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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Jobs and Murdoch to Unveil “The Daily” January 19 [REPORT]”

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Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Jobs and Murdoch to Unveil “The Daily” January 19 [REPORT]”

Jobs and Murdoch to Unveil “The Daily” January 19 [REPORT]

Posted: 11 Jan 2011 01:56 AM PST


Steve Jobs will join Rupert Murdoch on stage at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to reveal iPad newspaper The Daily, The Cutline reports citing a source familiar with the matter.

The date for the event is said to be January 19, but it may change. Neither Apple nor News Corp. have confirmed that the event is happening on that date.

The Daily is specific, especially for Murdoch’s media powerhouse News Corp., as it will have no web or print edition – the only way to get it will be on the iPad, where each edition will cost $0.99.

Furthermore, Apple is said to have taken great care to deliver a seamless delivery experience for The Daily, and the News Corp. has reportedly hired 100 journalists for the new publication, which shows that both companies are serious about the project.

Even with such a strong backing, The Daily will have a tough task ahead of it: to prove that the iPad (and tablet devices in general) are the real game changers for journalism.

What do you think? Will The Daily be a success or a flop? Let us know your opinions in the comments.

[via The Cutline]

More About: ipad, magazine, newspaper, rupert murdoch, steve jobs, The Daily

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Android 2.4 “Ice Cream” Rumored to Be Coming This Summer [REPORT]

Posted: 11 Jan 2011 12:23 AM PST


The Android rumor mills never do stop churning. Mere moments after the confirmation of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and the showcasing of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb, a new fork of the OS for tablets), we’ve learned that Android 2.4 might be coming as soon as this summer.

The newest iteration of Google’s blockbuster mobile OS is supposedly called “Ice Cream” according to Android’s flavorful and alphabetical naming convention.

The Ice Cream name has been floating around for a few months now; however, there’s been confusion as to the version number.

However, Pocket Lint reports that it saw a Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc running the new OS on the CES show floor in Las Vegas last week. Although none of the blog’s sources would go on the record, the summer release date lines up nicely with what we already know and expect of Google’s Android timeline.

Android 2.2 (Froyo) was announced at Google I/O last May and slowly creeped onto devices through the summer. Gingerbread was confirmed last October and began rolling out in December.

So an I/O-timed announcement in May 2011 followed by a summer rollout is completely within our range of expectations for a Google Android OS.

We’ve been excited about Android’s progress over the past year, and we can’t wait for Google to release official details on what the next iterations will bring to this mobile OS. Please give us your speculations in the comments.

More About: android, android 2.4, Google, ice cream, Mobile 2.0

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“Z-Type”: An HTML5 Video Game for English Majors

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 11:47 PM PST


If you have throughout the course of your life spent more time typing on a keyboard than fiddling with a joystick, we’ve got the perfect video game for you. We hope you’re prepared to dominate.

Z-Type might remind you a little bit of Asteroids or Missile Command, but it might remind you even more of scrambling through keystrokes to send an emergency e-mail or finish an overdue term paper (or in our case, break news in a blog post).

Words appear in the screen, accompanied by dramatic music. As you type, you “shoot” at the words until they explode at the last keystroke. The higher you level up, the faster the words appear, and the greater their numbers become.

Z-Type was made with Impact, an HTML5 JavaScript game framework released at the tail end of 2010. It plays nicely with most web browsers as well as with mobile devices such as the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

Both the game and the framework were created by developer Dominic Szablewski. Szablewski made Z-Type for the Mozilla Game On development competition. He said in his blog that he was inspired by games like The Typing of the Dead.

Give Z-Type a shot, and let us know what you think of it (and of the game engine Impact) in the comments.

Hat tip: Sara Chipps.

More About: casual game, game engine, gaming, HTML5, impage, javascript, video game, z-type

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How WordPress Themes Actually Work [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 11:10 PM PST


WordPress developer and all-around web geek Joost de Valk has just graced the Internet with a highly useful infographic.

For a medium that leans toward the amusing, infographics can occasionally be enlightening or even helpful for later reference.

This one serves as a sort of “cheat sheet for how your blog works” and takes the reader through the basics of a normal WordPress theme.

It’s a posts-to-plugins look at the anatomy of a typical WordPress theme. Have a look, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Click to see original.



More About: infographic, joost de valk, WordPress, WordPress theme, yoast

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Intel & Nvidia Reach Patent Agreement That Should Please Both Parties

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 10:41 PM PST


Intel and Nvidia announced Monday that the two companies have entered into a new cross-licensing agreement. This agreement effectively ends the legal battle the two chipmakers have been engaged in since 2009.

The agreement says Intel will pay Nvidia $1.5 billion in licensing fees over the next six years. In exchange, however, Intel will have access to Nvidia’s patent library. Likewise, Nvidia will get to license some of Intel’s patents.

The news, which comes on the heels of CES 2011, where Intel showcased its Sandy Bridge processors, is, as Ars Technica puts it, “a massively big deal for both companies and for the PC industry as a whole.”

The fact that microprocessor giant Intel and graphics chip maker Nvidia are able to come to this agreement is incredible, especially considering the last 24 months of bad blood between the companies.

The original legal dispute between Nvidia and Intel centered on Nvidia’s ability to create Intel-compatible chipsets for Intel’s Nehalem and Core series CPUs. Nvidia claimed that its 2004 licensing agreement with Intel permitted it to create Nehalem and other Core successor chipsets (much as it had successfully developed chipsets for the Core 2 Duo microprocessors). Intel disagreed and sued Nvidia in February 2009.

Although Nvidia countersued, the company still wound up exiting the chipset business in October 2009.

This has been problematic for some hardware companies, including Apple, who have continued to use older Core 2 Duo processors, where Nvidia can still offer its integrated graphics chips in its smaller-laptop products instead of opting for the inferior (until Sandy Bridge, that is) Intel integrated graphics solutions.

This new agreement, Nvidia has stressed, does not mean the company will be returning to the Intel-compatible chipset market. Instead, Intel will have access to Nvidia patents for use on their CPUs. This means future Sandy Bridge CPUs could use GPUs that use Nvidia technology.

Likewise, future Nvidia processors used in its Tegra and other system-on-a-chip setups can utilize some of Intel’s patents.

The fact that an on-die GPU could now effectively use Nvidia technology is a boon for Nvidia (and Intel, for that matter), but a blow to AMD. AMD is a rival to both Intel and Nvidia — and it is losing (badly) to both companies. Intel’s shift to Core processors in 2006 effectively left AMD in the dust in terms of both power and performance.

On Monday evening, AMD announced the resignation of its CEO, Dirk Meyer.

More About: graphics chips, intel, legal, NVIDIA, patents, settlements

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WikiLeaks to U.S. Politicians & Media: “Stop Inciting Assange’s Murder”

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 09:46 PM PST


The WikiLeaks Twitter account has just posted a press release calling for American politicians and media personalities to stop advocating the assassination of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Along with this release comes a handy website, PeopleOKWithMurderingAssange.com, that gives startling quotations along with the name of the speaker. Each quotation is followed by a link showing the greater context of the often violent and disturbing words.

The site shows a new name and quotation every time you refresh the page; so far, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and many others, including government and military figures, radio hosts, newspaper columnists and TV news reporters, are featured on the site.

Calling for the murder, execution or assassination of Assange has become a popular piece of rhetoric among right-wing American conservatives since the organization began its distribution of a large body of U.S. diplomatic cables.

One example from political blogger John Hawkins reads, “Julian Assange is not an American citizen and he has no constitutional rights. So, there’s no reason that the CIA can’t kill him. Moreover, ask yourself a simple question: If Julian Assange is shot in the head tomorrow or if his car is blown up when he turns the key, what message do you think that would send about releasing sensitive American data?”

Statements such as these have prompted a response from WikiLeaks, whose “staff and contributors have… been the target of unprecedented violent rhetoric by U.S. prominent media personalities,” according to the release.

In this statement, Assage is quoted as follows:

“No organization anywhere in the world is a more devoted advocate of free speech than Wikileaks but when senior politicians and attention seeking media commentators call for specific individuals or groups of people to be killed they should be charged with incitement — to murder. Those who call for an act of murder deserve as significant share of the guilt as those raising a gun to pull the trigger…

"We call on U.S. authorities and others to protect the rule of law by aggressively prosecuting these and similar incitements to kill. A civil nation of laws can not have prominent members of society constantly calling for the murder and assassination of other individuals or groups."

Assange is currently on bail and under house arrest in the UK.

That’s the news on this topic; here’s our opinion: Regardless of our or anyone’s feelings about Assange’s and WikiLeaks’ work, we have always felt the extremist call to arms against a private citizen — any private citizen — is absolutely wrong. Certainly Assange should face and is facing legal investigation for his actions; however, incitement to murder falls so far outside the realm of due process as to make many of these statements from politicians and media figures morally reprehensible as well as legally questionable.

We are, as is the rest of the world, waiting and wondering what the fate of Julian Assange will be — and hoping no one with access to the man himself takes any of these incitements seriously.

Image courtesy of Flickr, biatch0.

More About: assange, julian assange, twitter, wikileaks

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Bump Closes $16M Round By Moving Beyond Sharing Contact Info

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 09:00 PM PST


Bump Technologies, the company that makes it super simple to exchange information, photos and music with other users by bumping phones, has announced that it has closed a $16 million Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz.

Other investors in the round, which closed just before the first of the year, include Sequoia Capital (which led Bump’s first round of funding in October 2009), Sherpalo (Ram Shriram) and SV Angel (Ron Conway). Marc Andreessen will join Sequoia’s Greg McAdoo as a Bump board member.

This funding announcement caps off a banner year for Bump. We had a chance to talk to CEO and co-founder David Lieb and co-founder Jake Mintz about some of Bump’s user stats, some of its newest features and where the company is headed next.

When Bump [iTunes link] was first released for the iPhone in March 2009, the main purpose of the app was to make it simple to share contact information with another person simply by gesturing phones towards one another.

That idea, while simple, was successful enough to land it in the Top 100 Free Apps list on iTunes, a position it has maintained since August 2009.

The company followed up the release of Bump for iPhone by releasing an Android version of the app; in July, it launched Bump 2.0 for iOS. Bump 2.0 added the ability to compare calendars, connect to various social networks and share photos.

The iOS version of Bump gained the ability to share music between users this past November.

According to Lieb and Mintz, these additional sharing features have really caused Bump to take off with new users.

Daily traffic to the site has increased more than five times in the last five months, with traffic and usage up by a factor of 10 since March 2009.

Check out some of these stats:

  • On Christmas Day, Bump users shared an average of 20 photos per second. Last Saturday, Bump says its users shared 1.4 million items with one another.
  • Photos and music are the most popular shared items on Bump.
  • Bump has been downloaded more than 25 million times and has 7 million active users (a user that has logged in in the last 28 days).
  • Bump has gained over 1 million users in the last two weeks.
  • Users use Bump most frequently on nights and weekends.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these usage numbers. I commented to Lieb and Mintz that maintaining one in four active users for a widely downloaded app like Bump is impressive. It turns out, most of those active users signed up or downloaded the app with in the last six months.

On that basis, the usage is even more impressive because it indicates that a much larger percentage of post-2.0 users are using the app and using it at least once a month.

Future Plans

Because the app has reached such a large group of users — and users that are engaging with the app on such a frequent basis — Bump has been approached by various companies or brands who want to partner with the service.

Although Mintz and Lieb couldn’t offer specific partner plans for the future, one proposal they mentioned came from music labels and bands who want to use Bump to be able to communicate with fans who attend a concert or show. Users who attend the show can “bump” a screen or some sort of device to sign up for free songs or photos from the band.

I asked Lieb and Mintz about the monetization strategy for the company. Both said that for right now, the focus is to continue to grow the user base and to figure out sharing behavior.

Although Bump does intend to consider creating an iPad or tablet-specific version of Bump, the company’s first focus is to bring the Android version to parity with the iPhone app.

Right now, the iPhone version represents about 90% of Bump’s usage, a figure the company expects to shift once Bump 2.0 for Android is released. This iteration will include features like music sharing and the ability to “virtually bump” with people in your address book (even if they are far away).

Plus, while Bump continues to offer its API so other companies can integrate its technology (much as PayPal did), Lieb told us that it also makes sense for Bump to consider building some of these third-party features into its own app.

Agility Matters

It’s clear that Bump has evolved into the type of service that is a deviation from its original vision. It isn’t uncommon for startups to add new features that end up taking on a life of their own.

Originally, the founders thought that trading contact information would be a frequently use case. It turns out even the most active users might only share contact info once a week, whereas individuals might share photos or music multiple times a day.

In Bump’s case, by watching those trends and embracing this new wave of activity rather than trying to shoehorn its users into the original vision, the company and the app have continued to grow.

Have you used Bump to exchange contact information, photos or music? What’s your favorite way to quickly share information with another person? Let us know.

Reviews: Android

More About: andreessen horowitz, android, bump, funding, iOS, iphone, iphone apps, marc andreessen, mobile apps, ron conway, Sequoia, sequoia capital, sv angel

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Postbox Combines the Best of Desktop and Web-Based E-mail Clients

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 08:25 PM PST


This post is part of Mashable's Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Postbox 2.1

Quick Pitch: Postbox is a desktop mail application for Mac OS X and Windows designed to combat email overload.

Genius Idea: In a world full of web based e-mail clients, it’s easy to forget that sometimes, the best way to manage mail — especially for offline access — is with a traditional desktop client. Postbox is a desktop mail client, but the app adopts some of the features (such as tagging, quick and advanced searches, and conversation views) that some of the best webmail clients, such as Gmail, also use.

Founded by two former Mozilla heavyweights, Postbox is based on Mozilla technology — the same stuff that powers Firefox and Thunderbird. It’s easy to make the mistake that Postbox is just a prettified version Thunderbird 3.1, but the truth is, the app — especially in Mac OS X — is much more feature-rich, has better system integration and uses less memory.

Postbox 2.1 was released in December and added some new features to the mix, including support for the new “Summarize Mode” on e-mail replies and forwards.

Think of Summarize Mode as an attractive, well formatted way to see who said what in a conversation. When using testing Postbox 2.1, I was asked by one of my colleagues what mail client I was using because he was so impressed with how conversations were presented when replying to a long threaded e-mail.

Conversation Views, which were updated in Postbox 2.0, act kind of like Gmail’s threaded message view, with the added benefit of grabbing conversations from various folders.

Postbox also features the ability to do quick replies to a message without needing to go to a separate compose window. This makes short replies simple and stress-free.

Perhaps my favorite feature of Postbox 2.1 is the fact that messages can be filtered by things like attachments, images, read status, contact, date, topics and To-Do. This is exceptionally handy when trying to search for a certain type of photo or document.

In my test of Postbox 2.1, I let it import in all of my mail accounts from Apple Mail. This worked without a hitch. Conveniently, Postbox also offers quick access to posting messages to Twitter or Facebook.

All in all, Postbox 2.1 is a solid alternative to Apple Mail, Windows Live Mail and Thunderbird.

The only sticking point is the price. Postbox is not a free app; it’s $39.99. To us, that price is fair, especially for the app’s feature set.

Fortunately, you can try Postbox free for 30 days, and the company also offers a money-back guarantee. If you don’t need some of the GTD features of the app, "_blank">Postbox Express is available for free.

Do you use a desktop e-mail client? What is your favorite and why?

Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark

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

More About: e-mail, e-mail clients, gmail, mac os x, mozilla thunderbird, postbox, software, Windows

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Twitter’s New CEO Finally Nails Down the Company’s Long-Term Vision

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 07:03 PM PST


Twitter’s new CEO has finally iterated the company’s strategic vision, a change from just a few months ago.

Late last year, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo gave an interview to The Telegraph, one of his first after former CEO Evan Williams stepped down. He told The Telegraph’s Emma Barnett in that interview that he was trying to define Twitter’s long-term vision.

"I am working on clarity around that at the moment. I am currently trying to define what Twitter's purpose is in the long term. We will be able to be more specific on that answer in the near future."

There were a lot of reactions to the interview, with many people questioning how a company as popular as Twitter didn’t have a strategic, long-term vision.

That’s no longer the case, though. During an interview last week at CES, AllThingsD’s Kara Swisher asked the Twitter CEO to iterate the company’s ultimate vision and goal.

“We want to instantly connect people everywhere to what’s most important to them,” Costolo responded. He expanded on that by saying Twitter is about connecting for a purpose, not just connecting. Some people use Twitter just to keep up with their girlfriend or boyfriend; others use it as their daily source of news.

The new vision falls in line with Twitter’s re-branding as an information network. It isn’t focused on just social connections but rather on connections between tweeters and relevant information, whether that information is from a company, a celebrity or a close friend.

Next up for Twitter: making the startup a profitable company.

Image based on a photo from Flickr user Joi Ito.

More About: CES, CES 2011, ces2011, dick costolo, trending, twitter

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Google Is Holding a Global, Web-Based Science Fair

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 06:40 PM PST


Get your bottle rockets and Bunsen burners out. Tomorrow morning, Google will be making some exciting announcements about a worldwide, web-based science fair.

The tech giant is inviting students ages 13 through 18 from all over the world to compete — and the prizes won’t just be shiny blue ribbons, either. Google will be handing out scholarships and work opportunities to the most impressive entrants.

Youngsters will be able to submit their projects online, presumable through the Science Fair’s website, which has yet to launch with full details.

On January 11 at 9 a.m. EST, Google will host a live event on its brand new Science Fair YouTube Channel. More details about the fair will be announced then; we’re assuming the site will be fleshed out at that time, as well.

The global science competition is being hosted in partnership with CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research), LEGO, National Geographic and Scientific American. The goal is “to create a new kind of online science competition that is more global, open and inclusive than ever before.”

Teachers who want to receive classroom materials, including posters, stickers and bookmarks, as well as get registration information, can start signing up now.

This is one Google event we’ll be following with great interest; we can’t wait to see what cool entries will be coming in from young minds around the globe.

Check out Google’s adorable Rube Goldberg-inspired YouTube teaser for the Science Fair:

Image courtesy of Flickr, hendricksphotos.

More About: education, Google, Science, science fair

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The 2010 Mashable Awards Winners [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 06:00 PM PST

After many long weeks of nominating, voting, petitioning, and fretting, you — the readers — have named your 25 favorite people, companies, gadgets and services, with more than 1.3 million nominations and votes.

Take a look at this year’s Mashable Awards winners and their more-than-worthy finalists in this celebratory infographic by Shane Snow. Thanks to everyone who participated and congratulations to the winners!


See also: Mashable Awards Gala Recap & Photos

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PHP Platform-as-a-Service Startup Nabs $1.8M in New Funding

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 05:06 PM PST


PHP Fog, a PaaS (platform as a service) startup for PHP developers, has just secured a $1.8 million Series A led by Madrona Venture Group and joined by First Round Capital, Founders Co-op and other prominent angels.

The company is still in a closed beta and is accepting applicants for its waiting list. The cloud-based platform helps PHP developers deploy and scale their web apps, a lot like what Heroku does for Ruby apps and developers”

“PHP Fog provides simple one-click installations of some of the most popular PHP applications out there… You get full access to the source code of your PHP application through git. Push your code changes to us, and we will publish these changes to the cloud.

“We handle deployment, failover, database maintenance, scaling, and all the other plumbing that can take an army of programmers and systems administrators to handle. Automatically. You pay only for what you use.”

As you’ll recall, Heroku was recently acquired by Salesforce for the staggering price of $212 million. As we predicted a month ago, this was likely to be a big signal to investors that developer-oriented products and services were worthy investments.

Especially when one considers the relatives sizes of the PHP and Ruby communities, an investment in a PHP PaaS in the wake of a Ruby PaaS’s acquisition makes perfect sense.

But enough about Heroku. Portland-based PHP Fog founder Lucas Carlson said in an e-mail that the idea for his company started when he was “hacking around with some code seeing if I could create something useful for my PHP programmer friends.

“I got a prototype working to prove that it's possible. Then I put a landing page up that described the promise of PHP Fog. A single link on Hacker News went up the next day and 800 people signed up for what I built. That was the day I knew I had to go all in.”

PHP Fog gives developers dedicated (as opposed to shared) resources for their apps. Its N-tier horizontal scaling purports to give apps reliability and scalability, allowing for independent growth of web and database layers, which will likely come in particularly handy for early-stage projects and companies.

PHP Fog embraces existing PHP standards such as Apache and MySQL, and it integrates licensing costs for installations such as Magneto and SugarCRM, which Carlson says makes it “easier to re-sell.”

More About: developers, first round, founders co-op, madrona, PaaS, php, php fog, series a

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Goo.gl Gets an API

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 04:28 PM PST


Google has taken the next step to expanding goo.gl, its URL shortener, and integrating it into third-party apps with the launch of the goo.gl API.

The new API, like Google’s URL shortener, is rather straightforward. It gives developers the ability to use goo.gl to shorten or expand their URLs and to retrieve URL history and analytics.

“You could use these features for a wide variety of applications, enabling behaviors ranging from auto-shortening within Twitter or Google Buzz clients to running regular jobs that monitor your usage statistics and traffic patterns,” Google’s Ben D’Angelo said in a blog post announcing the API.

What does the launch of the goo.gl API mean? While URL shorteners may not be terribly sexy, they are becoming a big business, one dominated by Bit.ly. Goo.gl’s URL shortener could siphon off users with the API. Its integration with Google’s products, spam protection and speed could make it a desirable alternative for developers looking to speed up their apps.

Reviews: Google Buzz, Twitter, bit.ly

More About: api, Goo.gl, Google

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100+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 03:51 PM PST

social_media_events_guide1

Every week, Mashable puts together a calendar of upcoming social media and web events, parties and conferences. Would you like to have your conference or event listed here? If so, please first review the Mashable Media Partnership Guidelines, and then, if your event meets our requirements, contact us at least one month before your event to establish a media partnership. For more upcoming listings, check out Mashable’s’s Events section.

In the meantime, here are some tips on how to network, share your information and/or promote your event(s) using social media:

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

January 12-14, 2011, Washington, DC: Social Media Legal Risk & Strategy – Social media has proven to be a critical medium for companies who are looking to have their services and brands penetrate the public sphere. The use of social media, however, has not come with an absence of legal risk. Join 16 lead counsels from Coca-Cola North America, IBM Corporation, Wal-Mart, Chevron, T-Mobile, Dell, Aon Corporation, CSC, Nationwide and other fortune 500 companies as they discuss strategies to address and overcome the legal risks posed by engaging in social media. Mashable subscribers will enjoy a 10% discount when they mention MASHABLE in their follow-up email to ddrey@marcusevansch.com.

January 12, 2011, Las Vegas, NV: Influence People is hosting a one-day social media marketing conference in Las Vegas and it will bring together leading brands and marketing experts to explore the viral power of social networks. During this one-day event, a team of renowned marketing experts will provide guidance on how to effectively engage with customers via social media, give tips on how to maximize the impact of your campaigns and offer insights into new services to try and trends to watch out for. This is the ultimate event for anyone involved in social media or digital marketing. Register with the promo code mashable and receive a 10% discount.

January 12, 2011, Stanford, CA: The NextGen Conference brings together young, aspiring entrepreneurs and young, rock star entrepreneurs with more experienced entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Join us for a full day at Stanford University and learn from the very best! Speakers include: Peter Thiel (Founder of PayPal, Clarium Capital, and the Founders Fund), Keith Rabois (COO of Square), Mark Suster (2x entrepreneur turned VC), Travis Kalanick (serial entrepreneur and angel investor), and more! Register and use the promo code NGCMASH!

January 13-14, 2011, Washington, DC: marcus evans invites you to attend the Social Media for Pharma Conference. Hear from your peers firsthand on how the new FDA guidance will mandate your social media strategies. By attending this conference you will learn how to boost product exposure, generate market research, build relationships and increase sales and overall business in the long term. For an exclusive discount as a Mashable member, please mention “Mashable” to Michele Westergaard at michelew@marcusevansch.com.

January 13-14, 2011, Wilmington, NC: This two-day event will feature the region’s most successful people in business, technology, internet marketing and social media. Keynote speakers, seminars and the expo will be designed to help companies and their employees develop professionally, make new connections and reach new customers. This BizTech event will focus on social media strategies, search engine optimization, PPC advertising, strategies to finance your business, cloud computing and more. Register with the promo code BIZTMASH and receive FREE admission to the expo and 10% discount off all BizTech events, if you register by December 22, 2010.

January 14, 2011, New York, NY: Tomorrow’s Media Plan: Where should you be allocating media spend in 2011?
Hosted by L2, Tomorrow's Media Plan is a half-day, intensive clinic that gives marketing and digital leaders tactical suggestions for where and how they should be allocating their online media spend in 2011. The clinic is highly interactive and takes place in a classroom setting. The curriculum is designed for executives tasked with understanding digital media trends and allocating capital across competing marketing channels. Academics and practitioners lead the group through a series of sessions with a balance of theory and industry case studies. Register and use the discount code Mashable_friends to get 25% off.

January 17-18 and 20-21, 2011, Singapore & Hong Kong: Join us at this interactive conference on Social Media Marketing to acquire effective techniques for boosting your brand performance and ROI. Find out how Intel, Nokia, Watsons, McDonald's, Volkswagen, HP, Canon, Johnson & Johnson, Wall Street Journal, SMRT and more incorporated social media activities to get ahead of conversations. Through in-depth case studies and workable solutions, learn how to develop coherent platform integration strategies, handle a social media backlash and identify KPIs for the effectiveness of social media campaigns. Register today and save 10% when you enter Mashable under Additional Info.

January 19, 2011, New York, NY: Mobile Healthcare Communications: Case Studies and Roundtables – Representatives from GlaxoSmithKline, Within3, Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Roche Diabetes Care, and others will demonstrate the best case studies of how major healthcare brands are connecting with consumers and professionals through mobile communications. Register and use the promo code MASH for a discounted rate of $155.

January 19, 2011, Wichita KS: Explore & Engage with Brian Solis and Jason Falls – Explore & Engage is a unique opportunity to learn from two of the social web's leading experts in a rare and intimate workshop setting. Registration is limited to just 150 people. The program will open with a powerful message from Brian Solis, "Engage or Die". Jason Falls will respond with two hands-on workshops covering social media tools, tactics, content, planning, strategy and measurement. Between workshops participants will have the opportunity to visit with Jason and Brian and to have Brian sign copies of his book, “Engage”. The workshops are intended for those already active in the social web who want to take their business or organization to the next level of engagement. Register and use the discount code MASHABLE to save $25 on each standard registration.

January 20-22, 2011, Mumbai, India: Click Asia Summit 2011 is designed to be Asia's largest digital & mobile marketing conference and expo where industry thought leaders congregate to discuss online marketing, challenges faced by agencies, and the changing face of social media. Click Asia Summit 2011 is going to change the way you look at Digital and Mobile marketing. Please register by clicking here.

January 20-21, 2011, San Francisco, CA: The First Annual Gamification Summit brings together top thought leaders in game mechanics and engagement science for the first time. Hear what works and what doesn’t in this dynamic and fast-moving field through case studies, workshops, keynotes and panels delivered by experts such as Gabe Zichermann (author, Game-Based Marketing), Amy Jo Kim (gamification guru) and Jane McGonigal (TED fellow, debuting her new book) and network with other leaders in the space. Attend the Gamification Summit 2011 and learn how game mechanics and the new science of engagement are rewriting the rules of brand marketing, product design and customer acquisition. Know the score: Register now with the Mashable promo code GSMASH11 and save 10%.

January 20, 2011, London, UK: SMART Social Media for Business – What are the threats surrounding social media and are they offset by the realistic potential for business growth? With speakers from Twitter, Adidas, Nokia, The Times, Yahoo! & Lauren Rubin from Mashable, this is your chance to hear from the global leaders in social media strategy to find out how to mitigate risks whilst capitalizing on the vast opportunities. To learn more about SMART and to download the event’s agenda, please visit SMART2011.com.

January 20, 2011, Washington, DC: L2 is a think tank for digital innovation. L2 will host the Social Graph Clinic, an all-day intensive clinic addressing the opportunities, challenges, and underpinnings of social media. Held at the George Washington School of Business, the event will feature speakers from academia, public sector, and private industry to lead discussions on social media strategies, rules of engagement, and metrics for marketing and digital professionals. Register here for the Social Graph Clinic. The first 10 Mashable readers to register will receive a 25% discount on tickets (Please use the following discount code when registering: “MASHABLE“)

January 21, 2011, Boulder, CO: Mongo Boulder is a one day conference focused on MongoDB, the leading open source, non-relational database. The conference will feature sessions on schema design, indexing, administration, replication, sharding, and more. In addition to several of the MongoDB developers from 10gen, confirmed speakers include Michael Dwan of SnapJoy and Justin Smestad of Mongo Machine. The event is sponsored by 10gen, the company that develops and supports the database. Until January 5, 2011, attendees can purchase tickets at the early-bird rate (50% off the general admission price). Mashable readers may register and use the promo code mashable to receive a discount.

January 24-27, 2011, San Francisco, CA: The Emerging Media Conference is one of the largest and unique of its kind, welcoming the New Year with an opportunity to view and experience the latest in technology advances and upcoming product roll outs. For three full days there will be demonstrations, presentations, and discussions led by some of the most connected and recognized experts in the industry including Keynote Jesse Schell from Carnegie Mellon University. Whether you are immersed in the world of emerging media or just have a casual interest, this conference allows you to preview the future of the tech world like a seasoned insider. Register and use the promo code EmMeConMash to save 10%.

January 24-26, 2011, London, UK: The Digital Content Monetisation (DCM) Europe 2011 is a forum for media and entertainment specialists to find out how to deliver sustainable strategies to monetise their digital content. You will meet over 200 of your peers across TV, Film, gaming, music, publishing and sports. Mashable readers receive a 10% discount when they register and use the promo code MASH.

January 24, 2011, Washington, DC: There are no sales commercials masquerading as presentations here, or sleepy Q & A sessions where only 1 of 8 questions apply to your business. What’s Next DC is about brainstorming, case studies, energy, networking, strategy and – best of all – personalized solutions to your company’s most important challenges. We’ll have floating experts in a variety of fields available, so if you hear something you like and want to bounce ideas around right there on the spot, you can! We’ve scheduled group brainstorming/strategy sessions and niche learning sessions where you can discuss your areas of interest and expertise. There will also be an area dedicated solely to networking all day long. This is not just a conference, it is an experience. Come prepared and energized to learn and share with other Marketing, Public Relations, Advertising, and Communication Professionals! Register with promo code Mashable and save 25%!

January 25-26, 2011, New York, NY: Information Industry Summit – Save $100 with the promo code PRMMASH to attend this 10th annual Summit, the digital information industry's flagship conference. (Note: discount valid off the individual non-member rate only and does apply to current attendees.) With a theme on "Moving from Wired to Wireless," the Summit will address the sea-change shaping the industry: mobile business models and content delivery, as well as the top mobile technology trends. For complete details, including registration information, visit InformationIndustrySummit.net.

January 25, 2011, London, UK: If you don't have a plan to offer your mobile services, you could be left behind as consumers increasingly consume entertainment, social media, games and gambling via mobile access devices. Mobile Gaming will present a detailed and exciting roadmap for how gaming companies can take advantage of this new channel that has finally ‘come of age’ and multiply their revenues in the near future. Register and use the promo code MASHMOBILE.

January 26, 2011, London, UK: Monetising Social Games will show you how to integrate the phenomenal success of monetised social games into your product mix so you can catch the next wave of explosive customer acquisition and revenue growth via a channel that is legal in the USA, China and other markets inaccessible to traditional online gambling companies. Register and use the promo code MASHMSG.

January 27, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Macworld 2011 is your once-a-year opportunity to see and buy all of the newest, coolest stuff-hardware, software and accessories-for your Apple products. You will also find expert advice, demonstrations and instruction by the very people that develop these products. Macworld conference programs feature industry leading minds, presenting cutting edge product training on the topics – see our featured artists and presenters. Mashable readers who register today get 15% off conference packages and $10 expo only passes by clicking here.

January 29, 2011, Milwaukee, WI: Companies in the Midwest like Groupon are proof that innovation happens everywhere and Flyover Geeks: Bootstrapper’s Ball is coming to Milwaukee in January with a one day conference exploring the entrepreneurial condition. Experienced entrepreneurs with successful startups will walk you through how they did it and what what they are doing to keep their success on an upwards trajectory. You’ll hear about topics as diverse as funding your own retirement as an entrepreneur, legal advice, building lean and how to get past the word “No”. Come the the University of Wisconsin (Milwaukee campus) on January 29th and use the code FGBALL to get 20% of the admission price!

January 31 – February 3, 2011, Toronto, Canada: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute's 23rd updated forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees & Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results, to learn how to incorporate social media into your communications & marketing plans & leverage the latest interactive Web 2.0 tools & techniques to advance your organizational goals. Hear practical advice from: ON Ministry of Labour; Toronto Police Service; Northern Lights Canada; Royal Bank of Canada; Genome Alberta; ON Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care; Public Service Commission of Canada; City of Ottawa; Halton Region, ON & more. Register and mention Mashable to save $200!

February 1-3, 2011, San Diego, CA: The Green Data Center Conference will analyze new technology that will not only benefit our environment, but also save organizations money and increase efficiency. Industry experts and executives will gather to discuss the growing importance of green technology and the associated benefits. Corporate case studies will be presented to demonstrate how existing data centers have been retrofitted and new facilities built from the ground up. This conference will share valuable information that can be taken back and used immediately to gain measurable ROI. Register and use the promo code GDCSD10 to save 10%!

February 1-3, 2011, Santa Clara, CA: O'Reilly Strata Conference: Making Data Work – Turn data into decisions at Strata, the new conference from O’Reilly Media, focusing on the business and practice of data.Unprecedented computing power and connectivity are bringing new layers of experience to our lives in how we manage and present data sets of all sizes. Throughout three days of training, breakout sessions, and plenary discussions, O’Reilly Strata connects the decision-makers, practitioners, and leading vendors from enterprise and the web who are at the leading edge of this space. Topics include data science, acquisition, organization, machine learning, visualization, and more. Mashable readers can save 15% on registration with the promo code str11msh.

February 1, 2011, Mountain View, CA: See George Zachary, General Partner of Charles River Ventures and early investor in Twitter, speak at The Founder Showcase – Silicon Valley’s premier startup pitch and networking event. This quarterly event brings together over 300 investors, founders, and members of the press to hear talks from leading CEOs, and pitches from 10 hot technology start-ups. Over $1.5mm has been raised by presenting companies at previous Founder Showcase events. Tickets start at just $40 – to register or enter the free Pitch Competition, go to FounderShowcase.com. Mashable readers get 15% off by using the discount code mashable_15.

February 2-4, 2011, Austin, TX: Turn up the heat on your digital campaigns at Digital Marketing Forum 2011. From social media to email marketing to online advertising and beyond — DMF will cover everything you need to know to ignite your digital strategy in 2011. Best of all, each session will include examples from B2B and B2C campaigns—ensuring a highly relevant conference, no matter your level or target audience. So add some kick to your campaigns and join us in Austin February 2-4 and save $100 with code MASH100. It’s going to be spicy! For more information, please click here.

February 2-3, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Marketing and customer service are on a collision course. Social media now shine a bright light on customer service interactions, which increasingly have brand implications. Customer care can also offer valuable insights for marketing and product development. How many companies are adapting and turning this to their advantage? Still too few as old modes of thinking remain entrenched in organizations. Opus Research's Conversational Commerce Conference (C3) brings together a diverse array of interested groups and stakeholders to discuss the new social media landscape and its joint impact on marketing and customer care.

February 2, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: CBS RADIO presents SOCIAL: THE NEW MEDIA, an all-day exploration of the social media landscape for small business owners and entrepreneurs. High-profile trendsetters will break down the basics, present case studies and provide the tools needed to help business owners energize, strategize and monetize. We'll look into streamlining operations, building growth strategies and developing customer loyalty through social media. The event will take place at the historic Avalon Hollywood. For more info and tickets visit http://cbssocialmedia.com. Register and use the promo code CBSMASH when purchasing tickets and save $10.

February 2, 2011, Austin, TX: Toyota, REI, Texas Instruments, Kellogg Company, and more will share case studies in corporate social media at BlogWell Austin: How Big Brands Use Social Media. You’ll learn how to get started, get past roadblocks, and make your social media program phenomenal — in one afternoon, for just $250. Get practical, how-to advice on creating great content, getting management buy-in, educating employees, keeping lawyers and regulators happy, simple and ethical disclosure, and engaging fans. Presented by GasPedal and SocialMedia.org. Register with the promo code THANKSMASHABLE and save 10%!

February 3, 2011, New York, NY: Did you ever want to meet, shake hands and give your summary to OVER 30 of the hottest VC Funds & Angel Investor Groups in the the NYC area? FundingPost is hosting its VC Showcase in midtown, NYC! At this VC Conference, OVER 30 VC Funds & Angel Groups will be exhibiting their firms during a great cocktail party setting. Each Fund will have their own table setup for the sole purpose of meeting great new companies. The first 29 Funds have already been announced! Register and use the discount code nyvcs.

February 3, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Calling all early-stage startups! Vator, one of the largest business networks dedicated to entrepreneurship, is holding its first Splash event for the new year. The event will take place on the evening of Feb. 3 at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco. Ten startups can win a chance to present onstage in front of venture capitalists from AngelPad, August Capital, Greylock, Google Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, SV Angels, Shasta Ventures, Mayfield, Norwest and more. Keynote speakers include Pandora founder Tim Westergren and ngmoco founder Neil Young. And, the afterparty entertainment stars Cover Flow. To be among the 10 finalists onstage, enter the competition here. Register and use the promo code Mashable25 for a discount!

February 4-5, 2010 Atlanta, GA: SoCon11, the South's premier social media networking event celebrates five years on February 4 – 5th at Kennesaw State University, just outside Atlanta. The two day SoCon11 event kicks off Friday night at the historic Carter Center complete with music, gourmet dinner buffet, and cash bar. Following is a day of networking and break-out sessions with some of the biggest names in digital media. This year it's all about mobile and as always, social media. Register and use the promo code MASH for 20% off.

February 7-11, 2011, New York, San Francisco, London, Hong Kong, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Rome, Istanbul and Paris: Coming this Februar to a city near you is the first 2011 edition of Social Media Week, to be held simultaneously in New York, San Francisco, London, Hong Kong, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Rome, Istanbul and Paris. Social Media Week is a co-curated, distributed conference featuring hundreds of free events taking place over the course of the week in interesting venues across each of the nine cities. Topically framed around social media, events include panels, parties, product demos, meetups and more, put on by media, communication and technology companies around the globe. Social Media Week was held for the first time in February 2009 in New York City. 2010 followed with an event in February that expanded to NYC plus five more cities, adding London, Berlin, San Francisco, Toronto and São Paolo to the fold, plus an event in September in Los Angeles, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Milan. Social Media Week 2010 attracted more than 17,000 attendees across 450 events, nearly all of which were made available for free to attendees thanks to sponsorship from a number of global brands, including Meebo and PepsiCo. Learn more about the February 7-11, 2011 event at http://socialmediaweek.org.

February 7-10, 2011, Orlando, FL: ARC's 2011 World Industry Forum: Driving Innovation, Sustainability and Performance will take place at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld! This forum will focus on challenges that will help you develop winning strategies. It provides an ideal environment for industry executives to collaborate, share ideas, and find new ways to attack their most pressing problems. The event includes sessions on the major issues facing our industry, with multiple tracks that enable executives to explore these topics from different perspectives. Owner/operators, solution providers, & technical experts will all benefit while contributing to the community's body of knowledge.

February 7-10, San Diego, CA: Online Marketing Summit, the premier educational event for marketing professionals, is coming to San Diego this February. Learn from the online marketing experts of Dell, Cisco, Intel, McDonalds, Google Disney and YouTube sensation Justin Bieber. Join your marketing peers to share ideas, hear from expert practitioners, and learn best practices in the areas of: Social Media, Search, Email, Analytics, and more! Register with the discount code SMART20 for 20% off.

February 7-9, 2011, New York, NY: Now in its 10th year, the ePharma Summit is going to be bigger than ever. We are looking ahead to new trends and opportunities in digital marketing with unparalleled insight from leading industry innovators. Join us for more novel mobile strategies, more regulatory insights, more customer perspectives, and more examples of what is really working now from the organizations you admire most. Join us February 7-9 in New York City at the most respected digital marketing event for the life sciences industry as we explore innovative e-strategies and proven techniques to drive business. Register with promo code XP1606MASH and save 10%.

February 8-10, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Social Media Strategies Summit – We have researched the social media buzz to develop and present to you a top of the line marketing conference that you can't afford to miss. With in-depth case studies from the nuts and bolts to micro-blogging and sustaining online communities, you leave with a refreshed vision to take your marketing plan to the next level for 2010 and beyond. Register and use the promo code MASH to receive a discount.

February 8, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: Federated Media presents Signal LA: The Content Marketing Conversation. Signal, a series of 1-day events is produced for senior decision makers in the media and marketing business. If you’re involved in the digital media ecosystem, you belong at Signal. The speaker line-up is stellar, and we're really excited for what we're sure will be an interesting, informative and impactful day. Please join us! More information and registration details at www.federatedmedia.net/events. Register with the promo code SIGMASH1 to save 10%!

February 8, 2011, Atlanta, GA: Mongo Atlanta is a one day conference focused on MongoDB, the leading open source, non-relational database. The conference will feature sessions on schema design, indexing, administration, replication, sharing, and more. In addition to several of the MongoDB developers from 10gen, confirmed speakers include Hugh Watkins of Ericsson and Jeremy McAnally of Intridea. The event is sponsored by 10gen, the company that develops and supports the database. Until January 18th, you can register at the early bird rate, which is half off the general admission price. Mashable readers may register and use the promo code mashable to receive a discount.

February 8, 2011, Springfield, MO: Social Marketing Boot Camp with Sarah Evans – Limited tickets are available for this unique boot camp style event with nationally renowned expert Sarah Evans. You'll spend a full six hours of session time with Sarah, taking an in-depth look at the role of social media in marketing your business or organization. You wont just learn effective social media marketing techniques, but will look at how social media works in conjunction with traditional marketing and public relations and why that's important, practical ways of engaging customers and prospects, case studies, help with creating a social media based marketing plan, hints and tips, ways to make your brand stand out online, effective engagement, latest trends, tools and resources, and plenty of opportunities for discussion and Q & A. Register and use the discount code MASHABLE to save $25 on each standard registration.

February 14-17, 2011, Washington, DC: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute's 23rd updated forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees & Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results, to learn how to incorporate social media into your communications & marketing plans & leverage the latest interactive Web 2.0 tools & techniques to advance your organizational goals. Hear practical advice from: ON Ministry of Labour; Toronto Police Service; Northern Lights Canada; Royal Bank of Canada; Genome Alberta; ON Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care; Public Service Commission of Canada; City of Ottawa; Halton Region, ON & more. Register and mention Mashable to save $200!

February 14-16, 2011, New York, NY: O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference (TOC) – Explore the new world of “Publishing Without Boundaries” at the 5th annual O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference (TOC). This premiere event provides an unparalleled opportunity for stakeholders from across the book publishing and tech industries to network, share ideas, engage in lively debate, and come away with the knowledge and inspiration to lead change within their own organizations. Not only does TOC cover what's working now, but we also look ahead to what will work as publishing transitions to the next phase. The people who attend TOC are the people who are shaping publishing's future. Mashable readers can save 15% on registration with the promo code toc11mash. http://www.toccon.com/toc2011?cmp=mp-conf-tc11-mashable-banner-ad

February 14, 2011, Barcelona, Spain: The Mobile Premier Awards are among the most influential events in the mobile industry and the point of reference in early-stage innovation during the Mobile World Congress. An international jury of the most recognized mobile industry experts will select the 20 finalists from all the local AppCircuses held during 2010 to showcase their app in a 3-minute pitch at the event in Barcelona in front of investors, operators, media companies, peer entrepreneurs, and press and influential bloggers. Register and use the promo code #BCNMASHABLE to receive a 10% discount.

February 15-17, 2011, San Jose, CA: FAST ‘11 explores new directions in the design, implementation, evaluation, and deployment of storage systems. Learn from leaders in the storage industry with ground-breaking tutorials by experts such as Brent Welch, Mostafa Khalil, Benjamin Reed, and more. This year’s innovative 2-day technical program includes 20 technical papers, Work-in-Progress Reports (WiPs), and two poster sessions. FAST’ 11 promises to be an exciting conference presenting leading examples of current research and a strong vision of the future of file and storage technologies. Learn more by clicking here. Receive a $75 discount by entering FAST11MASH upon registration.

February 15, 2011, New York, NY: iKids is a new one-day event designed to help you connect your app business with leading kids entertainment brands. Featuring case studies, expert panels, networking sessions, a global research presentation and an Apps Showdown format, our program will challenge and inspire you to approach your mobile business in new ways. For more information and to register, please click here.

February 16-17, 2011, Berkeley, CA: Content Marketing is a key digital trend for 2011. Come to the first conference dedicated to leveraging content to attract more customers: Contentmarketing2011.com. The conference will bring together leading brands, ad agencies, publishers, PR professionals and service providers to focus solely on the latest strategies, solutions and technologies in digital content marketing. The conference will reveal through real-world case studies how to use content marketing to increase business and explore the future of this extremely powerful marketing tool. Mashable readers can register with the promo code mashable and save $100 off the early bird rate.

February 16, 2011, San Francisco, CA: VigLink is hosting a one-day Forum and Communities Conference in San Francisco and will bring together leading brands, forum owners and community managers to explore strategies in forum and community development.
During this one-day event, a team of renowned experts will provide guidance on how to effectively engage with community, give tips on how to maximize the value of your communities and offer insights into new services to try and trends to watch out for. This is the ultimate event for anyone involved in creating communities. Register with the promo code mashable to get a 10% discount.

February 17, 2011, Miami, FL: Interested in meeting early-stage Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists in Florida? Then register for the FundingPost event on Thursday, Feb 17, 2011, at The University of Miami. FundingPost has hosted 175+ sold-out venture events in 20 cities over the past 9 years. At our next event, the panel of investors will focus on Early-Stage Venture Investing: How to meet investors, pitch them, and what it really takes to get them to write you a check! Guest Moderator, Daymond John, star of the ABC show Shark Tank will be moderating the panel. Register and use the promo code miami11.

February 20, 2011, Kfar Maccabiah/Ramat Gan, Israel: Join us for the MEGAComm Conference for marketing professionals and technical communicators. This 5-track, full-day event will feature sessions for marketing managers, sales directors, technical writers, documentation managers and many others. MEGAComm is our FIFTH annual conference, and offers a unique opportunity to hear from the experts in both these important English-based industries, network with hi-tech professionals from all over the country, and expand your knowledge. Keynote speakers include Jeff Pulver (well known entrepreneur and Producer of #140conf) and Danny Ayalon (Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel). Features session will include SEO, WordPress, Agile Documentation, Single-Sourcing, MediaWikis, Managing Content and much more. For more information, please click here.

February 21-23, 2011, New Delhi, India: The RadioAsia conference is a yearly event designed to address on-going developments in radio broadcasting content and services while highlighting the near future opportunities and challenges. This annual conference is organized by the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) , Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU) and Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd for leading radio media practitioners, communication specialists, policy makers, academicians and students from across the Asia Pacific region and beyond. The theme for this year’s conference is “Radio on Air Everywhere – Adopting Multiplatform Strategies” keeping in tune with the changes in the medium due to globalization, convergence and technological advances. Register for the conference to learn more about the radio industry in Asia.

February 23, 2011, Portland, OR: Join hundreds of your online marketing peers for the Fifth Annual SearchFest Internet Marketing Conference in Portland on February 23, 2011. Thought leaders and industry experts from around the country–including major brands like Intel, REI, and the New York Times–will deliver in-depth presentations on topics including Advanced Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Universal Search, Analytics, Paid Search Marketing and many more. Register with the promo code MASHABLEPDX to save 10% on your General Admission ticket!

February 23, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: DIGIDAY:ON MEDIA: Where THE digital media moguls caucus on the business of buying and planning and advertising across digital platforms. There is an enormous media market that media agencies have to master: Online Media, Social, Video, Mobile, Search, Apps, Ad Networks, Email, Targeting, Measurement, Emerging Platforms, and much more and media execs are constantly seeking the highest performance and most innovative platforms to help them run, create, engage and deliver their digital advertising creative and messages to their target audiences. ON MEDIA will be an event that brings together the leading media executives, buyers and planners for the ONLY a high level one-day summit to help them discuss and debate the current state of buying digital and how they can thrive in today’s fragmented media economy. Join us for this one of a kind meeting of the digital media moguls in Los Angeles. Register and use the promo code ONMASH to save $100 (Mashable reader discount).

February 24, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: DIGIDAY: MOBILE APPS: The event will bring together the leading executives from top mobile agencies, blue-chip brands, mobile app developers, mobile advertising networks, and content owners to discuss the explosive Mobile “app-vertising” market. The “app-vertising” business is igniting the imaginations of brand marketers worldwide and serving up a land grab for an increasingly valuable piece of real estate on the omnipresent mobile device in our pockets. The industry pioneers, visionaries, and leaders will converge to take a deep dive into the emerging mix of branded mobile applications and in-application advertising that is finally poised to deliver on the promise of mobile marketing. Attendees will learn and gain key insights on the innovative brands, the killer mobile apps, dynamic integrated content and offers, video, storytelling, and the rich functionality of apps. And a whole lot more! So what does the future hold for app-vertising? Find out at DIGIDAY: MOBILE APPS! Register and use the promo code APPMASH to save $100 (Mashable reader discount!).

February 24, 2011, New York, NY: The 11th Annual Digital Music Forum – We are the only event in the United States that brings together the top music, technology and policy leaders for high-level discussions and debate, intimate meetings and unrivaled networking about the future of digital music. Digital Music Forum is known worldwide for the news that is made in our auditorium, the deals that get done in our hallways, and the friendships and partnerships that are forged year after year. Why wait by the sidelines, when you can join the event that is helping to drive the industry’s future! For a limited time we are offering a special Holiday Rate of $199 – a $500 saving! Don’t miss the opportunity – Book NOW to reserve your seat!

February 25-27, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: The 9th Annual Southern California Linux Expo, the premier community run Linux / Open Source conference, will feature tutorial sessions designed to show users of all skill levels what Open Source can do and how to do it. Whatever your interest is in Open Source, SCALE 9X will have something for you. Register and use the discount code MASH9 for 35% off.

February 27 – March 1, 2011, Palm Desert, CA: Be part of the exclusive unveiling of the most promising new products and prototypes of 2011. DEMO Spring 2011 provides a window into technology’s future and introduces you to the people and companies who are paving the way. Attend DEMO Spring 2011 and you'll have access to this exceptional group of global innovators, be the first to see 70 new product demonstrations and 30 AlphaPitch presenters, test drive products, and network with leading venture capitalists and angel investors, CEOs, dealmakers, entrepreneurs and demonstrators. Register with promo code MSH1 and save 25%!

Feb 28-March 1 & March 3-4, 2011, Singapore & Hong Kong: Join us at this interactive two-day conference on Social Media & PR to acquire effective PR techniques for boosting your brand image and reputation. Find out how companies like Boeing, BASF, BT Asia Pacific, SAP, Microsoft, HP, Kia, Dow Jones and more have successfully grasped the intricacies of social media to make it work for them. By the end of the conference, you’ll be able to successfully integrate both new and traditional media into your PR strategies! Register today and save 10% when you enter Mashable under Additional Info.

February 28-March 1, 2011, Sydney, Australia: Social media marketing has rapidly evolved to the extent that it is no longer enough to just get on board the “social media marketing train.” Marketers are bombarded with tools and technologies without a real understanding of integrating social media effectively. Social Media Marketing – The Way Forward enables marketers develop and manage a sound strategy for your ongoing and future social media marketing projects, with practical and valuable insights shared by some of the most successful brands and campaign creators in both B2C & B2B social media marketing. Register with the promo code MPMASH and save 10%!

February 28, 2011, San Francisco, CA: The Future of Money & Technology Summit will bring together over 500 of the best and brightest thinkers around money, including entrepreneurs, developers, visionaries, press, investors, authors, solution providers, and organizations who work with them at the convergence of cash and commerce. We meet to discuss the evolving converging industries of finance & technology, and to do business in a proactive, conducive-to-dealmaking environment. Come learn & share how innovations in technology are changing the way we do business on a global and local scale. For more information, please visit www.futureofmoney.com. Register and save 10% by clicking here!

February 28, 2011, Israel: The Future of Nonprofit Summit: Israel (#FONSI) brings together some of the best professionals, innovators, lay leaders, organizations, brands, and other passionate people to explore tools and ideas to move the vital third sector forward. Join us for a day of innovation, collaboration and excellence where you will learn best practices, innovative ideas and valued case studies. Visit http://www.fonsi.co for complete details.

March 1-5, 2011, Hannover, Germany: CeBIT is the world’s largest trade fair showcasing digital IT and telecommunications solutions for home and work environments. The key target groups are users from industry, the wholesale/retail sector, skilled trades, banks, the services sector, government agencies, science and all users passionate about technology. CeBIT offers an international platform for comparing notes on current industry trends, networking, and product presentations. For more information, please visit: http://www.cebit.de and to receive your complimentary visitor registration to this elite event, please email lguiang@hfusa.com.

March 1-2, 2011, London, UK: TFM&A is the UK’s largest and longest running multi-channel marketing, media and advertising event. TFM&A will be delivering the latest industry insights, trends and developments as well as leading suppliers of digital, direct, data and CRM solutions. With free seminars and keynotes from big names like Microsoft Advertising and Experian, over 200 exciting exhibitors, a dedicated networking bar and cafe and many more show features, take advantage of your FREE entry to create a campaign that becomes a classic. Register at t-f-m.co.uk/mashable.

March 2-4, 2011, New York, NY: Borrell Associates' Local Online Advertising Conference is designed for executives responsible for developing, managing, marketing, and selling local online advertising. Clay Christensen is part of an all-star lineup of more than 50 speakers who will explore the transformation of local media brought on by the Internet and mobile media. Borrell will explore who’s making money in local online, mobile and social advertising, and offer attendees the tactical intelligence to help them “hit the ground running” when they return home. Register to attend at the Grand Hyatt in NYC or Attend@ Your Desk with a streaming pass. Save $100 with code BA100.

March 2-3, 2010, San Francisco, CA: EyeforTravel's Social Media Strategies for Travel Conference is North America's number one social media event for travel professionals. Now in its fourth successful year, the event brings together top travel brands to share key insights on how to maximize the impact of your social media initiatives. The two days are packed with case studies, presentations and networking opportunities. Please use the promo code MASHABLE for a $100 discount on the admission price.

March 2-3, 2011, Barcelona, Spain: Innovative e-Marketin is our exciting cross-industry event in which we offer you the opportunity to uncover the secrets to success from the most experienced e-Marketers in the world and learn how to put ideas into practice in the form of social networking activities, brainstorming sessions, talking circles, keynote case studies and insightful presentations. Why not treat yourself to one of our exclusive VIP passes? Let us pick you up from the airport and drive you directly to the venue. Register with the promo code EMK11/004 to save 10%.

March 2, 2011, Orange County, CA: Invisible or Remarkable? Seth Godin is back for one night only live and in person in SoCal. Join us for an unprecedented night of networking and evening with best-selling author, A-List lecture circuit speaker and marketing expert Seth Godin. This event is expected to sell out early. Reserve your spot now by clicking here.

March 2, 2011, Berlin, Germany: FEI is Europe's first and only event to solve your industry challenge in real-time. Explore best in class presentations by top multi-nationals, collaborate with world renowned experts, Listen to real-world visionaries choreographing "next" best practices, and participate in a real-time case study where you will tackle industry challenges and work to propel the industry forward. FEI is no ordinary conference — this is truly a catalyst for change. Register and use the promo code FEI2011MASH to save 20% off the standard rate.

March 3-5, 2011, Orlando, FL: unGeeked Elite Retreats brings together 24 speakers over the course of three days. The format is styled as an “open discussion” with topics centered around enhancing, positioning and leveraging both the internal and external brand. PPTs and Prezi’s are strongly discouraged and instead, on-going and intimate discussions among keynotes, regional speakers and attendees are encouraged. Speakers include: Amanda Hite, Dan Schawbel, Jeff Power, Amber Osborne and more. Register with the promo code unGeekedFlorida and save 5% off regular ticket price.

March 4-5, 2011, Louisville, KY: Code PaLOUsa is a two-day, eight-track software development conference in Louisville, KY that’s designed to cover all aspects of software development regardless of technology stack. We will have sessions revolving around Microsoft, Java, Ruby, PHP, and Clojure; along with sessions on higher, platform-agnostic levels. There will be 60 technical presentations and panel discussions from well-known professionals in the software development community and a keynote talk from Douglas Crockford of Yahoo! and JavaScript/JSON fame. For more information and to register, please visit codepalousa.com.

March 7-9, 2011, San Mateo, CA: The Android Developers Conference, March 7-9 in San Mateo, CA, is the world’s premier independent event dedicated to building, marketing and managing apps for the Android platform. The format includes dozens of top technical classes, workshops and breakout classes. Mashable readers can receive a $100 discount off the Full Event Passport and/or gain free admission to the exhibits (first time registrants only – cannot be combined with other offers) by inserting the code MEDIASPONSOR on the registration page.

March 8-10, 2011, San Jose, CA: At Search Marketing Expo – SMX West, you'll learn to maximize ROI from paid search advertising, optimize your website content for superior organic search results, expand your skills with local and mobile advertising expertise, master social media marketing on Twitter, Facebook and other SMM networks, boost conversions, and increase sales. Use the promo code smx100mashable and save $100 off your registration. For more information, please visit http://smxwest.com.

March 8-9, 2011, Brussels, Belgium: Are you looking to unleash the power of social media for CRM? As new channels and strategies emerge it is increasingly important to meet face-to-face to share knowledge, challenges and experiences. Enterprise Social 2.0: CRM will bring social media marketers and CRM experts together to share knowledge through real-world case studies, best practices, lessons learned and offering networking opportunities with some of the biggest brands and businesses today. Past speakers include: Google, Kodak, L'Oreal, Philips, Nokia, Lego, Siemens, Vodafone, SWIFT, SAP, Roger Smith Hotel, Dominos Pizza, Airbus and more. To receive a special discount, register now!

March 8-9, 2011, Amsterdam, NL: We’ve brought back some of your favorite speakers, as well as a number of new ones, and we’ve also added a few surprises to keep everyone on their toes. With some of the most interesting and engaging presenters from around the globe, FITC Amsterdam 2011 will be 2 days and 2 nights that will leave you inspired, energized and awed. Join us for an event that you will never forget! Register with the promo code Mashable10 and save 10%!

March 9, 2011, Dubai, India: The Cloud Computing World Forum Middle East and Africa will feature all of the key players within the Cloud Computing and SaaS market providing an introduction, discussion and look into the future for the ICT industry. Register today and get inspiration on how to address your latest issues with advice from real-life end-user case studies and practical examples. Register with the promo code MEAmash20 and save 20%!

March 11, 2011, San Jose, CA: The International Search Summit is partnering with SMX to run its global search and social media program at SMX West. Focusing specifically on international and multilingual topics, the summit will run on 11th March and give delegates the opportunity to attend both events. Topics at the Summit will include international link building, managing global content, international SEO case studies and multilingual video optimisation. The agenda can be found here, and will be regularly updated with confirmed speakers. Combo or Summit only tickets are available. Early Bird rates apply and Mashable readers can get $100 off the booking price with the discount code ISS@SMXmashable. For more information and to register, please click here.

March 15, 2011, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Want to know successful stories on how big brands build their brand and reputation online? Everyone can go online, but can you STAY online? Our conference, Digitalize Your Marketing Strategy, is going to be most anticipated event of the year! WE are bringing you the Malaysian's most valuable brands, review their successful stories and provide you hands on tips to manage your online marketing strategy. Our privileged speakers from Digi, Dell, Unilever, Intel and Microsoft will share case studies using social media, digital and search engine. Register with the promo code DYMSMASH and save 20%!

March 19, 2011, Cape Cod, MA: Geek Girl Tech Boot Camp (Cape Cod 2011): Geek Girl Boot Camps are full-day technology “unconferences” for women, taught by women, of all ages and knowledge levels where you can find workshops on everything to do with computers and the Internet! Workshops include PC and Mac, Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), Location (foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp) Photoshop, QuickBooks, Blogging, Podcasting, WordPress, Google Tools, Dreamweaver, Video, Inbound Marketing, digital photography, and more. The workshops are designed for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. There are Discussion Groups and an all day Help Desk. The Mission of Geek Girl Camp is to educate and empower every girl and woman at every age level, on every skill level, at every income level on computer technology with fun and provide a legacy by giving back and paying it forward. Mashable readers get an exclusive $30 discount off the standard pricing of $139 with special code mashable2011 when registering!

March 21, 2011, Orlando, FL: The Mobile Web and Apps World Forum is the official Mobile Web and App event of International CTIA. Now in our 4th great year, we will once again bring together top minds from around the world to discuss how to develop, market, deploy and monetize mobile web and applications. This year's theme is "rise of mobile application commerce" and includes Facebook commerce, location based and viral marketing issues.

March 22-24, 2011, Washington, DC: The Publishing Xchange is a two-plus day interactive conference with discussions revolving around the latest market dynamics as they relate to real-world publishing and marketing processes. You'll learn about the latest technologies and how to achieve the greatest return on your efforts and investments while utilizing the new media channels. Choose from 6 tracks produced by Outsell, The Seybold Report, InfoTrends, Thad McIlroy The Future of Publishing, What They Think and IDEAlliance. Discover the future of publishing, how to implement a cross-media campaign, how a printer can make the leap into this new world & so much more!

March 22-24, 2011, Washington, DC: Ready or not, the way workers create, manage, share and consume information is changing in profound and unprecedented ways. Join us as thousands of technologists and business users from the world’s top companies gather to explore the technologies that are changing the way the world works. Choose from 19 conference tracks and programs, including the SharePoint Summit @ info360, EMC's Information Intelligence Summit @ info360 and Oracle @ info360. Visit www.info360show.com for details.

March 22, 2011, Orlando, FL: After the overwhelming response to our first tablets event in San Francisco (formerly iPad and Tablets: Entertainment and Publishing Apps) we are proud to once again present the next Future of Tablets event at International CTIA in Orlando. We will be covering issues that are important to the publishing, media and entertainment industries. Topics include market research and trends, deployment on multiple platforms, digital newsstands, ad-funded, sponsored and premium apps, business and revenue models, incorporating multimedia communities and much more

March 23-24, 2010, Las Vegas, NV: Hear groundbreaking social media ROI case studies at Social Pulse 2011: The Corporate Social Media Marketing Event! This conference provides corporate marketing leaders from across industries the newest insights and case studies on how to drive measurable results and marketing ROI through smart social media strategy. Moving beyond theory and assumptions, it is the only conference that focuses on social media initiatives that have generated measurable results for America’s leading corporations. Register online or call 1-800-647-7600, and use the promo code MJK233 to save $200!

March 28-29, 2011, Paris, France: The Marketing 2.0 Conference features leading social media experts who will discuss and learn about the social media initiatives from brands, advertisers, researchers and analysts. Hear from leading people in social media about their strategies, revenue models and how they are approaching upcoming trends in the field. The event will also examine the current market conditions, future forecasts and predictions from leading researchers. Use the promo code mash2011 to receive a discount off the registration price.

March 29-30, 2011 London, UK: Social Media World Forum Europe is now in its 3rd year, the event this year will be providing a format for networking, engagement, and lots of social media debate around the latest tools, technologies, platforms, and emerging trends within social media marketing. With over 4000 attendees last year, the show has grown significantly to become one of the leading shows in its field, hosting a variety of free to attend workshops & conferences for marketers, pr professionals, developers, and the like. Mashable readers receive a 20% discount when they register and use the promo code MASH2011.

March 31 – April 1, 2011, New York, NY: Produced by Mediabistro, AllFacebook and SocialTimes, Socialize: Monetizing Social Media unites business leaders in gaming, virtual goods, social mobile, marketing, and media for two days of learning, connecting, and sharing about all things social. Attendees come to Socialize for the real-world insight that our unique blend of industry heavyweights, business visionaries and results-oriented practitioners bring to the table. Expert speakers include Mitch Joel (President, Twist Image), Ian Schafer (Founder and CEO, Deep Focus), Geoff Cook (CEO, myYearbook), and more. For full details and registration, visit the site. Register with the promo code SOCMASH and save 15%!

April 4-6, 2011, Boston, MA: SOCIAL MEDIA & COMMUNITY 2.0 STRATEGIES is a unique event that focuses on the business value of social media for established brands, as well as entrepreneurial companies. It brings together community experts with lines of business leaders who are using social media strategically to drive their business. From setting the strategy, to operationalizing it, to measuring the results – this event is a high-level think tank for and by those particularly focused on understanding and improving efforts and investments in the Social Media & Community space. Join the evolution and register today (Save 20% with the promo code SOCIAL11MASH).

April 4, 2011, Munich, Germany: The International Search Summit is partnering with SMX to run its global search and social media program at SMX München. Focusing specifically on international and multilingual topics, the summit will run on 4th of April and give delegates the opportunity to attend both events. Topics at the Summit will include international link building, the impact of display on global search, international SEO case studies and multilingual video optimisation. All sessions will be in English. The agenda can be found here, and will be regularly updated with confirmed speakers. Combo or Summit only tickets are available. Early Bird rates apply and Mashable readers can get 15% off the booking price with the discount code MASHABLE011. For more information and to register, please click here.

April 6-8, 2011, Phoenix, AZ: K-12 educators from across the country are invited to the Mobile Learning Experience 2011. Over the course of three days dozens of breakout sessions are offered. Leaders and visionaries like Travis Allen, Graham Brown-Martin, Scott Meech, Tony Vincent, and Susan Wells give inspirational, informative, and practical presentations. In addition to breakouts, there are keynote presentations, panel discussions, app sharing opportunities, and scavenger hunts. Topics include classroom management, assistive technology, higher-order thinking, movie-making, research, and personalized learning. Register at http://mobile2011.org.

April 6-8, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: Hispanicize 2011, the 2nd Annual Hispanic PR & Social Media Conference, is the first and largest conference devoted to Latino social media, bloggers and public relations professionals. The three-day conference will feature top industry keynote speakers and more than 24 professional development sessions. It’s also the first event to gather all the Latino and multicultural bloggers together for first time. For more information, please click here.

April 12-14, 2001, New York, NY: Market Research and Insights In Action is a connecting platform where global leaders meet to discuss strategic and key topics, exchange most recent experiences, and brainstorm on future developments. The event will include keynote presentations, case studies, interactive sessions, workshops, talking circles, panel discussions, business meetings and formal and informal networking activities designed to link and connect senior executives within the field of Market Research and Consumer / Customer Insights. Why not treat yourself to one of our exclusive VIP passes? Let us pick you up from the airport and drive you directly to the venue. Register with a promo code MRIUS11/003 to save 10%.

April 13-15, 2011, Singapore: The Internet Show Asia 2011 is a series of seminars and a large end-to-end showcase of the latest internet technologies and solutions. More than 10,000 attendees will be at the exhibition and conference to find new ways of doing internet business and enhancing product offerings through the internet – through case study presentations and speaking directly with solution partners. The show will aim to increase your ROI, it's all about business, not a technology show. For more details and registrations, please visit www.theinternetshows.com/2010/Singapore.

April 18-20, 2011, Dubai, UAE: Planet of the Apps Arabia 2011 is a three day conference dedicated to the opportunities and challenges of mobile applications in the Arab world. The event is for app developers, content providers, device manufacturers, network operators and brands to meet and discuss the current challenges and opportunities presented in this growing market. Key issues addressed will include; the sustainability of the current business models, consumer engagement, developer recruitment, app discoverability, platform choice and the importance of social media networks. Register with promo code Mashable and save 20%!

April 18-19, 2011, London, UK: The Mobile Research Conference is the must-attend annual event for brands, agencies and academics interested in engaging consumers and capturing real-time feedback through mobile phones. Mobile, along with social media and online networks, represents the latest frontier for market research. Attend MRC 2011 and discover how to engage respondents, extract insights for product innovation and optimize marketing activities. This 2-day event is designed for consumer insights professionals; corporate, agency and academic survey researchers; mobile operators and tech companies. Register and use the promo code FF-MASHABLE to receive 20% off the main registration price!

April 26, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: LA Games Conference – Over 300 of the most influential decision-makers in the games industry gather for the LA Games Conference to network, do deals, and share ideas about the future of console, PC, online and mobile games. LA Games Conference – now in its 4th year – features a lively and fun debate on timely cutting-edge business topics, demos as well unrivaled access to some of the most progressive companies in Hollywood, Silicon Valley and beyond. We invite you to join us at the event and take part in the discussion with executives, creators, investors, analysts, press and gamers who will be instrumental in shaping the future of this booming business. For a limited time we are offering a special Holiday Rate of $199 – a $500 saving! Don’t miss the opportunity – Book NOW to reserve your seat.

May 2-4, 2011, Toronto, Canada: Now in its 10th year, FITC Toronto is one of the largest and longest running events of its kind in the world. With some of the most unique and engaging presenters from around the globe, FITC Toronto is a blitz of presentations, demonstrations, and panel discussions, sandwiched between the legendary FITC parties and abundant networking opportunities. Register with the promo code Mashable10 and save 10%!

May 4-8, 2011, London, UK: Digital Shoreditch is the voice of everything happening in Shoreditch. The festival explores and celebrates digital technologies; unites the digital community; and provides a platform for sharing knowledge. The activity culminates in a series of exhibitions, parties, presentations, open studios and games.

May 9-11, 2001, Chicago, IL: School of WOM is the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s annual spring conference. School of WOM will provide marketers with in-depth practical knowledge on the arts and sciences of Word of Mouth and Social Media marketing. School of WOM attendees learn the techniques, methods, and processes that are being implemented into your business practices today that they can bring back and implement tomorrow. At School of WOM, you’ll learn to stay ahead of the competition and ensure your company remains talkable for all the right reasons. Go to www.womma.org for more information. Register and use code the promo code WOMMASOWMASH when registering for the event.

May 12-14, 2011, Chicago, IL: unGeeked Elite Retreats will be held at the SYNCUBATOR and brings together 24 speakers over the course of three days. The format is styled as an “open discussion” with topics centered around enhancing, positioning and leveraging boththe internal and external brand. PPTs and Prezi’s are strongly discouraged and instead, on-going and intimate discussions among keynotes, regional speakers and attendees are encouraged. Speakers include Julian Smith, Jason Falls, Spike Jones, Amanda Hite and more. Register with promo code unGeekedChi and save 5% off regular ticket price.

May 16-19, 2011, Prague, Czech Republic: The TERENA Networking Conference (TNC) is the largest and most prestigious European research networking conference – over 500 participants, including decision makers, networking specialists and managers from all major European networking and research organisations, universities, worldwide sister institutions and industry representatives attend. Through keynote speeches by renowned specialists and many parallel sessions, TNC presents an overview of the latest developments in research networking, both in the technical field and in the areas of application and management. For more information, click here.

May 17-19, 2011, London, UK: The World E-Reading Congress brings together digital and print publishers with e-reading platforms and device manufacturers to discuss the business models and opportunities provided by the growth of the e-reading industry. Publishers must be prepared for this dramatic industry upheaval. They must learn how to embrace this disruptive technology and the World E-Reading Congress will enable them to discover how they can profit from the E-Reading revolution. Visit our website for more information and register before January to save 10%!

May 24-26, 2011, San Francisco, CA: All About the Cloud. Save $100 with the promo code PRMMASH to attend the software industry's leading ISV conference on Cloud Computing. (Note: discount valid off the individual non-member rate only and does apply to current attendees.) You'll join an anticipated audience of more than 500 senior executives from ISVs, resellers, and platform / technology providers, as well as the industry's leading analysts, bankers, venture capitalists and the media. Key networking events include: a Golf Tournament, a Speed Networking Event, a Mardi Gras-themed Welcome Reception and an offsite Networking Reception featuring the Microsoft Rock Band Challenge. For details, including registration information, please visit AllAbouttheCloud.net.

May 24-26 2011, Gateshead, UK: Thinking Digital is an annual conference where the world’s greatest thinkers and innovators discuss the latest ideas, innovations and technologies. The conference provides an experience like no other, stimulating new thinking and new ideas. It's about what you'll learn, and who you'll meet. Our eclectic schedule means you'll listen to world-class authorities, meet amazing people, be entertained and outrageously inspired! When you leave Thinking Digital you'll know about things that you previously didn't even realise existed and have become part of our unique community. Register with the promo code TDCMASH and save 10%.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Eventbrite is an online events marketplace where tens of thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations of all sizes manage, promote and sell tickets to their events. Make your event a success on Eventbrite.

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Mashable Mac App: 20,000+ Downloads In 4 Days

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 02:54 PM PST


The recently launched Mashable Mac App [iTunes Link] has been downloaded more than 20,000 times in just four days. Our app, which launched in conjunction with the Mac App Store on Thursday, may be revealing of the store’s initial popularity.

What has your experience with the App store been like so far? We’d love to get your feedback about our app so we can make improvements and add new features to give you an even better Mashable experience. You can check out the store either by downloading the latest Mac OS X update (v10.6.6) or by visiting apple.com/mac/app-store. Then download the Mashable Mac App. The price is free!

The Mashable App

The application makes it easier to navigate, read, save and share Mashable stories on Macs without opening up your browser. It also gives you the ability to read Mashable when you are offline. You will be able to:

  • Browse news by channel: Latest news, Social Media, Social Good, Mobile, Web Video, Entertainment, Business, Technology, Dev & Design, Apple and Android.
  • View a list of the latest articles within each channel and the full article in the same view.
  • Share stories via Facebook and Twitter.
  • Post and view comments through the app.
  • Search for any Mashable article.
  • Mark articles as read or unread; the app keeps count of your unread articles.
  • Read Mashable when you are offline.

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TurboTax Adds Twitter Feed to “Friendcasting” Campaign

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 02:19 PM PST


Doing your taxes isn’t typically much of a social activity, but Intuit has turned it into a social media activity.

The company last year began adding social media hooks to its TurboTax program and claims the program has worked better than traditional advertising. Called “friendcasting,” the TurboTax push took advantage of the feeling of accomplishment consumers get after doing their taxes by asking them to broadcast their contentment to their network of Facebook friends. With a base of 20 million users, that resulted in a lot of status updates.

Julie Miller, a rep for Intuit, says that consumers were four times more likely to click on one of those status updates instead of an ad, giving weight to the idea that a personal recommendation greatly strengthens an ad pitch. TurboTax sales jumped 11%, in units, for 2010 compared to 2009. Moreover, 80% of people who clicked through hadn’t used TurboTax before.

While the friendcasting strategy doesn’t get all the credit, Miller says it certainly helped.

“Social is increasingly pulling the lever,” Miller says. “We definitely felt that as an experiment, it worked. There was a lot of juice there.”

After last year’s successful program using Facebook, TurboTax’s new tax season program, which launched last week, adds the same functionality to users’ Twitter feeds. Intuit has also expanded its @TurboTax Twitter-based support from about six people to 70. That feature, introduced last year, is important since it addresses TurboTax’s primary pitfall versus services like H&R Block: Advice. But here, TurboTax is using another social media component to bridge the gap, the TurboTax Live Community. With several million questions and answers in its database, the idea is that consumers doing their taxes will be able to find a thread — and an answer — addressing any question they may have.

To further help the process, some 100,00 product reviews are segmented into categories like “bought a house” or “lost my job.” Intuit also made the search function on its site more prominent and easier to use. Kimberly Maul, an analyst at eMarketer, says Intuit’s program is unique because rather than saying they recommend or like something, consumers are broadcasting a fairly neutral piece of information — they just finished their taxes — that others are likely to find interesting, particularly around tax time. “You trust this friend of yours,” Maul says of the status updates. “It’s definitely something to keep an eye out for.”

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter

More About: advertising, facebook, friendcasting, intuit, MARKETING, turbotax

For more Business coverage:

4 Online Platforms for Personalized Style Advice

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 02:04 PM PST


Fashion crimes are among the most preventable, especially given the array of magazines, blogs and sales clerks that dole out advice on a (usually) free basis. Even a quick poll of friends can prevent you from making bold choices that are less fit for a runway than a What Not To Wear casting nomination.

A number of online and mobile resources have launched in the past two years that make soliciting advice for fashion decisions even easier. Unlike reading a blog or a magazine, the advice that you get from these communities relates directly to the outfit or item that you’ve posted for comment. Whether you’re looking for advice from pros, strangers, or your friends, these four digital communities can give you a sounding board.

1. Glamour Ask a Stylist

Glamour

Glamour magazine’s free styling iPhone app solicits advice from professional stylists. Just snap a picture and submit it to a professional stylist who responds within minutes. There’s also an option to send two photos to ask for a stylist’s vote. Responses usually focus on positive suggestions like what to wear or add to an outfit rather than criticism.

When the app was released in April there were a handful of stylists that you could choose to send your questions to based on your taste. Now there are only two, but Glamour has added options to share your fashion dilemma through Facebook or to post it for community comment. When I tried it, the stylist, who responded within five minutes, was more reliable than the community, which has yet to make one comment on my post.

2. Fashism

Fashism

When you just need to know if an outfit looks weird or get an honest second opinion, the community on Fashism’s site and iPhone app can help you. Since people can vote quickly with an “I like it” or an “I hate it” arrow, you get a feel for general opinion even if most people don’t leave comments. There’s also an option to upload two photos and ask which is better.

Comments are generally encouraging and similar to the responses you might get if you asked a friend for advice, but the community does speak up (generally politely) when something doesn’t work. There’s also a good amount of interaction around each post, so you won’t feel like you’re waiting for a response.

3. Go Try It On

The big difference between Fashism and Go Try It On is the ability to ask your friends privately about your look by tweeting out a link. Other than that, the two sites are fairly similar concepts, right down to an option to upload multiple outfits to gauge which works best.

4. Honestly Now

Honestly Now is an invite-only community for any kind of advice (though many posts focus on fashion). An option to restrict certain questions and photos to just your friends on the site gives the platform more privacy options than other sites, and a community of professionals with special profiles on the site give advice with some experience behind it. “Hearting” pros puts your questions in their Twitter-like feed and it makes it more likely that they’ll comment on your questions.

Everyone’s vote on your question is anonymous, and only pros can comment (the final version will include options for friends to send private messages). This creates an environment likely to solicit an honest response to your question that doesn’t sting. It also makes voting quick and a bit addicting — you only see how others voted on a question after you’re looking at the next poll.

Have a fashion quandary? Tried one of the platforms above? Have a recommendation of your own? Let us know in the comments below.

More Fashion Resources from Mashable:

- Why the Fashion Industry Is Betting Big on Branded Online Content
- 7 Stellar Examples of Branded Content from the Fashion Industry
- How the Web Is Changing Fashion Marketing in 2010
- How the Fashion Industry is Embracing Social Media
- How Social Media Has Changed Fashion Week

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sjlocke

Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iPhone, iStockphoto

More About: fashion, fashism, glamour, Go Try it On, Honestly Now, List, Lists, mobile apps, shopping, social media

For more Social Media coverage:

Toyota Reveals Two New Prius Hybrids [PICS]

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 01:44 PM PST


Toyota revealed its upcoming Prius hybrid vehicles, which include a bulkier version of today’s Prius and a sporty concept car, at Monday’s North American International Auto Show.

The new model we’ll see soonest is the Prius V hatchback, looking a lot like the third-generation Prius available today, except it’s taller and holds 50% more cargo. Toyota says that model will be hitting the streets this summer, adding that “V” stands for “Versatility,” aiming it at “young, active families.”

According to Toyota, the new Prius V is not a plug-in hybrid, but employs the same tech as the current Prius with its Hybrid Synergy Drive. Drivers will pay for its extra cargo space at the gas pump, though, because this expanded Prius sacrifices gas mileage with Toyota quoting a combined figure of 40 miles per gallon — that’s 10 mpg less than today’s standard Prius.

The most intriguing rollout was the Prius C, a concept vehicle Toyota said would be available in the first half of 2012. The company was less specific about the C’s mileage or specs, vaguely stating how it will be a “dynamic vehicle with urban appeal,” and will have “outstanding fuel efficiency in a compact package, while also providing a surprisingly spacious interior.”

The company teased advanced technology features for its Prius C, but wasn’t specific about what those might be. See pictures of this sporty hybrid in the gallery below, keeping in mind that concept vehicles tend to change drastically before they roll off any real-world assembly lines.

In addition, Toyota still has a plug-in Prius on the way, also set for a sales target of the first half of 2012. That vehicle will be able to drive 13 miles on battery power at 60mph, and when the batteries deplete, its gasoline engine keeps it going in hybrid mode.


Toyota Prius V





Toyota Prius V interior





Toyota Prius V interior





Toyota Prius C





Toyota Prius C





Toyota Prius C




Via Toyota

More About: electric cars, North American International Auto Show, Plug-in hybrid, Prius C, Prius Hybrid, Prius V

For more Tech coverage:

Why Filesharing Companies Are Starting to Lobby Washington [INTERVIEW]

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 01:16 PM PST


Maury Litwack is a lobbyist, former Hill staffer, opinion writer, and founder of Capitol Plan – A Comprehensive Washington Advocacy Strategy.

RapidShare, the file-hosting giant, recently hired a Washington lobbying firm to combat legislative attempts to place penalties on companies that don't adequately protect domestic copyright. This is its first attempt at adding U.S. legislative muscle to its ongoing copyright fights – which most recently included Atari's failed bid to combat RapidShare in a German court.  

I interviewed RapidShare spokesman Daniel Raimer about the decision of a foreign company to hire a Washington lobbyist, the company’s ongoing disputes with the movie, music and credit card industries, and what kind of voice he envisions RapidShare will have in Washington.

RapidShare recently hired a Washington lobbyist. That’s an unusual move for a company based in Switzerland. What’s the motivation and what do you expect to accomplish?

The decision to hire a U.S.-based lobbyist was a strategic decision. RapidShare has always been pioneering the file hosting business and it has been spearheading the file hosting industry’s efforts to fight copyright infringement on cloud computing services. There are probably only a few companies with as much knowledge about the file hosting industry [as] us. It just seems that there are too few people who know about this fact. Given the fact that the U.S. government is currently undertaking great efforts to fight copyright infringements on the Internet, our having a voice in Washington could be beneficial for us as well as for the U.S. government.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) have both been cited as your key political opposition. Do you believe you can forge a compromise in Washington with their advocacy operations?

First, we don’t want to forge any compromises in Washington, because we believe that the vast majority of politicians in Washington [are] not against us. Some people seem to have a wrong understanding of what the nature of our business is, and it would surely be nice to correct that. But forging a compromise is not the main reason for our lobbying efforts.

Second, I believe that the gap between us and the content industry is not as deep as some people may think. There are plenty of reasonable people in the content industry. Those people know that a file hosting company that is truly dedicated to fight online infringement may be of high value to them. We therefore want to convince people in Washington and in the content industry that we are such a legitimate company. I would be surprised if anyone in Washington or anyone within the content industry is going to have an issue with that.

Recently it’s been reported that MasterCard is supportive of RIAA- and MPAA-supported anti-piracy legislation. What are your thoughts on that? It’s also been reported that financial providers have been pressured to cut down services; what do you think of the financial providers’ involvement in this ongoing fight?

With MasterCard’s significant market share comes responsibility toward merchants, contractual partners, and toward society in general. It is a positive sign that MasterCard and other financial providers do not want to provide services for criminals. We just hope that they know where to draw the line between websites that actively promote copyright infringement and legitimate ones.

Lobbying members of Congress often requires having a good issue that resonates with an elected official’s constituency. When faced with the movie, music and credit card industry vs. RapidShare, what argument do you have that you speak for the average constituent’s interest?

I believe that the average constituent is quite concerned about freedom of speech, and in particular about his freedom to store personal files on cloud computing services. The debate whether or not companies like us that operate cloud computing services should be forced to analyze, categorize and maybe even manually open users’ files, should therefore be of great importance to every citizen.

More Political Resources from Mashable:

- 4 Predictions for the Future of Politics and Social Media
- Reddit Political Action Committee: We're Not Happy With the New Net Neutrality Rules
- How WikiLeaks Became the Story of the Year in 2010 [VIDEO]
- The Future of Social Media and Politics
- How the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" Nailed Social Media

Reviews: Internet, Rapidshare

More About: cloud computing, file sharing, interview, lobbying, mpaa, politics, rapidshare, riaa, tech

For more Tech coverage:

Facebook Pushes New Profile to All Users

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 01:06 PM PST


Back in December, Facebook introduced its new profiles to the world. For the first month, users could choose between the new profile and the old profile. Starting today, all accounts will be upgraded to the new profile.

The new Facebook profiles feature a revamped interface, as well as easy access to photos of the user. The profiles also offer more details about work and education information, while letting users put friends into distinct categories, list various interests, and fill out a nifty new “about me” user summary.

We’ve already seen some fantastic examples of creative Facebook profile photo hacks that really showcase just how unique and inventive these profiles can be with a little work.

If you haven’t already customized a new Facebook profile page for your own account, be sure to check Mashable’s guide on the subject. Beverage maker Schweppes also has its own profile app that can aid in the customization process.

For those users who preferred the old interface, we can’t really offer you any alternatives, but remember this is Facebook. Chances are, the company will revamp this interface again anyway.

Are you already using the new Facebook profiles? Have you run across any epic profile hacks? Let us know in the comments.

Reviews: Facebook

More About: facebook, facebook profile, trending

For more Social Media coverage:

Groupon Raises $950 Million [CONFIRMED]

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:54 PM PST


Group buying site Groupon has confirmed earlier rumors that it has raised $950 million in a recent round of financing, a little more than a month after it rejected a $6 billion acquisition offer from Google.

Several venture capital firms and late-stage investors participated in the round, which values Groupon at $4.75 billion, including Andreessen Horowitz, Battery Ventures, Greylock Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Mail.ru Group, Maverick Capital, Silver Lake, and Technology Crossover Ventures.

Groupon will use the funds to further fuel global expansion, develop its technology, and pad the coffers of its employees and early investors, according to statement released Monday.

"We're thrilled that Groupon has earned the confidence of some of the world's most respected investment firms," Groupon CEO and founder Andrew Mason said. "With their support, we will continue on our mission to change the way people shop locally and serve the world's local businesses,” he added.

More About: groupon

For more Business coverage:

Mashable Awards Gala Recap & Photos

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:46 PM PST

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of the Mashable Awards. It was great to celebrate a night with you and our esteemed guests, partners, sponsors and attendees, as well as those who watched the live stream, at the Mashable Awards Gala at CES in Las Vegas.

The sold out show began in true tech fashion, first with a musical set from remix masters Eclectic Method, then with host Baratunde Thurston rising onto the stage, holding a light disc above his head in an homage to the movie Tron. After working the crowd and seeing which section of the theater could make the most noise (remember, when Baratunde says “Masha,” you say “ble”), he handed the mic to our CEO, Pete Cashmore, to begin the awards ceremony.

Among the night’s many highlights was an on-stage interview with Antoine Dodson, of bed-intruder meme fame, conducted by Mashable Editor-in-Chief Adam Ostrow, and Cirque du Soleil Zumanity’s Aerial Hoops act, performed by Yulia Kolosova high above the stage.

Check out the photo gallery below for scenes from the awards ceremony and Mashable’s Flickr page for photos from the entire night.


Zumanity Theater





Scene of the 2010 Mashable Awards. Photo by Nick McGlynn.


Baratunde Thurston




Working the crowd at the 2010 Mashable Awards. Photo by Ken Yeung.


Pete Cashmore and Baratunde Thurston




Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore arrives on stage to begin the awards ceremony. Photo by Jehangir Irani.


Pete Cashmore




Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore addresses the audience. Photo by Ken Yeung.


The First Award Winner of the Night




Pete Cashmore presents Holger Leudorf, Foursquare VP of Mobile and Partnerships, with the award for best location-based service. Photo by Jehangir Irani.


Antoine Dodson




Antoine Dodson accepts his award for Best Internet Meme, sponsored by Dynadot. Photo by Ken Yeung.


Aerial Hoops




Zumanity's Yulia Kolosova performs in Aerial Hoops. Photo by Jehangir Irani.


Aerial Hoops




Zumanity's Yulia Kolosova performs in Aerial Hoops. Photo by Ken Yeung.


Cheers




Pete Cashmore, Baratunde Thurston and the Mashable team toast the crowd with a bottle from sponsor The Macallan. Photo by Ken Yeung.


Ford Focus




Attendees had a chance to win a free trip to Ford's Focus Global Test Drive Event in Spain. Photo by Jehangir Irani.


3-D TV




Eclectic Method stopped to check out the new line of 3-D TVs by sponsor LG. Photo by Jehangir Irani.


3-D TV




Attendees check out the new line of 3-D TVs by sponsor, LG. Photo by Nick McGlynn.


Rok Nightclub




The scene of the pre-party sponsored by Influxis, and after party sponsored by BlackBerry. Photo by Ken Yeung.


Rok Nightclub




The scene of the pre-party sponsored by Influxis, and after party sponsored by BlackBerry. Photo by Jehangir Irani.


Double Rainbow!




Bear Vasquez, of Double Rainbow fame, poses with VIP guests from ReachLocal. Photo by Jehangir Irani.

Thanks to Our Sponsors

Mashable Awards Gala Partner:

cirque logo From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a global entertainment organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has over 5,000 employees, including more than 1,200 artists from close to 50 different countries.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to nearly 100 million spectators in 300 cities on five continents. In 2010 Cirque du Soleil, will present 21 shows simultaneously throughout the world, including seven in Las Vegas.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

Mashable Awards Online Partner:

The Fresh DietHave you ever wished for your own personal gourmet Chef?

The Fresh Diet is like having a Cordon Bleu chef prepare your meals in your own kitchen. There’s no cooking, cleaning, shopping – just fresh prepared delicious meals, hand delivered to your door daily! Whether you want to lose weight or just want to eat healthy, The Fresh Diet can help you meet your goals. The best news, we’re giving away a FREE week of The Fresh Diet every day on our Facebook page. Just click here to become a fan and you could be the next winner. Join now!

Mashable Awards Gala Premier Partner:

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands includeFord, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford, please visit http://facebook.com/ford.

LG Electronics, Inc. is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 80,000 people working in over 115 operations around the world. With 2009 global sales of $43.4 billion, LG comprises four business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, and Air Conditioning/Energy Solutions. LG is one of the world's leading producers of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.

Mashable Awards Partner:

Join us at the 2011 International CES®, the global platform for inspired ideas and innovation. With 2,500 exhibitors, CES continues to be the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow and always reflects the dynamic consumer electronics industry. The International CES is not open to the general public and all attendees must be in the CE industry to be eligible to attend the show. Register FREE for the 2011 CES with priority code MSHB, an exclusive promotion for Mashable Readers.

Mashable Awards Category Sponsor, Gala Silver Sponsor and After Party Sponsor:

Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications including the BlackBerry® wireless platform and the new BlackBerry PlayBook. For the latest on the BlackBerry PlayBook visit the Inside BlackBerry Blog.

Mashable Awards Category Sponsor:

Win an iPad!

Join us on Facebook to learn how to enter Dynadot's I Can Haz iPad Giveaway!

Dynadot is an ICANN accredited domain name registrar and web host where you can register the perfect domain name affordably, reliably, simply and securely. Whether you are a blogger, business owner, or planning on creating the next best Internet meme you need a domain that represents you. Let Dynadot help you establish your web identity today.

Mobile Future is a broad-based coalition of businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals interested in and dedicated to advocating for an environment in which innovations in wireless technology and services are enabled and encouraged. Our mission is to educate the public and key decision makers on innovations in the wireless industry that have transformed the way Americans work and play and to advocate continued investment in wireless technologies.

Our "Mobile Year in Review 2010” animation provides a glimpse into the most notable breakthroughs in the wireless industry this year.

Yahoo! is an innovative technology company that operates the largest digital media, content, and communications business in the world. Yahoo! keeps more than half a billion consumers worldwide connected to what matters to them most, and delivers powerful audience solutions to advertisers through its unique combination of Science + Art + Scale. Yahoo! is proud to sponsor this Mashable Award because Yahoo! is focused on connecting individuals to a community of millions so they can change the world together. That's How Good Grows at Yahoo!. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit the company's blog, Yodel Anecdotal.

Mashable Awards Gala Silver Sponsor:

Aro Mobile is an intelligent mobile experience that includes better email, connected contacts, smarter calendar and improved browsing.

The Aro system automatically learns what's important in your life—the people, places, dates and organizations you care about most. In your communications, Aro automatically identifies people, places, events, dates,organizations and locations. From any recognized term, Aro offers quick action menus to speed up your day.

The unique Aro experience is powered by advanced web services: next generation natural language processing and semantic data analytics services. Aro gives you the power to see through the clutter and focus your mobile life.

Mashable Awards Gala VIP Lounge sponsor:

Influxis image

Influxis specializes in the deployment of creative streaming solutions. Services include large scale deployment, mobile streaming, turn-key applications, and enterprise support with custom network options. With the unique combination of a worldwide network, knowledgeable developer support and nearly a decade of streaming media experience, Influxis is an essential partner to businesses, advertisers, developers, educators, and others who seek expertise in innovative streaming.

Liquor Sponsor:

Known for single malt innovation, The Macallan® is one of the world's most admired and sought after Scotch whiskies. Distilled on the Easter Elchies Estate above the banks of the Spey River in the Scottish Highlands since 1824, The Macallan is produced without compromise to achieve the highest standard of quality and taste. The hallmarks of The Macallan are its natural color; flavors of dried fruits, cloves, wood and toffee; subtle sweetness and unmatched richness. Join us for a dram at The 4th Annual Mashable Awards. Please savor responsibly.

Media Sponsors:


Reviews: Facebook, Internet, Mashable

More About: mashable awards, mashable awards 2010, mashable awards gala, mashable awards winners

For more Social Media coverage:

Rdio Adds More Indie Bands, Upping Chances of Survival

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:40 PM PST


Rdio has just given music lovers more reason to shell out $9.99 for the music subscription service, having formed a partnership with Merlin, a licensing agency for indie acts.

With this partnership, the Rdio catalog (which already features music from EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, as well as indie labels and distributors) will now include musicians like Arcade Fire, Spoon, The xx, The National, Vampire Weekend, The Pixies, Belle and Sebastian, Tim McGraw and Boards of Canada. Merlin members’ music will initially be available in North America, with additional territories coming soon.

Merlin is also apparently in talks with Google with regard to its storied music service and possible licensing. Still, according to Digital Media Wire, Merlin isn’t wholly sure about the idea of a partnership.

DMW quotes Merlin CEO Charles Caldas as saying in an e-mail: “Merlin has had significant concerns that independents have been excluded from these discussions and that historically, services which follow this development path typically tend to in our view to discriminate against independents (e.g. MySpace Music and You Tube) both in terms of the commercial terms they are eventually offered and also in the structuring of the major record company agreements.”

(We’ve reached out to Merlin for comment on this.)

Merlin’s disposition when it comes to the Rdio partnership seems rather sunnier; Caldas says: “We are very pleased to see the launch of innovative services like Rdio in the digital market, and are confident that Rdio’s users will enjoy the access they now have to the many amazing artists and labels that our members represent.”

This partnership should be a major leg up for the music subscription service, who has around 7 million songs. For comparison’s sake, MOG has around 10 million songs, and Rhapsody has around 10 million as well.

Personally, I let my Rdio trial taper off into obscurity about searching around for a bit, unable to find some of my favorite acts (The National included). Now I might just reconsider my decision.

The addition of Merlin, along with the news that the service will soon be available on Sonos devices (in addition to desktop and mobile apps), puts Rdio in a much better position when it comes to facing off with more established competitors. (It’s the newest kid on the block when it comes to subscription services.)

Moreover, Rdio’s UI and social aspect serve to distinguish it from more music-rich services like MOG (which has the advantage of a partnership with distribution giant Tunecore). The ability to follow friends via the service as well as sync music from one’s iTunes library make Rdio a unique service in a sea of competitors.

Still, MOG, Spotify and co. have a decidedly substantial head start when it comes to partnerships both in the catalog and consumer electronics realm (Spotify recently added Logitech to its arsenal and MOG Fusion Program promises to get the service on a bevy of devices), so we’ll have to wait and see if Rdio’s uniqueness and growing clout will be able to cement its staying power.

Image Courtesy of Flickr, Robert Agthe

Reviews: Flickr, Google, Logitech Z523, Rhapsody, Spotify

More About: business, merlin, Mobile 2.0, music, rdio

For more Entertainment coverage:

9 Sites To Find Mobile Apps From Mashable & Others

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:24 PM PST


Many of you prefer one mobile apps directory over another for finding the latest iPhone, Android and iPad apps.

We don’t blame you. And although great recommendations for mobile apps often spread by word of mouth, there are also some great mobile apps directories and sites that help you discover the best apps for your device.

So we’ve partnered with several mobile app directories to make it easier for you to find our iPhone [iTunes link], Android and iPad [iTunes] apps, as well as discover other neat apps for your device.

iPhone

Of course you could easily go to iTunes to download our iPhone and iPod touch app, but we also wanted to showcase some of the stores out there to discover and find new iPhone apps. Some of these are iPhone-only directories, while others are comprehensive and include other devices as well.

  • Appboy is an iPhone and iPad app directory that enables you to review, download and create categorized lists of apps.
  • SmokinApps is a directory for mobile apps, but also features app reviews with “editor’s ratings” to help you learn and discover the best apps for iOS and Android.
  • Chomp is a beautifully-designed iOS app directory that enables you to discover and review apps.
  • AppsFire is a social apps directory with heavy Facebook integration and mobile apps for discovering the best apps on iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
  • Appitalism is a community-driven mobile app director for iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry and other devices.
  • AppStoreHQ aggregates app reviews from around the web and on Twitter and organizes them to create a leaderboard of the “hottest” iPhone, Android and iPad apps.
  • Appolicious combines social networking, journalism and technology to help discover iPhone, Android and iPad apps.

Android

In August we released our Android app and have updated it several times since then with new features and interface improvements. Below is a list of the different places you can find our Android app along with other Android apps you might be interested in.

  • Appoke is a social app store for Android devices, enabling you to sort through apps by category, free vs. paid and review and share your favorite apps with you friends.
  • AppBrain is a Android-only directory that enables you to review and share your favorite apps.
  • Appitalism is a community-driven mobile app director for iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry and other devices.
  • Chomp is a beautifully-designed iOS app directory that enables you to discover and review apps.
  • AppsFire is a social apps directory with a heavy Facebook integration and mobile apps for discovering the best apps on iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
  • AppStoreHQ aggregates app reviews from around the web and on Twitter and organizes them to create a leaderboard of the “hottest” iPhone, Android and iPad apps.
  • Appolicious combines social networking, journalism and technology to help discover iPhone, Android and iPad apps.

iPad

Without debating whether the iPad is mobile or not, here are the different sites you can use to find Mashable’s iPad application as well as others that you might be interested in.

Mobile Payments Startup Square Raises $27.5 Million

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:18 PM PST


Mobile payments startup Square has raised $27.5 million in a Series B round of financing that now reportedly values the company at $240 million.

The round was led by Sequoia Capital and firm partner Roelof Botha will join the board, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Square, which launched publicly at the end of October 2010, develops hardware and software designed to turn iOS and Android devices into payment processing machines. As many as 50,000 businesses have signed up for the service in the past three months, according to COO Keith Rabois.

The startup competes against Visa, Intuit, PayPal and soon even Google in the increasingly crowded mobile payments space.

The huge cash infusion will help Square hire new team members, grow more aggressively and raise awareness around its service. “We want to accelerate word of mouth and make sure we have enough systems in place,” founder Jack Dorsey told The Wall Street Journal on news of the funding.

To date, Square has raised a total of $37.5 million. The startup’s $10 million Series A round was led by Khosla Ventures and included participation from a slew of angel investors including Ron Conway, Kevin Rose, Marissa Mayer, Biz Stone and Shawn Fanning.

Reviews: Android, Google

More About: funding, mobile payments, sequoia capital, series b, Square

For more Business coverage:

iPhone Users: Will You Switch to Verizon? [POLL]

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:17 PM PST


Now that Tuesday’s Verizon iPhone announcement is all but assured, what will the impact be on current AT&T iPhone customers?

With the latest rumors indicating that Verizon’s version of the iPhone will be available in late January, we know that plenty of Mashable readers will be contemplating making the move to a carrier with — let’s just say — fewer connectivity issues.

Of course, the wireless companies never make this easy. As Mashable’s Ben Parr pointed out yesterday, the Verizon iPhone might not spell immediate disaster for AT&T, if only because of the high early termination fees.

AT&T charges an ETF of $325 for smartphone owners who enter into two-year service agreements. However, AT&T reduces the amount of the ETF $10 for every month a customer is in their agreement. That means that if an AT&T customer signed a new two-year agreement in June 2010 (for the iPhone 4), it may be possible to shave $60 off that $325 figure if he or she cancels the account in February.

Of course, for AT&T customers who are at their breaking point with the carrier’s notoriously shoddy coverage, the price — any price — might be worth leaving the fold for possibly greener pastures.

At CES 2011, AT&T proved once again that it cannot manage a large load of smartphone-using, data-munching customers congregated in one area. To be fair, Verizon’s data connections were also slow, but at least most of those phones could make and receive phone calls.

Last fall, we polled Mashable readers on their interest in a Verizon iPhone. The results were clear — 58% of respondents said they were interested in an iPhone on the nation’s largest carrier.

In that poll, the majority of “yes” respondents were current Verizon customers. This time, we’d like to poll existing iPhone owners (though non-iPhone owners can feel free to vote as well). Are you going to switch carriers to get a Verizon iPhone?

Take our poll and then let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Reviews: Mashable

More About: att, iphone, polls, verizon, Verizon iPhone

For more Mobile coverage:

Foodspotting Raises $3 Million to Become the “Pandora of Food”

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:04 PM PST


Foodspotting, a geolocation guide for foodies, announced today that it has scored $3 million in Series A funding in a round led by BlueRun Ventures with follow-on participation from seed round investors. Jay Jamison, a Venture Partner at BlueRun, will also be joining Foodspotting’s board.

Foodspotting was launched by Alexa Andrzejewski (Adaptive Path) and Ted Grubb (Get Satisfaction). Soraya Darabi (Epicurious, The New York Times, Drop.io) advised the project, and then joined full-time in 2010 as a co-founder.

According to Andrzejewsk, “We bootstrapped from September 2009 to August 2010, when we closed our first angel round of 750k and began expanding the team beyond Ted, Soraya and I. Now we’re up to seven people, in both NY and SF.”

The service is currently available on the iPhone/iPad/iPod touch [iTunes link], where it has seen 550,000 downloads since launching in March 2010. Meanwhile, a beta version of the app for Android users was launched in December.

Foodspotting also has a growing number of partnerships — integrating with Zagat’s iPhone app a few months ago and expanding its guides program with experts like Anthony Bourdain via a partnership with the Travel Channel, to name a few.

So how will the money be spent? Since Foodspotting aims to become the “Pandora for Food,” the company will put the money toward amping up its food discovery experience. In short: It will be hiring more developers who will work on adding more usability to the app, including expert recommendations, restaurant specials and local deals. Right now, the app appeals mostly to foodies — Foodspotting is hoping to gain a wider audience of restaurant-goers with these improvements.

“I am incredibly grateful to the team, investors, partners and Foodspotting community that have helped us cover the earth with food sightings in just one year,” says Andrzejewski. “We look forward to working with BlueRun Ventures, a mobile-focused VC, to help us leverage this rich information in satisfying the practical need of finding good food. We’re not a food photo sharing site or food social network, rather, our aim is to be a resource that is powered by a passionate community.”

Image courtesy of Flickr, SweetOnVeg

Reviews: Android, Flickr, Get Satisfaction, Pandora

More About: business, Food, foodspotting, funding, startups

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Magical Electronic Glasses Automatically Switch from Regular to Bifocal [PICS]

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 11:34 AM PST


Here’s one of the coolest products we saw at CES: PixelOptics glasses that automatically change into bifocals when you tilt your head.

This is a godsend for those of us “of a certain age.” Who wants to reveal their crotchety oldness by wearing glasses with that telltale boundary in the lens between close-up and faraway vision? Not me.

PixelOptics comes to the rescue with these electronic glasses, whose breakthrough emPower lenses use a layer of transparent liquid crystal to electronically change the lens’s optical properties to suit either nearsighted or farsighted vision.

When you’re looking straight ahead, your head is usually close to level, and a tiny accelerometer automatically sets the lenses for faraway vision. Tilt your head down to read something, and the lenses adjust for near vision. If that auto-change capability doesn’t appeal to you, you can manually adjust the visual properties of the glasses.

When we visited PixelOptics at CES, company reps told us the PixelOptics emPower lenses, manufactured by Panasonic, use exactly the same lens-grinding techniques as conventional glasses, bringing the total price of a pair of glasses down to a relatively reasonable range. They told us after you’ve charged the glasses in their inductive charger, the battery will last for three days.

The downside? You have to pay $1,200 for a pair of these glasses, considerably more than the fanciest conventional bifocals. Another slight issue is that charger felt awfully cheap and flimsy for a $1,200 product, but that would be easy enough to fix.

Those quibbles aside, it’s hard to believe the glasses’ designers fit all those sophisticated electronics and circuitry inside the temples of these futuristic specs. And just think — you won’t have that annoying line across your field of vision, nor will you need to adapt to that weird feeling of wearing bifocals.

Take a look at the stylish frames in the gallery below; they’re looking good, and exude quality. Sign me up now, because PixelOptics says they’ll be available in April.


PixelOptics emPower Glasses





PixelOptics emPower Glasses





PixelOptics emPower Glasses





PixelOptics emPower Glasses





PixelOptics emPower Glasses





Photos by Curtis Joe Walker

More About: ces2011, empower, gallery, glasses, hands-on, LCD, lenses, PixelOptics

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VillageVines Raises $3 Million to Help Upscale Restaurants Fill Tables

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 11:33 AM PST


Members-only restaurant reservation and deals service VillageVines has raised $3 million in a Series A round led by Hearst Interactive Media, the investment arm of the Hearst Corporation. GrandBanks Capital and High Peaks Venture Partners also participated in the round.

VillageVines, a six-month old startup, aims to help upscale restaurants fill tables and claims to have generated more than $500,000 in sales for restaurant partners in December 2010. The startup will use its newly acquired funds to expand operations, launch in new cities and ramp up marketing efforts.

VillageVines offers members 30% discounts at fine dining establishments in cities like San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Members must pay an up-front fee of $10 per discounted offer and book their reservation through VillageVines to take advantage of deals.

The VillageVines model of filling empty tables closely resembles travel discount sites more than it does the daily deal model pioneered by Groupon. Still, given the startup’s restaurant clientele, it will be forced to compete with companies in the saturated daily deals space, including Yelp and OpenTable, which have their own daily deal offshoot businesses.

VillageVines previously raised $750,000 from angel investors in its seed round. Lead investor Hearst Interactive Media recently participated in entertainment checkin startup Miso’s $1.5 million Series A.

Image courtesy of Flickr, areseaburn

Reviews: Flickr, Yelp

More About: funding, hearst interactive media, series a, startup, villagevines

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5 Key Tips for a Successful Social Media Content Strategy

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 11:26 AM PST


Frank Marquardt is director of Content Strategy at The Barbarian Group, a digital services and creation company with an almost radical devotion to Internet culture and nice red Swedish Fish™.

Good, smart, fun and relevant content should be at the core of any social media strategy. Great content should reflect your brand and give people a reason to stay engaged.

That's why it's critical to build a content strategy into your social media campaign. Without a framework for what you say and a plan for how and when you say it, you risk leaving your audiences, at best, confused. At worst, they'll ignore you. Who wants that?

These five content strategy techniques will build better relationships and earn your brand better results on the social web.

1. Know Your Voice

Everything you say on the social web should “sound” like your brand. It's something Skittles does well. Some of its status messages garner more than 1,000 comments, and many exceed 10,000 “Likes” on Facebook.

Why are these little content snippets so successful? The writing is just like the candy: colorful, playful and imaginative. The pithy, daily, flavor-packed observations are reliably surprising. You can relish today's post and look forward to tomorrow’s — like candy in word form.

2. Time Your Content

Create a calendar that spells out what you're going to say and when you're going to say. Make sure it's relevant to where people are in their lives and the season. Nobody cares about Santa Claus in January, but a whole lot of people care about sales after Christmas. A quick look at Google Trends will confirm that.

Banana Republic's tweeters got the memo.

Macy's and Walmart didn't.

3. Know Your Audience

Why does somebody follow you? Why do they like you? It's because your brand offers them something. Make sure you deliver. Here's SKYY Vodka on Twitter with a message that's relevant to most of its followers about the ultimate Bloody Mary, with personable responses to those people engaging in the conversation.

Compare that to Grey Goose, which hasn’t tweeted since September 2010.

And Grey Goose's Facebook wall features a weekly "drink card" with identical copy.

Grey Goose isn’t talking to me, it’s talking at me. Points for posting regularly, but why should we care?

4. Solve Problems

Humans have survived for so long because they’re great at answering questions like “What do I do when my t-shirt's stitching rips?” We all love it when somebody helps us the way Threadless does in this Facebook string.

Give your audience the tools to help themselves, and make sure your social media team has the right information to share. By making things easier for others, we build trust. Trust strengthens our relationship.

5. Be True

Good content isn't fake. It doesn't make promises that it can't keep. It's human and honest. It has a personality and a point of view. It's intrinsically social. That's why it engages us. That's why we follow or like your brand.

Your audiences will sniff it out if you're pretending. But if you're fun, honest and relevant, they're going to recommend you to their friends. Isn't that what social media's all about?

More Web Content Resources from Mashable:

- 16 Handy iPhone Apps for Better Blogging
- 10 Free Drupal Themes for Small Business
- 20 Free Social Media Icon Sets For a More Shareable Website
- 4 Winning Strategies for Social Media Optimization
- Why Marketing Threatens the True Promise of Social Media

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, matspersson0

Reviews: Facebook, Threadless, Twitter, iStockphoto

More About: blogging, branding, business, content, facebook, List, Lists, social media, social media marketing, tips, twitter

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