Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Zynga Has Over 45 Million Daily Active Users”

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• Zynga Has Over 45 Million Daily Active Users
• Mark Zuckerberg to Donate Most of His Wealth to Charity
• Evernote By the Numbers [STATS]
• Apple Ramps Up Song Previews in iTunes to 90 Seconds
• Winklevoss Twins Launch Another Lawsuit Against Facebook
• Work for Mashable and Other Great Social Media Savvy Companies [Job Openings]
• Apple Loses Top iOS Game Dev to… iOS Games, Actually
• Google Exec: More Than 300K Android Phones Activated Daily
• Twitter Places API Gains New Data Partners
• President Clinton on Technology, WikiLeaks & the World’s Problems
• Cortex for Chrome Makes Sharing Faster, Prettier & More Fun Than Ever [EXCLUSIVE]
• SimpleGeo Now Serving More Location-Based Data, & It’s Free
• Is Foursquare About to Add Photo Sharing? [PIC]
• Twitter Explains Why #WikiLeaks Isn’t Trending
• Facebook and Twitter Slam the Door on Would-Be WikiLeaks Avengers
• 4chan Founder Christopher Poole (a.k.a. moot) Named Advisor for Lerer Ventures
• 4 Ways to Find Legal Music for Your YouTube Videos
• Facebook Adds More Mobile Privacy Control
• Hackers Take Down Visa.com in the Name of WikiLeaks
• Each Month 250 Million People Use Facebook Connect on the Web
• How the iPad Is Influencing Web Apps
• More Disney and ABC TV Shows Come to Netflix
• 3 Things Brands Must Do to Reach Millennials Online
• New Meme Lets You See What Others Think Of You on Facebook & Twitter
• Win Today’s Holiday MashPack With 14 Tech and Social Media Prizes [GIVEAWAY]
• Does “TRON: Legacy” Deliver the Goods? [MOVIE REVIEW]
• Salesforce Unleashes 5 New Platforms for Rapid Cloud App Development
• Foursquare Surpasses 5 Million Users
• “Angry Birds” Hits 42 Million Free and Paid Downloads
• South Korea: Facebook Doesn’t Comply With Our Privacy Laws

Zynga Has Over 45 Million Daily Active Users Posted: 09 Dec 2010 04:09 AM PST The creators of FarmVille are on a roll: not only has Zynga’s newest game gained 3 million daily active users in just one week, but it has 45 million daily active users across all of its properties. David Ko, Zynga’s new SVP of mobile, says that the company is focusing on bringing its growth onto mobile. On stage at the LeWeb conference in Paris, Ko elaborated on the success of some of the company’s current games as well as its expansion plans for mobile. He started by discussing Zynga’s acquisition of Newtoy, the creators of Words With Friends and Chess With Friends. Acquired last week, the mobile application company has been renamed “Zynga With Friends” but will retain most of its independence as well as its offices in Texas. The goal, Ko says, is to extend Zynga reach by making mobile devices natural extensions of its games. The company wants to “create the right type of experiences,” which is why the social game developer has focused most of its mobile efforts on the iOS platform. He state that there’s a lot of effort being taken to understand the strengths and limitations of different devices. Ko also revealed in his conversation with TechCrunch’s MG Siegler that the company now has over 45 million daily active users across its many properties. In addition, CityVille, which launched last week, now has 3 million daily active users. We already knew that it was the company’s biggest launch to date, but to grow from 290,000 users on day one to 3 million just a week later is simply astonishing and a testament to its rapid growth. Ko did manage to avoid one important topic, though: Google’s $100+ million investment in Zynga. He was tight-lipped on the matter. More About: cityville, David Ko, facebook, farmville, LeWeb, LeWeb 2010, Mobile 2.0, Yahoo, Zynga For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Mark Zuckerberg to Donate Most of His Wealth to Charity Posted: 09 Dec 2010 03:28 AM PST At only 26 years of age, Mark Zuckerberg is one of the world’s youngest billionaires, but he’s not keeping it all for himself. By signing onto Bill Gates and Warren Buffet’s initiative called the “Giving Pledge,” Mark agreed to give most of his wealth to charity. This is not Zuckerberg’s first foray into philanthropy; he had donated an undisclosed amount to the open social network project Diaspora as well as $100 million to Newark Public Schools. He spoke about the Newark donation on Oprah, explaining his dedication to help fix the public school system. The Giving Pledge, however, is a completely different ball game. Along with 57 other multi-millionaire and billionaire families and individuals, including Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Paul Allen and Carl Icahn, by signing the pledge Mark Zuckerberg promised to give more than half of his wealth to charity, either during his lifetime or after his death. "People wait until late in their career to give back. But why wait when there is so much to be done? With a generation of younger folks who have thrived on the success of their companies, there is a big opportunity for many of us to give back earlier in our lifetime and see the impact of our philanthropic efforts," said Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a statement. According to Forbes’ estimate, Mark Zuckerberg is worth $6.9 billion, which puts him on the 35th position on the list of wealthy Americans. Although many consider him to be the world’s youngest billionaire, he recently lost that title to Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, who’s only 8 days younger than him and whose worth is currently estimated at $1.4 billion. [via Wall Street Journal] More About: bill gates, billionaire, facebook, Giving Pledge, mark zuckerberg, philantrophy, trending, Warren Buffet For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Evernote By the Numbers [STATS] Posted: 09 Dec 2010 02:42 AM PST You might have already heard that popular note-taking service Evernote has five million members, but did you know that it has 160,000 paying users helping it generate around $800,000 per month? Or that there are 14 published books in Japan dedicated to Evernote? Phil Libin, the company’s CEO, shared a mountain of stats on its growth and revenue with the audience at the LeWeb conference in Paris. Among some of the most interesting data points: The company’s two biggest user bases are in the U.S. (57%) and Japan (20%). Before the end of next year, the U.S. should be in the minority of Evernote’s overall pie. Evernote has 160,000 premium users paying $5 per month. That means, per month, the company earns $800,000 and per year, nearly $10 million. The company didn’t disclose its ful revenues, which includes a series of confidential, revenue-generating partnerships. The longer you stay, the more likely you are to become a premium user. While less than 1% of active users sign up for premium content in the first month, approximately 20% of active users (7.5% of total users) are paying users by month 29. There are 14 books in Japan dedicated to Evernote. On his last trip to Japan, Libin even found an Evernote section. Evernote is well known for its openness surrounding its stats, but today’s stats provide a deeper insight into how the company monetizes its users. More About: evernote, LeWeb, LeWeb 2010, Statts

Apple Ramps Up Song Previews in iTunes to 90 Seconds Posted: 09 Dec 2010 02:30 AM PST As announced in November, Apple has tripled the song preview length in iTunes from 30 to 90 seconds. Unfortunately, the lengthier song previews are only live in the U.S. store, only work for certain songs in the iTunes catalog, and even then (as Apple originally announced), only songs longer than 2 minutes and 30 seconds have been affected. It seems that not all rights holders were happy with the change. Some members of the National Music Publishers Association believe that Apple needs to acquire an additional license for increased song samples. Apple, on the other hand, believes (and we agree) that the longer song samples will benefit both the music labels and the customers. More About: apple, itunes, music, song previews, songs For more Entertainment coverage: Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Entertainment channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Winklevoss Twins Launch Another Lawsuit Against Facebook Posted: 09 Dec 2010 12:58 AM PST Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, the twins that already launched one lawsuit against Facebook, claiming that Mark Zuckerberg stole their idea for a social network, are now suing Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg again. Even though the first lawsuit ended with a 65-million-dollar settlement, the Winklevosses now claim that Zuckerberg lied to them about the value of Facebook and is guilty of securities fraud, demanding an unspecified amount of (extra) money. Facebook has filed new legal papers in answer to the suit, claiming the Winklevosses are suffering from “settler’s remorse,” and that they had calculated the value of Facebook themselves, based on a truthful press release from a couple of months earlier. Facebook claims that Mark Zuckerberg wasn’t obligated to inform them of the true value of the company. From Facebook’s new legal papers: “Their fraud claim is based on omission: they fault Facebook for not volunteering a more recent – and, they claim, lower – valuation of different Facebook stock. They insist that their sworn enemy had some special duty to open its books and volunteer any information that bears on the value of this closely held company.” The story of the first lawsuit was widely popularized through David Fincher’s movie The Social Network. The Winklevoss twins originally hired Zuckerberg to create a college-based social network for them, and Zuckerberg agreed but eventually abandoned that project to build a rival service, which would end up being Facebook. The 65 million that the Winklevosses originally settled for is a hefty sum, but who knows, perhaps they end up getting even more from Facebook. Image courtesy of BBC [via Daily Mail] Reviews: Facebook More About: Cameron Winklevoss, facebook, lawsuit, litigation, mark zuckerberg, settlement, Tyler Winklevoss, Winklevoss twins For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Work for Mashable and Other Great Social Media Savvy Companies [Job Openings] Posted: 08 Dec 2010 11:55 PM PST If you’re seeking a job in social media, we’d like to help out. For starters, Mashable’s Job Lists section gathers together all of our resource lists, how-tos and expert guides to help you get hired. In particular, you might want to see our articles on How to Leverage Social Media for Career Success and How to Find a Job on Twitter. But we’d like to help in a more direct way, too. Mashable's job boards are a place for socially savvy companies to find people like you. This week and every week, Mashable features its coveted job board listings for a variety of positions in the web, social media space and beyond. Have a look at what's good and new on our job boards: Mashable Job Postings Events Manager at Mashable in New York, NY. Ad Ops Manager at Mashable in New York, NY. VP of Sales at Mashable in New York, NY. Events Content Coordinator at Mashable in New York, NY. Ruby on Rails Developer at Mashable in San Francisco, CA. Mashable Job Board Listings Digital Producer at roundhouse media in Seattle, WA. Social Media Manager at MJHS in New York. Manager, Sales Development at The Huffington Post in New York, NY. Social Marketing Program Manager at IMRE, LLC in Raleigh, NC. Social Marketing Program Manager at IMRE, LLC in Maryland. Associate Director, Analytics at R/GA in New York, NY. Senior Front End Engineer at R/GA in New York, NY. Junior Web Developer at Flank Marketing in San Diego, CA. Senior Level PHP/Magento Developer at Flank Marketing in San Diego, CA. Interactive Marketing Specialist at Alliance Data in Columbus, OH. The Bump Online Editor at The Knot, Inc. in New York, NY. Dev Ops Engineer at Livestream in New York, NY. Head of Acquisition Marketing at Playfish in Redwood City, CA. Assistant/Coordinator to High Level Management at Intern Sushi in Los Angeles, CA. Senior Manager, Product & Marketing Analytics at Playfish in Redwood City, CA. Senior Manager, Strategy at Playfish in Redwood City, CA. Software Engineer at The Writers Network in New York, NY. Product Manager at Savings.com in Santa Monica, CA. Senior Software Engineer at The Writers Network in New York, NY. Director of Engineering at B-Line Medical, LLC in Washington DC. Director, Digital Marketing and Publicity at Mom + Pop Music in New York, NY. Associate Product Manager at crowdtap in New York, NY. Social Media Marketing Manager at M80 in New York, NY. Digital Community Manager at Edelman in New York, NY. Creative Developerr at GigMasters in Redding, CT. PHP Developer at Blue Fountain Media in New York, NY. Music-Tech Entrepreneur at a music industry company in Los Angeles, CA. Interactive Marketing Manager at San Joaquin Valley College in Visalia, CA. Online Community Manager at San Joaquin Valley College in Visalia, CA. Graphic and Web UI Designer at OneRiot in Boulder, CO. Assistant/Associate Professor, Social Media at Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY. Digital Ad Sales Lead at OneRiot in Boulder, CO. Interactive Content Manager at American Marketing Association in Chicago, IL. Community Administrator at American Marketing Association in Chicago, IL. eCommerce Analyst at Empirecovers.com in Jenkintown, PA. Visual Design & User Experience Lead at imo in Palo Alto, CA. Operations Engineer at imo in Palo Alto, CA. Marketing Solutions Manager at Live Nation Entertainment in New York, NY. Director, Marketing at StyledOn.com in New York, NY. Product Manager at HCSS in Sugar Land, TX. Senior Software Developer at Pronto.com in Boulder, CO. Associate Software Engineer at Bazaarvoice in Austin, TX. Digital – Senior Account Executive at Edelman in Dallas, TX. Spring Interns at Howcast Media in New York, NY. Lead Front End Developer at Rent the Runway in New York, NY. Systems Administrator at Rent the Runway in New York, NY. Director of Crazy Wacky Ideas at Robs Really Good in Sea Cliff, NY. Director, Email Marketing at Adknowledge, Inc. in Kansas City, MO. Social Media Strategist at LivingSocial in Washington DC. Software Development Engineers at Microsoft in Redmond, WA. Project Manager at Digitas in Boston, MA. Digital – Senior Account Executive at Edelman in Chicago, IL. PHP Developer at CD Savoia in San Diego, CA. Social Media Manager at Smith Brothers Agency in Pittsburgh, PA. Online Community Manager at News Corp. in New York, NY. Business Development Executive at Adknowledge, Inc. in New York, NY. Broadcasting Intern at CME Group in Chicago, IL. Business Development Executive at Adknowledge, Inc. in Burlingame, CA. VP/Director, Strategy & Analysis at Digitas in New York, NY. Interactive Production Designer at a digital publication in New York, NY. Bloggers & Writers at blogsynergy.com in Los Angeles, CA. Marketing Assistant at (mt) Media Temple in Culver City, CA. Mashable’s Job Board has a variety of web 2.0, application development, business development and social networking job opportunities available. Check them out at here. Got a job posting to share with our readers? Post a job to Mashable today ($99 for a 30 day listing) and get it highlighted every week on Mashable.com (in addition to exposure all day every day in the Mashable marketplace). Image courtesy of iStockphoto, YinYang Reviews: Mashable, iStockphoto

Apple Loses Top iOS Game Dev to… iOS Games, Actually Posted: 08 Dec 2010 10:26 PM PST Graeme Devine, a top video game designer/developer, has left Apple, where he was hired last year to perfect the iOS gaming experience. Not surprisingly, he has left to pursue a career in iOS game development — a job that brings all the money and none of the confinements of corporate life. Devine, who began his game-design career at age 16 with Atari, was working within Apple’s iPhone division to improve the multitouch, mobile gaming experience. His job involved ensuring that all hardware and software components played nicely together to make the iPhone the best game-playing device it could possibly be. The thing is, he wasn’t making games; he was just optimizing a gaming platform. And like any builder in his position would, Devine wanted to get back into building. “While I loved my time, the people, and the platform I worked on at Apple,” he told Kotaku, “I am ultimately a game designer that wants to make games.” And we’re quite excited to see what games might come next from the designer of The 7th Guest and The 11th Hour, especially as it seems that one of his next games might be for the iPad. “When I first got an iPad,” Devine continued, “I was sold on it being the ultimate piece of science fiction technology for gaming. I think it is the most interesting new technology product I’ve worked on in years, and I really wanted to make games for it.” Image courtesy of Flickr, blakespot. Reviews: Flickr More About: apple, developer, gaming, graeme devine, iphone For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Google Exec: More Than 300K Android Phones Activated Daily Posted: 08 Dec 2010 09:54 PM PST Andy Rubin, the Google executive who heads up the Android division, has just tweeted an astonishing statistic. According to Rubin, more than 300,000 Android phones are activated every day. That number is around five times greater than the stat spouted by Google CEO Eric Schmidt in February of this year; at that time, Google was claiming around 60,000 devices shipped each day. On the surface, quintupling the quantity of product moved within a ten-month period seems absurd, but the Android platform has actually had a blockbuster year. In the past year alone, Android has been the OS for dozens of product launches, including smartphones and tablets. If you look at the most popular models in the Android family — many of which have only launched since Schmidt’s announcement in February — it’s easy to see how Android’s numbers have grown so quickly. Motorola’s highly successful Droid spawned an entire line of follow-ups, including HTC’s Droid Incredible (launched in April) and Motorola’s Droid X (launched in June) and Droid 2 (launched in August). Meanwhile, HTC was churning out other Android smartphones such as the highly anticipated Evo (launched in June) and the Desire (launched mid-February). And Samsung brought the Galaxy S (another June launch) to the table, as well as the not-yet-available Android-based Tab. Another Android tablet from Dell, however, is available now: the Streak. With all these options to choose from, more new-to-smartphone consumers began choosing Android devices over the iPhone; in fact, Android smartphones outsold iPhones for the first time ever in the beginning of 2010. However, iPhone is still the device to beat; we’re not sure that any single Android device has yet had the traction to outsell the iPhone 4, for example. Nevertheless, these numbers — and Rubin’s tweet — show that fragmentation, long held to be the weak point of the Android ecosystem, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Reviews: Android, Google More About: android, andy rubin, droid, evo, Google, smartphones For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Twitter Places API Gains New Data Partners Posted: 08 Dec 2010 08:51 PM PST Twitter has just expanded and enhanced the location layer of its API. The changes will make it easier for developers to interface with various datasets and offer better location-based experiences within their apps. When Twitter Places launched back in June, it was clear that with the right implementations, the implications of a geo-aware Twitter could be vast. Over the course of the last six months however, the location layer within tweets really hasn’t been used beyond the official apps and a smattering of services. Location-based networks such as Foursquare and Gowalla could associate a check-in tweet with Twitter Places; but for external apps, surfacing this data hasn’t really been possible. As Developer Advocate Matt Harris posted to the Twitter API Announcements Google Group, that may soon change. Twitter now has more extensive information for finding tweets about places using the place operator in the Search API. Here’s the interesting part: This operator isn’t limited just to the Twitter Places data set. Rather, developers can also call up data sets from a variety of partners, including A&E Television Networks and History, Gowalla, OpenTable, TomTom, Yellow Pages Group (Canada) and Zagat. This means developers, using the data set alias for any of these providers, can access search information about a specific location. Where this really has immediate potential is with developers who are already interacting with one of the partner data sets. For instance, if your web app already plugs into OpenTable to offer restaurant information, you can now easily add recent tweets from that location to your app. Interestingly, two of the biggest data sets, Facebook Places and Foursquare, are not on Twitter’s partner list. Facebook we can understand; Facebook Places is very much a mobile offering at this point in time. Foursquare’s omission is less clear. Foursquare data can still be mapped to Twitter Places when a checkin is tweeted by Foursquare, so we don’t understand the omission of the data set on the other end. Perhaps the rumored upcoming Foursquare API extension will answer some of these questions. [via WebProNews] Reviews: Facebook, Gowalla, Twitter, foursquare More About: api, geolocation, Geolocation API, gowalla, location, Twitter API, twitter places, zagat For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

President Clinton on Technology, WikiLeaks & the World’s Problems Posted: 08 Dec 2010 07:06 PM PST In the closing keynote at Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference, former U.S. President Bill Clinton discussed the significance of using technology to solve what he believes to be the world’s three greatest problems: Inequality, instability and unsustainability. To make his point, Clinton spoke around economic inequalities and the huge disparity between the rich and poor, both in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world. He also briefly addressed the ongoing “Wikileaks issue” as an example of instability in cyber security. The whistleblower organization and its creator have come under intense fire from the U.S. government following the publication of confidential diplomatic cables. Clinton spoke of the matter as regrettable, pointing to the untold stories of people who have been outed and lost their jobs as a result of publication. He also anticipates that world leaders and diplomats will be more reluctant to speak to the U.S. for fear of another lapse in cyber security, as he describes it. The 42nd U.S. President, who arrived roughly 45 minutes late due to inclement weather conditions, spoke in stark contrast to the preceding optimistic message shared by musician Stevie Wonder. Clinton’s message was peppered with somber words on everything from the state of education, healthcare and the U.S. economy. According to Clinton, the idea that the American Dream is most available in America has become a myth. Still, he left room for hope and appealed to the audience to use technology to lessen inequality, instability and unsustainability in the world. From Clinton’s perspective, it’s merely a matter of finding a way to use technology to solve discrete challenges. “You can be a risk-taker in answering the ‘how’ question,” he said. “You are all sitting in these chairs because you are in the tomorrow business.” Lead image courtesy of Flickr, bestrated1. Reviews: Flickr, Wikileaks More About: Bill Clinton, Salesforce, wikileaks For more Tech coverage: Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Cortex for Chrome Makes Sharing Faster, Prettier & More Fun Than Ever [EXCLUSIVE] Posted: 08 Dec 2010 06:31 PM PST We’re having a blast tonight playing with Cortex, an insanely fast, beautifully built extension for Google Chrome. It’s lightweight as all get-out, and it lets you share content all over the web literally faster than you can say, “Hey, look at this.” Here’s the gist of it: Install the extension, find content you want to share, then click and hold. When you do, your mouse will be surrounded by a wheel of options. Flick your mouse in the correct direction, release your finger and voilà, your content is shared to Twitter, to Tumblr, to a specific Facebook friend’s wall — wherever you desire — accompanied by a charming “whoosh” sound. The entire process takes about two seconds, and it’s as good-looking as it is fast. The Cortex interface is incredibly unique. We’re generally big fans of apps that get out of your way when you don’t need them; we love it when features are unobtrusive and recede gracefully. In that sense alone, Cortex is the perfect antidote to the array of hideous sharing mechanisms that populate the web today — those obnoxious bars, frames and buttons that clutter up the visual space and make your eyes long for rest. From a design perspective, Cortex is a breath of entirely fresh air. In terms of user experience, the extension also makes sharing incredibly easy for users. It chooses header text and shortens URLs; it even lets users share just an image or specific selected text. Cortex also lets you track your history of shares. The only thing we wish worked a tad better is image sharing; right now, Cortex sends a link to Twitter and Facebook when we try to share images. Right now, you can share to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instapaper. More options will be coming soon. Here’s a brief demo video that shows how Cortex works: Cortex was just launched along with the all-new Chrome Web Store. It comes from the brain of Google intern-turned-entrepreneur Joey Primiani, who said in an email, “Learning from building successful products at Google, I love focusing on things people use on a daily basis. It’s a technology that I think is really focused, very simple and useful.” Expect to see tablet and mobile features for Cortex soon. In the meantime, give it a shot and let us know what you think in the comments. Demo video courtesy of Good Morning Geek. Reviews: Facebook, Google, Tumblr, Twitter, instapaper More About: chrome, chrome extension, cortex, Google, joey primiani, trending For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

SimpleGeo Now Serving More Location-Based Data, & It’s Free Posted: 08 Dec 2010 06:02 PM PST Startup SimpleGeo has announced a few exciting product updates that should add more context and data about business locations to its offering. SimpleGeo is recognized as one of the leading providers of location-based information; it powers consumer-facing apps that want to offer their users location-based services. Today’s updates include SimpleGeo Places and SimpleGeo Context, two public-beta products that have been in private beta for a couple months and will be improved even more in the months to come. The Context product gives developers “relevant contextual information such as geographic boundaries, weather, and demographics for a specific location,” wrote SimpleGeo designer Jeffrey Kalmikoff on the company blog. SimpleGeo Places brings devs a detailed database of business listings and points of interest that “enables real-time community collaboration.” Best of all, both Places and Context “are now and will forever be completely free and without any restrictions.” Talk about freedom of information. We’re sure this will come as welcome news to developers who’ve been wanting to play around with location in their apps. The company’s paid product is SimpleGeo Storage, currently in private beta. Storage allows devs to index and query large amounts of location data through a simple HTTP interface. This news comes just a three weeks after the company announced former Digg CEO Jay Adelson would be joining SimpleGeo as the startup’s new CEO and board of directors member. Reviews: blog More About: lbs, location, simplegeo, startup For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Is Foursquare About to Add Photo Sharing? [PIC] Posted: 08 Dec 2010 05:08 PM PST Is Foursquare about to turn on one of user's most request features? Judging by the screenshot that just landed in our inbox, it appears so. The screenshot — which we believe to have been inadvertently sent to our tipster from an employee with access to a Foursquare test environment — shows a venue page in New York City with a new "photos" section on the right hand sidebar alongside the existing "Mayor" and "Staff" sections. There aren't any actual photos to be seen in the screenshot, though our presumption would be that users will get the option to attach photos to their checkins, which would in turn populate the new section so users can browse photos of a given venue. At this point, it seems inevitable that Foursquare will add photo sharing. After all, quickly growing startups that bring together location and photo sharing like Foodspotting and Instagram have been growing quickly, and you’d have to assume Foursquare wants to bring some of that activity to its platform instead. Foursquare has long hinted that such a feature was in the works, though it's never been formally confirmed by the company. Last week, Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley tweeted that he was testing "OUR HOT NEW APP." Perhaps photos is a big new part of it. Reviews: foursquare More About: foursquare, location For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Twitter Explains Why #WikiLeaks Isn’t Trending Posted: 08 Dec 2010 04:44 PM PST Twitter has finally responded to numerous accusations that it has been purposely keeping #WikiLeaks and related hashtags out of its Trending Topics list. Twitter spokesperson Carolyn Penner just published a post on the microblogging service’s blog that more fully outlines how Trending Topics are determined on Twitter. In essence: Twitter favors novelty over popularity. Trending Topics are “designed to help people discover the ‘most breaking’ breaking news across the world… Captur[ing] the hottest emerging topics, not just what’s most popular,” Penner writes. “Topics break into the Trends list when the volume of Tweets about that topic at a given moment dramatically increases,” she adds. From this explanation, we can infer that the reason the WikiLeaks hasn’t trended this week, despite being the most-discussed topic on Twitter at times, is because there hasn’t been a dramatic increase in the level of discussion about WikiLeaks compared to previously. It’s for that very reason that other popular topics — like, ahem, Justin Bieber — have not trended as of late, Penner says. Yet according to data pulled from Trendistic (via blogger Bubbloy), WikiLeaks discussion has spiked significantly as of late, and yet #WikiLeaks has not trended since August 26: Do you find Twitter’s explanation sufficient? Reviews: Twitter, Wikileaks, justin bieber More About: censorship, twitter, wikileaks For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Facebook and Twitter Slam the Door on Would-Be WikiLeaks Avengers Posted: 08 Dec 2010 04:02 PM PST Both Facebook and Twitter have closed accounts corresponding to Anonymous, a formerly 4chan-linked group organizing a string of DDoS attacks on organizations that refuse to work with WikiLeaks. We realize that first sentence is quite a brainful; let’s break down the drama for newcomers to this saga of politics and technology. WikiLeaks is a controversial (to say the least) whistleblower site. WikiLeaks recently drew the particular ire of the U.S. government after releasing a whopping 250,000 cables from American embassies and diplomats; the cables were first released to news organizations and more than a thousand were then published directly to the WikiLeaks site. Some of those leaked documents didn’t have proper redactions and may have exposed active government operatives to danger. Due to political pressure and citing TOS violations, organizations from Paypal to Amazon Web Services began denying service to WikiLeaks. That’s when things got interesting. A loosely organized consortium of hackers — that would be Anonymous — who felt these anti-WikiLeaks actions were wrong decided to put some pressure on MasterCard et al. themselves by executing DDoS attacks on the websites of the offending institutions. Dubbing their initiative “Operation Payback,” Anonymous has succeeded in taking down all or part of the websites of Visa, MasterCard, PayPal (which has since released funds to WikiLeaks) and Swiss bank PostFinance. The group even went after U.S. politicians who had made negative or even threatening remarks about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, including Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Lieberman. Anonymous also set up Facebook and Twitter accounts promoting awareness of their mission and links to tools to carry out the DDoSs. The group’s Facebook account was closed first; shortly thereafter, according to some reports, Anonymous began leaking what it claimed were MasterCard credit card numbers to its Twitter account. The Twitter account was shut down in short order, as well. Since DDoS attacks aren’t exactly legal, and a group organizing and promoting DDoS attacks on major financial and tech institutions isn’t exactly legal, either, it’s no surprise that Facebook and Twitter have swiftly shut the accounts down. However, WikiLeaks’s own Twitter and Facebook accounts remain operational. Of course, Anonymous is expected to keep creating new accounts as quickly as Facebook and Twitter squash them; it’s a bit like Whack-a-Mole or doing battle with a hydra, in that sense. Fighting Anonymous is a task we wouldn’t wish on anyone. Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, Wikileaks More About: 4chan, anonymous, facebook, julian assange, twitter, wikileaks For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

4chan Founder Christopher Poole (a.k.a. moot) Named Advisor for Lerer Ventures Posted: 08 Dec 2010 03:49 PM PST 4chan founder Christopher Poole (a.k.a. moot) has taken his entrepreneurial ambitions in a new direction, having just joined New York City seed fund Lerer Ventures as a venture advisor. Poole is no stranger to Lerer Ventures — founded by Ken Lerer (chairman of The Huffington Post) and his son Ben (CEO and founder of Thrillist) — the fund invested in his stealth startup, Canvas Network. Ben Lerer sees Poole’s appointment as a symbiotic relationship: “One thing that we’ve been focused on is making sure that we’re really investing in the most disruptive and the most cutting-edge technology that we can find,” he says. “moot has a lot of credibility with hacker culture and with incredibly technology-driven people, and we thought that it would be good for the fund to start to spend more time with those guys.” “moot is a very curious person and someone that’s always trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible,” Lerer adds. “We thought he would find it interesting to learn about investing. And if he did find businesses that he loved, it would be exciting for him to be able to share in the upside of their success.” Poole won’t be a formal partner, but he will be able to advise on projects. “I think a lot of young entrepreneurs in particular will be inclined to reach out to moot and share what they’re doing with him because he is so smart and he does have a really interesting story, creating 4chan when he was 15,” Lerer says. Fellow Lerer advisor Jonah Peretti (CEO of Buzzfeed) would tend to agree: “He has the deepest understanding of community dynamics and hacker culture of anyone I have ever met. I am thrilled he is joining the Lerer Fund where he will have the resources to fund fellow innovators. His unique perspective will help us see value that more seasoned investors often miss — and by ’seasoned’ I mean old.” Lerer asserts that this new role will be an interesting challenge for Poole. As the co-founder of Thrillist, Lerer says he would find himself interested in new companies, but that was as far as his involvement in their well-being went. Now, as a co-founder of a seed fund, he wonders how he can help them succeed. “moot will have to make that same transition too, and when he does I have a feeling that he’ll be finding a lot of really interesting stuff,” says Lerer. “He’s someone who’s a person of interest — people are really drawn to him. He’s just a magnetic person.” As for how Canvas is progressing, Lerer says, “From what I know, Canvas is coming really well, moot’s put together a really great team. But that’s as much as I can say.” Image courtesy of Lerer Ventures More About: 4chan, christopher-poole, lerer-ventures, Moot For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

4 Ways to Find Legal Music for Your YouTube Videos Posted: 08 Dec 2010 02:18 PM PST Peter VanRysdam is the CMO of web design company 352 Media Group and the author of Marketing in a Web 2.0 World. Connect with him on Twitter @Peter352. A good soundtrack can make or break a movie. The same holds true for your YouTube videos. The right song can help convey emotion or add humor. However, you can't simply pluck a song from your iTunes library. Using a song you don't own the rights to can leave your video looking more like a silent film. YouTube's Audio ID technology automatically scans and detects copyrighted songs inside videos and, depending on who owns the rights, disables the audio or serves additional advertising on the video that is paid back to the rights holder. So where does that leave the budding filmmaker? For most, jumping through the record companies' hoops of acquiring rights isn't realistic, especially for a video of your kid's birthday party. YouTube's enforcement means torrents are no longer the answer, and independent artists are looking for new ways to get their work heard. Consequently, a host of options have popped up for users looking to integrate original music into their memes-to-be. Here’s a look at a few of them. 1. Creative Commons Licenses If "all rights reserved" is the last thing you want to see when deciding which music to use, then Creative Commons is a beacon of light. The non-profit organization of the same name is designed to let artists share their work with the public with the creator maintaining certain rights. This includes pictures from individuals on sites like Flickr, content from Wikipedia, and, of course, audio tracks. Not all Creative Commons licenses are equal. Artists can choose from four categories. The first, "attribution" (denoted as "by"), lets anyone share the work, provided they credit the creator. The "share alike" (sa) option lets others use your work, allowing they provide the same license for others to use the derivative works. "No derivative works" (nd) dictates the song can only be used verbatim. "Non-commercial" (nc) restricts songs to use in private videos, meaning companies or users looking to profit from advertising are out of luck. Finding free Creative Commons audio is pretty simple. Some individual artists have created sites, like Incompetech.com and Danodongs.com to share their work, though each appreciate donations. If their styles don't suit your needs, you can search sites like Jamendo, which boasts more than a quarter of a million tracks. Each song clearly lists the type of Creative Commons license allowed. 2. Stock Audio Stock audio libraries work just like stock photo libraries, allowing you to license music for a particular application. But just like stock photos, the license is subject to a lengthy legal agreement restricting use. That said, costs are reasonable with sites like iStockphoto offering music rights from $3.60 to $95 depending on the license selected and type of payment plan you choose. This may be the best option if you're considering well-known classical works from famous composers or versatile sound loops. 3. Pay-Per-Use If you're after a very specific sound, a more traditional pay-per-use license may be your best bet. Unlike the stock and creative commons options, most of the options are from professional, though not well-known, artists. Along with that may come higher prices. The costs depend largely on how specific your needs are, so if you need a specific song, expect to pay more. The RumbleFish Music Licensing Store offers a wide variety of styles, with pricing equally diverse. While the price is contingent on factors like the type and duration of use, single songs can range from $5 for use in a video blog to more than $6,300 for lifetime use as a recurring theme in an advertisement video series. While that sounds like a lot, keep in mind RumbleFish stipulates the license is good for all galaxies, which has to be worth a few thousand at least. If you're fine with "in the style of" a particular artist, RumbleFish's other site, Friendly Music, offers a great option at just $1.99 per track. Songs are indexed by genre, keyword, and even moods, like angry or optimistic. Independent artists can upload their work for a 50/50 profit share. For videos longer than just a couple of minutes, or to have a common theme across multiple videos in a series, there's Primary Elements. Users can download full CDs of royalty-free tracks that share a common musical style. License options range from $19 to $189 depending on whether the songs will be used for commercial purposes and if you plan to credit the website. 4. Public Domain Copyrights don't last forever, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to use recordings of the classics. While copyright protection expires 70 years after an artist's death, that only covers the composition. Mozart died well before 1940, but that doesn't mean you can use a recording of the "Magic Flute" from the New York Philharmonic. That means it's time to dust off the piano and make your own recording. And if you auto-tune your version of the original, you can even file a new copyright for it. Have you used any of these ways to add a soundtrack to YouTube videos? What other resources have you used? More Web Video Resources from Mashable: - 5 Fresh Places to Find Great Online Video - HOW TO: Become a YouTube Sensation - HOW TO: Start Your Own Internet Talk Show - 4 People Who Let the Crowd Control Their Destiny - 3 Things Any Video Needs to Go Viral Image courtesy of iStockphoto, hronos7 Reviews: Flickr, Wikipedia, YouTube, iStockphoto, iTunes More About: copyright, creative commons, istockphoto, itunes, licensing, music, music licensing, rights, rumblefish, video, web video, youtube For more Web Video coverage: Follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Web Video channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Facebook Adds More Mobile Privacy Control Posted: 08 Dec 2010 01:27 PM PST Facebook plans on rolling out more privacy management features to users who access the social network via their mobile devices. According to a blog post by Rose Yao, a mobile product manager at Facebook, mobile users will now be able to view details about the information they’ve shared with different applications and websites. They will also be able to adjust their settings when they’re on the go. The Applications and Websites section of one’s privacy settings will contain a full list of the applications being used, and Facebook users will also be able to see when these applications last accessed their information. In addition, it will be possible to tweak other settings, including access to one’s basic profile information, photos and videos, and friends’ information. To look at privacy controls on a mobile device, users should visit m.facebook.com/privacy, or they can visit the Settings page and click on the “change” link next to “Privacy Settings.” The new mobile privacy options are an extension of the applications dashboard Facebook introduced in October, providing users with information about the the applications they’ve authorized and the data those apps use. They will be rolling out to users soon. Reviews: Facebook More About: facebook, facebook privacy settings, Mobile 2.0 For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Hackers Take Down Visa.com in the Name of WikiLeaks Posted: 08 Dec 2010 01:04 PM PST A group of hackers often referred to as Anonymous have set their sights on Visa.com in a recent war against those sites that have denied service to WikiLeaks. Previous WikiLeaks-related targets of what has been dubbed “Operation Payback” (here’s a video that breaks it down) include Swiss bank PostFinance (still down for the count), which has closed the account of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, PayPal (Anon took down the blog, but it’s now operational) and Mastercard (now up and running — at least in some browsers). Visa.com is now down for the count as well. PandaLabs supplied us with the below summary of activity by Operation Payback: After pulling the plug on payments to WikiLeaks, Mastercard's website was taken down and remains out of service. Senator Joe Lieberman's website was taken down for 12 minutes (the first .gov site to be attacked). Sarah Palin's website was taken offline by a small group of Anonymous attackers. The group sent spam faxes to Joe Lieberman's office and to PostFinance. PostFinance was attacked the hardest, leaving customers without the ability to conduct online banking. They took down the website of the lawyer representing the two women who were allegedly raped/assaulted by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The group took down Assange's Swedish prosecutor's website. Reviews: Wikileaks More About: 4chan, anonymous, trending, wikileaks For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Each Month 250 Million People Use Facebook Connect on the Web Posted: 08 Dec 2010 12:51 PM PST During an interview at Le Web, Facebook’s Developer Network Director Ethan Beard shared some staggering figures around its growing web ecosystem. Most notably, more than 250 million people are using Facebook Connect on third-party sites every month. On the publisher side of things, Facebook has seen 2 million sites add Connect in the two years since its launch, Beard said. In fact, 10,000 new sites are adding Facebook Connect every day. One prime example of the success of Connect is the cross effect it has on referring traffic to third-party services. “Facebook is the number one referrer of traffic to Spotify,” Beard said. The UK-only music startup has seen a fourfold increase in traffic from Facebook since implementing Facebook Connect earlier in the year. During the discussion, Beard — a former Googler — also pontificated on why so many Google employees are migrating over to Facebook. “What’s going on at Facebook right now is really, really exciting,” he said. “We’re at the center of shaping and defining what the web and what the Internet is going to look like over the course of the next number of years … it’s a fun place to work.” Beard also again denied the existence of the rumored “Facebook Phone,” which has been repeatedly refuted, most recently by Mark Zuckerberg during Sunday’s 60 Minutes interview. Image courtesy of Flickr, Alessio Jacona Reviews: Facebook, Flickr, Google, Internet, Spotify More About: ethan beard, facebook, facebook connect, LeWeb, LeWeb 2010 For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

How the iPad Is Influencing Web Apps Posted: 08 Dec 2010 12:42 PM PST The Web Development Series is supported by Rackspace, the better way to do hosting. Learn more about Rackspace’s hosting solutions here. Google officially unveiled its Chrome Web Store yesterday, and with it, a veritable treasure trove of highly optimized web apps that use technologies like JavaScript and HTML5 to create optimized experiences that blur the lines between web and desktop apps. We’ve already profiled some of those apps, most of which work on any modern browser, not just Google Chrome. A few months ago, we talked about how the iPad is transforming web design. We dubbed this phenomenon the “iPadification of the web.” As much as the iPad has had an influence on web design, its influence over this next wave of web applications is even more apparent. Looking through the Google Web Store, we couldn’t help but notice the similarities — in some cases perfect facsimiles — that some of these apps share with their iPad counterparts or with the general trend of iPad apps and iPad websites. Let’s look at some examples. 1. USA Today The USA Today app [iTunes link] for the iPad is extremely well done. It offers a reading experience that is really optimized for the size of the iPad’s screen, is touch friendly and has built-in social sharing features. The new USA Today for Chrome web app (also accessible on HTML5-friendly browsers at optimus.usatoday.com) is a near carbon copy of the iPad app. In fact, we feel confident in saying that save for a few iPad-specific optimizations (mostly dealing with navigation), this is the iPad app. That’s not a bad thing by any stretch; we think this offers a superior reading and browsing experience over the standard USA Today website. 2. NPR Another news app that has significantly borrowed from its iPad counterpart is NPR for Chrome. We’re big fans of the NPR apps for iPhone and iPad, and we’re adding its Chrome app, which is also accessible in other browsers at npr.org/webapp, to our list. The HTML5 framework SproutCore was used to create an earlier demo of the NPR app, and we feel certain elements of that exercise have been used in the new web version. Not only is the interface extremely usable and attractive, it creates a consistent experience between platforms. 3. Flixster The Flixster web app for Chrome (also accessible at flixster.rottentomatoes.com) very much mirrors the layout of its iPad app. Consider the lack of scrollbar on the left column — this scrolls independently of the main column, just as it does on the iPad app. The buttons and navigation points on the two implementations do have some differences. The iPad app uses the bottom of the screen (which is common parlance in iPad UI design); the web app uses the top. The web app also has a fixed width of just under 1,000 pixels. In landscape mode, the iPad is 1024×768. To be fair, the resolution on many netbooks is 1024×600, but we still find it interesting that the elements were designed for such a fixed size. 4. Amazon Windowshop The Amazon Windowshop Chrome app is little more than a bookmark to windowshop.com, but that doesn’t mean that as a web app, it isn’t impressive. The app matches the layout of its iPad counterpart perfectly. The only difference — and this is significant — is that a scroll control has been added to the lower right of the web app, enabling users to scroll up, down, left and right within the app or the various sections. To us, this makes it clear that the app was designed first and foremost for touch, and then adapted for the mouse and keyboard. 5. Weather Underground The Weather Underground Chrome app (available at chrome.wunderground.com) is not the same as the Weather Underground app for the iPad. However, the Chrome app, which offers a very attractive way to view and search for weather conditions, does share some striking similarities with some other iPad weather apps. For example, Weather HD [iTunes link] takes a very similar approach to showcasing weather conditions. Weather HD uses animated images (something Weather Underground might want to consider aping) and can also show hourly conditions, but the overall layout of the two apps is similar. Blurring the Lines Between HTML5 and Native Apps Google’s official line might be that Android is for tablets and Chrome OS is for netbooks, but in practice, it looks like more and more web developers are designing their web apps with the tablet form factor and features, like multi-touch, in mind. And why not? As we can see from the above examples, many iPad apps are in large part, just HTML5 apps, inside a wrapper. Sure, there are some benefits to creating a native app for platforms like iOS or Android — even if that app is largely just built using HTML5 — but the fact that HTML5 and JavaScript are becoming the building blocks for these kinds of applications means that porting them to other platforms or devices is significantly less challenging. Last week, the Netflix engineers blogged about the company’s decision to use HTML5 in many of its new apps. Clearly, many other companies are also seeing these benefits. We think that design cues from the iPad and future Android tablets will continue to influence web design and development in the traditional web browser. The true convergence of these types of devices — the desktop and the tablet — might still be a few years off, but users will start to see similar user interfaces, application experiences and features across their various computing platforms. Series supported by Rackspace The Web Development Series is supported by Rackspace, the better way to do hosting. No more worrying about web hosting uptime. No more spending your time, energy and resources trying to stay on top of things like patching, updating, monitoring, backing up data and the like. Learn why. More Dev & Design Resources from Mashable: - How the iPad is Transforming Web Design - 10 Chrome Web Apps to Check Out - 5 of the Best New User Experiences of 2010 - 5 Better Ways to Read "Hacker News" - 10 Tools for Getting Web Design Feedback Reviews: Android, Chrome, Google, Google Chrome, iPhone More About: amazon windowshop, Chrome OS, flixster, ipad apps, NPR, usa today, weather hd, weather underground, web apps, web development series For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

More Disney and ABC TV Shows Come to Netflix Posted: 08 Dec 2010 12:11 PM PST Netflix just announced that it has signed a new deal with Disney-ABC Television group to bring even more television content to its Watch Instantly service. Last week, The New York Post reported that Netflix was considering shelling out up to $100,000 per episode for newer programs. We’re not sure if Netflix is paying that much for the new Disney/ABC content, but current shows should reach the streaming subscription service. In addition to adding in older catalog titles like Ugly Betty and Scrubs, select Disney-ABC content will appear on Netflix as soon as 15 days after initial telecast. Some of the new and expanded offerings include: Every episode of Lost, Ugly Betty, Scrubs and Reaper Past seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters Disney Channel content like Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Good Luck Charlie ABC Family content, including original series Greek, The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Melissa & Joey Disney Channel and ABC Family movies like High School Musical and Beauty & the Briefcase This content should all be available by early 2011. This expanded set of offerings only further blurs the lines between Netflix and Hulu Plus. For TV fans, the biggest differentiator between the Disney-backed Hulu Plus and Netflix is the availability of current programming. Grey’s Anatomy, for instance, is available the day after broadcast on Hulu, Hulu Plus and ABC.com. By stating that current programming will hit Netflix “no earlier than 15 days after initial broadcast,” Hulu Plus will retain its edge in this area, but the catalog content libraries of the two services are growing more and more similar. Do you watch TV using Netflix? Let us know. [via Engadget] Reviews: Hulu More About: abc, connected devices, disney, hulu plus, iptv, netflix, streaming tv, television For more Entertainment coverage: Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Entertainment channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

3 Things Brands Must Do to Reach Millennials Online Posted: 08 Dec 2010 11:59 AM PST Nick Parish is the North American Editor of Contagious, a London-based intelligence resource for the global marketing community focusing on non-traditional media and emerging technologies.   Whereas yesterday’s concept of convenience was all about value and location (e.g. the 24-hour 7-Eleven store), today’s convenience is about getting what you want, when you want it, whatever that may be. This applies to content, customer service, and experience in equal measure.   In part, we can blame this shift on the Millennials, that quixotic generation marketers are still struggling reach. But Millennials’ style of empowered consumerism is beginning to have an effect on our expectations of brands and the places we expect those brands to be present.   A good example shows up in how they source new products. A recent survey by Edelman found that 87% of people born between 1980 and 1995 (referred to by the company as "8095ers") go to multiple sources before buying a new technology product; 31% looked in seven or more places; 86% looked in multiple places before selecting a more commonplace product or service. They're not afraid to shop around and actively contemplate purchases. With this in mind, here’s a look at some of the core competencies marketers should have in place if they hope to reach this important demographic.   Provide Exceptional Social Media Customer Service Good service, and the ways in which a brand can best meet the needs of its customers, lies at the heart of this new approach.   Glen Parker, research director at Universal McCann, whose team conducted the agency’s Wave.5 social media survey and interviewed more than 350,000 people, found that respondents really only had one thing in common when it came to online expectations from brands:   "Most (brands) inherently aren’t social, but users are expecting to see them in the same places [the users] are in. For all customers, the one thing they all want is good service, but in all other aspects they are completely different." This isn’t as easy as waving a magic wand and saying "Twelpforce" three times. Each solution will be different. UK retailer Debenhams, for example, appointed six in-store sales associates as "Twitter Assistants" to monitor a designated hashtag during its four-day New Season Spectacular. One roamed each floor of the department store, fielding questions about the products, offering to meet customers and show them where things were located, and generally answering customer queries.   The store had an average of 10 inquiries every hour during the course of the experiment, and it led to an interesting follow-up. The store is now inviting product designers to respond to customers’ questions. For example, you can ask the person who designed the retailer’s bedding range which loveseat and throw pillows would match, or query a clothing designer for fashion advice.   Do Good, Even When It Challenges Your Interests Malcolm Gladwell’s recent indictment of social networks as not carrying enough weight to promote meaningful change has resonated with brands that want to provoke consumers to take action. Social good initiatives may not always be a boon for sales, but they are a great way to lock in brand loyalty with a demographic that cares about connecting with causes online.   Volvo has taken what some might consider a counterproductive approach to marketing with its “‘Fight for Your Right to Clean Air” campaign, which emphasized the number of premature UK deaths due to poor air quality linked with fossil fuel combustion (approximately 50,000, according to the campaign). The automaker, taking some responsibility for those deaths, worked with cleangreencars.co.uk to develop an environmental rating system which they hope to implement for every vehicle on the road. It’s also launched petitions to lobby the government, and developed an iPhone app to help you choose the most emissions-neutral car. According to some automotive insiders, in a few years, Volvo's cars will be topping these ratings, and the company is essentially building a framework that it’s going to excel in — that is to say, seeding a need. It's a marketing campaign cloaked in public concern, with time before the tech comes to market. Indeed, earlier this year, Volvo contracted with a company called Clean Air Power to develop diesel-methane dual fuel applications on some tractor units. Brands have to be able to offer more than just value. Addressing customer desires as they arise, anticipating the media channels in which they’ll arise, and pre-empting those desires with genuinely useful products and services are just a few ways to stay relevant.    Be a Smiling Omnipresence If the consumer-facing proposition is one of ultimate convenience, then brands must be seen everywhere as a do-good enterprise.   We’ve recently seen this omnipresence in several campaigns. For instance, Wheat Thins’ widely seen “Crunch is Calling” effort rewarded a hungry fan who voiced her disappointment about running out of the snack food on Twitter. The brand went and delivered a pallet to her door. It’s an interesting way to use sudden response marketing to connect online consumers to real-world products — a "surprise and delight" strategy for the real-time age.   It’s often tough to be responsive and off-the-cuff when it comes to planning for this kind of eventuality, both in developing fairly open strategic frameworks and executing once the time seems right. But talkable stunts possess the power to transform into a sustainable marketing campaign, generating PR (such as national press, in Wheat Thins’ case) in the process.   A New Zealand bank has been using social media and online chat to revive face-to-face banking in an attempt to connect the old branch manager relationship style with the new reality of faceless online banking.   ASB Bank developed a Facebook-based "Virtual Branch" that offers a confidential online chat service between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily. The idea is, why would you head all the way to the bank on your lunch break when you can just chat directly with a representative, on your terms? The service is available to all, whether you have an account with the bank or not. There’s a sweepstakes element as well, where customers interacting can win one of 10 laptops in the give away.   Ultimately, these new conveniences is predicated on brands being preemptive and attentive beyond the checklist of a tidy media plan. Brands need to be actively scouting out new locales to interact with customers, both present and potential. It's time to start giving the people what they want. More Marketing Resources from Mashable: - Beyond Viral: How Successful Marketers Are Embracing the Social Web - HOW TO: Boost Holiday Sales With Commonly Overlooked Marketing Strategies - Social Point of Sale: The Holy Grail for Location-Based Marketers - The State of Small Business Online Marketing Budgets [REPORT] - 5 Invaluable Marketing Lessons from an Epic Campaign for… Cream Cheese? Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Neustockimages Reviews: ELEVEN, Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto More About: brand, business, facebook, MARKETING, millennials, small business, social media marketing, twitter For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

New Meme Lets You See What Others Think Of You on Facebook & Twitter Posted: 08 Dec 2010 11:43 AM PST Oh, the power of anonymity! A new game, called “The Number Game,” has broken out on Twitter and Facebook, allowing users to tell friends and followers how they really feel. According to Buzzfeed, the term “Number Game” was trending yesterday on Twitter as users engaged in the titillating diversion. The premise is simple: A user tweets something to the effect of “DM me a number from 1-500 and I’ll tell you what I think of you.” Interested parties choose a random number via DM. The initial user then tweets a message akin to, “#7, you wear terrible Mom jeans, #8 I love you, #9 I have no idea who you are.” Honesty-ridden fun for everyone! Urlesque reports today that the game has now found its way to Facebook (although there’s some speculation that it started there initially — if you have any leads on this, please let us know). The Facebook version is also pretty simple: A user posts a status update to the effect of, “Inbox me some numbers and I’ll tell you what I think of you,” his/her friends send random numbers via Facebook Message, and then the initial user updates his or her status accordingly. Think of it as the old-school Facebook “Honesty Box,” but a little less anonymous. We wonder how this game differs from social network to social network — seeing as how people tend to have more random followers on Twitter than friends on Facebook. If you’d like to see the game in action on Twitter, simply search for #thenumbergame. If you’re curious about what Facebookers are up to, check out Open Book and search for “inbox me some numbers.” Memes like this are becoming more and more common across networks like Facebook, as folks share their bra color, pictures of cartoon characters and their doppelgangers. What do you think of this rash of memes? Would you take part in The Number Game? Reviews: Facebook, Twitter More About: facebook, Meme, number-game, twitter For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Win Today’s Holiday MashPack With 14 Tech and Social Media Prizes [GIVEAWAY] Posted: 08 Dec 2010 11:14 AM PST This year, Mashable has been getting into the holiday spirit by talking about the most gift-worthy gadgets on the market and inviting readers to host Mashable Holiday Meetups. But what spreads holiday cheer more than the gift of giving? That’s why we’re giving away a MashPack filled with social media and tech prizes every weekday through Friday, December 17. A different grand prize will be added each day, getting bigger and better as we get further into the holiday season. Check out the list of prizes below to see what’s in today’s MashPack, and find details on how to win. Yesterday’s MashPack went to Josh Weaver from Las Vegas, NV. (Congratulations, Josh!) For those who didn’t win yesterday, go ahead and try your luck today! Happy holidays from Mashable! How To Win Today’s MashPack Tweeting for today’s MashPack will end Thursday, December 9 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. Sony MHS-TS10 Bloggie Touch HD Camera 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. Griffin Technology PowerDockDual 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! Griffin Technology AirCurve Play 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 Custom-Designed Mashable Laptop Case 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 Madison Photobook 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. Skullcandy Headphones Skullcandy headphones are known for their funky fashion and durable design. Their style is in line with an impressive list of celebrities who endorse the brand, including rap czar Snoop Dogg; snowboarding legends Terje Haakonsen, Mark Frank Montoya and Devun Walsh; skate pros Lizard King, Theotis Beasley and Greg Lutzka; surf rulers Mick Fanning, Owen Wright, Kolohe Andino, the Gudauskas brothers, and Clay Marzo; as well as free-ski greats Tanner Hall, Kaya Turski, and Tom Wallisch. Merkury Innovations Universal Square Stereo Speakers 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. Ben Folds’ Lonely Avenue Deluxe Album 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 Mobile Phone Cases 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. Power Support USA iPad Leather Sleeve 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 iPhone4 Anti-Glare Films 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 USA iPhone4 Designer Collection Cases 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 Twitter Journal 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. Star Wars Lego Sets Both Emperor Palpatine’s Shuttle and a Clone Turbo Tank are included in today’s MashPack. The shuttle set includes new battle-damaged Anakin Skywalker with Darth Vader helmet, Emperor Palpatine, new medical droid and new clone pilot minifigures, and shuttle with working landing gear, folding wings, opening cockpit; and transformation bed. In the tank collection, you’ll find dual cockpits, scout walker, command station and sturdy handle for easy handling, and Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka, Aayla Secura, clone trooper and bounty hunter Cad Bane mini figures. Reenact your favorite Star Wars scenes or let your imagination create a new adventure! God of War: Ghost of Sparta for PSP God of War: Ghost of Sparta is a game where players explore the realm of Greek mythology, taking on the role of Spartan warrior Kratos. This new adventure tells the story of Kratos' ascension to power as the God of War. In this single-player game, Kratos embarks on a journey to reveal the origins of lost worlds, answering questions about his past. Reviews: Facebook, Mashable, TweetPhoto, Twitpic, Twitter More About: gadgets, holiday giveaway, mashpack, social media, tech, twitter For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Does “TRON: Legacy” Deliver the Goods? [MOVIE REVIEW] Posted: 08 Dec 2010 10:22 AM PST TRON: Legacy is one of those rare movies that manages to do justice to its source material without being a slave to it. The film carefully and dramatically balances soaring neon landscapes with enough electro riffs and techno-philosophy to keep happy both mainstream audiences and its niche core. Legacy picks up in 1989, seven years after the original TRON ends. Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), a gifted computer programmer, has managed to become CEO of a major software company, ENCOM, after unexpectedly entering and dismantling the company's computer mainframe from the inside. Having acquired a taste for the digital world, Kevin continues to revisit the mainframe in the hopes of using it to solve and innovate in the name of science. And then he disappears. The audience is left staring at his 7-year-old son Sam who, 20 years later (played by Garrett Hedlund), holds the majority share of his father's company. A motorcycle riding recluse, Sam literally lives under a bridge while the current CEO makes quips about shilling consumers on new, annual software without making improvements. Not the dream Kevin had in mind. All of this feels like a long build-up to the impressive visuals that early trailers have been boasting. Where are the light cycles? The flying orange aircraft? This early exposition reads as just that: necessary but dull exposition, a prelude to what audiences paid to see. Sam thankfully gets sucked into the digital world in search of his father after receiving a serendipitous text from his dad's old arcade. This is where the fun starts, and not just because the palette turns to black and neon. The trip to the digital world allows the film to open up both visually and conceptually. In between the truly gorgeous machines, wires, and programs that populate the over-saturated world of TRON are brief ruminations on computer politics and theory. Actual technology, however, is conspicuously absent. Aside from some brief smartphone hacking and a plethora of touchscreens, “technology” survives as an abstract concept in the film. There is no mention of modern video games or consoles like the PS3 or Xbox and there really isn’t any discussion of computers. The film veers, favorably, towards more general but ultimately more interesting themes of technology in absentia. Anyone who has seen the trailers knows that there is a CGI-ed version of a young Kevin, circa 1989, that interacts with the present-day Kevin (both voiced by Jeff Bridges). Without ruining how this comes about, the movie tackles Asimov-level questions of purpose and logic while also balancing a father-son reunion story. These elements and some stunning set-piece moments crowd out some of the allegorical elements of the original film where the computer world stood as a proxy for the real-world behaviors and personalities that created it. Instead, TRON: Legacy focuses on how Sam comes to grips with his dad's long absence, the discovery of a new form of life, played by the naïve but electric Olivia Wilde, and how all three of them can get out of dodge as quickly as possible. Those set-pieces are mostly what have been selling the film from a PR standpoint, and they are worth every penny. A five-on-five LightCycle battle captures everything you could want from a five-on-five LightCycle battle, complete with neon explosions, criss-crossing bands, and high-speed craftiness. The LightCycle concept is even expanded to a “Light Jet” battle featuring the same, deadly streams of light in mid-air. Although it loses the sense of speed, it shows that Legacy is at least trying to push the theme rather than recycle old tropes just to milk some holiday cash. These high-powered chases and fights help to buy some time and space for scenes of over-acted pain or under-acted tech mumbo-jumbo, like Kevin's loose explanation of what "Isomorphs" are. The writing sometimes lands perfectly or completely misfires. Honest scenes like Sam's first dinner with his dad ditch the highfalutin’ for standard dad questions about Sam's girlfriend, dog and job. It's a nice counterpoint to the tech themes and pulsing turquoise landscape behind them. Meanwhile, Bridges delivers sharp lines like "Sam, really. You're messing with my 'zen' thing," in a "dude" meets "dad" way after Sam loses his bike and nearly gets them all killed. This is juxtaposed against Sam's limp description of the sun, an emotional high point, as "warm, radiant, beautiful." The soundtrack, assembled by French electro-stars Daft Punk, is mostly a hit. Their characteristic blips and industrial grind are a great fit for the digital realm. And the soundtrack does fit the mood, punctuating the action when it needs it but given the band's stature, fame, and lack of an album since 2005, their minimalism might be a little disappointing for fans wanting to hear a new Daft Punk album rather than a film soundtrack. The film is beautiful, and to see it in motion does the design work more justice than words. The digitally younger version of Bridges, achieved through CGI, is a great approximation of a human but the graphics still look a little gummy and false when contrasted against actual humans. This isn't a problem in the digital world but it's a little uncanny in the opening scenes when "young" Kevin is supposed to look as real as his family. The real visual star is the mainframe world, even if much of the designs and even some of the scenes are faithful — albeit impressive — updates from the original film. Fans might also pick up on some parallel film structures and motifs, but they successfully land on the side of homage rather than laziness. Some scenes were filmed in 3D, allowing the vistas to breathe with added depth. Even the plain-old 2D renditions shimmer and snake with electricity and energy. It is a vibrant world that manages not to subsume the character drama and high-minded (sometimes too much so) tech-philosophy. TRON: Legacy, for all its trappings and stars, is about a son taking his father's place. That the film can balance this human drama against its pulsing cities and striking colors is a testament to Joseph Kosinski, TRON: Legacy's skillful director. TRON: Legacy may not sweep the Oscars but it is a tremendously good time: A beautiful film that offers enough emotion to keep you interested and enough philosophy to actually make you think. The plot has holes, especially if you aren’t familiar with the original film (how can Kevin manipulate the mainframe?) and the acting isn't always perfect, but that version of “perfection” is exactly the point of TRON. Nothing, not even the digital world, can be perfect. This film does, however, serve as a fitting, sometimes remarkable, legacy for TRON fans. More About: Film, film review, jeff bridges, movie, movie review, Movies, tech, TRON, tron legacy For more Entertainment coverage: Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Entertainment channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Salesforce Unleashes 5 New Platforms for Rapid Cloud App Development Posted: 08 Dec 2010 09:15 AM PST Salesforce is using its Dreamforce conference to reveal a bevy of news including Database.com, Chatter Free and its acquisition of Ruby platform Heroku for $212 million. The enterprise software company is further pushing its agenda to become the go-to middle man between the cloud and the enterprise with five new platform services. The enterprise cloud platform services — Appforce, Siteforce, VMforce, ISVforce and Heroku — are now a part of the Salesforce Force.com platform. The new services speak to Salesforce’s new mission around supporting even more application development for the cloud. It’s a mission big enough to warrant a slight rebrand: Force.com 2 on the Cloud 2 Platform. Yesterday, CEO Mark Benioff discussed what he believes to be a measurable move from “Cloud 1″ in the early 2000s to a newer rendition. “Cloud 2,” as he calls it, is built around a social and mobile web that includes Facebook, feeds, push notifications, touch, smartphones, location, HTML5 and mobile operating systems. The five new platforms introduced today, described below, are meant to enable developers to build faster, better and more robust “Cloud 2″ applications and work around common IT challenges. Appforce: A platform for companies to build collaborative departmental apps that scale. Siteforce: A website creation solution designed with both developers and business users in mind. VMforce: A private beta service for Java developers to run their applications natively on Force.com. Heroku: The just acquired popular cloud platform for Ruby applications. ISVforce: A platform service that enables ISVs to build and deliver multi-tenant cloud apps. These new platforms are being discussed by Benioff in today’s morning keynote session. We’ll be updating this post with additional details. Stay tuned. Reviews: Facebook More About: cloud computing, enterprise, force.com, force.com 2, heroku, Salesforce, salesforce.com For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Foursquare Surpasses 5 Million Users Posted: 08 Dec 2010 08:39 AM PST It’s official: Foursquare has 5 million users, increasing its user base by a factor of 10 in just nine months. The revelation was made by Foursquare co-founder and CEO Dennis Crowley on the stage of the LeWeb Conference in Paris. He noted that the geosocial service surpassed the 5 million mark late last week. Compare that milestone to March of this year. At SXSW 2010, the company announced it had more than half a million users. In April, it surpassed 1 million and has been on fire ever since. Now the company has 5 million users, more than 10 times it had in March. Early last week it was reported that Foursquare had surpassed the 5 million user mark. Those reports were based on Foursquare having more than 5 million user IDs, not actual users though. Here’s what Foursquare told us about the matter: “Though there are over 5 million user IDs in the foursquare community, our user IDs don’t necessarily match up to our actual number of user accounts. That said, we do expect to hit 5 million next week.” Crowley was also grilled by LeWeb and Seesmic founder Loic Le Meur on rumored acquisition offers from Facebook and Yahoo earlier this year. He essentially confirmed that Facebook made an acquisition offer for the company and hinted that another party (most likely Yahoo) made a $140 million bid for Foursquare as well. Reviews: Facebook, Seesmic, foursquare More About: dennis crowley, foursquare, LeWeb, LeWeb 2010 For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

“Angry Birds” Hits 42 Million Free and Paid Downloads Posted: 08 Dec 2010 08:05 AM PST Just how popular is Angry Birds? Its founder has revealed that the top mobile game has been downloaded more than 42 million times, and more than 25% of those downloads were paid. Rovio CEO Mikael Hed broke down the numbers in a Q&A with AOL/TechCrunch’s MG Siegler. Angry Birds has now reached 12 million paid downloads and 30 million free downloads. The vast majority of paid downloads come from the iPhone, while many of the game’s free downloads come from its recently released Android application. Hed explained that Rovio chose to make its Android app free because Android Marketplace’s inconsistencies — paid apps aren’t available in all countries and the rules are different from nation to nation. Still, the company has found a way to monetize its free apps: It makes $1 million per month in advertising alone. The Finnish company, which is seven years old and has developed 53 games, also has other revenue streams, including its popular Angry Birds toys. As for what’s next, the company is porting its popular game to Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 and is working on Angry Birds 2. It’s also considering a lightweight version of its game and even the potential for a feature film, but is focusing on dominating the smaller screen first. Reviews: Android, Angry Birds, iPhone More About: Android apps, angry birds, iphone apps, mobile gaming, rovio For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

South Korea: Facebook Doesn’t Comply With Our Privacy Laws Posted: 08 Dec 2010 07:54 AM PST Facebook doesn’t comply with South Korean privacy laws because it doesn’t ask for users’ consent before getting their personal data, a South Korean regulator said Wednesday. “Facebook violates the regulations on protection of privacy in information networks,” says Choi Seong Jin, a spokesman for the Korea Communications Commission. Article 22 of South Korea’s “Act on Promotion of Information and Communication Network Utilization and Information Protection” states that an information and communication service provider must obtain user consent if it intends to gather users’ personal data. Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, which all Facebook users must agree with to use the service, as well as Facebook’s Privacy Policy, cover this topic in detail: “For content that is covered by intellectual property rights (…) you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook.” Many users, however, don’t read the fine print; it’s possible that the KCC wants Facebook to explain this to users more clearly and explicitly before they sign up for the service. Facebook has had its share of privacy-related troubles in the past; most recently, it caught some heat over the launch of its Open Graph. The company has 30 days to respond to the complaint. [via ComputerWorld] Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Gilmanshin Reviews: Facebook, iStockphoto More About: facebook, privacy, social media, social networking, South Korea For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

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