Mashable: Latest 9 News Updates - including “Steve Jobs Action Figure Looks Amazingly Real” |
- Steve Jobs Action Figure Looks Amazingly Real
- Happy 25th Anniversary, Microsoft Windows
- 10 Useful Gadgets for Connected Teens
- Who Will Speak on Behalf of Social Media to the Next Congress? [OP-ED]
- Microsoft Now “Excited” by Kinect Hacks
- Weekend Gaming: “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood,” “Call of Duty: Black Ops” and “Rage: Mutant Bash TV” [OPEN THEAD]
- 9 Notable Tech Flops That Live in Infamy
- HOW TO: Plan the Perfect Thanksgiving With the Help of Social Media
- Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]
- 4 Job Search Tips for Aspiring SEO/SEM Specialists
| Steve Jobs Action Figure Looks Amazingly Real Posted: 21 Nov 2010 02:31 AM PST      If there’s one more thing a true Apple fan should have on his or her desk besides an iMac and an iPhone dock, then it’s this wonderfully crafted Steve Jobs action figure. Jobs’ trademark black turtleneck, blue jeans, and (removable) rimless glasses are all there, of course, but the tiny details like the faithfully replicated New Balance 991 sneakers Steve wears make this one a real winner. Action figure Steve even has a tiny iPhone in his left hand (he’s holding it wrong, we think), but perhaps the most amusing parts of this cute toy are the speech bubble cards which you can stick to Steve’s head and write your favorite stevejobsian catch phrase on it. The price is $79.90, but we won’t comment on whether that’s too much for Apple’s boss, immortalized in plastic. Just let your heart decide.  [M.I.C Gadget via Engadget] More About: action figure, apple, steve jobs, toy For more Apple coverage:
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| Happy 25th Anniversary, Microsoft Windows Posted: 20 Nov 2010 02:55 PM PST   It was 25 years ago today that Microsoft released Windows 1.0. The world’s most popular operating system has gone through a number of versions since then, and the next iteration, Windows 8, is expected within 2 years. At the time it launched, Windows actually wasn’t a full operating system. Rather, it was a graphical user interface (GUI) that ran on top of DOS. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said at launch that Windows 1.0, which carried a suggested retail price of $99 in 1985, was “unique software” that would provide “unprecedented power to users today and a foundation for hardware and software advancements of the next few years.” (You can read the full, 32-page Windows 1.0 press kit at this link.) While that uniqueness has long been up for debate, it is certainly easy to argue that Gates was right about Windows laying a foundation for the future of the personal computer. Windows has been the dominant operating system for the past two decades. Its future as such, however, is in doubt. Computing seems to be undergoing a fundamental shift away from the PC paradigm and toward mobile and tablet-based interfaces. The graphic below, from ZDNet UK, illustrates the progression of Windows from November 20, 1985 to today.  The following image is a screenshot of Windows 1.0, which sat on top of Microsoft’s command-line operating system, MS-DOS.  What are some of your memories of Windows over the years? Share them in the comments. More About: anniversary, bill gates, microsoft, microsoft windows, trending, Windows, windows 1.0 For more Tech coverage:
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| 10 Useful Gadgets for Connected Teens Posted: 20 Nov 2010 02:54 PM PST   This post originally appeared on My Life Scoop, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about using social media and technology for a more connected life. Knowing what gifts to buy teens can be a tough call — after all, what was such a hit just a few months ago can become a big miss overnight. A teen-friendly gadget is a good bet, though, as it’s a functional item that will prove useful, and if you’re lucky, even educational. While we wouldn’t dare to suggest anything as personal as choice of phone, portable media player or even gaming device — no doubt your teenager has clear ideas about what’s cool in those areas — we do have 10 terrific products that are perfect for tech-savvy teens. Read on for our suggestions and let us know any other gadgets you’d recommend for the connected teen in the comments box below. 1. LaCie Skwarim Portable Hard Drive A portable hard drive comes in very handy for teens who work across multiple computers at school and home. It offers a great way to back up important school work and is a useful way to carry around media files. The compact LaCie Skwarim adds that extra bit of spunk that other devices don’t have, and it provides 60GBs of on-the-go storage. Cost: $99.99 2. Sony Bloggie Touch The Bloggie Touch makes posting photos and video to YouTube, Facebook, Picasa and Flickr a breeze, while the full 1080p HD video recording resolution and the 12.8-megapixel camera should ensure the content is great quality. The flip-out USB arm for uploading and charging is a nice touch and it renders the inevitable lost cables a non-issue. Cost: From $179.99 3. Amazon Kindle eBook Reader As more and more books are getting digitized, the Amazon Kindle can offer a solution to carting around tons of heavy tomes. And if the eBook platform excites your teen enough to want to dip into some literature too, then that can only be a good thing, right? Cost: $139 4. Cinemin Swivel Portable Projector This super-fun solution will enable your teen to share slide-shows, video and other media from iPods, iPhones, PSPs, digital cameras, portable DVD players, netbooks, smartphones and more. It’s capable of projecting a 60-inch image from eight feet away, perfect for creating a movie theater feel in your own home. Cost: Around $300 5. Creative D100 Portable Bluetooth Speakers It’s fairly safe to say that all teens like music and with these colorful speakers from Creative, they can enjoy it without the wires. The D100 can stream music from Bluetooth-enabled devices, as well as play audio from other wired devices via an aux-in port. It can run for up to 25 hours of non-stop music on four AA batteries. Cost: $79.99 6. Logitech HD Webcam C310 Compatible with all the major video chat software, this tidy webcam offers 720p high-def video, giving your teen the ability to grab decent-sized stills, alongside some clever tech to help enhance audio and visual quality. After recording, it features one-click uploading to the likes of Facebook and YouTube, while younger teens may enjoy the bundled special effects such as neon splashes and fish-eye distortions. Cost: $49.99 7. Parrot Minikit Slim Speakerphone While most parents try and be reasonable about the various health scares that hit the headlines, sometimes you can’t help thinking there might be some truth in the argument that radiation from phones affects young brains. A speakerphone should help rest your mind at ease during those many hours your teen spends on a cellphone. It also gives teens a fun, flexible way to chat to their friends and can be used in a car as a hands-free solution. Cost: $99.99 8. Sony ICD-UX200 Digital Voice Recorder We can’t all pay attention 100% of the time. If your teen isn’t a good note-taker, or is someone who absorbs knowledge best after hearing it twice, a digital voice recorder to record classes and lectures could really help them out with school work. It also doubles as a fun recording device for any budding musicians. Cost: $99.95 9. Panasonic RP-HTX7 Headphones A quality pair of headphones will perform better at lower volumes, meaning your teen will not be forced to turn the music up too loud. These old school Panasonic headphones come in various cool colors, and with the size, you can be sure your teen won’t get away with listening to them in class. Cost: $59.99 10. Chumby One It’s hard to describe the Chumby. Think of it as an ultra-connected alarm clock. It’s a box for your teen’s bedside table that boasts 1,500 widgets to bring news, weather, podcasts, music, games and more via your Wi-Fi network. And let’s face it, one more alarm in the morning to try and get your teen out of bed really isn’t going to hurt… Cost: $119.95 More Related Resources from Mashable
Reviews: Bluetooth, Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, YouTube More About: accessories, Children, gadgets, gift guides, Gifts, Kids, List, Lists, Moms, Teenagers, teens For more Tech coverage:
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| Who Will Speak on Behalf of Social Media to the Next Congress? [OP-ED] Posted: 20 Nov 2010 01:47 PM PST   Maury Litwack is a lobbyist, former Hill staffer, opinion writer, and founder of Capitol Plan – A Comprehensive Washington Advocacy Strategy. A great deal of ink has already been spilled attempting to "read the tea leaves" on what the midterm election results from earlier this month mean for social media. I would surmise that most of the prognostications are reading the relationship between social media and Washington incorrectly. Analysis has focused on which member of Congress supports or opposes important social media issues such as net neutrality and privacy. This analysis is off because it doesn’t address the bigger question — who speaks for social media in Washington? Who speaks to this group of more than 100 new members of Congress? Winning Influence by LobbyingSocial media is popular among politicians as a conduit to communicate with their constituency. Recent elections seem to indicate that its usage is prevalent among voters as a tool to learn more about candidates and their positions. But the use of social media doesn't translate into legislative movement on the issues. Advocacy is key in driving social media policy. Whoever speaks for social media in Washington, like other lobbying entities, must be adept with a majority of the traditional lobbying tools — money, good issues and voters. Money, in the way of corporate or individual donations, is what funds campaigns for reelection. Good issues translate into name recognition for supportive legislators and thus also helps win reelection. Finally, voters are obviously important — if not the most important — to reelection. An outside influence will vocalize support for a position by demonstrating a representation of a large or key bloc of voters. The AARP and NRA are consistently ranked among the most influential advocacy organizations because they demonstrate time and time again that they represent engaged seniors and gun-owners, respectively. An effective social media entity that can speak for the industry should be able to fire on two of these three cylinders — money, issue or votes. Do any of the current social media giants do that? Twitter, Facebook and Google It is surprising that it took so long for a company valued at $1.5 billion to finally determine it needs a Washington office, but Twitter just opened its home base in D.C. However, the man they hired to run it isn’t planning on being a lobbyist; instead, he told the press that he wants to help politicians manage their Twitter feeds, build online voter bases and facilitate general campaign outreach. This proposal sounds eerily familiar to Facebook. Valued at $30 billion, Facebook only has two registered lobbyists in Washington. One of its lobbyists described its small operation as more educational in nature, due to the fact that "other people have to write checks to get in front of legislators; we have members using Facebook at their desks." The approach Facebook and Twitter are taking is heavily reliant on their value as social media giants with large user bases. Facebook and Twitter assume that they can stay above the political fray by reminding politicians how valuable their services are to them and their constituencies. The problem is that this approach not only lacks the necessary financial investment in advocacy, it also lacks issues and makes social media dependent on the personal usage and whims of politicians. Honestly, who really cares that members of Congress use Facebook or Twitter? They also drink Starbucks, own Verizon mobile phones, and shop at Brooks Brothers — social media isn’t alone in its popular usage among elected officials. Facebook’s and Twitter's approaches to advocacy scream, “We have a constituency of your voters, but we are afraid to tell you what they think.” Social media should not follow this model. Google, meanwhile, takes a different approach and has embraced the influence money brings to politics. Google’s lobbying is up by 11% this year, it has staked out serious positions and its executives have invested serious money in politicians who support their issues. But social media can’t rely on Google to be the face of its issues. Google has its own reputation and individual battles. Google is also not able to turn to everyone who uses YouTube as a clear constituency that can be galvanized; they lack the power to influence voters. They don't really represent you like a group such as AARP or NRA does to their constituencies; they represent themselves and their money in Washington is vested in their self-interest and not necessarily the broader and persuasive social media issues. The Community Model Emerges Post-election, a group of passionate Reddit users formed a political action committee (PAC) to fight for net neutrality, and within that movement lies an interesting voice for social media — the users (i.e., you). If such a group is able to get this off the ground, it will have created an important model that can utilize money, issues and voters. Unlike other social media political groups, Reddit’s is wisely starting by pursuing issues its members care about. If it can galvanize enough people to support a position, it will have demonstrable voting numbers that politicians can't ignore. Finally, any fundraising done through such a political action committee can be used to bolster supporters of its positions and to combat its opponents. This type of advocacy would have to be built with active, in-person support that collects donations, contacts member of Congress, and spreads information on the issue. The success of such a group would address Malcolm Gladwell’s assertion social media cannot create true change. Among other things, Gladwell identified social media's lack of strong ties and lack of financial or personal risk as key factors that inhibit its ability to engage in social activism. I think that if social media users can become actively engaged advocates by voting, lobbying, and investing money in what they believe, then it is possible for the social media community to bring change while avoiding the pitfalls that Gladwell articulated. ConclusionSocial media as a whole can't rely on large corporations to lobby for its needs; their approach is often either too meek or too self-interested and therefore destined to fail at bringing to the table the voters, issues or money required to change policy. Yet the potential for engaged social media users, advocating for positions they care about to have an effect has already been demonstrated — only without actual users making it happen. A recent study noted in Technology Review, indicates that special-interest groups have been faking public interest on Twitter for a variety of positions in an effort to highlight issues to the public. Now imagine if that support was real. More Politics Resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Facebook, Google, Twitter, YouTube, reddit.com More About: AARP, advocacy, elections, facebook, Google, government, lobbyist, Malcolm Gladwell, midterm elections, net neutrality, NRA, PAC, political action committee, privacy, twitter, U.S. Congress, White House For more Social Media coverage:
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| Microsoft Now “Excited” by Kinect Hacks Posted: 20 Nov 2010 12:28 PM PST   Since its release on November 4th, “hacking” Microsoft’s Kinect peripheral for the Xbox 360 game consoles has become a popular Internet sport. Now, just a couple of weeks after saying that it would “work closely with law enforcement” to keep the Kinect tamper-proof, Microsoft has apparently reversed its stance, claiming that the Kinect was left open to tinkerers on purpose. Following a $3,000 bounty put up by the open source community for anyone able to create an open source driver for Kinect, Microsoft told CNET on November 4th that it “does not condone the modification of its products.” A similar bounty was put up by Google engineer Matt Cutts last week. The gamer community has found numerous alternative uses for Kinect already, including as a controller for Minority Report-style multitouch and the ability to capture 3D video. Initially, Microsoft was not pleased with the popularity of Kinect hacking. “With Kinect, Microsoft built in numerous hardware and software safeguards designed to reduce the chances of product tampering,” the company said in a statement to CNET on the day of the device’s US launch. “Microsoft will continue to make advances in these types of safeguards and work closely with law enforcement and product safety groups to keep Kinect tamper-resistant.” However, Microsoft appears to have changed its tune. On the November 19th broadcast of National Public Radio’s Science Daily program, director of incubation for Xbox, Alex Kipman, said that the Kinect was left open “by design.” The full excerpt is below:
Kipman also said that fans “hacking” Kinect would not result in a legal action. Fellow Microsoftie, Shannon Loftis, a studio manager at Microsoft Game Studios, said that she is “excited to see that people are so inspired” to think about what they can create using the Kinect hardware. Via Adafruit More About: hacks, kinect, matt cutts, microsoft, xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Kinect For more Tech coverage:
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| Posted: 20 Nov 2010 11:36 AM PST   Weekend Gaming is back with an all new logo thanks to Mashable’s Matt Silverman. We’ve had a busy couple of weeks in gaming, with two new installments to major franchises hitting the shelves. Assassin’s Creed: BrotherhoodBecause stealth games are ones of my guiltiest pleasures, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood has been consuming the most of my time. That obsession probably started with Tenchu way back in 1998 on the PlayStation. Although the Metal Gear series popularized stealth action, I never really got into those games, and few stealth games have been able to hold my attention. The only real exceptions have been the Assassin’s Creed series and Splinter Cell: Conviction. The biggest problem with Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is that it feels more like an expansion pack to Assassin’s Creed II than its own standalone game. Regardless, some much needed upgrades to the game’s dynamics have made Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood a worthwhile adventure. Call of Duty: Black OpsAdmittedly, I’ve logged only about two hours of gameplay on Call of Duty: Black Ops, but so far I like what I’ve seen. While it exists as a logical successor to Call of Duty: World at War, developer Treyarch has definitely taken some cues from Modern Warfare 2. Having not yet invested enough time into Black Ops, I’m really curious to hear your thoughts on the title. And let’s try not to get into a debate over Activision’s handling of Infinity Ward during the creation of MW2. Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops deserves to be judged on its own merits. RAGE: Mutant Bash TVThis week also saw the release of id Software’s RAGE: Mutant Bash TV for iPhone and iPod touch or iPad. It is a fast-paced first person shooter (FPS) that, more than anything, shows the promise of gaming on mobile platforms. Although it is currently available only iOS, I chatted with iconic game developer John Carmack, and he revealed that id is currently seeking full-time Android developers. That means Android fans might be able to get in on the action with future mobile releases from id Software. Mutant Bash TV is a small teaser for id’s next legacy title RAGE, which is due out on major gaming consoles later next year. It will be id’s first major release since Doom 3 back in 2004. A Happy EndingFinally, what would Weekend Gaming be without a little giveaway? Crazy Taxi was just released to Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, and we have five codes for each platform. To get your code, head over to the Mashable Tech Page on Facebook and leave a comment saying, “I want ‘Crazy Taxi’ for Xbox” (or PlayStation). On Monday, we’ll select winners at random from the comments. The codes are limited to U.S. commenters only. And with that, I turn it over to you: What are you playing this weekend? Comments are open to: tips, critiques, (good-natured) smack talk and basically anything else related to gaming. The weekend gaming open thread is intended to bring Mashable gamers together through conversation about games. This thread is for those of us who had the first NES and for those whose first gaming experience happened on an Xbox 360, so let’s try to keep it fun for everyone. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, shino-b Reviews: Android, Mashable, iStockphoto More About: assassin's creed brotherhood, call of duty black ops, Doom, id software, infinity ward, john carmack, modern warfare 2, Quake Live, Rage (game), treyarch, video games, Weekend Gaming For more Tech coverage:
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| 9 Notable Tech Flops That Live in Infamy Posted: 20 Nov 2010 11:01 AM PST   Not every gadget is destined for greatness. Despite the hype before launch, or the promise of how a shiny new device will change your life, there are some gizmos that just don’t cut it. We’ve taken a look back at nine failed tech “innovations” that flopped fantastically in their time — in fact, one didn’t even make it to launch. Have a look through our gallery, complete with archived video footage of each device, and let us know if you used any of these gadgets and why you think they scored a big, fat “F.” 1. Sony RollySony teased the Rolly launch like mad with a bizarre viral web campaign, hyping what turned out to be an egg-shaped, motion-capable music player. While pundits were expecting a serious contender to the iPod, what eventually launched in the U.S. in 2008 was the oh-so-niche robotic Rolly offering Earth Wind and Fire's "Boogie Wonderland" pre-loaded, just 2GB of memory and the need for consumers to use the bundled software to create their own choreography. The $400 cost priced this novelty player out of the casual purchase market. The Rolly has now rolled into obsolescence. 2. Microsoft ActiMatesIn 2007 Microsoft and PBS shared the vision of "using television technology to enhance education." If that sounds scary, wait until you hear how it worked. Plush toys based on popular children's TV characters -- Barney and Friends and the Teletubbies -- were fitted with transmitters, and then certain PBS stations sent out an encoded signal that the units could read. Obviously the point was that the children would interact with the toy as the program played out, but the potential scary movie plotline, and high price, meant the product only managed to stay on shelves for around three years. 3. IBM PCjrBack in 1984, IBM looked to conquer the then-burgeoning home computer market with the PCjr -- yep, PC junior. Even though in some ways it was technically superior to rivals at the time (apart from a low-quality keyboard that didn't go down well) the high price, clumsy expansion options and poor gaming abilities made it a commercial failure 1985. 4. Internet AppliancesThe video above is for just one of many "Internet appliances" that flooded the market in the 1990s. Notable models include the Sony eVilla, Virgin Webplayer, 3Com Audrey and the i-Opener, some of which have gone on to become favorites among hackers and modders, but certainly not among the general public. The theory behind such "appliances" was that they let folks get online without the expense of buying a full-fat PC. They were often subsidized with a monthly subscription. However, they could easily be hacked, meaning those valuable subscriptions dried up and as the cost of PCs came down, these limited machines became much less of a bargain. 5. GizmondoThe Gizmondo story is one of the more colorful in tech history -- so much so it would make a decent film. A 200-mile-per-hour, million-dollar Ferrari crash, Swedish mafia, various arrests, bankruptcy and talk of resurrection were just some of the behind-the-scenes events -- and that's before we even get to the device itself. The Gizmondo handheld game console saw a much-hyped launch in 2005 but didn't manage to stay on shop shelves long -- and that wasn't because it was selling well. The unit, which combined games and media playback with a camera and GPS, suffered from high pricing (an ad-supported version was a little too early for its time) and a lack of games. Tiger Telematics went bust in 2006 before it could realize the next-gen, "widescreen" version dream. You can now pick up old units on Ebay for peanuts. 6. Palm FoleoThe Palm Foleo is an odd one. It was announced in 2007 (to a fairly puzzled reaction) as a smartphone companion product. The theory was the 10-inch device would sync with and piggy-back on top of your Palm phone's connectivity, offering a larger screen to boost productivity. Palm axed the concept -- that it boldly talked up as the "beginning of a product family" -- a few months later, which meant it never saw the light of day as far as consumers go. If Palm had gone ahead with the launch, the Foleo would have been one of the first netbooks, although its limited functionality might not have guaranteed success. 7. Nintendo Virtual BoyA rare fail from Nintendo comes in the form of the futuristic "Virtual Boy" games system, which was sold as, "A 3D game for a 3D world." Now a collector's item due to low sales, the system was only ever launched in Japan and North America and was discontinued in 1996 -- just a year after release. The reasons for the fail were the deadly duo of high cost and too few games, as well as misjudged advertising. Well, that and the fact that many users reported headaches, sickness and dizziness as a result of strapping on the visor display and getting 3D graphics beamed into their eyeballs. 8. Samsung Q1 UMPCThis awful commercial does the Samsung Q1 no favors at all. Way before the term "netbook" was coined, Microsoft, Intel and Samsung were busy with "Project Origami," cooking up ultra-mobile PCs that no one actually wanted. Samsung's Q1 was the first such device to market, offering a 7-inch touchscreen, Windows XP and Wi-Fi connectivity, and a weird on-screen keyboard designed for thumb typing. Samsung has since followed the Q1 with several updates -- you can buy the Q1 Ultra even now -- but, as a form factor, the UMPC was a huge flop. 9. Swatch Internet TimeIn 1998 Swatch decided that the way we tell the time is old-fashioned and needed decimalization. The main explanation was that time zones are terribly confusing, since the Internet means we're all global. Swatch divvied a day up into 1000 "beats." Of course new time needs a new watch (clearly Swatch's angle in this, rather than doing it for the greater good) and several models were produced. Consumers either ignored the new time measurement option available to them, or got so confused they gave up on it. More Related Resources from Mashable
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, wragg Reviews: iStockphoto More About: gadgets, gizmondo, IBM, Lists, microsoft, Nintendo, palm, samsung, sony, swatch, trending For more Tech coverage:
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| HOW TO: Plan the Perfect Thanksgiving With the Help of Social Media Posted: 20 Nov 2010 10:05 AM PST   Mollie Vandor is the product manager for Ranker.com where she likes to make lists about reading, eating and bad-TV-watching. She’s also the media director for Girls in Tech LA. You can find her on Twitter @Mollierosev and on her blog. On the fourth Thursday of every November, Americans engage in an annual feast that reminds us of our country’s humble origins, and give us a good reason to get together with family, watch football and stuff our faces until our pants don’t fit. It’s the official start to the holiday season, and it can either be a fantastic day full of food, family and fun, or a total nightmare full of burnt turkeys and busted travel plans. Fortunately, you can always turn to the social web to help you plan for the big day. In fact, the Internet can help you prepare a feast, assist you with your T-day travel and keep you entertained once the pie is gone and the plates are cleared. And that’s definitely something to be thankful for. Cooking the Perfect Feast There are plenty of ways to use the web to put together the perfect Thanksgiving dinner by yourself. With a holiday menu planner that helps you balance all your guests’ distinct dietary needs and the Food Network’s comprehensive Thanksgiving 2010 guide, the web will have you well-equipped to whip up a fabulous feast in no time. And it can even help you handle the tough stuff, like picking the perfect Thanksgiving station on Pandora, feeding your vegetarian guests and decorating your house for the holiday. Sometimes, you don’t want the entire weight of the meal to fall on your shoulders alone — especially when that meal includes a 20-pound turkey. Fortunately, the web can help you out with that too. If you decide you want your dinner to be a potluck, you can use SignUpGenius or GroupSched to create interactive online sign-up sheets so your guests know what they should bring. Evite also has a wide selection of potluck-specific invites, and there’s even an entire site devoted to helping you put together the perfect potluck party. You can also supplement a few home-cooked dishes with help from your local Whole Foods or send someone a helping hand with a meal via Send A Meal’s Thanksgiving specials, both of which have online ordering and home delivery. Vons and Boston Market both offer full Thanksgiving meal options for your perusal online.  Regardless of how you slice it, cook it or get your friends to pitch in, there are plenty of ways the web can help you save money on your Thanksgiving meal, from budget meal plans, to Thanksgiving grocery coupons, to the growing industry of mobile coupon apps that let you take advantage of Thanksgiving specials from store to store via your smartphone. One man has even decided to blog about using coupons to cook an entire Thanksgiving meal for six people on a $5 budget. Then again, if you decide you don’t want to cook at all, websites like Gayot, About.com and CitySearch can help you find restaurants serving the traditional T-day meal. Homemade food is sweet, but spending more time relaxing than basting a turkey might just be sweeter. Taming the T-Day Travel Of course, if you’re not celebrating Thanksgiving at your house, then your first priority might be getting those T-day travel plans in order. There are plenty of ways the web can help you save on fall travel in general, from websites that help you find cheap airfare to the GasBuddy app for iPhone and Android, which helps you locate the cheapest place to fill up on that long trip over the river and through the woods. BeatTheTraffic is another great online travel resource that tells you what the congestion looks like on your local travel routes, and there’s a companion app that will give you updated traffic info on the go. Similarly, the Airport Flight Delays app will let you know in advance when to expect a delay so you can plan accordingly. And, in case you need to make a last-minute travel adjustment, HopStop will help you out with online public transit directions for many cities, which you can also access on the go via an iPhone app or by using its SMS feature. No matter how you travel, don’t forget to bring your host or hostess a gift. Etsy has some fantastic handmade holiday-themed options, including everything from embroidered turkey toilet paper to sweet centerpieces. And of course, nothing says “Thanks for having me for Thanksgiving” quite like the gift of a membership to the Pie of the Month Club, which buys your generous host all sorts of pie-related goodies, plus the monthly delivery of a fresh pie recipe, so he or she can start practicing for the dessert portion of next year’s feast. When You Can’t Eat Another Bite There’s always the question of what to do when dinner is over. Sure, there’s football on TV and pants that need unbuttoning, but what else? A simple Google search proves that the web is full of Thanksgiving craft ideas, but there are plenty of other activities to keep you occupied if you’re not the crafting type. Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to give back, and the web can help you find food drives, soup kitchens and more to volunteer at. You can also search Facebook and Eventbrite event listings to find Thanksgiving meals and charity events looking for volunteers. Another classic Thanksgiving activity is sharing the things you’re thankful for, and, of course, the web makes it easier to do that too. TurkeyTwitter actually aggregates all the tweets with Thanksgiving and thankfulness-themed hashtags, making it easy to browse the things people are thankful for and share them with your friends and family. Facebook also has a number of Thanksgiving apps to play with, and you can find some cool turkey-themed flash games to play online, including one deceptively difficult combo of turkeys and Tetris. Get creative with your guests and play Thanksgiving-related trivia games by printing facts about turkeys, T-Day and even the Macy’s parade balloons and quizzing each other Jeopardy-style. No matter what you do this Thanksgiving, don’t forget to give thanks for the world wide web. Because without it, planning for Thanksgiving would be a pretty thankless task indeed. More Holiday Resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, LauriPatterson Reviews: Android, Facebook, Google, Internet, blog, iStockphoto More About: BeatTheTraffic, cooking, coupons, entertaining, Etsy, GasBuddy, Holiday, hopstop, mobile apps, mobile coupons, Pie of the Month Club, thanksgiving, the food network, turkey, volunteering For more Social Media coverage:
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| Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART] Posted: 20 Nov 2010 09:08 AM PST   If you think Twitter trends are all about tween pop sensations and low brow hashtagery, you’re — well, you’re mostly right. But not this week. Twitter once again showed its international breadth and taste for breaking news with the top topic of conversation being the release of Myanmar dissident Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest after what many reports claim has been nearly 15 of the last 20 years. Suu Kyi has opposed her country’s ruling military junta, and her steadfastness has earned her a Nobel Peace Prize, among other recognitions from the international community. Her release was discussed and celebrated around the world, earning the number one spot on the trends chart this week. Other hot topics included the announcement of a royal wedding in the UK, and some contentious bouts in the world of boxing, a sport that rarely hits the trending charts on Twitter, but came in at number three this week. Curious about the rest of the week’s top Twitter topics? Check out the full list below, aggregated by our friends over at What The Trend. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart. You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topics section as well as read more about this past week's trends on What The Trend. Top Twitter Trends This Week: 11/13 – 11/19
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ricardoinfante Reviews: Twitter, harry potter, iStockphoto More About: entertainment, football, List, Lists, soccer, social media, sports, Top Twitter Topics, trending, trends, twitter, twitter trends For more Social Media coverage:
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| 4 Job Search Tips for Aspiring SEO/SEM Specialists Posted: 20 Nov 2010 08:04 AM PST   Companies across every industry are competing for top rankings on search engine results. And whether they turn to a marketing agency, SEO firm or consultant, there is an increasing demand for search engine optimization specialists. Marketing professionals looking to break into this relatively new niche can’t necessarily rely on prestigious certifications or a long background as a SEO specialist to demonstrate their knowledge. We spoke with SEO firms to get their advice for aspiring SEO specialists who want to impress potential employers and stand out from the pack. 1. Show, Don’t Tell
It doesn’t matter how pretty your resume is or how many years of experience you have. What SEO firms are looking for is proof that you can do a good job pulling their clients’ websites to the top of search engines. Do that, and you’re in. “What I want to look at is sites that they've optimized,” explains Nick Spears, the director of search for SEO firm Incredible Marketing. “And I am going to basically open up the source code; I'm going to look at how they're optimizing title tags and things as simplistic as keyword meta tags and descriptions.” The best way to present your work is through an online profile. Billy Canu, the co-owner and COO of SEO by the Hour, suggests that you take screenshots of your rankings in case they change. If you’re wondering if something is impressive enough to include in your portfolio, use these guidelines from Spears: First spot on Google: “very impressive.” Anything in the first five results: “generally where you want to brag.” Obviously, the standards are different depending on the competition for the keywords. “SEO Firm” for instance, is a national search and harder to win than a geo-targeted phrase like “SEO Firm, Irvine, CA.” 2. Work For Anyone to Build Experience
Nobody (good) is going to hire you if you have no experience. But there are plenty of opportunities to get experience before you get your first SEO job. Here are a few ideas:
3. Experience Trumps Degree Since SEO is a relatively new field, most accreditation programs are relatively new, and universities are just now starting to offer classes on it. There are instructional programs offered through organizations like SEO company Bruce Clay and the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization (SEMPO), but your experience will trump any certification that you can buy. "[Being certified] is fine and dandy, but what it really comes down to, for me hiring someone, is actually seeing their work rather than their ribbons or their certificates," Spears explains. 4. Keep Learning An SEO specialist’s job changes as fast as the Internet. The rise of social search and social media, for instance, has affected how SEO works. "Someone who would come to me and say, ‘I have a very good understanding of Facebook and Twitter’ is going to be a step ahead of someone who just comes in and says, ‘I understand the SEO strategies and history and things like that,’ ” Spears says. A good way to stay up to date is to read SEO forums like Digital Point, SEO Guy or Webmaster Talk. SEO/SEM Job ListingsEvery week we put out a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we post a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top SEO/SEM job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!
More Job Search Resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, alex-mit, tacojim, SchulteProductions Reviews: Billy, Facebook, Google, Internet, iStockphoto More About: hire, job, job search series, MARKETING, Search, Search Engine Marketing, search engine optimization, SEM, SEO, SEO specialist For more Business coverage:
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