Mashable: Latest 23 News Updates - including “Microsoft Introduces Montage, a Magazine-Like, Topic-Based Web App” |
- Microsoft Introduces Montage, a Magazine-Like, Topic-Based Web App
- New Android Market Coming Soon
- Niche Job Board Finds Opportunity in Temporary Employment
- U.S. Navy’s Record-Breaking Electromagnetic Railgun Shoots Projectiles at Mach 7
- Google Chrome Web Store: Confused Yet?
- WordPress Rolls Out New HTML5-Friendly Theme
- Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters
- Instagram Updates With Support for Posterous and New Languages
- What Makes the “Most Influential Social Good Champions” Tick? [INTERVIEWS]
- Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: The Toy Edition
- View the “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue” Flipboard Style [PICS]
- Brightkite Permanently Checks Out of Checkins
- Mapping Facebook’s Global Takeover [GRAPHIC]
- For Restaurants, Social Media Is About More Than Just Marketing
- Facebook Announces First Hacker Cup
- P&G Shifts Marketing Strategy From Soap Operas to Social Media
- The Existential Trouble With Social Gaming [COMIC]
- Win a Holiday MashPack With 14 Tech Prizes & E-Ink Watch [GIVEAWAY]
- Former WikiLeaks Members Form “Openleaks”
- 10 Ways Business Leaders Can Turn Ideas Into Execution
- Should You Accept Mom & Dad’s Facebook Friend Request? [FLOWCHART]
- How Social Media is Changing the Business of Television
- The Top 3 Stories in Tech & Social Media This Morning
- S&P 500 Drops “New York Times,” Adds Netflix
| Microsoft Introduces Montage, a Magazine-Like, Topic-Based Web App Posted: 10 Dec 2010 11:37 PM PST      At LeWeb yesterday, Microsoft demonstrated a pretty, new way to curate the web’s information: Montage. Montage looks and feels a lot like a glossy magazine web or tablet app. It works by allowing the user to pick a keyword or two; the application then pulls data and content from a variety of media-rich and real-time sources, including YouTube, RSS feeds, Twitter and Bing News. . The content is then arranged on the page in a grid format — you get to choose the exact layout — for your own consumption and for sharing with others. For example, we used the term “christmas trees” to create a Montage of our own. We picked a fairly standard web-magazine format, then we were able to customize each “widget” or compartment of the layout with a WYSIWYG editor. We added images, a Twitter term trend chart, news articles and more.
When the editing part was done, we were able to tag our visual scrapbook, share it with our Facebook and Twitter networks and then publish it to a unique web page. Here’s a demo of Montage’s basic features: In light of our collective focus on web apps and tablet form factors lately, Montage strikes the right note at the right time. However, we should note that (surprise, surprise) the app didn’t always play nicely with our recently acquired Chromebook and the Chrome web browser. And your visual scrapbook will only be as awesome as Montage’s sometimes-flawed understanding of your keywords. Montage comes from Fuse Labs, a research-focused division of Microsoft that concentrates on social, real-time and rich-media experiences. Another cool Fuse project we liked a lot was Kodu, an experimental, visual game-programming platform designed with kids in mind. Give Montage a spin, and let us know what you think in the comments. Reviews: Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube More About: fuse labs, microsoft, montage For more Tech coverage:
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| New Android Market Coming Soon Posted: 10 Dec 2010 09:31 PM PST   Android-powered devices will soon see a revamped Android Market that delivers a more slick and sophisticated way to discover and purchase apps. The rollout will happen over the next two weeks and will work for devices running Android 1.6 and higher. THe first thing you’re probably notice is the carousel interface on the home screen and category screens. Here, you’ll see featured apps you can quickly flip through and download. Another cool — and long overdue — discovery feature will be a listing of related apps for each application’s details page. The Market is also getting two new categories, Widgets and Live Wallpapers, with more categories coming for popular apps and games coming soon. Another significant change is the return-for-refund window for apps. Currently, users have 24 hours from the time they purchase an app to return it for a full and unconditional refund. With the Market update, that window will be decreased to 15 minutes. The numbers show that most refunds occur within minutes of an app purchase, writes Android developer Eric Chu, so the change will likely help developers and app-makers run their businesses better. We’ve been waiting for a better Android Market for some time; we can’t wait to play with the new and improved Android Market client ourselves — especially when it comes to finding related apps, something we’ve been relying on third parties like AppESP to provide.
Reviews: Android, Android Market More About: android, Android Market, apps, Google, Mobile 2.0, trending For more Mobile coverage:
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| Niche Job Board Finds Opportunity in Temporary Employment Posted: 10 Dec 2010 08:19 PM PST   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.
Quick Pitch: Urban Interns is a national marketplace that connects growing companies with people looking for part-time jobs, internships and freelance positions. Genius Idea: Online job sites date back to the early days of the web, but most focus on helping companies and job seekers fill and find full-time positions. However, in the aftermath of the economic downturn, more and more growing companies need to fill temporary posts just as much, if not more, than full-time jobs. Enter Urban Interns, a site that emerged in early 2009 to satisfy small and medium-sized businesses’ needs around intern, part-time and freelance positions. The site caters to companies and job seekers in large metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, Dallas, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, with more city releases planned for the immediate future. It’s meant to be both a low-cost solution for businesses and a convenient tool for part-timers to get discovered and find more short-term work. Intern and part-time job seekers can search for open temporary positions or use the site a build an employer-searchable profile that includes their photo, bio and links to social networks. Employers pay $49.95 for each listing; the one-time fee also gets them access to the site’s job seeker database for 30 days. Co-founder Cari Sommer says that its users skew younger and its businesses need to fill social posts, which means there’s lots of college students looking for internships and plenty of social media work to be had. In fact, 50% of listed posts are related to social media, she says. Temporary event, sales and business development work is also readily available. Sommer was reluctant to share revenue figures, so we can’t say how well the startup is doing on the business side of things. It would seem, though, that Urban Interns has a promising future, considering its growth and database of job seekers. The business has matured from a bootstrapped idea isolated in New York to an angel-funded startup serving 12 cities and roughly 10,000 job seekers. Series Supported by 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, job search, jobs, social media, spark-of-genius, urban interns For more Startups coverage:
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| U.S. Navy’s Record-Breaking Electromagnetic Railgun Shoots Projectiles at Mach 7 Posted: 10 Dec 2010 06:42 PM PST   In a fascinating display of futuristic weaponry, the U.S. Navy broke world records today with a railgun, a device that sent projectiles hurtling around a range at speeds of up to Mach 7 and up to 33 megajoules of energy transfered to the projectile. This kind of weapon requires no explosion to get a projectile from point A to point B. Rather, a railgun uses an electromagnetic current to accomplish the task, and it does so at previously unimaginable velocities. The projectile, which is conductive, travels along a pair of metal rails as an electric current is passing through the projectile. The rails generate a magnetic field, which interacts with the current to move the projectile at extremely high velocities. In terms of military use, a railgun projectile is faster than a guided cruise missile, doesn’t require on-board explosives, is much cheaper to use and can hit targets substantially farther away. In fact, the Navy hopes to increase the railgun’s current 100-mile range to 200 miles in the future. The Navy has been working on railgun technology since around 2005. In 2006, they tested an 8-megajoule firing; in 2008, a 10.64-megajoule firing was conducted. Today’s test, which was conducted at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division in Dahlgren, Virginia, broke all previous tests in a 33-megajoule firing. Still, railgun technology is definitely still in the testing phase; we probably won’t see railgun aboard Navy ships for at least the next 10 to 15 years. In the meantime, here’s a Fox News clip of the test: For more Tech coverage:
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| Google Chrome Web Store: Confused Yet? Posted: 10 Dec 2010 05:29 PM PST
The launch was announced alongside a new netbook running Chrome OS, Google’s browser-centric operating system. And the Web Store is part of Chrome, Google’s super-fast web browser. Except that many Chrome apps can run in other browsers, since they’re actually just websites. Oh, and don’t mistake apps for “extensions”, which are add-ons for the Chrome browser. Confused yet? Suffice to say, Google’s grand plans are ambitious, groundbreaking, and darned difficult to explain to the average computer user. That’s why I think it’ll be some time before the world embraces Google’s vision for the future. That’s the topic of my CNN column this week. Read the full column on CNN.com >>Reviews: Chrome, Google More About: chrome web store, Google, google chrome, web apps, web store For more Tech coverage:
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| WordPress Rolls Out New HTML5-Friendly Theme Posted: 10 Dec 2010 04:21 PM PST   WordPress has just introduced Toolbox, a brand new theme that will let its users take advantage of some nifty HTML5 elements with the Custom CSS upgrade. Toolbox is “a semantic, HTML5, canvas for CSS artists and an ultra-minimal set of super-clean templates for your own WordPress theme development.” Designers can use the Toolbox markup to do “anything you want,” according to WordPress. You can also use Toolbox to build your own WordPress theme for a self-hosted site. For those familiar with designing around WordPress themes, Toolbox might strike you as distinctively Sandbox-like — and you wouldn’t be wrong to think so. WordPress themes shaman and web designer Ian Stewart wrote today on the official WordPress blog, “Much like the Sandbox theme, Toolbox provides all the markup you need to build your very own theme with CSS alone — with one difference. “Toolbox uses some really exciting new HTML5 elements — like <article>, <header>, and <nav> — that better describe what your content is all about.” To see Toolbox in action, check out this dummy site. Or, you can get started by downloading it from the WordPress themes directory. Reviews: WordPress More About: HTML5, toolbox, trending, WordPress, WordPress theme For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters Posted: 10 Dec 2010 02:52 PM PST
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| Instagram Updates With Support for Posterous and New Languages Posted: 10 Dec 2010 02:32 PM PST   Instagram’s hit mobile photo-sharing app for iPhone has just been updated with some key enhancements. Most notably, the application now includes Posterous support, mentions and translated versions available in Japanese, German and Portuguese. The language update means that users who change their default language on the iPhone to Japanese, German or Portuguese will see the app in that language. We anticipate the release is a reactionary move to serve the app’s growing base of international users; founder Kevin Systrom tells us more languages are still to come. Today’s update also allows users to post to social sites after the initial upload and is also said to include bug fixes, photo-taking performance improvements and better follower/following list support. With the addition of Posterous, Instagram now enables users to share their mobile photos instantaneously or after the fact, with five total services (not including Foursquare). This puts the app on par with Picplz, which just enhanced its service last night to add Posterous, Flickr and Tumblr. The back-to-back releases point to an ongoing battle between the two services and — at least for now — it’s a rivalry that will play out nicely for users looking for additional features. Hopefully, this means we can also expect to see the dueling parties add more filters in the near future.  Reviews: Flickr, Posterous, Tumblr, foursquare, instagram More About: instagram, iphone, mobile photo sharing, posterous, startup For more Startups coverage:
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| What Makes the “Most Influential Social Good Champions” Tick? [INTERVIEWS] Posted: 10 Dec 2010 02:11 PM PST
The Mashable Awards honors all sorts of achievements, like must-follow personalities and best mobile platforms. But this year we’ve also added the “Most Influential Social Good Champion” category, supported by Yahoo, to also show the often unsung social good heroes some much deserved love. We asked the five finalists in the “Most Influential Social Good Champion” category some questions about their work and what’s next. Read on for a closer look at who they are, what they do, and how you can get involved. charitybuzz Can you spend some time on-screen with Johnny Depp while also doing good? The celebrity-minded, high-living non-profit charitybuzz says yes; it takes an interesting approach to social good. By using luxury items and celebrity-backed experiences, charitybuzz is able to bring in huge amounts of cash while also donating to a multitude of foundations and non-profits. “I've always believed that if you're successful in life, it's your responsibility to contribute, make a difference and come up with creative solutions to the world's most pressing problems,” said Coppy Holzman, CEO and co-founder of charitybuzz. “Being a social good champion means finding innovative ways to solve the toughest problems,” says Holzman. “And it's about all of those things – raising money, awareness and inspiring change. Charitybuzz champions social good by empowering non-profits, for-profits and consumers with a platform to raise funds and make a difference in a positive, upbeat, easy way. Our community is very diverse, but it shares the common thread of wanting to do as much good as possible while enjoying life.” “We're like one big family here,” he continued, “and we consider ourselves really lucky that we can make a difference. Every day we hear about how the funds we're raising affect social change throughout the world. I consider myself really blessed that we can do this.” Hardly NormalHardly Normal is a blog created by the once-homeless, now homelessness activist, Mark Horvath. Horvath more often connects through two other sites: WeAreVisible and InvisiblePeople.tv. Although Horvath claims he can’t write, spell or use grammar, he has used his voice to both represent and help the often “invisible” homeless communities. His efforts have helped clothe, feed and provide a voice for the homeless. “Don’t waste a good crisis,” Horvath said. “It's a simple concept and it's how InvisiblePeople.tv started. For the most part I had lost everything but some furniture, my car, a box of photos, laptop, small camera, and my iPhone. My laptop could not cut video because it had a 5400 drive. Videos need to have a music bed, nice graphics, b-roll and be well-produced. But after looking at what I didn’t have and all the problems that were stopping me, I decided to just use what I had. I registered a domain, changed the header on a WordPress theme, grabbed my camera, and started to interview people.” “I am very grateful that people voted me to be here,” Horvath told Mashable. “To be candid, I was shocked to even be nominated. What I can tell you straight from the heart is if I win or don’t win, I will always continue to fight for people that are suffering.” The Uncultured Project Shawn Ahmed started The Uncultured Project to raise awareness about global poverty by posting videos of his travels through Bangladesh. Rather than just show doom and gloom, Ahmed tried to show both the problems faced by impoverished people as well as potential solutions. Ahmed didn’t intend to start a charity, but donations started to come in once people saw his videos. It now acts a cultural bridge drawing together individuals, organizations and charities aimed at ending global poverty. “I’m not a celebrity, Silicon Valley rockstar, or an executive director of an NGO. I’m just a guy,” Ahmed said. “Any good that I’ve done is just because I’ve been able to connect people with my personal journey using a laptop, a camcorder, and an Internet connection mostly (but not exclusively) from my parent’s homeland of Bangladesh. My Bengali heritage, especially in regards to traditional ways in which Bengalis help the poor, has been a big influence in my work. That non-Western heritage, I suppose, is another thing that makes me different from the other nominees.” “I don’t consider myself a ’social good champion’ as much as I see myself as a bridge-maker,” Ahmed said. “When I started this journey in 2007, most of the conversation about global poverty (especially on YouTube) was just black and white images of poor starving kids with flies on their faces with a message to donate to some charity for ‘less than a cup of coffee a day.’ I wanted to connect people with this issue in a less guilt-driven way. I figured the best place to start was the country I’ve been to many times as a child and have a heritage with spanning back countless generations.” Chris Hughes Chris Hughes may be best known for his involvement with Facebook and Obama’s winning presidential campaign, but his latest project has the potential to eclipse both for the amount of social good it can do. Jumo is a non-profit aimed at connecting people that want to do good with the non-profits and charities that need their support, sort of like an aggregation hub for all things social good. Although in beta, Jumo is already looking to make waves in the social good community. “[Hughes is] putting a lot of his own reputation and his time behind it,” said Peter Panepento, assistant managing editor at the Chronicle of Philanthropy. “What sets [Jumo] apart at this point is that it has someone who has succeeded in the [social media] space who is engaged and who is putting his time and effort into it… “Obviously what he’s trying to do is become [a social good champion]. The fact that he’s making the effort means he has the potential to be one. “The non-profit world is, they’re both excited about [Jumo], but there’s a lot of skepticism about it right now… The true test of that is — Chris’ celebrity and his track record aside — it’s going to come down to whether people actually use it.” John CenaJohn Cena earned his fame as a champion with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), but he has also proven to be a social good champion outside of the ring. Cena is actively involved in a variety of wish-giving and grief support charities including the Kids Wish Network and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. While he’s not the only celebrity to take part, Cena’s active engagement and dedication have earned him the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award. A social good champion is about both impacting lives and leveraging exposure to bring light to a worthy cause. “The kids just love him,” said Alicia True of the Kids Wish Network. “He’s such a character and he’s such a positive influence, even if it’s just wrestling. It’s almost just inexplicable. When they meet him he’s just perfect, he’s a great role model.” Jill Atchinson, a team leader for Kids Wish Network, has been on some of those trips to see Cena: “The kids especially want to meet him. He’s definitely the most popular wrestler people want to meet… Getting to meet their hero definitely gives them extra confidence to get through the battles that they’re facing with their health issues and makes them feel that they’re special.” Cena just topped his 200th wish for the Make-A-Wish foundation this past week. “The great thing about having celebrities involved is that they’re directly involved in the mission; they’re granting wishes,” said Brent Goodrich, media relations manager for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “In John’s case, he’s granted 200 wishes in six years, which is just phenomenal.” “He doesn’t really want attention for the wishes that he grants be he also realizes he has the ability to spread awareness about what he does,” Grant added. “The great thing about John is he’s so humble about his involvement and really reinforces the message that it’s about the kids.” What’s Your Pick?Of these five nominees, which one is your pick for “Social Good Champion?” You can let us know in the comments, but be sure to take part by casting your vote. The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas) In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances. Date: Thursday, January 6th, 2011 (during International CES Convention week) Mashable Awards Category Sponsor:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, RichVintage Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Internet, Mashable, Twitter, WordPress, YouTube, iStockphoto More About: charitybuzz, chris hughes, hardly normal, john cena, mashable, mashable awards 2010, most influential social good champion, social good, uncultured, Yahoo For more Social Good coverage:
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| Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: The Toy Edition Posted: 10 Dec 2010 01:35 PM PST   It’s December, which can only mean one thing: It’s time to celebrate consumerism gone horrifically rampant! That’s why this week’s YouTube theme is appropriately regressive: Toys! We asked The Fine Brothers — who create hilarious vids such as Kids React to Viral Videos and 8-Bit Twilight — to curate this week’s roundup of YouTube videos. They chose “Action Figures” as a theme, but we decided to widen the net a bit to include all forms of child-like entertainment. Check out our roundup below, which includes a couple of truly terrifying toys (Hint: Rhymes with “Feddy Muxbin.” Shudder). Bboy Batman by PatrickBoivinThe Fine Brothers: Patrick makes an eclectic mix of awesome videos, but his action figure interactives have the biggest place in our hearts. Action figures in stop motion madness that's also a game? YouTube doesn't get much better than that. Time Lapse BabyTamar Weinberg: If only my kid would (still?) do that. Big ChopsticksMeghan Peters: The FAO Schwartz scene from Big :) 100 NES (Nintendo) Games in 10 Minutes!Ada Ospina: Other than NES I can only operate games such as Guitar Hero and Buzz Quiz. Toy Commercial FailJay Irani: Is this a toy commercial or a trailer for a demon-child horror movie? You decide. How Many Do You Remember?Karen Hartline: You are a child of the '80s if you had at least seven of these toys. Me=My Little Pony, Cabbage Patch Kid, Pound Puppy, Monchichi, Strawberry Shortcake, Jem, Care Bear, Chinese jacks, roller skates and more. But not Teddy Ruxpin. It was too scary! Penguin RaceStefanie Rennert: I used to watch this Penguin Race toy for hours. Penguins marching and sliding, over and over again… genius! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Toy CommercialsBen Parr: I loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I had the toys. So here's a compilation of all the toy commercials for TMNT. Treasure TrollsErica Swallow: I feel like I was the only deranged child who collected Treasure Trolls... anyone? Looking back, they weren't so cuddly and cute after all. Something about neon hair and jeweled belly buttons just made me feel warm and fuzzy at the time. Teddy Ruxpin (1985)Christina Warren: I actually bought one of these off eBay for my fiance last Christmas. '80s Popples Commmercial 2Josh Catone: I liked Popples when I was a kid. And I'm man enough to admit it. TransformersAdam Ostrow: A montage of Transformers, of which I had way too many as a kid. Polly Pocket Ad - 1994Radhika Marya: That's right. Polly Pocket, back when the name was actually appropriate. Now I'm all nostalgic for the Japanese Tea House version I had... Barbie Lamborghini Car Commercial - 1993Brenna Ehrlich: Children mimicking adults is a little unsettling here.-- From a personal VHS Tape Image courtesy of iStockphoto, cglade Reviews: YouTube, iStockphoto More About: favorite-youtube-videos, Film, television, the-fine-brothers, toys, viral videos, youtube For more Web Video coverage:
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| View the “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue” Flipboard Style [PICS] Posted: 10 Dec 2010 01:14 PM PST   Flipboard, which was crowned “iPad app of the year” by Apple, has just added the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition feed to the app. The feed, which is part of the Sports Illustrated Everywhere strategy of extending content to various devices and media platforms, showcases photos of the 2011 issue as it’s being made and also offers up photos from the Swimsuit Edition archives. This feed is the latest addition to the Flipboard Pages program that launched last week. Flipboard Pages gives select publishers a way to showcase their articles and pictures using an optimized magazine-esque layout for content. That means that instead of viewing an article as it would appear on the website, you can instead see a layout that is much more akin to what you would see in print or even in a magazine iPad app. For Sports Illustrated, the format works particularly well with its Swimsuit Edition content and its heavy focus on photography. As a franchise, Sports Illustrated has a history of being very bullish with new media. The publication has an iPad app, mobile optimized websites, active Facebook and Twitter accounts, and it just released a new app for the Google Chrome Web Store. Flipboard, with its mix of Twitter, Facebook and SI.com content, creates a nice depiction of that strategy.          Reviews: Facebook, Twitter More About: Flipboard, ipad apps, Sports illustrated, sports illustrated swimsuit edition For more Tech coverage:
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| Brightkite Permanently Checks Out of Checkins Posted: 10 Dec 2010 12:58 PM PST   Brightkite, the company that pioneered the place checkin, is checking out of the competition. The Limbo-owned company pivoted to group texting earlier this year and has just announced that it will drop its checkins, posts and stream features in all applications moving forward. The news comes as Brightkite readies to release a checkin-free version of its Android application that swaps out the old place streams for group texting altogether. Later this month, these features will evaporate from the other applications as well. Location will still remain a part of the apps as users can share their location with each text. Brightkite users have until December 31 to pack up their data. The service is letting users retrieve 1,000 of their most recent stream items in RSS form. While notable because it’s the company that birthed the “checkin,” this news is no surprise as Brightkite has made its group texting intentions known for some time now. Interestingly enough, it is leaving behind the no longer blue ocean of checkin services for a market that’s even more competitive, especially with GroupMe and Fast Society stealing press headlines in recent months. Original founders Martin May and Brady Becker have long since abandoned their location-sharing machinations to pursue a new project: stealth startup Forkly. Forkly is another location play, but this one is based around food and restaurant discovery. “We're building Forkly to make it ridiculously easy to match your taste buds with the food and restaurants around you,” May revealed in November. Image courtesy of Flickr, Jason L. Parks Reviews: Android, Brightkite, Flickr More About: brightkite, checkins, group texting For more Business coverage:
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| Mapping Facebook’s Global Takeover [GRAPHIC] Posted: 10 Dec 2010 11:45 AM PST   Facebook seems to be a bit of an omnipresent entity these days. Once the domain of college kids, it now features users of all ages and has also turned into a promotional tool for artists, politicians and businesses. Vincenzo Cosenza has been tracking various social networks’ popularity throughout the world, and he just posted a December 2010 map — based on data by Alexa and Google Trends for Websites — showing just how prominent Facebook has become throughout the world. A comparison between this new map and one from June 2009 reveals that Facebook — consistently the top social network in countries like the U.S., Canada and Australia — is growing even more popular in the international sphere. Based on Cosenza’s findings, it looks like Facebook has replaced Orkut, once in the top spot, as the number one social network in India. And the site has also gained ground in South America and Europe. There are some instances where other social networks have maintained their popularity; Russia is still dominated by V. Kontakte, and Orkut maintains a strong foothold in Brazil. Meanwhile, QZone’s big in China. According to Consenza’s findings, other social networks, while not in the top spot, are also starting to gain some traction in other countries. LinkedIn is in third place in Australia and Canada, and Twitter holds the same ranking in Germany and Italy. To get a better sense of how Facebook’s global usage has grown, take a look at the December 2010 and June 2009 maps below. The full graphic (including results from December 2009 and June 2010) may be viewed here.
Reviews: Australia, Facebook, LinkedIn, Orkut, Twitter More About: facebook, Linked-in, twitter, world map of social networks For more Social Media coverage:
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| For Restaurants, Social Media Is About More Than Just Marketing Posted: 10 Dec 2010 11:44 AM PST   Jenny An is a Chicago-based writer with a focus on popular culture, food and travel. Her work has appeared in Time Out Chicago and VenusZine. Social media certainly has its benefits for those who love dining and drinking. From free drinks for Foursquare checkins, to Twitter notifications about happy hours, to Facebook messages about free food, there’s always something tasty happening online. But the social web offers a lot more than just discounts and deals when it comes to drinking and dining. Restaurants and bars are giving social media users a backstage pass to the food and the people who make it. Chefs and restaurateurs are using social media to reveal how their dishes are made, generate familiarity with chefs and provide a means for diners to share feedback. Revealing How Dishes Are MadeWhile customers go to lower end restaurants looking for value and discounts, higher-end restaurants think that "discounts cheapen the experience," says Tom O’Keefe, a Boston-based restaurant tweeter and social media-focused marketer. You can blame it on the rise of celebrity chefs or the success of The Food Network and shows like Top Chef, but now more than ever, people want to live vicariously through others who cook. Many restaurants, including Chicago's Piccolo Sogno and The Bristol, are posting videos to YouTube or Vimeo of new dishes being prepared. "The general idea is to pull the curtain back," says Phillip Walters of The Bristol. "Allow people at home to feel more involved and engaged with that you are trying to deliver." But social media does a lot more than just satisfy curiosities. It makes Twitter followers or Facebook fans remember their last visit. Stu Mitchell, marketing director for Blue 13, a Rock and Roll spot in Chicago, says this act of reminding customers about their last visit "prompt[s] them to want to return, to keep us fresh in the minds of those who have yet to visit, but have been planning on it." But the behind-the-scenes social media technique sways more toward high-end than fast food restaurants. A behind-the-scenes glimpse of the origins of the McNugget (hint: it's birthed from pink goop) led to Internet-wide horror and repulsion. "A local Taco Bell is going to connect and build community in a very different way versus a Michelin-rated restaurant that brings passionate foodies together," says Lorrie Thomas, CEO of Web Marketing Therapy. Getting to Know the ChefsInstead of attracting customers with deals, many restaurants strive to use social media for a tailored, personal experience. "People love to go into a restaurant or bar and know the owner or the chef," O'Keefe says. Think of it as instantly becoming a regular. That's why chefs like Joanne Chang of Boston's Myers and Chang and Flour Bakery personally tweet photos of the kitchen staff at work. "If you're in a PR firm, you're not going to get the same feel," O'Keefe says. "It's her and you know that it's her." Grant Achatz, the man behind Chicago's Alinea — named best restaurant in America in 2006 by Gourmet — also does his own tweeting. "Who would you rather hear from?" he asks. "Me directly or some weird person I paid to represent me?" When Achatz is not in the restaurant, he continues to tweet — from where he's eating in Chicago to where he's visiting in Japan. It lets people get to know him better and maintains a base, he says. "I'm not a celebrity, but I have a following." Achatz’s approach to helping his audience learn more about him is spot on. "Who we are" is the primary message of any effective marketing campaign, says Syeed Mansur, CEO of Sentrana, a firm that uses mathematical models to determine the most effective marketing strategies for companies. Opening Communication Between Diners and Chefs The restaurant experience has traditionally always been divided between front of house and back of house. Customers sat in the dining room and enjoyed their meals, completely disconnected from the people preparing the meals. The success of open kitchen designs, the farm-to-table movement, and books like Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, show that diners want a deeper connection to the food that’s being prepared for them. Not only does social media let customers view what's behind that "Employees Only" door, but it gives customers access to the people behind it. Twitter allows Tony Priolo, chef of Piccolo Sogno, to connect with customers before they even come to the restaurant. And diners plugged in with social media receive special treatment. "If we tweeted with them beforehand I'll usually come out of the kitchen and thank them for tweeting with us or send over something special," he says. Achatz likes to hear complaints from customers and says he actually responds. Sometimes he'll refund a meal, but more importantly, "the more we know about who is coming into our restaurant, the better we'll be able to fulfill our obligation to do what will make them feel happy," he says. A couple had flown into Chicago from New York to eat at his restaurant and expected not only excellent food but also excellent service. The wife was escorted to the bathroom the first time she got up, but not the second. Achatz thinks the front of house staff just assumed she knew the way and could help herself. But the husband indignantly tweeted about the incident and then Achatz knew that his customers had different assumptions of service. The restaurant has tweaked its service accordingly since then. "When people know, like and trust us, they buy," Thomas says. "Pushing propaganda will freak people out." While restaurants are unable to quantify the exact monetary impact of their social media campaigns, the responses they receive assure them that somebody is listening. "We hear enough feedback to know that we're reaching people and that they enjoy it," says Amy Mills Tunnicliffe of 17th Street Bar and Grill in southern Illinois. Before social media, it was difficult for the average person (even a person spending $200 for dinner) to have access to that ornery bartender or three-starred Michelin chef, but now, dishing complaints or compliments has become as easy as a tweet or a Facebook post. How have you used social media to enhance — or complain about — a dining experience? Do you follow your favorite chefs or restaurants? Share your thoughts in the comments. More Foodie Resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Internet, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube More About: business, facebook, Food, foodies, hospitality, restaurants, small business, social media, twitter For more Social Media coverage:
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| Facebook Announces First Hacker Cup Posted: 10 Dec 2010 10:42 AM PST   Facebook is known for its hackathons — all-night coding sessions designed to help create new products or improve others. Now the company has announced its first Hacker Cup. Facebook says it’s “bring[ing] engineers from around the world together to compete in a multi-round programming competition.” The Hacker Cup is very similar to Google’s popular Google Code Jam. Contestants will be challenged with solving algorithmic-based problem statements. Those who successfully solve the problems in the allotted period of time will advance to the next round. Registration opens on December 20 and the 72-hour qualification round will start on January 7, 2011. This round will consist of three problems. Only the competitors that can correctly solve at least one problem will advance to the first online round. The first online round will consist of three sub-rounds that each last three hours. The top-scoring 1,000 participants from each of these sub-rounds will advance the the second online round. The 25 competitors who score the highest in the second online round will advance to the finals, which will be held at Facebook’s campus in Palo Alto. Facebook will fly the 25 participants in and pay for their expenses. At the in-person final round, a winner will be crowned and not only given the title of “world champion,” but also $5,000 in cash. If you want to brush up on your skills before the competition starts, you can visit Facebook’s puzzles page. Reviews: Facebook, Google More About: code competitions, faceebook, hackathons, hacker cup For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| P&G Shifts Marketing Strategy From Soap Operas to Social Media Posted: 10 Dec 2010 10:32 AM PST   Consumer products manufacturer Procter & Gamble Co. is said to be ending its 77-year run as a prominent sponsor and producer of soap operas — a genre the company helped create — in favor of producing more campaigns using social media. The switch from soap operas to social media is one motivated by its success with previous social media campaigns — such as its Old Spice Guy YouTube promotion — and a desire to capitalize on the more readily available opportunities of reaching women through digital media. Digital media has “become very integrated with how we operate, it’s become part of the way we do marketing,” marketing chief Marc Pritchard told the Associated Press. “It’s kind of the oldest form of marketing — word of mouth — with the newest form of technology.” The company is an important advertiser that spends nearly $9 billion per year to advertise its products. The company is finding social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to be more effective channels for reaching women and has spent much of 2010 experimenting with campaigns in these arenas. “We continue to advertise during daytime TV including soap operas as a way to reach consumers,” a company spokesperson tells Mashable. “In our marketing approach we build our brands based on the appropriate integrated holistic marketing campaign that reaches the consumer when and where they are receptive. As consumers spend more time online and via social media networks, our brands are naturally adding these options to their marketing plans as it helps them engage and serve consumers.” The P&G business dates back to the mid 1800s when it began as a soap and candle-making company. The company started sponsoring radio programs — which became known as soap operas — in the 1930s when radio was emerging a popular medium. The brand continued to produce soap operas in the television era, including the now-defunct As the World Turns. Reviews: Facebook, Mashable, Twitter, YouTube More About: MARKETING, procter and gamble, social media, social media campaign For more Business coverage:
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| The Existential Trouble With Social Gaming [COMIC] Posted: 10 Dec 2010 10:18 AM PST Ask any social media maven if he’s into FarmVille and he’ll likely slap you in the Facebook at the mere mention of virtual agriculture. Yet Zynga, purveyors of such feed-clogging digital crack, just boasted of its more than 45 million daily active users. Somebody around here is playing FarmVille. Yes, I’m looking at you, Earl. What’s interesting about modern social games is that we don’t sign up for them with anonymous handles like the olden days (MoistBoi82, for instance). We play them publicly, as ourselves. Forty-five million of us tie our real identity to our virtual string bean-harvesting identity every day. It’s an existential crisis on a massive scale, and arguably one of the most pressing philosophical concerns of our time.   Think about it. No, really. Think about it. This comic was illustrated by Kiersten Essenpreis, a New York-based artist who draws and blogs at YouFail.com. For more laughs, check out our previous Mashable Comics. More Mashable Comics:
More About: comic, comics, facebook, farmville, games, humor, mashable comics, social games, social media, the sims, video games, Zynga For more Entertainment coverage:
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| Win a Holiday MashPack With 14 Tech Prizes & E-Ink Watch [GIVEAWAY] Posted: 10 Dec 2010 09:39 AM PST   Mashable has been getting into the holiday spirit by talking about this year’s most gift-worthy gadgets and inviting readers to get together at Mashable Holiday Meetups. Now we’re celebrating by giving you awesome social media and tech prizes. Every weekday this week and next, we’ll give away a Holiday MashPack filled with at least 12 wish list items. Grand prizes will be added each day, getting bigger and better as we get further into the holiday season. Today’s grand prizes are a Phosphor E-Ink watch and Grace Audio Wi-Fi Internet radio player. You’ll find a list below detailing the 14 other fantastic prizes in today’s MashPack — and see information on how to win. Yesterday’s MashPack went to Colin Jones from Brooklyn, NY. (Congratulations, Colin!) For those who didn’t win yesterday, go ahead and try your luck today. Happy holidays from Mashable! How To Win Today’s MashPackTweeting for today’s MashPack will end Monday, December 13 at 12 p.m. ET. Please use your real identity in the submission so that we may contact you via e-mail, Twitter or Facebook to let you know that you’ve won. We’ll contact the winner after the contest closes. At this time, the contest is limited to those 18 and older in the U.S. Grace Digital Audio Wi-Fi Internet Radio Player Today’s first MashPack grand prize is a Grace Digital Audio Wi-Fi Internet Radio Player. The new Grace Wi-Fi Internet radio is the 1st Internet radio to allow complete control of your Pandora stations directly from the front of the radio, the remote control or the Free iPhone remote control app. In addition to Pandora listen to over 50,000 other radio stations. Including: NPR on Demand, BBC, and iheartradio.Phosphor E-Ink Watch
Sony MHS-TS10 Bloggie Touch HD Camera
Griffin Technology PowerDockDual
Griffin Technology AirCurve Play
Caseable Custom-Designed Mashable Laptop Case
Picaboo Madison Photobook
Skullcandy Headphones
Merkury Innovations Universal Square Stereo Speakers
Ben Folds’ Lonely Avenue Deluxe Album
Hard Candy Mobile Phone Cases
Power Support USA iPad Leather Sleeve
Power Support USA iPhone 4 Anti-Glare Films
Power Support USA iPhone4 Designer Collection Cases
Twournal Twitter Journal
Reviews: Facebook, Internet, Mashable, Pandora, TweetPhoto, Twitpic, Twitter More About: contest, gadgets, giveaway, Holiday, mashpacks, prizes, tech For more Tech coverage:
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| Former WikiLeaks Members Form “Openleaks” Posted: 10 Dec 2010 08:42 AM PST   As WikiLeaks and its leader Julian Assange face mounting legal issues, key members of the project are reportedly jumping ship. According to the Swedish news site DN.se, the new project, dubbed Openleaks, is going to launch Monday. An insider told DN.se, “The two organizations are similar in that aspect that both are focusing on providing means for whistleblowers to anonymously provide the public with information.” Where the two services will differ, it appears, is both from a management and publishing perspective. There were reports of internal strife within WikLeaks even before Assange’s arrest earlier this week. In October, The New York Times published a profile on Assange with some accounts from former members of the project. We don’t know if any of those defectors are members of Openleaks, but the criticism lobbed against the controversial figure is the same. Perhaps the most striking difference between the two projects, at least as we know them right now, is how information is actually disseminated. Rather than publishing documents directly, Openleaks instead seeks to be an intermediary between whistleblowers and other organizations. An insider told DN.se:
The source continued:
On the one hand, yes, simply acting as a broker of sensitive information may constitute less legal or political pressures for an organization. On the other hand, it raises important questions about what kinds of organizations are allowed to access the system and how that access is determined. Openleaks can claim to be “without a political agenda,” but that doesn’t negate the fact that acting as a gatekeeper is in and of itself a political statement. Reviews: Wikileaks More About: julian assange, media, openleaks, public policy, wikileaks For more Social Media coverage:
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| 10 Ways Business Leaders Can Turn Ideas Into Execution Posted: 10 Dec 2010 08:34 AM PST   Paul Kerr has been involved in business for more than 28 years, including more than 20 years in consulting and training. He is a principal at leadership training and consulting firm Skills for Excellence. One of most frustrating challenges facing business leaders today is closing what is commonly known as the execution gap (or sometimes the strategy gap). The execution gap is a perceived gap between a company’s strategies and expectations and its ability to meet those goals and put ideas into action. Due to the complexity of people, businesses, and the societal constructs in which we operate, it is more difficult than it might seem at first glance to close this gap. A survey in 2007 found that 49% of business leaders perceived a gap between strategy and execution; 64% lacked confidence in their company’s ability to narrow it. However, there are some simple rules for closing the execution gap. 1. Clearly Define the Desired End ResultA big problem with going from idea to implementation is simply a lack of clearly defined vision and goals. Leaders who cannot define what they want accomplished can hardly expect others to understand their strategy and participate in their projects with any level of meaningful contribution. Fuzzy definitions will produce fuzzy results, if any at all. The more specifically you can define your expectations, the better it will allow employees to wrap their minds around what they’re supposed to be working toward. Without this clarity, they will often end up stumbling around in the metaphorical dark, trying to divine what the leaders really want instead of accomplishing it. 2. Concisely Articulate the “Why”Since leaders need the effort of others, they must be able to effectively communicate to them what they want done and, more importantly, why they want to do it. Clear and concise communication is vitally important because employees are more likely to disappoint if they don’t understand what you expect. Furthermore, explaining the why behind strategic decisions gives employees a deeper understanding of how their knowledge and work will be a contribution to the larger whole. Without this understanding it is easy for them to feel isolated instead of feeling like actively engaged participants in a meaningful enterprise. 3. Acknowledge Ignorance and Acquire Necessary KnowledgeTo make sure strategies get put into motion, you must make sure you have the knowledge and skills to manage the project. With adequate self-awareness, leaders can honestly assess if they have the necessary working knowledge for their roles. There are educational resources to make up for any shortcomings (with the added caveat that ultimately leaders cannot know everything and to pretend otherwise is egotistical folly; hire good people if you are not the best fit to manage). 4. Assemble a Quality Leadership TeamSome might argue that this should be the first item, and I would not dismiss this position out of hand. There are overlapping activities that somewhat simultaneously occur. However for an executive team to be in a room collaboratively developing a strategy requires that someone initiate it and determine who to invite in the first place. And typically this process begins with an idea from the initiator as its starting point regardless of how it might develop from there. You should aim to build a highly qualified team that can honestly pick apart your strategies from all angles. Allow your team to poke holes in your ideas as you debate and deliberate together. Finding weak spots prior to implementation will help close the execution gap. 5. Closely Monitor ProgressImplementing any strategy involves meetings to discuss the various projects and programs that will be required. But all too often, meetings end with task assignments that are not accomplished on the agreed time line. This is anathema to closing the execution gap, and the executive leadership team should ensure project leaders are acutely aware that this practice is not acceptable. Those under their purview should be expected to perform and be held accountable for the results. On the other hand, nobody likes to be micromanaged and thus monitoring progress should be done with an understanding that people need to be given a certain latitude in order to be productive. Wise leaders are able to find the fine balance of exercising reasonable accountability while still allowing enough breathing room for employees to do their best work. 6. Listen Intently to FeedbackSince leaders and their teams are not omniscient, there is no way for them to know every possible eventuality in advance. Even after all the worst-case scenarios are discussed and back up plans are put in place, something will likely arise that was not anticipated and that threatens to derail or delay the implementation process. Therefore, leaders must listen to feedback from all of their employees (and also from customers, when appropriate). You cannot afford to be insular and surrounded by yes-men who refuse to tell you the naked truth about the problems as they occur. Simple, solvable problems can quickly escalate if they are not nipped in the bud. 7. Be Flexible (Within Reason)Because implementation often reveals unanticipated problems or issues, changes must often be made on the fly. With a stream of accurate and timely information being sent your way from project managers, adjustments can be made to move the implementation process forward, even in the face of unexpected difficulties. But there should be a limit to how many adjustments are acceptable, since typically additional resources will be used for each one that becomes necessary. 8. Celebrate Incremental Achievements Along the WayBreaking down a long execution process into smaller parts and celebrating each milestone as they are reached is a practice that allows leaders to acknowledge and recognize the hard-won accomplishments their teams are making on a more regular basis. Constantly performing at high levels over a long period of time can drain employees of their energy, which leads to burn-out and low morale. Pausing to celebrate along the way lets your employees know their efforts are valued and are not going unnoticed. 9. Share the Credit for Success With Everyone InvolvedThere are few things worse than leaders (at any level) who take all the credit for what they have accomplished together with their teams. It is for good reason producers have a long list of credits at the end of their films — it matters to those who contributed to the production. Leaders should be very cognizant of this fact and remember to always give credit where it is due. Failure to do so will cause their employees to resent them and undermine any camaraderie that has built up over the course of working together. Resentful employees will be less likely to execute your vision at a high level. 10. Be Willing to Abandon a Strategy or ProjectThis is sometimes a difficult thing to do. Very often leaders will consider a strategy or project their "baby" and have a hard time letting go. They consider scrapping it to be a personal failure and let pride override rational thought. Continual objective analysis and honest assessment should be built in to the implementation process; that will allow leaders to know when to call it quits on a failing project and end the hemorrhaging of resources. More Business Resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, PeskyMonkey Reviews: iStockphoto More About: advice, business, execution gap, leadership, List, Lists, management, small business, strategy gap For more Business coverage:
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| Should You Accept Mom & Dad’s Facebook Friend Request? [FLOWCHART] Posted: 10 Dec 2010 08:08 AM PST   No! Sorry, that was my instantaneous response. The above question presents quite the quandary, but, luckily, Mike Newman and Cool Material have provided us all with this nifty flowchart. Last we heard, around 48% of parents friend their kids on Facebook. That makes sense — parents love stalking, er, keeping tabs on their pride and joy. But does that mean you have to accept said request — especially if you’re prone to posting embarrassing pics (don’t say we didn’t warn you)? Try out the above chart to see whether you should just avoid, avoid, avoid, or welcome Mom and Dad into your Facebook realm with open arms (or at least a few profile privacy tweaks). [via Cool Material, Mike Newman] Reviews: Facebook More About: facebook, flowchart, parents, trending For more Social Media coverage:
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| How Social Media is Changing the Business of Television Posted: 10 Dec 2010 07:02 AM PST   Lisa Hsia is Senior Vice President of Bravo Digital Media and is addicted to Flipboard on her iPad. There's no question that the real-time conversations around TV shows on social networks — the virtual water cooler, if you will — enhance engagement and drive on-air ratings. Whether it's the Taylor and Kanye debacle, the Bad Girls, or the Real Housewives, friends tell friends when things happen on the air, and that viral conversation turns TVs on. The significance of real-time participation is that it gives the audience a voice and a power it never had previously. Instead of being buried in message boards and comments, the fan is now front and center. If you prove yourself to be an influential fan, the smart marketers will incent you to do more with rewards, which will eventually result in even more advances in user behavior. The Social Effect on Ratings and SentimentThere's debate about exactly how much online conversation is driving TV ratings. We’ve tracked our real-time water cooler, dubbed the “Bravo Talk Bubble,” and found that it has delivered a 10% lift to The Real Housewives of New York. Other networks have claimed even higher. We’re still in the early days of measuring and leveraging these stats, but the real-time information is already in place. But ratings are just part of the picture. Social conversation about TV creates a real-time map, with peaks and valleys around programming that can really inform producers. Using tools like the Trendrr dashboard, one can see the tweets per minute and key influencers around hot topics. It’s not about tracking exactly how many people are watching, but about gauging the sentiment of a chatty cross-section. Qualitative data like this can be extremely valuable to networks.  Now every single show, even pre-taped ones, can be a "live event platform" for fans. And most importantly, it can tell networks what's working (or not) and why. As real-time guru Mark Ghuneim of Wiredset said, "We have moved from must-see TV to must-tweet TV." Social Media Can Influence Program DevelopmentTools like the Trendrr dashboard or Sysomos should now be a part of any forward-thinking television network's tool set in an effort to incorporate fans’ participation into the business of show creation. A great example is Nederlands 3, a Dutch public broadcaster. Its TV Lab airs and streams the pilots for new shows each fall and asks viewers to vote and share their impressions, which are recorded in real time and displayed online for all to see. The station pick the new shows based on this viewer feedback. This approach, if adopted more widely, could have far-reaching effects on how networks create content for their audiences. Engagement and Marketing PotentialTV conversation usually spikes during prime time hours and the day after a program airs — the classic water cooler pattern. The next challenge for content creators is figuring out how to drive the conversation 24/7. The goal is to pull others into the cultural discussion and debate at any time, anywhere they may be. This is what drove us to innovate in this space, first by creating the Bravo Talk Bubble, and now, @Bravotv, a social media destination that we hope will act as a participation engine. @Bravotv will be a real-time, 24/7 water cooler — a platform around our properties and talent. For example, when Kim Zolziak of The Real Housewives of Atlanta announced that she was pregnant, and Atlanta Falcons defensive end Kroy Biermann was the father — and that she's "never seen an ass on a white boy like that" — traffic on bravotv.com soared. But it was hitting the same one or two news and video clips over and over. With @Bravotv, the real-time conversation between Kim, fans, the network, and whoever else wants to join in will continue in a much richer way. This model can also be applied to advertisers. Brands now have the opportunity to get into the conversation in ways that previously did not exist. For example, during Top Chef All-Stars, while people are discussing and voting on the issue of Marcel vs. Jennifer, with the right marketing push, they could simultaneously be tweeting their thoughts on Diet Coke vs. Coke Zero. Brands and their products are a part of Bravo's shows and now will be fully integrated into the real-time conversation. The Risks of TransparencyThere’s always risk tied to this openness. If a certain character is driving buzz and another is a buzz kill, everyone will know it. On our Twitter tracker, users will know what's hot and what's not. If there is a small number of votes in a Tweet Battle, there’s no way to present it as a big event. On the other hand, when some conversations are exploding because you've smartly and strategically positioned your brand in the social sphere, the returns can be huge. On another one of our online content hubs, Television Without Pity, we’re launching another real-time initiative called Talk Without Pity, a one-stop social media destination for TV fans. Fans can use the TV listings to find, consume and participate in the virtual water cooler buzz around their favorite programs and stars. It's yet another way to aggregate the conversations that are already happening around our brand. ConclusionThe people you watch television with are no longer restricted to your living room. Access to real-time conversation around shows, personalities and products must be a part of TV networks’ basic road map. I like to say that in Bravo's digital world, our users lead and we're just tapping into their behavior. We facilitate real-time connections to help drive our growth audience participation. Their satisfaction is our home run. More TV Resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ginosphotos, and deviantART, freakyframes Reviews: iStockphoto More About: bravo, business, networks, real-time, social media, television, tv, twitter For more Business coverage:
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| The Top 3 Stories in Tech & Social Media This Morning Posted: 10 Dec 2010 06:39 AM PST   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. U.S. Military Bans Removable Media to Stop Leaks Major General Richard Webber, commander of Air Force Network Operations, has issued a “cyber control order” that instructs U.S. troops to stop using CDs, DVDs, removable drives and any other form of media that could be used to transfer sensitive data, or else face a court martial. Tablet Sales Forecasted to Quadruple in Next 2 Years According to a new report from eMarketer, tablet sales are expected to increase more than 400% by 2012. More than 81.3 million tablets will be sold in 2012, up from the estimated 15.7 million units sold worldwide in 2010, the report’s authors estimate. iPad 2 Will Have Two Cameras [REPORT] The next iteration of Apple's iPad will have a front and a rear-facing camera, according to multiple sources from four component suppliers. Further News
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59 Reviews: Facebook, Genie Timeline, Google, Twitter, foursquare, iStockphoto More About: facebook, first to know series, Google, ipad, twitter, wikileaks For more Tech coverage:
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| S&P 500 Drops “New York Times,” Adds Netflix Posted: 10 Dec 2010 06:12 AM PST   Netflix was added to Standard & Poor’s S&P 500 index, which lists large-cap public companies, mostly from the U.S. Netflix was previously a constituent of S&P MidCap 400 index, which roughly covers mid-cap U.S. companies. Together with F5 Networks and Newfield Exploration it will move into S&P 500, while The New York Times, Office Depot and Eastman Kodak drop from S&P 500 into S&P MidCap 400. This is good news for the on-demand video streaming company, whose shares rose 5.6% on Thursday, as it faces ever-growing competition from companies such as Hulu and Amazon. It’s also a sign of the times as an old media giant, The New York Times, officially loses the large-cap company title and starts slumming with other mid-sized companies. [via Bloomberg] Reviews: Amazon.com, Hulu More About: business, finance, index, netflix, New York Time, S&P 500, Standard & Poor, stock market For more Business coverage:
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Social good may be an ambiguous term, but one thing is very clear — online giving needs champions to help promote, galvanize and inspire people to join in the cause.
Today’s second MashPack grand prize is a cool Phosphorus E-Ink watch. “The new World Time Curved E-Ink digital watch offers the ability to select from 24 time zones for one display mode, while optionally displaying a second time zone simultaneously . The dual time zone display can also be configured to simply display the time of day or both the date and time in either over-sized or conventional-sized segments. These unique capabilities are packaged in a sleek, ultra-thin, curved case only 9.3mm thick. Incredibly versatile, the new World Time gives you an assortment of different functions and display modes.”
Sony’s Bloggie Touch camera captures Full HD video and 12.8-megapixel still shots with the simple touch of its single record button. The large touch screen showcases your photos and videos, which are stored on built-in memory. Its size makes it readily available from your pocket or purse, and you can easily upload your photos and videos to your favorite social networking sites while you’re on the go.
Your iPad and your iPhone (or your iPod) get seats of honor in PowerDock Dual’s built-in charging dock, while the valet dish is a resting place for your change, keys and whatever else might live in your pockets. It has an AC power supply with four international plug adapters, 10 watt (2 amp) charging for your iPad and 5 watt (1 amp) charging for your iPhone or iPod. The screens and speakers are unobstructed while the batteries get charged, so you can listen while you watch. It’s perfect side table entertainment!
The AirCurve Play acoustically amplifies the speaker of your iPhone without batteries, cables or electricity. It collects the sound from the built-in speaker of your iPhone, amplifies it in a built-in coiled waveguide, and projects it out into the room. AirCurve’s transparent polycarbonate body lets you appreciate the waveguide’s graceful curves, inside, that do all the work. Its internal engineered waveguide requires no power, making it a perfectly portable audio/video conference phone, and self-contained music player and video viewer.
Caseable, a startup based right in Mashable HQ’s backyard — Brooklyn, New York, creates handmade, customized cases for just about any size laptop or tablet. You can get any look you’d like by handpicking your colors for each detail — even the zipper! Caseable made specialized 15-inch Mashable cases exclusively for our holiday MashPack winners. They’re quite snazzy, if we might say so ourselves.
Picaboo photo books can be fully customized by dragging-and-dropping photos and captions anywhere on your pages. You have complete creative control with powerful-yet-simple editing options. The Madison’s heavyweight, archival quality lay-flat pages are ideal for highlighting panoramic, two-page spreads, and the paper's pearlescent sheen coating adds a luminous glow to your photos. The elegant custom cover features a photo of your choice under a protective laminate and a full-grain glove leather wrap around the spine and back cover is available in five colors.
“From the mangroves of Madagascar to the Cloud Forest of Costa Rica, wood is all around us. Wood sounds good; we use it to make xylophones, drum sticks, claves and castanets. It’s even in clarinets, for crying out loud. If headphones had been used a thousand years ago they would have been wood. Holua are made of wood, and they sound good…really good.”
The Universal Square Stereo Speakers are just one example of Merkury Innovations’ fun and stylish electronic accessories. These battery-free speakers will work with audio devices featuring a 3.5mm audio jack. The slim design and exciting metallic colors can complement any decor. Their compact size make them convenient for toting from room to room in the house or packing up for a friend’s party.
Lonely Avenue contains 11 new songs featuring music by Ben Folds with words by Nick Hornby for what The Huffington Post calls “one of the most interesting collaborations of the year.” This special deluxe edition includes the album on CD and vinyl, four short stories by Nick Hornby, and 15 images by acclaimed photographer Joel Meyerowitz, all in a hardbound, 152-page book.
Hard Candy Cases merges fashion and function to distinguish and protect mobile phones from the wear and tear of daily use. It’s one of the fastest growing brands in the Apple accessories industry with distribution in the United States, Singapore, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, France, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Indonesia, Ireland, UK and Malaysia, among others.
Constructed with premium quality leather, the Power Support USA iPad sleeve protects while complimenting the aesthetics of the device. The sleeve’s soft inner lining prevents scratching while using this sleek carrying case. Its clean design and superb manufacturing techniques make for high-quality iPad protection.
Power Support USA films protect your iPhone 4 screen from scratches, dirt and dust while reducing glare, fingerprints and smudges. It’s specially formulated to be compatible with retina display and resist glare and fingerprints while protecting your screen. The static cling adhesive film leaves no residue if film is removed.
Power Support has teamed up with cutting-edge designers Tibi, Rachel Pally and Rory Beca to create a set of super stylish air jackets. Measuring under 1 mm, the jacket snugly hugs the back of your iPhone 4. You can keep your phone protected from dings and scratches while looking fashionably fresh with the Power Support Designer Collection. It’s a win-win for any iPhone 4 owner!
Twournal allows you to create, buy and sell Twitter books printed from your tweets. All Twournals have color covers, can include replies and Twitpic/Tweetphoto/Yfrog pictures in color or black and white. You can choose a custom picture for your front cover. Select which tweets you want to start and end at. And you can add a dedication message to appear after your title.| You are subscribed to email updates from Mashable! To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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