Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Facebook Rolling Out Brand New Photos Interface” |
- Facebook Rolling Out Brand New Photos Interface
- Designers: Try This Gorgeous Project Management App for Freelancers
- Skip Craigslist & Strangers, Sell Your Stuff to Friends With Keepio
- How We Use Social Media During Emergencies [INFOGRAPHIC]
- X-Men: First Class Trailer Hits YouTube [VIDEO]
- Pandora Files for IPO
- Why Microsoft Is Nokia’s Last Best Hope [OPINION]
- 7 Free Music Playlists for Valentine’s Day
- MTV Joins Instagram for Grammy Coverage
- Introducing the Geek Games at the Mashable SXSWi House
- Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: The Bad Date Edition
- How Brands Can Make the Most of Facebook’s New Pages
- Watson vs. Jeopardy: The Early Years [COMIC]
- Do Not Track Bill Introduced in Congress
- Spin Partners With Shuffler.fm to Make Reading a Musical Experience
- AOL Puts Mainstream Media To Shame
- Groupon Pulls Controversial Ad Campaign
- Washington Post Announces Personalized News Aggregation Site
- #TypeNerdyToMe: Top 5 Valentine One-Liners [PICS]
- Slacker Radio Raises $3 Million, Plans to Launch On-Demand Near SXSW
- Facebook’s Revamped Messaging System Now Rolling Out to All Users
- New Samsung Galaxy Tablet Specs Leaked [REPORT]
- Advertisers Launch Dashboards for Real-Time Fashion Week Coverage
- YouTube & Twitter React to Mubarak’s Resignation
- Opera Browser Heading for iPad
- How Premium Fashion Brands Are Maximizing Their Social Media ROI
- Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters
- Egyptian President Steps Down Amidst Groundbreaking Digital Revolution
- Avoid the Crowds With Clever New Foursquare API Application
- What Is 4G? An FAQ On Next Generation Wireless
| Facebook Rolling Out Brand New Photos Interface Posted: 11 Feb 2011 11:56 PM PST      Tonight, we’re seeing Facebook‘s all-new design for displaying photos rolling out to quite a few users. It features larger images, a lightbox-type UI and other features that put Facebook in even more competition with Flickr on the casual and social photography front. We got wind of these new Facebook Photos features some months ago around the end of September. And while some users have had this feature for a while, we were beginning to wonder why Facebook was delaying a general roll-out. However, Facebook did confirm yesterday that the new photo viewer was on its way to all users soon; and tonight, we’re seeing this new interface from several accounts. One major benefit, from Facebook’s perspective, is that users will be able to browse through many photos in the lightbox layer without disrupting the underlying page and “losing their place.” Other features include hi-res photos, photo-download links and bulk tagging options. In fact, as we noted last fall, many of these feature upgrades strongly mirror recent changes to Flickr’s own UI during the summer of 2010. Along with Tag Suggestions, a.k.a. nascent facial recognition technology, Facebook’s photo offering, which has long been a distinguishing factor of the social network, is remaining strong and competitive. Check your Facebook account to see if you have the new interface; if you don’t have it tonight, expect it to come over the next couple weeks. In the comments, let us know what you think of the new Facebook Photos. Are these improvements more welcome to you than other changes Facebook has made in the past? More About: facebook, New, Photos, UI For more Social Media coverage:
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| Designers: Try This Gorgeous Project Management App for Freelancers Posted: 11 Feb 2011 11:06 PM PST   We’ve just come across Solo, a beautiful new app for freelance designers — and considering the app is intended for use in the design community, the attention to details such as color, typography, animations and texture couldn’t have been used on a better project. Solo is a project management application for designers of all stripes, both traditional and digital. Right now, designers can try it free for 10 days; afterward, it costs £5 per month. The experience starts with a dashboard, a snapshot of all the projects, clients and deadlines you’re juggling at the moment. From this big-picture view, you can zoom in on timesheets, invoices, client contacts, and your own personal journal. Perhaps best of all, the app is really, really pretty. When viewed at full-size, the pages show a stunning depth of nuance rarely seen in web apps. You’ll need to sign up for yourself to get a true feel for the app’s UI, but you can take a look at these sample screenshots to get a rough idea: Click to see larger versions. The downside is the app is still in a very early stage, hence the low introductory price. You’re likely to find a couple bugs lurking here and there in the software; and many features, such as client logins, document uploads, messaging and design blog feeds are still “coming soon.” Still, it’s definitely worth a try while it’s fresh. Solo is the freshman release from UK software shop Thrive. A company rep wrote in an email, “We’ve been beavering away for the last nine months creating a new online management tool for freelancers… Being designers ourselves, we love the creative input and critical eye of our peers. At the end of the day, Solo is for us and you.” Sign up for the app’s 10-day free trial, and let us know what you think in the comments. Is this something you’d use as a freelance designer? What other features would be useful? More About: design, design app, freelance, freelancers, so1o, solo, web design For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| Skip Craigslist & Strangers, Sell Your Stuff to Friends With Keepio Posted: 11 Feb 2011 09:39 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: Keepio helps you keep track of collections and sell belongings within your social graph. Genius Idea: Sometime in June, college seniors’ Facebook news feeds start to look a lot like Craigslist. As recent graduates move out of apartments, they turn to their social networks to unload used furniture, posters and other items. Why not just use eBay, Amazon, or Craigslist? Well, eBay and Amazon charge a transaction fee and shipping costs. Craiglist usually requires a face-to-face interaction with a stranger. It’s just easier to sell stuff to people who you already know. Keepio runs with this concept. The transaction platform makes it easy for anyone to post items for sale on Facebook, Twitter and within your own Keepio network. You decide if you want to make each of your listings private, public or kept between your Keepio friends. People who land on your Keepio page can browse all of your publicly listed items. The site also wants to help manage belongings that you don’t intend to sell. Posting a comic collection or art collection could help organize it, and users can share their collections with fellow enthusiasts. Groups on the site make it easy to browse collections belonging to people with similar interests and purchase used items. This concept is somewhat similar to the way Snooth helps wine enthusiasts catalog and share their collections, what Listal does for media collections, and WhatUCollect does for all collections. Keepio, by contrast, hopes to appeal to enthusiasts of all kinds, whether their passions require camping gear, scuba diving equipment or a garden that produces a surplus of vegetables. Instead of charging a transaction fee, Keepio’s revenue will come from learning what its users are interested in and presenting targeted messaging based on that information. For instance, advertisers could send an extended warranty to someone they know previously purchased their products. The startup is still bootstrapping for now, but it has acquired a broad base of users (if not a particularly deep one) in 16 different countries since launching in 2010.  Image courtesy of iStockphoto, thesuperph. Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
More About: amazon, craigslist, ebay, Keepio, transaction platform For more Startups coverage:
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| How We Use Social Media During Emergencies [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 11 Feb 2011 08:33 PM PST   The use of social media during national and international crises, both natural and political, is something that Mashable has followed with great interest over the past few years. As a culture, we started becoming more aware of the power of social media during times of crisis, like when the Iran election in 2009 caused a furor, both on the ground and on Twitter. More recently, the Internet and social media played an important role in spreading news about the earthquake in Haiti and political revolution in Egypt. But what about other kinds of natural disasters or crime? Can social media be used to good effect then? In 2009, two girls trapped in a storm water drain used Facebook to ask for help rather than calling emergency services from their mobile phones. At the time, authorities were concerned about the girls’ seemingly counterintuitive action. However, according to new research from the American Red Cross, the Congressional Management Foundation and other organizations, social media could stand to play a larger and more formal role in emergency response. In fact, almost half the respondents in a recent survey said they would use social media in the event of a disaster to let relatives and friends know they were safe. Take a look at the data presented below, courtesy of CreditLoan, and in the comments section, let us know how — or if — you would want to use social media during an emergency. Click to see large version. More About: disaster, emergency, emergency response, infographic, social media For more Social Media coverage:
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| X-Men: First Class Trailer Hits YouTube [VIDEO] Posted: 11 Feb 2011 06:11 PM PST   If you like Cold War-flavored, comic book-inspired action flicks (and who doesn’t?), here’s something to kick off your weekend. We’ve got a long wait until the theatrical premiere of the next X-Men installment from the Marvel comic universe, X-Men: First Class, but here’s a sneak peak at what the film will entail, courtesy of a 2-minute YouTube trailer. According to accompanying text, we learn that the new movie in the successful comic-to-silver-screen franchise “charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga and reveals a secret history of famous global events.
The film, which won’t be in theaters until June 3, 2011, is seen by Fox as both a prequel to the three primary X-Men films and as the beginning on a new trilogy. X-Men: First Class is produced by Bryan Singer, directed by Matthew Vaughn and stars James McAvoy as the young Professor X; Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr, who becomes Magneto; Kevin Bacon as villain Sebastian Shaw; and January Jones as Emma Frost. Principal photography took place in London. X-Men: First Class is the fifth in the X-Men film series, which includes X-Men, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Will you be going to see the new X-Men film when it’s in theaters? More About: comic books, comics, Film, Fox, Marvel, movie, trending, x-men, x-men first class, xmen For more Media coverage:
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| Posted: 11 Feb 2011 02:38 PM PST   Pandora has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, setting the music-recommendation service on the path toward an initial public offering. Rumors of an IPO had been intensifying over the past month, with the company said to be looking to raise $100 million in an offering. Pandora did not disclose the size of its offering in its filing, but it did reveal detailed financials. For the nine months ended October 31, 2010, the company reports revenue of $90 million, with the bulk of it ($77.8 million) coming from advertising and the rest from subscriptions. The company is essentially at break even, with a loss of just $0.3 million in that same period. Pandora also now has more than 80 million registered users, with the average listener tuning into the service for more than 10 hours per month. The majority of that activity now takes place on mobile devices, with the company also saying that the “number of listener hours on mobile devices has surpassed listener hours on traditional computers and we expect that this trend will continue and is likely to accelerate.” More recently, the company has been working to embed its service in more places, including autos and Internet-connected televisions. The filing comes as the market for tech offerings continues to heat up, with Demand Media successfully completing its $150 million IPO last month, with other big deals including LinkedIn, Kayak and Skype likely to take place later this year. More About: ipo, music, online music, pandora For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| Why Microsoft Is Nokia’s Last Best Hope [OPINION] Posted: 11 Feb 2011 02:24 PM PST   As rumored, Nokia announced Friday that it is entering into a “broad strategic partnership” with Microsoft and adopting Windows Phone 7 as its primary smartphone strategy. The announcement came days after a leaked memo from Nokia CEO Stephen Elop hit the press. The memo, which was unusually frank, referred to Nokia as “standing on a burning platform” in the face of competition from Google and Apple. With Symbian barely clinging to its lead in the smartphone space and MeeGo still not shipping, Nokia needed to do something drastic. This is drastic. It’s also Nokia’s only option. Tomi Ahonen, mobile analyst and former Nokia executive, disagrees (Ahonen also doubted the authenticity of Elop’s memo), but he is one of the few commentators in the wireless industry who actually thinks Nokia’s old smartphone strategy was correct. The problems Nokia faces are already well documented — most notably by Elop himself — and when looking at its possible options, it becomes clear that partnering with Microsoft is the company’s only hope of reversing course. Why Not Android?
If it were 2008 and not 2011, Android might be a good option for Nokia. Back then, Android was unproven, and handset makers were still waiting things out to see if the platform was worth a significant investment. Companies that aligned with Android early on — like HTC and Motorola — have flourished in the smartphone space. In 2011, however, the Android ecosystem is crowded. Many of the biggest Android handset makers are former Symbian licensees. If Nokia were to adopt Android, it would be entering a competitive space and be forced to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack. With Microsoft, Nokia is joining a platform that is just starting out. Yes, OEMs have already signed on to Windows Phone 7, but the platform is still in its beginning stages. At the Nokia Conversations blog, the company writes:
Nokia has a real chance to help influence and shape Windows Phone 7. Microsoft seems to be willing to give Nokia power and authority over the platform that Google hasn’t extended to any of its licensing partners. Developer Culture
Microsoft and Nokia have very similar approaches when it comes to developer communications. Both companies do a good job of getting developers the tools that they need. Developing and deploying apps is about more than just the SDK and the toolkit — it’s also about the underlying market infrastructure and the support. For all of Android’s strengths, Google’s overall developer support is still lackluster and deploying pay apps in countries that are not supported by Google Checkout requires developers to make individual carrier agreements or seek alternative app stores. Meanwhile, with Windows Phone 7, Nokia will be pushing developers onto an ecosystem for which Microsoft will provide the tools, documentation and support, and Nokia will still be bringing its own backend infrastructure to the party. Nokia’s press release specifically states that its operator billing agreements will be carried over into Windows Phone 7. In other words, developers that follow Nokia to Windows Phone 7 won’t be losing the existing support ecosystems already in place. Moreover, because Nokia is coming on-board as a strategic partner and not just as another OEM, the company should have an impact on future developments of Windows Phone 7′s hardware and software. For developers, that means that the innovations that Nokia has introduced in the past may find their way into Windows Phone 7. Nokia has reiterated that it sees this partnership as a way to bring Windows Phone to more geographies and more price points. For developers looking to target lower-priced phones while still working on a current, modern platform, Nokia’s contributions to Windows Phone 7 might just make the platform more attractive. Execution is EssentialPartnering with Microsoft may have been Nokia’s only option, but it isn’t a guarantee of success. As Google’s Vic Gundotra tweeted, “two turkeys do not make an eagle.” I would take issue with classifying either Microsoft or Nokia as turkeys, but the point is, this is a partnership that absolutely relies on a solid execution strategy. The faster that Nokia and Microsoft can sign a definitive agreement, the better. Both Nokia and Microsoft have been slow to adapt to the changing nature of the smartphone market. The longer it takes for the first Nokia-branded Windows Phone to hit stores, the lower the chances for success it will have. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, manley099 More About: microsoft, Nokia, Symbian, windows phone 7 For more Mobile coverage:
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| 7 Free Music Playlists for Valentine’s Day Posted: 11 Feb 2011 01:38 PM PST   If music be the food of love, the eternally headphoned set should hypothetically be stocked up with sweethearts come Monday. Hypothetically. Even if you’re not hooked to the hip on the 14th, that doesn’t mean you can’t listen to some romantic jams — and quietly cry into your half-empty box of chocolates. Here’s seven playlists to suit your romantic mood — whether it be bitter or sweet — including a list replete with jams handpicked by the swoony Mashable staff. 1. Pandora: ’80s Love Songs The ’80s were arguably the best era for (semi-raunchy) romantic comedies — so put on some pink, get yourself looking pretty and pump up these jams at that wild dance party you’re planning on throwing while the ‘rents are out of town. (Just make sure to stow the curios away in the basement so that your mom’s Hummel collection stays out of harm’s way.) 2. Slacker: Country Love Radio Country songs are all about love! And tractors. Whether you’re courting or farming (or both) this V’Day, this station is sure to get your achy, breaky heart pattering. 3. SoundCloud: Mr. Jonathan Toubin’s NY Night Train Soul Clap ClassicsLove ain’t nothing without soul, so that’s why we’re including a free downloadable mix from New York’s best DJ, Mr. Jonathan Toubin. Download and dance — even if you scare the honeys away with your not-so-sick moves. 4. Amazon: Free Valentine’s Day PlaylistOnce more, Amazon comes through with the sans-fees goods. There’s a song by Ginuwine (not “Pony,” sadly), so you know it’s good. 5. Rhapsody: Valentine’s Day Classical Collection For the candles, roses and champagne cadre — here’s some classy classical from Rhapsody. Listen without paying during your free trial, or prune roses and buy a subscription instead. 6. Vevo: Lovers Rock In our humble opinion, there is no better gift than a mixtape — it’s personal, laboriously concocted and much less embarrassing to carry around than a giant pink teddy bear. Vevo is holding a contest this saccharine season to find a personalized V’Day playlist to feature on its homepage on the 14th. If your object of affection (or intense stalk-age) digs music, we recommend showing him/her (and the entire Vevo community) that you care by entering said contest. 7. Songza: Mashable’s Valentine’s Day Mix The Mashable staff has chosen their poison: Love songs. Guess who picked which jams. Hint: “99 Problems” was not my selection. More Social Music Resources from Mashable:
Main image courtesy of Flickr, bjornmeansbear, Mixtape image courtesy of Flickr, miss_rogue More About: amazon, music, pandora, rhapsody, Slacker-Radio, songza, soundcloud, valentine's day For more Media coverage:
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| MTV Joins Instagram for Grammy Coverage Posted: 11 Feb 2011 01:29 PM PST   MTV is joining the legion of news outlets flocking to photo-sharing app Instagram this weekend, with live coverage of the red carpet at the Grammys. According to MTV, Instagram coverage will come courtesy of MTV News‘s Sway Calloway, and Jersey Shore‘s infamous Snooki. Grammy fans can follow the @MTV Instagram account or search for #MTV or #MTVNews to see pics from the event. MTV will also live stream red carpet shenanigans on MTV.com from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET on Sunday. MTV’s decision to embrace Instagram further indicates the growing popularity of the app, which has been facing off against rival PicPlz of late. Photo courtesy of Flickr, NVS_Inc More About: grammys, instagram, mobile apps, mtv For more Media coverage:
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| Introducing the Geek Games at the Mashable SXSWi House Posted: 11 Feb 2011 01:21 PM PST
Mashable will invite 64 teams consisting of two to five players to participate in a single-elimination tournament of head-to-head matches in skeeball, foosball, trivia and more. There will be prizes for the winning team. More information on sign-ups for the Geek Games will be coming soon. Located at Buffalo Billiards, the Mashable SXSWi House is hosting a variety of public and private events ranging from VIP dinners to open networking opportunities and parties, including the third annual MashBash SXSWi party on Sunday, March 13 with music by DJ Chicken George. Register for public events at the SXSWi Mashable House on Eventbrite. The event is open to all 21+ SXSWi badge holders Thanks to our sponsors Come check out the Pepsi MAX truck experience at 3rd St. and San Jacinto. Follow @PepsiMAX on Twitter for the daily schedule including locations for exclusive film screenings, huge concerts, happy hours, BBQs, and giveaways! And, well, lots of free soda.  Sony Electronics is a leading provider of audio/video electronics and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Sony is noted for a wide range of consumer audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA® LCD and 3D high-definition televisions, Cyber-shot® and α (alpha) digital cameras, Handycam® camcorder and Walkman® personal stereo. Sony is also an innovator in the IT arena with its VAIO® personal computers; and in high-definition professional broadcast and production equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM® HD and CineAlta™ lines of cameras and camcorders, and the SXRD™ 4K digital projector. Join the Sony Conversation at Sony.com/Blog.  Skifta is an app-based media shifting service that turns your Android phone into a global remote control. Easily access your digital media from virtually any source and stream to connected electronics in the home. With the DLNA Certified® Skifta app on your phone, you can easily access music, photos and videos from your phone, the cloud, or remotely from your home and stream that media to connected DLNA and UPnP consumer electronics including TVs, IP-stereos like Sonos systems, PlayStation® 3 consoles, Windows 7 PCs, and thousands more. No wires, downloading or side loading. Check it out at skifta.com.  If your website has a play button, it belongs on .TV. Stand out from the crowd with a .TV domain name; tell people you create and share great video content on your site even before they visit. Come visit us in the Mashable House at Buffalo Billiards on March 13-14 for a chance to register a FREE .TV domain name. And, mark your calendars: the .TV AUCTION starts March 9th. Bid on desirable, sought-after domain names including air.tv, stocks.tv, who.tv, and more at moniker.com/tv or register the .TV of your choice for while you're there. Sponsorship opportunities are available via sponsorships@mashable.com. For more Social Media coverage:
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| Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: The Bad Date Edition Posted: 11 Feb 2011 01:04 PM PST   Ever been on a date that made you feel like faking insanity? You know, rambling on and on about your mailbox collection and how your pet hamster can scat — all so that your torturer would beat a hasty retreat while you’re in the bathroom so that you can finish your whiskey in peace? Well, we’ve all been in that situation, my friends, which is why this week’s YouTube roundup theme is: Bad Dates. From terrifyingly tactless pickups to brutally honest first dinners, we have a whole passel of awkward for ya down belong. So as you wander forth into the weekend and its dalliances and the sugary holiday that lurks on its border, just remember: It could be worse. Chelsea Lately: Crazy CougarsJay Irani: I love watching The Millionaire. Matchmaker. It can only get better if Chelsea Handler breaks it down. '80s Video Dating MontageAmy-Mae Elliott: It's not nice to laugh at the expense of others, but sometimes you just can't help it. Especially when they are from the '80s. "The Car Pool Lane 2" NSFWLauren Rubin: In efforts to reach a Dodgers game in epic LA traffic, Larry David hires a companion in order to use the carpool lane. It may be NSFW, actually, so use your discretion but please don't Curb Your Enthusiasm. 3 Ways To Open a Conversation With a WomanBrenna Ehrlich: Yes, I am in a gang. Will you please stop talking to me now? My Worst Date Ever! (NSFW: Language)Ada Ospina: Would you have paid the bill after that? Image courtesy of iStockphoto, enduro More About: humor, online dating, pop culture, video, viral video, youtube For more Video coverage:
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| How Brands Can Make the Most of Facebook’s New Pages Posted: 11 Feb 2011 12:38 PM PST   The new Facebook Pages are finally here, but what does it mean for brands that have struggled to make Pages a business tool on a personal network? The first thing you’ll notice is that Facebook Pages are once again made to look like Facebook Profiles. You have little differentiation anymore between the publicly viewable, often more commercial page, and an individual’s private profile. This lack of distinction from an interface standpoint can be confusing to consumers. Below is a breakdown of the changes in the order that Facebook presents them in their new Page tour. 1. Photos: Take ‘Em, But You Can’t Leave ‘Em When the photos across the top of Facebook profiles first appeared, people were in a panic. Now anyone could tag you in a photograph, and it would automatically show up at the top of your page. You can, however, "X" them out, if and when you notice them. You can also remove your name from photos when tagged by others. On Pages, fans cannot tag or post an image and have it show up at the top. They appear based on images you post to your own Page wall as well as images where you tag your Page. Be strategic: If photographs are part of what you do, this is a nice showcase. If images aren’t as relevant to what you’re conveying, this can begin to look random and distracting. Upload several key images to your Page’s photo area and remember to keep it pruned in order to present a cohesive and clear visual message. 2. Navigation: Farewell Page Tabs, We Knew You Well Not to sound the panic alarm, but tabs as we know them are gone. Facebook tries to assure us that this is fine because it is "Just like on people’s profiles," but that brings us back to the question "Why does a business want their Page to look like a person’s profile?" The reduction in prominence of the tools that helped communicate your company’s calls to action is a blow to the effectiveness of Pages. Be strategic: One thing that the new navigation forces you to do is to examine what superfluous tabs you used to hide next to your six visible tabs. Now all someone has to do is click the "More" link below the first six "tabs" and see the entire list of links including Discussions, which most Pages hide or remove to avoid diverting comments from the Wall to yet another area that requires community management. 3. Wall Filters: And The Top Posts Are…Facebook is providing two Wall filters: Showing posts by your page and top posts from everyone. This ostensibly gives people a way to see the most "interesting" stories first. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean they see the stories that are most important or relevant to the messages you hope to communicate to the public. If you’re the only one posting updates, this becomes moot. But imagine what will happen to the view for Pages where the fans post very frequently. Be strategic: For best engagement, you will want to show “Everyone” as the default setting. For more control — which isn’t always advisable if you are looking to provide people with compelling, interactive content — set the default view to just your Page posts. 4. Admin View: Sign-In as a Page on Facebook You, as the Page or the brand, can now interact with other parts of Facebook. Before, you could only post to other parts of Facebook as yourself, the admin behind the Page. While you still cannot post to people’s personal Facebook profile Walls as a Page, you can post to other Pages as a Page. This can be useful, but also confusing and potentially disastrous. You have to make sure that before you post to a Page that you are in the proper setting (human or brand). Also, for less scrupulous brands, this is a new opportunity for spam. You may need to be more diligent about checking for posts from your competitors displaying their brand to your fans. You can view most recent and hidden posts while in Admin view Be strategic: A good use of Page-to-Page Wall postings is when you have multiple Pages for brands you own. Or when you want to do co-promotions with business partners who have Pages. If you manage Pages for multiple partners, you could also do some thoughtful cross-posting, with your clients’ permissions, of course. 5. Settings: Getting in Control One of best Page changes for brands is that you can now get e-mail notifications when someone posts to your Page or comments on your post. This has been a long time coming and an invaluable feature for helping you monitor your Page activity. You can change your e-mail notification settings for each Page. In Settings, you can also set the default to how you post –- as yourself or your Page -– and specify which featured pages will appear down the left side of your Page. To choose the pages you want to show up under Favorite Pages, go to “Edit Page” and choose “Featured.” This is similar to choosing your featured friends. You can also feature Page owners or admins if you so choose. This is a big change from the previously hidden identities of admins. Be strategic: While there will be much debate about whether or not you should post as a brand or as a person, the best practice is to post as yourself. One of the tenets of social media communications is transparency. Posting behind the banner of your brand is fine on your Page, but moving into other spaces as a brand can be invasive and unwelcome. You can get to your e-mail and posting preferences by going to “Edit Page” and “Your Settings.” If you own multiple Facebook Pages, you can switch over individually or take the plunge and upgrade them all at once, but you’ll still have to go into each admin area to manipulate individual Page settings. More Business Resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of Flickr, pshab More About: business, facebook, facebook pages, how to, social media, social media marketing For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| Watson vs. Jeopardy: The Early Years [COMIC] Posted: 11 Feb 2011 12:08 PM PST By now you’ve probably heard about Watson, the super-smart computer that will throw down against Jeopardy’s greatest champions in a trivia-soaked battle to decide the fate of humanity. If the humans win, we retain our mantle as “Earth’s Most Awesome Thing Since Dinosaurs,” and Watson heads back to taking drive-thru orders at White Castle. If Watson wins, we’re required to hand over the nuke codes and henceforth refer to it as “Supreme Lord of All Circuits and Flesh.” Then it gets all Matrixy, etc. etc. But it wasn’t always this way. Watson’s   This comic was illustrated by Kiersten Essenpreis, a New York-based artist who draws and blogs at YouFail.com. For more laughs, check out our previous Mashable Comics. Will you be tuning in to watch the rise of the machines next week? Let us know in the comments. More Mashable Comics:
More About: comics, humor, IBM, Jeopardy, mashable comics, tech, technology, watson For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Do Not Track Bill Introduced in Congress Posted: 11 Feb 2011 11:59 AM PST   A bill that would allow consumers to opt out of online tracking was introduced in the House of Representatives on Friday by California Democrat Jackie Speier. If passed, the Do Not Track Me Online Act would provide an option for consumers to opt out of online tracking that advertisers use to target ads. The option would be analogous to the National Do Not Call Registry, and companies that didn’t respect an Internet user’s choice to opt out would be subject to legal consequences. A “Do Not Track” option has been on the wishlist of privacy advocates like Consumer Watchdog and the Center for Digital Democracy for quite some time, and eight such organizations have announced their support. The FTC also indicated that it would back a “Do Not Track” option in December report. Although bills have been introduced that offer solutions to consumers who wish to keep their online activities private, no “do not track” list has ever been explicitly introduced. A recent poll by USA Today found that about 70% of Facebook users and 52% of Google users were either somewhat or very concerned about their privacy. Aware of this concern, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla have all recently announced “Do Not Track” features for their respective browsers, but they have been criticized as ineffective. Carmen Balber, the Washington director for Consumer Watchdog, praised the bill as a simple solution. "Consumers should have the right to choose if their private information – from shoe size, to health concerns, to religious beliefs – is collected, analyzed and profiled by companies tracking activities online,” she said in a statement. “Do Not Track is the simple way for consumers to say 'no thanks' to being monitored while they surf the web." Image courtesy of iStockphoto, hidesy More About: do not track, fcc, Online behavioral adverising, online privacy For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Spin Partners With Shuffler.fm to Make Reading a Musical Experience Posted: 11 Feb 2011 11:43 AM PST   During last night’s Social Media Week festivities, Spin media announced a partnership with music discovery startup Shuffler.fm that will make visiting its online print properties a much more aural experience. As a refresher, we wrote about Shuffler back in August, detailing how the service acts as “Pandora for music blogs.” Basically, it lets you navigate through music blogs of varying genres, whilst also listening to whatever music is featured on those blogs. Now, Spin has this listening-while-reading functionality built right in. If you head over to Spin.com right now, you’ll see the option to “Shuffle SPIN.com!” Clicking on this option will allow you to listen to music featured on the site, while also reading content — you’re no longer forced to sit on a page in which a stream is embedded. You can also skip through songs you don’t particularly want to hear, and share jams via Facebook and Twitter. According to Spin, the company is now the exclusive worldwide sales partner for Shuffler.fm, and will also be including these listening tools in other Spin properties, such as Hipster Runoff, The Couch Sessions and Pretty Amazing. “Shuffler is a great service for Spin to partner with as it allows for music discovery through the filter of the world’s best blogs. It’s a great way to find new music, while also discovering new sites with an interesting point of view," says Mike Albanese, Spin Media Digital Publisher. Photo courtesy of Flickr, Aidan Wojtas More About: music, shuffler.fm, spin, web apps For more Media coverage:
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| AOL Puts Mainstream Media To Shame Posted: 11 Feb 2011 11:43 AM PST
AOL, widely thought to be the imminent victim of a dying Internet dial-up business, now owns a property that may help define the future of news. How big is The Huffington Post, exactly? A recent report from The Street put the upstart media company just behind The New York Times in terms of web traffic — and set to overtake the Gray Lady. The New York Times was founded in 1851; The Huffington Post began in 2005. Is it pride, perhaps, that’s prevented many of the leading media brands from experimenting with aggregation, populist content and a blogging community that may at times appear amateurish? That’s the topic of my CNN column this week. Read the full column at CNN.com >>More About: acquisition, aol, cnn, Huffington Post, media, social media For more Media coverage:
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| Groupon Pulls Controversial Ad Campaign Posted: 11 Feb 2011 11:25 AM PST   Less than a week after Groupon ran its edgy Super Bowl ad, the company is pulling the campaign. Groupon CEO Andrew Mason announced the decision yesterday on the company’s blog, stating: “We’ve listened to your feedback, and since we don’t see the point in continuing to anger people, we’re pulling the ads.” Mason noted that a few ads may still be running on February 11, but will be off the air as soon as possible. “To those who were offended, I feel terrible that we made you feel bad,” wrote Mason. “While we've always been a little quirky, we certainly aren't trying to be the kind of company that builds its brand on creating controversy – we think the quality of our product is a much stronger message.” Mason’s decision comes after a post on February 7, the day after the game, in which he explained that he takes the causes mentioned in the ads — whales, Brazilian rain forest deforestation and human rights in Tibet — seriously, and that the company was raising money for organizations related to those causes. Groupon’s campaign, created by envelope-pushing ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, featured celebrities Cuba Gooding Jr., Elizabeth Hurley and Timothy Hutton, making earnest-sounding pleas for the causes before segueing into a pitch for Groupon’s deals. According to researcher Alterian, Groupon, which ran the Hutton ad during the Super Bowl, had the most negative reactions in social media out of any other game advertisers. Groupon’s primary rival, LivingSocial, ran a pre-game spot that didn’t draw much reaction, which puts the company in a better position. By trying to be edgy and memorable, Groupon actually used its $3 million buy to inflict maximum damage on itself. That buy wasn’t such a good deal in the end, it turns out. More About: groupon, LivingSocial, Super Bowl ads For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| Washington Post Announces Personalized News Aggregation Site Posted: 11 Feb 2011 11:22 AM PST   The Washington Post announced Friday it will launch Trove, a site that aggregates news and enables users to personalize their news stream based on their interests. The site, which is currently in private beta, is expected to launch in March. The announcement highlights a trend among news publishers looking to personalize news consumption based on social connections and topical interests. Trove combines aggregated stories picked by editors, along with the ability for users to select from “channels” they are interested in, through a simple on-boarding process that asks the reader, “What do you care about?” The homepage presents these two content types side by side, fulfilling the readers’ need for serendipitous discovery of content as well as feeding their want for content they are interested in. It’s aiming to achieve the balance between news that editors think you should know about versus the news you want to know about. Of course, the service also integrates social conversation. In the sign-up process, users connect their Facebook accounts, which enables them to then view the conversations taking places around stories in the channels they’ve selected. It also uses your Facebook profile to determine content you might be interested in based on what you’ve selected in the interests of your Facebook profile. Personalized Content Using a quiz-like selection process between stories, the site asks users to select the topics they want to follow. The selection shows the user both the topic and a story example and asks which story the user would prefer. He or she can select one or the other, both or skip them all together. Based on the user’s selections, Trove builds a stream of channels with stories that link out content from across the web. It also uses an algorithm to suggest related channels that the user might be interested in keeping up with. That’s the interesting part. The content comes from all around the web (more than 10,000 news source, according to the Wall Street Journal), and not just The Washington Post‘s site, which is also likely why the company built it as a separate product. However, integrating this feature into the site may have given it more exposure, rather than attempting to create another destination portal. Users can filter their channels and customize them by selecting what is included and what isn’t as part of the channel, changing the stories that go into the layout. Users can even select the source for a specific channel. For example, if I really enjoy The Guardian‘s coverage of Egypt, I could select that as a “must have” or an “avoid” to further filter my channel. The Post invested between $5 million to $10 million in the product, taking quite a gamble to build a destination for a place where the reader is able to personalize the content. The gamble isn’t necessarily on personalized content itself because that’s nothing new. In fact, most of the recent sites that let readers personalize their consumption have been largely built as apps for iPads, with the likes of the Flipboard, the coming of News.me and Pulse. Social Dialogue Though Trove is taking a stab at creating a personalized news environment, its social integration has a ways to go. Of course this is still very early for a product that’s in beta, but if it is to capture a wider audience and provide utility for readers, it will have to include features that are more innovative than simply being able to see the conversations around stories and being able to add comments on channels. The dialogue should be more social and integrated into the consumption experience. Right now, its social aspects feel a lot like a forum. Trove doesn’t quite fulfill the promise of its name: a newfound treasure. It’s far too similar to other aggregation news sites out there, most notably Google News. The utility of Trove isn’t different enough from other aggregators, aside from its user interface and the ability to easily filter content. If the site is truly about helping users find the signal in the noise, it will use the selected interests to build more focus in the channels created, rather than continuing to add a stream of content based on the user’s interests on the main page. Perhaps the treasure trove in the site is yet to be found. The idea is to build a product that helps surface and amplify quality and interesting content. Right now, however, Trove does not effectively execute its goal to find a signal through the noise. More About: aggregation, business, News, washington post For more Media coverage:
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| #TypeNerdyToMe: Top 5 Valentine One-Liners [PICS] Posted: 11 Feb 2011 11:19 AM PST   Two weeks ago, we asked you to send us your best Valentine’s Day one-liners for a chance to have your valentine designed by Shane Snow, Mashable guest writer and founder of PrintingChoice.com. After enjoying a number of delightful — and occasionally inappropriate — submissions on Tumblr, on Twitter and in story comments, we chose the five most charming one-liners of the bunch. Check them out below, and feel free to use one on your favorite tech nerd or social media geek. Be sure to tell us which is your favorite — and add any last-minute lines you come up with. Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to all participants and to Shane for his design work. Happy Valentine’s Day from the Mashable team! 1. CSS/HTML You're the CSS to my HTML.-- Submitted by Robby Gunawan 2. Auto-Complete You auto-complete me.-- Submitted by Kamakil 3. Justin Bieber Justin Bieber may have Twitter, but you're the No. 1 Trending Topic in my heart. #iLoveYou-- Submitted by Jessica Chung 4. Android Linux is Red, Windows is blue. But my Android is downloading an app kerneled with you.-- Submitted by Allison Duncan 5. Firefox Baby, you light my Firefox.-- Submitted by Justin Bradford Bonus: Mashable I wanna be on you like Mashable on social media. #letsmashlips--Submitted by Chelsea Mollere More About: contest, design, nerdy, social media, tech, Valentine, valentine's day, winners For more Social Media coverage:
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| Slacker Radio Raises $3 Million, Plans to Launch On-Demand Near SXSW Posted: 11 Feb 2011 11:01 AM PST   Joining the ranks of SoundCloud, RootMusic and the like, streaming radio service Slacker Radio has recently received an injection of cash: $3 million in debt funding. According to Hypebot, the news of this funding comes via a SEC filing. A representative from Slacker confirmed the news with us. “Slacker had a great 2010 and tweaked their business to make it float,” the rep told us. “The funding will help to further their automotive efforts,” which means Slacker could soon be available in cars, as Pandora already is. Still, since Slacker has a license to cache music, it won’t need a constant signal to stream, giving it an edge on the other service. Last month, Slacker unveiled its iPad app and announced that on-demand listening would be available on the Internet radio service at the end of January. We have yet to see on-demand come to fruition, but the rep says it should be launched around SXSW. This will add a third tier Slacker’s service options: free radio, paid radio and on-demand. The addition of this feature would put the service in competition with MOG, Rdio, Spotify and other subscription services that offer that option already. Photo courtesy of Flickr, João Pedro, uai! More About: Slacker-Radio For more Media coverage:
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| Facebook’s Revamped Messaging System Now Rolling Out to All Users Posted: 11 Feb 2011 10:54 AM PST   Facebook has announced that it’s in the final stages of rolling out to all users Facebook Messages, the company’s revamped and redesigned communication system. “We’ve begun expanding the rollout of Messages to everyone on Facebook,” the company announced on its blog. “This will happen gradually over the next few weeks.” First announced in November, Facebook Messages combines SMS, chat, messaging and e-mail into one communication platform. It removes longer messages and subject titles in favor of shorter, quicker bursts of communication. Users also have the option of inheriting an @facebook.com e-mail address. The social network made it clear early on that it would take its time to roll out the new system, giving people the chance to get used to Facebook’s unique take to online communication. Facebook’s users send more than 4 billion messages per day. Facebook Messages Splash Screen The first thing you'll see is that there's a new version of Facebook Messages. Clicking on the pop-up takes you to this splash page, which explains the benefits and gives you a giant "Upgrade" button to press. @facebook.com E-mail If you press the upgrade button, you're immediately taken to the new Messages inbox. You will receive this notification, asking you whether you'd like to activate your @facebook.com e-mail address. The Facebook Inbox This is the new Facebook inbox. It's a lot like the old one, although it does a better job of showing you who sent the last message in a conversation. It also shows you when you've received an attachment and is cleaner overall. Facebook Messages Invites This is the Invites page for Facebook Messages. The new product is invite-only, so to get access you have to have a friend invite you. I only got two invites, both of which I have given out already. The "Other Messages" Inbox This is the "Other Messages" inbox, mostly meant for messages sent to you by specific events or Facebook Pages. Archiving a Message This is what happens when you try to archive a message for the first time. Facebook wants you to archive your messages so you can refer to them two, five, or 50 years from now. Deleting messages has to be done from within the message itself. Receiving a Message This is the interface for receiving a single message. I got this message from Mashable Reporter Samuel Axon, who e-mailed my @facebook.com e-mail address. Texting in Facebook Messages If you check the mobile icon box, you send a friend a text message. In this case, my friend doesn't have SMS activated, so I can request that he turn it on. In most cases this will just send Samuel a text message. Sending a Facebook Message This shows off the messaging and "quick reply" features of the new Messages interface. Quick Messaging simply means you only have to hit "enter" to send a message. More About: facebook, Facebook Messages For more Social Media coverage:
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| New Samsung Galaxy Tablet Specs Leaked [REPORT] Posted: 11 Feb 2011 10:49 AM PST   As Mobile World Congress approaches, we’re hearing rumors that Samsung is readying a successor to its Galaxy Tab and is planning to show off the unnamed tablet Sunday night in Barcelona. An unnamed source tells Pocket Lint the tablet will be thinner and lighter than its predecessor, and faster, too. It will reportedly have an 8-megapixel camera, a 10.1-inch touchscreen and a dual-core Qualcomm processor — perhaps the same 1.2 GHz chip said to be powering the Samsung Galaxy S2 Smartphone. This rumor doesn’t come a moment too soon, especially since consumers don’t seem completely happy with the current 7-inch Galaxy Tab (pictured above), reportedly suffering from a return rate of 16%. Compare that to the return rate of iPads at 2%, and there’s clearly a problem. However, much of that difficulty might have to do with the Android 2.2 “Froyo” operating system, which wasn’t specifically designed for tablets. This new Samsung tablet will likely be running the tablet optimized Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system that’s due to launch February 17. More About: android 3.0, Galaxy Tablet, honeycomb, Mobile World Congress, samsung For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Advertisers Launch Dashboards for Real-Time Fashion Week Coverage Posted: 11 Feb 2011 10:19 AM PST   During past Fashion Weeks, advertisers have sponsored news hubs on various media platforms, such as Twitter, to help consumers track the flow of events through curated, real-time stream of coverage. This season, advertisers are continuing to do so — and, in two cases, taking a greater role in shaping and hosting the coverage themselves. On Friday morning, online luxury retailer Net-a-porter debuted Live From Fashion Week, an elegant, curated dashboard of Fashion Week content hosted on NYMag.com. Conceived in part by agency Starworks Group, the dashboard allows users to tab through a rotating carousel of photographs pulled in from Twitter — the best feature — as well as view tweets containing links to coverage from Net-a-porter and New York magazine’s fashion blog, The Cut, refreshed every two minutes. Another tab feature tweets from select contributors and a third displays all tweets tagged with #nyfw (and, later, with hashtags for other fashion weeks). Users can also see when and where contributors are checking in on Foursquare. It’s purely an advertising product and labeled as such, although it looks and operates like an editorial product — a combination Net-a-porter has already successfully mastered on its own site. It is, in fact, the first time New York magazine has allowed an advertiser to hard-code an advertising product into its navigation (besides a smaller, similar experiment the retailer ran with the publication last year). A link to the hub is posted under the table of contents on the Fashion & Style page under a “sponsored” tag. Interestingly, links to Net-a-porter’s product pages allow users to shop on Net-a-porter without leaving NYMag.com.  Earlier this week, American Express helped launch two similar products on blogging platform Tumblr. One, run and curated by Tumblr’s internal staff of editors at tumblr.com/nyfw, is sponsored by American Express. The other product is a special Tumblr blog the company created for Fashion Week, called AMEX Skybox Report. Like the official Tumblr page, Skybox Report functions like an interactive news hub, but also contains direct editorial coverage of Fashion Week events by American Express — a departure from the more hands-off news dashboards they’ve sponsored in Fashion Weeks past. In addition to the editorial and video coverage posted on Tumblr, users can submit questions to a various roster of guests, such as designer Christian Cota and Ken Downing, fashion director of Neiman Marcus, and view a (non-streaming) assortment of tweets from select Fashion Week reporters and attendees. Fashion Week advertising has swiftly and surely moved beyond print and online display advertising. We expect we’ll see even further — and more creative — advertiser involvement in news delivery and curation in Fashion Weeks to come. For a complete guide to online Fashion Week coverage, go here. More About: american express, fashion week, foursquare, MARKETING, media, net a porter, nyfw, tumblr, twitter For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| YouTube & Twitter React to Mubarak’s Resignation Posted: 11 Feb 2011 10:11 AM PST   Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has finally conceded, after 18 days of protests calling for his resignation. As a military council takes charge of Egypt, people around the world are sharing their reactions over Twitter and other social sites. YouTube partnered with curation startup Storyful to chronicle the most important uploads from the protest on its CitizenTube channel, which will continue to give on-the-ground snapshots of reactions to both Mubarak’s address yesterday, when it was anticipated that he would step down but he did not, and today’s announcement. Here is one video that was included on the channel today. Twitter is erupting with comments from all over the world. The Guardian has mapped those tweets coming from the region itself. We’ve gathered some tweets here to give a snapshot of the reaction, including an observation that someone has already updated Mubarak’s Wikipedia article and the New York Times tweeted in Arabic. (The Times was trying to locate sources for a reporter.)               More About: Egypt, protests, storyful, trending, twitter, youtube For more Social Media coverage:
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| Opera Browser Heading for iPad Posted: 11 Feb 2011 09:55 AM PST   The Opera browser is on its way to the iPad. Opera Software says the iPad version will show up first at the Mobile World Congress being held next week in Barcelona. Although the Opera Mini browser has been available for the iPhone since last April, we haven’t seen a scaled-up version for the iPad yet. Opera Software didn’t say when the iPad version of its browser will be available for download. You might recall the Opera Mini browser from its iPhone release — it uses Opera Software’s servers to compress data up to 90% as it finds its way to mobile platforms. It’s an efficient way to save bandwidth that could translate well to the iPad. Opera appeared to bury this announcement at the bottom of a press release, placing the iPad at the end of a long laundry list of platforms that will be receiving this new software:
Wondering what it’ll look like? Opera Software has already teased us with a video of its Opera for Tablets browser running on the Samsung Galaxy Tab, with Opera touting the browser’s smooth panning and zooming, and its signature grid on the home screen that looks a lot like its desktop browsers. Here’s a short video of Opera for Tablets, not exactly the same app that we’ll see on the iPhone because Apple doesn’t allow third-party apps to interpret code on iOS devices. Aside from its data delivery, the Opera Mini Browser on the iPad will have a similar user interface: More About: browser, ipad, Mobile World Congress, opera mini, software For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| How Premium Fashion Brands Are Maximizing Their Social Media ROI Posted: 11 Feb 2011 09:27 AM PST   Macala Wright Lee is the publisher of FashionablyMarketing.Me. Wright Lee is a retail consultant who specializes in marketing consulting for fashion, luxury and beauty brands. You can follower her on Twitter at @FashMarketing. Social media and digital technology have forever changed the retail industry. In 2011, brands and retailers have reached a tipping point, digital innovations have decentralized commerce, and real-time consumer demand for designer merchandise has forever changed retail production cycles. Many fashion brands, mocked for their inability to move with the web because of a fear of accessibility, are no longer fighting the flow. Through their embrace of social media and social commerce, fashion brands are now innovating and profiting from their online marketing strategies. Luxury and premium brands are starting to lead the way for all retailers looking to connect with their customers and build online revenue channels. Fashion Brands and Social Commerce In order to understand just how far fashion has come in the past few years, I spoke with James Gardner, CEO of CreateTheGroup, a New York-based digital firm that has established itself as a leader and pioneer in the fashion and luxury retail segments. Gardner said that "In 2010, we saw an explosion of experimentation in social media. Luxury brands earned an immediate connection with consumers through streaming runway shows and creating Facebook and Twitter personas. In 2011, luxury brands will be looking at how to capitalize on this immediate interface with consumers by connecting social media to digital commerce." Online shopping is becoming a socially connected event. As shoppers discover new products and reflect on their purchases, they are increasingly sharing their thoughts with their social networks and influencing perception among their peer groups. "Luxury and premium fashion brands must embrace and facilitate this sharing of information and create experiences that drive sales within social networks," said Gardner. "When our client Juicy Couture added social sharing features and consumer product recommendations, their product purchase conversion rates increased 160%.” During the past year, the luxury market experienced a digital tipping point, with many brands rolling out new e-commerce sites, social media campaigns and mobile applications. Gardner and his team believe that a digital revolution is changing how luxury and premium fashion brands market themselves, connect with their consumers, and sell their products. It’s even changing the production cycle. Fashion Brands Seek New Technologies Twitter and Facebook have become established, trusted social communities, but brands are looking for new ways to communicate with maturing online audiences. Recently, DKNY, Donna Karan’s bridge collection, partnered with BigLive, a new streaming/chat room technology, to bring viewers a preview of the spring collection that would be debuting in stores shortly. Certain items featured in the live fashioncast were already available on dkny.com for purchase during the show. Just over 1,200 viewers actively participated in the DKNY fashioncast hosted by DKNY’s Twitter persona, DKNY PR Girl. In an interview, I asked DKNY, "BigLive is a relatively new technology, why did you choose to use it?" BigLive was a way for DKNY to connect with a range of customers across its different brands. By using social media tools, they were able to speak in a way that made the most sense for their clientele, said Patti Cohen, EVP of global marketing and communications for Donna Karan International . Thrilled with the results, Cohen said they’d be looking for more ways to use BigLive and reach out through digital tools. Luxury Brands Seek Social Media Channel Integration Luxury fashion brands are now capitalizing on the social media foundations they laid in the past three years on Facebook, Twitter, Meetup and Foursquare. Marc Jacobs Intl. is doing exactly this by continuing to leverage its established social media channels to create an online experience of New York Fashion Week for its fans. For A/W 2011, Marc Jacobs Intl. will be live streaming both MJ Collection and MbMJ shows in high definition to bring the focus to Jacobs’ designs. The brand is the first to stream in 9:16 portrait view, and is making the shows viewable via their website, smartphones and the iPad. The Marc Jacobs Intl. Facebook Page will also feature a tab that users click on and, using Facebook Connect, are brought to the show video player where they will be able to "Like" and comment on it. Users mentioning @MarcJacobsIntl or using the #MarcJacobsLive hashtag will see their updates in real-time while watching the show online. The brand will revive the Marc Jacobs "Fashion Victim" Foursquare badge, with an updated design for 2011. Users who check in to any MJ store in the U.S., UK, France, or Italy will unlock the badge from February 5 to 19. The brand is also incorporating MeetUp into the 2011 experience, and at the MbMJ show, there will be a VIP NYC Meetup that includes show tickets for four randomly selected users who unlocked the Fashion Victim 2011 badge in New York City stores. Daniel Plenge, who manages web and digital presence for Marc Jacobs International explained: "By embracing a participatory media experience using either Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare or Meetup, Marc Jacobs fans are able to get a 360-degree perspective of what we’re about. Using these connection technologies, we want our fans to be a part of the Marc Jacobs community, which is in the original spirit of the brand created by Marc and Robert in 1984.” Luxury Retailers Adopt Private Sale Site Models In June, Oscar De La Renta debuted Backstage Pass, a members-only shopping destination with exclusive products, private sales and a boutique hosted on OscarDeLaRenta.com. Backstage Pass features original Oscar De La Renta collections, not merchandise specifically produced for online private sale sites. Steven Mathieu, retail manager at large of Oscar De La Renta, shared his insights on why the luxury retailer opted to create their own members-only site instead of using secondary sale sites like Gilt. "We prefer to control ourselves exactly how discounted merchandise is presented to our customers. The amount of merchandise is limited as we buy very carefully and usually have just enough stock left over to offer reduced price merchandise on Backstage Pass once per season. Besides offering items at reduced cost, we can offer exclusive, very limited edition items. It's actually easier to do this ourselves than have someone else do it for us. We can run flash sales on Backstage Pass very quickly and easily. We can put together a flash sale in a matter of hours. It's like a club." Sometimes secondary sales sites don’t make sense for luxury fashion brands. In 2011, we will see more luxury brands incorporating private sales into their own e-commerce, as it allows them to provide exclusive offers to a wide demographic of online customers and circumvents the revenue limitations that are currently found when working with private sale sites. Mobile Has Decentralized E-CommerceIn 2010, social media decentralized online commerce. Now, luxury retailers are fixated on mobile commerce more than ever. "This year, luxury brands will refine their cross-channel strategies to connect with the consumer across all mediums," said James Gardner. "This year alone, our luxury retail clients saw an average 200% increase in mobile visits versus last year on our sites; they saw another spike after Christmas to about 230% year-over-year. Currently, mobile accounts [form] 10% of their online traffic and 5% of their sales; that's a seven to twelve time increase over last year." Mobile allows customers to shop with brands on the go. Gardner mentioned new technologies like image recognition (Google Goggles), barcode scanners (Amazon Barcode Scanner) and barcode apps (Red Laser) are making the process even easier. “Any product a [consumer] sees becomes an instant sale,” he said. When it comes to digital media, the largest challenges for luxury brands have been discovering how to effectively leverage all the options available to them, giving the consumers more access to the brand and then communicating to those customers in a tone of voice that is consistent across all mediums. Now comfortable in their digital skins, it appears that luxury brands are benefiting from the socialization of retail. More Fashion Resources from Mashable:
More About: business, fashion, MARKETING, social media, social media marketing, social web For more Social Media coverage:
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| Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters Posted: 11 Feb 2011 08:49 AM PST
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| Egyptian President Steps Down Amidst Groundbreaking Digital Revolution Posted: 11 Feb 2011 08:31 AM PST   Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down, more than two weeks after the protests that began January 25 in the country — and launched a flood of #Jan25 and #Egypt tweets as well as media coverage that broke the mold — to remove the president from power. From the beginning, the revolution in Egypt was propelled by the use of social media. It at least partly began on Facebook with the creation of Facebook groups that gained hundreds of thousands of members and promoted the early protests in Cairo. Subsequently, the government blocked Facebook and Twitter and eventually shut down Internet access completely. And with the outside world following the unfolding revolution online, political leaders and others, including Twitter, spoke out against the violence and freedom of expression issues at risk. But even a government shut down couldn’t keep the news from flowing. Twitter and Facebook users found ways to work around the blackout. Though, eventually access was completely restored. The events in Egypt served as a flash point for journalists on the ground, too. For perhaps one of the first times in history, history itself has been recorded instantaneously, as reporters took to Twitter to share 140-character updates and personal stories from the protests. The messages provided a stark reality to readers in the outside world, especially as the protests turned violent and police turned on journalists — the very people many of us outside the country were following. But Al Jazeera had its “CNN Moment,” and although it couldn’t reach viewers in the U.S. by cable television, it found a way to viewers — on YouTube. The network live streamed Mubarak’s public address — in which many believed he would resign — Thursday via YouTube. But Al Jazeera’s comprehensive coverage put it on the radar for U.S. viewers and it created a campaign to bring its English-language network to U.S. televisions. Images of the turmoil spread around the world via Flickr and Youtube, too. Al Jazeera made its images available by a Creative Commons license and its work reached an even broader audience around the world. Without a doubt, social media, mobile devices and the web have brought the stories from Egypt closer to home. And conversely, the events in Egypt have shown the strength of these tools for both organizing and informing people. The Egyptian people and reporters alike found ways to share their messages even when the government tried to stop them. Using VPN, proxy sites, third party apps and other tools, they were able to continue sharing news with those of us on the outside. And at the same time, the rest of the world found ways to use tech to curate and disseminate information.   We’ve been watching the social media aspects of this revolution since it began. Here’s a recap of some of our coverage:
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| Avoid the Crowds With Clever New Foursquare API Application Posted: 11 Feb 2011 08:06 AM PST   While social media is largely used for its ability to connect people, it also has potential to help antisocial types — as proven by a clever site that tells people when museums, libraries and theaters are least busy. The site, When Should I Visit?, uses Foursquare’s API to map traffic on each day of the week for about 20 venues in London. People who want to avoid crowds can use the site to make decisions about when to visit. Since Foursquare doesn’t make any historical data available, site creator Dan W. Williams wrote a program that calls its API ever 15 minutes to make a database. The concept is pretty simple: Since Foursquare tells you where people are, it can also tell you where they aren’t. Other sites for San Francisco and New York are supposed to launch in about a month, but Williams has no plans to expand beyond that or to try making the sites profitable. “It's more of a personal project to see if it's possible,” he says. Williams set up the London site at Culture Hack Day — a weekend hacking event for which cultural organizations contribute their data — after someone on Twitter asked a local museum what day it would be least busy. “It’s sort of this class of act that has become popular lately that gives you this really mundane superpower,” Williams says. “Like there are apps that tell you where to sit on the London underground so that you can get off faster, which doors are nearest the exits on the platforms. This is kind of the same. You can go to a gallery when it is slightly quieter. It’s nothing amazing, but it makes city life slightly more pleasant.”  Image courtesy of iStockphoto, spfoto More About: development, foursquare, foursquare api, hacking For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| What Is 4G? An FAQ On Next Generation Wireless Posted: 11 Feb 2011 07:59 AM PST
Representing the next generation in mobile technology, 4G promises faster speed and better coverage. But it also represents a confusing mish-mash of competing standards and marketing speak — there is no single 4G technology. Wireless carriers and handset makers are busy jockeying for position, trying to prove why their breed of 4G is better than the rest. A slew of 4G phones is set to be launched at MWC. We’ve sifted through the buzz words sea of acronyms to distill the facts about 4G into a single FAQ. If you have more questions, let us know — and watch for our full week of MWC coverage. 1. What is 4G, and why should I care?In theory, 4G is the fourth generation of cellular communications, a successor to current cellular networks known as 3G (third generation). In practice, 4G is a combination of marketing speak and future tech. Most of the systems billed as “4G” could be more accurately called 3.5G, or 3.75G. But the plan is for these systems to upgrade to full 4G in the future. The promise of 4G is two-fold. Cellular data speeds will be faster — 10x faster than current 3G speeds. And the technology can help solve the “last mile” dilemma (the difficult final leg of connecting customers to a network) that prevents rural areas from getting service. 4G data can move faster, and it can get to more people. 2. So how many flavors of 4G are there, and what are the advantages of each?Currently, advertised 4G is really just late-stage 3G. The two formats designated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as “true 4G technologies” are:
There aren’t any large-scale deployments of either of these. However, their predecessors — LTE and WiMAX — are currently available. As the wireless companies advertise it, 4G consists of three different technologies:
 3. When will 4G be up and running? Should I buy a 4G phone now?Networks using either LTE or WiMAX should be able to upgrade to full 4G in the future. HSPA+ is available now. It’s a stretch to call HSPA+ 4G. WiMAX and LTE have the advantage of being precursors to the 4G standards. But the coverage area of HSPA+ far exceeds anything LTE can manage for at least three years. It’s not 4G, but it’s fast and it’s a nice stop-gap. LTE — which is emerging as the global standard for 4G — is still in the earliest stages of deployment. Verizon is planning on doubling its coverage area in the next 18 months but it will be three years before it expects a full roll-out. Sprint’s so-called 4G network is in 29 states and expanding all the time. T-Mobile, which has a smaller 3G network than its competitors, is trying to roll-out HSPA+ as quickly as it can. AT&T’s two-pronged 4G approach is in phase one now (HSPA+) and the LTE rollouts are planned for the second half of 2011. Verizon announced a number of 4G devices or 4G upgradable devices at CES 2011. We should start seeing them very soon. AT&T just started shipping some of its HSPA+ devices, though a number of existing smartphones (including the iPhone 4) can work on HSPA+ networks. At Mobile World Congress, we expect to see dozens of 4G-capable handsets from manufacturers for networks all over the world. If you want to buy a 4G phone today, Sprint is the best option in the U.S. However, the viability of Sprint’s WiMAX strategy is a concern; see below. Nevertheless, it may not matter. By the time we see widespread adoption of true 4G, your two-year contract will likely be up. 4. Is this like a VHS versus Betamax situation, where one of the flavors will die out eventually?Sadly, yes. Fortunately, most wireless carriers seem to be rallying around one standard: LTE. It is viewed as the natural upgrade from UMTS, the 3G system in use by most of the world. U.S. mobile users are familiar with the battle between CDMA and GSM. Verizon and Sprint use CDMA technology, while the rest of the world is on GSM. So unless a user buys a special quad-mode “world phone,” phones on those networks won’t work overseas. But Verizon and AT&T both made the decision to adopt LTE for their respective 4G networks. LTE has already gained widespread acceptance in most parts of the world. So once LTE networks are widely deployed, manufacturers won’t have to make two different versions of the same phone (like the iPhone 4). Instead, the frequencies can just be adjusted for a particular region. The underlying technology between the phones should be the same. In the U.S., Sprint may be the odd man out. The carrier has admitted it could make the move from WiMAX to LTE. If LTE takes off everywhere else, the carrier might have a hard time convincing phone makers to support its network. 5. How fast is 4G, really? Can I cancel my ISP subscription yet?4G has the potential to be insanely fast. The various technologies should be able to deliver download speeds of 1Gbps when stationary (in the home), and 100 Mbps while mobile. Those kinds of speeds make cable and DSL networks look like dial-up. In practice, neither LTE or WiMAX is going to offer that kind of speed. In the best of circumstances, users can expect around 10 Mbps from WiMAX or LTE. As coverage areas increase and networks grow more robust, that number could increase. T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network already tops 21 Mbps in some areas. Realistically, users can expect about half of that. But T-Mobile and AT&T both plan to upgrade the HSPA+ offerings on their networks. Most users will not be able to replace a home Internet connection with 4G, and that likely won’t change for several more years, at least. The exception is users in rural areas, where it’s often extremely difficult to get cable, fiber or DSL, and who have to rely on satellite Internet. For these users, even the first wave of LTE or WiMAX may be speedier than what they get from satellite — and at a lower price. 6. Is there such a thing as 5G, and should I wait for it?4G was only officially ratified in December 2010, so we’re quite a few years away from 5G actually happening. The standards bodies aren’t even talking about 5G right now. But we wouldn’t be surprised if wireless carriers didn’t start describing LTE Advanced — true 4G — as 5G. 7. What is Voice over LTE (VoLTE), and why is it important?On most 4G systems, the 4G part of the network is used for data transfer while 3G — or in some cases, even 2G — is used for voice calls. The reason that Verizon cannot support voice and data simultaneously is because it only uses 3G for its data network and still defaults to 2G for voice. Initially Verizon was going to do something similar with LTE — that is, use LTE for data only, and default to old-school CDMA for voice calls. But earlier this month, Verizon announced it will be experimenting with Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and recently made its first VoLTE call. Don’t expect to see phones that support VoLTE until 2012. But Verizon says some 4G phones will get software upgrades to support the feature when it is available. Calls made from one VoLTE device to another are supposed to sound better. Because the voice network sits on top of the data network, it means video calling services like Skype can operate seamlessly (and the carriers can better compete with Skype). Increasingly, carriers are going to continue to shift from a time-based subscription model to one that is purely based on data. VoLTE has the potential to bring both voice and data services to parts of the world that have had a hard time getting access to either. 8. Where can I learn more about 4G?Check out these sources:
Series Supported by Snapdragon by Qualcomm  The Mobile World Congress Series is supported by Snapdragon by Qualcomm. Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset platform is redefining mobility by offering an optimal combination of mobile processing performance, powerful multimedia, wireless connectivity and power efficiency. The Snapdragon family of chipsets is designed to power a new generation of advanced smartphones, tablets, and other smart devices. More About: 4G, Mobile 2.0, Mobile World Congress Series For more Mobile coverage:
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