Mashable: Latest 15 News Updates - including “Verizon iPhones Fell Back an Hour Instead of Springing Ahead” |
- Verizon iPhones Fell Back an Hour Instead of Springing Ahead
- Engadget’s Editor in Chief Resigns as AOL Shakeup Continues
- It’s Not TV, It’s Social TV [VIDEO]
- How Foursquare & AmEx Are Putting a Fresh Twist on Loyalty Marketing
- Top 7 Ways to Save Time on Twitter
- SXSW Crowd Earns $10K for Charity by Playing a Game [PICS]
- Facebook Hosts Its First Ever Hacker Cup [PHOTOS]
- Travel Tech: 10 Must-Pack Gadgets for Geeks on the Go
- Platform for Concertgoers Launches Android App in Time for SXSW
- Help Japan: Facebook Click Helps Dogs Rescue Trapped Quake Victims
- Meet Seth Priebatsch: Princeton Dropout, Serial Entrepreneur and SXSW Keynoter
- Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]
- Conan and Pee-wee Appearing on Facebook Live From SXSW Today
- HOW TO: Follow Mashable at SXSWi Via Social Media
- Facebook Adds Ability to Easily Tag Others In Comments
- HOW TO: Actually Get Something Done At SXSW
| Verizon iPhones Fell Back an Hour Instead of Springing Ahead Posted: 12 Mar 2011 10:50 PM PST      If you need to wake up at any specific time tomorrow, beware: It appears that some Verizon iPhones fell back an hour at midnight tonight instead of springing forward. Daylight saving time hits tonight/tomorrow morning, which means we all lose an hour of sleep — unless you have a Verizon iPhone, in which case you’ll wake up utterly confused, as phones are currently falling back an hour. This isn’t the first time the iPhone has been foiled by time — an alarm glitch kept many Apple users from getting to work on time back in January as well. Apparently, however, this issue is only affecting those with Verizon iPhones. If you have such a phone, restart your device to fix the issue and get the clock back to normal. Update: It looks like some AT&T phones were affected by the glitch as well. More About: verizon, Verizon iPhone For more Mobile coverage:
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| Engadget’s Editor in Chief Resigns as AOL Shakeup Continues Posted: 12 Mar 2011 04:39 PM PST   Joshua Topolsky, editor in chief of Engadget, has just announced that he is leaving the popular AOL-owned technology news site. Topolsky has been with Engadget for nearly four years and has held the role of editor in chief since 2008. According to Kara Swisher at All Things D, managing editor Nilay Patel is also on his way out. These departures come just two days after AOL announced the layoffs of 900 employees — including 200 editorial staffers — as part of its restructuring and re-organization process in the wake of its acquisition of the Huffington Post. According to Swisher, Topolsky’s decision was not related to The Huffington Post deal — in fact — Arianna Huffington tried to persuade Topolsky to stay. It appears, however, that some of the same issues that saw the departure of associate editors Paul Miller and Ross Miller back in February — notably issues over the so-called “AOL Way” and the editorial direction of Engadget‘s parent company — may have driven the latest departures. In a blog post announcing his exit, Topolsky says that he won’t be “leaving the industry or the news game” and that he has a “few fantasy projects in mind.” Topolsky also writes that he will continue on in a role as editor-at-large and will be hosting a few more episodes of the Engadget Show. Historically — AOL has been very hands-off in its dealings with Engadget. If that policy has changed (which remains unclear), more departures might be on their way. More About: aol, engadget, joshua topolsky For more Media coverage:
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| It’s Not TV, It’s Social TV [VIDEO] Posted: 12 Mar 2011 04:04 PM PST Interactive television experts gathered on Saturday at SXSWi in Austin, Texas to discuss the future of social TV. Panelists, which ranged from the likes of Chloe Sladden of Twitter to Gavin Purcell from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, discussed ways in which they incorporate social media into popular television shows such as "No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain" and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." Fred Graver, the senior VP of Travel Channel, spoke to the audience about his initial skepticism regarding the integration of Twitter into "No Reservations." "It wasn't a no brainer for us." said Graver. "The whole thing here is if you have 36-48 hours before the show premiers, do you want to spend your time talking about Tony (Bourdain) live-tweeting? And that was a big discussion but we decided, yes lets do it." Doing it proved to be successful for Graver and the Travel Channel, with “No Reservations” currently at more than 1 million "likes" on Facebook and an increasingly active Twitter following. Watch the video for more highlights from the discussion. MUSIC: More About: digital media, interactive television, social media, social tv, travel channel, twitter For more Media coverage:
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| How Foursquare & AmEx Are Putting a Fresh Twist on Loyalty Marketing Posted: 12 Mar 2011 03:32 PM PST   In the summer of 2010, Foursquare’s Head of Business Development Tristan Walker and American Express’s Vice President of Global Marketing Capabilities David Wolf started talking about ways to work together to redefine loyalty for local merchants. The fruit of their conversations is now on display in the city Austin, Texas where 60 merchants — including Whole Foods, Starwood Hotels and Stubb’s BBQ — are offering Foursquare users “spend $5, save $5″ rewards when they load the special and swipe their AmEx cards. The pilot program started Friday and will run through Tuesday, March 15. Participating merchants have posted “Austin Unlocked” window clings to highlight their participation, and Foursquare users need only register their American Express cards to unlock this new type of special — the Loyalty Special. Loyalty and Location in Real-TimeOn Friday, Walker and I journeyed to Le Cafe Crepe so he could demonstrate the special in action. Upon arrival, Walker launched Foursquare, checked in to the cafe, tapped to redeem the offer and then hit the green “Load to Card” button to initiate the special — see a 44-second walk-through in the video above. Several minutes later (there was a long line), Walker placed his order, the cashier swiped his AmEx card, and then together we waited for proof that the $5 savings reward had been activated by his swipe. Seconds later, Walker received a push notification alerting him that he had successfully redeemed the special. Soon thereafter, he also earned the “Swiped @ SXSW” badge — for each badge redeemed, American Express is donating $1 to Grounded in Music. Walker was quick to point out that the experience was nearly frictionless, happening exactly at the time of sale without requiring integration with the cafe’s point-of-sale system. This is what Walker and Wolf believe is a ground breaking initiative that finally creates the closed loop between a consumer’s digital behavior and their offline spending behavior. Phase One Wolf calls the South by Southwest Interactive relationship with Foursquare, “phase one.” Being a first-of-a-kind program, AmEx decided to not only fund the offer — it’s paying for all of those $5 credits — but to also send out a street team to recruit and train local merchants, print up informative cards for attendees and make QR code pins to get the word out at the festival. American Express is making the financial investment because it believes it can use phase one to get to phase two: when the company’s local merchant network will be able to set up, run and fund their own offers. Wolf talks about the partnership as a strategic move on behalf of the company to align itself with a hip startup working on the location-meets-loyalty challenge. “We wanted to partner with a young, innovative company who understands the importance of providing value to merchants,” he said. Wolf also explains that “American Express is anxious to play in this space because of this closed loop of information that we get.” To create the closed-loop effect, American Express is allowing a third party to access its APIs for card member data, merchant data and transaction data for the first time ever. Regular Since 2009 On Foursquare’s end, Walker speaks of the startup’s desire to work with a preeminent company that truly understands loyalty, understands customer appreciation and has connections to local merchants. One of Foursquare’s goals, he says, is to recreate the type of brand affinity that consumers have with American Express. “Foursquare has taken inspiration from AmEx’s ‘member since’ designation as to how we allow our users to evangelize or stake their claim to place. Much the same way that AmEx allows for that ‘member since’ designation, we want to create a ‘regular since’ designation … and allow merchants to communicate with those folks who are the most fervent, and are evangelists for their brands,” said Walker. In working with AmEx at SXSW, Foursquare is taking this “regular since” idea to the next level, while also delivering on its closed-loop promise to American Express and the participating local merchants. Next up, phase two. Image courtesy of Flickr, The.Comedian More About: american express, amex, foursquare, loyalty, MARKETING, sxsw For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| Top 7 Ways to Save Time on Twitter Posted: 12 Mar 2011 02:45 PM PST   This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. While many small businesses have started using Twitter in their marketing, finding the time to do it right can be a struggle. According to recent research by R2integrated, the number-one barrier to entry into social media for businesses is lack of time and resources. Here are seven Twitter tricks from the pros that allow you to spend less time on the mechanics and more time engaging. 1. Follow Other People’s Lists Using Twitter lists is a great way to keep up with what’s happening in your industry and connect with relevant people in an efficient way. And because chances are someone in your industry already went to the trouble of developing a great list of people to follow, there’s no need to recreate the wheel. You can use a site like Listorious to search for other people’s lists by topic. For example, a boutique clothing merchant could use Listorious to search “fashion” to find lists of fashionable tweeters. Once you’ve identified a comprehensive list, follow the list and also set up a column or running search in your social media tool dedicated to that list’s feed so you don’t miss any tweets. When you find yourself with a few minutes to spare, go back and follow the top people from the list so you can start to build direct connections. 2. Cut Clutter With Microlists When you’re following more than a few hundred people, your main Twitter feed starts to become more like noise than a conversation, and you’re likely to miss what key influencers are tweeting about… especially if you only have time to check in once or twice a day. A great way to cut through the clutter is to create your own microlists of key people to follow. For example, I have a list of media, analysts and influencers who are important to my clients running in the center column of my social media dashboard so I can easily stay on top of what they’re tweeting. You can go back through your existing followees and put them into lists, and as you follow new people, simply put them into lists as appropriate. Follow these lists in separate columns to facilitate quick scanning. I’d recommend keeping these lists to no more than 50 people to keep the stream manageable. 3. Automate Routine Processes While Twitter is a great way to make direct and authentic connections with your customers, there are still many activities that can be automated. For example, some tools, such as SocialOomph, let you send an automated direct message thanking new followers. Ping.fm lets you update your status on Twitter, as well as Facebook, LinkedIn and dozens of other sites, all at the same time from one place. Another way to fit tweeting into your schedule is to develop tweets in bulk and schedule them to go out later. Many tools are now available that offer this functionality, such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck and Twaitter. Because most people only check Twitter off and on throughout the day, you can schedule the same or similar tweets to go out over the course of a few days without most people seeing the same thing twice. 4. Follow Keywords and Hashtags Here’s another time-saving tip: follow keywords and hashtags to easily find relevant content to share. For example, activist blogger @unsuckdcmetro follows the hashtag #wmata (Washington Metro Area Transit Authority) to track real-time tweets about the DC Metro. This allows him to uncover breaking news for his blog and to keep up a steady flow of tweets for his readers without having to spend time searching for content. I recommend setting up a running search or column in your social media tool on particular terms and hashtags so you can quickly scan for interesting content to retweet and for people to engage with. Some tools will also let you set up alerts to monitor particular keywords and will even periodically e-mail you a digest of the tweets that contain those keywords. 5. Mine Existing Content If you’ve got a company blog, you’ve likely got a ton of great content that’s only been tweeted out once with a simple headline. Social media consultant David Spark recommends going back through your blog and pulling out good quotes as tweets with a link back to the article, and then scheduling all those tweets over time. You can do the same thing with your news and customer case studies as well. And while you’re at it, why not assign this project to a sharp team member who’s eager to participate in the company’s social media and marketing efforts? You’ll have one less task on your plate. 6. Share Responsibility Ad hoc projects aren’t the only jobs you can offload. If your business has more than just a few employees, chances are there are several trustworthy people who could actually be tweeting on behalf of the company. Simply come up with a few simple ground rules for tweeting, review the protocol with your team and let them have a go. Supervise the tweets for a week or two to make sure they’re on the right track. Citrix Online’s @GoToMeeting is a great example of how to do this right. It has multiple people tweeting and includes their initials with each tweet. The Twitter page also features the names and photos of these tweeters. This approach not only distributes responsibility and makes the Twitter conversation more lively, but also gives the company a more human face and personality. 7. Plan Less, Experiment MoreDon’t spend ages planning — just start trying new things. Spark suggests that instead of having a one-hour meeting to plan your social media strategy, cancel the meeting and require team members to spend that hour writing a blog post. And instead of having another meeting, spend the next free hour reading the other blog posts, leaving comments and promoting it to your social networks. How do you save time on Twitter? Let us know in the comments below. More Business Resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of Flickr, MARCOS XOTOKO. More About: business, small business, twitter For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| SXSW Crowd Earns $10K for Charity by Playing a Game [PICS] Posted: 12 Mar 2011 02:28 PM PST   In an unusual keynote speech at South by Southwest Interactive, SCVNGR founder Seth Priebatsch captivated the crowd with examples on how game mechanics can solve the world’s problems. Better yet, he leaned on the communal-play game dynamic and motivated the crowd to successfully complete a complex game in 180 seconds, the prize being $10,000 for the National Wildlife Foundation. The opening keynote address included two games — one a test — mixed with thought-provoking points on the game dynamics inherent in education, customer acquisition, loyalty, and location based services. His goal: to convince the crowd that game mechanics can solve big problems. He succeeded in his mission with a little help from the crowd. Midway through the talk, Priebatsch tested the crowd with a simple task. Clap in unison, he told us, and in just 15 seconds we — the more than 2,000 attendees in the room — were doing so. The real game came at the end. This time around, Priebatsch instructed the crowd to work together and use cards — double-sided cards with either blue, green or orange on each side — they were handed on the way in. Each row had to decide on a single color to hold up in less than 180 seconds. The challenge, an example of the communal play game dynamic Priebatsch discussed extensively, would involve massive amounts of trading should the audience pull it off. Priebatsch also sweetened the deal with a $10,000 reward. He told the audience that if each of their rows successfully held up cards of the same color, SCVNGR would donate $10,000 to the National Wildlife Foundation. When Priebatsch gave the go-ahead to start trading, a bit of organized chaos ensued, but the audience managed to complete the task in less than 180 seconds. The life-sized card game served as a microcosm of how game dynamics can solve real world problems. With an honest look at the location services space, and some practical ideas on how game mechanisms can fix a broken grading system (in his mind), the real meat of his sometimes-funny keynote address gave the audience a lot to chew on. In the end, the crowd rallied to complete the challenge and cheered upon achieving the mission. It’s too soon to known if Priebatsch’s keynote address wowed the crowd enough to get them to use SCVNGR. But, by the time the keynote concluded, “Seth Priebatsch” had become a trending topic on Twitter in the United States, proving that the 22-year-old Princeton dropout can game SXSW. Holding Up Cards Crowd With Cards Priebatsch Card-Carrying Priebatsch Images courtesy Michael Cummings/dreaminpictures.com More About: sxsw For more Startups coverage:
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| Facebook Hosts Its First Ever Hacker Cup [PHOTOS] Posted: 12 Mar 2011 02:13 PM PST   Facebook‘s Hacker Cup is the Olympics of hacking. Twenty-five finalists from 10 countries were flown into Palo Alto to compete. These few represent the elite cream of the crop, the top coders in the world, and as this post is being written, they’re all sitting in Facebook’s cafeteria, chewing pencils, staring at monitors and typing furiously. It’s a bit mind-boggling to think about, all that raw talent and brainpower in a single room focused on a single task. Facebook has brought them all here on an all-expenses-paid trip to tour the Facebook campus and compete against one another in this event. Almost 12,000 developers entered in the competition, which centers around algorithms, one of the more esoteric aspects of the hacker skill set. This isn’t a hackathon, where devs and designers collaborate in teams to build one-off consumer apps; and it’s not one of Facebook’s Developer Garages, which focus on using the Facebook Platform. The hackers in this room are solely concentrating on finding solutions to elaborate and complicated computer science questions. In each round, the hackers were given three problems to solve. Each problem had one correct answer. Contestants for the next round were chosen based on who could correctly solve the most problems in the shortest amount of time. The three problems for the final round were developed by ten Facebook engineers. (We’ll write about the questions and solutions, as well as the winners, in a separate post later tonight.) Facebook’s Hacker Cup isn’t entirely unique; in fact, a lot of these coders already know one another from past hacker competitions and from sites like TopCoder. In fact, most of the highest-scored hackers on TopCoder are actually in the room today. We talked with Facebook software engineer David Alves about the event; he said that, while being able to solve problems at this level is something of a marvel, it doesn’t necessarily apply to common day-to-day coding tasks. In other words, while this does give the company face time with the most skilled hackers around, it’s not a recruiting event. However, all the finalists were able and encouraged to apply for jobs at Facebook once the competition had ended. Still, recruitment is only a happy byproduct of this event; Facebook, long renowned as being a singularly engineer-driven and engineer-focused company, is hosting this competition purely for the love of the game. As the time on the clock winds down, only three hackers have submitted solutions to all three problems, and Alvers says it’s unlikely that all of these solutions will be correct, given the number of fringe cases for input that the devs have to take into account. In the end, as the official Hacker Cup T-shirts read, “There can be only one.” The “one” in this competition will have his name engraved on a plate on the Hacker Cup trophy, which itself is a huge, dystopian-looking cube of concrete with a metal fist emerging from the top. However, three of the finalists will go home with checks: The first place finalist receives $5,000; the second place, $2,000; and the third, $1,000. The Hacker Cup will be an annual competition; Facebook plans to improve and expand it in the years to come. Check back later to read the problems (your mind will melt about two paragraphs in) and find out who won the first ever Hacker Cup. In the meantime, here are some fun facts and a gallery of photos from Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto:
7 hackers from Poland,
IMG_2526 IMG_2529 IMG_2532 IMG_2535 IMG_2536 IMG_2539 IMG_2542 IMG_2545 IMG_2547 IMG_2548 IMG_2552 IMG_2553 IMG_2554 IMG_2555 IMG_2558 IMG_2559 IMG_2561 IMG_2563 IMG_2564 IMG_2565 IMG_2566 IMG_2567 IMG_2570 IMG_2572 IMG_2575 IMG_2576 IMG_2580 IMG_2583 IMG_2584 More About: competition, contest, developers, facebook, hacker cup For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| Travel Tech: 10 Must-Pack Gadgets for Geeks on the Go Posted: 12 Mar 2011 01:29 PM PST While so many “must-have” travel gadgets from days of yore have been ousted by apps, there is still a lot to be said for some seriously handy hardware to take with you on your next trip. So, you may no longer need a travel alarm clock, but more-connected consumers need to find new ways to work longer, pack smarter and heck, even have a little fun on the road. Here, we bring you our 10 favorite travel gadgets, gizmos and tools, so take a trip through the gallery to see our recommendations for the geek on the go and, as always, let us know yours in the comments below. 1. Grid-It   You won't believe how tidy your laptop bag can be until you try the Grid-It organization system. Made up of a weave of rubberized elastic bands, it holds small objects, their respective chargers and whatnot, neatly in place. This simple-but-brilliant system means you can find what you're looking for without tipping out the contents of your bag in frustration. Cost: $22 2. Heys eCase This back-friendly wheelie case will save your shoulders from strain while offering carry-on-safe dimensions, as well as a three-digit combination TSA lock should you check it in. With accordian-type pockets, the eCase can keep files and folders separate from clothing and other personal items. A padded laptop sleeve rounds off the rather tidy package. Truly a hero-in-a-hardshell, the eCase comes in a variety of colors and designs. Cost: $119.97 3. Targus Premium Laptop Charger This is like your existing, standard issue laptop charger brick, but so much better. About the size of a BlackBerry and boasting a seriously sleek design, the Targus charger will power both your laptop and one other mobile device from a wall socket, on a plane or in a car. If you can afford it, ditch the brick and we're sure you won't look back. Cost: $139.99 4. Lewis N. Clark Belle Hop Travel Door Alarm For anyone who can never quite get a good night's sleep in a hotel room due to security worries, this gadget can help allay those fears a little. Its high-pitched 91-decibel alarm will alert you if your hotel room door is opened. Just don't forget to disengage it before you answer the door to room service. Cost: $11.99 5. Logiix USB Power Cube This teeny cube-shaped USB charger features a plug design that folds up when not in use so it won't take up too much space in your luggage. It's perfect for quick-charging a USB-powered gadget when you don't have the time to get your laptop out. Cost: $30 6. Heys xScale Pro Anyone who has been stung for overweight charges will see the value in the xScale PRO. This portable gizmo will weigh luggage of up to 110lbs (50kg) so you can ensure you're on the right side of safe before you hit the scales. Cost: $24.97 7. CyberPower Extension Power Cord For the true gadget-lover, an extension cord is a must-have travel accessory. If you're traveling to foreign climes, then an extension cord will mean you only need one adapter and you can juice three gadgets at once. For domestic travelers it instantly solves any not-enough-power-sockets-in-cheap-hotel-rooms issues. Well worth the room in your luggage. Cost: $7.99 8. Jawbone Jambox For the frequent traveler, a decent speaker is a hotel room luxury that's worth splurging on. You'll certainly be rocking out with the wireless Jambox - it's a penny under $200 - but it has some great features. Although it's properly portable, it boasts an output capacity of 85 decibels and a 10-hour battery life. You can use it as a speakerphone for cellphone and VoIP calls, and it's got some amazing customization options via the MyTALK online platform. Cost: $199.99 9. The Really Tiny Book Light A truly useful item, this tiny, lightweight lamp can be clipped onto your reading material en route or in your hotel room, and offers surprisingly bright LED illumination. It also doubles as a handy small-scale flashlight to have at your bedside for those moments when you wake up and can't quite remember where the light switch is, or for that matter, where you are. Cost: £6.99 (approx $11.50) 10. Philips Rechargeable Power Pack A power pack for all your portable electronic devices, this can even keep your laptop going if you get caught short without a power supply. How long it can power a device depands on the gadget, but the claim is up to 60 hours for less power-hungry gizmos. It comes complete with 12 connector tips and a carrying case. Think of it as insurance against long travel delays so you'll be able to carry on working -- or playing -- if there's a holdup. Cost: $TBD More Tech Resources from Mashable
More About: accessories, gadgets, List, Lists, tech, travel, travel accessories, travel gadgets For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Platform for Concertgoers Launches Android App in Time for SXSW Posted: 12 Mar 2011 12:54 PM PST   Music fans, you have T-minus four days to finalize your schedule for SXSW Music. Luckily, concertgoing platform SuperGlued is out with a brand new Android app to help users plan their jams. SuperGlued is a New York-based service that launched in 2009, and it's basically a slicker version of "Foursquare for bands," Flowd — but more focused on fan utility. Music fans can use the apps and website to find upcoming shows in their area, and interact with those shows by tweeting, posting photos, checking in via Foursquare, and browsing other checkins and social media shares — all within the app. One can also purchase tickets via the service, and create a profile detailing favorite and past concerts. Previously, SuperGlued was only available on the iPhone [iTunes link], but now an Android app has hit the market. Now, Droid-toters can download the app to check out a calendar of SXSW shows, sorted by day, artist or venue; create their own schedules; see where their friends are located in real time; learn about bands; see what others are saying via Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare; and add friends via an integration with the aforementioned services. Sadly, the Android app lacks the recommendation feature, which, on the iPhone, scans your library to show you bands you might like. Also, you can’t listen to bands via the app, as in the Festival Explorer Austin Edition. Still, that app doesn’t have an Android edition, so SuperGlued offering has the advantage there. How do you plan to keep track of bands at SXSW? Image courtesy of Flickr, Stephan Geyer More About: superglued, sxsw 2011 For more Media coverage:
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| Help Japan: Facebook Click Helps Dogs Rescue Trapped Quake Victims Posted: 12 Mar 2011 12:36 PM PST   As you read this, victims of the tragic earthquake in Japan are waiting to be rescued under piles of rubble. Here’s a way for you to help them, and you barely have to lift a finger. Explore.org founder Charlie Annenberg Weingarten, who’s also Director of the Annenberg Foundation, challenged the interactive community from the floor of the SXSW convention center, saying Explore.org will donate up to $100,000 to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. Its dog rescue team is on its way to Japan to help with earthquake search and rescue operations. “Search and rescue dogs are a critical resource for emergency situations" says Weingarten. "There are many bootstrapped start-ups down here in Austin and plenty of people across America who want to help Japan in some way but don't have the resources; we're giving those people a chance to support with a simple social action” Here’s where you come in: For every “Like” of the “Dog Bless You” Facebook page (#dogblessyou, #dogs4japan), Explore will donate a dollar up to $100,000. Get this: If the page gets 100,000 Likes by Sunday, March 13 at 2 a.m. EST, that dollar figure doubles, and Explore will donate $200,000. C’mon people, let’s help those quake victims! More About: explore.org, japan earthquake, quake, Rescue Dogs, sxsw, trending For more Social Good coverage:
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| Meet Seth Priebatsch: Princeton Dropout, Serial Entrepreneur and SXSW Keynoter Posted: 12 Mar 2011 11:34 AM PST   Saturday, SCVNGR founder Seth Priebatsch will take the stage at South by Southwest Interactive. Priebatsch has grandiose plans to woo the crowd with something they’ve never seen before — we’ll soon see if he delivers. Priebatsch, a 22-year-old youngster and fast-talking serial entrepreneur, has not yet reached the tech celebrity status of a Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Williams or Dennis Crowley. But this whiz kid’s star is now rising higher as his first primetime startup SCVNGR formulates some big plans. You’ve likely heard little about this workaholic, manic-seeming (he’s not) Bostonian, but his story is one with twists and turns, rises and falls and no end in sight. I spoke to Priebatsch exclusively before his big keynote address to get an up-close-and-personal look at a young man attempting to make his mark in the world. An Early Troublemaker“I had a reputation in high school for making trouble,” Priebatsch tells me. He points to several incidents that prove his case. Two stand out from the rest. Inspired by a chapter in the book Freakonomics, Priebatsch dreamt up the harebrained idea to start an underground snack bar at his high school — Noble and Greenough School, a private coeducational nonsectarian school in Boston. Priebatsch scouted out the best lockers on campus — right across from the computer lab — and bribed students with $50 in cash and faux legal contracts to sign over their lockers for his snack bar shop. He then recruited his mom to take him to Costco, where he bought bulk quantities of snacks and candy that he later placed in the lockers. To get the word out, Priebatsch e-mailed the combinations to the lockers to 15 friends, instructing them to take whatever they wanted, leave cash for their purchases and abide by the honor system. The caveat to participating, he said in his e-mail, was that “you can’t tell anyone.” He suspected the forbidden element of the e-mail would actually encourage his friends to pass the e-mail along to their friends. He was right. Three days after opening his snack bar shop, Priebatsch says that he was pulling in almost $1,500 in profit a day. However, his successful business had a negative impact on sales at the school’s official snack bar. So, his operation met its demise later on that third day. Priebatsch explains that the school’s provost called him into his office and said, “I don’t know if this is you, and I can’t prove this is you, but I need this shut down now.” The second standout troublemaker tale happened a few years earlier. At the ripe old age of 11, Priebatsch started his first company, digital wish-list and deal finder site Giftopedia. Not much of a technology guy at the time, Priebatsch hired a team of eight in India to manage the site’s development and tech needs. One day, right in the middle of French class, Priebatsch received a very audible Skype call from his team in India — Giftopedia’s server was down. Instead of ignoring the call, he made the decision to take his laptop outside and take the Skype call, telling his teacher, “Don’t worry. I need to take this call, I’ll be back in ten minutes.” The stunt did get him trouble, but he still managed to earn an A for the course. The company didn’t fare so well, though –Priebatsch later went on to sell the Giftopedia domain for a few thousand dollars. Princeton Dropout, SCVNGR StartupDuring his short tenure at Princeton, Priebatsch came up with what he thought was another genius idea: a massive game layer over the world. He promptly settled on the name SCVNGR because he wanted to engineer fun and quick six-second challenges — the stripped out vowels were designed to convey this alacrity. After the idea was hatched, Priebatsch approached Adam Finklestein, his favorite computer science professor, for help in preparing for the upcoming annual Princeton business plan competition. The two worked together, constructing a slide deck using the iconic Princeton orange hue — and Priebatsch’s color of choice. The duo eventually went on to win the competition. In true Priebatsch style, he took the giant $5,000 check down to the nearest Bank of America and attempted to shove it into one of the ATMs. It didn’t work, of course, but he did take the money and run — away from college, that is. The competition gave him the courage to drop out of school in the summer between his Freshman and Sophomore year, turning his parents’ house into SCVNGR headquarters. His mom freaked out at first, he says, but the risky bet paid off. Google Ventures soon came on board with a $4 million investment, Priebatsch was able to network his way into a cushiony, expansive and mostly-free office space in Boston, and the company has since go on to hire at a rapid rate, attract thousands of clients, secure $15 million in additional funding and sign up more than one million users. A New Platform: the SXSW StageSCVNGR has timed a few news releases with the SXSW festival, but Priebatsch’s keynote could be a breakout moment for the relatively unknown startup founder and his still fledgling company. Priebatsch promises to use the opportunity to make a big splash. “There’s one thing that will blow everyone’s mind,” he insists. While this “thing” is unknown, it’s most certainly a game of a sorts that Priebatsch and the SCVNGR team have cooking up for more than a month now. “The concept is brand new,” he says, “and if it works it will be one of the most epic things that has ever been done. If it fails, it will fail glorious.” And fail it could — SXSW keynotes have been known to do so — though he’s 60% confident that this gimmick will work in his favor. Prietbatsch and Mashable editor Ben Parr after a bike race around the Google Ventures’ building in Mountain View, California Quick List: Seth PriebatschHidden talent: Priebatsch’s dad started reading serious books and classic literature to him when he was just three years old. If that wasn’t strange enough, Priebatsch Senior would read to him with the books turned upside down. Now, Priebatsch can read any text upside down; he’s found this hidden talent a helpful skill that enables him to read potential investors’ private notes from across the table. The lucky backpack: Priebatsch carries around a self-described “lucky” backpack. He’s done so for ten years, nearly half of his life. He tells me he just can’t bare to let this one go, but that he is currently interviewing three new candidates. A man without a home: Priebatsch splits his time between the Boston office and the Google campus in Mountain View. With no permanent residence, these offices serve as his home where he showers, sleeps, eats and mostly works. Six orange shirts: Priebatsch is rarely seen in anything other than an orange polo shirt. That’s because he owns six of them, and little else. The polos are often paired with jeans, shredded due to constant bike-riding. He also prefers to be shoeless and has turned SCVNGR into a shoe-optional workplace. An Outdoorsman: Despite working day and night, Priebatsch still loves the outdoors. His interests include pretty much anything that doesn’t require him to catch a ball. Windsurfing, cross country running, skiing and biking are all personal favorites. More About: location-based apps, scvngr, Seth Priebatsch, trending For more Startups coverage:
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| Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART] Posted: 12 Mar 2011 10:32 AM PST   If you’re wondering why the Japanese earthquake didn’t hit this week’s top Twitter trends chart, it’s because the majority of the data was aggregated before the quake hit on Friday. We expect to see talk of the news and devastation to show strongly on next week’s chart. Meanwhile, the Twitterverse still belongs to Charlie Sheen, his social media popularity fueled by some strange livestreaming and a tweeted search for a new intern. The pre-Lent festivities of Carnival sent some trend power by way of Brazil, a nation known for passionate tweeting. Commonly referred to as “Mardi Gras” here in the States, the party took the number two spot on this week’s chart. And International Women’s Day appeared on Twitter’s radar at the middle of the week and trended strong enough to earn the bronze. People from around the world tweeted about the accomplishments and struggles of women in the workforce. For the full list of top trends, check out the chart below, compiled by our friends at What the Trend. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart. You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topics section, and read more about this past week's trends on What The Trend. Top Twitter Trends This Week: 3/4 – 3/11 Image courtesy of iStockphoto, 123render More About: charlie sheen, social media, social media lists, Top Twitter Topics, twitter For more Social Media coverage:
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| Conan and Pee-wee Appearing on Facebook Live From SXSW Today Posted: 12 Mar 2011 09:56 AM PST   Facebook Live set up shop at SXSW in Austin, bringing you lots of video content that includes interviews with celebrities and major influencers. It all starts today (Saturday) and goes on until next Thursday, March 17. Go to Facebook Live, and you’ll see the festivities beginning, with Facebook’s Randi Zuckerberg interviewing some of the movers and shakers in tech, government, music, journalism and film. Featured in today’s lineup is Pee-wee Herman and Eliza Dushku at 1 p.m. Central Time, and Conan O’Brien and Ellen Page at 6 p.m. Central Time. This is not just a passive watching situation, either — you’re invited to submit your questions in this interactive presentation. After the live interviews are done, the videos will be archived for later viewing. Mashable has teamed up with Facebook Live, and in addition to Randi Zuckerberg, our own Pete Cashmore and other key Mashable editors will be conducting interviews on Facebook Live Sunday and Monday from our Mashable SXSWi House. The live stream is available below: More About: conan o'brien, facebook live, pee-wee herman, sxsw For more Social Media coverage:
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| HOW TO: Follow Mashable at SXSWi Via Social Media Posted: 12 Mar 2011 09:17 AM PST   Whether you’re fully embedded in Austin’s SXSWi action or living vicariously through tweets from afar, you can easily follow all of our on-the-ground Mashable activity online. Our staffers and contributors will be sending updates to the web almost constantly during the next few days. Check us out on the following social spaces to see what we’re up to in Austin. And of course, we’re friendly, so make sure you say hi if you run into us there! Facebook Photos on PIxable’s Photofeed Using Pixable’s Photofeed, you can easily browse and find photos taken by our Mashable staff members in Austin. The service is available both as a Facebook plugin or through a new iPad app. You can even follow the Mashable category on the iPad app and get alerts when we’ve posted new photos. Gowalla & Foursquare
But if you aren’t in Austin, you can follow us on our Gowalla page to get info about our activity and our favorite spots in the city, as we’ll be checking in and posting tips as we go. We’re also checking into locations on our Foursquare account and posting photos as we go. UberGuide to SXSWi on UberSocial & Twidroyd With UberMedia, we’ve collaborated to create the SXSW “UberGuide.” It’s a comprehensive look through topic streams at what’s going down in Austin for users of UberSocial or Twidroyd mobile apps. You can use it to keep track of speakers and influencers at the conference, as well as the Mashable staff. This UberChannel within your app is your one-stop-shop for updates as you’re on the go. Tumblr & TwitterWe’re posting to our official Tumblr, offering a behind-the-scenes look at our inner SXSWi workings. Check it out to see what really goes on in Austin. We’re taking over Buffalo Billiards March 13th and 14th with our Mashable SXSWi House. Use the hashtag #MashHouse on Twitter to follow the happenings, including the Geek Games and MashBash, at our Austin HQ. More About: gowalla, mashbash sxswi, sxsw, sxsw 2011, sxswi For more Social Media coverage:
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| Facebook Adds Ability to Easily Tag Others In Comments Posted: 12 Mar 2011 08:18 AM PST   Facebook has expanded its @ Mentions feature, now letting you tag friends, pages, events or groups within comments, turning their names into clickable links by using a simple drop-down menu. Try it. Start a comment in Facebook, type the “@” symbol, and when you type the first letter of a friend or group’s name, a drop-down menu appears and creates an easily navigated link to that friend or group’s page. When you mention and link to somebody like this, it notifies that person that you’ve done so. There’s more coolness: According to Inside Facebook, “Admins can ‘use Facebook as a Page’ and publish comments that mention themselves on the posts of other Pages in order to attract people to their Page.” In other words, this is a way to get around Facebook’s spam filter that often won’t let you include URLs in comments (hey, that’s just like Mashable), letting you slip in a link to your page that might actually stick. How about it, commenters? Will this enhance engagement, or will it encourage spamming within comment reels? More About: Comment tagging, facebook, new feature, trending For more Social Media coverage:
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| HOW TO: Actually Get Something Done At SXSW Posted: 12 Mar 2011 06:41 AM PST   Mark Gilbreath is the Co-Founder and CEO of LiquidSpace the mobile application that helps anyone find a great space to work now. Despite the unending stream of party invites, panels, and events, major events like SXSW are ruled by the people who actually come to work. These are the people who want to get things done, to achieve, and to produce. Even the most hyped conferences still need that element of “get 'er done.” The actual work that happens at conferences is, by design, quieter and more humble — off the public record and off the beaten path. It is there, it's just never in your face. Robert Scoble hit the nail on the head with his "micro SXSW" post back in January: The real work of SXSW happens in small groups, on the fly — and it rarely gets tweeted about. The truth is that the people who can effectively work at SXSW are the people who benefit the most from the conference. Deals get done at SXSW; partnerships formed, term sheets accepted, acquisition plans hatched. Entrepreneurs ideate and gestate new companies. Code is hacked, sales are closed, hires are made, press are briefed and new clients are won. This post outlines five basic things that you can do to actually get things done amidst the insanity. 1. Find a Great SpaceMy company has put together some "pop-up" spaces at SXSW to support mobile workers here. But, there are plenty of other options too. The most commonly-used conference hacks for workspace include coffee shopping (uncomfortable, but immediate) coworking (depending on availability and location) and hotel rooming (lonely and spotty on the Wi-Fi, but at least quiet). Some of the lesser-known ways to find great space include:
It's just as important to know the type of environment in which you get your best work done. It's easy to focus soley on your functional space needs. Oft neglected are the human factors that have a substantial impact on your productivity like natural light, air quality, and social environment. 2. Power + Internet AccessAll this talk of the great outdoors gets us to the #1 thing that thwarts productivity at SXSW and almost any other conference: The essentials. Power and Internet access can make or break you. With these firmly in hand, you can do anything, and go anywhere.
3. Your Most Valuable Asset — AttentionDon’t try working during panels. How many of you show up and are half paying attention to the content in front of you, and half paying attention to your email and/or Twitter? Focus on one thing at a time. You'll get more done in less time, and you'll actually remember the key takeaways. People complain that they don't remember the panels and blame it on quality. This is rarely the case. Same for when you're in a quiet space and aiming for intensity, or a deep dive. Make a clear gesture at the outset by closing your machine, and taking your phone out of a pocket and laying it to the side. This kind of non-verbal communication helps set the tone. 4. Mission ControlTactics like auto-responders are only effective if your organization is amoeba-like, and can keep going even when you're hunkered down. This gets us to the next hack, something that the most skilled conference-goers long ago learned, namely, that a fully-briefed and well-prepared team back home can make all the difference. Not everyone gets to come to SXSW, but the role of those left behind is even more important than your own. Who is triaging email? Who is responding to support queries? Who is sending calendar invites for new meetings? Who is watching Twitter, reading blog posts, and highlighting comments? Whether it's your co-founder or an assistant, a research intern or a PM, have both brains and brawn back at home as a "SXSW prosthetic.” 5. The Lay of the LandThe first thing to do when you get to any conference is get the lay of the land. Walk the land, study a map, and get visually familiar. This will take at least an hour. You will be tempted not to do it. Where is your panel? Are you prepared to give directions if someone wants to come to it? A quiet space to prepare beforehand? Ask yourself all the important questions and figure out those last minute directions before you’re scrambling to get somewhere. You can win friends and fans with your knowledge, too. The fact that few people actually survey the battlefield plays in your favor in many different ways. SXSW is expanding even more to new hotels and new venues. Even if you've been before, the changes each year are substantial. If you know where you are and where you are going, you can proceed smoothly from meeting to meeting, time your arrivals, and make fuller, more productive time of the precious few hours you do have to yourself. SummaryDon't get caught in the hype. SXSW is about business and money, winning and losing. It comes in a candy-coated wrapper, but don't be fooled. Know where you work best. Productivity FTW. Some simple, good habits can make all the difference in whether you return home victorious, or depleted and empty-handed. Image courtesy of Flickr, Artiii More About: south by southwest, southby, sxsw, sxsw 2011, trending, work, working For more Social Media coverage:
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