been thinking about what preexisting services would be disrupted.

From its camera to the cloud, Apple announced some big news regarding its next product iterations. Here’s our rundown of which apps and services are likely feeling a bit threatened at present.

Facebook

[Facebook]

Well, not exactly killed, but snubbed, for sure. Apple has added Twitter everywhere in iOS 5, so you can tweet contacts, articles, YouTube videos and many more elements, without having to do any cut-and-pasting.

Instapaper

[Instapaper]

There's a new offline reading feature called Reading List built in to Safari, which spells major trouble for services such as Read It Later, Instapaper and Readability (which Apple previously rejected). In fact, when Steve Jobs announced this feature, Instapaper creator Marco Arment tweeted in dismay.

Camera+

[Camera+]

Apple has also beefed up its camera offering, making it easier to access, and adding a grid and editing features. This seems a challenge to pre-existing photo apps -- although Instagram and the like will likely be fine, as Apple is not adding any filters. (Note: Apple previously pulled an update of Camera+ from the app store for including the ability to use the volume button to take snaps, a feature the new camera will include.)

Blackberry Messenger

[Blackberry Messenger]

Apple unveiled iMessage, a new texting service that works between iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. You can send SMS, photos, videos and so on from your iPad now. It also offers receipts, so you know messages have been sent, and a notification that someone is typing a response — just as you would get in IM. Anyone looking to switch from Blackberry to iPhone has fewer excuses now.

MobileMe

[MobileMe]

MobileMe, Apple's previous syncing service, will be shutting down in June of 2012. Previous users will be able to move their MobileMe mail, contacts, calendars, and bookmarks to iCloud.

Google Docs

[Google Docs]

Documents can be stored in iCloud, too.

Amazon Cloud Player & Google Music Beta

[Amazon Cloud Player & Google Music Beta]

Unlike the above offerings, Apple was able to score the licenses necessary to store music in the cloud, sans uploading, with iTunes in the Cloud. It also introduced iTunes Match, which will let users to store non-iTunes music in the cloud as well.

More About: Amazon Cloud Player, apple, blackberry, camera, cloud, facebook, gallery, google-music-instant, icloud, Instapaper, itunes, itunes-match, mobileme, twitter

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Rep. Weiner Meant To Send Lewd Photo as Direct Message

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 02:55 PM PDT

We may have never found out about the lewd photo of Rep. Anthony Weiner had he simply avoided a rudimentary Twitter mistake: sending a direct message instead of a public @reply.

In the Monday press conference where Weiner admitted to sending the now infamous photo (confirming that it is of him), the congressman said, "Last Friday night I tweeted a photograph of myself that I intended to send as a direct message as part of a joke to a woman in Seattle. Once I realized I had posted to Twitter, I panicked, I took it down and said I had been hacked. I then continued to stick to that story which was a hugely regrettable mistake.”

While that's far from an uncommon mistake on Twitter -– doing so is only a matter of a couple keystrokes in some apps and the company offers a relatively long how-to in its support section –- this is certainly the biggest "DM fail" we can think of (at least in terms of resulting media circus).

That's not to say other high profile organizations haven't been embarrassed by Twitter mistakes before. Earlier this year, a Chrysler employee was terminated after dropping the f-bomb on the automaker's Twitter account, while a Red Cross social media specialist tweeted drunk on the organization's behalf on account of a HootSuite slip up.

Image courtesy of Flickr, David Boyle

More About: Anthony Weiner, twitter

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30+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 02:34 PM PDT

social_media_events_guide1

Every week, Mashable puts together a calendar of upcoming social media and web events, parties and conferences.

Here are some tips on how to network, share your information and promote your event using social media:

* The Future of Event Planning and Social Media
* HOW TO: Plan and Promote Events with Social Media
* 35+ Ways to Find and Plan Events Online
* 8 Ways to Create Paperless Business Cards
* 5 Useful iPhone Apps for Business Networking

Mashable’s Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace.

June 5-9, 2011, San Francisco, CA: The 2011 Semantic Technology Conference (SemTech) is the world's largest educational conference for the community of executives, technologists, researchers, investors and customers who are involved with semantic technologies. The SemTech conference draws together more than 1,000 forward-thinking technology and business leaders from around the world, representing the entire marketplace of vendors, developers, researchers, start-ups, investors and customers. SemTech 2011 features five days of presentations, panels, tutorials, announcements, new company/product launches, and conversations. It’s a place for new learning, professional networking, and business development. For details and registration, visit the site. Register and use the promo code MASH to save 15%.!

June 6-8, 2011, Boston, MA: The Art & Science of Integrating Traditional & Social Media Marketing – Measure Up, is the world's most comprehensive cross-dimensional view of marketing measurement best practices. With a focus on return on investment (ROI) as it relates to the integration of traditional, online and mobile activities; specifically, social media, this event explores analytics across the entire marketing mix and incorporates those results into marketing strategies and tactics to drive higher revenue, profit and brand share. Register and use the promo code XU2308MASH and save 10%!

June 6, 2011, New York, NY: It’s time to make plans for Realtime NY 11, a full-day immersion entirely about business on the mobile, social and realtime web. Learn how innovative executives from brands like McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Delta, Citibank, IBM, and the NHL are using realtime tools to listen and respond to customers, create new opportunities and build bottom-line value. Realtime, mobile and social technologies fundamentally change how consumers and businesses interact. At The Realtime Conference you’ll see real case studies about real brands and meet the social media business pioneers who are driving real value. 10 hours of hardcore learning and networking. Plus wi-fi, power, breakfast, lunch and cocktails. Register with the promo code MASHABLE to save 20%

June 6-7,2011, New York, NY: Federated Media presents The Conversational Marketing Summit: Leading agencies, marketers, platforms and entrepreneurs come together for our industry’s most rigorous and thought-provoking annual 2-day gathering, the Conversational Marketing Summit, to benefit from a discussion about what we've learned so far and get a jump on what the future has to offer. We aim to bridge the innovations of the internet with the practice of marketing. Please join us! More information and registration details at http://www.federatedmedia.net/events – Register with promo code CmMash to save 15%!

June 7-8, 2011, Munich, Germany: a4uexpo Europe is the largest pan European Affiliate and Performance Marketing Conference. With over 1000 delegates, a diverse conference programme, a focus on quality, knowledge transfer and unparalleled networking opportunities with delegates and key industry figures from around the world, a4uexpo Europe is a must attend educational and networking event. Whether a new or established affiliate, agency, entrepreneur, search specialist, merchant or network – a4uexpo is the conference for those serious about making an impact in Affiliate and Performance Marketing. Register with the promo code MASHABLE25 and save €25 on a full conference pass for a4uexpo Europe.

June 7-8, 2011, Seattle, WA: Join the most accomplished search marketers in the world – Search Marketing Expo – SMX Advanced Seattle. Check out the full agenda, featuring two days of experts-only sessions, keynotes and the highest-level networking anywhere. Don't wait – SMX Advanced has sold out 4 years running. Register with partner code smx100mashable and you'll save $100 and secure your spot.

June 8, 2011, Singapore: With the phenomenal growth of apps worldwide, Asia is the next big market to watch out for. Planet of the Apps Asia is the leading event dedicated to mobile applications in Asia. The two day conference plus a dedicated masterclass day brings together the mobile application ecosystem in one location. The event will shine on a light on the latest innovations and showcase the latest solutions in the world of mobile applications. Be part of this definitive event and network with professionals from all around the globe.

June 14, 2011, London, UK: 20 social media experts will be speaking at the Social Media Results Conference – From Engagement To ROI. Procter & Gamble, Barclaycard, Nokia, Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, MTV Networks UK & Ireland, Mothercare, Lonely Planet, American Airlines, Kodak Ltd, Comic Relief, Vue Entertainment, Cisco Europe, Phones 4u Limited and many more will be discussing their real-world, actionable social media insights on how to drive the customer journey with consistently genuine interaction and fully integrated, targeted social media campaigns. Click here to download/view the conference program.

June 15-18, 2011, Nairobi, Kenya: The spotlight in AfriTech Kenya 2011 will be on "Brand building using a digital platform". It’s projected to be the largest gathering of digital media gurus and industry shapers in the African continent. The conference will be held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) on June 15-18, 2011. Outstanding business luminaries, philanthropists, government decision-makers and investors will be participating during this four day historic summit. For more information and to register, please visit afri-tech.com.

June 15-16, 2011, New York, NY: “Exploring the State of NOW” – The 140 Characters Conference: New York City (#140conf) will be taking place June 15-16, 2011 at the 92nd Street Y, where we will continue to explore the effects of the real-time web on both business and on people. This event is expected to be the largest worldwide gathering of people interested in the effects of the real-time Internet on both business and "we" the people. #140conf exposes you to the power the Internet has to disrupt businesses, change lives and create serendipity. You will leave with a fresh outlook on how the real time web can be used in your business or personal life to actually do something meaningful. Register TODAY and take advantage of the "Early Bird" prices.

June 16, 2011, London, UK: The Augmented Reality Summit is designed to explore this new dynamic reality and provide delegates with the perfect opportunity to uncover Augmented Reality in full and explore the opportunity's AR brings any brand or company. The AR Summit is positioned at the forefront of this exciting continually developing new industry. Whether you are a Brand, Advertiser or Agency, Technology provider or Developer looking to meet key industry figures, keep up with the latest developments, technology's & tools or simply to network with other from the world of AR – Register and use the promo code ARMASH to save 25%!

June 20-21, New York, NY: At the new ALL FOR ONE Marketing Show presented by DM Days, you'll learn how Domino's, FreshDirect, Grey New York and other top companies maximize ROI by leveraging customer insight and data to successfully integrate marketing channels. You'll walk away with concrete examples of successful campaigns from marketing experts and thought leaders. Register with the promo code DM730 and save $200!

June 20, 2011, New York, NY: Games for Change is the leading global advocate for supporting and making games for social impact. The Games for Change Festival is the largest gaming event in New York City and the only international event uniting "games for change" creators, the public, civil society, academia, the gaming industry and media. Register before April 15th and save 30%!

June 21-22, 2011, New York, NY: The Second Annual Corporate Social Media Summit is 'the' event for big business using social media. This year we have speakers from Dell, Best Buy, Kodak, Coca-Cola, Southwest Airlines and many more. They will share best practice to help your company leverage the power of social media for better marketing, customer engagement and enhance profitability. The conference is designed for corporates like you – and our agenda is based on three months of research with your peers. Download a brochure here for all the info you need. Register and use the promo code MASH11 to save 10%.

June 21-22, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: Digital Content Monitization West 2011 is a unique opportunity to find out how to drive revenue and profitability from different content and formats across a wide variety of channels. 60+ senior level speakers from will help you sort out the best short and medium term strategies for delivering revenue through digital content. With its focus on west coast industries, you’ll dig deep into how the film, music and games sectors are driving new sources of revenue. Plus the publishing, sports, TV and news sectors will provide detailed information about how to monetize rich media content. Register online at dcm-west.com and use the promo code DCM MASH for early booking discounts.

June 23 - 24, 2011, Chicago, IL: SOCIAL CUSTOMER 2011 is a high-level executive summit that focuses on using smart social CRM programs to improve customer loyalty, enhance brand experience and increase revenue. Hear from game-changing organizations such as Chicago Bulls, Verizon, PepsiCo, Dell, Bloomberg, Rosetta Stone, H&R Block, Godiva, Dominos Pizza and more! Also hear our keynote presentation by Becky Carroll, Social Media Correspondent, NBC 7 / SAN DIEGO, Author, THE HIDDEN POWER OF YOUR CUSTOMERS. Organizations must embrace today's empowered customers, so if you are a business leader who is looking to deliver world-class experience via social networks, this event is the #1 place to be. Join the conversation and register today (Save $200 with the promo code SYX243).

June 27-29, 2011, Las Vegas, NV: The Future of Web Apps (FOWA) is coming to Vegas. After successfully running shows in Miami and London, the conference hits Vegas for the first time in June. A conference for web developers and entrepreneurs, there are 3 days of jam packed web fun including a day of workshops and 2 conference days of two tracks. As well as App Clinics and Expo Area, you can learn and network with people who have passion for the web! Register with the code FOWA_MASHABLE and receive 10% off our 2 day conference passes.

June 28-29, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Produced by AllFacebook, AF Expo is your how-to guide for Facebook marketing and development. This two-day event is your inside look at Facebook innovations and technology issues jointly impacting marketers and social developers. Packed with case studies and real-world perspectives, AF Expo offers attendees a sneak peek at the latest Facebook data, demographics and design issues. Our experts include Tamara Mendelsohn (Director of Marketing, Eventbrite), Joseph Adolf (Manager, Digital Marketing, JetBlue Airways), Mark Rose (VP Product, Visa), Clara Shih (author, The Facebook Era), and many more. Register with promo code MASH to save 15

July 14-16, 2011, Dallas, TX: The Big Design Conference is an intense day of learning within the scope of Strategy, Social Media, User Experience, Gaming, Mobile, Usability, Design, and Code Development. Experts from across the country will gather to present theories, research, experiences, and best practices to students, professionals, and executives looking to stay on the bleeding edge. Experts include Beverly Robertson (President, National Civil Rights Museum), Russ Unger (Director of UX, Happy Cog), Jeremy Johnson (Director of UX, Game Stop), Brian Sullivan (Usability Principal, Sabre), Joshua Clark (author of Tapworthy), Jared Spool (Founder, User Interface Engineering), and many more. Mashable readers receive 20% off conference registration by using the code MASHABLE during the checkout process.

July 27-29, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Join us at the premiere of ePharma Summit West, the sister event to The ePharma Summit, the largest, longest running and most respected digital marketing event for the Life Sciences Industry. Network and join the conversation with hundreds of fellow thought leaders from top Pharma, Biotech, Device and Health Science companies. Register as a Mashable reader with the promo code XP1656MASH and save 10%.

August 1-3, 2011, San Antonio, TX: The eduWeb Conference is the event for you to meet, share, explore, and learn from your higher education peers on topics including mobile apps, branding, web site analytics, social media strategic planning, and web development. eduWeb offers four tracks: marketing communications; design and development; social media; and information architecture. Register with the promo code 11Mash and save $50!

September 6-8, 2011, Cleveland, OH: At Content Marketing World, you'll learn how to transform your marketing department into a storytelling factory, engaging your prospects and customers in all the right channels with the right messages– including social, mobile, email, online and even print and in-person strategies. Through 24+ breakout sessions and amazing keynotes led by worldwide experts, you'll get the tools you need to be a successful content marketer. Plus, you'll experience the best of what Cleveland has to offer, starting with our opening night reception at the infamous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Register and use the promo code mash to receive $100 off the current price of a ticket.

September 11-14, 2011, Denver, CO: Come join the best and brightest of the iOS development community at 360|iDev, the first iOS developer event to be held by the developer community! Speakers include many leading community members, and app store success stories. With over 40 sessions, including hands-on training the sunday before the conference, 360|iDev offers more content than any other iOS developer event in the world. Register and use the promo code iosmash to save 20% of the ticket price.

September 12-13, 2011, Renaissance Glendale, Phoenix, AZ: The third Social Media Optimization Summit event, presented by Multifamilypro, brings together small to mid-sized business owners with an interest in putting social media to work successfully within their organizations in ways that are proven to generate results. The event offers two full days of intensive, hands-on workshops from the intermediate to advanced level, led by top social media experts. The unique "See it. Hear it. Do it." approach allows attendees to learn by doing, and begin immediately applying newly-acquired skills and knowledge while the event is underway. See what others are saying about the event and register now at optimizationsummits.com and use discount code Mashable to save $100!

September 20, 2011, Chicago, IL: Federated Media presents Signal Chicago: The Marketing in Real Time Conversation. We will be focusing on the theme of “Marketing in Real Time.” From “real time bidding” on new demand-side and exchange platforms to “real time messaging” of location-based services, marketing has time-shifted into the present tense. A new suite of tools and services have evolved which enable the marketer to have conversations with customers in real time, creating both challenges and opportunities.Please join us! More information and registration details at http://www.federatedmedia.net/events – Register with promo code SIGMash to save 15%

Sept 21-22, 2011, London, UK: ad:tech London is the UK’s essential free to attend event for professionals seeking to stay ahead of the latest interactive media, advertising and marketing trends. The event unites advertisers, media owners and agencies to harness the power of digital and deliver real marketing ROI. Alongside the exhibition, there is also a conference featuring 100+ international speakers for serious digital innovators and marketers. Mashable readers can take 20% off their conference ticket price. Register online now with the promo code MASH11 at www.ad-techlondon.co.uk.

September 26-29, 2011, Kaua’i, HI: Search and Social Hawaii is an elite conference unlike any other that will provide you with the strategies and complete know how to thrive in this ever changing environment. Each day begins with morning sessions around the hottest topics. With Keynote Bruce Clay of Bruce Clay, Inc. and speakers from corporations such as Real Networks, Network Solutions, AT&T, Microsoft Bing and Logitech. Afternoons are spent in a relaxed environment including planned activities in which individual attendees can get to know speakers and each other on a more personal level continuing the discussion and building long lasting relationships. Register and use the promo code SSWootMash to save 10%.

September 29-October 1, 2011, Atlanta, GA: As pet owners, bloggers, consumer brands and those connected to the industry – including veterinarians – continue to build upon social media & marketing, pet social media education & networking is an extremely important aspect to mobilizing efforts and to address the challenges faced by pet owners. Whether you use YouTube, Twitter, Dog/Catbook or online forums to gather & share information about pets, it's increasingly important for this community to have a face-to-face forum. Established in 2009, the BarkWorld Conference & Expo is the only pet social media conference covering ALL facets of social media & pet education. Our 2011 annual conference will focus on many topics, including: how to take great photos your pet & use it online, how to build/design a blog & monetize, mobile applications, metrics/SEO, pet food demonstrations, promoting your pet/business via social media and using online forums. Join us for this 2 ½ day conference. You'll be amazed with the information you'll walk away with and the new connections you'll make; your well-trained, leashed, pet is welcome. Register with the promo code MASH2011 to receive a 25% discount.

October 1-6, Boston, MA: At DMA2011, you – and 10,000 marketing peers from around the world – will find everything you need to develop and execute the real-time integrated marketing campaigns that drive measurable bottomline results for your brand. Listen to 300+ marketing experts and gurus talk about social, mobile, mail, search, data, attribution, and more. Plus, you'll find hundreds of technologies in the Exhibit Hall, the only one of its kind in the world! Register now with the promo code AN504 and SAVE $250!

October 5-6, 2011, Seattle, WA: The first annual Seattle Interactive Conference is a two-day event celebrating the convergence of online technology, creativity, and emerging trends in one of the world’s most innovative cities. SIC brings together entrepreneurs, developers and online business professionals from throughout the U.S. and beyond for a powerful combination of in-depth presentations, networking opportunities, and uniquely Seattle social events. Attendees have the rare opportunity to explore disruptive technologies and business models with visionary thinkers and peers in areas ranging from online commerce and social media to gaming, interactive advertising, entertainment, and much more.

October 9-11, 2011, Scottsdale, AZ: Join 200 of your advertising and PR agency friends at BOLO 2011. This event champions the marketing stalwarts, showing you how to leverage today’s digital marketing trends and technologies for economic advantage. Hear from industry thought leaders such as Scott Stratton, President of UnMarketing, and Jay Baer, author of The Now Revolution. From analytics and targeting to social media and agency management, the topics are cutting-edge and chosen to help your agency stay ahead of the curve in digital. Register now with the promo code MASHABLE for 10% off.

October 17-18, 2011, New York, NY: Pivot is the only conference focused purely on how major brands, agencies, marketers and content creators can succeed by understanding, accessing and influencing the emerging Social Consumer. Hosted by Brian Solis, a noted social marketing consultant to major brands worldwide and author of Engage, the self-help handbook for winning the new marketing game, Pivot delivers two full days of unique content and experiences that illuminate the altered marketing landscape, delivered by transformational thinkers, technologists, entrepreneurs and entertainers. Register with the promo code MASH20 and save 20%!

October 26-27, 2011, Sofia, Bulgaria: The only digital industry event for Central and Eastern Europe and one of industry’s premier events in Europe. At the Webit Expo & Conference, more than 6000 people from the CE Europe’ digital ecosystem gather together. Amazing line up of world renowned international and local speakers in the conference programme and some of the top service and technology providers among the exhibitors. Webit Conference programme includes The Main Stage (inspiring keynotes from the leading digital companies in the world), Webit Dev Camp (where platform owners meet the developers of CEE), eGov Summit (regional government officials and world CEOs in discussion on e-gov, e-health, etc), The Creative Lounge (the world’s creative minds gathered together). Register with the promo code WEBMASH and save 10%!

November 3-5, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: BlogWorld & New Media is the first and only industry-wide conference, tradeshow and media event dedicated to blogging, podcasting, social media, social networking, online video, music, Internet TV and radio. BlogWorld conference attendees enjoy more than 120 cutting-edge educational sessions presented by industry leaders, while New Media Expo provides the only industry-wide new media marketplace for networking, online business and marketing resources. Social Media Business Summit, exclusive to BlogWorld, is the world's largest social media business conference where business owners, marketing executives and global brands learn strategies, tools and technologies to grow their businesses with social media. Register at blogworldexpo.com with the promo code MASH20 to save 20% off the ticket price!

November 16-18, 2011, Las Vegas, NV: The WOMMA Summit is the only word of mouth marketing conference where research and measurement integrate with online social media and offline conversations. The Summit is a year-end review of BEST and NEXT practices in word or mouth and social media marketing in addition to future trends. WOMMA Summit showcases through leadership from some of the innovative and forward thinking. Go to www.womma.org to learn more about the event and use code WOMMASummitMASH when registering for the event.

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Who Owns the Advertising Space in an Augmented Reality World?

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 02:09 PM PDT

[Augmented Reality Image]

John C. Havens is EVP of social media at Porter Novelli and the author of Tactical Transparency: How Leaders Can Leverage Social Media to Maximize Value and Build their Brand. He speaks regularly about augmented reality and emerging technology.

Look up in Times Square and you'll see the earliest version of a banner ad. Real estate developers pay massive sums to secure air rights for the empty space above buildings. Monetizing by building up (as opposed to out) in crowded areas like Manhattan, they also get to dictate what advertisements appear in the air that they control.

Augmented reality (AR) has made it possible for this same paradigm of advertising to exist via your smartphone. Multiple apps feature the ability for ads to appear on your mobile screen as miniature virtual billboards assigned to GPS coordinates. Brands can tag the real world via this “Outernet,” and if they sponsor the AR browser you're using, in essence they own the virtual air rights (VARs) for everything you see.
Eyebrawl

So what's to keep multiple brands from owning the same virtual space? Currently, nothing. Services like Tagwhat let anyone create video, photo or text messages they can attach to specific coordinates. But just like the desktop web, top AR browsers like Junaio and Layar are becoming augmented equivalents of Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Smart brands will also encourage the use of a preferred browser via value-added incentives for users. Imagine the year 2013, where the official SXSW mobile app is enhanced with AR browser Junaio. Attendees will download the app, as it's the only way to see exclusive video content available on the virtual banners behind speakers. Brands will sponsor the app, and attendees will be entertained between panels with clickable content they can share with their social graph.
Google's Vision for Goggles

[Google Goggles]

Google Goggles is a paradigm shifter for how we'll all come to look at the world, and has evolved to become the dominant player in visual search. In the same way it guides your online queries, Google wants to help define what you see in the real world and monetize the process.

It's impossible to underestimate the impact of visual search. Once the general public gets used to navigating their physical environment with tools like Goggles, all of what we see and share will become searchable data. And when we combine consumer preference with predictive technology, Google will be able to serve visual experiences that benefit consumers and advertisers because of their unique specificity.

In this way, Google will own the virtual air rights within Goggles. However they decide to define this visual version of AdWords, brands will flock to invest so that their messages will come into a consumer's vision at the perfect place and time. Coupled with its new Offers technology, virtual incentives will only increase.

Like most technologies, people will only adopt Goggles when there is enough utility or value. QR codes and apps like stickybits have paved the way for people to get comfortable with “screening” the real world.
Bing Bling

Here's a sticky wicket regarding virtual air rights — who's to say ads appearing in the virtual arena need to match ads appearing in reality?

Here's an example. Bing's augmented reality maps let you see the world as if you were walking through it, versus looking at a photo from above. Picture a bus stop where in the real world you see a poster with an ad for Coke, but in Bing’s virtual version, the poster shows an ad for Pepsi.

Google filed for a patent along these lines in early 2010 that would allow it to sell ads in the Street View feature of Google Maps, potentially replacing signage that was originally photographed. And as most geeks feel the next step for AR is a wearable display (your smartphone as glasses, as seen here from company EON Reality), the importance of virtual real estate may quickly supplant actual signage for advertisers. This is especially true when virtual signage could be switched dynamically for individual eye traffic depending on a viewer's preferences.

"I like what Bing Maps has done, as it offers a glimpse into what virtual advertising may soon look like," says Gabe Greenberg, director of social and emerging media at Microsoft. "The industry might debate if consumers will want to be presented with ads in this format, but if the experience presents the ads in a way that makes sense for the augmented reality experience and the user's intention, this could be a powerful advertising tool for tomorrow's marketplace."

Microsoft's Kinect technology is also a game-changer when it comes to how ads might get served in the virtual arena. In the future, consumers may enable data collection about their behavior on the couch. In this way, they could see ads in the real world (via their AR-enabled phones) that mirror their media preferences in the living room — sort of like a more targeted version of product placement. These preferences could inhabit shop windows, billboards or posters on bus stops.
Monetizing the Matrix

"We think virtual advertising is a fascinating topic and potentially poised for high growth," says Anna Bager, vice president of the IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence. "And just as the IAB helped define the taxonomy of web advertising via banners, we will be ready to work with industry leaders to provide a value-added vision for the virtual future. While this is an exciting new advertising medium for brands, consumers will only want messages on an opt-in basis."

Bager raises a significant point — VARs will also apply to individuals. Etiquette around privacy will evolve, so consumers will dictate if or when their data can be shared. Consumer actions in real time (aided by facial recognition tech like Viewdle) may become the stuff of Facebook Sponsored Stories 2.0. And right now, people can't opt out of Sponsored Stories. This logic muddies privacy issues as well as the question of where Facebook should be able to monetize. If Coke makes money when someone scans me in real time via augmented reality, should I get a cut? The answer will likely be yes, but Facebook might only reward me with virtual currency rather than real money.

Once these issues are sorted out, there will be multiple benefits to AR-enhanced image recognition. Here are a few:

* At a business conference, you'll scan the room to recognize people you want to meet.
* At a club, you'll scan the room to see who you might want to date. And forget sending them a drink — “bump” them some FarmVille cash via your NFC-enabled mobile to make a first impression.
* At the supermarket, you'll scan shelves, to only see products that match your preferences — e.g. if your child has a peanut allergy, breakfast cereals you need to avoid will literally disappear.
* At a retail store, brands will modify end caps and shelf talkers to adapt to your preferences.

Advertisers have put messages in our field of vision for decades. The paradigm of virtual air rights simply extends that practice via augmented reality. The life-as-product-placement model means ads will evolve to become content we choose to experience on our own terms. What's still to be worked out is who gets the rights to what.

Disclosure: Microsoft is a client of the author’s company.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Jason McDermott.

More About: advertising, Augmented Reality, business, MARKETING, Mobile 2.0

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Neil Young Releases 26-Year-Old Music Video for “Amber Jean”

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 01:46 PM PDT

Each Monday, Mashable highlights an exclusive new video or song. Check out all our Music Monday picks.

We usually premiere new videos on Music Monday, but this week, we have a vintage treat from the legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young.

Young’s new album, A Treasure, drops on June 14. A live album, the disc includes songs that were recorded during Young’s 1984 and 1985 U.S. tours — five tracks of which were previously unreleased.

The above video, featuring the song “Amber Jean,” is the only full-length video from the album and was filmed during the Nashville Now TV show on September 20, 1984.

Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young might be awesome, but Neil Young as Neil Young ain’t bad, either.

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Rep. Weiner Admits Tweeting Lewd Picture

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 01:32 PM PDT

Admitting that he had “not been honest with myself, my family and my constituents,” Rep. Anthony Weiner has confessed at a press conference that he sent via Twitter the picture that has captivated Washington for the past week — and that he lied about his account being hacked.

“I regret not being honest about this,” Weiner said in a tearful statement. “I was embarrassed, I was humiliated. I was trying to protect my wife. I was trying to protect myself from shame.”

He claimed to have tweeted the picture on May 27 to Seattle student Gennette Cordova “as a joke” but then “panicked” and removed the tweet from his Twitter account. Cordova, however, doesn’t understand what joke that would be. “Am I the only one still confused?” she tweeted during the press conference.

“Once I realized I had posted it on Twitter I panicked, I took it down and said I’d been hacked,” Weiner explained.

Weiner said he has had “cursory direct message contact” with Cordova and that she was not one of the women he was having an online relationship with.

Weiner said he has had online relationships with six unnamed women on Facebook and his wife knew about them in general — but she did not know until this morning that he had lied about his Twitter account being hacked. He said he had never met the women in person and the relationships had been entirely based on conversations on the Internet, conducted from his home computer rather than a government machine. All the women had received inappropriate photos from Weiner. He claimed not to know the ages of the women and they had all claimed they were adults.

“It’s always true in social media that you are relying on those characterizations, and I took them at their characterizations,” he said.

“This was me doing a dumb thing, doing it repeatedly and then lying about it,” Weiner said. His wife was not standing by his side, and he broke down several times when mentioning her.

Weiner insisted that he would not be resigning and would be “fighting very hard” to persuade his constituents that he should be re-elected in 2012.

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TuneCore CEO: Apple Has Just Monetized Pirated Content

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 01:21 PM PDT

At WWDC 2011, Steve Jobs unveiled iTunes in the Cloud and “one more thing” goodie iTunes Match, a move that TuneCore CEO and founder Jeff Price believes will monetize piracy and reset the music industry.

iTunes in the Cloud will allow users to download any songs purchased in iTunes to all of their devices, at no extra charge (up to 5GB of music). Once the service is launched — likely Monday — any music purchased on iTunes from here will be synced automatically.

While this is all well and good — and a long time coming — the real clincher here is iTunes Match, which will automatically, and in a matter of minutes, match songs that you ripped to songs in the store and add them to your library. You won’t have to pay for each individual song, but you will have to shell out about $25 a year for the ability to have your library available.

“This puts together a model that allows people to make money off of pirated music,” says Price, pointing out that users who pirate music will end up paying for it anyway if they decide to go with iTunes Match, putting money back in the hands of rights holders.

“The gap between those two things have never been bridged before — the needs of the consumer and the rights holders,” he adds, pointing out how the service benefits both parties, while recent products like Amazon Cloud Player and Google Music Beta launched without label participation, and consequently, reimbursement.

Jobs did not mention revenue split during the conference, but the rumors say that publishers will garner 12% of the revenue, major labels will get 58% and Apple will keep 30%. Price also tells us that all bands on iTunes using TuneCore will be available on both iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match.

“Napster trained people to download music and listen to it on their computers,” he says. “This new service will help people become more comfortable with the idea of streaming their music. And that’s what resets the whole music industry. Reeducating the consumers on how to listen to music.”

In that respect, Apple’s iTunes in the Cloud could be just the thing that finally legitimizes the likes of music subscription services like Rdio, MOG and Spotify. “It’s great to see Apple bringing more awareness to online music streaming,” says a rep from Grooveshark. “We certainly don’t view iCloud as competitive to us, because the service that iCloud offers really isn’t the same as Grooveshark.”

What do you think of Price’s assertions? Is change really afoot in the music industry?

Photo courtesy of Flickr, karindalziel

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A Look Inside HP’s Social Good Machine

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 12:44 PM PDT

hp image

HP is launching three social good campaigns aimed at improving health tech in developing countries. Best known for its printers and laptops, the company has become an increasingly active player in international philanthropy.

Instead of throwing cash at causes, HP is trying to improve systemic problems like infrastructure and scale. It’s one thing to give a non-profit money; it’s another to help it expand its reach and efficiency at the same time. HP is doing this by tweaking its technology to help solve issues and by devoting company expertise where it is most needed.

HP’s two most recent campaigns focus on malaria detection and counterfeit drugs in Africa. HP partnered with Ping to equip workers in Botswana with smartphones to collect malaria data, notify the Ministry of Health about outbreaks, and tag data and disease surveillance with a GPS coordinate. If successful, the network of data will make up a geographic map of disease transmission in the country to speed up response time and scale up net coverage.

hp map image

The tech company is also tackling counterfeit drugs by adapting one of its own technologies. HP tracks when its parts and technology are being counterfeited. With some subtle tweaks, that same technology is being used to see when drugs and prescriptions are falsely labeled all through basic texting and SMS. The program, in partnership with mPedigree, a non-profit base in Ghana, puts a scratch-off code on each box of medicine. Buyers can then text that code to a system that returns, within 10 seconds, whether the medication is real or fake.

Finally, HP is testing a mobile health monitoring solution in Singapore. For eight weeks, 100 patients in Singapore hospitals will wear a watch-like device that transmits clinical data like 24-hour blood pressure readings and heartbeat patterns, all sent wirelessly back to the hospital.

HP’s social outreach and international philanthropy walk the fine line between corporate social responsibility and self promotion. The smartphones used to track malaria will all be HP Palm Pre’s, but the technology will actually help save lives. Its message extends to HP’s employees who are all given four hours per month to volunteer their expertise. In fact, HP has built its own web-portal complete with regional directors to pair up HP experts with non-profits and causes that need specialized help.

hp programs image

One way HP has managed to run these programs efficiently is through partnerships. The idea is to start the ball rolling on solutions and hand them off to local authorities and NGOs that can best implement them. For example, the counterfeit medicine will be powered by HP technology, but will eventually be handed off to local government for maintenance. There is some possibility that these solutions can be replicated to be sold in other regions, but the idea is more about solving problems using HP technology than turning a profit.

Sometimes, HP’s philanthropy has actually led to a new consumer product. One project aimed at creating simple access to the Internet in India resulted in HP’s DreamScreen.

It all sounds like a win-win, but what do you make of HP’s efforts? Are expertise, technology and infrastructure more important than fundraising? What do you think of HP’s philanthropic ideas? Sound off in the comments.

More About: africa, business, charity, corporate social responsibility, csr, health, HP, non-profit, social good, tech, technology

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Evernote Hits 10 Million Users

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 12:24 PM PDT

Note-taking platform Evernote has surpassed 10 million registered users. That number is up 67% from January when the startup reported 6 million users.

The nearly three-year-old startup now has 424,736 paying users — premium plans cost $5 per month. Seventy-five percent of its users are accessing Evernote on two or more platforms: 46% use Evernote on two devices, 18% use it on three devices, 7% use it on four devices and 4% are using the note-taking apps on five or more devices.

“Ten million users seemed like an inconceivable number when we were getting ready to launch the service into open beta less than three years ago,” founder and CEO Phil Libin says. “Well, it wasn't literally inconceivable; we actually put it on business plans and investor pitch decks and everything.”

Evernote has been undergoing a social makeover recently, adding Facebook and Twitter sharing capabilities to its web, Mac, Windows and Android apps. The startup most recently updated its Chrome browser extension with improved article clipping technology.

More About: evernote, startup

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Halo 4 Is Coming: Here’s the Trailer [VIDEO]

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 12:16 PM PDT

Microsoft saved the best for last at its E3 press conference, confirming that Halo 4 is in development by unveiling the first teaser trailer for the game.

The minute-long trailer starts with a view of the nervous system and mind of Master Chief, the franchise’s star character, who quickly bursts out of a pod and jumps directly into space combat.

Halo 4 will hit store shelves sometime during holiday 2012. The franchise, which is now in its tenth year, is also debuting a remastered version of the original game, complete with updated graphics, reworked levels and new multiplayer options.

Check out the teaser for Halo 4 and let us know in the comments what you think of it.

[Video via WinRumors]

More About: halo, Halo 4, microsoft, xbox, Xbox 360

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iTunes To Finally Get Wireless Syncing With iOS 5

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 12:06 PM PDT

At the WWDC keynote on Monday, Apple announced that users can now sync and backup their iOS devices wirelessly.

Apple has been promising some sort of wireless PC-free syncing solution for quite some time, but the company has now officially confirmed that the new feature will be introduced with iOS 5.

In iOS 5, the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch will automatically find iTunes on a Wi-Fi network and automatically sync and backup apps, contacts and media. This is similar to what Google does with its Android OS, with the exception, of course, that Apple still has an actual program that users can use to monitor backups and programs.

Apple also announced that users who want to be completely PC free can perform cloud backups to the new iCloud service.

Image courtesy of thisismynext.com

More About: apple, iOS 5, itunes, wifi

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HOW TO: Optimize Text Ads for Search

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 12:00 PM PDT

The Future of Search Series is supported by SES San Francisco Conference & Expo, the leading search, social and display conference. From August 15-19, get five days of education, inspiration and conversations with marketing experts across the digital space. Save 20% with the code MASH20.

Text ads aren’t sexy. They look bland, aren’t colorful and often read like they’re being shouted by annoying salespeople. But the simple fact is that many businesses use them to drive site traffic and sales.

We spoke with Michael Gold, search engine optimization specialist and co-founder of Midtown SEO, about how marketers can optimize their text ads to make them more appealing to search engine users. Check out his tips below.
Use Groups of Related Keywords

There are a number of best practices when setting up your search campaigns, and you can use tools, such as the Google AdWords Keyword Tool, to research and choose the best keywords.

When you’ve settled on your set of keywords, create advertisements that focus on each group of related keywords. “A unique advertisement should be written for each group of closely related keywords,” Gold advises. “Those keywords that match text in the advertisement will be displayed in bold, hopefully catching the search engine users' attention.”

In the Neiman Marcus and Forever 21 ads above, the user searched for keywords “Stuart Weitzman Sandals” and “Discount Fashion,” respectively. The two retailers included these keywords in their ads, so those words are highlighted, drawing a bit more attention to them.
Create a Clear Offer

“The text in the ad should create a clear offer,” says Gold. “The search engine user should know what to expect once they click on the link. Some examples of appealing offers are a free report, a free trial, a way to request information or a way to buy a retail product.”

When showcasing a specific offer, make sure you choose an appropriate destination URL, so that the user lands on a page that describes the same details. If a particular offer, pricing plan or special is outlined in your ad, make sure that information is visible on the landing page. If users do not immediately find what they are looking for, they may leave your website out of confusion.

In the example above, search engine users are offered “40% off organic granola” by advertiser Wai Lana Yoga. Once interested users click through to the website, they immediately find an offer for 40% off Wai Lana’s Little Yogis Granola. The offer is clearly communicated in the ad, and the landing page also communicates the same deal.
Communicate an Urgent Call-to-Action

“The offer should include a call-to-action that creates a sense of urgency by using scarcity or an expiration date,” says Gold. “People are more likely to react if there is a deadline.”

The EyeBuyDirect.com ad above communicates a clear call-to-action (“Buy 1 Get 1 Free”) and reads that the sale is a limited-time offer. In the other example above, Nick’s Towing Service takes an urgent situation (the need to have a car towed) and makes contacting the company easy, noting that operators are available at all hours of the day.
Focus on a Purchase-Ready Audience

“The text and tone of the ad should focus on people who are already considering the offer or are ready to buy, not people who are doing general research or are already loyal customers,” says Gold. “This will help to cut down on paid clicks from search engine users who probably aren't interested in responding to the advertisement.”

In the Ray-Ban ad above, a simple deal on free shipping for orders over $125 is offered to push potential consumers to click and buy. This sort of offer would probably be appealing to a search engine user already on the brink of purchasing, but it may not appeal to someone at the early stages of research.
Consult with Your Social Media Team

With Twitter’s character limit and the short attention spans of Internet users, social media marketers are well-versed in conveying their messages in short form. Gold recommends that search marketers consult with their company’s social media team to get a feel for which messaging types and specific phrases appeal to their audience.

“We usually get input on the search engine ad text from the people who handle social media for our clients, because they already know the short-form text content that resonates well with the target audience,” explains Gold.

Consulting with these short-form masters is just one more way to make your text ads more appropriate for your target audience.
Conduct Split Tests

“Experiment with multiple copies of an ad to see which gets the best results,” advises Gold. After testing a few ads, choose the one that performs best and run with it.

In the example above, L.L.Bean is currently split-testing two ads for the search term “hiking boots.”
Your Tips

The above tips provide a guide on how to optimize text ads for search. For all of the search engine marketers in the audience, please let us know which tips you’d add to the list in the comments below.

Series Supported by SES San Francisco Conference & Expo

The Future of Search Series is supported by SES San Francisco Conference & Expo. Join more than 6,000 marketers August 15-19 at the Moscone Center for five days of education, inspiration and conversations with the most important voices online. Learn about the industry’s most pressing developments — everything from Google Panda to YouTube LIVE — and every essential topic, including email, display, mobile, search, social media, video and more. Register with “MASH20″ to save 20%. Join the discussion: #SESSF.
More Search Resources from Mashable:

- How Semantic Search Is Redefining Traditional & Social Media
- The Future of Social Search
- How Google & Bing Keep Spam Out of Search
- HOW TO: Get the Most Out of Advanced Social Media Search
- 4 Winning Strategies for Social Media Optimization

Image courtesy of Flickr, Bourn Design & iStockphoto, hidesy

More About: Adwords, digital marketing, Future of Search Series, google adwords, MARKETING, online marketing, Search, search marketing, text ads

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Blackbird Blackbird’s Latest Music Video May Remind You of Your Last Relationship

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:53 AM PDT

Each Monday, Mashable highlights an exclusive new video or song. Check out all our Music Monday picks.

“Pure” is a new video from experimental electro/psych-pop band Blackbird Blackbird and director Eli Stonberg featuring love, loss and skateboarding.

Founded in San Francisco by Mikey Maramag, Blackbird Blackbird is a rather prolific band that largely flies below the radar (pun intended). Still, the band has managed to capture the ear of outlets like The Hype Machine, Pitchfork, and The Fader.

Stonberg is a similarly talented, yet still-to-be-widely-discovered director. Although he also worked with the likes of Passion Pit and Nada Surf, he is perhaps best known for the interactive coloring book video that he made for the band Au Revoir Simone’s song, “Knight of Wands,” which was a finalist for the MTV OMA for “Most Innovative Music Video.”

The song, “Pure,” comes off of Blackbird Blackbird’s EP Let’s Move On Together (the band currently has two, full-length albums).

“Pure is a song inspired by my girlfriend at the time,” says Maramag. “It’s a song about taking a leap of faith into uncharted territories or unknown pleasures. It is also inspired by the fear of falling in love and the heartache of leaving a loved one or relationship due to unexpected obstacles in life.”

Although “Pure” already has a music video, Stonberg was taken with the song, so he reached out to Maramag to execute his own spin on the visuals — a multi-shot vid of a skateboarder tooling around in the rain.

“I wanted to create an anatomical study of a skateboarder’s motions,” says Stonberg. “When a skater attempts a trick, we usually think of their front foot doing most of the work. It slides and kicks violently to make the board spin or ollie. I was interested in what the other body parts were doing at that same moment.”

Maramag found the idea to be the perfect complement to his song about the chaotic nature of relationships. “In addition to the feeling of floating that the song gives the listener, the clips that Eli organized flow together in a complex but nonetheless visually connected sequence,” he says. “This is kind of how I imagined ‘pure’ to be: chaotic and directionless but simultaneously sequential and balanced.”

Sound like a pretty apt metaphor for love.

More About: blackbird-blackbird, eli-stonberg, music, music monday, video

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Apple’s iMessage Is Like BBM for iOS

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:41 AM PDT

Imagine being able to seamlessly message friends from any of your devices. That will be a reality with the launch of iMessage for iOS 5.

It’s like BlackBerry Messenger for iOS. iMessage will let users communicate easily between iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. This service will include text messages, photos, videos, contacts and group messaging, with intriguing new features like the ability to show delivery receipts, read receipts (shown in-line) and indicate when another person is typing. In many ways, the service is similar to iChat.

iMessage will be supported via 3G and Wi-Fi, and conversations will be synced across all of your iOS devices, so you can pick up a conversation started on your iPhone on your iPad. The service will also support iOS 5′s new push notification system, whereby texts will no longer interrupt your games or other running apps; they’ll appear unobtrusively at the top of the screen. You can swipe from the top for more details and tap the notification to go to the app.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, subjug

More About: imessage, ipad, iphone, iPod Touch, WWDC 2011

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Deep Twitter Integration Coming to iOS 5

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:25 AM PDT

Apple will be deeply integrating Twitter across iOS 5, the next major version of its OS for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Twitter integration was one of the rumored announcements leading up to WWDC, and Apple has delivered.

Users can associate a Twitter account in the iOS settings and other apps will automatically gain access to Twitter integration using the app, which means users no longer have to log in or manually add an account each time. Moreover, apps like Mail, Contacts, YouTube and Camera will all have extensive levels of Twitter integration.

Users will be able to send tweets directly from the Camera app or photo album (using Twitter’s new native photo uploading features), as well as within the YouTube app. Additionally, users can grab photographs for their contacts if the person has an associated Twitter account.

The fact that this is built-in at an OS level also means that it will make things easier for developers who want to build deeper Twitter integration into their app experiences.

Image courtesy of This is My Next

More About: apple, iOS, iOS 5, twitter

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iOS by the Numbers: 200M Devices, 25M iPads & 14B App Downloads

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:17 AM PDT

Apple has sold 25 million iPads in the first 14 months after its release, Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iOS software for Apple, revealed at the WWDC keynote.

Forstall revealed a slew of additional metrics to highlight the success of Apple devices, iOS, iBooks and iTunes. Altogether, Apple has sold more than 200 million iOS devices, which Forstall said makes the company’s mobile operating system number one ahead of Android and RIM with more than 44% of the market.

Here are some additional stats Forstall discussed:

* Users have downloaded more than 15 billion songs from iTunes.
* Users have downloaded/purchased more than 130 million books from iBooks.
* There are now more than 425,000 iOS apps; 90,000 of them are specifically for the iPad.
* Users have downloaded more than 14 billion iOS apps.
* Apple has paid out more than $2.5 billion to iOS developers.
* There are now 225 million people with iTunes accounts.
* There are 50 million Game Center users.

Image courtesy of This is my next

More About: apple, Apple iPad, apps, iOS, ipad, WWDC 2011

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Xbox Live Getting Live TV, YouTube & Bing Voice Search

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:16 AM PDT

Microsoft has unveiled a redesigned version of Xbox Live — one that includes more voice commands, YouTube integration and live television.

At its annual E3 press conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft demonstrated the simplified UI, which can be navigated almost entirely through voice commands that will allow for searching through games and accessing online content.

Search on Xbox Live is now powered by Bing. Rather than typing in queries through the controller, Microsoft has opted for voice search. Bing Voice Search lets users flip through movie and game libraries. It doesn’t yet include full web search.

Microsoft also announced that it has finally integrated YouTube into Xbox Live, making it possible to view videos from the world’s largest video website. Microsoft already has Hulu Plus and Netflix on Xbox Live.

The biggest announcement though is the inclusion of live TV on Xbox Live. Thanks to Microsoft partners such as SKY in the UK, Xbox Live now live streams video content. One of Microsoft’s first partners is Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which was announced on stage by UFC President Dana White.

The new Xbox Live is scheduled to debut sometime in late summer or early fall. Stay tuned to Mashable for photos and videos from Microsoft’s press conference and E3.

More About: kinect, microsoft, xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Kinect, XBox live, youtube

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Mac OS X Lion Coming This July for $29

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:03 AM PDT

During Monday’s WWDC keynote, Apple officially unveiled Mac OS X Lion. The next major version of Mac OS X will be out in July as a Mac App Store exclusive for just $29.99.

As we’ve noted in our past previews, Mac OS X Lion will bring many of the best elements of iOS to the Mac.

Some of the highlights of Mac OS X Lion include:

* Multitouch gestures
* Full screen applications
* Mission Control
* Auto Save and Versioning
* Launchpad
* Auto Resume of apps
* Mac App Store — now with in-app purchase
* AirDrop – P2P Wi-Fi networks
* Newly designed Apple Mail
* Better Search

Apple is clearly pricing Mac OS X in such a way that most users will probably upgrade. Rather than selling the OS in stores, it will only be available in the Mac App Store. The 4 GB download might be excessive for some, but having installed every past version of the Lion Developer Preview, I can say it isn’t terrible. Moreover, this ensures that users can install Mac OS X Lion on every Mac they own without having to buy another license.

Mac OS X Server will now be an in-app purchase rather than a separate version.

An updated developer preview will become available later today. Will you upgrade to Mac OS X Lion? Let us know in the comments.

More About: apple, mac, mac os x lion, WWDC 2011

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Mashable: Latest 13 News Updates - including “The 3 Biggest Stories in Tech, Business & Social Media This Morning”

2011-06-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

Mashable: Latest 13 News Updates - including “The 3 Biggest Stories in Tech, Business & Social Media This Morning”

* The 3 Biggest Stories in Tech, Business & Social Media This Morning
* Mashable Weekend Recap: 20 Stories You Might Have Missed
* After Hacking Accusations, China Calls Google a Political Tool
* Kids’ Online Game Moshi Monsters Hits 50 Million Registered Users
* 10 Great Android Multiplayer Games
* This Week in Politics & Digital: Weinergate, Palin & Romney
* HOW TO: Parent a Digital Native [COMIC]
* 10 Chic Charging Stations [PICS]
* Motorola Droid 3 Videos Leaked
* Nintendo Wii 2 Touchscreen Controller Confirmed [REPORT]
* McDonald’s Gaming Billboard Gives Winners Free Food [VIDEO]
* What Apple Will Announce at WWDC 2011: 8 Predictions
* How To Embed Practically Anything On Your Blog or Website
* 50 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

The 3 Biggest Stories in Tech, Business & Social Media This Morning

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 05:09 AM PDT

Social Media News

Welcome to this morning’s edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on three particular stories of interest today.

Syrian Internet Restored, Violent Footage Emerges

According to Google and Internet intelligence firm Renesys, Syrian Internet services are now operational again.

After Hacking Accusations, China Calls Google a "Political Tool"

People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, openly criticized Google after the company said that a recent Gmail phishing attack originated in China.

What Will Apple Announce at WWDC?

We already know Apple will unveil Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud at WWDC 2011 on Monday, but we think Steve Jobs has a few more things under his sleeve as well.

Further News

* One of Nintendo’s U.S. gaming servers was hacked “a few weeks ago,” Nintendo has admitted to The Telegraph.
* Right on the heels of the Motorola Droid X2 on Verizon release, three training videos for the Motorola Droid 3 have been leaked.
* Details about the Wii gaming console Nintendo plans to unveil at the E3 2011 conference in L.A. Tuesday have been surfaced by a reliable source.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59

More About: first to know series

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Mashable Weekend Recap: 20 Stories You Might Have Missed

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 05:06 AM PDT

Summer’s almost here, and while many of you were already enjoying the fragrant and warm benefits of late spring, we Mashable weekenders were watching the digital world for you.

Despite its overall languid atmosphere, the weekend was lively online, with the run-up to the E3 gaming convention and Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference holding sway over the weekend’s news cycles.

Catch up with it all, right here:

News Essentials

What Apple Will Announce at WWDC 2011: 8 Predictions

Nintendo Wii 2 Touchscreen Controller Confirmed [REPORT]

This Week in Politics & Digital: Weinergate, Palin & Romney

Motorola Droid 3 Videos Leaked

McDonald's Gaming Billboard Gives Winners Free Food [VIDEO]

Syrian Internet Restored, Dramatic Footage Emerges [VIDEO]

Video Glasses Stream Everything You Do to Social Media Sites [VIDEO]

Helpful Resources

How To Embed Practically Anything On Your Blog or Website

50 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

6 New Apps For Getting More Out of Foursquare

Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

Weekend Leisure

10 Great Android Multiplayer Games

Kids’ Online Game Moshi Monsters Hits 50 Million Registered Users

10 Chic Charging Stations [PICS]

HOW TO: Parent a Digital Native [COMIC]

4 Fresh Apps For Your Weekend Enjoyment

Video Preview of "iOS 5″ Makes the iPad Truly Magical

Exclusive Review: Two Elegant iPhone 4 Cases Have Carbon Fiber Backs [PICS]

5 Gadgets We're Playing With This Week

Social Media-Using Guys Are Lovin' The Fast Food [INFOGRAPHIC]

More About: Weekend recap

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After Hacking Accusations, China Calls Google a Political Tool

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 03:29 AM PDT

People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, openly criticized Google after the company said a recent Gmail phishing attack originated in China, Reuters reports.

The attack originated from Jinan, China, and was pointed at, among others, Chinese political activists and senior U.S. government officials, Google said in a blog post. The Chinese government was quick to deny involvement in the attack, claiming that "allegations that the Chinese government supports hacking activities are completely unfounded and made with ulterior motives."

Now, People’s Daily took it a notch further, warning Google that such political games could ultimately hurt its business. “Google should not become overly embroiled in international political struggle, playing the role of a tool for political contention. … For when the international winds shift direction, it may become sacrificed to politics and will be spurned by the marketplace,” wrote People’s Daily overseas edition.

Google’s relations with China deteriorated in early 2010 when Google partly pulled out of the country over censorship concerns and a hacking attack on Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

Although Google was far more cautious this time around — it never directly accused the Chinese government of involvement in the attacks — the stern response from Chinese officials and media outlets foreshadows another meltdown in relations between the internet giant and the world’s most populous nation.

[via Reuters]

More About: china, Google, hack, hacking, politics

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Kids’ Online Game Moshi Monsters Hits 50 Million Registered Users

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 06:01 PM PDT

Two-year-old online game Moshi Monsters has just reached a sizable milestone: 50 million registered users.

Moshi Monsters is a social online game/community that allows kids 6 to 12 to adopt virtual pets, tool around a virtual land called Monstro City, play games to earn virtual currency and communicate with other kids in a moderated, safe environment. The franchise also includes toys (coming soon), books, video games, trading cards and a Moshi magazine. Moshi will also soon begin its foray into music, live tours, a TV platform and film.

Moshi, founded by London-based startup Mind Candy, also reports that it has more than 15 million registered users (out of the total 50 million) in North America. Apparently, the game gets one signup per second.

Fifty million is a pretty hefty community, but it makes sense considering the rise of the digital native we have been privy to lately. In October, a study conducted by Internet security firm AVG found that 92% of children in the U.S. have an online presence by the time they are two, compared to 73% in western Europe.

More About: Children, mind-candy, moshi-monsters, social media

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10 Great Android Multiplayer Games

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 04:58 PM PDT

With the possible exception of Angry Birds, games are more fun when you can play them with others.

The Android Market is full of great game apps, and there are quite a few multiplayer games in that number, as well — far more than when we first wrote about Android multiplayer games a year ago.

Here’s a quick roundup of the best Android pass-and-play and cross-platform multiplayer games, including MMOPRGs, action games, casual games and the ever-popular Words With Friends.

In the comments, please let us know if we missed any of your favorites.

Pocket Legends

[Pocket Legends]

This mobile MMO has garnered plenty of critical acclaim, including a Mashable nod during the 2010 Mashable Awards last year. As with many MMORPGs, you'll chose a character, develop your abilities and skills, and do battle alongside other players in fantasy settings such as dungeons, mountains and swamps.Android Market

Parallel Kingdom

[Parallel Kingdom]

This game uses Google Maps and your actual location with a Zelda-reminiscent overlay to show players "the creatures lurking in your backyard and the mythical beasts that you pass everyday on your way to work." You can chat and plot with your fellow players to navigate the augmented reality around you.Android Market link

Raging Thunder

[Raging Thunder]

Are you ready for a cross-platform multiplayer racing game? Raging Thunder lets you play with up to three other people in an arcade-style setting.Android Market link

iMobsters

[iMobsters]

If mafia lore is your thing, you'll be entertained by iMobsters, an MMO game with mobster trappings. Players start as petty thieves, fighting with one another and recruiting new mobsters to rise through the ranks.Android Market link

Cestos

[Cestos]

Cestos is a real-time multiplayer game that pits you against other players all around the world in a marble battle royale. You can chat with other players, and the more you play, the most goodies -- including marble customizations -- you can unlock.Android Market link

ProjectINF

[ProjectINF]

This excellent MMORPG plays in real time and allows up to 24 players per game. Other features include customizable stats, multiple maps and game modes, and several character types.Android Market link

4 Player Reactor

[4 Player Reactor]

This pass-and-play -- or hold-and-play -- game lets you and up to three friends play together on the same device in a fast-paced battle of wits and reflexes. The app includes 20 individual game modes as well.Android Market link

Words With Friends

[Words With Friends]

Would a Scrabble by any other name play as sweet? Words With Friends proves that it would, indeed. Players find one another by username, and the in-game chat feature is a nice touch.Android Market link

Guerilla Bob

[Guerilla Bob]

This award-winning first-person shooter was first a hit on iOS devices and is now a cross-platform multiplayer game on Android, too. It features "an arsenal of kick-ass weaponry, unique enemies, explosive ammunition and non-stop humor."Android Market link

Dungeon Defenders

[Dungeon Defenders]

This action MMORPG features Unreal-powered graphics and a World of Warcraft aesthetic with tons of stats for players to nerd out over. Take on a Hero class and battle invaders with other players.Android Market link

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, duncan1890

More About: android, games, multiplayer

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This Week in Politics & Digital: Weinergate, Palin & Romney

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 03:10 PM PDT

us flag tech image

Bit of a strange week for politics and digital. The week was characterized not so much by hard-hitting news but how politicians can manipulate — or lose control — of their social media presences.

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D.-NY)’s Twitter account sent a Yfrog picture of a man’s (clothed) crotch to a female follower. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney announced his bid for president with a social boost. And former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin continued her cross-country bus tour/campaign rally that snubbed the press while honoring her social followers. As we said, strange week.

This weekly series picks out the week’s top stories in the intersection of digital technology and politics.
Weinergate

weiner imageOn May 27 a picture of a man’s underwear-clad groin was sent from Weiner’s Twitter account. The tweet, which also mentioned a young female journalism student, was quickly taken down but not before several online sources could grab the image and make it frontline news. Weiner claimed his account was hacked, later calling the photo a prank.

However, his cagey responses to the press as well as his refusal to completely deny that it is him in the image have left many to question whether Weiner is just trying to cover an embarrassing mistake. The adorably named “Weinergate” drama is starting to die off but is one out of many recent gaffes on political social media accounts. The Columbia Journalism Review summed it up with a best-of roundup.
Romney Announces Presidential Bid

romney image

Mitt Romney announced his presidential bid Thursday. While the former governor made the announcement the old-fashioned way, he has been an avid user of social media, including a YouTube video about his exploratory committee and a tweet that read: “Making it official next week at the Scamman Farm in New Hampshire.” You can find a breakdown of the bid as told by social media right here.
Palin’s Run-Around

palin bus image

Sarah Palin’s bus tour continues to blaze trails and snub the “lame-stream” media across battleground states and important American historical sites. The tour, which Palin calls a “family vacation,” has more than once been called an unofficial campaign tour. While Palin has granted a majority of the press nearly zero time for tough questions — The New York Times ran this headline: “Palin Talks to the Media, For Three Minutes” — the former governor of Alaska has been surprisingly open on her social networks. The website SarahPAC keeps a running blog of her many stops, posting news, commentary and multimedia. Palin’s official Twitter account has also been tweeting updates and links back to the blog posts so her fans can travel along.

Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, Pgiam, Weiner image courtesy of Flickr, TalkMediaNews

More About: Anthony Weiner, App, bus tour, Mitt Romney, politics, sarah pac, sarah palin, week in digital politics, weinergate

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HOW TO: Parent a Digital Native [COMIC]

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 02:44 PM PDT

[Mashable Comics]

Mashable Comics are illustrated every week by Kiersten Essenpreis, a New York-based artist who draws and blogs at YouFail.com.
More Mashable Comics:

- Internet Drama
- The Earliest Social Network Ever Discovered
- The 19th Annual Internet Meme Convention
- Stand-Up Web Developers
- The Secret Social Media Lives of Goldfish

More About: comic, digital natives, family, Google, google street view, humor, mashable comics, parenting, video games

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10 Chic Charging Stations [PICS]

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 02:36 PM PDT

Charging valets, or if you want to be a little less “Jeeves-and-Wooster” about it — charging stations — are a great way to stop your home from looking like a satellite branch of Best Buy.

As well as hiding cable clutter, they can get you organized in high style while saving you the trouble of hunting down your phone/iPod/camera/headset when you’re already running late in the morning.

We’ve found 10 classy charging stations for your consideration in a range of styles and at a variety of price points. If you’re in the market for some gadget management, we think you’ll find something to like in the photo gallery below.

1. Belkin Conserve Valet

[1. Belkin Conserve Valet]

Belkin's "Conserve" valet will juice up four of your gadgets while keeping your wires tidy. It gets its green credentials from the fact that it automatically shuts off power after devices are fully charged.

Cost: $39.99

2. Bluelounge The Sanctuary

[2. Bluelounge The Sanctuary ]

The "Sanctuary" universal charger is compatible with nearly 4,000 gizmos and gadgets, thanks to a variety of device connectors as well as a USB port. Available in a black, white and wood finish, your only worry will be where to put it.

Cost: From $129.95

3. Messless

[3. Messless]

The Messless solution offers more of a gadget showcase. It comes bundled with pop-in connectors for Nokia, PSP, mini USB and iPod. You can buy more to suit your personal array of gadgetry.

Cost: 49.90 Euros (approx $72)

4. Kikkerland Charging Station

[4. Kikkerland Charging Station]

Kikkerland's station is less high-tech than others on this list — it merely obscures the cables — but it's so fun we had to include it.

Cost: $30

5. IDAPT i4

[5. IDAPT i4]

With an interchangeable tip system, the i4 boasts three charging points and a USB port to keep your electronics happy. Better still, it's available in black, red, blue, pink, lime green, orange, white, gold and blue.

Cost: From £39.99 (approx $65)

6. Blu Dot Juice Box

[6. Blu Dot Juice Box]

The walnut Juice Box cunningly conceals your power strip, giving a classy, modern and clean-looking space to charge four gadgets.

Cost: $99

7. Powermat

[7. Powermat]

The Powermat takes us into the future with wire-free charging. If you're happy to encase your phone in a special Powermat receiver then you can charge your handsets by simply placing them on the station.

Cost: Varies. Sample price is from $109.97 for two iPhone 4s

8. Kangaroom Bamboo 3 Pod

[8. Kangaroom Bamboo 3 Pod]

Another box solution, the 3 Pod from Kangaroom will hide a 10-inch power strip and has three slots for a trio of gadgets.

Cost: $19.99

9. Bluelounge Refresh

[9. Bluelounge Refresh ]

Smaller than Bluelounge's Sanctuary station, the Refresh is perfect for your nightstand. Compatible with nearly 2,000 products, it's probably perfect for your gadgets too.

Cost: $89.95

10. Lessev Mobile Station

[10. Lessev Mobile Station]

Like futuristic Tupperware from the gods of design, the Lessev Mobile Station from Japanese designer Takafumi Nemoto offers a simple bowl-shaped solution to charger clutter.

Cost: $98

More About: accessories, Belkin, bluelounge, chargers, charging stations, charging valets, design, gadgets, gallery, List, Lists, office, Powermat, storage

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Motorola Droid 3 Videos Leaked

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 01:19 PM PDT

Right on the heels of the Motorola Droid X2 on Verizon release, now three training videos for the Motorola Droid 3 have been leaked. Get a good long look at it in this video that somehow found its way to YouTube.

Take a gander at its five-row slide-out keypad, 8-megapixel camera that implies 1080p video recording, and a rumored dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor like its predecessor the Droid X2.

The video is a tutorial to show Droid 3 owners how to use their new smartphones, but as you can see, it’s made clear that this is not the final version of its software.

As for the phone itself, it looks just as relatively design-free as the Droid X2, except now it’s even uglier, with a tacked-on keyboard hanging off the bottom. Well, even that awkward mashup is an improvement over the Droid X2, which in my opinion resembles a rubberized doorstop.

The video must have been released “accidentally on purpose,” or else we wouldn’t be able to watch it right now. Just in case, peek at that video above and the following couple of clips while you can, because maybe Motorola is not aware that they’ve been posted yet and could soon banish them from YouTube.

[via Engadget]

More About: android, leak, Motorola Droid 3, slide out keyboard, smartphone, video

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Nintendo Wii 2 Touchscreen Controller Confirmed [REPORT]

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 12:11 PM PDT

Nintendo already announced it will roll out the next Wii gaming console at the E3 2011 conference in L.A. this week, and now a reliable source confirms much-rumored details of the new Wii’s unique controller, depicted in the graphic mockup above.

Japanese source Nikkei [registration required], which has correctly predicted numerous Nintendo rollouts in the past, confirms that the next Wii’s controller will have a touchscreen with a “size of about 6 inches.” Beyond that, the controller will have a camera on board, will give users tablet-like control of games and will be powered by a built-in rechargeable battery.

Nikkei says the next Wii could be released in mid-2012. Although it’s being called the Wii 2 across the blogosphere and beyond, Nintendo is still not saying what it has named its next gaming console, code-naming it “Project Café” and saying nothing more than it will be “the successor to the Wii.”

That touchscreen controller could be useful. Numerous sites such as IGN predict games will stream directly to that touchscreen, with the controller capable of being used as a wirelessly connected gaming system itself, or to control a game played on a larger screen, or both.

For instance, a six-inch touchscreen could be particularly handy when playing four-player split-screen games, or to allow different games to go to different screens throughout the house at the same time. And the camera? According to gaming site Andrisang, that could be used to take pictures of players for use as avatars, or for in-game videoconferencing.

This all seems plausible, but we won’t get all the official details until the Nintendo press conference at E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at Noon EDT, 9 a.m. PDT.

Commenters, what do you think Nintendo will announce?

[Image courtesy IGN]

More About: e3, E3 2011, electronic entertainment Expo, Nintendo Wii 2, Project Café, Wii

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McDonald’s Gaming Billboard Gives Winners Free Food [VIDEO]

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 11:37 AM PDT

McDonald’s launched an interactive video billboard campaign in Sweden that lets users play a digital Pong game, with winners receiving free food at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant.

In a playful equivalent of making prospective customers sing for their supper, whoever can last 30 seconds in this simple game wins free grub.

The system’s designers wanted to make it as easy as possible to begin playing, requiring users to simply enter a URL in their mobile phone’s browser. As soon as the smartphone’s geolocation confirms the player is in the area, the game begins, with the player controlling the billboard’s Pong game with the smartphone’s touchscreen.

Even if you don’t like McDonald’s food, this could be a fun way to get yourself a free cup of the burger joint’s surprisingly good coffee.

We’ve heard of interactive video billboards using augmented reality, and even displaying tweets (with mixed results), but this combination of an interactive billboard game and free product rewards is something new. There’s no word about whether this creative advertising idea will spread beyond its Swedish roots.

How about it, commenters — have you seen anything like this before?

[via TNW]

More About: Billboard, coupon, game, interactive advertising, interactive billboard, location-based, McDonalds

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What Apple Will Announce at WWDC 2011: 8 Predictions

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 10:39 AM PDT

We already know Apple will unveil Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud at WWDC 2011 on Monday, thanks to Apple’s pre-announcement last week. But what new features can we expect Steve Jobs to unveil?

We’ve been tracking the rumors and chatting with our sources about Monday’s WWDC 2011 keynote. While Apple always has a surprise up its sleeve, we believe that we’ve pinned down some of the core features and updates Apple will announce.

We have eight predictions for what you can expect Apple to announce based on the data we’ve collected. While some are obvious (music streaming via iCloud), others are certainly going to surprise many (universal remote computer access). And there will definitely be more announced than the list we’ve compiled.

Here are our eight predictions for what Apple will announce at WWDC 2011:
1. iOS Widgets and Revamped Notifications

What exactly will iOS 5 do?

One rumor we’re inclined to believe focuses on revamped notifications and widgets. For years, Android has had widgets, a feature many iOS users have desperately wanted. And Apple’s Push Notification system, while groundbreaking when it was introduced, has been in need of a makeover for some time.

We don’t know what the widgets will look like, but we’re excited by the possibility of truly customizing our iPhones and iPads with them.
2. Siri & Nuance

In April 2010, Apple acquired Siri, an artificial intelligence technology that turns your iPhone into a personal assistant. Voice inquiries are quickly turned into mapping directions, restaurant reservations and movie reviews. The technology was born from the CALO project, the largest artificial intelligence project in U.S. history.

At the same time, Apple is rumored to be working on a licensing deal with Nuance, which provides some of the most powerful speech recognition technology on the market. Siri uses Nuance technology already.

With a deeper integration in iOS 5 though, Siri and Nuance could transform the iPhone from a mobile computer to a smart device with the capability to assisting you in almost any situation. Chat with your iPhone, and it comes back with the exact answer to your question or hooks you up with a list of sushi restaurants to visit on your next business trip.

It may not be long until you start talking to your phone like you would your best friend.
3. A Revamped AirPort/Time Capsule

When Apple stops shipping an existing product to its stores, creating a shortage, it’s often an indication that Apple is preparing to launch a new version of that product. And Apple’s wireless routers, the AirPort and the Time Capsule, have suddenly become a lot harder to find in stores.

There are plenty of reports that support this prediction. In fact, the big rumor is that the new AirPort and Time Capsule will run iOS. This would make them far more compatible with Mac OS X and iOS devices, opening up the possibility of cloud-based services, wireless syncing and more.

Bottom line: For Apple’s iCloud system to work properly, it’s going to need new wireless routers.
4. Universal Remote Computer Access

Imagine being able to open any MacBook in the world, typing in your Apple account credentials and suddenly being presented with your desktop, apps and all. Thanks to an updated version of Time Capsule and iCloud, this will probably become reality.

We’ve heard from multiple sources that Apple has been working on a solution like the one I described for a while, but Cult of Mac has described the purported remote access system in greater detail.

The Time Capsule will be the key to the entire system. Files saved to the Home Folder are automatically backed up to the Time Capsule, which are then accessible on any Apple computer in the world. Any changes you make from a remote computer are saved via iCloud to your Time Capsule and your computer.

We expect more to come, though. We’ve heard about a system where the apps you purchased can be downloaded on demand from any remote Apple computer you’re using to access your account. Imagine being able to seamlessly pull up your home version of iWork at your work computer.
5. Music Stream via iCloud

So much has been said about Apple’s new music streaming service that this prediction is a no-brainer. Check out our comprehensive roundup of iCloud music streaming rumors if you want all the juicy details.
6. Wireless Syncing

As we’ve explained before, Apple wants a world without wires, and the company will likely take the next step toward removing those pesky things from your home.

Currently, users have to connect their iPads or iPhones to a desktop computer to activate them. For a company that is betting on a post-PC world, the necessity of wires for syncing and activation must be killing them.

That won’t be true after WWDC 2011, though. Our bet is that Apple will finally unveil wireless sync, making it possible to sync your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch without the 30-pin connector. Instead, it will do it over the air. You won’t even need a computer for it to happen — we bet the Time Capsule will be all you need.
7. Deep Twitter, Facebook & Social Integration

Last week, Twitter unveiled a photo-sharing service that essentially makes TwitPic and other photo-uploading services obsolete. While that may seem unrelated to Apple iOS on the surface, the rumor is that Twitter rolled this feature out now because of iOS.

Essentially, Apple is making it possible to share content with your friends directly through integrations with Facebook, Twitter and potentially other social media services. We’ve heard that the Twitter integration goes deeper than that, though.

We’re not quite sure what that means, but our bet is that it has something to do with widgets and instant access to the Twitter stream. We’d be surprised if Facebook didn’t get the same treatment in iOS.
8. The Convergence of Mac OS X & iOS

I’ve left my Mac OS X Lion predictions for last because Apple’s already revealed a lot about its new Mac OS. In fact, Apple already has released a developer version, though we expect there will be many changes to Lion before its commercial debut.

We’re not expecting many jaw-dropping announcements about Mac OS X Lion (except for the launch date — don’t be surprised if it drops in mid-June), but all of its updates will make it look and feel like iOS. Launchpad looks like the iOS home screen, touch-based gestures are getting the spotlight and Lion will even get autocorrect, an iOS feature users both hate and love at the same time. Macworld has a great rundown of what to expect.

Apple thinks iOS is the future, and it’s updating Lion to be more like it. Don’t be surprised if the two OSes eventually converge and all of Apple’s products run on its mobile OS someday.

More About: apple, icloud, iOS, itunes, lion, mac os x, mac os x lion, Time Capsule, trending, wwdc, WWDC 2011

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How To Embed Practically Anything On Your Blog or Website

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 09:47 AM PDT

If you want the hands-down, easiest way to embed practically anything on your blog or website, have we got a tool for you!

The nature of the web is such that sharing and republishing content is common — and often even encouraged. The problem is, we increasingly store bits of our data on various services scattered across the web. Aggregating that content into one centralized personal hub can be time consuming — requiring user to manually copy text and links or upload files and photos — or fiddling with RSS feeds trying to make content automagically appear.

Twitter released a very cool tool to allow publishers to embed tweets in their blog posts, but the process is overly complex for most users, with plugins needed to streamline the process. Why can’t you just paste a link to a Twitter status in a blog post or webpage? It turns out, you can.
A Quick Introduction to oEmbed

A technology called oEmbed, in existence for a number of years, was built to solve the embeddable content problem. oEmbed is an open format, designed to let web publishers easily embed content such as photos, video, rich content — and automatically display other content by typing in a URL. Providers like YouTube, Hulu, Flickr and Vimeo all support oEmbed, meaning that pasting a URL for one of those services into a system with oEmbed support should allow users to quickly embed rich media.

WordPress, the world’s most popular CMS, has had basic oEmbed support since WordPress 2.9. Plugins for most other popular platforms exist, too. The problem is, keeping an updated list of the providers that support oEmbed and keeping libraries up to date isn’t a streamlined process.
Embedly: Secret Sauce to Web Embed Fun

In March, we wrote about the startup Embedly, which has developed a platform for converting URLs into embeddable content. Embedly is already in use by companies such as Storify, bit.ly and TweetDeck.

Embedly uses the oEmbed spec to add embed functionality to a growing list of services — 218 at the time of this writing — by interfacing just with the Embedly API.

When we first wrote about Embedly, our post focused on how third parties can use Embedly to provide rich-media previews in their own apps or to create their own embed targets. Embedly Pro also lets its users bring rich embeds to mobile users.

Still, the basic free Embedly service is extremely powerful. In fact, when paired with a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress, Drupal or Joomla, it makes embedding rich content a snap.
How to Use Embedly

Embedly has libraries available for a host of different client and server-side web languages, including jQuery, Python, Ruby and PHP. For users who don’t want to mess with writing their own tool, Embedly has built its own JavaScript tag and WordPress plugin. Community-developed plugins for Drupal and Joomla also exist.

Since the WordPress plugin was developed by Embedly itself (and we use WordPress at Mashable), here’s a brief overview of how easy it is to use Embedly to bring rich content to your website.

Install the Embedly Plugin

The first step is to download and install the Embedly plugin. Activate the plugin and you can select what services you want to enable from the Embedly menu in the WordPress dashboard.

Embedly frequently updates its service list, and you can run an “update services” command to get access to more libraries.

Paste URLs Into Your Posts

The next step is to simply enter a URL on its own line into your posts or web pages. Each service has slightly different parameters for how URLs should be entered, but in general, the base URL is all that is needed.

To embed a Twitter status update, for instance, you just need to enter in the URL to that update. The Embedly API page has the parameters for each service supported by Embedly.

Enjoy Rich Media Embeds

That’s it. You can now enjoy and share media from 200+ web services across your site.

The Tumblr support is one of my favorite features — simply entering the URL for a post will embed the content of that post. If it’s a photo, the photo is displayed; if it’s a video, you’ll see the video in its player, and so on.

On the Twitter end, Embedly’s Blackbird Pie implementation is a lot easier than any other method we have seen. The company even has basic support for Twitter Photos.

You can take a look at an example page I created using Embedly on one of my test blogs.

More About: embedly, embeds, oembed, tumblr, twitter, WordPress

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50 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 08:36 AM PDT

social media icons image

Mashable‘s back this week with another whopping list of tools and resources for your digital life.

This week we have stories about how to make a 3D video using YouTube, a look back at the history of WordPress and some great May roundups like the most shared stories on Mashable and the top 20 most shared ads.

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

* Mitt Romney's Presidential Bid as Told by Social Media
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney announced his presidential bid at an event in New Hampshire on Thursday. Here’s what the event looked like from social networks.
* Why Web Personalization May Be Damaging Our World View
Web giants like Google and Facebook learn our preferences to provide a better experience, but they may only be serving up content we like, rather than content we need to see.
* HOW TO: Make a 3D YouTube Video With Two Cameras and Some Sticky Tape
Here’s a super-simple, step-by-step look at how to shoot and edit a three-dimensional video for YouTube.
* HOW TO: Make a Mini Movie Theater With Your iPhone
The MiLi Power Projector 2 offers iPhone owners a fun way to share video.
* Why Fashion Photographers Are Flocking to Instagram
It’s little wonder that Instagram, a leading iPhone application for stylizing and distributing photos on the iPhone, is quickly proving popular among street style photographers.
* 7 Ways to Build a Business Around WordPress
WordPress is the fastest growing CMS on the web. If you’re a WP guru, here are a few approaches to building a business around the popular platform.
* Top 5 Foursquare Mistakes Committed by Small Businesses
Here’s what not to do as you embark on your Foursquare marketing endeavors.

Social Media

* Why 2011 Is Mashable's Big Growth Year [VIDEO]
Mashable’s Pete Cashmore joined Bloomberg West’s Emily Chang this week to discuss the current Internet boom and why 2011 is Mashable’s big growth year.
* Happy Little Checkins: Bob Ross on Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]
Ever wondered how Facebook might be portrayed by iconic painter/TV personality Bob Ross?
* Internet Drama [COMIC]
Here’s a show we’d watch.
* RIP Gil Scott-Heron: 5 YouTube Videos To Remember Him By
We’ve scoured YouTube and found 5 videos of Gil Scott-Heron’s work.
* This Week in Politics & Digital: The Online Influence Issue
Online influence is the golden fleece for politicians. This week we look at Pawlenty’s bid, Obama’s advisory appointments and media response feeds.
* Is There a Social Media Tech Bubble? [INFOGRAPHIC]
Valuations of social media companies are starting to remind us of 1999. But are they overvalued? See all the numbers in this infographic.
* 4 Ways To Support the Troops this Memorial Day
Help honor the troops this Memorial Day with these four online and social media initiatives.
* The Facebook Effect on Relationships [INFOGRAPHIC]
Facebook allows for social benefits & self-esteem boosts, but also enables stalking and jealousy. How does it effect your relationships?
* How Twitter Works as a Q&A App [INFOGRAPHIC]
Tons of fun — and valuable — facts about how Twitter is being used by average folks and businesses to ask and answer questions.
* The 25 Most-Shared Mashable Stories in May
Find out which Mashable news posts, features stories, infographics or opinion pieces garnered the most shares across social platforms.
* 5 Amazing Charity Ads Shown at Cannes [VIDEO]
Good Work, a new program that pairs cutting edge (re: awesome) creatives with non-profits, has teamed up with the 58th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for a YouTube contest.
* HOW TO: Connect With Mashable Readers Offline [VIDEO]
Mashable Meetups are events organized by Mashable readers. They give our fans the opportunity to meet and discuss social media and technology offline.
* 3 Pressing Questions Facing the Future of Social Media
With the exponential growth of social media, the questions of relevancy, capacity and control should be top-of-mind for companies competing for the future of the web.

For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Tech & Mobile

* HANDS ON: Motorola Droid X2, Verizon's First Dual-Core Smartphone [PICS]
Mashable takes the Motorola Droid X2 out of the box, putting it to the test.
* A Look Back at Eight Years of WordPress
In just eight years, WordPress has evolved from a basic blogging tool into a powerful force in online publishing.
* 4 Fun Apps To Enhance Your Digital Lifestyle
We’ve curated a list of lifestyle applications for our uber-social readers to gain even more fulfillment from their digital activities.
* 6 Gadgets We're Playing With This Week
This week Mashable staffers got their hands dirty with 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.
* 15 Fabulous Free Wallpapers for Your iPad [PICS]
Take a look through our gallery for a variety of iPad-friendly imagery ranging from stunning nature photographs to abstract computer-generated designs.
* 4 Free iPhone Apps for Making Home Movies
We've gone ahead and compiled a list of video-sharing/-creating apps to help you document this, the best summer of your life.
* Call of Duty Elite Adds Social Layer to Hit Gaming Series [PICS]
Video game company Activision has finally revealed Elite, a new social layer for its wildly popular Call of Duty games.
* Web Security: Why You Should Always Use HTTPS
Even if you’re on a secure public Wi-Fi network, other users with the password could intercept data between your browser and the websites you visit. Here’s why using HTTPS is so important.
* Unlocking the Value of the Checkin: What's Next for Location Apps
Are checkin cheaters diluting the value of location apps? A few startups are betting that consumers will flock to networks where their checkins have the most return.
* How One Impressive Mobile App Plans to Overcome Language Barriers
Just point your camera at text to see the translated words appear on your device’s screen in real-time, no Internet connection required. Is this app too good to be true?
* HOW TO: Add the +1 Button to Your WordPress Site
Here’s a guide for self-hosted WordPress.org users who want to enable and add the +1 button to their site and their blog posts.
* 10 iPhone Apps for Planning the Perfect Wedding
It’s wedding season! The following 10 apps are great for planning, managing, or just getting some wedding inspiration.
* Should You Build That Website You've Been Talking About? [FLOWCHART]
Do you have the skills, chops and the posse to build a killer site? This flowchart shows you the way.
* 6 Factors Behind the Mobile Photo Sharing Boom
Online photo sharing has been around for a while, but what’s made mobile apps like Hipstamatic and Instagram so wildly popular lately?
* How 7 Black Hat Hackers Landed Legit Jobs
Here are seven bad-guys-gone-good. Once criminal, these geniuses now use their hacking skills in corporate and academic life.
* Rumor Roundup: All About Apple's iCloud Streaming Service
There have been a lot of rumors flying around about iCloud, so we thought it prudent to gather them all together for your edification.

For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Business & Marketing

* Beyond Badges: 3 Smart Ways to Gamify Your Startup
Game mechanics are a great way to engage users, but it takes more than just slapping badges on your site or app. Here are three strategies for approaching “gamification.”
* HOW TO: Set Up an Online Resume
Here are our top tips for posting your resume to your website, video hubs, document-sharing websites and LinkedIn, along with some examples for each.
* 7 Stunning Augmented Reality Business Cards [VIDEOS]
A creative business card can help differentiate you from others. Here are some great examples on how to use augmented reality to stand out from the crowd.
* 4 Creative Ways to Reward Your Facebook Fans
You have a Facebook Page — here are four ways to help you more effectively engage with your fans and turn them into brand ambassadors.
* 4 Ways To Nurture Your Child's Entrepreneurial Spirit
The road to a “professional” job can be a lot less rocky than the career of an entrepreneur. It may be hard for parents to guide kids who want to take risks building the next big thing.
* 9 Viral Videos That Are Actually Advertising
It’s not cool to be seen trying to launch a viral video campaign — hence these stealth efforts.
* How to Decide Whether Your Business Needs an App [INFOGRAPHIC]
Do you need an app? Or do you just need a mobile website? Here are some stats to help you figure it out.
* How SCVNGR's First National Brand Partnership Scored Big During March Madness
Buffalo Wild Wings amassed 184,000 players of its SCVNGR game during March Madness. Here’s a look behind the scenes of this incredibly successful campaign.
* How JetBlue's Social Media Strategy Took Flight
Marty St. George, JetBlue’s senior vice president of marketing, explains his views on the airline that came of age in the social media era.
* 5 Key Shifts Happening Right Now in the World of Digital Marketing
David Jones, the global CEO of Havas and Euro RSCG, points to five specific trends in digital marketing.
* 4 Ways Video Conferencing Can Benefit Small Businesses
Web meetings are not just a good way to connect a far-flung team. They also cut costs and boost overall productivity.
* 8 Reasons Every Ecommerce Site Should Get Serious About Video
In the ruthless competition for online market share, producing web video can give you a significant edge.
* 3 Tips for Better Mobile SEO
Here are some high-level SEO strategies that brands can implement into their overall mobile efforts to ensure they are getting maximum visibility.
* Top 20 Most-Shared Video Ads This Month
Mashable and Unruly Media track the most-shared video ads for the month of May.

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Image courtesy of Flickr, ansik

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Mashable: Latest 8 News Updates - including “4 Fresh Apps For Your Weekend Enjoyment”

2011-06-06T06:05:00.000-07:00

Mashable: Latest 8 News Updates - including “4 Fresh Apps For Your Weekend Enjoyment”

* 4 Fresh Apps For Your Weekend Enjoyment
* Video Preview of “iOS 5″ Makes the iPad Truly Magical
* Syrian Internet Restored, Dramatic Footage Emerges [VIDEO]
* Exclusive Review: Two Elegant iPhone 4 Cases Have Carbon Fiber Backs [PICS]
* 6 New Apps For Getting More Out of Foursquare
* Video Glasses Stream Everything You Do to Social Media Sites [VIDEO]
* 5 Gadgets We’re Playing With This Week
* Social Media-Using Guys Are Lovin’ The Fast Food [INFOGRAPHIC]
* Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

4 Fresh Apps For Your Weekend Enjoyment

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 05:37 PM PDT

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Each weekend, Mashable hand-picks a few startups that we think are building interesting, unique or niche products. Here we’re featuring a collection of applications that might come in handy this weekend depending on your mood.

If you’re in a playful state of mind, Shnap for iPhone will command your attention and challenge you to an intricate game of rating and producing stylized photos. Trust us, it’s more fun than it sounds. For the bargain hunter with an iPhone or Android device, there’s Social Listing, an app that could help you discover the hidden treasures your neighbors are ready to part with.

Self-promoters can occupy their free time by creating a shareable social calendar of their upcoming events and appearances using Simply Events. And if you’re in the mood to be generous, but in an obvious sort of way, Givey will let you make a donation and share it with your followers on Twitter, all with a single tweet.
Shnap: Are Your Stylized Photos Cool or Meh?

Quick Pitch: Shnap [iTunes link] is a social iPhone game where Hot or Not meets Instagram.

Genius Idea: Using game mechanics to make applying filters and effects more addicting than it already is.

Mashable’s Take: Not yet sold on the mobile and filtered photo sharing craze? Perhaps the competitive nature of Shnap will change your mind. The iPhone application invites you to rate users’ stylized photos, or “Shnaps” as they’re called in the app, by selecting one of five ratings: LOL, Meh, WTF, Cool or Wow.

Of course, the flip side is that app users can also rate and comment on your Shnaps. The application incentivizes behavior with Shnap bucks — you earn bucks for each rating — and a level system. Level 1 noobs have limited access to effects, but those who level up will unlock higher-quality photo filter options.

“Instead of passively browsing a grid of photos, users are shown one photo at a time and encouraged to rate it,” Shnap creator and ex-Googler Kuan Yong tells Mashable. “There is a scoring system for posting and rating shnaps, and a complete social network where users can establish friend relationships, message one another and post shnaps to other social networks.”

The application experience is super slick and quite fun — what Shnap lacks in meaningful purpose it more than makes up for in style. Still, we’d love actual Instagram integration and more convenient options for finding and adding friends.
Givey: Give & Tweet at the Same Time

Quick Pitch: Givey allows user to make tax-efficient, secure donations to charity by tweeting or sending an SMS.

Genius Idea: Instant and social donations.

Mashable’s Take: By encouraging $10 text message donations in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, the Red Cross raised millions and proved that people will donate if they have a fast and simple way to do so. Givey, a UK fundraising startup that launched in late May, is taking this fast and simple donation model and making it more social and personal.

The idea: Allow people to donate between £1and £500 via Twitter or SMS whenever they want — to the charity of their choosing. Givey partners with PayPal and MissionFish for the payments components so that once a user registers, all he needs to do is a select a charity and tweet or text his donation.

Givey is currently only available to UK tax payers, but the startup is planning a U.S. launch for later this year.
Simply Events: Create & Share Your Social Agenda

Quick Pitch: Add your future social activities and events to your calendar to share with friends and family.

Genius Idea: A simple way to promote and share your appearances, speaking engagements or activities in a single place.

Mashable’s Take: You can use Simply Events as way to keep friends, family members or even strangers in the know about your social agenda. The tool seems best suited for public speakers, authors, uber-social types or anyone looking to promote their own appearances or agenda.

Friends can use it privately to coordinate get-togethers, organizations can use it to promote their events and public figures can “shout” their appearances while also posting to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

With so many calendaring and event apps — Plancast, Lanyrd and Facebook come to mind — Simply Events needs to do a better job at answering the “Why should I use the app?” question. It’s also in dire need of deeper Facebook integration.
Social Listing: Mobile & Local Classified Ads

Quick Pitch: Social Listing is a simple and fast mobile app that connects local buyers to sellers.

Genius Idea: Classifieds reinvented for Android and iPhone.

Mashable’s Take: iPhone and Android users looking for a more mobile way to browse or post classified ads might consider using Social Listing.

The application does not have anywhere near the quantity of ads or audience as Craigslist, but it does make it easy to scroll through and checkout nearby for-sale items. Sellers can use the app to snap a photo, name a price and send the listing to nearby Social Listing users, Facebook or Twitter.

Try as they might, classifieds startups have yet to knock Craigslist off its almighty throne. Social Listing will need much more than mobile appeal to beat the staunch incumbent of online classifieds.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, catscandotcom

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

More About: bizspark, charity, Givey, Shnap, Simply Events, Social Listing, spark-of-genius

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Video Preview of “iOS 5″ Makes the iPad Truly Magical

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 04:35 PM PDT

While magician and performance artist Simon Pierro is not really showing us a “beta version of iOS 5,” his iPad demo is magical nonetheless.

We especially like the way Simon demonstrates iOS 5′s new “space/time connection,” engaging in a special kind of streaming that you won’t soon forget.

More About: humor, iOS 5, magic tricks, Magician, Simon Pierro Video, trending, youtube

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Syrian Internet Restored, Dramatic Footage Emerges [VIDEO]

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 03:45 PM PDT

Internet intelligence firm Renesys reports that Syrian Internet services are now operational again. But these dramatic clips of Syrians rising up against their government, shot on June 2, were allegedly sent out of the country via satellite phone.

Warning: some of these chaotic scenes from YouTube’s Citizentube channel are violent and might be disturbing to sensitive viewers.

According to Renesys, seven of the country’s 40 networks returned at 1900 UTC (3 p.m. Friday EDT), with the rest coming back early Saturday morning, “shortly after 04:00 UTC” (Midnight EDT).

Now, Google Transparency Report shows Syrian Internet traffic has resumed levels that are roughly the same as they were before the initial shutdown occurred at 3:35 UTC on Friday (11 p.m. Thursday EDT).

More About: Syria, Syrian Internet, trending, Uprising, video, youtube

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Exclusive Review: Two Elegant iPhone 4 Cases Have Carbon Fiber Backs [PICS]

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 02:21 PM PDT

Element Case rolled out two new carbon fiber-backed cases for iPhone 4, and we have both the Ion 4 and Formula 4 (picture above) models here for an exclusive hands-on review.

Element Case is best known for its series of “Vapor 4″ aluminum cases for iPhone 4, which are beautifully designed and carefully crafted, with optional carbon fiber backing. The latest Vapor 4 case cleared up a slight reception problem noticed with its predecessor, while still retaining that high style.

In my testing of both the earlier and the latest models, besides their high $80 price (which originally was much more than that), those Vapor 4 cases were also inconvenient, requiring a tedious removal of tiny screws to install or remove an iPhone 4. No thanks.

That’s all different with these two new cases.
1. Ion 4 Case

First, let’s take a look at the $49.95 Ion 4 Case, a soft polymer enclosure that feels like silicone and has an elegant carbon fiber back. Even though that’s a small piece of carbon fiber, it’s not an optional feature as it was with the Vapor 4 case, and you normally don’t find anything with carbon fiber on it for such a low price.

The Ion case is exceptionally thin, adding hardly any thickness to the iPhone while protecting the front and completely covering the back. Unlike its Vapor 4 brethren, the iPhone installs within it as easily as an Apple bumper case, but feels so much better. Its grippy sides give you a firm handhold, and there’s a gradual recess leading to each of the iPhone’s buttons that gives you easy access, whether you’re using an iPhone 4 from either Verizon or AT&T.

Even though this Ion 4 case costs at least $30 less than the Vapor 4 case, I like it a whole lot better. It looks great and fits perfectly in the hand. Gone are those sharp aluminum edges, replaced by cushy and flexible rubberized material. The only downside I could find is that it’s a little wide on the bottom, which prevented me from inserting it into all the speaker/charging docks I tried.

Ion 4 Case: Front View

[Ion 4 Case: Front View]

Carbon-Fiber Back

[Carbon-Fiber Back]

Grippy Sides

[Grippy Sides]

Docking

[Docking]

Although this doesn't fit in the docks I tried, you can still plug a charging cable into it with ease.

Removing the iPhone 4

[Removing the iPhone 4]

Element Case's product shot shows how easy it is to insert or remove the iPhone.

3/4 View

[3/4 View]

This case looks even better in your hand than it does in this photo.
2. Formula 4 Case

Next up is the Element Case’s Formula 4 Case, a $59.95 product that’s similar to the Ion but has a removable bottom that lets you easily insert it into any of the iPhone docks available on the market today.

Made of harder polycarbonate plastic, it’s even easier to install your iPhone into by simply sliding off the bottom piece, sliding in the iPhone, and replacing the bottom section. Also sporting that elegant carbon fiber back, it’s even thinner than the Ion — its shape more closely approximates its more-expensive Vapor brandmate.

Formula 4 Case, Side View

[Formula 4 Case, Side View]

Easy Access

[Easy Access]

Looking Good

[Looking Good]

Removable Bottom

[Removable Bottom]

Photo courtesy Element Case

Clean Design

[Clean Design]

Photo courtesy Element Case

Carbon Fiber Back

[Carbon Fiber Back]

These are two excellent cases, either of which I’d be proud to use to ensconce my way-too-fragile iPhone 4. After a slight stumble, Element Case has now figured out how to price and manufacture its products to suit the market with these two examples. My only complaint is that each is only available in black. Highly recommended.

More About: accessories, Carbon Fiber, Element Case, formula, Ion, iphone 4 cases, review

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6 New Apps For Getting More Out of Foursquare

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 12:49 PM PDT

As Foursquare’s 10 million members check into locations in cities around the world, much of that location data can be accessed in unique and fascinating ways, thanks to the service’s ever-improving API.

Here we’ve collected six of our favorite Foursquare applications. Each stays true to Foursquare’s original mission by encouraging us to get out and experience the world around us in rich new ways, all the while making our place and checkin data come alive.

With Foursquare’s growing popularity, there are almost too many interesting and handy applications to count, so make sure to share your personal favorites in the comments.

Scoville

[Scoville]

How well do you know your city, and are you willing to share your prized city secrets with your friends and neighbors? Scoville, a private beta site for Foursquare superusers, makes the clever assumption that those active on Foursquare are likely to have an intimate knowledge of the best coffee shops, bars, restaurants and venues in their home towns.

Scoville's rich integration with Foursquare makes it easy to pluck the best places you visit each week and place them on a weekly #toptuesday list that you can distribute to friends on the site or out to Facebook and Twitter.

Even better than #toptuesday is Scoville's latest addition -- the Likebox. Create Likeboxes for timeless lists that include your picks for the best vegan eateries, mexican restaurants, grocery stores, fast food joints, coffee shops and so forth in your 'hood. It's a simple, fun and easy way to curate your Foursquare checkins and create city recommendations.

Sonar

[Sonar]

Sonar, an application for iPhone, uses Foursquare checkin data and your Facebook and Twitter social graphs to help you determine if you have things in common with others checked in at the same venue.

Fire up the app, connect with Foursquare, Facebook and Twitter and watch as Sonar identifies Facebook and/or Twitter friends you have in common with other patrons. You can then tweet at or follow people from inside the app.

Ideally, Sonar will encourage you to make contact with new people.

Localmind

[Localmind]

Localmind adds a question-and-answer layer on top of your Foursquare (Gowalla and Facebook) checkins.

Sign up to use the web app or iPhone app and you're essentially opting in to receiving questions from other app users curious about the venue that you're checked in to.

"The power of Localmind is you can get remote omniscience. You can see what's happening anywhere in the world through other people's eyes," co-founder Lenny Rachitsky tells Mashable.

The next time you have a time-sensitive question about a nearby or faraway place, why not message someone who's actually there?

When Should I Visit?

[When Should I Visit?]

Traveling to London this summer? You might want to pay a visit to When Should I Visit? first.

The site, built in 24 hours at the Culture Hackday event in January, gathers data from Foursquare to calculate the least (and most) busy times at London's galleries, museums and theaters. It's a simple tool to discover when best to visit London attractions.

Creator Dan Williams plans to add admissions data, along with Gowalla and Facebook checkin data to make the service more accurate.

4squareand7yearsago

[4squareand7yearsago]

What were you doing a year ago today? Foursquare users can turn to 4squareand7yearsago for a trip down memory lane.

This simple application hooks into your Foursquare account to send you a daily email reminder of what you did on the same day last year.

4squareand7yearsago, built at Foursquare's hack day 2011, amplifies nostalgia for a digital generation of social media socialites who often lose themselves in the here today/gone tomorrow nature of checkins and status updates.

Image courtesy of Flickr, dpstyles

WeePlaces

[WeePlaces]

WeePlaces aims to make your Foursquare checkins useful. Use it to create an embeddable geoprofile of your experiences, activities and the places you've been, as sourced from your past checkins.

Plus, it's entertaining to watch as WeePlaces plots your checkins on a map, and you can zoom in or out of the interactive map for a narrower or wider perspective. We also give the application bonus points for letting you compare your checkins against friends' checkins to see where your activities overlap.

Just make sure to lock down your WeePlaces profile -- use the lock icon at the top -- if you don't want your geoprofile to be public.

WeePlaces also makes a sister map-based application called Ratio Finder. You can use the tool to find places in San Francisco or New York where there's a higher than average ratio of men to women or vice versa.

WeePlaces comes from Movity.com, a geo-focused startup that came out of Y Combinator's accelerator program.

Image courtesy of Flickr, poperotico

More About: 4squareand7yearsago, foursquare, foursquare apps, Localmind, Scoville, Sonar.me, trending, WeePlaces, When Should I Visit?

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Video Glasses Stream Everything You Do to Social Media Sites [VIDEO]

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 11:43 AM PDT

Video cameras and wireless technology have gotten so small, now developers at ZionEyez in Seattle are working on Eyez, a pair of glasses with a tiny embedded video camera that can continuously record everything you see in 720p, transmitting it wirelessly to social media sites for all to see.

ZionEyez is calling Eyez “a new revolution in social media technology,” allowing some exhibitionistic gadget lover to wear these video-shooting glasses that transmit their images via Bluetooth to an Eyez app on an iPhone or Android device. From there, the video would be streamed through wireless networks to video sites online, where it could all be viewed live.

Streaming live HD video is possible, but it’s still an awfully tall order for wireless data networks circa 2011, so there’s also 8GB of flash memory on board as well as a mini-USB port, allowing users to record the goings-on and then transfer them to a computer for editing and later broadcast.

Alas, Eyez aren’t available yet, but it’s a Kickstarter project, where if enough investors are interested in funding the project, its final development will get underway (Kickstarter details here). So far, 58 backers have pledged $9,745 toward the $55,000 goal with 56 days to go.

This is fascinating. In a situation where transmission technology is dependable enough for smooth streaming, this could turn into an interesting performance-art project. Or imagine a celebrity wearing these glasses throughout the day. Maybe someday, everyone will record video of everything they do every day, and stream it live. That’s the ultimate social media.

Accommodates Any Lenses

[Accommodates Any Lenses]

Since the tiny camera is not part of the lenses, conventional lenses can be used in the frames.

Almost Undetectable

[Almost Undetectable]

The camera is so small, you can't even tell it's there.

Tap the "Z"

[Tap the "Z"]

That Z logo functions as the button to start recording.

[Note: this video has no sound]

More About: Eyez, kickstarter, social media, trending, Video camera, ZionEyez

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5 Gadgets We’re Playing With This Week

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 10:13 AM PDT

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 third week — read on for great reviews of Samsung Q10 camcorder, Joby GorillaMobile for iPhone 4, Logitech Keyboard Case by ZAGG for iPad 2, Etymotic hf3 Earbuds and the MiLi Power Projector 2 pico projector.

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. Samsung Q10 Camcorder

Samsung’s handheld camcorder packs high-quality HD video in a small package. Sure, it’s bigger than your smartphone, but it also takes much better footage than your smartphone. This camcorder retails for $230.

Front and Center

[Front and Center]

This is a tiny camcorder, about the size of one of those mini soda cans.

One-Button Record

[One-Button Record]

Surrounding the record button is the zoom control, which took a little getting used to.

Look How Small

[Look How Small]

You could almost hide this baby in the palm of your hand.

Top View

[Top View]

That OIS logo stands for Optical Image Stabilization, which I didn't think was very effective.

Viewfinder for Lefties

[Viewfinder for Lefties]

The only way you can tell the camcorder is upside down is by looking at that Home button on the right of the viewfinder.

"Full" HD

["Full" HD]

Despite the "Full HD" marketing, the camcorder doesn't actually shoot 1080p.

Smart Touch 3.0

[Smart Touch 3.0]

This menu system is as refined as it is easy to use.

Settings Menu

[Settings Menu]

Its touchscreen feels as responsive as an iPhone.

It's 1080i

[It's 1080i]

Not to belabor the point, but here's where Samsung finally owns up to the fact that this camcorder's shooting at 1080i.

Viewscreen

[Viewscreen]

It's bright and easy to see, even on a sunny day.

2. Joby GorillaMobile for iPhone 4

The Joby GorillaMobile is a fantastic, flexible tripod for the iPhone 4, which is enhanced by a fun, free app, Frame X Frame. The GorillaMobile for iPhone 4 is a good purchase for anyone looking for a tripod solution for his Apple phone — and the tripod kit also contains a bumper frame and a bonus camera adapter clip so that you can use the tripod with other compact cameras, too. The app provides useful features, such as a spirit level and a self-timer, enabling your iPhone to capture both time-lapse sequences and stop motion montages.

1. Joby GorillaMobile for iPhone 4 Kit

[1. Joby GorillaMobile for iPhone 4 Kit]

The kit contains the tripod, bumper case and camera adapter.

2. Joby GorillaMobile Bumper

[2. Joby GorillaMobile Bumper]

The bumper boasts an always-on design and is easy to fit.

3. The GorillaMobile as a Stand

[3. The GorillaMobile as a Stand]

The GorillaMobile could also be used as an iPhone stand.

4. GorillaMobile Grip

[4. GorillaMobile Grip]

The legs are flexible and can be used on any surface -- or wrapped around suitably sized objects.

5. Frame X Frame App

[5. Frame X Frame App]

Joby's free companion offers some useful features.

6. Frame X Frame App Stop Motion Options

[6. Frame X Frame App Stop Motion Options]

The app lets you create time-lapse and stop-motion videos easily.

7. The Frame X Frame App's Sharing Options

[7. The Frame X Frame App's Sharing Options]

As well as technical features, the app offers a good variety of sharing options.
3. Logitech Keyboard Case by ZAGG for iPad 2

You spent a lot of money on your iPad 2, and you take it everywhere. To protect it, you want a case. To make the iPad work even more for you, you’d like a keyboard so you don’t have to type your emails just with your index fingers. Enter the Logitech Keyboard Case. Although it’s not cheap ($100), the sleek and shiny aluminum case matches the iPad exterior, protects the iPad screen and adds productivity-boosting convenience.

In the Slot

[In the Slot]

Slide your iPad 2 into that slot above the keyboard, and it looks like a little netbook.

The Keys

[The Keys]

At first, I missed having both the backspace and delete key, but look at those handy shortcut keys across the top.

Aircraft-Grade Aluminum

[Aircraft-Grade Aluminum]

The case matches well with the iPad 2's aluminum finish. However, you can see that the back of your precious device might still get scratched if you use this case.

Side View

[Side View]

We wish the keyboard enabled us to adjust the angle of the screen.

Rear View

[Rear View]

View from the back when the keyboard is in use.

Thin is In

[Thin is In]

Case and iPad together are only an eighth of an inch thicker than the iPad 2 alone.

Block of Aluminum

[Block of Aluminum]

The case looks like a solid slab of aluminum from the back, and still sports the ZAGG logo of its originating company.
4. Etymotic hf3 Headset and Earphones

The key to in-ear earphones, especially those that promise noise-isolation, is a good seal. Etymotic has good instructions for how to insert the hf3 earphones on its website (it even has a video), and you'll be hard-pressed to find a better value for high-quality, in-ear headphones. The earphones definitely do their job when it comes to noise isolation — they block out the sounds of the subway, ambient street noise and even office chatter, and you get crisp sound with comfort.

Earbuds Get a Close-Up

[Earbuds Get a Close-Up]

The key to getting the best sound from noise-isolating in-ear earphones is a good, tight seal.

It can take a bit of time to find the right seal with the hf3 headset and earphones, but once its found, the only sounds you'll hear are the tunes coming from your audio device.

iOS Friendly Remote

[iOS Friendly Remote]

The hf3 headset and earphones aren't just for Apple products -- we successfully used the earbuds with our Android devices and laptops, too -- but an added bonus feature is that the remote control is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod nano. This makes it easy to not only accept phone calls, but adjust volume, play and pause music and scan forward and backward in your library.

Included Accessories

[Included Accessories]

Etymotic doesn't scrimp on the accessories. The hf3 headset and earphones come with a durable, soft case (great for keeping your earphones tangle free and in good condition), a larger set of three-flanges insets and foam and dome-shaped inserts. Use whatever feels best in your ear and whatever gives you the best seal.

Etymotic also includes two replacement filters and a cleaner to keep your earbuds sounding their best.

Awareness App

[Awareness App ]

By registering their earphones, users gain full access to the fantastic Awareness app for iOS.

This app uses the built-in microphone on the hf3 earphones to alert users of what is happening around them when the noise gets above a certain decibel. That means that you can get the benefits of a noise-isolating experience, while still being on alert for things happening around you, like a fire engine or a honking horn.

Awareness App Settings

[Awareness App Settings]

The Awareness app has lots of customizable settings to really make it useful for users that want a way to keep an eye on something else, while still enjoying their earphones.

The app works with any audio on the iPhone, but some features, like ClearVoice, only work in the default iPod app.
5. MiLi Power Projector 2 pico projector

At $399.95, this isn’t a cheap gadget, but it’s a fun item for someone looking to splurge. Insert your iPhone into the portable MiLi projector, and you can project it onto a wall — we found a size and brightness sweet spot 40′ from the wall. Sure, it’s not a home theater, and the VGA resolution means you won’t see the nuances and details you’re used to on a big screen TV, but it’s a much better viewing experience than on the iPhone.

3. MiLi Power Projector 2 vs iPhone

[3. MiLi Power Projector 2 vs iPhone]

The MiLi Power Projector 2 is smaller and quieter than the previous model.

2. MiLi Power Projector 2 Open

[2. MiLi Power Projector 2 Open]

It flips open and the iPhone or iPod sits on the Apple dock.

4. MiLi Power Projector 2 With iPhone

[4. MiLi Power Projector 2 With iPhone]

The stands pops out to support the projector.

5. MiLi Power Projector 2 In Use

[5. MiLi Power Projector 2 In Use]

You can project images from a few inches wide up to 70 inches.

For more gadget reviews, check out the Gadget of the Day Series and visit the Tech & Gadgets channel.

More About: Etymotic hf3 Earbuds, Gadget of the Day Series, Joby GorillaMobile for iPhone 4, Logitech Keyboard Case by ZAGG for iPad 2, MiLi Power Projector 2 pico projector, Samsung Q10 camcorder

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Social Media-Using Guys Are Lovin’ The Fast Food [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 09:06 AM PDT

Fast food is a part of American life, whether we like it or not. But social media users aren’t scarfing down that junk, are they? Sounds like a good topic for a survey filled with statistics that are both obvious and surprising.

That’s exactly what our Infographic-creating and social-media researching friends at Lab 42 did, collecting opinions from 500 social networking males aged 18 to 35 about their fast food preferences.

Because Lab 42 hit one of the biggest target demographics of fast food purveyors (perhaps biggest in more ways than one), and to qualify for the survey respondents must have gone to a fast food restaurant in the last three months, the survey might make it look like there are more fast food lovers than in the general population.

Let’s see if these preferences match up with yours:

Infographic courtesy Lab 42, graphic by iStockphoto

More About: fast food, infographic, Lab 42, social media users, survey, trending

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Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 07:34 AM PDT

Twitter Chart Image

Sports and Bieber. Not only is that the title of my upcoming memoir, but it about sums up the biggest Twitter trends on this week’s chart.

International soccer, a trend that has hovered around number three or four on our chart for weeks, has finally broken through to the top slot, thanks to some big matches and the discussion of FIFA politics.

Stateside, the NBA finals kicked off between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks. Tweets about the tournament propelled the topic to the number two spot — a rare feat for American sports on Twitter.

And like a warm blanket, the reassuring presence of Justin Bieber returns to this week’s top 10, thanks in part to some fervent Beliebers in Latin America. The Biebs rings in at number three.

To see the full list, check out the chart below. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart. The aggregate is based on Twitter’s own trending algorithm, and does not necessarily reflect raw tweet volume.

You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topics section.
Top Twitter Trends This Week: 5/27 – 6/2

Rank

Topic

Intensity

Description

#1

Soccer/Football

2

May 28 was the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona. Barcelona won, 3-1. Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes annouced his retirement from playing football on May 31. He will now work as a coach with the club. Soccer fans also discussed their displeasure with FIFA president Sepp Blatter who was unopposed in his controversial re-election.

#2

NBA Finals

2

The NBA Finals series began this week between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks. Users came up with some new nicknames for players: Batman & Robin, LeBum, LeChicken and Dirk NoRingski. The series is tied, 1-1.

#3

Justin Bieber

2

This week, Bieber fever continues unabated with new trends primarily coming from fans in Latin America.

#4

Sean Kingston

1

Singer Sean Kingston got in a jet skiing accident in Florida and was in critical condition. He has now stabilized.

#5

Gil Scott-Heron

1

Gil Scott-Heron was an influential poet and musician who died on May 27 at the age of 62. His most well-known piece is the radical “The Revolution Will Not be Televised.”

#6

Spanish Protests

1

At approximately 7 a.m. on May 27, the city council of Barcelona decided to send 350 police officers from the Mossos d’Esquadra and another 100 or so from the Guàrdia Urbana to temporarily vacate Plaça de Catalunya so that it could be cleaned ahead of the final of the Champions League final on May 28. According to police figures, more than 12,000 people gathered in Barcelona through the course of the day, angry about the earlier actions of the police.The clearing of the Barcelona camp was broadcast live by two Spanish television channels, including Antena 3, and was also widely dispersed through social networks like Twitter.

#7

Demi Lovato

1

“Lovatics,” or Demi Lovato fans, took to Twitter to send supportive messages to her.

#8

Britain’s Got Talent

1

This UK variety show aired semi-final rounds every night this week, garnering the series a lot of time in Twitter’s top trends. Contestants generating the most discussion were organist Jean Martyn, Steven Hall, Edward Reid (who sang a bunch of kids’ TV theme songs), Joe Oakley, Ronan Parke and Jay Worley.

#9

Marilyn Monroe

1

Users noted Marilyn Monroe’s 85th birthday would have occurred on June 1, 2011 if she were still living.

#10

Single Ladies

1

VH1′s first scripted series, Single Ladies, stars Lisa Raye and Stacey Dash, and premiered this week on Monday night. The show is written and created by Stacy Littlejohn and directed by Tamra Davis.

Data aggregate courtesy of What the Trend.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, 123render

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Mashable: Latest 27 News Updates - including “How Top Redditors Compete for Karma [INFOGRAPHIC]”

2011-06-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

Mashable: Latest 27 News Updates - including “How Top Redditors Compete for Karma [INFOGRAPHIC]”

* How Top Redditors Compete for Karma [INFOGRAPHIC]
* NASA Photos + Nine Inch Nails = Spacey Mashup Music Video
* New Batman Clips Tease ‘The Dark Knight Rises’
* Extreme Networking: App Tells You Who’s In the Room, How You’re Connected
* Syria Shuts Down the Internet As Revolt Gains Steam
* Google Acquires Social Data Startup PostRank
* Twitter.com Adds Content From Amazon, Foursquare, Meetup & More
* Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: The Unexpected Rapper Edition
* 9 Things Weinergate Tells Us About Twitter
* Why Fashion Photographers Are Flocking to Instagram
* Snoop Dogg Fragrance Gets Cheaper As It Gets More Facebook Likes
* Did Tennessee Just Make It Illegal To Share Your Netflix Account?
* Why You Can’t Say “Twitter” Or “Facebook” On French TV
* Top 20 Most-Shared Video Ads This Month
* Rumor Roundup: All About Apple’s iCloud Streaming Service
* 3 Tips for Better Mobile SEO
* “ZOMG” & “Twittersphere” Enter the Oxford Dictionary
* Why Web Personalization May Be Damaging Our World View
* National Donut Day Sparks Twitter Trivia Contest
* Kaiser Chiefs Turns Fans Into Producers for Record Release
* Pose 2.0 Transforms iPhone Into Fashion Discovery Engine
* Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters
* HOW TO: Make a Mini Movie Theater With Your iPhone
* Yfrog Says It Wasn’t Compromised in Wake of Weiner Photo
* MI6 Hacks Al-Qaeda Website, Attacks With Cupcake Recipes
* Zynga Courts Goldman Sachs for IPO [REPORT]
* HOW TO: Write a Standout Job Description
* Google Search Becomes More Image-Friendly

How Top Redditors Compete for Karma [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 11:35 PM PDT

Reddit has long been on our radar as one of the more interesting and engaging content bookmarking and aggregating services on the web.

In this chart, we take a look at how the top Redditors — that is, Reddit users who submit content to the site and comment on content and threads — stack up.

In case you haven’t used the site, on Reddit, users have upvotes and downvotes to express their approval or disapproval of content and comments. When a user’s content and comments accrue upvotes, his or her profile accrues karma.

Here are the top 20 Redditors as ranked by karma, including those whose karma comes primarily from submitting new links and those whose karma comes from making interesting or insightful comments on the site. They, like their power-Digging predecessors, far outrank the average user in terms of karma and, in all likelihood, their power to direct a certain amount of traffic around the Internet.

And for Reddit users, here’s the existing Reddit thread for your upvoting and commenting pleasure.

This infographic comes to us via The Daily Dot and Public School.

Click image to see full-size version.

[sources: The Daily Dot and GoToPublicSchool.com]

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NASA Photos + Nine Inch Nails = Spacey Mashup Music Video

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 10:27 PM PDT

From Digital Kitchen Seattle creative Chris Abbas comes this sweet mashup video featuring music from Nine Inch Nails and pictures from NASA’s Cassini mission.

The Cassini Solstice/Equinox Mission is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI robotic spacecraft mission studying Saturn and its natural satellites. The Cassini space probe was launched in the fall of 1997 and will continue to explore Saturn and its environs until 2017.

The stills and footage used in this video were gathered by the Cassini Imaging Science System. The music track is 2 Ghosts I from the Nine Inch Nails album Ghosts I – IV.

More About: Cassini, music, NASA, NIN, Nine Inch Nails, space

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New Batman Clips Tease ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 09:27 PM PDT

Once again taking to viral social media marketing, the minds behind the Batman film franchise have released a string of clips to promote the upcoming flick, The Dark Knight Rises.

Previously, fans were asked to crack a Twitter code to get a sneak peak at the film.

Now, the new YouTube videos show a Gotham descended into chaos while pointing fans toward a new Facebook page for the movie.

On YouTube, the four clips have seen between 18,000 and 179,000 views each as of this writing.

The Dark Knight Rises is scheduled to hit theaters in the U.S. and Canada on July 20, 2012. While it’s surprising to see such a tightly grouped volley of marketing almost a year ahead of the release, we applaud the marketers in question for their creative use of available web tools.

Are these teaser clips getting you excited for the new Batman movie?

419.

424.

Outbreak

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More About: batman, comics, dark knight rises, MARKETING

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Extreme Networking: App Tells You Who’s In the Room, How You’re Connected

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 08:00 PM PDT

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Sonar

Quick Pitch: Sonar tells you who is in the room and how you’re connected.

Genius Idea: Leveraging social networks for real-world connections.

Some of us are naturally gifted networkers. We walk into a room of 50 strangers and giddily begin introducing ourselves to 50 new friends.

For those of us who are less outgoing, however, it helps to start with some sort of connection. However many degrees we are separated by, Sonar wants to map them out.

The iPhone app [iTunes link], which launched in May, shows you who is in the room by using data from social networks. After connecting accounts, you can see who else is checked in on Foursquare or Facebook Places, as well as which one of them shares your Twitter or Facebook friends. You can send a message to any of them with a click in order to make a connection in real life.

“Talking to someone on the street is harder than talking to someone in a bar,” says founder and CEO Brett Martin. “Talking to someone in a bar is harder than talking to someone at a house party. What we’re trying to do with Sonar is show people when the person on the street is the same person at the house party.”

Sonar works because “people have spent the last 25 years uploading their identities to the internet,” Martin says. It uses the profiles people have created elsewhere instead of being dependent on a critical mass of users. The app works whether or not other people in the room are using it. However, those people do need to check in with either Foursquare or Facebook Places. And that limits Sonar’s scope. One recent study found that only up to 17% of the mobile population uses checkin services.

Martin hopes to reduce this problem by adding implicit checkins — such as when people respond to an Eventbrite invite. He also hopes to broaden the checkin pool to include geotagged tweets, Instagram photos and foodspotting images.

As for monetization, Martin says that the startup’s current plan is to borrow a model often used on dating sites: promoted visibility. If a company is hosting a conference and wants its executives to be on the top of everyone’s “most relevant” lists, they could pay Sonar to make it happen. It’s a similar concept to Twitter’s promoted tweets, but Martin says that a sponsor would only be able to promote people — never its brand itself.

Personally, I’ve always wanted a Shazam for people, and this is the closest thing I’ve found. While the app doesn’t work that well in checkin-shunning crowds, at the right conference or even the right party, it’s like waterwings for networking.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, gehringj

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

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Syria Shuts Down the Internet As Revolt Gains Steam

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 05:53 PM PDT

Internet traffic has come to a halt in Syria after the government blocked Internet services in an attempt to quell a growing revolt in the Middle Eastern nation.

“Starting at 3:35 UTC today, approximately two thirds of all Syrian networks became unreachable from the global Internet,” Internet intelligence firm Renesys reported on its blog today.

“Over the course of roughly half an hour, the routes to 40 of 59 networks were withdrawn from the global routing table.”

Most mobile phone and Internet networks are affected by the blackout. According to The Wall Street Journal, government-run websites such as the Oil Ministry’s website are still operational.

Syria has been banning social media services in the last few months, but this is the full time there has been a widespread Internet outage.

The move comes as protests have intensified in the troubled nation. 34 people were killed Friday after security forces opened fire. The uprising, which began in late January, has been focused on ousting Bashar Al-Assad from his role as President of Syria. Al-Assad ascended to the presidency in 2000 after his father’s 29-year rule.

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak shut down Internet services during the Egyptian revolution so protesters couldn’t easily organize. It didn’t quell the revolt though, and on February 11, Mubarak resigned.

More About: Bashar Al-Assad, Egypt, internet, Internet outage, Syria, Uprising

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Google Acquires Social Data Startup PostRank

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 04:26 PM PDT

Friday, social engagement data startup PostRank announced it had been acquired by Google.

Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.

PostRank launched in 2007 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The PostRank staff will be moving to the San Francisco Bay Area to join the other Googlers at Google’s main Mountain View campus.

Last year, PostRank Analytics added Activity Streams, which the company called “a FriendFeed for content.”

The analytics service itself launched the year before as a way to track data on a large number of social media platforms, including Twitter, Digg, Delicious and more.

PostRank CTO and founder Ilya Grigorik wrote today on the startup’s blog, “We are extremely excited to join Google. We believe there is simply no better company on the web today that both understands the value of the engagement data we have been focusing on, and has the platform and reach to bring its benefits to the untold millions of daily, active Internet users.”

Grigorik said more details on PostRank’s progress within Google will be coming up in a few months.

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Twitter.com Adds Content From Amazon, Foursquare, Meetup & More

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 03:24 PM PDT

Amazon, AOL Video, Gowalla, Foursquare, Meetup and Plancast are the newest social tools to be integrated with Twitter.com, allowing users to access more multimedia content without leaving the site.

When Twitter unveiled #NewTwitter last year, one of its big selling points was its direct integration with third-party tools such as DailyBooth, iTunes, Ustream, YouTube and TwitPic. It gave users the ability to see images or watch videos directly in their Twitter stream as long as a link from a supported service appeared in the tweet.

In December, Twitter added five more services to the roster of supported platforms: Blip.tv, Instagram, Slideshare, Rdio and Dipdive.

Now Twitter.com supports six more third-party services within the stream. Whenever your friends tweet out a link from Foursquare, Gowalla, Amazon, Meetup, Plancast or AOL Video, multimedia from that service will appear. Twitter seems to be in the process of rolling out the new integrations now. You can check out an example of it here.

Since the launch of #NewTwitter, several startups have created tools for embedding third-party content into the Twitter stream. Y Combinator-backed Embedly launched Parrotfish earlier this year, a browser plugin that pulls in Internet media and embeds it onto Twitter.com.

What do you think of the new services Twitter has added to the stream? Does it make you more likely to use Twitter.com? Let us know in the comments below.

More About: amazon, aol, foursquare, gowalla, meetup, plancast, twitter

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Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: The Unexpected Rapper Edition

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 03:11 PM PDT

This week, we asked YouTube NextUp participant Josh Sundquist to curate our YouTube Roundup, the theme of which is: Unexpected Rappers.

Sundquist is a 26-year-old motivational speaker. At age 9, he was diagnosed with cancer, and doctors told him that he had a 50% chance to live. He lost his leg, but beat the cancer and started ski racing. In March 2006, he joined the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team. In addition to being a YouTube celeb, he’s also the author of national bestseller Just Don’t Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain.

Check out our Q&A with Sundquist below, and then scroll on down to our rap-filled roundup.

How and why did you get started on YouTube?
About three years ago I started posting video samples of my motivational speeches on YouTube. Then last year I made a video called “The Amputee Rap” [see above] that went viral, and ever since then I’ve been pretty much addicted to creating video blogs and music videos.

What effect has YouTube had on your life?
I’ve always enjoyed being on camera and connecting with people through videos, and for a long time I had this dream of someday hosting a television show. But thanks to YouTube, I’ve realized that I don’t need television to live my dream of being a broadcaster. YouTube gives me total creative control and an instantly available worldwide audience to watch my videos. That’s pretty cool.

What does this theme mean, personally, to you?
I love YouTube videos that take the attitude and swagger of mainstream hip-hop videos and combine it with a topic that’s totally unexpected, like a disability or an illness. I think that juxtaposition is not only a comic gold mine, it’s also a way to make a fresh statement about your topic.

"Life in Quarantine," The Fully Sick Rapper

This is Josh's pick.

Rapping Flight Attendant

Amy-Mae Elliott: This video went viral -- what great PR for the airline.

"Arlington: The Rap"

Brian Dresher: Mashable DC Bureau representing! This local musician created "Arlington - The Rap" in the style of "Lazy Sunday" poking fun at the suburban lifestyle (yes, where I live!). If nothing else, I believe you'll greatly enjoy his Starbucks montage beginning at the 3:35 mark.

Jeff Goldblum, Jimmy Fallon, Biz Markie

Todd Wasserman: Jeff Goldlum & Biz Markie: Together again for the first time!

7 Year Old Raps Ke$ha

Brian Hernandez: It's 8-year-old Matty B, yo! The boy rapper, who has nearly 65,000 Twitter followers, was 7 when he remixed Ke$ha's "We R Who We R" (above). He has also covered or parodied songs from rap heavyweights Diddy and Eminem as well as pop divas Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

Vanilla Ice Ninja Rap

Radhika Marya: One word: Why?

"I Don't Wanna be a Crappy Housewife," Tonje Langeteig

Brenna Ehrlich: It's insane how much I relate to this song.

More About: favorite-youtube-videos, Josh Sundquist, video, viral video, youtube, YouTube NextUp

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9 Things Weinergate Tells Us About Twitter

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 02:36 PM PDT

By now, unless you live under a boulder large enough to block data signals, you know that New York Rep. Anthony Weiner is embroiled in a scandal involving an extremely personal picture sent from his Twitter account to a Seattle college student. Weiner says his account was hacked, but can’t say “with certitude” if the picture is a fake.

This much we know. But what else does the story that has Washington all a-twitter reveal about everyone’s favorite microblogging service?

1. Twitter is very effective at spreading the news, but it can’t control it.

For Twitter itself, the Weiner story couldn’t have broken at a less appropriate time. The company’s CEO, Dick Costolo, and a large portion of its PR team were hunkered down at the All Things Digital conference in beautiful Rancho Palos Verdes, California, preparing to launch — of all things — its new photo-sharing service. Costolo deftly batted away questions about Weiner with a “no comment.” But for a company that is anxious to prove its maturity, talking about ways to share pictures on Twitter at a time when the most famous example of that is a lewd underwear snap could only have been frustrating.

2. Maybe this is a good time to launch Twitter photo-sharing after all.

Reports emerged Thursday that the mysterious sender of that photo may well have exploited a security flaw in yFrog, a third-party photo-sharing service. The loophole would have allowed anyone to send a picture from Weiner’s account using tools no more advanced than e-mail. YFrog has since disabled the e-mail feature. Still, that’s a strong argument for sharing photos directly and securely from your Twitter account — which is exactly what Twitter is launching.

More About: Anthony Weiner, social media, social networking, twitter, weinergate

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Why Fashion Photographers Are Flocking to Instagram

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 02:07 PM PDT

UPDATE: The photos in this article were processed using a variety of apps, including Camera+, Hipstamatic and Filter Mania. All were shared to Instagram after processing.

It’s little wonder that Instagram, a leading iPhone application for stylizing and sharing photos on the web, is proving so popular among street style photographers, some of whom have amassed followings in the thousands.

What is unusual is that before Instagram, many of these well-followed photographers had done little to no street style photography in their portfolios.

“I started using Instagram about two weeks after it launched in the App Store and just fiddled around with pictures of my family and friends,” says Anthony Danielle, who publishes images (right) of stylish New Yorkers to some 18,000 followers under the pseudonym takinyerphoto. “I’d see other people doing street work and thought, ‘I could do that,’ and I just started taking pictures of people on the street.”

The app, coupled with the iPhone’s portability and capable camera, has encouraged Danielle to take up a hobby he had never before considered. Even the darkest and least remarkable photos are transformed into art with Instagram’s and Camera+’s filters, he says.

Similarly, Thomas Kakareko (thomas_k) of Berlin “had nothing to do with photography” before he downloaded the app earlier this year, he says. He began exchanging photos with friends before realizing that street photography was his calling. He now publishes a stream of high-contrast, black-and-white images (left) that could be mistaken for vintage film noir stills, which he posts exclusively to his 13,000+ followers on Instagram.

Although both Danielle and Kakareko are fans of Instagram’s filters, both cite Instagram’s community as the key to their success — and their addiction.

Instagram’s community is “unlike any other I’ve ever encountered … [because] mostly everyone is willing to help and share constructive opinions about your pictures,” says Danielle, who credits much of his development to the community, strangers he now calls friends.

Arianna Power of London, a.k.a streetstylish, is confident her brain gets a dopamine hit every time someone comments on one of her photos (right). “It’s completely addictive,” she says, admitting that her Instagram photography shifted its focus toward candid street photographs of stylish individuals because she received more positive reactions.

“Instagram is appealing because it’s fun to have a social network based around images,” she says, noting that other photographers on the service inspire her as much as comments from her followers.

(Although no one at Mashable self-identifies as a street style photographer, we can certainly sympathize with their addictions. We’re constantly browsing and commenting on others’ photos, and some of our snaps even sneak their way into posts on occasion.)

If you’re an Instagram user and want to add a little more street style to your newsfeed, check out a gallery of some of our favorite photographers below. And please, if we missed someone you admire, let us know in the comments section below.

[ ]

Photo by Thomas Kakareko, Berlin

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Photo by Thomas Kakareko, Berlin

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Photo by Thomas Kakareko, Berlin

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Photo by Thomas Kakareko, Berlin

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Photo by Thomas Kakareko, Berlin

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Photo by Mal Sherlock, New York City

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Photo by Mal Sherlock, New York City

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Photo by Mal Sherlock, New York City

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Photo by Mal Sherlock, New York City

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Photo by Mal Sherlock, New York City

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Photo by Anthony Danielle, New York City

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Photo by Anthony Danielle, New York City

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Photo by Anthony Danielle, New York City

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Photo by Anthony Danielle, New York City

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Photo by Anthony Danielle, New York City

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Photo by Arianna Power, London

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Photo by Arianna Power, London

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Photo by Arianna Power, London

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Photo by Arianna Power, London

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Photo by Arianna Power, London

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Photo by Eros Sana, Paris

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Photo by Eros Sana, Paris

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Photo by Eros Sana, Paris

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Photo by Eros Sana, Paris

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Photo by Eros Sana, Paris

More About: fashion, instagram, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, Photos, pics, street style

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Snoop Dogg Fragrance Gets Cheaper As It Gets More Facebook Likes

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 01:30 PM PDT

In a program that combines Like-gating and Groupon-like incentivizing, a product endorsed by Snoop Dogg will get cheaper as it garners Likes.

Snoop, who has close to 10 million Facebook fans, began linking to a "Shop Snoop Now" site on Thursday. The F-commerce site features a line of FragranceRebel products from Parfums de Coeur. One product a day gets featured for the program.

On Friday, that product was BOD Man Really Ripped Abs 8 oz. Fragrance Body Spray, which started out at $7.99, but went down to $7.20 (10% off) when it got 100 "Likes." At press time, the product hadn't yet gotten more than 200 "Likes," which would have brought the cost down another 10%. The maximum discount is 30% off, at 300 "Likes."

A rep for dotbox, the company behind the Facebook promotion, says she believes the "Likes" discount is an industry first.

More About: F-Commerce, facebook, snoop dogg

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Did Tennessee Just Make It Illegal To Share Your Netflix Account?

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 01:05 PM PDT

A law has just passed in Tennessee that will make it theoretically illegal — starting July 1 — to share login information for services like Rdio and Netflix.

According to the Associated Press, the law is meant to stop hackers who sell passwords in bulk, and was supported by record industry officials trying to curtail illegal music sharing.

This fleshes out an already standing law that stops people from stealing cable and also prevents dining and dashing. Tennessee will be the first state in the U.S. to have a law that includes the digital entertainment angle.

In practice, the law isn’t really focused on folks who share passwords with family members, but it could be used against those casual offenders as well. Such a scenario is unlikely — unless you’re sharing your password with your entire extended family. If services like Hulu, Netflix or Rhapsody feel that users are exploiting their services, however, they can turn to the law and press charges.

Stealing $500 or less of music/film consumption will be classified as a misdemeanor that could earn Tennessee citizens a year in jail and a fine of $2,500. Steal any more, and offenders could end up with a felony on their records.

What do you think of this law? Will it curtail piracy?

Image courtesy of Flickr, Valerie Everett

More About: Film, law, legal, music, netflix, tennessee

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Why You Can’t Say “Twitter” Or “Facebook” On French TV

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 12:47 PM PDT

Television and radio personalities in France can no longer say “Twitter” or “Facebook” on the air unless it’s in a news story about those specific companies, according to a decree from the French broadcasting authority CSA.

In other words, French broadcasters who want to encourage viewer interaction via Facebook or Twitter accounts can no longer do so. The “follow us on Twitter” or “Like us on Facebook” refrains — common parlance in American broadcasting — are no longer allowed on French channels. The networks can still say “find us on social networks,” but services cannot be mentioned by name.

The regulatory decree was issued on May 27. The rationale behind the decision? Apparently mentioning social networks like Twitter or Facebook by name goes against a 1992 decree prohibiting surreptitious advertising. Encouraging users to engage with the content creators or give their own feedback is “clandestine advertising” for the social networks themselves.

Christine Kelly, a spokesperson for the CSA, tried to explain the decision by saying it “would be a distortion of competition” to “give preference to Facebook, which is worth billions of dollars, when there are many other social networks that are struggling for recognition.”

Matthew Fraser, a Canadian-born journalist who lives and works in Paris, sees this ruling as an example of the “deeply rooted animosity in the French psyche toward Anglo-Saxon cultural domination.” Fraser writes that “sometimes this cultural resentment finds expression in French regulations and laws.”

An unspoken resentment toward American-based social networks certainly makes more sense than the arbitrary enforcement of an obscure broadcasting decree that was issued a decade before either social network even existed.

What do you think of the CSA’s decision to ban the mentions of Twitter and Facebook in a non-news context? Let us know in the comments.

Photo courtesy of leslieduss

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Top 20 Most-Shared Video Ads This Month

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 12:30 PM PDT

It’s not so hard to make your ad go viral. All you need is access to Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. It also helps if you’re Google.

At least that’s the conclusion we’ve drawn from the Mashable Global Ads Chart Top 20, a new monthly rundown we’ve created with Unruly Media. However, if you can’t get Gaga or the Biebs, then you have to get creative. Many of these surprising winners show that a well executed idea can spread a message just fine.

Enjoy the first in a new monthly feature from Mashable, this one looking back on May.

Note: The list below does not include music videos, user-generated content or movie trailers. Unruly Media’s Viral Video Chart tracks 18 million shares a day through third-party APIs.

1. "Dear 16-Year-Old Me" (The David Cornfield Memorial Fund): 267,578 shares

There are no cats or celebrities in this video and the subject matter — cancer — is grim. So it's pretty amazing how well this video has done. It's easy to see why, though: The testimonials from real people are funny, frank and impart some very good advice.

2. "Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay Reveal Trailer HD" (Activision): 222,446 shares

There's a lot of pent-up demand for the sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which doesn't come out until November 8.

3. "The Force" (Volkswagen): 99,308 shares

Lil' Vader continues to wow online fans four months after the Super Bowl ad first hit YouTube.

4. "Battle At F-Stop Ridge" (The Camera Store): 73,115 shares

It's hard to believe no one thought of this before: Hardcore photographers "shoot" in a war scenario in this ad for The Camera Store.

5. "The T-Mobile Royal Wedding" (T-Mobile): 67,023 shares

The Royal Wedding may feel like it was ages ago, but this video, a parody of the 2009 hit "Jill and Kevin's Wedding Intro Dance," has accrued a princely number of shares.

6. "The Official 'Someday' Fragrance Perfume by Justin Bieber Commercial" (Someday): 56,690 shares

What would a viral chart be without the Biebs? In addition to buying lots of online media to promote the scent, Bieber also picked a good time to start appearing in public with new girlfriend Selena Gomez.

7. "Evian Roller Babies International Version" (Evian): 50,387 shares

Those babies from 2009 sure have staying power. A new campaign from Evian, meanwhile, failed to make much of an impact.

8. "Google Chrome: Lady Gaga" (Google): 48,477 shares

If you've never understood Lady Gaga's appeal (guilty!), this video promoting Google's Chrome web browser may give you an appreciation for how she manages her fan relationships via social media.

9. "I Want ... " (Animal Humane Society): 42,382 shares

You've heard of LOLCats? Well, these are SOLCats. I kid. This cute ad shows what shelter kitties would say, if they could.

10. "Ken Block's Gymkhana THREE, Part 2; Ultimate Playground; l'Autodrome, France" (DC Shoes): 41,823 shares

This perennial viral video features driver Ken Block doing outrageous things with his car. Block also happens to be chief brand officer for DC Shoes.

11. "Google Chrome: It Gets Better" (Google): 37,996 shares

In another hit video for Google Chrome, Dan Savage gives advice and inspiration for gay youths.

12. "Danny MacAskill - Way Back Home" (Redbull): 37,996 shares

In another long-term hit, Danny MacAskill does some crazy stunts on his bike on a trip from Edinburgh back to his hometown Dunvegan, in the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

13. "Google Chrome: Dear Sophie" (Google): 37,645 shares

This touching ad from Google shows a dad recording the swift growth of his young daughter via social media tools.

14."Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 — America Teaser" (Activision): 34,720 shares

The American version of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 trailer also did very well.

15. "Battlefield 3 - Full Length 'Fault Line' Gameplay Trailer" (EA): 29,678 shares

This features 12 minutes of gameplay from EA's upcoming video game, which doesn't hit shelves until late December.

16. "Dirt Devil's Exorcist Parody" (TTI Floor Care North America): 28,997 shares

The Exorcist came out in 1973, but apparently enough people remember it to get this ad's joke.

17. "Little Thor" (THor): 28,980 shares

This clever riff on VW's "The Force" promotes the not-so-clever movie Thor.

18. "iPad Games for Cats from Friskies" (Friskies): 26,558 shares

In the 1988 movie Scrooged, Bill Murray, playing a TV exec, gets a pitch on programming for cats. We're not there yet, but we're getting close. And yes, these are real games.

19. "Ken Block Gymhana Two: The Infomercial" (DC Shoes): 25,433 shares

Here are some more insane stunts from Ken Block in this hit viral from 2009.

20. "GagaVille: Lady Gaga Goes to FarmVille" (Zynga): 24,171 shares

Lady Gaga charms skeptical farmers in this video from Zynga.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, enot-poloskun

More About: activision, DC Shoes, Friskies, Google, Lady Gaga, Marvel, monthly viral ads, red bull, viral videos, volkswagen, youtube

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Rumor Roundup: All About Apple’s iCloud Streaming Service

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 12:01 PM PDT

The launch of Apple’s much anticipated streaming music service is rapidly approaching. There have been a lot of rumors flying around about iCloud — as it could be named — so we thought it would be prudent to gather them all together.

The cloud-based music race has been accelerating in the last few months, with Amazon releasing its Cloud Player and Google coming out with Google Music. Neither service launched with the support of the major music labels — although Google reportedly tried to woo them — so both products came out of the oven a bit half-baked. They’re basically lockers that require users to upload their music collections in order to access them across devices.

Consequently, many have been looking toward Apple to come out with a slicker, more robust offering that would allow users to listen to music anywhere and everywhere with ease.

We have yet to get any straight news from Apple on such a product, but we have rumors aplenty. Check up our roundup below and give us your thoughts on what you think will be revealed come June 6.
Who Is On Board?

Apple has reportedly signed deals with all four major labels: Universal Music Group, Sony/ATV, Warner Music Group, EMI and their publishing units, according to the New York Post.
What Do They Get?

Apple will be paying the labels between $100 million and $150 million in advance, the Post says. Each label will receive between $25 million to $50 million each.

In terms of revenue, sources like CNET are saying that publishers will garner 12% of the revenue, major labels will get 58% and Apple will keep 30%. Universal and Sony Music Entertainment were supposedly asking for 60% of the revenue, but came to a compromise so that publishers could be paid.

Apple has not yet signed any deals with indie publishers and labels, but apparently those publishers will receive 12% of revenues, while labels will get 53%, according to Billboard (indie labels are pushing for more).
What Will It Be Called?

We know that a product called iCloud will be launching at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6. We’re not certain whether it’s a music service, but everyone suspects it is.
What Will It Look Like?

In essence, iCloud will probably be a digital music storage locker, but in a different sense than Google and Amazon’s offerings: Users will not have to upload their entire libraries in order to access them across devices.

At launch, only music purchased via iTunes will be eligible for storage in the locker. A user's iTunes library will be scanned for song files that are recognized by the music labels. Then, rather than uploading those files to a server, users will gain instant access to those tracks or albums from other compatible devices. (In the future, other music could also be stored in the locker.)

We have heard nothing about whether playlists will be synced over across devices, or if the service will include offline caching (although we suspect as much).

CNET is also reporting that iCloud could feature movies and TV shows, but that Apple has faced obstacles in obtaining licensing agreements for that content.
How Much Will It Cost?

The Post is reporting that the service will be free (at first) to people who have bought music via iTunes, but could charge $25 in the future. Apple would also sell advertising to monetize.
When Will It Drop?

We know that a product called iCloud will definitely be launching at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6. Apple has not confirmed that it is a music service. It merely calls it a “cloud services offering.”

CNET says a music service will be announced on June 6, but streaming will not be available yet.

Photo courtesy of Flickr, karindalziel

More About: amazon, Cloud Player, Google, google music, icloud, itunes, music

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3 Tips for Better Mobile SEO

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 11:36 AM PDT

Jason Taylor is the vice president of platform strategy at Usablenet. Usablenet's platform powers the mobile sites of 20% of the Fortune 1000, including Estée Lauder, Hilton, Delta, Victoria's Secret, FedEx, ASOS and others. Follow @Usablenet on Twitter.

Google's Eric Schmidt recently noted that mobile search is growing much faster than desktop search. As mobile increasingly becomes a primary gateway to the Internet, it is crucial for companies to incorporate forward-thinking SEO practices into their mobile strategies to ensure their mobile sites are easily detected by search engines and found by consumers.

More than 60% of consumers search for brands from mobile devices before purchasing, and another 49% of mobile searchers made a mobile purchase in the past six months. Businesses must view mobile as a significant piece of their overall marketing campaigns that can drive substantial traffic and increase revenue.

Here are some high level SEO strategies that brands can implement into their overall mobile efforts to ensure they are getting maximum visibility.
1. Develop a Device Agnostic Approach

Search engines incorporate various criteria in mobile browsers to determine page rank. These factors include overall site performance, usability, download speed and screen rendering. A fully optimized mobile site that extends all functionality and key content from a website will rank higher in search results than a website that has simply been reformatted for a smaller screen.

For example, simply transcoding a webpage through the use of a cookie-cutter template will strip it of key content, leading to incomplete pages and decreased overall usability. Difficult navigation and broken pages will result in a lower page rank and a negative user experience that discourages repeat visits.

The type of devices that consumers use to search the mobile web also factors into site ranking. Different mobile web browsers render pages in different ways, which is why it is essential for brands to develop a device agnostic mobile strategy that supports the wide variety of available mobile operating systems.

For example, Staples' mobile site was developed to support all web-enabled devices. To decrease bounce rate (when a user views only one page on a site, but then leaves), brands' mobile sites must automatically recognize the consumer's device as it loads, and render the page accordingly to ensure a view that is best optimized for the user's particular screen.
2. Leverage Traditional SEO Practices on a New Platform

Brands will ensure that their site stands out in a crowded market by translating traditional web SEO practices to mobile. Common SEO tactics that should be incorporated into all mobile sites include:

* Appropriate Keywords in Headlines and Text: Consumers use mobile for more focused and task-oriented searches (i.e. for a specific location or product). This is different from how most people search from a desktop computer. By understanding consumer behavior, brands can anticipate queries and incorporate key search terms into page text, increasing detection from search engines.
* Relevant Page Titles and Accurate Page Descriptions: Page titles are one of the first factors mobile browsers use to determine where a page will show in results. Similar to traditional SEO, it is important that these titles reflect the terms that people use to search, increasing the likelihood that the site will appear relevant and receive better page rankings.
* Outbound Links: Despite less real estate associated with mobile screens, incorporating outbound links to relevant sources provides a more complete user experience and associates the mobile site with other trusted brands.
* Standard Coding: The wide variety of operating systems supported by mobile makes it extremely important for brands to follow valid HTML coding. Browsers parse through HTML code to determine search relevance. Any errors or invalid coding will result in broken pages and a lower ranking. Sites built in accordance to standards will ensure a consistent experience across all devices.

3. Incorporate Linking and Digital Newsletters

More than 20% of email marketing is read from mobile phones, which is why it is crucial for companies to test and support all incoming links from digital newsletters and other promotional materials. But how can brands make sure that their linking practices translate to mobile? In practical terms, these links provide one fully integrated experience while also allowing brands to cast a wider net by creating a connected presence across the mobile web.

Further, effective traffic driving tools such as email newsletters and social media allow consumers to share links faster than ever before. Links that are not tested or properly maintained will lead to a loss of traffic from redirects to the mobile site. Additionally, these links are important for a mobile site because they can be used by all Internet-enabled phones, including those with limited or no JavaScript support.

For example, Staples incorporates multiple links in its digital newsletters that lead consumers to different product pages or special offers on its mobile site. Consumers who click on "Hot Deals" are directed to the Staples homepage, which is different from users who click links for product promotions which lead directly to the specific product pages.
The Future of Mobile Search

The rapid consumer adoption rate of smartphones, coupled with increasing advancements in mobile technology, means that mobile SEO is a powerful tool to move the needle on mobile traffic. Next-generation coding languages like HTML5 can be incorporated into mobile SEO practices to enhance a mobile site's usability and performance, resulting in higher page rankings in search engines.

Advancements in location-based search results and integrated real-time social search results will further impact how consumers use mobile search and how browsers position results. In order to increase traffic to mobile pages and drive revenue, it is essential for brands to think strategically about how to leverage common mobile SEO practices in order to increase brand loyalty and maximize traffic.

Disclosure: Staples is a client of the author’s company.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Palto

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“ZOMG” & “Twittersphere” Enter the Oxford Dictionary

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 10:59 AM PDT

As of this week, you’ll be able to justify the word “ZOMG” using the Oxford Dictionaries Online. Should you feel the need to alert the “Twittersphere,” you can spellcheck that, too.

The two words are on a long list of new additions to the dictionary, many of which have origins in technology and social media.

“The world of computers and social networking continues to be a major influence on the English language,” explains the online dictionary’s blog. (The Oxford Dictionary Online is affiliated with the OED, but they are not one and the same. The difference is explained here.)

Other newly official words include “social graph,” “permalink,” “paperless,” “lifehack” and “lappy.”

Dictionaries have been acknowledging emerging Internet vocabulary since 2004 or before. That year, “blog” made the top of Merriam Webster’s Word of the Year list. “Facebook” was Collins’s top word three years later, and in 2009, “unfriend” was the Oxford Dictionary’s top pick.

Perhaps “unfollow,” which Oxford also included in its recent online updates, will follow in its Facebook counterpart’s footsteps. ZOMG, that would be so cool.

Image courtesy of Flickr, simplebitsdan

More About: Dictionary, trending, twittersphere, ZOMG

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Why Web Personalization May Be Damaging Our World View

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 10:30 AM PDT

[Social Media Fishbowl]

Think about all the websites you visit each day. Think about all the blog posts and articles you read, all the videos you watch and the pictures you view. Now think about how you find all that stuff. Some of it is probably recommended by friends, some of it you find directly by visiting sites you know you like. But a growing portion is being curated by robots — computer algorithms that are filtering content and deciding what we get to see.

Almost all popular websites, from search engines to social networks to media outlets, are now utilizing filters in some way to personalize content for visitors.

On the surface, there are clear benefits to filtering for both businesses and consumers. Personalization equates to greater relevance, and for web publishers, relevant content and ads means more clicks and ultimately more money. For users, relevance means less time spent finding content they’ll enjoy.

Who really has time to sift through the 161 million results Google sends back for a search about “Miley Cyrus,” anyway? If the search engine knows you’re probably looking for her latest music video or her tour schedule, what’s the harm in showing you those results on the first page?

According to former MoveOn.org executive director and current board president Eli Pariser, however, there are dangerous, unintended consequences to filtering. In this new book, The Filter Bubble, Pariser argues that all this filtering is starting to isolate us. When websites show us only what we like, we get cut off from the diverse points of view that can enrich our understanding of the world. That might be relatively harmless when you’re searching for Ms. Cyrus’ latest single, but what about when you’re trying to find information about pending legislation in Congress or news about revolution in another country?

We had a chance speak with Pariser about how filters are changing the Internet as we know it.
Q&A with Eli Pariser, Author of The Filter Bubble

Eli PariserThe promise of the Internet is that it can connect people from different backgrounds, with different beliefs and across disparate locations. How is the trend toward personalization impeding the fulfillment of that promise?

We're more connected than ever to stuff "people like us" like — not just ads and products, but increasingly content as well. Yahoo News, for example, personalizes which articles it shows to which visitors.

There's a simple psychological logic to this: We like to be surrounded by the familiar, and by information that confirms what we already believe. It drives up pageviews and gets visitors coming back. But it's a problem because it means you're less likely than ever to be confronted with information that challenges your views, or gets you out of your comfort zone. Your own point of view follows you wherever you go.

In an increasingly complex and vast media landscape, filters can provide relevance and combat information overload. Can some level of personalization be useful? What are we missing that we need to see?

Some amount of algorithmic personalization is necessary — there's just too much stuff to sort through for humans to do it all. And tools like the Netflix movie recommendation engine can help people find content they wouldn't otherwise be aware of.

“Like” isn't a neutral word — it's easy to Like "I just finished a marathon," and hard to Like "cell phones may cause cancer."

But if these systems aren't designed carefully, you can miss a lot. Take the Facebook "Like" button — the main way that information gets spread on Facebook. "Like" isn't a neutral word — it's easy to Like "I just finished a marathon," and hard to Like "cell phones may cause cancer." So some kinds of information get through, and others don't, and when that's happening in the Facebook News Feed, where an increasing number of folks get their news, it's a real problem.

Isn’t seeking out a diversity of information a personal responsibility? And haven’t citizens always lived in bubbles of their own making by watching a single news network or subscribing to a single newspaper?

There are a few important ways that the new filtering regime differs from the old one. First, it's invisible — most people aren't aware that their Google search results, Yahoo News links, or Facebook feed is being tailored in this way.

When you turn on Fox News, you know what the editing rule is — what kind of information is likely to get through and what kind is likely to be left out. But you don't know who Google thinks you are or on what basis it's editing your results, and therefore you don't know what you're missing.

Yes, we should all seek out diverse information flows. But great media makes that easy, even fun — combining information vegetables and information dessert and making sure you get enough of both. A lot of the personalization that exists today just serves up information junk food. It may be delicious, but it doesn't feed the soul.

What is your biggest fear of runaway personalization? What are the consequences?

Being a politically-minded person, my biggest fear is probably that important but un-sexy problems — from homelessness to the war in Afghanistan — fall out of view entirely.

My biggest fear is probably that important but un-sexy problems — from homelessness to the war in Afghanistan — fall out of view entirely.

Clay Shirky points out that while most newspaper readers read the internal sections (Sports, Home and Garden, whatever), at least they had to flip by the front page which let them know if something important was going on that they should know about. Now it's possible to live in a bubble where that stuff doesn't ever show up — you'd never know it's happening.

And the challenge there is: We can lose sight of our common problems, but they don't lose sight of us.

While most personalization on the web is algorithmically driven, aren’t we implicitly informing the algorithms based on the choices we’ve previously made interacting with content? Couldn’t you then, in theory, manipulate the filter so you see what you want to see or are there too many factors beyond our control?

Yeah, a lot of people want to "trick" the algorithm — there's some allure to psyching out Google. But there are probably too many factors at work to do it effectively.

Consider: Even if you're completely logged out of Google, on a new computer, the company can track 57 signals about you — from what kind of laptop you're using to what your IP address is to what the font size in your browser is. Already, that gives a lot of important clues about age, income and demographics.

It's ironic — the promise of personalization is that it gives us our own personal view of the world. But the challenge is that a lot of the time, it's actually pushing us toward a stereotyped, simplified version of ourselves: "This person is male, so we'll show him more gadget and car news."

Many of the major social, discovery and media sites on the Internet now implement some type of personalization. Do you feel these sites have a responsibility to educate consumers about how their information is being filtered? Do you think users should be able to opt out of personalization?

Yes, on both counts.

Marshall McLuhan, the media theorist, famously described media as an extension of the nervous system — television is literally eyesight from afar. The systems by which media bring information to us shape how we understand the world. And so understanding those systems and having some control over them is critical.

The companies that are doing this filtering have a huge responsibility — the same responsibility, in many ways, as the old-school media institutions they're replacing. And they need to wield it well — to educate their users about how the filtering works, to give them some control, and to build algorithms that have this sense of civic purpose embedded in them.

You’ve said the solution to the dangers of too much personalization is to build ethics into the algorithm. How does one teach a robot gatekeeper to act with a sense of civic responsibility?

A lot of the danger here comes from relying too heavily on a few specific indicators of what people want — clicks, Likes, video views, whatever.

"Want" is complicated word, because we all have lots of conflicting desires — we want to eat cake and be thin, we want to be educated about the world and watch Jersey Shore. Looking at a variety of signals that encompass that range would be a start — for example, adding an "Important" button alongside the Facebook "Like" button. Otherwise, you can end up with your own personal Jersey Shore marathon.

How is the “filter bubble” related to privacy?

It's sort of the inverse of privacy. Privacy is about controlling what the world is allowed to know about you. This is about controlling what you're able to see of the world — what your filters let through and what they don't.

The common thread is that they both have a lot to do with personal data. Personalization couldn't exist without the massive dossiers of personal data being collected by big companies online these days. And it's a problem because consumers don't have much control over that. The current laws around personal data just don't contemplate a world in which a click on one website changes what you see on an entirely different one. (Or indeed, websites at all.)

Another emerging trend in online media is the rise of human-based content curation using social media tools. Could human curation work in tandem with algorithmic filtering to help us avoid getting trapped in “filter bubbles?”

Yes, I think that's part of the solution. There are lots of things that humans are great at that algorithms are still very bad at: anticipating what's going to be a story, pairing different stories together, giving a representative sense of what's happening in the world.

That's the happy ending that's possible here if these tools become more transparent and controllable: humans and robot algorithms, living in peaceful harmony, giving us both entertainment and the information we really need.

Images courtesy of Jen Campbell and iStockphoto, dibrova

More About: eli pariser, filters, interview, personalization

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National Donut Day Sparks Twitter Trivia Contest

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 09:50 AM PDT

What national treat is celebrated on June 3? Hint: Dunkin’ Donuts is running a trivia contest on Twitter to tie in with the event.

The contest, announced Friday morning, aims to prolong the considerable buzz the donut chain has already gotten thanks to National Donut Day. This morning, Dunkin’, along with rival Krispy Kreme, was a "Hot Search" on Google Trends, and a top Trend on Twitter largely because of deals from both.

On Thursday, Dunkin’ tweeted its offer of a free donut with beverage purchase to its 83,000 followers and put the offer on its Facebook Page, which has 3.5 million fans. Krispy Kreme tweeted its offer — a free donut with no purchase required — to its 8,000 followers on Twitter and touted the deal on its Facebook Page, which has 3.4 million fans.

To keep the discussion going, Dunkin' launched its trivia contest at around 10 a.m. ET. The winners get $50 Dunkin Donuts gift cards. Sample question: "Which country sells these Smiley Donuts? Russia, Peru or Puerto Rico?"

Dunkin's promotion is a bit low key compared to last year's, which was tied in with a celebration of the chain's 60th anniversary. That promotion not only included a free donut with beverage offer, but the unveiling of a contest called "Create Dunkin's Next Donut." The winner: Rachel Davis, whose Monkey-see, Monkey-donut creation, replete with a Bananas Foster filling, chocolate frosting and Reese's Peanut Butter shavings, went on sale last fall.

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Kaiser Chiefs Turns Fans Into Producers for Record Release

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 09:02 AM PDT

And the fight for most creative record release continues: British indie band Kaiser Chiefs is out with a new disc, The Future Is Medieval, and the group is letting fans create their own version of the album.

When you visit the band’s website, you’re asked to choose 10 of 20 tracks to go on your own personalized album. You can then design an album cover using a variety of pre-selected images. Once you’ve purchased the disc, you’ll be given your own page from which to sell the album and earn one pound per sale via PayPal.

The whole project was conceptualized by the band, Universal Music UK and Wieden + Kennedy London, after W+K’s Oli Beale and lead singer Ricky Wilson met up in a fish-and-chip shop for a chat.

To be sure, this is a creative way to get fans engaged in your music (and to market and sell your tunes, as well), but at this juncture, we have to ask: Is this level of fan control taking matters too far? Why write and record 20 songs when fans can only choose 10? What about the consistency of an album that comes from a band choosing how songs flow into each other? The album doesn’t appear to be for sale in any official format via iTunes or Amazon, either, but you can buy “Ricky’s version.”

This isn’t the first time a band has crowdsourced a disc, per se. Devo did the same thing with its album Something for Everybody; the disc's 12 tracks were chosen through a "Song Study" in which fans chose which songs would be included. Still, Devo is famous for being bafflingly tongue-in-cheek.

What do you think of this promotion? Interesting way to involve fans, or a step too far into the marketing realm?

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Pose 2.0 Transforms iPhone Into Fashion Discovery Engine

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 08:40 AM PDT

Pose released version 2.0 of its iPhone and web apps this week, transmuting what was something of a bare-bones image-tagging app into a more social, mobile discovery engine for fashion.

As before, the app [iTunes link] invites users to upload images of apparel and accessories while they shop, tag them with their prices and the location of the store in which they were found, and then share them with their networks on Pose, Facebook and Twitter.

Users can now also opt to follow their friends, other individuals and a small but growing roster of brands and retailers such as Levi’s and Aerie by American Eagle, in either a linear newsfeed or grid format. They can also craft their own profiles and browse featured items selected by Pose’s internal team and well-known style bloggers, including Leandra Medine of Man Repeller.

Unfortunately, the social features are still very limited. Users can only “heart” items and cannot leave comments, which prevents users from 1). expressing their opinions and reactions 2). forming social connections via the app and 3). asking questions about the items they’re seeing (“Is it in season? Was that the last one in the store?”). At the very least, we’d like to see a range of emoticons like those offered by Path.

We’re also hoping Pose offers better ecommerce integration in the future, as we’d like the ability to shop within the app. (From a business perspective, we’re sure they’d like this, too.) Soon, CEO Dustin Rosen tells us, brands will be able to extend deals and promotions to users in the app.

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Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 08:29 AM PDT

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The Energizer® Inductive Charger brings you the next generation of charging with Qi technology. Qi is the new universal standard for wireless charging … now that's positivenergy™.

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AceProject is a collaboration-oriented project management web application that empowers you to manage projects, tasks and time sheets. Create your free AceProject account here.

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7MainStreet is the first company to combine social networking, e-commerce, and comprehensive business reviews and listings. 7MainStreet helps organizations of all sizes.

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LoopFuse provides forever-free marketing automation software that closes the loop between sales and marketing with smarter lead capture, scoring, and nurturing — plus Salesforce.com integration. LoopFuse helps marketers build better pipelines, run more efficient marketing operations, and enable more effective sales teams leading to increased revenue and reduced costs. Learn more about lead nurturing with LoopFuse.

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BMW i is a new concept dedicated to providing mobility solutions for the urban environment. It delivers more than purpose-built electric vehicles — it delivers smart mobility services. Visit bmw-i.com.

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Elance is where where businesses tap into the human cloud for immediate access to the talent they need, when they need it. Elance offers the flexibility to staff up or down, and is faster and less expensive than traditional staffing and outsourcing. Check out Startup Cloud to learn how to hire and manage in the human cloud.

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Discover Digital Group is a unique consultancy that focuses on identifying new e-revenue opportunities for both Fortune 1000 and startup clients alike. From developing new digital products to generating new audiences and revenue for existing online products, it creates smarter, more effective solutions for your business challenges. Follow DDG on Facebook to get a taste of the insights that are offered.

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Global Strategic Management Institute is a leading source of knowledge for today's leaders. Its Social Media Strategies Series are the leading educational events for organizations looking to advance their online capabilities. Learn more at socialmediastrategiessummit.com.

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Ford supports Mashable Explore. The Content Exploration Series is presented by Mashable Explore, a new way to discover resources and information on your favorite Mashable topics. Mashable Explore is brought to you by the all-new, 100% reinvented 2011 Ford Explorer. Drive One.

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Site24x7, an online website monitoring service which allows users to monitor their website, web application and online web transactions. Users can get instant alerts when their website goes down. Site24x7 allows monitoring from across 25+ global locations. Site24x7 pricing starts from $1/Month/URL. Sign up for a 15-day Free Trial!

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With the explosion of mobile devices, advertising dollars will begin to shift to mobile for tech marketers this year. IDG Global Solutions President Matt Yorke talks about the rise of social and how IDG helps marketers create social campaigns. The line is fading between social media and traditional media. Earned media or sharing of information within social networks is becoming mainstream whether on a PC or mobile device. Learn more.

IDG supports Mashable’s Modern Media Agency Series.

Elsevier‘s SciVerse Application Marketplace and Developer Network enables developers to build apps based on trusted scientific content. In 2008, the prominent science publisher Elsevier launched SciVerse to provide developers with access to ample research data. SciVerse also sponsors "Apps for Science," a $35,000 developer challenge to accelerate science. Learn more.

SciVerse supports Mashable’s Future Web Series. Follow SciVerse on Twitter and Facebook.

HubSpot offers inbound marketing software that helps small and medium sized businesses get found on the Internet by the right prospects and converts more of them into leads and customers. HubSpot's software platform includes tools that allow professional marketers and small business owners to manage SEO, blogging, social media, landing pages, e-mail, lead intelligence and marketing analytics. Learn more.

Hubspot supports Mashable’s Digital Marketing Series, and follow HubSpot on Twitter and Facebook.

Vocus helps businesses get heard and talked about on social media and beyond. It brings you all the conversations that matter, without information overload, and lets you find influencers fast. Take a quick online demo and see what it can do.

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Level 3 Communications is an international provider of fiber-based communications services. Level 3 is committed to carrying digital media from anywhere to anywhere, in whatever format needed.

Level 3 supports Mashable’s Social Gaming Development Series.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset platform is redefining mobility by offering an optimal combination of mobile processing performance, powerful multimedia, wireless connectivity and power efficiency. Inside your smartphone beats the heart of a dragon.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon supports Mashable’s Mobile World Congress Series. Check it out here, and follow Qualcomm on Twitter and Facebook.

Sourcebits, a leading product developer for mobile platforms. Sourcebits offers design and development services for iOS, Android, Mobile and Web platforms.

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Oneupweb is an agency specializing in search marketing, social media and design for mid-to-enterprise level brands. Keep up with Oneupweb through its blog and monthly newsletter.

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SoftLayer provides global, on-demand data center and hosting services from facilities across the U.S. it leverages best-in-class connectivity and technology to innovate industry leading, fully automated solutions that empower enterprises with complete access, control, security, and scalability.

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SRDS connects agencies, brands and media through its online database of media planning data. SRDS is committed to making it easier to buy online ad space and build integrated marketing campaigns. Sign up for a free 14-day trial of the SRDS consumer and business database here.

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Buddy Media is Power Tools for Facebook. Have something new to tell 500 million people? Learn the best way to manage multiple brands on Facebook with this webinar.

Buddy Media supports Mashable’s Facebook Marketing Series, which is about how brands can advertise on Facebook. Follow Buddy Media on Twitter and Facebook.

Clickatell was the first provider of Online SMS Gateway connectivity, and after 10 years, is still the leading provider. Clickatell can deliver your SMS text messages to over 818 mobile networks in more than 222 countries and territories.

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BizSpark is a program which offers new software businesses and entrepreneurs access to Microsoft design, development and production tools with no upfront costs for up to three years. Learn more or connect with a Microsoft BizSpark advisor here.

BizSpark supports Mashable’s weekly Spark of Genius Series, which showcases promising startups. Follow Microsoft BizSpark on Twitter and Facebook.

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Intridea has created the official Mashable apps for platforms including Android, iPad, and the Mac App Store. Follow Intridea on Twitter and Facebook.

Webtrends founded the web analytics industry in 1993. Today, its leadership extends much further to social media measurement, paid-search optimization and connecting the online and offline data silos scattered throughout organizations. Webtrends helps you analyze the data generated by your web site, blogs, online campaigns and enterprise systems to understand your customers and, ultimately, business opportunities.

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Rackspace Hosting is the world’s leader in the hosting and cloud computing industry. The San Antonio-based company provides Fanatical Support® to its customers across a portfolio of IT services. For more information, visit rackspace.com.

Mashable.com is hosted on Rackspace, and Rackspace sponsors Mashable’s Web Development Series. Check it out here, and follow Rackspace on Twitter.

iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of safe, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash® files. Browse the best stock library of royalty free content at prices anyone can afford. Mashable readers save 10%.

Mashable sources many of its photos from iStockphoto. Follow iStockphoto on Twitter and Facebook.

Dyn Inc. is a world leader in managed DNS, powering the best brands on the web including Gowalla, Mashable, Twitter, Wikia and more. For more information about Dyn Inc., visit www.dyn.com, e-mail hello@dyn.com or call +1-603-668-4998.

Mashable provides exclusive content on Dyn.com. Check it out here, and follow Dyn on Twitter and Facebook.

ConcentricSky offers web and mobile development with a focus on emerging technologies. With partners ranging from National Geographic and Encyclopedia Britannica to NASA and The World Bank, Concentric Sky is known for delivering innovative, world-class software solutions.

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HOW TO: Make a Mini Movie Theater With Your iPhone

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 08:00 AM PDT

The Gadget of the Day Series is supported by the Energizer® Inductive Charger, which brings you the next generation of charging with Qi technology. Qi is the new universal standard for wireless charging … now that's positivenergy™.

Product: MiLi Power Projector 2 pico projector

Price: $399.95, around £200 in the UK

What It’s Good For: Portability, easy set up and decent picture quality.

Who It's Good For: Anyone who wants to share his iPhone’s video content with a group or see it larger.

Limitations: It’s not a cheap gadget.

Bottom Line: The MiLi Power Projector 2 offers iPhone owners a fun way to watch and share video.
A Look at the MiLi Power Projector 2

The second-gen MiLi Power Projector boasts a few improvements on the first. It has shed a good few inches of bulk, boasts better 2.5-hour battery life and now has a fanless design for near-silent operation. Offering a fun way to view video content larger and with a group of others, we were interested to test it out.

Setting up the projector is easy. Once you’ve charged it via mini USB, just open it, pop out the stand, stick your iPhone on the built-in Apple dock, and it recognizes the input right away. You can tweak brightness and contrast in the menu using the remote control, while the volume control and the focus wheel are on the projector itself.

MiLi claims a projection area of up to 70- inches, but you do have to consider that the further away the projector is from the wall, the less bright the image will be. We found a sweet spot of size and brightness to be around 40 inches, which is obviously much larger than the iPhone’s display and a decent size to watch a movie.

In a dark room, the image quality was good. The projector only boasts a VGA resolution, so you’re not going to see the nuances and details you might be used to on your big screen TV, but it’s not a replacement for that — it’s a fun and very portable way to share video from your iPhone or iPod touch.

We feel the pico projector’s novelty value doesn’t necessarily outweigh the high cost, but we were impressed with the gadget and can recommend it to anyone who can afford to splash out.

3. MiLi Power Projector 2 vs iPhone

[3. MiLi Power Projector 2 vs iPhone]

The MiLi Power Projector 2 is smaller and quieter than the previous model.

2. MiLi Power Projector 2 Open

[2. MiLi Power Projector 2 Open]

It flips open and the iPhone or iPod sits on the Apple dock.

4. MiLi Power Projector 2 With iPhone

[4. MiLi Power Projector 2 With iPhone]

The stands pops out to support the projector.

5. MiLi Power Projector 2 In Use

[5. MiLi Power Projector 2 In Use]

You can project images from a few inches wide up to 70 inches.

Series Supported by Energizer®

The Gadget of the Day Series is supported by the Energizer® Inductive Charger, which brings you the next generation of charging with Qi technology. Qi is the new universal standard for wireless charging. Energizer® has always been designed with performance and responsibility in mind … now that's positivenergy™.

More About: accessories, Gadget of the Day Series, gadgets, iphone, iphone accessories, MiLi, pico projectors, projectors, review, video

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Yfrog Says It Wasn’t Compromised in Wake of Weiner Photo

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 07:38 AM PDT

Reports surfaced this week alleging that Yfrog’s email-to-upload feature had a security hole that could have been responsible for Rep. Anthony Weiner’s alleged “hack” in which a lewd photo was sent from his Twitter account to a Seattle College student. Yfrog has since released a statement about that feature, which it recently suspended.

The congressman has denied that he posted the photo; it features a clothed crotch shot of an unidentified man. He blames hackers but has not outright denied that it was his picture.

The Daily Dot recently pointed out that Yfrog users had the option to email a custom address to post pictures to Yfrog and Twitter. You could email that address using any email account (without a verification process), which means that if someone had access to that address — or the wherewithal to figure it out — that person could post a photo to another user’s Twitter stream.

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert Uses Twitter To Poke Fun at Weiner Scandal [PICS]

Yfrog recently suspended this feature. A Yfrog blog post from Thursday reminds users of proper email PIN privacy practices and also states: “At Yfrog, we constantly evaluate our internal security mechanisms across all the facets of our service. Even though our email upload feature has not been compromised or broken into, we are taking this opportunity to evaluate the feature and secure it even further.”

It seems Yfrog is saying that it was not responsible for the “hack” of Weiner’s account. The congressman has stated that his office is conducting an investigation using an outside firm to discover the origin on the pic.

More About: Anthony Weiner, hack, politics, twitter, yfrog

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MI6 Hacks Al-Qaeda Website, Attacks With Cupcake Recipes

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 07:15 AM PDT

British intelligence agency MI6 hacked an Al-Qaeda online magazine, replacing bomb-making instructions with a recipe for cupcakes, The Telegraph reports.

The joint action by MI6 and the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters had agents insert into the magazine an encrypted version of "The Best Cupcakes in America," published by the Ellen DeGeneres talk show.

Originally, the magazine had instructions on how to make lethal pipe bombs, as well as articles by Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri.

According to The Telegraph, a similar Pentagon operation was blocked by the CIA, who claimed the magazine is more valuable as a source of intelligence. The attack was launched from Britain instead.

Al-Qaeda reissued the magazine (bomb-making instructions included) two weeks later and issued four more editions. According to one of The Telegraph‘s sources, British intelligence “was continuing to target online outlets publishing the magazine because it is viewed as such a powerful propaganda tool.”

As amusing as the story may sound, one has to question whether changing the magazine’s content in such an obvious way was the best course of action. It gave Al-Qaeda a clear warning its website had been hacked, probably making the organization a lot more cautious.

Image courtesy of Flickr, lamantin

More About: Agency, agents, al qaeda, British intelligence, cupcakes, intelligence, Mi6, terrorism, trending

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Zynga Courts Goldman Sachs for IPO [REPORT]

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 07:00 AM PDT

Zynga is trying to get Goldman Sachs to lead its IPO and provide a credit line of more than $1 billion for acquisitions, according to a report.

Goldman Sachs will likely make its decision Friday, according to Bloomberg. Reportedly the game maker will file for an IPO by the end of the month.

Zynga's looming IPO comes after LinkedIn went public in May, more than doubling its per-share asking price on opening day and surging to a valuation of $8.9 billion. Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan led that IPO. Groupon also filed for an IPO on Thursday underwritten by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Group AG. Goldman Sachs is also a key investor in Facebook, which has not yet set a date for its IPO.

More About: facebook, goldman sachs, groupon, ipo, Morgan Stanley, Zynga

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HOW TO: Write a Standout Job Description

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 06:14 AM PDT

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

There’s a lot of competition for top talent in the tech space. Writing a standout job description is an essential step toward attracting the right individuals to join your company.

As the demand for highly specialized digital talent increases in coming years, it will be even more important for companies to convey their wants, needs and culture via their websites and other digital touchpoints — job descriptions are no exception.

Here are our top tips for writing job descriptions that effectively communicate your company’s available positions and the requirements for applicants. We also searched the web for some examples of well-written job listings, which you’ll find below.
Essential Details

General guidelines on what to include in job descriptions have evolved over the years, making it simpler for employers to write them and for potential applicants to read them. Here are nine essential details to include in your company’s job descriptions:

* Job Title & Summary: Develop a job title for the position you’re looking to fill — the title and level (assistant, senior, lead, etc.) should accurately reflect the work that the employee will perform. Be sure to choose a job title that reflects your industry’s standards and organization’s culture. Once you’ve defined the position, write a brief description of the purpose of the position and an overview of the position’s main responsibilities. This summary should be short and to the point — one to three sentences should suffice.
* Key Responsibilities: List all of the essential functions of the position at hand. Generally, this includes between five and 10 responsibilities. Begin each responsibility with a present-tense, action verb — “research social media trends” or “mock up new UI graphics” are good examples. Be transparent about how frequently a task will be performed or what percentage of the employee’s time will be spent with each task. This helps applicants form an idea of what a typical day may look like.
* Department & Supervisor: Include details on who the person would report to and where that person falls within the company’s structure.
* Skills & Qualifications: List all qualifications that are mandatory, along with those that are preferred. Such qualifications should include skills, years of experience, certifications, licenses, education level and necessary technical proficiencies.
* Company Overview: While it is ideal that a candidate would already know essential details about the hiring company, it is helpful for potential applicants to have a description of the company (as written by the company) at hand. Include information about the company’s mission, goals, industry and headquarters location. Other useful details could include the number of states and countries where the company is present, number of employees, annual sales and so on.
* Location: Include details on where the position is located. If travel is necessary, note what percentage of time the employee will spend traveling and where he or she will be traveling.
* Type of Employment: Be very clear about whether the position is full-time or part-time. If the position is an internship, note whether it will be paid or unpaid — be sure that the internship follows the six federal legal criteria if it is unpaid.
* Salary Range & Benefits: If your company is open to publicizing the position’s salary range and benefits (such as 401(k), vacation days, or medical and dental insurance), include those details within the job description.
* Recruiter Contact Information: While it may seem obvious, there are plenty of job listings on the web without contact information. Include contact information so that potential applicants can apply and ask questions.

Formatting Tips

Not all job descriptions are created equal. The perfect job description is neither too descriptive nor too vague, uses clear language and represents the ethos of the company. Here are a few formatting tips for improving your company’s job descriptions:

* Bullet Point When Possible: Make your job description easier to skim by using bullet points within the responsibilities and qualifications sections and anywhere else that makes sense.
* Be Specific: While brevity is a much-appreciated art, it’s also important to be as specific and transparent as possible in your job description. Vague descriptions make it difficult for potential applicants to imagine themselves in a role and to decide whether they are qualified for or would enjoy the job.
* Use Direct Language: It’s important to give potential applicants a clear idea of the responsibilities and qualifications necessary for the job. Steer away from fuzzy descriptors, such as “sometimes” or “often” when describing duties. Opt for organizing job responsibilities by hours or percentage of time spent on each.
* Embody the Company’s Personality: When putting the job description together, choose a writing style and words that match your company’s ethos. If your business is a startup with a very distinct company culture, be sure to communicate that sentiment with the way you format your description, the words you use and the general feelings your description evokes. If that means straying from the norms, so be it. In the end, the goal is to attract people who are right for the position and the company.

Learn From the Best

The recruitment teams at Meetup, The New York Times Company, Facebook, Google and Twitter communicate effectively via their job listings. Check out examples from each company below.

Meetup: Embody Your Company Culture

[Meetup: Embody Your Company Culture]

The team at Meetup focuses on its people, which is quite evident on the company's blog and recruitment page.

The business's hiring page includes a personality-filled company description, including its goals, product function, values and what its looking for in job candidates.

The New York Times Company: Be Available

[The New York Times Company: Be Available]

There's almost nothing more annoying than sending a job application into the great unknown. Many job listings and recruitment sites fail to include details on how applicants can get in touch with recruiters to follow up on their applications or ask questions.

The New York Times Company recruiting team does a great job at being available and reaching out to job applicants. For example, the @NYTimesRecruit Twitter account, run by the company's talent acquisition team, actively responds to questions and tweets job search and career-related articles that followers may find of interest.

Facebook: Publicize Benefits & Perks

[Facebook: Publicize Benefits & Perks]

While some recruiters may see it as a disadvantage to publicize benefits and perks (and salary details), applicants tend to appreciate the transparency.

Facebook's careers page thoroughly explains the company's benefits package and its other dandy perks, such as laundry service, discounts, transportation reimbursements and speaking opportunities.

Google: Explain Your Various Locations

[Google: Explain Your Various Locations]

It's obvious to include the location of the position on the job description, but it takes a bit more initiative to go into depth and explain the intricacies of each office.

Google's recruitment page features an "office locations" tab where interested candidates can explore the company's offices by location using Google Maps or a list of locations. Each office page features contact details for the office and a list of open positions at that office, along with photos and a description of what it's like to work in that location.

Twitter: Bullet Point & Be Specific

[Twitter: Bullet Point & Be Specific]

As expected, Twitter, the king of short communication, understands the power of getting to the point in recruitment descriptions.

The company's job listings are specific and to the point, without lacking information. All job descriptions include sections for "about this job," "responsibilities" and "qualifications," and others even include a "pluses" section, which outlines preferred (but not necessary) qualifications, such as being an active Twitter user and responsibly enjoying beer.
Your Ideas

Have you seen any unique job descriptions across the web lately? If so, let us know about them in the comments below and be sure to explain why you find them so interesting.

Images courtesy of Flickr, rutty & Adikos

More About: job recruiting, jobs, Recruiting, recruitment, trending

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Google Search Becomes More Image-Friendly

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 05:53 AM PDT

Google has added a couple of features to its main search engine that make it easier to search for images and browse through image-related results.

Now, the images that show up in main search results will increase in size when you move your mouse over them, making it easier to choose the ones you want.

Furthermore, if you indicate that you’re searching for images in the main search – for example, if you add words such as “images” or “photos” to your search query – Google will recognize it and offer you a grid of images on top of the standard search results.

These new features are available on google.com in English, but Google promises global availability in the next month.

[via Google]

More About: Google, Google images, image search, images, Search

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