Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Google Doodle Honors Jules Verne, Lets You Explore Sea Depths” |
- Google Doodle Honors Jules Verne, Lets You Explore Sea Depths
- Instagram Releases API to Expand Beyond iPhone
- Semantic Text Startup Reads and Summarizes Documents for You
- New Facebook App Tells College Applicants What Their Chances Are
- These Are Facebook’s New Offices [PHOTOS]
- Keith Olbermann to Join Current TV [REPORT]
- Groupon Responds to Super Bowl Ad Controversy
- It Takes Two Touchscreens: Sprint Launches Kyocera Echo
- Real Page Numbers Coming to Kindle E-Books
- 5 Tips to Strengthen Your Company’s Social Media Voice
- Path Finally Adds Comments to iPhone App
- Gmail Priority Inbox Now Available on Mobile Web
- Watch Every Super Bowl XLV Ad [VIDEO]
- Angry Birds Gets Facebook-Infused Valentine’s Day Edition
- Picplz Releases Analytics Dashboard for Brands
- Social Media: The Final Piece of the Super Bowl Advertising Puzzle
- 100+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events
- Who Are the Most Popular Silicon Valley CEOs?
- New Video-Sharing iPhone App Supports 30-Minute Clips
- How the Social Media World Reacted to Super Bowl Ads [STATS]
- 10 Stunning iPhone Sports Photographs [GALLERY]
- Which Films Captured the Most Twitter Buzz During the Super Bowl? [INFOGRAPHIC]
- Attend Mashable’s NextUp NYC Event This Tuesday
- Kids React to the Golden-Voiced Homeless Man Viral Video
- Last.fm on Mobile and CE Devices to Become Subscription-Only
- How Does 3D Technology Work?
- Facebook Privacy: 10 Settings Every User Needs to Know
- This Morning’s Top 3 Stories in Social Media & Tech
- Virgin Mobile Seeks Bloggers for Lady Gaga Tour
- Anti-Spam Search Engine Blekko Averaging 1 Million Queries Per Day
| Google Doodle Honors Jules Verne, Lets You Explore Sea Depths Posted: 08 Feb 2011 12:46 AM PST      Jules Verne, one of the pioneers of the science fiction literary genre, was born on this day, February 8, 1828. In honor of the writer who gave us the Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and A Journey to the Center of the Earth, Google has a special interactive logo today, letting you submerge a submarine deep below the water’s surface and explore its depths, using the lever on the right. There’s a couple of surprises there, including an obligatory treasure chest, scary sea monsters and some corals shaped in a way that resembles a certain logo. Happy exploring! More About: Doodle, Google, Jules Verne For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| Instagram Releases API to Expand Beyond iPhone Posted: 07 Feb 2011 11:05 PM PST   Uber trendy mobile photo sharing startup Instagram is fast-approaching 300,000 photo uploads per day and closing in on 2 million members. It has also just released its API in private beta, according to an announcement on the startup’s blog. The Instagram API will give selected developers access to the startup’s data and allow them to incorporate Instagram photos within their own applications. This marks a significant move by the startup; the decision will open up photos and user data, once locked down to the iPhone, to more web and mobile services and potentially spawn a new wave of user growth. Interestingly enough, the Instagram API news follows Picplz’s public beta release of its API just hours earlier. “Although we’re excited by the growth we’ve seen, we feel that the first step to creating a lasting company is to work with the many talented developers out there in the world,” writes CEO Kevin Systrom on the release. Systrom assures app users that they will maintain ownership and privacy control of their images, saying that Instragram is granting access on an invite-only basis to ensure users’ photos stay protected. “We’ve taken a close look at how to best protect your images and data while enabling developers to build cool stuff,” says Systrom. “We’d like to make sure that the people we do let in create quality apps that increase the aggregate utility of the ecosystem.” With nearly simultaneous API releases, Instagram and Picplz have created a new battlefield and are now fighting for developer attention. Instagram’s API remains private while Picplz’s is public, which gives the Mixed Media Labs startup a marked advantage over the competition. More About: api, developers, instagram, mobile photo sharing, picplz For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| Semantic Text Startup Reads and Summarizes Documents for You Posted: 07 Feb 2011 10:47 PM PST   The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.
Quick Pitch: Topicmarks summarizes your cloud documents and extracts the most important points for you. Genius Idea: If you’ve ever come across a document too large to digest in a few minutes, you’re likely to find a new friend in Topicmarks. The startup’s beta product represents more than four years of machine learning and artificial intelligence research that can statistically analyze cloud documents, or those you upload to service, to quickly distill them down to six sections: Overview, Facts, Summary, Keywords, Index and Properties. The technology is so adept at reading text and understanding context that Topicmarks can cut up the full text within documents into sentences, assign meaning to words and pluck out relevant facts, all within minutes. Think of it as a better, machine-enabled version of CliffsNotes — but for all text documents. Topicmarks users can upload documents, use the bookmarklet to grab web content, e-mail in text, or copy and paste text for nearly instant analysis. Key points are extracted and personalized to the user. The company is also working on an Evernote plugin capable of automatically tagging new notes, applying tags to old notes and adding-in quick links to condensed summaries. Currently, users can already import their Evernote notes to view summaries. Topicmarks technology could also be applied to distilling key points from social media streams or RSS feeds, avenues that the startup may choose to pursue at a later date. For now, the immediate focus is integrating with popular cloud services such as Dropbox or Scribd and improving the design of the site to make it more appealing to end users. The product, which has an infinite number of use cases, is primarily targeted at the more than 50 million information workers in the world producing or reproducing information, says CEO Roland Siebelink. Interestingly enough, the technology is already proving popular with students and teachers, though a few in the latter group have e-mailed to complain that their students are “cheating” with the help of Topicmarks. Siebelink tells the story of a disgruntled teacher who awarded one sneaky student with the highest mark on a class assignment, only to later discover that the summary had been copied word for word from Topicmarks. This real-life example proves the quality of Topicmarks’ results, says Siebelink, who believes the tool ultimately helps both students and education workers. Topicmarks is gaining interest from both end users and investors after winning two startup competitions — the winning Founder Showcase pitch is embedded below. The startup is reviewing term sheets from institutional investors and is said to be going after $1 million to $2 million in Series A funding, according to a source familiar with the matter. The product is free for the time being, but the company will enact a freemium pricing structure in the future that may charge to process larger documents, says Siebelink. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, thesuperph. Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark  The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. More About: evernote, founder showcase, machine learning, semantic analysis, spark-of-genius, startup, topicmarks For more Startups coverage:
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| New Facebook App Tells College Applicants What Their Chances Are Posted: 07 Feb 2011 09:00 PM PST   With about 2,400 four-year universities located in the U.S., high school students may find the actual process of applying to college as anxiety inducing as waiting for an acceptance letter. Startup Splash Networks wants to make selecting schools to send an application to easier. On Tuesday, the company is launching a Facebook app called AdmissionSplash that shows prospective college students how likely it is that they will be admitted to each school on their lists. The app asks students for their basic information: test scores, address, and other factors that affect admissions, like whether they volunteer or play sports. It then uses an algorithm to give users a desirability rating as well as the likelihood, ranging from “very poor” to “very good,” of getting into the schools. Admission Splash currently runs customized equations for about 1,500 schools that it developed using the admission data they release. Admissions offices often paint a picture of case-by-case application analysis that can’t be narrowed down to an equation. “Although high school grade point average and standardized test scores are important indicators of academic achievement used in UCLA’s admissions review, they only tell part of the story,” advertises UCLA’s prospective student website, for instance. But AdmissionSplash’s equation, which definitely doesn’t take essays into account, has been pretty accurate in tests that use publicly available admissions profiles. In the case of UCLA, approximately 85% of students the app said would get admitted actually did. The sample sizes of these tests are fairly small (73 people for the UCLA test), so I wouldn’t suggest posting AdmissionSplash results on one’s Facebook page before getting an acceptance letter. Using the tool as a way to compare schools’ competitiveness or to share a list of prospective schools with friends, on the other hand, seems like a win.     Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sshepard More About: Admissions Splash, College admissions, education, Facebook app, Splash Networks For more Startups coverage:
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| These Are Facebook’s New Offices [PHOTOS] Posted: 07 Feb 2011 08:32 PM PST   Say hello to Facebook’s new offices, the mostly-abandoned former headquarters of Sun Microsystems. Tomorrow, Facebook will hold a press conference to announce it has moved to Menlo Park. The company has been based in Palo Alto since 2004, but its current campus (leased from Stanford) simply can’t support Facebook’s swelling ranks. Our sources tell us that Facebook will indeed announce it has purchased the old 57-acre Sun Microsystems campus from Oracle, which acquired Sun in 2009. Since the acquisition, Oracle has slowly relocated members of the Sun Microsystems staff to its other offices. Now, the former Sun campus is mostly abandoned except for a few select buildings. Facebook is also rumored to have acquired 312 and 314 Constitution Avenue, a little less than a mile away from the main Sun Microsystems campus. Mashable has learned that those buildings were previously owned by General Motors and are part of a larger complex owned by Tyco Electronics. Tyco sold the buildings to General Motors “a long time ago,” according to our source; but if recently filed city paperwork is any indication, Facebook is now the owner of these two buildings. They have the potential to be used for storage, parking or servers. We highly doubt that they would be used as office space. There are still many details that have yet to be announced. When will Facebook move its employees to Menlo Park? Will it get a special deal on property taxes in exchange for bringing more work to the city? Has it acquired any other buildings? These are things we will find out during tomorrow’s press conference. Mashable has obtained pictures of Facebook’s new digs in Menlo Park. We’ve put them together in gallery form so you can check out the company’s new home before its official announcement tomorrow. Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 1 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 2 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 3 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 4 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 5 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 6 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 7 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 8 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 9 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 10 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 11 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 12 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 13 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 14 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 15 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 16 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 17 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 18 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 19 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 20 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 21 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 22 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 23 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 24 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 25 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 26 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 27 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 28 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 29 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 30 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 32 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 33 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 34 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 35 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 36 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 37 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 38 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 39 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 40 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 41 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 42 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 43 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 45 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 46 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 47 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 48 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 49 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 51 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 52 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 53 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 55 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 56 Facebook Menlo Park Campus: 57 More About: facebook, facebook offices, Menlo Park For more Social Media coverage:
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| Keith Olbermann to Join Current TV [REPORT] Posted: 07 Feb 2011 06:59 PM PST   Keith Olbermann, the controversial liberal pundit and former host of MSNBC’s Countdown With Keith Olbermann, will announce tomorrow that he’s joining Current TV. Olbermann made headliens last month when he abruptly announced his departure from MSNBC. Speculation has been rampant over his next move, with Olbermann teasing his Twitter followers about his plans. According to The New York Times, Olbermann will not only get a prime spot in Current TV’s lineup; he will also be receiving an equity stake in the company. As the channel unabashedly leans to the left of the political spectrum, Olbermann is likely to be more candid and off-the-cuff on any new show he may be hosting on the channel. Current TV, founded in 2005, is owned primarily by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, businessman Joel Hyatt and Comcast (which has a 10% stake). It focuses on news and public affairs content, though it has added more entertainment content since former MTV Networks President Mark Rosenthal took over as CEO. Olbermann is said to also be pursuing other ventures, including a potential Internet destination. It’s no secret that he’d like to build a media empire of his own. Olbermann will likely bring new energy and attention to the struggling TV channel. In 2009, it laid off 80 employees, about 20% of its staff at the time. It also doesn’t have the distribution that MSNBC has on cable. The pairing of Olbermann and Current TV could give the channel the boost it needs to regain relevancy. More About: current tv, media, Olbermann For more Media coverage:
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| Groupon Responds to Super Bowl Ad Controversy Posted: 07 Feb 2011 05:24 PM PST   Deal-of-the-day juggernaut Groupon has responded to the controversy surrounding its recent Super Bowl ad. The startup’s first offline ads, which feature celebrities solemnly intoning about a serious issue associated with social good — before segueing into a pitch for how the celebrity has used Groupon to save money — has generated significant criticism on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites. You can see the series of ads at Groupon’s “Save the Money” microsite. Here’s one spot that aired during the Super Bowl: On the company blog, Groupon founder and CEO Andrew Mason attempts to explain the rationale behind the ad and point out that despite the laissez-faire tone of the overreaching campaign, Groupon is actually donating money and highlighting the causes it seemingly dismisses. Groupon’s campaign, which can be viewed at SaveTheMoney.org, was conceived by the advertising firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky. CP+B is well known for its button-pushing advertising campaigns — in fact, drawing ire from viewers is part of the agency’s M.O. In 2009, AdWeek named CP+B “Agency of the Year” and quoted an executive at the agency as saying, in regards to controversy, “we ask ourselves, ‘Would the press write about it?’ We use that as a guide and it’s worked out pretty good for us.” Groupon classifies the campaign as “making fun of themselves” and says that offending customers was “the last thing [it] wanted.” Regardless of intentions, customers are offended. The disconnect, it seems is that it is unclear from the advertising spots that Groupon is actually giving money to the causes it mocks. Most people can handle a good-natured parody of a Sally Struthers “Save the Children” ad, provided that at the end of the spot the viewer knows that the underlying cause is actually benefitting, For what it is worth, we believe that Groupon and its agency absolutely expected the public reaction to the ad. Groupon basically says as much in its blog, noting that “[it] took this approach knowing that, if anything, they would bring more funding and support to the highlighted causes.” The advertisements certainly have individuals talking. What impact (if any) this campaign will have on Groupon’s overall brand perception remains to be seen. What did you think of the ads? Let us know. More About: ads, crispin porter + Bogusky, groupon, Super Bowl ads, trending For more Media coverage:
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| It Takes Two Touchscreens: Sprint Launches Kyocera Echo Posted: 07 Feb 2011 04:35 PM PST   If your smartphone has one touchscreen too few, rejoice. Today Sprint launched the Kyocera Echo, a groundbreaking phone composed of two touchscreens. The phone features two 3.5-inch LCD displays connected by an innovative hinge; the screens fold up in the manner of a netbook. The two screens can be used to run separate apps, or combined to run in “tablet mode” with both screens acting as a single display. The screens work in both portrait and landscape mode. Like the iPhone, the Echo employs an onscreen keyboard. Unlike the iPhone, it can be angled so that it looks like a mini-laptop, with the keys flat and the screen tilted. The Echo’s operating system: Android 2.2, also known as Froyo. Its price: $200 with a two-year contract, available sometime this spring. Other features include a 5-megapixel camera with HD video recording and a charger that doubles as a battery pack. The two-screen combination allows for some novel features. For example, you can watch one YouTube video in the first screen while queueing up a second video in the other display. You can run Twitter and Facebook simultaneously. You can check your e-mail while composing a text message. (Habitual multitaskers, your phone has arrived.) However, Sprint said only a small number of apps would be able to play nicely with each other in this fashion at first. (The company calls such dueling apps “simultasking.”) Clearly, developers are just beginning to explore the opportunities involved with two touchscreens. Sprint demonstrated a version of the Sims game that featured the controls on the bottom screen and the game on the top — kind of like the PlayStation Phone. The Echo’s most innovative apps are likely ahead of it, but we expect great things from this unusual device. The Echo was launched amid much hoopla at a New York event featuring magician David Blaine doing tricks in a giant underwater tank. The connection? “Extreme multitasking can be magical,” explained Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. Given the much-cited Hewlett Packard study that showed office-based multitasking temporary reduces your IQ by 10 points — five points more than smoking marijuana — we’re not so sure. More About: android, dual touchscreen, echo, Froyo, Kyocera, kyocera echo, Mobile 2.0, smartphone, sprint, sprint echo, touchscreen For more Mobile coverage:
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| Real Page Numbers Coming to Kindle E-Books Posted: 07 Feb 2011 03:03 PM PST   Amazon revealed details about its forthcoming over-the-air software update for owners of the latest-generation Kindle and Kindle 3G devices Monday. Device owners will be especially happy to learn that the page numbers in tens of thousands of e-books now match the page numbers in their respective print editions, a feature that will be especially useful to academics and students who need to quickly reference and cite passages. Page numbers will be coming to Kindle’s mobile apps “in the coming months,” a spokesperson said. Additional features include:
The update is available for manual installation here. An over-the-air update will becoming to Kindle devices in the near future. More About: amazon, e-books, Kindle For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| 5 Tips to Strengthen Your Company’s Social Media Voice Posted: 07 Feb 2011 02:18 PM PST   Dermot McCormack is the executive vice president of digital media at MTV Music & Logo Group. Many brands and companies are still struggling with how to develop a successful social media engagement model — one that goes beyond spitting out corporate messages and instead develops a two-way dialog with the audience. Since MTV's inception, we've been fully committed to providing the audience with a voice across all our screens. Like many big media companies and brands, we saw the potential power of social media and were quick to jump on the social bandwagon. While our numbers were high (this time last year, we had 1 million "Likes" on Facebook and 450,000 followers on Twitter), we saw the staggering number of followers and "Likes" that personalities like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber were grabbing and knew we still had a lot of work to do. Over the course of last year, we completely overhauled our social strategy and, as a result, grew our followers across all platforms. It's not easy. Actually, it's downright hard, and requires investment in human and financial capital, as well as the support of a leadership team that's willing to take risks and possibly fail. Here are a few of the lessons we learned this past year. 1. Get Organizational Buy-In and Investment. This is by far the most important factor. Any company or big media brand looking to grow their social media reach must first get organizational buy-in and the capital needed to implement their strategy. There’s a common misconception that engaging fans and building communities via social media is cheap, or even free. It’s not. At MTV, content is now created, products are developed, news is broken, shows are premiered and tentpole events are planned with platforms like Twitter and Facebook in mind. You can find a lot of blog posts on how to convince your C-level executives that social media is worthwhile. We don’t have that problem. Everyone at the company, CEO down, believes in the power of social media to impact and grow our audience. This has lead to investment, not just from a product standpoint (where it has been heavy, and has yielded products like our Twitter Tracker, Music Meter, numerous iPhone apps, etc.), but in manpower and tools. Participating in the pop culture conversation, all day, every day, is time and resource intensive. MTV has invested in human resources, and the social media management and listening tools necessary to continually optimize and measure its efforts to engage and grow our social community. 2. Develop an Intelligent and Flexible Organization StructureBig companies oftentimes suffer from a silo effect where each department carves out its own territory and operates in its own bubble. Social media combines elements of existing groups — like marketing, content distribution, PR and press — and can greatly amplify the efforts of those groups. But we also recognize that social is more than that, and unique. With this in mind, companies must create a flexible organizational structure that prevents the social media group from sitting squarely in any of those departments, but rather works closely with all of them. In our experience, this has empowered the social media team to stay true to its own unique strategic course and overall commitment to authenticity and community advocacy. While we’re always trying to figure out innovative and organic integrations for sponsors, we’ve found our approach ensures our tweets never become too corporate or commercial. 3. Diversify Content to Appeal to a Range of Interests In day-to-day discourse, we chat with our family, friends and co-workers about myriad topics that reflect our wide array of interests. This also holds true in the social media space. If you're looking to develop a longstanding dialog, you need to switch up the topics or the conversation will become stale and boring. As strange as this might sound, it's okay not to keep the focus solely on your company and its products. At MTV, we tweet a lot of our own content, but we also tweet funny things overheard in the office, content from other sources, and re-tweet and reply to fans. This can include retweeting a band (like New Kids on the Block announcing a show in Fenway Park), asking our fans to weigh in on various pop culture news (like the rumor that Robert Pattison will play Jeff Buckley), to congratulating our audience on their accomplishments (like doing well on a test or landing the lead in the school play) to offering words of condolence and encouragement after events like a breakup or the death of a pet. 4. Speak in an Authentic VoiceSocial media is not a business press release and companies need to be constantly cognizant of having an authentic voice and not sounding like a corporate bot that's devoid of any real emotion. In order to do this, companies must develop a voice that resonates with your audience. Tell stories, crack jokes, laugh at other people’s jokes, give words of encouragement, tweet at celebs you don’t really know, and most importantly, recognize and cheer on your followers. Aim to be human in the social space. 5. Listen and Take Notes Companies who use social media to just push out marketing messages are sadly missing out on the opportunity to have a continual dialog with the consumer and get their thoughts on what they like (and more importantly don't like) about your product offerings, as well as likes and dislikes that extend well outside of your company. At MTV, we take the feedback (solicited and unsolicited) and feed it to multiple departments in order to drive change. We also make it a priority to respond. For example, one recent viewer tweeted that he wasn't a fan of Jersey Shore. Instead of ignoring him, we thanked him for giving the show a chance and suggested he check out a different show instead. A few days later he responded that he loved the show and thanked us for recommending it. We also regularly ask our audience to share with us on topics ranging from what band they’re loving right now to their thoughts on current issues. Understanding your audience's values and opinions is an incredible asset that will help you hone every piece of content you produce. More Business Resources from Mashable:
Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, Felipe Bachomo. More About: business, facebook, mtv, social media, strategy, twitter For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| Path Finally Adds Comments to iPhone App Posted: 07 Feb 2011 02:05 PM PST   The “private network” startup Path released an update Monday to its iPhone app that finally adds comments to the service. Path Chat, as the comment feature is called, will find its way to users who update to version 1.4. Path Chat is a simple addition that adds traditional commenting to an otherwise untraditional service. Prior to the update, users could only provide feedback on photos by sharing an “emotion” or sending the contact a text message. Path has faced criticism for some of its seemingly odd restrictions or limitations, such as 10-second video. Still, the startup appears to be growing in popularity and is now well-positioned to iterate and hire at a rapid pace with $8.65 million in fresh funding. More About: comments, iphone app, Path, Path Chat For more Startups coverage:
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| Gmail Priority Inbox Now Available on Mobile Web Posted: 07 Feb 2011 02:02 PM PST   Google is bringing Gmail’s popular Priority Inbox feature to Gmail’s mobile web interface. Priority Inbox is Google’s attempt to solve e-mail overload. It algorithmically chooses the e-mails that are the most likely to be important to you and brings them to the top of the page, placing them in the “important and unread” folder. Priority Inbox is currently available for desktop and Android devices. Now Google is bringing Priority Inbox to the Gmail mobile web app. Users with the feature enabled will be able to access their priority inboxes from the Menu screen in the mobile app. Users can read through their important and unread or starred messages, or they can simply check out all of their high-priority e-mails. Gmail for mobile also labels important items with the familiar yellow arrow icon. Oh, and good news for those who have customized Priority Inbox with a custom label: It will be accessible through Gmail’s mobile app as well. Priority Inbox for mobile is available for phones that support HTML5, primarily Android and iOS devices.  More About: gmail, Gmail mobile, Google, iOS, Mobile 2.0, Priority Inbox For more Mobile coverage:
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| Watch Every Super Bowl XLV Ad [VIDEO] Posted: 07 Feb 2011 01:58 PM PST   Miss some of the ads from Super Bowl XLV Sunday? Never fear, the web has your back. As in years past both Hulu and YouTube have assembled all the ad spots for your viewing pleasure. Mashable also joined the fun and we created our own video gallery of the ad spots. More than 30 of these ads made their YouTube debut before the big game, but now more than 60 spots are available. As of this writing, YouTube hasn’t aggregated its statistics, but on the Hulu Leaderboard, Volkwagen’s “The Force” advertisement is the big winner. Here are all the ads we could get our paws on, so that you can view the ads sans fluff. Budweiser, "Wild West"Bridgestone, "Carma"Chevy Cruze, "Misunderstanding"HomeAway.com, "Ministry of Detourism"Bud Light, "Hack Job"Suzuki, "Kizashi vs. Wicked Weather"Volkswagen, "Black Beetle"CarMax, "Kid in a Candy Store"Doritos, "Pug Attack"BMW X3, "Defying Logic"Volkswagen, "The Force"FOX, "Rio: The Movie"E*TRADE, "Tailor"Doritos, "The Best Part"Bridgestone, "Reply All"Sealy, "After Glow"Universal Pictures, "Cowboys & Aliens"Chevy Silverado, "Tommy"Coca-Cola, "Border"Doritos, "House Sitting"Chevy Camaro, "Miss Evelyn"Best Buy, "Big Game Spot with Bieber and Ozzy"Pepsi MAX, "Love Hurts"Audi, "Release the Hounds"Cellular South, "Samsung Galaxy S With All Share"Universal Pictures, "Fast Five"Chrysler, "Imported From Detroit"Pepsi MAX, "First Date"Marvel, "Thor"Go Daddy, "New GoDaddy.CO Girl"Mercedes-Benz, "Welcome"Cars.com, "The Reviews Are In"Hyundai Elantra, "Hypnotize"Disney, "Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides"Marvel, "Captain America: The First Avenger"Relativity Media, "Limitless"Bud Light, "Product Placement"Chevy Volt, "Discovery"Kia Optima, "One Epic Ride"MINI USA, "Cram It In the Booth"Motorola, "Empower the People"Jack in the Box, "I Love America"NFL, "Best Fans Ever"CareerBuilder, "Parking Lot"Cars.com, "Go First"Teleflora, "Help Me Faith"BMW Advanced Diesel, "Changes"Snickers, "Logging"CarMax, "Gas Station"Brisk, "Eminem Super Bowl Commercial"Pepsi MAX, "Torpedo Cooler"Coca-Cola, "Siege"Groupon, "Tibet"Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: "Anachronistic City"Go Daddy, "The Contract"Chatter.com, "Halftime Ad With Will.i.am"Hyundai Elantra, "Deprogramming"Chevy Cruze, "Untitled"Bud Light, "Dog Sitter"Chatter.com, "Baby Peas"Stella Artois, "Crying Jean"Sony Ericsson, "Xperia PLAY"What Super Bowl ad was your favorite? Let us know in the comments. More About: ads, hulu, Super Bowl ads, Super Bowl XLV, youtube For more Media coverage:
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| Angry Birds Gets Facebook-Infused Valentine’s Day Edition Posted: 07 Feb 2011 01:52 PM PST   The special Valentine’s Day edition of Angry Birds is now available for iPhone, iPad and Android. The Valentine-themed levels are part of Angry Birds Seasons, the spin-off version of Angry Birds that first made its debut last fall. On the main app screen, users are invited to go to Facebook to send Angry Birds-themed Valentine’s Day cards. We were able to connect to our Facebook accounts on the iPhone and iPad versions of the game, but weren’t able to actually send the bird-themed greeting. Fortunately, the page can be accessed from a regular web browser too.  Moving on, by clicking on a link on the second page in the app and clicking the Facebook “Like” button, three more levels are opened.  And of course, it wouldn’t be Angry Birds without hidden surprises. It looks like there are three different golden eggs in this latest Angry Birds update, and Rovio has partnered with Bing to offer an instant link to a pre-filled Bing web search.   In past Angry Birds updates, we’ve seen Rovio push more of its other content, including Angry Birds plush toys and other merchandise, but this is the first time extra content has been linked to fan pages or other partnerships. During Sunday’s Super Bowl, the birds received a cameo in a spot for the upcoming film Rio (which will be getting its own edition of Angry Birds this March) that gave fans a clue to a hidden level. The game is one of the most successful mobile phone games of all time — with tens of millions of fans across mobile platforms. More About: Android apps, angry birds, Angry Birds Seasons, bing, facebook, games, iphone apps, valentine's day For more Mobile coverage:
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| Picplz Releases Analytics Dashboard for Brands Posted: 07 Feb 2011 01:39 PM PST   Mobile photo sharing startup Picplz is out with a few key updates Monday, one of which is an analytics dashboard that caters to brand users and offers them an ongoing way to track activity around their shared content. The dashboard idea was inspired by brands, including a number of sports teams like the L.A. Lakers and San Diego Chargers, that have organically started using the service to share photos with fans, according to founder and CEO Dalton Caldwell. Right now, the analytics dashboard charts views, likes and comments for each photo. It’s a simplistic, beta release but it will evolve based on feedback the startup receives from brand users, says Caldwell. Caldwell also speaks of finding ways to make Picplz more enmeshed within each brand’s social media arsenal.  In conjunction with the analytics dashboard for brands, Picplz is also making its API publicly available to developers today and now supports Creative Commons licensing for photos. The latter news is geared toward photographers looking to license some or all of their content. It was developed in response to popular demand. The API release is also rather significant and follows a private beta release just two weeks ago that attracted a lot of developer interest. The API includes image upload and filter support, meaning developers can apply a Picplz filter to any uploaded photo. The startup has created a few code samples and sample apps to highlight application possibilities, such as slideshows and widgets. Monday’s updates come as Picplz battles trendy iPhone app Instagram for top-of-mind recognition with users and brands, and the updates point to some of the ways the startup could begin monetizing its service. More About: analytics, brands, mobile photo sharing, picplz For more Startups coverage:
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| Social Media: The Final Piece of the Super Bowl Advertising Puzzle Posted: 07 Feb 2011 12:59 PM PST   Patrick Kerley is the senior digital strategist at Levick Strategic Communications. He is also a contributing author to Bulletproof Blog™ and can be found on Twitter @pjkerley. From Mean Joe Greene's Coca-Cola spot, to the “Bud Bowl,” to last night's cameos by Kenny G, Joan Rivers, and Eminem, advertising has long been as big a part of Super Bowl Sunday as the game itself. Most years, we're treated to ads that one-up what we've previously seen and contribute just as much to the Monday morning water cooler conversation as any big play or touchdown celebration. This year, however, the major evolution didn't come in the form of ever-racier attention grabbers or production values that would make James Cameron nod with approval. It came in the form of social media tie-ins that advertisers designed to keep consumers engaged long after the Super Bowl hangover fades. The Highlight ReelSuper Bowl XLV marked not only an end to the NFL season, but also the conclusion of weeks-long advertising efforts aimed at boosting consumers' online engagement with the brands they are partial to. The budgets and levels of sophistication employed in these campaigns ranged widely, but all had the same goal: to transform singular media impressions into the longer-term customer relationships that all businesses covet. Papa John's, for example, sponsored a campaign that promised a free large pizza to anyone registered on its website if game went into overtime. In coordination with its Super Bowl marketing strategy, Mercedes gave away two cars during its "Tweet Race to the Big Game," a Twitter-inspired race to Dallas. Others took simpler steps to turn Super Bowl excitement into social media buzz. Volkswagen's "The Force" commercial and the Motorola Xoom's Apple-inspired/parodying ad were both teased on YouTube and generated significant attention from bloggers, the mainstream media, and consumers before the game even kicked off. It is also worth mentioning that some marketers even made social media integration a key selling point for their products and services. Amidst a sea of automobile commercials highlighting traditional features such as luxury, power, and value, Chevrolet plugged the real-time Facebook status update feature of its new Cruze. The Passing Game: Social Media Integration Modernizes Traditional AdvertisingFor years now, there has been a clear incentive for marketers to utilize social media as a significant element of their advertising efforts. Those incentives are only amplified when considering the massive costs associated with generating an impression during the Super Bowl. The average cost of a 30-second spot for this year's game was reported to be anywhere from $2.5 to $2.8 million. While this is by no means a record, it is still a substantial sum that underscores the just how important it is for advertisers to access the Super Bowl's relatively captive audience. When making such a significant expenditure, companies naturally expect an equally significant return. And today, social media tie-ins are one of the most effective ways to maximize the positive impact of a Super Bowl commercial. Just as the invention of the forward pass changed football forever, the advent of social media has change the advertising game, and marketers must react accordingly. As such, Super Bowl spots, some of which fade into obscurity the moment the next ad dominates our attention, need to be seen as on-ramps toward continued consumer engagement in the digital space (which is where many consumers spend the time they once devoted to television). Whether the goal is increased registration on an e-commerce portal, more visits to a corporate YouTube profile, or growing the number of friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter, Super Bowl advertising — and all TV advertising for that matter — is now not just about the product or service itself; it's also about identifying ways to ensure that the audience remains attentive for the long haul. By using TV as a springboard to consumer engagement via social media, smart marketers are doing just that. Post-Game Breakdown: What's Next for Television AdvertisingAs DVRs, on-demand programming, and a la carte paid options (e.g., iTunes) continue to take hold, consumers are seeing fewer ads on a day-to-day basis. That means destination television — such as the Super Bowl — has become even more important turf for TV advertisers to dominate. Top dramas in prime time, season finales, and major sporting events — programming that draws people together to watch in real time — represent what are perhaps the last windows of uninterrupted and unavoidable ad viewing. As such, these limited opportunities need to be leveraged to their full potential; not just with witty one-liners and movie-quality CGI, but with the carefully orchestrated social media integration that keeps consumers coming back. More Marketing Resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, spxChrome, CostinT, subjug More About: advertising, business, commercials, facebook, MARKETING, social media, social media marketing, sports, Super Bowl, television, tv, twitter For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| 100+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events Posted: 07 Feb 2011 12:51 PM PST   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 contact us for the Mashable Media Partnership Guidelines document. If your event meets our requirements, contact us at least one month before your event to establish a media partnership with us. 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.  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 8, 2011, London, UK: Building the Social Web for Museums, Galleries and Education: As a part of the Social Media Week, BrightLemon are bringing together leading lights of the Museum, Gallery and Education sector to share best practices, advice and case studies that explore the viral power of social networks. There will be an array of impressive presenters who will be demonstrating how leading lights of the Museum, Gallery and Education sectors create online communities that promote learning and engage audiences. Additionally, as part of the event, there will be networking opportunities later in the evening. For more information and to register, please click here.  February 11-13, 2011, Chicago, IL: An event not to be missed by meeting and event professionals, this bar-camp style event is designed for those who are interested in learning how they can integrate technology and new media into their meetings, conferences and special events. The conference will feature keynote speakers: Chris Brogan, Liz Strauss, and Hank Wasiak. In addition, several breakout sessions have been crowd sourced by the event community, making this a truly collaborative event. The cost to attend is $149, which covers a welcome reception on Friday, February 11th and educational sessions on the 12th and a half day on the 13th. Register by click here, or visit eventcamp.org for more information. If you are unable to attend in-person, but would like to participate, the event will be live-streamed and archived. Check in at eventcamp.org to get the link to the webcast.  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.  February 16, 2011 London, UK: What can gaming do for your brand? Is now the time for that games app and what's so special about social gaming? How can brands be part of the gameplay and is gaming right for your brand? Our speakers will make the case for brand-games collaborations and showcase their gaming successes at IAB HQ in central London. There’ll be short lively presentations, a panel/audience discussion, plus a networking and drinks session where the conversations can flow. Register today for 20% off the full price of £125 at www.brand-e.biz/games.html using the discount code MASHABLE.  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 17, 2011, New York, NY: unNiched(micro) is a breakfast event designed to provide attendees with the latest information on a range of subjects important to the health marketing communications field, including mobile, digital marketing and social media. Join us for an information packed session, “Mobile Health: Hype or Hope.” During this event, noted noted health economist, futurist and management consultant Jane Sarasohn-Kahn will: separate hype from reality in current and future mobile trends; discuss how old and new mobile tech will power the Web of the future; outline how health organizations are leveraging mobile technologies to communicate with consumers and health providers while sparking behavior change today (and in the future).  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 21-22, 2011, Tampa, FL: Facebook Masters Training & the social media conference for marketers, Social Fresh is not about concept, but focused on drilled down learning and case studies from the front lines. Learn what social media can really do for business bottom lines.Two days, 16 industry leading speakers, and Facebook Masters Training. As well as keynote Paula Berg of Linhart PR and Southwest Airlines social media veteran. Register now and use coupon code mashable for 25% off.  February 21, 2011, Tel Aviv, Israel: The upcoming Israel Dealmakers Summit 2011 hosted by Landmark Ventures will bring together a high-profile audience of 350+ Chairmen, CEOs, Investors and Technology Professionals across the Digital Media, Internet, Mobile, Cloud, Enterprise Software and Hardware sectors to discuss the future of Israel's economy, from large enterprises to the thriving start up culture, and ongoing role as an integral part of the global marketplace. The summit will additionally feature a VIP Delegation of 20-25 leading US & European corporations and investment funds who will all be speaking at the conference bringing a unique global perspective.  February 22, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: 3rd Annual Gravity Summit at UCLA – The Power of Real-Time; Social Media Marketing for Executives. Learn how to master the tactics and strategies of real-time social media to build brands, get customers and increase the bottom line. Speakers from Fast Company, DIRECTV, Mashable, WeberShandwick, Orci, Lexus, and more. Legendary music artist and Twitter star MC Hammer receives “Social Media Marketer of the Year” award in person. Join 200+ business leaders on campus at UCLA to learn from top brands and thought leaders in the field as they talk about understanding and harnessing the new real-time social media platforms and tools. Register with the promo code GRAVSUM1 and save $60!  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: TV Apps, Social TV, Content & Viewer Experience – Talk NYC kicks-off 2011 with an in-depth look at the emerging world of TV Apps and Social TV. Attendees will learn about and discuss the current state of these new spaces, in which directions they are heading, and how to take advantage of the opportunities these new spaces present. Please join us for an evening filled with engaging discussions and cross-industry networking. Featured leaders include Alex Iskold, CEO of GetGlue, Michael Wolff, Editorial Director of Adweek Group of Companies, and Ricky Van Veen, Founder of Collegehumor.com.  February 24, 2011, New York City: 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! Pre-registration Rate of $399 (a $300 saving) available till January 28, plus receive 15% off with the promo code MASH15! 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 25-26, 2011, Miami Beach, FL: We’re launching 9 companies. Judged by 3 investors, 1 entrepreneur & 1 journalist. With $25k in cash & prizes. Now that was just day one! On day 2 we’ve got everyone from Ashvin Kumar to Zed Shaw speaking at this event. Covering Web Development, Marketing, Community Building, User Experience & straight money making – there is no business subject that will go untouched! SuperConf is going to be epic. Register with promo code MASHABLE for $35 off a 2 Day ticket.  February 25-26, 2011, Atlanta, GA: The Business Bootcamp for Wonder Women Conference is a 2 day conference in Atlanta on Feb 25 + 26. Whether you're B2B, B2C or a professional blogger, you want to know what can help your business NOW, without spending a fortune. With over 30 unique sessions, panels and workshops teaching results-oriented and creative social media, marketing, business and technology strategies, such as podcasting, video, mindmapping, Skype, getting publicity with no budget, building media relations, Facebook Fanpages, co-working, lead generation, and more, the BBWW is THE professional women's conference of the year. More importantly, there'll be NO HARD SELLING. All sessions will teach you HOW-to, not just WHY. Lasso and tiara optional. Register with the promo code MASH and save 20%.  February 25, 2011, New York, NY: Fostering a Culture of Innovation is a full-day event designed to give managers and senior marketers tools, best practices, and tactics to unlock and signal digital innovation within their organizations and drive a culture that rewards risk-taking, rapid prototyping, and continuous learning. Register with the discount code Mashable_friends to get 25% 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%!  February 27, 2011, Dubai, UAE: The new market dynamics facing our region require new thinking to stay ahead. This year's expert speakers at the Corporate Communications 2011 have decades of experience, real world case studies and practical communications strategies to share. Take the benefit of their experience today and apply it in your workplace tomorrow! F or more details about the Corporate Communications 2011 program, speaker-line-up and other information, visit our website www.iirme.com/corpcomm. To register, simply click here or email Janet.  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 5, 2011: Telecommuting, the holy grail for many developers. Not work from home but work from where you are. Because after all, "Work is what you do, not where you go" Day Camp 4 Developer #2:Telecommuting will help developers understand the benefits and risks involved in telecommuting along with offering practical advice on what tools you and your team need to master in order to successfully distribute your team geographically. In one day we cover five important topics that every developer needs to understand before starting to telecommute. Register with the promo code MASHABLEROCKS and save $5.  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 7, 2011, Toronto, Ontario: Today’s global market is consistently changing. How do you know what’s happening now and how do you innovate and create marketing strategies to stay ahead of the curve? The Art of Marketing brings together thought leaders from around the globe and gives you direct access to cutting edge thinking and real-world experience. On March 7, 2011, join five internationally renowned bestselling authors, including Guy Kawasaki, Gary Vaynerchuk, Avinash Kaushik, Dr. Sheena Iyengar and Jeffrey Hayzlett at Canada’s number-one marketing conference. Register with promo code MASH23 and save $50.  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 13-18, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Come to the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit and learn how to turn customer touchpoint data into insight… whether it’s search terms, ad response, web behavior, customer satisfaction, mobile activities, social media attitude or transactions. Attendees will: investigate social media, online media, mobile marketing and as always, marketing analytics; soak up intelligence from keynotes, breakouts, clinics, labs, round-table discussions and your peers; take advantage of unparalleled networking; enjoy parties, receptions, and the WAA Awards Banquet. For more information and to register, please click here.  March 14-15, 2011, Jacksonville, FL: Paging all health care communicators! Social media won't be flat lining anytime soon. Join us at our Health Care Marketing and PR Social Media Summit, hosted by Ragan Communications and Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. Explore the hottest social media case studies and learn how to transform your communications strategy with mobile health applications. Empower yourself to convince executive non-believers that social media doesn't waste employees' time, but it actually increases productivity! Register with the promo code MASH11 to get a $100 discount on this previously sold-out conference. Can't attend? We're webcasting the entire experience!  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 16, 2011, Washington, DC: The Innovative Giving Foundation presents the 2011 Innogive Conference – "Mobile Giving Applied". This will be a one day event focuses on applying the best practices in mobile giving and communications for social good, and will address integrating SMS appeals, mobile apps and other emerging innovative giving technologies. The Innogive format combines a great mix of respected keynotes, riveting innovation speakers and super informative panels and hands on classes. Organizations of all sizes should attend! Register and use the promo code IGF for $50 off.  March 17-19, 2011, Washington, DC: The annual Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) is the Nonprofit Technology Network’s signature event, a three-day gathering bringing together nearly 2,000 nonprofit professionals from around the world to collaborate, innovate, and maximize effectiveness. Our members share the common goal of helping nonprofits use all aspects of technology more effectively; the NTC brings them face-to-face to connect, learn — and return to their organizations brimming with the energy, strategies, and networks they need to change the world. For more information and to register, please click here. March 18, 2011, New York, NY: Facebook, In-Depth is an intensive full-day event that educates marketers and senior management on the world's largest social network. L2 is inviting an unprecedented group of scholars, thinkers, entrepreneurs, technologists and exemplar brands for a full day immersion on Facebook. Topics covered will range from best practices on branded Facebook pages to growing your fans and followers to Facebook commerce and advertising. Register with the discount code Mashable_friends to get 25% off.  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 21-23, 2011, Boston, MA: BIA/Kelsey's Interactive Local Media is the definitive conference on local digital advertising and marketing. Join the interactive local media community in Boston for ILM East where the focus will be on new local marketplaces, keying in on the latest developments in search, mobile, geolocation, reviews, group buying and deals. Register with the promo code ILMEMASH and save $200!  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 23, 2011, New York, NY: The Social Consumer: Case Studies and Roundtables — Representatives from PepsiCo, Sony, Unilever, Kotex, and others will demonstrate the best case studies of how leading brands engage, influence and service consumers through innovative social programs. Register and use the promo code MASH for a discounted rate of $155.  March 23, 2011, New York, NY: GigaOM presents "Structure Big Data" That “fire hose” of information pouring through your company’s databases and systems? That data, whether real-time or historic, presents an enormous opportunity to gain business insights to maximize profits and improve products. Structure Big Data, GigaOM’s newest conference, is focused on helping technology executives develop a big data strategy. Turn your company’s information into your next big revenue opportunity. Register with the promo code BDMASH and save $100!  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, San Francisco, CA: Following the success of our inaugural summit, the SSN 2nd Alternative Payment Systems Innovations Summit will enable industry senior executives and decision-makers to share implementation challenges and success stories for capitalizing on the explosive growth of the rapidly evolving mobile payments arena. Merchants, payment processors, telecom carriers, developers and solutions providers will gather for provoking discussions on topics such as upcoming plans for accepting mobile payments in stores, facilitating collaboration amongst all players in the mobile payments space and direct-to-mobile billing. Register with the promo code APSIMA1 and save $300 off registration rate!  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 29, 2011, New York, NY: GE, H&R Block, Scholastic, Walmart, Scripps Networks, HP, and more will share case studies in corporate social media at BlogWell New York: 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 promo code THANKSMASHABLE and save 10%!  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, San Francisco, CA: Data 2.0 Conference – Learn from Google, Microsoft, SimpleGeo, Factual, and 50 other innovators about what's next in the world of data. The first conference to examine the growing importance of information accessibility in business, technology and society, the midVentures Data 2.0 Conference focuses on how the web is becoming the new database, and how businesses can better analyze and monetize this information. Discussions will span the next decade of data, from the data ecosystem and commoditization of information, to personal data control and open data initiatives. How will you use data to better target your new customers? Register and use the code data2mash for a 15% discount. 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 5-6, 2011, San Jose, CA: iStrategy is an inspirational, two-day, digital media conference for senior executives who believe that the success of their business requires a sound digital strategy. iStrategy has recruited keynote speakers, panelists, workshop facilitators and attendees with expertise in the online channels that drive successful outcomes and tools that provide ongoing measurement including: social media, mobile marketing and applications, display advertising, SEO/SEM, e-mail marketing, database marketing, web analytics, e-commerce and content strategy. Register and use the promo code MASHSJ10 to receive a 10% discount.  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, New York City, NY: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ring the closing bell at NASDAQ? Now you don't have to – you can be there as an added bonus for attending our conference The 2011 Content Summit for Corporate Communicators & PR, presented by Ragan Communications and hosted by NASDAQ OMX. You'll discover new ways to tell a story that are echo-worthy in both social media and traditional media. Register with the promo code MASH11 to save $200 off the regular registration price.  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 6, 2011, New York, NY: The annual We Media Conference features the people and ideas shaping media, technology and society. This year's conference is a lightening-strike for fast-movers: a one-day event filled with must-have intelligence, inspired ideas and brilliant people looking ahead to what’s next and what to do about it. Dozens of new projects, hundreds of new relationships and scores of solutions, partnerships and investments have emerged from the activities and key connections forged at We Media conferences around the world. The conference also features the finals of the $50k We Media PitchIt Challenge, a contest to help turn two startup ideas into something real. Register with the promo code WEMASH and save 10%!  April 7, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: Social Media Advanced Skills Huddle – SMASH is an interactive conference designed to help you make better decisions about deploying social media for marketing, public relations and corporate communications. Presenters and attendees will huddle to air issues, seek advice, and tap into each other’s wisdom while arriving at practical solutions. This event is part of a series of unique how-to huddles on the campuses of the world’s best universities, taught by some of America’s top social media practitioners and experts. SMASH pushes the traditional conference into something much more interactive and practical. Register and use the promo code smashmash11.  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 14-16, 2011, New Orleans, LA: Whether you're a mom entrepreneur, blogger, a brand trying to connect with moms, or are just passionate about the online world, Mom 2.0 Summit is the conference for you. Talk shop with social media influencers, industry leaders and leading brands as they share best practices. Discuss ways to create smarter web-based marketing, and discover social media tools that engage your audience and build relationships. Register and use the promo code mashable2011 to save $35 off the ticket price.  April 14-15, 2011, Toronto, Canada: Gain cutting edge strategies to manage the risks and uncertainties involved in your organization's use of social media – all in just 2 days! Attend The Canadian Institute's Advanced Forum on Managing Legal and Business Risks in Social Media, and walk away with the tools you need to prepare a thorough plan for your organization to successfully navigate this ever-changing online world. Register and use the Mashable discount code 248CX01 to save 15% off the conference.  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 26-28, 2011, San Francisco, CA: GSMI presents Mobile Marketing Strategies Summit. GSMI has diligently worked to find the best, brightest and most distinct speakers in the Mobile Marketing industry. Our 2011 Mobile Marketing Summit will provide valuable information, through case studies, presentations and hands on workshops. Attendees will leave the conference with the tools and knowledge needed to keep their brands competitive in the Mobile Marketing industry. Register and use the promo code MikeSM.  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 Early Bird Rate of $299 – a $400 saving, plus plus receive 15% off with the promo code MASH15! 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 2-3, 2011, Chicago, IL: At Technology Driven Market Research, the focus is on presenting ground-breaking tools and technologies that are being used NOW and those on the horizon. These technologies are enabling “in the moment” research to more clearly understand consumer behavior. Through real-world experienced based presentations, this event will look at brand-mind placement, eye tracking research in a virtual retail environment, social gaming as a research device, and social and mobile analysis plus much more. Register with the promo code TDMR11MASH and save 20% off the standard rate.  May 3-7, 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 4, 2011, Washington, D.C.: ConAgra Foods, United Health Group, the IRS, the U.S. Navy, and more will share case studies in corporate social media at BlogWell Washington, D.C.: 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 promo code THANKSMASHABLE and save 10%!  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 11-12, 2011, Amsterdam: iStrategy is an inspirational, two-day, digital media conference for senior executives who believe that the success of their business requires a sound digital strategy. iStrategy has recruited keynote speakers, panelists, workshop facilitators and attendees with expertise in the online channels that drive successful outcomes and tools that provide ongoing measurement including: social media, mobile marketing and applications, display advertising, SEO/SEM, e-mail marketing, database marketing, web analytics, e-commerce and content strategy. Register with the promo code MASHEU10 to receive a 10% discount. 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 16-18, 2011, London, UK: The Future of Web Design (FOWD) hits London again this May! Following on from the success of last year, we’re bringing you 3 full days of essential web learning: a day of in-depth workshops, followed up by a two day conference, covering all of the hottest topics across two stages. Big names, rising stars, great networking opportunities and some fabulous catering thrown in for good measure. Hope you can join us!  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 17-18, 2011, Sydney, Australia: With an estimated 200,000 loyalty programs currently operating in Australia, it is vital for businesses to understand how to make their brand stand out from the crowd. More than ever, your success hinges on your ability to gain a greater understanding of your customers’ wants and needs.Traditional modes of marketing have evolved and it is necessary to embrace more personalised communications across numerous channels. The Customer Loyalty 2011 Conference is a case-study driven program that will explore different strategies to add the value that your customers want from your loyalty initiative. It will discuss evolving definitions of best practice in loyalty marketing and help you make your mark in this evolving multichannel landscape. Register with the promo code CC*MASHABLE and save 10%!  May 18-19, 2011, Boston, MA: Text analytics has grown from an interesting but little-known software application into an invaluable commercial tool used by businesses worldwide. Forward-thinking executives across a myriad of industries are using text analytics solutions to increase efficiency and unlock essential information that they never had access to before. Whether you are a software developer, an experienced analytics user, or new to the text analytics industry, the Text Analytics Summit is the only place to get the information that you need to stay ahead of the competition and profit from text mining. Register and use the promo code mashable 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%.  May 25, 2011, London, UK: The Guardian Sustainable Business Awards aim to showcase genuine innovation in corporate sustainability and reward those who take sustainability to the very heart of their business. Enter the awards today at guardian.co.uk/gsb-awards to get the recognition you deserve. Winners will be invited to a ceremony held in London in May and will feature in a supplement published on guardian.co.uk. All entries meeting the criteria will be added to the new Guardian Sustainable Business best practice exchange – an online database allowing sustainability professionals to share their learning. Enter before February 7th at guardian.co.uk/gsb-awards.  May 29-30, 2011, Dubai, UAE: Social Media Marketing – The Way Forward – It is undeniable that social media has fundamentally transformed and evolved the architecture of business, communications, and the dissemination of information and influence. In July 2010, Facebook announced it had over 500 million users worldwide,of which at least 15 million were in Middle East.Survey findings also indicated that one out of five Facebook users is from Asia or Middle East. Participants at this two-day conference will be exposed to the intricacies of corporate social media strategies tailored for your industry. Participants would gain insights to maximizing the usage of social and establishing and maintaining a good relationship with consumers, thus effectively introducing their brands online and engaging long-term relationship with the audience. For more information, please click here.  June 7-8, 2011, Munich, Germany: a4uexpo Europe is the largest pan European Affiliate and Performance Marketing Conference. With more than 1,000 delegates, a diverse conference program, a focus on quality, knowledge transfer and unparalleled networking opportunities with delegates and key industry figures from around the world, a4uexpo Europe is a must-attend educational and networking event. Whether a new or established affiliate, agency, entrepreneur, search specialist, merchant or network – a4uexpo is the conference for those serious about making an impact in Affiliate and Performance Marketing. Register with the promo code MASHABLE25 and save €25 on a full conference pass for a4uexpo Europe.  June 8, 2011, Singapore: With the phenomenal growth of apps worldwide, Asia is the next big market to watch out for. Planet of the Apps Asia is the leading event dedicated to mobile applications in Asia. The two day conference plus a dedicated masterclass day brings together the mobile application ecosystem in one location. The event will shine on a light on the latest innovations and showcase the latest solutions in the world of mobile applications. Be part of this definitive event and network with professionals from all around the globe. June 16, 2011, London, UK: The Augmented Reality Summit is designed to explore this new dynamic reality and provide delegates with the perfect opportunity to uncover Augmented Reality in full and explore the opportunity's AR brings any brand or company. The AR Summit is positioned at the forefront of this exciting continually developing new industry. Whether you are a Brand, Advertiser or Agency, Technology provider or Developer looking to meet key industry figures, keep up with the latest developments, technology's & tools or simply to network with other from the world of AR – Register and use the promo code ARMASH to save 25%!  June 27-29, 2011, Las Vegas, NV: The Future of Web Apps (FOWA) is coming to Vegas. After successfully running shows in Miami and London, the conference hits Vegas for the first time in June. A conference for web developers and entrepreneurs, there are 3 days of jam packed web fun including a day of workshops and 2 conference days of two tracks. As well as App Clinics and Expo Area, you can learn and network with people who have passion for the web! Register with the code FOWA_MASHABLE and receive 10% off our 2 day conference passes.  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!  Sept 21-22, 2011, London, UK: ad:tech London is the UK’s essential free to attend event for professionals seeking to stay ahead of the latest interactive media, advertising and marketing trends. The event unites advertisers, media owners and agencies to harness the power of digital and deliver real marketing ROI. Alongside the exhibition, there is also a conference featuring 100+ international speakers for serious digital innovators and marketers. Mashable readers can take 20% off their conference ticket price. Register online now with the promo code MASH11 at www.ad-techlondon.co.uk.  September 26-29, 2011, Kaua’i, HI: 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. The Mashable Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace. 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. More About: Social Media Event Guide For more Social Media coverage:
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| Who Are the Most Popular Silicon Valley CEOs? Posted: 07 Feb 2011 12:32 PM PST   Say you just moved to Silicon Valley, and you’re looking for a new job in the tech industry. What Silicon Valley CEO should you work for? Cubeduel, a side project of Urbanspoon co-founder Adam Doppelt and RescueTime co-founder Tony Wright, says it has the answer. Cubeduel connects to a user’s LinkedIn account and then asks him or her to choose between two colleagues, business partners or coworkers based on who they would rather work with. Cubeduel’s users have clocked in more than 1.2 million votes so far, with 26% of those users voting more than 100 times, so it has a pretty decent sample size. LinkedIn, Microsoft and Google employees alone have voted more than 100,000 times. So who’s the most popular CEO in Silicon Valley? That honor goes to Twitter CEO Dick Costolo. He has won 100% of his duels on Cubeduel (16/16). Perhaps his previous stint as an improv comedian simply makes him more personable. Also topping the list of highly regarded CEOs are Brian Halligan of Hubspot (100%), Tony Hsieh of Zappos (83%), Gary Kovacs of Mozilla (81%), Marc Benioff of Salesforce (78%) and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn (75%, 54/72). Joshua Schachter, founder of Delicious and CEO of Tasty Labs, won 88% (22/25) of duels. Unfortunately, several other prominent CEOs get the dubious honor of being the least-liked on Cubeduel. Two of the least-regarded are Jeremy Stoppelman of Yelp (7%, 1/13) and Matt Williams of Digg (18%). We can understand why people wouldn’t be happy with Matt Williams — how popular can you be when you lay off half of your staff? But it’s interesting that Yelp co-founder Jeremy Stoppelman is so unpopular. Bringing up the rear though is Jordan Glazier of Eventful (4%). Cubeduel’s stats aren’t scientific, of course. There could be any number of reasons why someone chooses one colleague over another, and it’s all based on LinkedIn connections. Still, if you’re the CEO of a major Silicon Valley company, you’d like people to say they like working with or for you. More About: dick costolo, linkedin, Silicon Valley, twitter, yelp For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| New Video-Sharing iPhone App Supports 30-Minute Clips Posted: 07 Feb 2011 11:43 AM PST   Mobile-to-mobile video-sharing startup Thwapr is releasing an iPhone application Monday that helps users upload and share videos up to 30 minutes in length. Thwapr for iPhone [iTunes link], the startup’s first product targeted at end users as opposed to brands, enables users to easily capture and share videos and photos with friends on any mobile phone, or via Twitter and Facebook. Recipients can then view and add comments, or share their own video and photo responses via mobile browser, web or the app. Videos shared via the app are geo tagged, and iPhone 4 owners can capture and edit video in portrait and landscape mode using the front or back camera. The application even supports background uploads for those running iOS 4.0 or higher, so users can switch apps while their content is being uploaded to Thwapr. The iPhone app makes for a convenient way to share long-form video, a previously arduous task for mobile videographers. Thwapr, however, is focused on the bigger picture of removing existing barriers to sharing videos on mobile phones, according to CTO Eric Hoffert. “From our user testing, we see people posting videos that are typically a few minutes long,” he says. “These are videos of fun events –- a band playing on the streets in Assisi, Italy, a turtle flipping over and back again, a dog catching a Frisbee. Anywhere from 15 seconds, to perhaps three to five minutes.” “We don't want to limit users to 10 seconds like Path does –- or as 12seconds.tv did for their Twitter video concept. It should be more natural to share video. We do have limits like any product, but we plan to keep pushing the boundaries,” says Hoffert. Mobile photo sharing is exploding thanks to emerging services that make the experience both fun and seamless. If mobile video sharing is to experience the same boom, startups will need to build solutions that remove friction from the upload and share process. Thwapr appears to be making a big step in that direction. Thwapr isn’t the only startup looking to push the mobile video sharing trend forward. Veteran web video startup Justin.tv is working on its own iPhone app for a similar purpose. Thwapr’s cross-platform mobile video-sharing service is nearing 100,000 members, says Hoffert. The startup first launched in public beta in January 2010 and has been primarily focused on serving brands and businesses. Thwapr has deals with the NHL and Miami Dolphins, for instance. To date, the startup has raised $5 million from angel investors. Thwapr ScreenshotsHome Replies with media Received videos Video detail page Media map More About: iphone, iphone app, startup, thwapr, video For more Startups coverage:
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| How the Social Media World Reacted to Super Bowl Ads [STATS] Posted: 07 Feb 2011 11:29 AM PST   It was a good year for Super Bowl commercials all around, according to data released the day after the big game. Online discussion about Super Bowl commercials increased 9% in the 12-hour period following the game’s start, compared to last year, according to marketing agency Zeta Interactive. Most discussion focused on the game itself, followed by ads, Christina Aguilera’s rendition of the national anthem, and the Black Eye Peas’s halftime show. Discussion was also significantly more positive than last year overall. Online consumers’ expectations for the commercials were relatively low leading up to the game; of the many discussions occurring across a sampling of messages posted on blogs, social networks, message boards and video sites, 72% were positive. By the time the game started, however, sentiment had risen to 83% — a substantial improvement from 2010, when overall buzz around the commercials was 79% positive. Most-Discussed Spots According to the social media analytics tool Trendrr, Chrysler’s “Detroit/Eminem” was the most buzzed-about spot, at least on Twitter, where users cited the commercial 19,781 times during the hour it premiered. Disney’s teaser for Transformers 3 was the second most popular ad, with 18,215 tweets in the first hour. Doritos’s fan-created commercials garnered 15,800 tweets in the first hour of the game and 15,050 in the second collectively. The ad that generated the most positive reaction was Bridgestone’s “Reply All,” says Zeta Interactive. Ninety-four percent of online discussion about the spot was positive, followed by Pepsi Max’s “First Date” (92% positive), Volkswagen’s “Darth Vader” (91%), Bridgestone’s “Beaver” (90% positive) and the NFL’s “Happy Days/Best Fans in the World” (90% positive) commercials. Most-Replayed SpotsAccording to TiVo, the commercial that was replayed most frequently in the 15-minute period after its debut was Snickers’s “Logging,” featuring Richard Lewis and Roseanne Barr, followed by Best Buy’s commercial with Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne (above), and Pepsi Max’s “Love Hurts” spot. Two of Doritos’s three fan-created spots — “The Best Part” and “House Sitting” — held the fifth and seventh spots, respectively. Aftermath Clearspring, the company that powers AddThis’s sharing platform, mined search and sharing data to determine what brands got the greatest lift from their ads. Posts mentioning Pepsi Max, for instance, received more than a 3,000% increase in shares, followed by Super 8 (~1,700%) and Carmax (~1,100%). Searches for the Chrysler 200 experienced more than a 1,300% increase in searches, followed by Pepsi Max (~950%) and Chatter.com (~900%). We were personally surprised that Groupon’s spots didn’t make the list. The group-buying site’s commercials were certainly the most-discussed spots at Mashable HQ Monday morning. What commercials did you discuss online and off? You can also watch the full roundup of Super Bowl spots below. Budweiser, "Wild West"Bridgestone, "Carma"Chevy Cruze, "Misunderstanding"HomeAway.com, "Ministry of Detourism"Bud Light, "Hack Job"Suzuki, "Kizashi vs. Wicked Weather"Volkswagen, "Black Beetle"CarMax, "Kid in a Candy Store"Doritos, "Pug Attack"BMW X3, "Defying Logic"Volkswagen, "The Force"FOX, "Rio: The Movie"E*TRADE, "Tailor"Doritos, "The Best Part"Bridgestone, "Reply All"Sealy, "After Glow"Universal Pictures, "Cowboys & Aliens"Chevy Silverado, "Tommy"Coca-Cola, "Border"Doritos, "House Sitting"Chevy Camaro, "Miss Evelyn"Best Buy, "Big Game Spot with Bieber and Ozzy"Pepsi MAX, "Love Hurts"Audi, "Release the Hounds"Cellular South, "Samsung Galaxy S With All Share"Universal Pictures, "Fast Five"Chrysler, "Imported From Detroit"Pepsi MAX, "First Date"Marvel, "Thor"Go Daddy, "New GoDaddy.CO Girl"Mercedes-Benz, "Welcome"Cars.com, "The Reviews Are In"Hyundai Elantra, "Hypnotize"Disney, "Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides"Marvel, "Captain America: The First Avenger"Relativity Media, "Limitless"Bud Light, "Product Placement"Chevy Volt, "Discovery"Kia Optima, "One Epic Ride"MINI USA, "Cram It In the Booth"Motorola, "Empower the People"Jack in the Box, "I Love America"NFL, "Best Fans Ever"CareerBuilder, "Parking Lot"Cars.com, "Go First"Teleflora, "Help Me Faith"BMW Advanced Diesel, "Changes"Snickers, "Logging"CarMax, "Gas Station"Brisk, "Eminem Super Bowl Commercial"Pepsi MAX, "Torpedo Cooler"Coca-Cola, "Siege"Groupon, "Tibet"Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: "Anachronistic City"Go Daddy, "The Contract"Chatter.com, "Halftime Ad With Will.i.am"Hyundai Elantra, "Deprogramming"Chevy Cruze, "Untitled"Bud Light, "Dog Sitter"Chatter.com, "Baby Peas"Stella Artois, "Crying Jean"Sony Ericsson, "Xperia PLAY"More About: social media, Super Bowl, super-bowl-2011, trending, Trendrr For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| 10 Stunning iPhone Sports Photographs [GALLERY] Posted: 07 Feb 2011 10:42 AM PST We are continually impressed with the results iPhotographers are getting from their Apple-made mobile shooters. To celebrate, we are bringing you another gallery of mobile photography greatness. This time around, we’ve looked to the wonderful world of sport, with some action-packed snaps and some careful studies of texture and light. So, strap on your sneakers, grab your gym bag and take a slow jog through our gallery. And, as always, let us know which photos score with you in the comments below. 1. 17/365 by Alexander Kesselaar   Shot, edited and posted to Flickr all on the iPhone, one of Alexander Kesselaar's iPhone-photo-a-day snaps captures the excitement of going to your seat as a sporting event is about to begin. Looking at this image, you can almost hear the crowd. 2. Warm Up by Jaime Ferreyros It's hard to believe this isn't an aging snapshot behind glass in a museum. But no, it's an ultra modern iPhone pic given the vintage treatment by Jaime Ferreyros. 3. World's Longest Skating Rink by Matthew Lacroix Stark, cold and ever so atmospheric, this capture of people skating on the Assiniboine River in Winnipeg is a monotone marvel. 4. Lag by Menno de Ruiter Taken at The Netherland's Dam to Dam marathon, this great crop could almost be the visual representation of "the loneliness of the long distance runner." The blur on the foot in the background to suggest pace and the unrelenting line representing the course makes this a brilliant running image. 5. Dolphins vs. Texans by Adam Lorber Adam Lorber uses tilt shift special effects with great results; turning a stadium into a surreal toy town complete with mad colors and teeny-tiny figures. 6. Cold Steel on Ice by T.S. Elliott More moody monotones here as ice hockey gets the iPhotography treatment. Long shadows, texture and a decisive crop make for a brilliant photo. 7. Rival by Jamie Pachomski This picture is taken at a low angle with lush green grass. The focus on the ball and the distant, indistinct figure makes this feel almost like golf from the ball's point of view. 8. Judo by Dave Weekes Great framing, dynamically positioned figures and the red floor of the dojo hitting you right in the eye makes this image of a Japanese judo session seriously striking. 9. 243/365 by Juan Calderon All it takes in this clever shot is two shadows and you can instantly recognize the sport. 10. Waiting for Tour de France @ Mont Ventoux VIII by Hans de Kort With colors that just zing, this shot was snapped during the Tour de France cycle race, but then, with all that signage in the background, you already knew that! BONUS: The Basketball I by Alexander Kesselaar We've saved this detail shot for last. This basketball, with intense zoom loses its spherical qualities and become a study in texture, looking almost organic in nature. More iPhone Photography Resources from Mashable:
Thumbnail image courtesy of Alexander Kesselaar Follow Us on Picplz for an Inside Look at Mashable HQ »More About: apple lists, flickr, galleries, gallery, iphone, iphoneography, iphonography, iphotography, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, photography For more Mobile coverage:
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| Which Films Captured the Most Twitter Buzz During the Super Bowl? [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 07 Feb 2011 10:13 AM PST   The halftime show (ouch) wasn’t the only thing folks were buzzing about during last night’s Super Bowl; the Twitterverse also gave ample attention to ads of upcoming films. Judging from this infographic, courtesy of international digital PR and social media agency Way To Blue, Captain America swooped in to steal the evening with nearly 18,000 tweets, followed by Transformers 3. Thor secured a nice piece of publicity pie with nearly 13,000 tweets, while Just Go With It sputtered along with 243 tweets. Which film advertised during the Super Bowl are you most excited about? Image courtesy of Flickr, Mike Licht More About: captain-america, Film, super-bowl-2011, thor, twitter For more Media coverage:
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| Attend Mashable’s NextUp NYC Event This Tuesday Posted: 07 Feb 2011 09:43 AM PST   This Tuesday evening, Mashable is hosting the fifth NextUp NYC event where Vadim Lavrusik, our community manager and social media strategist, will lead a discussion on what skills news organizations will demand in the future and the tools journalists will need to be successful. The panel will include:
 Submit your questions in the comments below or tweet your question @Mashable with #JMash. We’ll use some of the best questions as points for discussion. There will be an audience Q&A following the discussion. Details Hashtag: #jmash Tickets are still available to join us at the 92YTribeca for the conversation, followed by open bar and networking. This Mashable NextUp NYC event is part of Social Media Week New York. For more information or to view the Social Media Week schedule, go to Socialmediaweek.org. Thank You to Our Sponsor
More About: journalism, media, nextup-nyc, social media week For more Media coverage:
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| Kids React to the Golden-Voiced Homeless Man Viral Video Posted: 07 Feb 2011 09:02 AM PST The Fine Brothers are back with another installment of Kids React to Viral Videos, and this time they’ve got the cadre of children chatting about Ted Williams, the Golden-Voiced Homeless man (among other vids). Check out the above video for varied definitions of the term “homeless,” as well as thoughts on “Charlie Bit My Finger” and “Double Dream Hands.” More About: ted-williams, viral video, youtube For more Video coverage:
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| Last.fm on Mobile and CE Devices to Become Subscription-Only Posted: 07 Feb 2011 08:30 AM PST   Come February 15, Last.fm fans will no longer be able to use the service’s radio feature on mobile apps and home entertainment devices for free. According to a blog post on the Last.fm website, the radio service will stay free on the Last.fm site in the U.S., UK and Germany, and for folks in the U.S. and UK who access it via Xbox Live and Windows Mobile 7 phones. It will also remain a free service on the Last.fm desktop app — but when it comes to other mobile apps and consumer electronics like Sonos, Last.fm users will have to start ponying up for the ad-free radio experience. “On the Last.fm website an ad-supported, free-to-listeners model is what supports our online radio services in the US, UK and Germany,” the blog post explains. “In other markets and on emerging mobile and home entertainment devices, it is not practical for us to deliver an ad supported radio experience.” This move basically puts Last.fm on par with other music subscription services like Pandora and Slacker Radio. Pandora and Slacker, however, still have free, ad-supported apps for mobile. Slacker costs about $47.88 for its premium service, while Pandora costs $36 for a one-year subscription. A subscription to Last.fm costs $36 per year as well. Will Last.fm’s price change drive you to try out another service? Or will you stick to Scrobbling? Image courtesy of iStockphoto, shulz More About: last fm, music subscription For more Media coverage:
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| Posted: 07 Feb 2011 08:06 AM PST
3D technology has come a long way since Wheatstone developed his stereoscope, then used to view static images and eventually pictures. Now we get to wear Wayfarer knock-offs and enjoy 3D films, television shows and video games. For some people, seeing cool images might be enough. But others might be curious how Pandora was brought to life, or how TRON: Legacy zapped them into its glowing world. The answer is both reassuringly simple and inordinately complex, depending on who you ask and how you look at it. How do 3D films work? What’s the difference between polarity and anaglyph (we’ll get there), and what are the next steps for 3D gadgets and imagery? Have a look below for a breakdown of how today’s “it” technology functions. Plus, we put in some sweet looking pictures. What’s not to love? A tremendous thank you to David Leitner, Rob Willox and Professor Ian Howard for their collective insight and help in describing the various forms of 3D technology below. Stereoscopy 101 Big words! Academic nomenclature! Relax, this is actually the easy part. 3D, or “stereoscopy,” refers to how your eyes and brain create the impression of a third dimension. Human eyes are approximately 50 mm to 75 mm apart — accordingly, each eye sees a slightly different part of the world. Don’t believe me? Hold up a pen, pencil or any other thin object. Close one eye. Now switch. The image on either side should be pretty similar but slightly offset, like that line behind the woman’s head in the picture above. These two slightly different images enter the brain, at which point it does some high-powered geometry to make up for the disparity between the two images. This disparity is “3D” — essentially, your brain making up for the fact that you’re getting two different perspectives of the same thing. This is also, essentially, what modern 3D technology is trying to replicate. All those silly sunglasses and silver-coated projectors are all designed to feed your individual eyes different perspectives of the same image. Easy, right? Well, yes. It is pretty easy for your brain to figure out the disparity between the two images. Your brain can automatically figure out all the angles and math and geometry to sync the images. The hard part is getting a camera to do the same thing, and to get those individual images to your individual eyes without butchering the whole effect. What We Watch FilmsFilm has been one of the pioneers of 3D, thanks to its hefty budgets and some technological daring. There are largely two ways 3D has been achieved in motion pictures: anaglyph and polarized glasses.
Much more common is the use of polarized glasses, which take advantage of the fact that light can be polarized, or given different orientations. For example, one image can be projected in a horizontal direction while the second can be projected in a vertical direction. The corresponding glasses would allow horizontal polarization in one eye and vertical polarization in the other. The problem is that this kind of 3D requires you to keep your head still, à la A Clockwork Orange. Tilting your head can distort how the waves get to your eyes, messing with the color and 3D effect. Also not cool.  This is the tricky part. To counteract this, 3D now uses rotational polarity, meaning the film being projected actually has two different spins to it. The glasses then pick up those opposite rotations — clockwise in one eye, counterclockwise in another eye — to separate the image. Now you can tilt your head or place it on your boy/girlfriend’s shoulder and still be able to watch the movie. TelevisionIt’s possible to use the same techniques in film projectors for home theaters, but you would need some serious cash. Films use special silver-coated screens that are much better at reflecting light back to the viewing audience. Your television, unfortunately, is not silver-coated. There are, however, two ways to get 3D at home: active and passive. The most common, active 3D, involves wearing those electronic RoboCop glasses. The glasses are synced up to your television and actively open and close shutters in front of your eyes, allowing only one eye to see the screen at a time. This sounds like a recipe for a stroke, but the shutters move so quickly that they’re hardly noticeable. These shutter lenses are made possible because of the refresh rate on televisions. 3D-enabled televisions have high image refresh rates, meaning the actual image on screen is quickly loaded and reloaded. Through the glasses, you receive one constant image instead of a flicker.  Passive systems are less common but run much like your 3D film. These televisions have a thin, lenticular screen over the standard display. A lenticular screen is made up of a series of incredibly thin magnifying strips that show a slightly different perspective of the screen to each eye, as illustrated above. While this technology doesn’t require bulky, expensive glasses, it can limit the image quality. Essentially, each eye only sees one half of the screen at any given time. For example, if a screen had 100 pixels, 50 pixels would be magnified and sent to the left eye and the other 50 pixels would be magnified and sent to the right eye. In practice, your brain is actually able to put the two images together and retain the entire 100 pixel fidelity. How It’s Made Cameras
Close-ups, a staple of modern film, are hard to capture in 3D because the cameras need to be extraordinarily close together to mimic the angle of your eyes. To solve this, filmmakers sometimes use mirror rigs. Mirror rigs film through one lens, and that image is then bounced by a tiny internal mirror to another camera where a second image can be recorded. Providing there are no imperfections on the mirror (including scratches, dirt or warping), the close-up will be filmed in 3D. Computer Graphics There is a difference between creating three-dimensional graphics and images that appear to be 3D in the theater. Again, it’s all just a matter of some high-tech geometry. To get a movie like Toy Story 3 into 3D, animators create two versions of each frame, one from the perspective of each eye. Because computer-generated movies don’t need cameras, it’s much easier to get perfectly synced images and to fine-tune any mistakes in post-production. The downside is that this technique requires a lot of time and elbow grease to get perfect. It’s possible to create a 3D video game using the same technique; however, games add their own complications. Films and shows are largely pre-recorded and all have a fixed perspective — you can’t move the camera’s focus or orientation when you’re watching a film. Video games allow you to change the perspective by moving your on-screen character. This creates a labor-intensive problem since animators need to create objects that can be seen in 3D from a variety of angles depending on where the user is looking and moving. The Future One of the toughest problems to solve with 3D technology is the fundamental halving of any image. Lenticular screens send half the image to each eye, shutter lens glasses physically block one eye from seeing the image, and polarized glasses only send half the displayed light to each eye. The human eye needs approximately 50 frames per second in order to see film as one continuous image. 3D effectively halves that so each eye would only see 25 frames per second and get some nauseating flicker. Modern technology has been able to significantly up that frame rate (or refresh rate in televisions) so that we can achieve the illusion of 3D. Advances in computing and memory have also made 3D possible in a number of handheld and consumer products. There are already prototypes for 3D laptops, cameras, camcorders, and a variety of other tech.  In the coming years, keep a look out for technology that uses autostereoscopy, or 3D that doesn’t require glasses in any way. The Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo’s newest portable 3D gaming device, is one such device. One of its tricks is syncing a lenticular display with its forward-facing camera. By using eye recognition, it can track where the user’s face is and shift the display to accurately display 3D no matter how the user views the screens. Look for autostereoscopy to test the waters on handheld devices before it heads to large format screens. We’re just at the start of what 3D can offer, with a lot more successes and failures to occur in the meantime. Let us know in the comments what you hope to see for the future of 3D, or what 3D-enabled tech you’re looking to scoop up. Series Supported by Dolby  The Innovative Entertainment Series is supported by Dolby. On February 18th, Adam West could read your Facebook status. “Like” the Dolby page to watch it live, on camera. More Tech Resources from Mashable:
Images courtesy of iStockphoto, dave9296, Flickr, Surimage, iSchmuts, spike55151, dpape, Videotechnology, scottslone, tonx More About: 3D, camera, how to, Innovative Entertainment Series, lenticular, polarized glasses, shutter lens, stereoscopy, tech, technology, three dimension, trending For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Facebook Privacy: 10 Settings Every User Needs to Know Posted: 07 Feb 2011 06:55 AM PST   Facebook’s privacy settings are extremely detailed, giving you the ability to fine-tune the privacy aspects of almost every little part of your Facebook account. Unfortunately, for most users, this level of micromanagement makes Facebook’s privacy settings a convoluted mess. Even worse, these settings change often; you may think you know everything there is about them, only to be greeted with a completely different layout and a bunch of new options the next time you visit the dreaded Facebook Privacy Settings page. So, what do you do when you’ve got over 170 options to choose from? You focus on the most important ones. We’ve entered Facebook’s maze of privacy options and came out on the other side bruised, battered, but with 10 essential settings in our hands. Disregard them at your own peril! 1. Sharing on Facebook Account > Privacy Settings > Sharing on Facebook Controlling how you share content is quite complex and will probably make your head hurt, but it’s essential that you take a good look at the settings and decide for yourself what you want to share and with whom. Facebook gives you the easy way out: You can share content with Everyone, Friends of Friends, or Friends only. However, if you’re using lists (see item number eight on this list), you might want to customize the settings and set a certain type of content to be visible to the people on some of your lists, and invisible to others. For example, only my close friends can see all my photos, while business associates can see just a few. It’s important to note the “Preview my Profile” option which lets you see your profile as someone else would. Setting all the options just right can sometimes be tricky. When in doubt, defer to this option. 2. Existing Photos Account > Privacy Settings > Sharing on Facebook > Customize Settings > Edit album privacy for existing photos Settings for sharing content on Facebook can be treacherous as they don’t always apply to all your existing photos. With this setting, you can go through your old albums and change the privacy setting for each one, including your Wall Photos. 3. Checking In to PlacesAccount > Privacy Settings > Sharing on Facebook > Customize Settings > Friends can check me in to Places Another setting under Sharing on Facebook often goes unnoticed, and it can be very important, as it lets your friends check you in to Places. Having someone else telling the world where you are can be unpleasant and even dangerous in some cases. If you want to avoid it, disable this feature. 4. Connecting on Facebook Account > Privacy Settings > Connecting on Facebook Privacy settings for sharing content on Facebook are separated from the settings for connecting, which basically means sharing information about you: Your photo, gender, age, education, hometown etc. Furthermore, these settings determine how people can find you on Facebook. Can they do it simply by searching for your name? Can anyone add you as a friend, and send you a message? Here, you can change those settings to Friends Only, Friends of Friends, Everyone or — in some cases — customize them. For example, if you get pestered by too many anonymous messages, you might consider letting only your friends send them. Be careful: If you set everything to the strictest available privacy setting, people may have a harder time finding you on Facebook. 5. Apps You Use Account > Privacy Settings > Apps and Websites > Apps You Use This is another painful setting as it usually means wading through dozens of apps and either removing them or editing the privacy settings for each of them individually. We suggest removing all of the apps you’re not using (hint: If you can’t remember what it is, you probably don’t need it), and carefully reviewing the permissions you’ve given each individual app. For example, some apps like to post on your Wall even though they don’t require the option to function. 6. Instant Personalization Account > Privacy Settings > Apps and Websites > Instant Personalization We’ve covered this setting in-depth before. For detailed info on what it does, check out this article. Essentially, it lets third-party websites personalize your experience, which can be nice, but it also allows access to your personal data. You can opt-out of Instant Personalization on individual third-party websites, such as Pandora, simply by clicking on “No Thanks” when asked about it. However, on Facebook you can completely disable it by leaving the checkbox before “Enable instant personalization on partner websites” unchecked. 7. Info Accessible to Your Friends Account > Privacy Settings > Apps and Websites > Info accessible through your friends This is where Facebook’s privacy settings get really tricky, and most users don’t realize it. No matter how tight your privacy settings are, you’re still sharing some of your content and info with a group of people, even if it’s only your closest friends. However, what you share with them doesn’t necessarily end with them, especially if their privacy settings are lax. In the end, your friends might be sharing your info with third-party services, which is precisely what you want to avoid. With this setting, you can set exactly what information is available to apps and websites if your friends use them. 8. Public Search Account > Privacy Settings > Apps and Websites > Public Search When someone searches for you on a search engine, they might get a preview of your public profile which, in some cases, can be very revealing. If you don’t want that to happen, you should turn this option off. 9. Friend ListsFriends > Edit Friends > Create a List
This is where Friend Lists come into play. By creating lists of — for example — your family members, close friends and business acquaintances, you can finely tune the details you want to share with each list (as explained above). Creating lists can be a bit dull at first, especially if you start doing it when you already have hundreds of friends, but once you set them up, it’s easy to add each new friend to a particular list. 10. Enabling HTTPS Account > Account Settings > Account Security > Secure Browsing (HTTPS) The last setting we’d like to highlight has more to do with security than privacy. However, if someone hacks into your account or sniffs your data (which can be easily done with an app like Firesheep), all the privacy settings in the world won’t help you protect it. Recently, Facebook started introducing HTTPS support, which makes it a lot harder for someone connected to the same network to sniff your password and other data. It makes Facebook a bit slower, and certain features don’t work yet, but we highly recommend it as HTTPS is essential to online security on all web services, not just Facebook. If the option isn’t available to you just yet, don’t worry. Facebook promised it will gradually roll out the feature in the following weeks. More Privacy Resources from Mashable:
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| This Morning’s Top 3 Stories in Social Media & Tech Posted: 07 Feb 2011 06:35 AM PST   Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on three particular stories of interest today. AOL Acquires Huffington Post for $315 Million AOL has acquired The Huffington Post for $315 million. As part of the deal, Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington will be appointed president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, which will include all Huffington Post and AOL content. Motorola Xoom Might Come to Best Buy February 24 for $800 A leaked Best Buy flyer reveals a possible price ($799.99) and launch date (February 24) for Motorola's upcoming Android tablet, the Xoom. “Super Bowl Sunday” Becomes Foursquare’s Most Popular Venue Ever 200,000 people used Foursquare to check in to Super Bowl Sunday, the first promoted trending venue the social network has run. Further News
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59 More About: aol, first to know series, foursquare, Huffington Post, motorola xoom, Super Bowl For more Social Media coverage:
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| Virgin Mobile Seeks Bloggers for Lady Gaga Tour Posted: 07 Feb 2011 06:15 AM PST   At the moment, about 40,000 people “like” Virgin Mobile on Facebook, but the brand hopes to hit 1 million by the end of the year using a tie-in with Lady Gaga. The telecom brand is working with social media talent marketing firm Talenthouse on a new program that hopes to transfer some of Lady Gaga’s 27.7 million Facebook fans over to Virgin Mobile. On Monday, Virgin Mobile is launching a contest to find 10 official bloggers for new dates in Lady Gaga’s “Monster Ball” tour. To enter, bloggers are encouraged to send a short video to Virgin Mobile Live’s Facebook page displaying their “best work.” Then the public votes via Facebook. Every submission will be housed on Facebook and will require a “like” to be submitted. Amos Pizzey, president and founder of Talenthouse, says that although Virgin Mobile has a goal for its “likes,” the brand understands that certain fans have disproportionate influence. “They want the right ‘likes,’” says Pizzey. “They want people who are there to consume content.” The deal between Lady Gaga and Virgin Mobile comes after the pop star inked a deal with Polaroid to develop a new line of photo-capturing gadgets. Lady Gaga began the Monster Ball tour in 2010, but decided to extend it in 2011, starting this month. More About: facebook, Lady Gaga, virgin mobile For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| Anti-Spam Search Engine Blekko Averaging 1 Million Queries Per Day Posted: 07 Feb 2011 06:00 AM PST   Blekko’s alternative, human-curated search engine now averages 1 million queries a day and between 10 to 15 queries per second just three months after launch, according to January figures the startup released Monday. Blekko’s secret sauce is its slashtags — topic tags auto-fired or appended by users to queries to limit search results to those from curated sets of websites. Blekko is reporting that there are now more than 110,000 human-curated slashtags. Blekko CEO Rich Skrenta sees the figure as proof that the slashtag approach is resonating with users. “We're happy at how quickly users have adopted the idea of a new search engine and have created so many quality slashtags just three months since launch,” he says. With 66.6% market share in the U.S., search is Google’s domain to lose. Blekko’s plan of attack has been crafting a narrative that paints the upstart as renegade, most recently by eliminating all results from 20 content farm sites it labelled as spam. In previous conversations, both Skrenta and Blekko founder Mike Markson appeared grounded in the reality that Blekko would not be making a dent in Google’s search share anytime soon. Still, at launch, the pair shared that Blekko’s model is such that it could be a profitable company at 1 million to 2 million queries per day. Having hit the smaller end of the spectrum, the question is whether the startup will begin to employ ads on the currently pristine site to start generating revenue. Blekko has raised $24 million since being founded in 2007. Earlier this month, the startup released an iPhone and Android application with features similar to those available on the web. More About: blekko, Google, Search, startup For more Startups coverage:
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Name: 
In 1838, Sir Charles Wheatstone first described the process of stereopsis: the process by which humans perceive three dimensions from two highly similar, overlaid images. Or, the process by which Avatar looks like a mind-blowingly immersive alien landscape instead of a bunch of brightly colored fuzz.
Anaglyph is a fancy way of referring to the red-and-blue glasses we used to wear. By projecting a film in those colors — one in red, one in blue — each eye would get an individual perspective and your brain would put the 3D effect together. Other colors could be used, providing they were distinct enough to be separated on screen. This technique, however, didn’t allow for a full range of color and had a tendency to “ghost,” or have the once-distinct images bleed into one another. Not cool.
There is a lot of fancy footwork that goes into creating 3D. The real heavy lifting, however, is all just a matter of geometry and precision. To get a 3D image, you essentially need two versions of the same scene filmed from the precisely correct angle as if your eyes were seeing the same scene. Filmmakers need to triangulate the distance between the two cameras and make sure they are focused on the same object. They also need to zoom and track, or move, at the same speed, otherwise the images won’t sync up. In modern film rigs, these two cameras are bolted into place preventing any unwanted jostling or disparity.
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