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Mashable: Latest 26 News Updates - including “Startup Lets You Rent Fine Art, Netflix-Style”

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Mashable: Latest 26 News Updates - including “Startup Lets You Rent Fine Art, Netflix-Style”

Startup Lets You Rent Fine Art, Netflix-Style

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 03:59 AM 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.

Name: Artsicle

Quick Pitch: Artsicle is a Netflix-style renting service for fine art.

Genius Idea: Purchasing fine art can be a frustrating project that requires traveling to multiple galleries, research, and fretting over a decision that’s hard to undo. Selling fine art, for many young artists, can be even more frustrating; galleries have limited space, and they aren’t apt to show work that doesn’t already have an established name behind it.

Artsicle, which launches today in New York City, aims to make the process easier on both sides with a try-before-you-buy model for selling fine art. Potential buyers pay a monthly fee of $50 for renting privileges. They can then browse Artsicle’s selection of art and select a work they would like to sample. Once a renter’s selected piece is delivered to her home, she can either keep it for as long as she’s willing to pay the $50 monthly fee, purchase it or exchange it for another piece to test out.

CEO Alexis Tryon says that the company aims to sell art that ranges in price from about $500 to $1,500 (fairly reasonable in the art world) from hand-selected, mostly young artists.

“We believe collecting original art should be accessible for everyone,” Tryon says. “We also believe in a future art economy that allows more artists to make a living from their work, while continuing to create.”

The company’s biggest expenses are insuring the work (obviously breakage is a concern when lugging fine art between strangers’ homes) and delivery costs. In order to cover these costs, the model will need to prove a successful way to not just rent art, but sell it. Art commissions are huge — according to University of Wisconsin’s art department, they can be as much as 50%. The startup plans to charge a lower rate than most galleries, but that still leaves a lot of room for profit.

Artsicle

Image courtesy of ollikainen

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark

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

More About: art, Artsicle, netflix, startups

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Samsung to Launch 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab on March 22?

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 02:16 AM PST


Samsung has announced a special March 22 event where it’s very likely to unveil a new, 8.9-inch version of its Galaxy Tab tablet.

The Mobile Unpacked event, announced on Samsung’s official Facebook page, is set during CTIA in Orlando, Florida under the motto “What’s your TAB life?”

It is accompanied by an image of the Tab sporting the numbers 78910, which probably indicate all the different varieties of the Tab that Samsung plans to launch this year: the 7-inch Tab and the 10.1-inch Tab are already here, and all that’s missing is the previously rumored 8.9-inch model.

Samsung gave us no further details about the event, merely saying it’s got “more surprises in store.” We’d be surprised if the new, 8.9-inch tablet was running anything other than Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), and was drastically different (hardware-wise) than the 10.1 model, though.

More About: galaxy tab, samsung, Tablet

Drund Gives Devs & Users All-in-One Tool for Connected Devices

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 11:30 PM PST


Today, dev shop Azork has launched Drund, a broad, agnostic development and management platform for apps across all connected devices and browsers.

The platform also has an aspect for users, allowing them to “manage their online life from any Internet connected device,” according to a release.

Cross-platform development, especially in the mobile sector, is something of a rare and difficult promise to make. Developing not only for the two most popular mobile OSes but also for desktops and web browsers is a time- and resource-consuming consuming proposition; but leaning on “all-in-one” dev tools can sometimes lead to messy results and spaghetti code.

Drund makes the promise of “single platform development,” saying that devs can create each app just once and deploy it to any web or mobile browser — including IE, FireFox, Chrome, Safari, and all the mobile browsers, too.

Granted, the app won’t be a native mobile or desktop app; still, even having a mobile app that works across all kinds of devices and all browsers is a fairly major accomplishment. In other words, if Drund even works a little bit, it would help to eliminate a lot of the hassles of multi-platform development.

There are no subscription fees for using Drund as a developer. This poses an interesting advantage to devs who currently shell out 30% of profits to the App Store for iOS app revenues; using Drund and creating mobile-web apps, they would entirely bypass the App Store and the revenue split with Apple.

Then again, the downside is that devs entirely bypass the App Store — and the Android Market, for that matter. As web apps, even mobile web apps, these bits of software lose the immediate access and exposure of the verified native-app marketplace.

Yet on the other hand, who’s to say that mobile web development rather than native apps isn’t a valid and growing path? HTML5 is playing a role in mobile web development, and as mobile web apps act more and more like native ones, choosing to develop for the mobile web makes more and more sense.

The company is currently seeking app developers “to make some sweet applications in Drund.” If you deign to give it a shot, by all means, we welcome your feedback; we’d love to hear good things about a cross-platform development tool like this one.

The User Side

For users, Drund sounds it fits perfectly with the cloud-computing concept of web apps (as opposed to websites) that come in marketplaces and stores and that can be ported from one device to another. The company says Drund gives users “the ability to put [their apps] all in one place that can be accessed anywhere the Internet is available, from any device, on any platform, and without installing software.”

The Drund platform for users also aggregates social media data, as it includes apps for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Tumblr and more. And Drund TV and Drund Music means you can also access Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Pandora, Rhapsody and Napster from your account.

In a word, this means that users can login once and access, use and manage all their apps from any connected device — a boon for app-ophiles, gadget freaks and others. And in practice, Drund looks a lot like the web-based OSes we’ve seen a lot of over the past couple years, with a friendly and familiar interface.

Lead image courtesy of Flickr, blakespot.

More About: cross-browser, cross-platform, developers, development, drund, web apps

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One in Three Mobile Phone Owners Is a Regular Mobile Gamer [STUDY]

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:52 PM PST


A new survey from casual gaming company PopCap shows that an incredibly high percentage of adults in the UK and U.S. is into mobile gaming.

This stat may be due in part to the uptick in smartphone adoption. According to a separate Nielsen survey, 31% of U.S. mobile users now own smartphones, and a Pew survey shows nearly half of cellphone users download and use mobile apps, too.

In PopCap‘s research, more than half (52%) of 2,425 respondents said they had played a game on a mobile device, whether their own device or someone else’s, at some time in the past. The percentage for UK respondents was significantly higher (73%) than the rate for U.S. respondents (44%).

Around one-third of all respondents had played a game on their own mobile phones within the past month, and one out of four respondents said they played games on a weekly basis. Still, some respondents admitted to only having played a mobile game once.

The biggest gaming group was smartphone users. A full 83% of smartphone-owning respondents said they had played at least one mobile game in the past week, putting them solidly in the “avid mobile gamer” category.

Interestingly, the male-to-female ratio in mobile gaming doesn’t show the pronounced gender gap seen in console and PC gaming. Men play slightly more than women by a slim margin of 2-10%. This fits pretty well with the current picture we have of the social gaming scene as a predominantly female market.

And mobile gamers aren’t just biding their time on mass transit; they’re also contributing to the bottom line of game manufacturers across the major mobile platforms. Around half of all mobile gamers in this survey said they had upgraded a free trial game to the full or paid version in the past year. And one out of four mobile gamers, or one out of three smartphone gamers, said they had bought “additional content” for a game within the past year.

Also, smartphone users are more likely to buy games than their feature phone-owning counterparts, for obvious reasons. The average smartphone-using mobile gamer bought 5.4 games in 2010, versus the 2.9 games bought by non-smartphone-owning gamers. Also, the smartphone crowd said they spent more money on games — $25.57 per user for the year, compared to $15.70 from feature phone owners.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sjlocke

More About: casual gaming, Mobile 2.0, mobile gaming, social gaming, trending

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Just How Many Verizon iPhones Have Been Sold?

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 05:33 PM PST


Based on interviews with Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, some analysts are estimating that Apple has already moved 1 million Verizon iPhone units.

Neither Apple nor Verizon has released official sales information about the device, with the exception of an earlier report that Verizon iPhone sales have so far exceeded all previous initial phone launches in the carrier’s history.

Verizon’s Daniel Mead also attributed the embarrassingly short lines for the Verizon iPhone with the fact that 60% of purchases were made online.

As Fortune‘s Phillip Elmer-DeWitt notes, 60% of what? That’s the big question — and one Verizon says it won’t answer until its next quarterly earnings report.

TheStreet‘s Scott Moritz reads this 60% figure as confirmation that Apple and Verizon moved more than 1 million units the first weekend the device was available. Moritz arrives at this number by using analyst estimates of 600,000 pre-orders. Assuming that number is accurate, that would account for 60% of launch sales, thus bringing the total to 1 million.

The iPhone 4 famously sold 1.7 million units in its debut weekend in June 2010.

We wouldn’t expect the Verizon sales to approach the iPhone 4 figures; after all, aside from the carrier, nothing about the device has significantly changed in eight months. Instead, it’s likely that the true demand of the Verizon iPhone — and its overall impact on AT&T’s churn — will be visible when the next iPhone launches. If history is any indicator, that will be in June.

We’re of two thoughts when it comes to the lack of any concrete Verizon iPhone sales figures. On the one hand, not having the information indicates that the figures have fallen short of expectations. On the other hand, the expectations of Verizon iPhone sales could quite possibly be out of the realm of possibility for any device or company. The fact is that this was the best phone launch in Verizon’s history — despite the launch being for an eight-month old device.

Apple will reveal the iPad 2 on Wednesday. Perhaps the company will shed more light on Verizon iPhone sales then.

More About: apple, iphone, sales figures, stats, verizon, Verizon iPhone

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Futuristic Kiosk Spits Out Cash for Recycled Electronics

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 04:32 PM PST


Imagine stopping by your neighborhood retailer, offloading an old cell phone or laptop via an in-store kiosk and picking up cash for your device, just as you would get cash for coins through Coinstar or rent and return a RedBox DVD.

It’s a futuristic idea with tangible value that startup ecoATM is already making a reality.

ecoATM, a San Diego-based startup, has roughly 15 kiosks scattered throughout the southern California region, some at Westfield shopping malls in San Diego. These kiosks offer consumers a cash incentive to recycle their electronics.

Plop in an expired cell phone, overplayed MP3 player, no-longer-wanted video game or used-up ink cartridge, and ecoATM will determine the product, its estimated value — while factoring in damage — and make you an offer you might not be able refuse: cash in exchange for recycling your device.

It claims to offer highly competitive return rates, but its biggest value proposition may be the immediate gratification. From a consumer perspective, there’s very little reason not to use ecoATM over trying to hawk an old gadget online. The startup promises to wipe your device and spits out cash or store credit, no human contact required.

The system isn’t perfect. ecoATM eats the cost on the returned devices it can’t resell, and the process can take a few a minutes (see below) — but it is working. In one year of testing, ecoATM has recycled more than 50,000 devices, according to CMO and co-founder Mark Bowles. Bowles and team are mum on what that translates to in financial terms, nor are they willing to share how much it costs to produce each kiosk or the exact margin they make on recycled devices.

Right now, the startup is using its more than $14 million in funding to aggressively expand into more areas. Google can expect to see an ecoATM onsite in Mountain View within the next few weeks, and Microsoft’s Redmond campus already has one accepting recycled devices.

Monday, ecoATM is also upping its profile with a formal launch at DEMO’s Spring startup event in Palm Springs, California. Mashable stopped by the ecoATM station for a quick demonstration.

More About: democon, ecoATM, Hardware, Mobile 2.0, startup, trending

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YouTube Mocks Charlie Sheen’s Public Meltdown [VIDEOS]

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 03:18 PM PST


The YouTube community has responded to Charlie Sheen’s very public meltdown the way it always responds to celebs in trouble: by piling on.

In the past few days, there have been a ton of new Charlie Sheen videos. A search for “Charlie Sheen” on YouTube delivers more than 1,400 results from just the past week, according to YouTube Trends.

Some of the top videos on the site include the first part of Sheen’s interview with Alex Jones of InfoWars. That video has topped 232,000 views since it loaded on February 25.

But interpretations of Sheen’s bizarre behavior often come off as pretty bizarre themselves, like this report from NMAWorldEdition, which uses CGI animation to dramatize Sheen’s plight, including his self-proclaimed “fire-breathing fists.”


Slate is also getting some traction with an Xtranormal video offering its own dramatization of Sheen’s comments to Jones:


Finally, there’s “Crazier Than Charlie Sheen” an original song by live2tivo, who also penned a ditty for Angry Birds a while back.


What do you think? Is this over the line? Is Sheen getting off too easy? Are you Charlie Sheen’d out? Have you seen any other good Sheen videos? Let us know in the comments.

More About: charlie sheen, parodies, Xtranormal, youtube

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Website Uses Dictator Game for (Mostly) Charity

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 03:02 PM PST

dictator image

There aren’t a ton of websites out there based on complicated thought games that are based on experimental economics. Part of that may have to do with the difficulty of turning thought experiments into viable websites. But what if that game could net you cash on a regular basis?

The Moral Experiment, a website developed by John Bushell, is part pyramid scheme (although he reasonably argues against that), part The Dictator Game, part online-giving app and part ethics study.

In a nutshell: The site charges a £1 monthly subscription fee. Users can subscribe for one, six or 12 months. However, that money goes to the person who referred you via his or her unique URL. The question then becomes whether you’ll keep that money, donate it to charity or some combination of both. That result is then tracked (entirely anonymously) based on criteria each user fills out when registering. Do men give more than women? Are certain age groups greedier than others? What factor does race or religion play?

moral experiment image

“It will be interesting to see what participants will do with their moral earnings once they have made back their initial £1 subscription fee, essentially breaking even with one friend referral,” Bushell wrote on the site. “Most people on Facebook have at least 150 to 300 friends, the referral process could end up becoming very lucrative for the participants’ moral dilemma.”

The results, while anonymous, are sure to spark controversy especially when there’s no real way to verify an individual user’s age, religious affiliations, race, etc. Still, as of writing, 95% of the money has been donated to charity. It’s a pattern, despite the small user base, that reflects the economic game it’s modeled after.

The dictator game is an experiment in economics. A person (the dictator) is a given a sum of money that he or she can either keep, or give to a second person (the responder). Overwhelmingly, the dictator gives away at least some part of that sum even if the responder is a total stranger. The game seems to imply that people generally care about the welfare of others.

The site is a certified registered PayPal application, meaning your information is kept relatively safe, and all transactions occur through PayPal. On top of PayPal’s 5% fee, however, Bushell also takes another 15%. The site is registered as a company in the UK and not as a non-profit, despite its connection to viable and legitimate organizations.

Bushell hopes to boost his group data, as well as introduce new charities that could benefit from his largely philanthropic audience. “Yes it's an experiment into human morality and yes the results will be an indication or trend but its still just a bit of fun,” Bushell wrote.

What would you do with an extra couple of bucks a month; keep it or donate it to charity?

Image courtesy of Flickr, invisible consequential

More About: charity, moral experiment, non-profit, social good, social media, the dictator game, the moral experiment

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The Oscars & Social Media by the Numbers

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 02:14 PM PST


The yearly Oscar telecast is no longer strictly a broadcast-only affair. The main show might still be relegated to television sets, but much of the real action took place online. Co-host James Franco wasn’t the only person tweeting during the ceremony — hundreds of thousands of others joined in, sharing their thoughts on who looked great (Christian Bale’s beard), who made waves (Melissa Leo in her acceptance speech) and who needs to host next year (Kevin Spacey, anyone?).

We’ve taken the time to synthesize the various social media related data points from the big show. Here’s how Oscar stacked up.

TV Ratings

With the lack of a major tent pole attraction like Avatar, industry analysts expected television ratings to dip for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.

Early overnights indicate that household ratings were down 7 percent versus 2010.

The show reported a 26.5 household rating, compared with last year’s 27.5. Notably, though, the ad-targeted 18-49 demographic rating is estimated to be 14.5 — which is on par with last year’s show.

ABC managed to spin the Fast National ratings, noting that the 37.6 million viewers surpassed the Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards and Golden Globes. ABC also points out that this was the second-biggest audience since 2007.

Twitter

As with the Super Bowl, the Grammy Awards and the Golden Globes, Twitter was a prime outlet for Oscar chatter.

We’re seeing conflicting numbers as to how many total tweets were generated by the Academy Awards. Tweetbeat tells us it estimates that 400,000 tweets were sent during the telecast, whereas TweetReach pegged the total number of tweets at 1,269,790.

During the show itself, a few specific moments generated major spikes in Twitter activity.

The first moment came early in the evening, when Melissa Leo dropped Oscar’s first f-bomb during her acceptance speech for her role in The Fighter. According to TweetReach, that generated nearly 11,000 tweets at the 6:00 (PST) mark. Likewise, Tweetbeat saw an unexpected spike in tweets at the 6:01 mark.

TweetReach found that the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature (won by Inside Job), which was presented by Oprah Winfrey, resulted in the most sustained tweets of the night, 11,780.

The Movies

Liz Pullen from What the Trend analyzed data from the Twitter Worldwide Trending Topics list and compiled some interesting data in regards to trends that reached the top 10.

Despite not winning Best Picture, The Fighter earned the most “trending points” when looking at the worldwide trending topic data. Pullen assigned the film with 135 trending points compared with 115 for Toy Story 3 and 102 for the Oscar winner, The King’s Speech.

This data combined all mentions of a film, cast or crew member or award category won by the film.

Tweetbeat took a different approach, tracking film mentions and reporting Inception as the most tweeted film. The King’s Speech was second, followed by Toy Story 3, The Social Network and The Fighter.

The People

Much of the Twitter conversation surrounding the Academy Awards was less about the awards and more about the celebrities nominated, presenting or hosting the show.

James Franco — who was both a nominee for Best Actor and a co-host for the ceremony — dominated Twitter. According to metrics from Mass Relevance, Franco was the most mentioned nominee — scoring 58,197 mentions since his nomination was announced in January.

Tweetbeat agrees, stating that Franco receieved 21,117 mentions during the Oscar telecast. Co-host Anne Hathaway, was the second-most tweeted about person, according to Tweetbeat, and Natalie Portman was third.

Interestingly, this data doesn’t necessarily correlate with the Oscar personalities that appeared in Twitter’s Trending Topics list. According to Liz Pullen, Cate Blanchett was the most discussed Oscar celebrity, at least in the context of trending topics.

Our own guess is that Blanchett’s dominance may have stemmed from discussion of her dress from the Red Carpet. Tweetbeat found that Givenchy, the designer of Blanchett’s dress, was the third most tweeted designer during the Red Carpet.

Facebook

Over on Facebook, nearly one million people in the U.S. mentioned the word “Oscars” in their status updates over the last 24 hours.

The most popular U.S. Oscar-related Facebook status mentions included:

  • The King’s Speech with 152,324 mentions
  • James Franco with 138,437 mentions.
  • The Social Network with 96,513 mentions.
  • Natalie Portman with 80,704 mentions.
  • Anne Hathaway with 74,979 mentions.

Worldwide, nearly 1.9 million Facebook status updates were related to the Oscars.

Check In Services

GetGlue partnered with the Oscars this year, offering viewers special stickers for checking in to the event.

More than 31,000 users checked in to the OScars using GetGlue, with 10 check-ins per second taking place in the first 30 minutes of the show. This was the highest number of check-ins for any GetGlue event to date — handily beating the Grammy Awards (18,000 check-ins) and the Super Bowl (20,000 check-ins).

Sentiment Buzz

Alison Hillhouse, the senior director in MTV’s Insights & Innovations Department, monitored social media during the ceremony for various word trends. Hillhouse’s focus was primarily on the Millennials demographic, and she was able to break the moments into three basic groups: Epic, Fail and Meh.

The data found that Melissa Leo’s f-bomb, Christina Bale’s beard and Kevin Spacey were all worthy of epic praise.

Millennial’s were less impressed with the auto-tune montage, Banksy’s loss for “Best Documentary” and the snubbing of Corey Haim in the “In Memorium,” which were deemed epic failures by Millennial viewers.

On the whole, despite aggressively trying to target the younger demographic, the Oscar telecast was deemed “meh” by Millennial audiences. “Meh #Oscars” was a common refrain on both Twitter and Facebook.

More Film Resources From Mashable:

- How Does 3D Technology Work?
- 7 Pairs of Stylish 3-D Specs for Fashionable Film Fans
- Top 10 Movies for the Modern Tech Geek
- How Social Media Is Changing the Way Movies are Promoted
- Movie Rental Kiosks Now More Popular Than Retail Stores [STATS]

More About: academy awards, Film, Movies, mtv, Oscars, tweetbeat, tweetreach, twitter, What The Trend

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U.S. Army Launches App for Soldier Blogs

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 02:05 PM PST


The latest addition to the U.S. Army’s arsenal of recruitment tools is an iPhone app that launched Monday. The free app gives access to more than 600 soldier bloggers’ content as well as allowing users to share their own “Army Strong” stories, photos and videos.

A release from the U.S. Army Accessions Command called the app and a mobile website that also launched on Monday “a natural extension of the Army’s ongoing commitment to engage potential recruits via social media channels.”

Army Strong Stories, the site from which the app and mobile website pull content, launched in January 2008. Originally, the site served as a blog platform exclusively for soldiers. In May 2010, it was updated to allow anyone with an army story to tell it.

When the platform opened to everybody, Army Accessions Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley told the Belvoir Eagle, "Soldiers should join Army Strong Stories for a number of reasons. … Online and in the media, the negative stories are always given a platform. Soldiers, every one of us, have some of the best stories to tell."

The new app will make it easier for soldiers to share their stories, but more importantly — at least from a recruiting perspective — easier for potential recruits to hear them.

More About: App, Soldier Strong Stories, u.s. army

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AT&T Rolls Out Location-Based Ad Messages

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 01:14 PM PST

texting

AT&T launched a new service Monday that shoots you special offers over your mobile phone when you’re near a participating store or brand.

The service, called ShopAlert, is launching with the backing of Hewlett-Packard, Kmart, JetBlue, SC Johnson, Kibbles ‘n Bits and others. AT&T claims this is the first time a major operator in the U.S. is introducing such a program on a large scale.

ShopAlert, developed with Placecast, is currently available in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. To get the service, consumers are directed to sign up at a dedicated site.

According to a release from AT&T, the messages “are enhanced with information such as weather, traffic, and local shopping area details to more effectively engage consumers.”

To deploy the messages, ShopAlert employs what Placecast calls a “geo-fence” around a retail location, event or geographic area and sends messages when consumers are within the area. Alistair Goodman, CEO of Placecast, says the geo-fence can range in size from a few blocks to “several miles.”

Those brands, however, aren’t the first to use ShopAlerts. Placecast last year worked with The North Face to create geo-fences around stores, hiking areas, parks and locales that are popular with the brand’s customers. In December, Google also launched a beta program in December in which offers by marketers could be geotargeted.

Photo courtesy of iStock, sjlocke.

More About: att, Hewlett-Packard, mobile advertising, Placecast

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100+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 12:15 PM PST

social_media_events_guide1

Every week, Mashable puts together a calendar of upcoming social media and web events, parties and conferences.

Would you like to have your conference or event listed here? If so, please request the Mashable Media Partnership Guidelines. If your event meets our requirements, contact us at least 45 days before your event to establish a media partnership with us. For more upcoming listings, check out Mashable’s‘s Events section.

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

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

Upcoming Mashable Events

Mashable SXSWi House — March 13-14, 2011, Austin, TX:
The Mashable SXSWi House 2011 will break the mold of the traditional SXSWi events schedule. Working with SXSWi and our partner sponsors, we will create a two-day platform that will include private events, VIP networking hours and large open parties. From Sunday, March 13 to Monday, March 14, Mashable will be hosting a combination of private events, open houses, meet-and-greet opportunities and of course, two nights of parties with open bars. The event is open to all 21+ SXSWi badge holders. Please RSVP on Eventbrite at http://sxswi.eventbrite.com.

Mashable Connect — May 12-14, 2011, Orlando, FL:
Mashable Connect 2011 will be an intimate experience that brings together leaders from the digital world for a weekend away to share and connect offline. Set away from the distractions of traditional conferences, Mashable Connect will recreate the Mashable web experience on the grounds of Disney World, creating an environment where attendees can truly engage and build lasting connections. The invite-only conference will cover new territory, break news and feature special events, with a touch of Disney magic.

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

February 28–March 2, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Now in its third year, ENGAGE 2011, Webtrends' social/mobile marketing and analytics conference, features fresh ideas and candid forecasts from experts spanning Fortune 500 companies to break-through start-ups including Facebook, Google, eBay, Redbox, Dow Chemical and IBM plus industry innovators, marketers and analysts including Forrester, Brian Solis, and David Kirkpatrick. The event will host about 600 of the brightest leaders in digital, measurement and optimization from more than 300 major brands. For the latest agenda, please click here. Register and use the promo code ONEDAY for a discount on one-day passes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 5, 2011: Telecommuting, the holy grail for many developers. Not work from home but work from where you are. Because after all, "Work is what you do, not where you go" Day Camp 4 Developer #2:Telecommuting will help developers understand the benefits and risks involved in telecommuting along with offering practical advice on what tools you and your team need to master in order to successfully distribute your team geographically. In one day we cover five important topics that every developer needs to understand before starting to telecommute. Register with the promo code MASHABLEROCKS and save $5.

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

March 7, 2011, Toronto, Ontario: Today’s global market is consistently changing. How do you know what’s happening now and how do you innovate and create marketing strategies to stay ahead of the curve? The Art of Marketing brings thought leaders from around the globe and gives you direct access to cutting edge thinking and real world experience. On March 7th, 2011, join 5 internationally renowned bestselling authors including Guy Kawasaki, Gary Vaynerchuk, Avinash Kaushik, Dr. Sheena Iyengar & Jeffrey Hayzlett at Canada’s #1 marketing conference. Register with promo code MASH23 and save $50.

March 8-10, 2011, Washington, D.C.: Join hundreds of CARE supporters to advocate for women and girls around the globe at the CARE Conference & International Women's Day Celebration. Events kick off on March 8 with a celebration in honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. The conference begins March 9 and will feature keynote speakers Melinda Gates and Laura W. Bush, as well as panel discussions led by issue experts from around the world. On March 10, CARE advocates will hear from keynote speaker Judy Woodruff before heading to Capitol Hill to meet with their members of Congress and ask for their support on key policies that work to combat global poverty. For more information and to register, visit careconference.org.

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

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

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

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

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

March 13-18, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Come to the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit and learn how to turn customer touchpoint data into insight… whether it’s search terms, ad response, web behavior, customer satisfaction, mobile activities, social media attitude or transactions. Attendees will: Investigate Social Media, Online Media, Mobile Marketing and as always, Marketing Analytics; Soak up intelligence from keynotes, breakouts, Clinics, Labs, Round-table Discussions and your peers.; Take advantage of unparalleled networking.; Enjoy parties, receptions, and the WAA Awards Banquet. For more information and to register, please click here.

March 14-17, 2011, Chicago, IL: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute's 3rd Forum on Strategic Internal Communications: How To Use Social Media & Traditional Communication Tools To Engage Employees, Drive Performance & Add Value, to learn how to how to transform the role of internal communications to one that adds value to your business. Hear practical advice, firsthand, from leading organizations such as: Southwest Airlines; American Red Cross; Dean Foods Company; Sprint; Mars Chocolate North America; Northwestern Mutual; Kaiser Permanente; City of Milwaukee, WI; Edelman Change and Employee Engagement; and more. Register and mention Mashable to save $200.

March 14-15, 2011, Jacksonville, FL: Paging all health care communicators! Social media won't be flat lining anytime soon. Join us at our Health Care Marketing and PR Social Media Summit, hosted by Ragan Communications and Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. Explore the hottest social media case studies and learn how to transform your communications strategy with mobile health applications. Empower yourself to convince executive non-believers that social media doesn't waste employees' time, but it actually increases productivity! Register with the promo code MASH11 to get a $100 discount on this previously sold-out conference. Can't attend? We're webcasting the entire experience!

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

March 16, 2011, Washington, DC: The Innovative Giving Foundation presents the 2011 Innogive Conference – "Mobile Giving Applied". This will be a one day event focuses on applying the best practices in mobile giving and communications for social good, and will address integrating SMS appeals, mobile apps and other emerging innovative giving technologies. The Innogive format combines a great mix of respected keynotes, riveting innovation speakers and super informative panels and hands on classes. Organizations of all sizes should attend! Register and use the promo code IGF for $50 off.

March 17-19, 2011, Washington, DC: The annual Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) is the Nonprofit Technology Network’s signature event, a three-day gathering bringing together nearly 2,000 nonprofit professionals from around the world to collaborate, innovate, and maximize effectiveness. Our members share the common goal of helping nonprofits use all aspects of technology more effectively; the NTC brings them face-to-face to connect, learn — and return to their organizations brimming with the energy, strategies, and networks they need to change the world. For more information and to register, please click here.

March 17-18, 2011, Vilnius, Lithuania: LOGIN 2011 is a festival dedicated to the Internet, technology, trends and creativity. It is the biggest Internet event in the Baltic states, held annually in Vilnius, Lithuania. More than 2,000 participants from all over the Baltics will gather to listen to inspiring keynote speeches, participate in seminars and creative workshops. Login 2011 – more than 40 speakers, such as Peter Sunde (The Pirate Bay), Ben Hammersley (WIRED), Christian Heilmann (Mozilla), Aral Balkan (Nokla Labs) just to name a few! For more information, please click here.

March 18, 2011, New York, NY: Facebook, In-Depth is an intensive full-day event that educates marketers and senior management on the world's largest social network. L2 is inviting an unprecedented group of scholars, thinkers, entrepreneurs, technologists and exemplar brands for a full day immersion on Facebook. Topics covered will range from best practices on branded Facebook pages to growing your fans and followers to Facebook commerce and advertising. Register with the discount code Mashable_friends to get 25% off.

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

March 21-25, 2011, New York, NY: Learn how to power up your online campaign through search, social and display at SES New York Conference & Expo. Search, social media, behavioral targeting, mobile, and video are just a few of the areas marketers have struggled to keep pace with within the last year. Advancements like Google Instant, Yahoo’s merger with Bing, and Twitter’s launch of Promoted Tweets, are just a few of the technological advancements which marketers have had to absorb. Helping marketers keep pace with a quickly developing digital landscape, the SES Conference & Expo series brings in experts from throughout the industry, providing insight, case studies, and tangible tactics for businesses to employ. SES New York, one of our most comprehensive shows of the year, attracts up to 6,000 attendees annually from leading brands across the business landscape. Attendees join to connect with the digital community at large, looking to build in-house skills in an array of digital marketing fields. Register with the promo code 20MASH and SAVE 20%.

March 21-23, 2011, Boston, MA: BIA/Kelsey's Interactive Local Media is the definitive conference on local digital advertising and marketing. Join the interactive local media community in Boston for ILM East where the focus will be on new local marketplaces, keying in on the latest developments in search, mobile, geolocation, reviews, group buying and deals. Register with the promo code ILMEMASH and save $200!

March 21-22, 24-25, 2011, Hong Kong & Singapore: Branding in a Digital Age – Join us at this 2-day conference to learn the best methodologies and tactics to boost your brand. Obtain a clear understanding of consumer behaviour and trends, and leverage on this knowledge to amplify your brand through digital platforms. Find out how brands such as Virgin Mobile, adidas, Dell, Sunkist, Flawless, Allianz and the Hong Kong Tourism Bureau have successfully incorporated digital as a means of delivering real-time, holistic and interactive brand experiences. Learn practical and actionable solutions from real-life case studies, and how to implement these new-formed insights for your brand! Register today!

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

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

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

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

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

March 23, 2011, New York, NY: The Social Consumer: Case Studies and Roundtables — Representatives from PepsiCo, Sony, Unilever, Kotex, and others will demonstrate the best case studies of how leading brands engage, influence and service consumers through innovative social programs. Register and use the promo code MASH for a discounted rate of $155.

March 23, 2011, New York, NY: GigaOM presents "Structure Big Data" That “fire hose” of information pouring through your company’s databases and systems? That data, whether real-time or historic, presents an enormous opportunity to gain business insights to maximize profits and improve products. Structure Big Data, GigaOM’s newest conference, is focused on helping technology executives develop a big data strategy. Turn your company’s information into your next big revenue opportunity. Register with the promo code BDMASH and save $100!

March 24, 2011, Tulsa, OK: It's time for the very first Social Media Tulsa Conference. Social media thought leaders, internet marketers, PR specialists, mobile pioneers, and tech enthusiasts all in one place for a day of sharing knowledge, sparking ideas, and networking with the best from all walks of life. It all began with Social Media Day Tulsa at Fat Guys Burger Bar in the historic Greenwood district. Social Media Tulsa is a community that invites its members to gather and talk about the impact of Social Media on business, news, entertainment, sports, non profit, and other topics. Registration includes lunch, sessions, and beverage coupons. Register and use the promo code SMTulsaMash for a 15% discount.

March 28-31, 2011, San Francisco, CA: The Web 2.0 Expo brings together thousands of designers, developers, entrepreneurs, marketers, and business strategists each year to learn and discuss the latest web technology trends and challenges. At the next Web 2.0 Expo, we’ll reveal the key pieces of the digital economy and the ways you can leverage important ideas for your own success. We'll apply the economic filter to data collection, social connections, social media platforms, browser successes, old media in new channels, and global commerce. Register for this multi-track conference and expo with code websf11bart4 to save 20% on all conference passes, or register and use the promo code websf11bae4 for a FREE Expo Hall Only pass.

Web 2.0 Expo

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

March 29-30, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Following the success of our inaugural summit, the SSN 2nd Alternative Payment Systems Innovations Summit will enable industry senior executives and decision-makers to share implementation challenges and success stories for capitalizing on the explosive growth of the rapidly evolving mobile payments arena. Merchants, payment processors, telecom carriers, developers and solutions providers will gather for provoking discussions on topics such as upcoming plans for accepting mobile payments in stores, facilitating collaboration amongst all players in the mobile payments space and direct-to-mobile billing. Register with the promo code APSIMA1 and save $300 off registration rate!

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

March 29, 2011, New York, NY: GE, H&R Block, Scholastic, Walmart, Scripps Networks, HP, and more will share case studies in corporate social media at BlogWell New York: How Big Brands Use Social Media. You’ll learn how to get started, get past roadblocks, and make your social media program phenomenal — in one afternoon, for just $250. Get practical, how-to advice on creating great content, getting management buy-in, educating employees, keeping lawyers and regulators happy, simple and ethical disclosure, and engaging fans. Presented by GasPedal and SocialMedia.org. Register with promo code THANKSMASHABLE and save 10%!

March 30-April 1, 2011, Boston, MA: NSDI ’11 brings together leading researchers to explore the design principles of large-scale networked and distributed systems. This year’s technical program includes 27 technical papers with topics including data-intensive computing, energy and storage, debugging and correctness, and more. NSDI ’11 will also feature a poster session showcasing early research in progress. Take advantage of this opportunity to meet with premier researchers in the computer networking, distributed systems, and operating systems communities. Register and use the promo code NSDI11MASH for a $100 discount.

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

April 4-7, 2011, Vancouver, BC: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute's 25th Updated Forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results, to learn how to incorporate social media into your communications and marketing plans, and leverage the latest interactive Web 2.0 tools and techniques to advance your organizational goals. Hear practical advice from: BC Ministry of Environment; Department of National Defence; City of Seattle, WA; BC Public Affairs Bureau, City of Oshawa, ON; Genome Alberta; Alberta Environment; Deloitte and more. Register and mention Mashable when registering to save $200!

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

April 4, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Data 2.0 Conference – Learn from Google, Microsoft, SimpleGeo, Factual, and 50 other innovators about what's next in the world of data. The first conference to examine the growing importance of information accessibility in business, technology and society, the midVentures Data 2.0 Conference focuses on how the web is becoming the new database, and how businesses can better analyze and monetize this information. Discussions will span the next decade of data, from the data ecosystem and commoditization of information, to personal data control and open data initiatives. How will you use data to better target your new customers? Register and use the code data2mash for a 15% discount.

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

April 5-6, 2011, San Francisco, CA: iStrategy is an inspirational, 2-day, digital media conference for senior executives who believe that the success of their business requires a sound digital strategy. iStrategy has recruited keynote speakers, panelists, workshop facilitators and attendees with expertise in the online channels that drive successful outcomes and tools that provide ongoing measurement including: Social Media, Mobile Marketing and Applications, Display Advertising, SEO/SEM, Email Marketing, Database Marketing, Web Analytics, E-commerce and Content Strategy. Register with the promo code MASHSJ10 to receive a 10% discount off the ticket price.

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

April 6-8, 2011, New York City, NY: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ring the closing bell at NASDAQ? Now you don't have to – you can be there as an added bonus for attending our conference The 2011 Content Summit for Corporate Communicators & PR, presented by Ragan Communications and hosted by NASDAQ OMX. You'll discover new ways to tell a story that are echo-worthy in both social media and traditional media. Register with the promo code MASH11 to save $200 off the regular registration price.

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

April 6, 2011, New York, NY: The annual We Media Conference features the people and ideas shaping media, technology and society. This year's conference is a lightening-strike for fast-movers: a one-day event filled with must-have intelligence, inspired ideas and brilliant people looking ahead to what’s next and what to do about it. Dozens of new projects, hundreds of new relationships and scores of solutions, partnerships and investments have emerged from the activities and key connections forged at We Media conferences around the world. The conference also features the finals of the $50k We Media PitchIt Challenge, a contest to help turn two startup ideas into something real. Register with the promo code WEMASH and save 10%!

April 7, 2011, London, UK: The third Social Media in Recruitment Conference will again help recruiters get the most from using Social Media through Case Studies, Latest Trends and Best Practice. Discover how the British Army introduced Social Media in recruiting, how Nokia uses LinkedIn on a global basis to build a talent pipeline, and how the European Personnel Selection Office in Brussels (who have careers web sites in twenty three different languages) use multilingual Social Media sites to attract new hires. Register and save 10% with the discount code MASHABLE.

April 7, 2011, London, UK: MI EXPO, a one day conference and exhibition taking place at The Delfina London is a platform showcasing innovation within the marketing sector. The event promises to inspire and educate, whilst bring together the companies and individuals driving the industry forward creating networking and new business opportunities. The Marketing Innovation Awards, nominated for by the UTalkMarketing Community will take place at the end of the day during a drinks reception. Register and use the promo code MASH15 to receive a 15% discount.

April 7, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: Social Media Advanced Skills Huddle – SMASH is an interactive conference designed to help you make better decisions about deploying social media for marketing, public relations and corporate communications. Presenters and attendees will huddle to air issues, seek advice, and tap into each other’s wisdom while arriving at practical solutions. This event is part of a series of unique how-to huddles on the campuses of the world’s best universities, taught by some of America’s top social media practitioners and experts. SMASH pushes the traditional conference into something much more interactive and practical. Register and use the promo code smashmash11.

April 11-14, 2011, Santa Clara, CA: The O’Reilly MySQL Conference & Expo is an interactive learning community, spreading the latest and best knowledge on MySQL and related technologies to the global open source community. Harness the power of MySQL and celebrate the huge MySQL ecosystem during four days of in-depth training, sessions, plenary discussions, case studies, networking with hundreds of your peers, and more. Register and use the discount code mys11msh to save 15%.

April 11-13, 2011, London, UK: The London Book Fair is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels. With 1,600 exhibiting companies from more than 50 countries, the fair brings together all corners of the international publishing industry to meet and do business. Celebrating its 40th year, The London Book Fair has grown into an industry hub bringing you three days of education, networking and business opportunities. For more information and to register, please visit www.londonbookfair.co.uk/mashable.

April 11-13, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Mix and mingle with more than 10,000 digital marketers at ad:tech. Discover the latest innovations in social media, mobile, search, e-mail, location-based marketing and much more. Find hundreds of the hottest digital marketing and advertising companies to network with and learn from. For more information and to register, please click here.

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

April 12, 2011 New York, NY: The Sentiment Analysis Symposium bridges technology and business in one of the most exciting applications to emerge in recent years: software that discovers business value in opinions and attitudes in social media, news, and enterprise feedback. The Sentiment Analysis Symposium provides an unmatched opportunity to learn about sentiment technologies, how they are applied, return on investment, and how to choose from among the many available solution options. Meet and learn from fellow experts, business executives, and practitioners. Keynotes, presentation tracks covering important business applications, a start-up showcase and peer-networking opportunities are planned.

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

April 13, 2011, Knoxville, TN: Some of the brightest minds in social media in the country are coming to Knoxville for this can't-miss marketing and PR event of the year: Social Slam 2011! Join for us for four expert panels and nationally acclaimed keynote speakers, including: Jay Baer, Christina "CK" Kerley, Trey Pennington and Brian Winter. For more information, please visit socslam.com.

April 14-16, 2011, New Orleans, LA: Whether you're a mom entrepreneur, blogger, a brand trying to connect with moms, or are just passionate about the online world, Mom 2.0 Summit is the conference for you. Talk shop with social media influencers, industry leaders and leading brands as they share best practices. Discuss ways to create smarter web-based marketing, and discover social media tools that engage your audience and build relationships. Register and use the promo code mashable2011 to save $35 off the ticket price.

April 14-15, 2011, Toronto, Canada: Gain cutting edge strategies to manage the risks and uncertainties involved in your organization's use of social media – all in just 2 days! Attend The Canadian Institute's Advanced Forum on Managing Legal and Business Risks in Social Media, and walk away with the tools you need to prepare a thorough plan for your organization to successfully navigate this ever-changing online world. Register and use the Mashable discount code 248CX01 to save 15% off the conference.

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

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

April 19-21, 2011, Santa Clara, CA: Now in its seventh year, Where 2.0 is the premier conference for all things location-aware. Join us where the grassroots and leading-edge developers building location-aware technology intersect with the business leaders, marketers and entrepreneurs seeking out location apps, platforms and hardware to gain a competitive edge. Register now and save 25% with the discount code whr11mash.

April 26-28, 2011, San Francisco, CA: GSMI presents Mobile Marketing Strategies Summit. GSMI has diligently worked to find the best, brightest and most distinct speakers in the Mobile Marketing industry. Our 2011 Mobile Marketing Summit will provide valuable information, through case studies, presentations and hands on workshops. Attendees will leave the conference with the tools and knowledge needed to keep their brands competitive in the Mobile Marketing industry. Register and use the promo code MikeSM.

April 26, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: LA Games Conference – Over 300 of the most influential decision-makers in the games industry gather for the LA Games Conference to network, do deals, and share ideas about the future of console, PC, online and mobile games. LA Games Conference – now in its 4th year – features a lively and fun debate on timely cutting-edge business topics, demos as well unrivaled access to some of the most progressive companies in Hollywood, Silicon Valley and beyond. We invite you to join us at the event and take part in the discussion with executives, creators, investors, analysts, press and gamers who will be instrumental in shaping the future of this booming business. For a limited time we are offering a special Early Bird Rate of $299 – a $400 saving, plus plus receive 15% off with the promo code MASH15! Don’t miss the opportunity – Book NOW to reserve your seat!

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

May 2-3, 2011, Chicago, IL: At Technology Driven Market Research, the focus is on presenting ground-breaking tools and technologies that are being used NOW and those on the horizon. These technologies are enabling “in the moment” research to more clearly understand consumer behavior. Through real-world experienced based presentations, this event will look at brand-mind placement, eye tracking research in a virtual retail environment, social gaming as a research device, and social and mobile analysis plus much more. Register with the promo code TDMR11MASH and save 20% off the standard rate.

May 3-7, 2011, London, UK: Digital Shoreditch is the voice of everything happening in Shoreditch. The festival explores and celebrates digital technologies; unites the digital community; and provides a platform for sharing knowledge. The activity culminates in a series of exhibitions, parties, presentations, open studios and games.

May 4, 2011, Washington, D.C.: ConAgra Foods, United Health Group, the IRS, the U.S. Navy, and more will share case studies in corporate social media at BlogWell Washington, D.C.: How Big Brands Use Social Media. You’ll learn how to get started, get past roadblocks, and make your social media program phenomenal — in one afternoon, for just $250. Get practical, how-to advice on creating great content, getting management buy-in, educating employees, keeping lawyers and regulators happy, simple and ethical disclosure, and engaging fans. Presented by GasPedal and SocialMedia.org. Register with promo code THANKSMASHABLE and save 10%!

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

May 9-11, 2011, Minneapolis, MN: Content strategy is the next big thing. Is it your thing, too? Whether you’re a content strategy veteran or curious about where to start, Confab: The Content Strategy Conference is for you. Real-world case studies from major companies like Disney, eBay, Facebook and Merck. Hands-on workshops. All the experts. Mix and mingle with other content strategists. Share your insights. Hear the insights of others. Plus, there will be some fantastic parties. Get ahead of the curve in your business and career … come to Confab: The Content Strategy Conference. Register with the promo code MASHABLE and save $150.

May 10-11, 2011, Hollywood, FL: Following an incredible inaugural year in 2010, the annual Social Media Customer Response Summit is back with more excitement and even better sessions addressing the industry's key issues. This year’s theme will focus on ideas surrounding how corporate America is responding to emerging ‘Customer Response’ channels through social media, web 2.0, video streaming and mobile applications. During this two-day seminar, attendees will be able to listen, learn and collaborate with prominent industry leaders such as Bob Simmonds of Disney, David Thornton of Bank of America, Robert Lamb of AT&T, and Jim Moloney of General Motors on the challenges/benefits with using an ‘interactive social media customer response strategy,’ and what technological developments will continue to affect the industry, plus much more. C-Level executives interested in attending can find more information about the Summit’s Agenda & Registration at customerresponsesummit.com.

May 11-12, 2011, Amsterdam: iStrategy is an inspirational, 2-day, digital media conference for senior executives who believe that the success of their business requires a sound digital strategy. iStrategy has recruited keynote speakers, panelists, workshop facilitators and attendees with expertise in the online channels that drive successful outcomes and tools that provide ongoing measurement including: Social Media, Mobile Marketing and Applications, Display Advertising, SEO/SEM, Email Marketing, Database Marketing, Web Analytics, E-commerce and Content Strategy. Register with the promo code MASHEU10 to receive a 10% discount.

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

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

May 16-18, 2011, London, UK: The Future of Web Design (FOWD) hits London again this May! Following on from the success of last year, we’re bringing you 3 full days of essential web learning: a day of in-depth workshops, followed up by a two day conference, covering all of the hottest topics across two stages. Big names, rising stars, great networking opportunities and some fabulous catering thrown in for good measure. Hope you can join us!

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

May 17-18, 2011, Sydney, Australia: With an estimated 200,000 loyalty programs currently operating in Australia, it is vital for businesses to understand how to make their brand stand out from the crowd. More than ever, your success hinges on your ability to gain a greater understanding of your customers’ wants and needs.Traditional modes of marketing have evolved and it is necessary to embrace more personalised communications across numerous channels. The Customer Loyalty 2011 Conference is a case-study driven program that will explore different strategies to add the value that your customers want from your loyalty initiative. It will discuss evolving definitions of best practice in loyalty marketing and help you make your mark in this evolving multichannel landscape. Register with the promo code CC*MASHABLE and save 10%!

May 18-19, 2011, Boston, MA: Text analytics has grown from an interesting but little known software application into an invaluable commercial tool being used by businesses worldwide. Forward thinking executives across a myriad of industries are using text analytics solutions to increase efficiency and unlock essential information that they never had access to before. Whether you are a software developer, an experienced analytics user, or new to the text analytics industry, the Text Analytics Summit is the only place to get the information that you need to stay ahead of the competition and profit from text mining. Register and use the promo code mashable to save 10%.

May 18, 2011, London, UK: The International Search Summit is partnering with SMX to run its global search and social media program at SMX Advanced in London. Focusing specifically on international and multilingual topics, the summit will run on 18th May and give delegates the opportunity to attend both events in just one trip and on one pass. Topics at the Summit will include international link building, managing global content, international SEO case studies and emerging markers. The agenda will be regularly updated with confirmed speakers. Combo or Summit only tickets are available. Early Bird rates apply and Mashable readers can get a 15% discount on the booking price with the discount code MASHABLE011. For more information and to register, please click here.

May 19-20, 2011, Miami, FL: Following the success of the 2010 edition, LBS LATAM returns in 2011 to continue the discussions and thought-provoking market topics of interest. Responding to industry demands, the conference will be held for two days in Miami, Florida. For more information, please click here.

May 20-22, 2011, Ft. Lauderdale, FL: SheCon’s 2011 New Media Expo is the industry’s first free, three-day social media event that is bringing together some of the industry’s most renowned experts to condense a four-year journalism school experience into three days of new media sessions, with sessions and panels ranging from general to specific, niche market discussions. Combined with the educational sessions, the expo will bring together a diverse group of exhibitors that will be focusing on a brand integration, rather than forced brand interaction, concept for engaging and building relationships with attendees.

May 23-24, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Produced by Mediabistro and SocialTimes, Socialize Media Optimization Conference (SMOC) is a two-day event dedicated to social media optimization and social advertising. Boost search engine visibility, increase linkability, and fuel your readers' desire to share your content. Industry leaders will also show you how to get results whenadvertising on the social web in terms of strategy, targeting, privacy, and metrics. Our experts include Brian Solis (author, Engage), Rohit Bhargava (SVP, Digital, Strategy & Planning Group), Gary Ware (Covario), and many more. Register and use the promo code MASH to save 15%.

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

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

May 25, 2011, London, UK: The Guardian Sustainable Business Awards aim to showcase genuine innovation in corporate sustainability and reward those who take sustainability to the very heart of their business. Enter the awards today at guardian.co.uk/gsb-awards to get the recognition you deserve. Winners will be invited to a ceremony held in London in May and will feature in a supplement published on guardian.co.uk. All entries meeting the criteria will be added to the new Guardian Sustainable Business best practice exchange – an online database allowing sustainability professionals to share their learning. Enter before February 7th at guardian.co.uk/gsb-awards.

May 29-30, 2011, Dubai, UAE: Social Media Marketing – The Way Forward – It is undeniable that social media has fundamentally transformed and evolved the architecture of business, communications, and the dissemination of information and influence. In July 2010, Facebook announced it had over 500 million users worldwide,of which at least 15 million were in Middle East.Survey findings also indicated that one out of five Facebook users is from Asia or Middle East. Participants at this two-day conference will be exposed to the intricacies of corporate social media strategies tailored for your industry. Participants would gain insights to maximizing the usage of social and establishing and maintaining a good relationship with consumers, thus effectively introducing their brands online and engaging long-term relationship with the audience. For more information, please click here.

June 5-9, 2011, San Francisco, CA: The 2011 Semantic Technology Conference (SemTech) is the world's largest educational conference for the community of executives, technologists, researchers, investors and customers who are involved with semantic technologies. The SemTech conference draws together more than 1,000 forward-thinking technology and business leaders from around the world, representing the entire marketplace of vendors, developers, researchers, start-ups, investors and customers. SemTech 2011 features five days of presentations, panels, tutorials, announcements, new company/product launches, and conversations. It’s a place for new learning, professional networking, and business development. For details and registration, visit the site. Register and use the promo code MASH to save 15%.!

June 6-8, 2011, Chicago, IL: The Art & Science of Integrating Traditional & Social Media Marketing – Measure Up, is the world's most comprehensive cross-dimensional view of marketing measurement best practices. With a focus on return on investment (ROI) as it relates to the integration of traditional, online and mobile activities; specifically, social media, this event explores analytics across the entire marketing mix and incorporates those results into marketing strategies and tactics to drive higher revenue, profit and brand share. Register and use the promo code XU2308MASH and save 10%!

June 7-8, 2011, Munich, Germany: a4uexpo Europe is the largest pan European Affiliate and Performance Marketing Conference. With over 1000 delegates, a diverse conference programme, a focus on quality, knowledge transfer and unparalleled networking opportunities with delegates and key industry figures from around the world, a4uexpo Europe is a must attend educational and networking event. Whether a new or established affiliate, agency, entrepreneur, search specialist, merchant or network – a4uexpo is the conference for those serious about making an impact in Affiliate and Performance Marketing. Register with the promo code MASHABLE25 and save €25 on a full conference pass for a4uexpo Europe.

June 8, 2011, Singapore: With the phenomenal growth of apps worldwide, Asia is the next big market to watch out for. Planet of the Apps Asia is the leading event dedicated to mobile applications in Asia. The two day conference plus a dedicated masterclass day brings together the mobile application ecosystem in one location. The event will shine on a light on the latest innovations and showcase the latest solutions in the world of mobile applications. Be part of this definitive event and network with professionals from all around the globe.

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

June 27-29, 2011, Las Vegas, NV: The Future of Web Apps (FOWA) is coming to Vegas. After successfully running shows in Miami and London, the conference hits Vegas for the first time in June. A conference for web developers and entrepreneurs, there are 3 days of jam packed web fun including a day of workshops and 2 conference days of two tracks. As well as App Clinics and Expo Area, you can learn and network with people who have passion for the web! Register with the code FOWA_MASHABLE and receive 10% off our 2 day conference passes.

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

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

Sept 21-22, 2011, London, UK: ad:tech London is the UK’s essential free to attend event for professionals seeking to stay ahead of the latest interactive media, advertising and marketing trends. The event unites advertisers, media owners and agencies to harness the power of digital and deliver real marketing ROI. Alongside the exhibition, there is also a conference featuring 100+ international speakers for serious digital innovators and marketers. Mashable readers can take 20% off their conference ticket price. Register online now with the promo code MASH11 at www.ad-techlondon.co.uk.

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

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

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

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

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Sony Music Wants YOU: To Help Create Michael Jackson’s New Video

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 12:05 PM PST


If you’re a die-hard Michael Jackson fan just itching to exercise your artistic license, you’re in luck. Sony Music, along with Jackson’s estate, will soon be launching the “Behind The Mask” video project, which asks fans to contribute to a new music video for the song.

The project kicks off on March 7, at which time fans should head on over to a dedicated website. There, folks can select a move, lyric or crowd reaction to incorporate into the vid, or even use their webcams to contribute their own dance moves.

The director, Dennis Liu, will then pick the best clips and integrate them into the final video, which will be released during the first week in April.

If this formula sounds familiar to you, it’s because the project is being led by the creative team at Radical Media, which also worked on The Johnny Cash Project. That initiative yielded a crowdsourced video for Cash’s “Ain’t Not Grave,” which was nominated for Best Short Form Music Video in the 53rd annual Grammy Awards (sadly, it lost out to the Fame Monster herself, Lady Gaga).

“Behind the Mask” is a song off of Michael, an album that posthumously dropped in December and teased extensively on both Jackson’s website and on Ping pre-release.

More About: behind-the-mask, crowdsourcing, michael jackson

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Online Sales To Increase 13% in Europe This Year [STATS]

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 11:47 AM PST


Online sales in western Europe are expected to increase more than 13% to €92 billion in 2011, after growing 18% to €81 billion in 2010.

According to Forrester, online sales will increase 10% year-over-year from now until 2015, matching the growth rate of online retail in the U.S. The consumer electronics category will lead the expansion, increasing its share of the e-commerce market from 25% to 28% by 2015; shoes will grow 13% year-over-year and clothing, the second-largest category, will generate €21 billion in online sales in 2015.

The total number of online buyers in Europe, which includes the EU-17 (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K.), grew by 18% from 2009 to 2010, and is expected to grow from 157 million to 205 million. Currently, 57% of European adults buy online, up 13.4 million (9%) from 2009.

In Europe, the average online shopper spent €517 online in 2010, excluding travel and financial services products. Consumer electronics and computers accounted for the largest spend, followed by books, clothes and event tickets. On average, the British spent the most online (€871 per person); Spaniards spent the least (€255 per person). European adults are expected to spend €652 on average in 2015.

In the north — especially in the U.K. — e-commerce growth will cannibalize sales on other channels, while in the south a more multi-channel retail environment is emerging, in which online is one of several tools buyers use to inform purchasing decisions.

While European shoppers appreciate the convenience of online shopping — particularly the opportunities for expanded product selection and information, as well as competitive pricing — by and large, they still prefer the convenience of retail stores, which allow for immediate access to goods with no shipping charges and no return issues.

Image courtesy of Square

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Forrester: E-Commerce To Reach Nearly $300 Billion in U.S. by 2015 [STATS]

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 10:40 AM PST

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After a healthy 12.6% increase to $176.2 billion in 2010, U.S. online retail sales are expected to reach $278.9 billion in 2015.

Online shopping will continue to cannibalize in-store shopping as consumers become more familiar and begin, in many cases, to prefer the convenience of online shopping, Forrester says.

Increased Internet connectivity via devices like smartphones, tablets and game consoles will also drive growth, as well as new e-commerce models like flash sales (i.e. Gilt Groupe, Neiman Marcus Mid-Day Dash), daily deals (Groupon, LivingSocial) and digital downloads of media (Netflix, iTunes), all of which have enjoyed rapid adoption in recent years.

E-commerce growth in 2010 was driven primarily by existing online shoppers who increased their online spending in traditional categories like books and media, and also began to purchase in less popular categories like furniture and home appliances. Thirty percent of growth was attributed to the 5.5 million consumers who shopped online for the first time in 2010.

E-commerce now makes up 8% of total retail sales, says Forrester — 11% if grocery sales are excluded from the equation.

In Europe, online sales grew by 18% in 2010 compared to 2009, and they are expected to grow 13% in 2011, Forrester stated in a separate report. The number of online buyers in Europe is expected to grow from 157 million to 205 million by 2015; total sales are forecast to reach 133.6 billion euros.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, pavlen

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9 Apps To Make You Super Productive on Windows, Mac & Linux

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 10:09 AM PST


The Cross-Platform Apps Series is supported by VMware Fusion, the best way to run Windows on your Mac. Click Here to learn more about VMware Fusion. To keep up with VMware Fusion updates, follow the “TeamFusion” blog or on Twitter or Facebook.

You may think you’ve reached the peak possible productivity on Windows, Mac and Linux, but if you haven’t tried this collection of timesavers, it’s time to think again.

We found software that will help you type less, enhance your efficiency, help you find a needle in a haystack, keep track of the world and probably even help you sleep better. Many of these apps are cross-platform for Windows, Mac or Linux — and best of all, most are free.

1. Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking

You talk and it types. Even if you’re the fastest typist in the world, you can probably talk faster, and Nuance likes to say Dragon NaturallySpeaking lets you “type at the speed of thought.” This latest version 11 doesn’t require lengthy training sessions, and its accuracy is astonishing. Pricing starts at $99 for the Home Edition, money well spent if you want to put your productivity in overdrive. The Premium Edition comes with a workable headset and is available for $154 on Amazon.

Platform: Mac, Windows
Price: $99 and up

2. KeyText

Don’t waste your time typing phrases, addresses and boilerplate text over and over. Here’s the solution: KeyText 3, an extraordinary convenience that makes it easy to slam down routine phrases with just a few keystrokes. That’s just the beginning of this powerful utility’s prowess, giving you multiple clipboards, a built-in scheduler to run programs and reminders, and automatic password filling.

Platform: Windows
Price: $30

3. f.lux

When you stare into a computer screen all day and night, you’re pretty much looking straight into a lightbulb. No wonder you’re having trouble sleeping at night — your body still thinks it’s the middle of the day. Enter f.lux — it knows what time of day it is where you’re located and starts shifting the color of your screen from the blue end of the spectrum toward a slightly reddish tinge at sundown, telling that lizard part of your brain that it’s no longer the middle of the day. Try it; you’ll probably sleep better.

Platform: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free

4. Dropbox

Haven’t used Dropbox yet? Grab it now. It gives you a folder on your desktop that’s backed up in the cloud, and you get 2GB of storage space for free. It’s especially useful if you’re collaborating with others, since you can invite colleagues to access the same files. Once you discover Dropbox’s wonders, you might want to spring for the $10-per-month plan to get 50GB of storage, or even $20 per month for 100GB.

Platform: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free

5. TextExpander

This text expansion tool is not only a steady mainstay on the Mac desktop, but now it’s available in iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch versions. Like KeyText 3 for Windows, TextExpander is adept at expanding text, letting you enter a few keystrokes and then pouring out boilerplate text for you. TextExpander makes creating those “snippets” a breeze with lots of easy keyboard shortcuts, and it even has a useful way of leaving open certain places within those snippets for user input.

Platform: Mac
Price: $35

6. Omnifocus

Here’s an app that’s more than a personal task manager, it’s a way of life. Whether you’re using it as part of the “Getting Things Done” (GTD) system or on its own, Omnifocus takes to-do lists to a whole new level. Fire it up with a keyboard shortcut from anywhere on your Mac, and then you can add your to-do items, categorize actions and sync them all up with iCal, or on iPhone or iPod touch versions. We especially like the way it lets you add tasks directly from an e-mail account, and then all the info in that e-mail will show up in a task, all in one step.

Platform: Mac
Price: $80

7. LastPass

This is the best password manager on the planet, and it works on browsers running on Linux, Mac and Windows machines, as well as on all mobile platforms. Type in one ultra secure password, and LastPass will remember all your other passwords, and even enter them automatically if you wish. It’s your loyal assistant, filling in forms and credit card numbers, and dreaming up impossible-to-crack passwords and automatically entering them, and best of all, it’s free. Access it from anywhere, get your password act together — this is the way to do it.

Platform: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free

8. Tomboy

Here’s a note-taking app for Linux, Mac and Windows that you Linux users might already have, because it’s built into most distros. Tomboy is well-suited for everything from tiny reminders to lengthy research, and once the notetaking’s done it gives you a muscular search capability to find anything you’ve stashed away inside. It’s also adept at synchronizing, so whatever you’ve typed on one machine, you can access it from another, and search it, too.

Platform: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free

9. Pidgin

Do a lot of instant messaging? Even if you use a dozen different platforms to chat with your friends and neighbors, the Pidgin multi-chat client has you covered. You only have to enter your credentials one time for AIM, Google Talk, IRC, and many others, and then Pidgin handles them all. Working equally well on Linux, Mac and Windows, this baby’s been around long enough to attract third parties to write plug-ins that make it even more convenient.

Mac OS X users should also take a look at the very similar free instant messaging application Adium, which is based on many of the same libraries as Pidgin.

Platform: Linux, Mac, Windows
Price: Free

Series Supported by VMware Fusion

The Cross-Platform Apps Series is supported by VMware Fusion. Built by Mac users for Mac users from day one, VMware Fusion 3 is the best way to run Windows on a Mac without rebooting. With a built-in PC Migration agent, it's easier than ever to bring your entire PC to your Mac. With VMware Fusion 3.1, you can run you Windows apps like Mac apps using the most reliable Windows-on-Mac platform. Key features of VMware Fusion include:

  • Ultimate Windows 7 Experience. VMware Fusion is the first to enable the full Windows 7 experience, complete with Windows Aero and Flip 3D.
  • Switching Made Easy. VMware Fusion is the fastest way for users to bring their entire PC to their Mac without the added cost of a one-time use cable.
  • More Mac-Like than Ever. Run Windows applications like Mac applications with features like an "always-on" applications menu to find and launch Windows apps, even when VMware Fusion isn't launched.

Users of previous versions of VMware Fusion or any version of Parallels Desktop for Mac can take advantage of upgrading to VMware Fusion 3 for a limited time promotion of only $19.99! This offer expires on March 15, 2011, so act now!

More Productivity Resources From Mashable:

- How 5 Companies Are Using the iPad to Increase Productivity
- HOW TO: Beat Writer’s Block Online
- 5 Fresh and Free To-Do List Apps for iPhone
- 11 Essential Apps for Managing Your Real Life Social Networks
- 5 Free Ways to Improve Your Typing Skills Online

More About: applications, Cross-Platform Apps Series, Linux, Lists, mac, productivity, Utilities, Windows

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YouTube Video of the Day: PS22 Chorus Performs at the Oscars

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 09:06 AM PST

During last night’s 83rd Annual Academy Awards, the Internets were leaking all over the place, as viral favorites the PS22 Chorus performed “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” live on stage.

Children from PS22 — a New York-based choir that first shot to stardom back in 2007 after covering a litany of Tori Amos songs — have been Internet darlings as of late, scoring the Webby Artist of the Year Award in 2010.

We imagine that this high-profile performance will only serve to propel the kids further toward the firmament of fame — which, we hear, is indeed located somewhere over the rainbow.

More About: oscars-2011, p2ss, trending, viral-video-of-day

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Zynga’s FrontierVille To Hype Premiere of Johnny Depp’s New Film

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:57 AM PST


Rango, the Johnny Depp-voiced chameleon whose self-titled movie is set to hit theaters this weekend, will have a cameo in Zynga’s FrontierVille to help promote the release.

Starting today, FrontierVille players will be challenged to find Rango, ask their friends for 10 water buckets and view the trailer for the film. If they complete that mission, players get a Rango statue to add to their homestead on FrontierVille.

Zynga has used its games to publicize movie openings before. Most recently, the company’s Mafia Wars plugged Sony Pictures’s The Green Hornet by offering collectibles within the game. Zynga also promoted DreamWorks Animation’s Megamind on FarmVille with Mega-Farm, a themed landmark within the game.

Manny Anekal, Zynga’s global director of brand advertising, says that while there are no figures linking activity on those games to increased box office receipts, some 19 million people are active FrontierVille users and 9 million interacted with the Megamind promo.

This is the latest promo to offer a prize for watching a trailer on Facebook. Last week, NBC offered a buy-one-get-one-free deal from Chiptotle for watching a preview for America’s Next Great Restaurant, a new reality show.

While such promos are effective at getting users to click play, it’s unclear if they’re actually watching the video or if they’re more apt to watch the advertised property. Chris Thilk, who runs the blog Movie Marketing Madness, says that while it’s hard to tell if the promos actually increase attendance, gameplayers at least don’t seem to mind. “The promotions add functionality to game play,” he says. “As long as it’s not just an ad, I think the audience will be more forgiving.”

More About: MARKETING, paramount pictures, Rango, Zynga

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Hearst’s Manilla Joins Race To Replace Paper Mail [INVITES]

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:46 AM PST


Manilla, a “startup” fully owned by the Hearst Corporation, is launching a beta version of its free digital household account management system today — joining both mailing giant Pitney Bowes and VC-backed Doxo in the race to give companies a digital alternative for communicating with customers.

The platform allows users to access all of their bills, finances, travel rewards programs and subscriptions with one password. It allows partner organizations to cut off expensive paper statements and communications for Manilla users, paying the company just a fraction of what postage would cost for each document.

In 2009, businesses sent more than 37 billion paper bills, statements and other business transaction mail to customers, according to USPS’s annual Household Diary Study. At direct costs of $0.60 to $0.80 per document, it’s easy to see why companies think replacing paper mail will be a promising industry.

Pitney Bowes announced a similar “Digital Mailbox” called Volly in January. Unlike Manilla, Volly will be based on street addresses, which Pitney Bowes says will make it easier for its current connections — about 74% of high-volume mailers across the U.S. — to seamlessly integrate with their current mailing systems. Manilla has its own relationships with heavy mailers. Hearst also owns CDS global, a company whose services include printing and mail management for magazines (unsurprisingly a key category for Manilla at launch), consumer products and utility companies. Manilla’s launch partners include Citi Cards and Comcast.

Pitney Bowes’s platform will handle billing within the platform, which means companies that aren’t partners aren’t represented. Manilla sends users to company websites to pay bills, but allows them to skip the login process on those sites. Because the transaction doesn’t take place within Manilla, users can pay bills from companies that Manilla hasn’t partnered with.

The main difference between the two, according to Manilla CEO George Kliavkoff: “Pitney Bowes doesn’t have a product, they have an announcement.”

Startup Doxo doesn’t have the same problem. The company, which recently secured a $10 million Series B round of financing, has been operating a household accounts organization platform since 2008. Like the Volly demo, the platform only allows users to pay bills with providers that have partnerships with the platform (otherwise, they need to upload statements and documents on their own). Currently Sprint and two utility companies are on board.

Which of these three players will eventually woo the most companies to their digital platforms is still up in the air, but its clear that some digital solution for business mail will emerge. Transactional mail volume has been plummeting for the past 15 years, and the post office is the first to acknowledge that businesses are apt to take this huge revenue stream elsewhere.

“Transactional mail, such as bill payments, has been eroded by competition from electronic media, primarily the Internet,” the USPS 2010 annual report reads. “It is expected that, over time, bills and statements will increasingly follow payments to online services.”

Mashable has 100 beta invitations available for readers. You can access the invite here, and enter the code Manilla4Mashable.

Image courtesy of Flickr, canonsnapper

More About: Digital Mailbox, doxo, hearst, Manilla, Pitney Bowes, Volly

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HOW TO: Implement a Social Good Campaign on Facebook

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:16 AM PST


The Facebook Marketing Series is supported by Buddy Media, Power Tools for Facebook. Have something new to tell 500 million people? Learn the best way to launch a new product or service on Facebook with this webinar.

You want to do good, and you want to use Facebook. Good choice. Facebook has a couple of things going for it. First off, there are a ton of people that use it — more than 500 million to be precise — so you’ve already set yourself up to hit the largest social network audience. More over, even people without Facebook accounts are used to visiting landing pages on the site for events and causes, which make the potential reach even larger.

Second, Facebook is an informal place to launch serious things. Most actions on the site take place within networks of friends (however disparate they may be in real life). As such, campaigns and projects inherently feel less “corporate” or cold when they’re spread virally from friend to friend.

We’ve outlined five ways to take advantage of these elements, whether you want to register as a charity or just lend a digital hand without the rigmarole.

1. Causes

causes image

This should be a no-brainer. Non-profits and supporters can set-up campaigns through Facebook’s Causes app. Non-profits can create a page and accept donations directly, while everyday users can set up a page in support of non-profits already on and approved by Facebook. There’s a handy help page to answer some more in-depth questions about conditions and how donations are handled.

Important note: Before you start to donate to any campaign on Facebook, make sure the money or support is going to the right place. If you’re giving money, make sure the root organization is a registered 501(c)(3) or appears on a registry site like GuideStar.org.

These are actually required conditions to sign up, but it’s always good to do some research, especially if you’re not familiar with the non-profit. You want your money to be doing the most good possible.

[Non-profits and supporters can set-up campaigns directly through Causes.com, who's popular Facebook platform makes it easy to reach people.]

2. Create a Social Media Hub

Facebook Pages have a lot of benefits over a website created from scratch. They require less work to set up, and you don’t have to fuss over complicated or glitchy backends. Creating a Facebook Page (whether on Facebook Causes or not), is a great way to establish a web portal even if you don’t know how to use WordPress, Tumblr or other free blogging platforms.

For casual users passionate about a cause, a Facebook Page allows you to post videos, photos, updates and relevant links while having immediate access to your group of friends. You can also add apps to your Page to link up social tools like Twitter.

Be cautious about asking for money or donations, especially if you are not a registered non-profit. The best bet is to provide a link to several charities where your (hopefully millions of) fans can help out.

3. Create a Forum

livestrong image

Too many numbers and conditions? Don’t worry, there’s a way to launch a campaign without all the paperwork. Take a note from Livestrong and start a forum on your Facebook Page. Livestrong has used its page to create a safe space for cancer survivors to share their stories and offer support.

It’s not enough, however, to simply let a forum run wild. Livestrong’s page is moderated by Brooke McMillan, the non-profit’s online community manager. She makes sure the comments stay on topic and she helps to drive the conversation forward. While there aren’t many spammers or trolls, she makes sure to weed them out; the site only functions because of the safe and supportive community she has developed.

Try creating a Page where supporters of your cause can start a conversation. It obviously won’t work for every type of campaign, but see if there’s a way to engage your audience and create dynamic, productive discussions.

4. Picture & Media Hosting

aspca image

Facebook enables you to post media to your Page without much effort. The social network recently updated the look of its albums and photo pages, offering a richer media experience. If you own a camera or video camera, this is especially good news. Consider setting up a Facebook Page as a photo album or photo blog where you can post updates, much like the ASPCA does.

Your friends and fans don’t want to see more PR, so think about how you can add value. Supporting a building project? Grab your camera and post some shots every day to show how the organization is using donated funds. Is your cause holding a fundraiser? Ask if you can take pictures or video so your fans can participate by proxy.

As always, it helps to get permission from the non-profit you’re supporting. Most will be happy to have your support and will welcome your efforts to grow their exposure.

5. Interact

If you’re not going to interact with others, there’s no need to be on Facebook. From a user perspective, the site was built for people to see and interact. You have to be willing to regularly devote time to moderating comments, answering questions and updating content if you want your page, cause or campaign to be a success.

People will join you because they want to feel like they are part of the cause. If you don’t create that community, your fans will have no reason to stick around. Simple things — such as asking what fans would like to see pictures of or what hot topics should be in the discussion — will help you create a dialogue and develop passion around the cause you’re supporting.

Launching a campaign on Facebook is easier than it looks, whether you’re a charity greenhorn or an established organization. Before you start, take a minute to think about what you want to get out of Facebook: Donations? Conversation? Advocacy? Once you’ve decided on your goals, jump in and see what Facebook can offer.

We’d love to know if you decide to start a campaign or if you have any other tips or advice. Share your experience in the comments below.

Series Supported by Buddy Media

The Facebook Marketing Series is supported by Buddy Media, Power Tools for Facebook. Have something new to tell 500 million people? Learn the best way to launch a new product or service on Facebook with this webinar.

More Social Good Resources from Mashable:

- 5 Creative Social Good Campaigns for the Holiday Season
- Why the Web Is Useless in Developing Countries – And How to Fix It
- 5 Facebook Giving Campaign Success Stories
- 4 Innovative Social Good Campaigns for Education
- How Online Classrooms Are Helping Haiti Rebuild Its Education System

More About: charity, facebook, facebook causes, Facebook Marketing Series, non-profit, online giving, social good, social good lists

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Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” Premieres Exclusively on Vevo [VIDEO]

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:48 AM PST

Lady Gaga fans, prepare to have the misty veil of mundanity ripped off of your Monday: The video for Gaga’s latest hit single, “Born This Way,” premiered exclusively on Vevo at 11 a.m. EST today.

The video is available above and at Vevo.com, Vevo Mobile (apps for Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch) and Vevo on YouTube.

Gaga has already been crowned the queen of iTunes, as "Born This Way" is the fastest-selling single ever to grace Apple's iTunes store worldwide.

The song pulled in more than 1 million downloads in five days and hit the number one spot on iTunes in 23 countries, according to Apple.

Judging by those numbers, the premiere of the accompanying video could produce comparable results, perhaps even helping Gaga wrest away the crown from the pop princeling himself, Justin Bieber, when it comes to YouTube and Vevo views.

Gaga still sits at number two on the most-viewed videos of all time list on YouTube and Vevo.

More About: born-this-way, Lady Gaga, vevo

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Google CEO: Mobile Growing Faster Than “All Our Predictions” [VIDEO]

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:33 AM PST

Mobile use is growing faster than all of Google’s internal predictions, with YouTube seeing 200 million mobile playbacks a day, CEO Eric Schmidt said in his keynote at the Internet Advertising Bureau’s Annual Leadership meeting keynote.

As proof of mobile’s growth, Schmidt cited some statistics related to this year’s Super Bowl advertisers: The number of mobile searches for Chrysler, for instance, jumped 102 times during the game, compared with only 48 times for desktop searches. And the number of mobile searches for GoDaddy jumped 315 times, compared with 38 times on desktops.

Schmidt, who spoke Sunday at the IAB event in Palm Springs, Calif., also said that 78% of smartphone owners use their phones while they shop. “This is the future and everyone will adapt,” Schmidt said. “Because people are fundamentally better off with a better and smarter and more empowered, if you will, customer.”

Mobile growth is occurring at a quicker rate than anyone expected, Schmidt noted. “We look at the charts internally and it’s happening faster than all of our predictions,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt, who will leave his post as Google CEO on April 4, used those stats to make a case for linking display advertising and mobile.

“The technology has finally caught up with the promises we talked about for so long,” Schmidt said. He predicted that display advertising could hit $200 billion business, though he declined to say when that milestone would be reached. Display is currently a $17 billion business globally. Google’s share of that is about $2.5 billion a year.

More About: advertising, eric schmidt, Google, IAB, Mobile 2.0, trending

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3 Podcast Success Stories from Creative Small Businesses

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:18 AM 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.

There is a chance that your business is interesting to a general audience, that you have connections with a nationally syndicated radio show, and that the show asks you to be a regular guest. However, in the more likely case that you are working within a niche industry, a podcast is a more realistic option and not necessarily an inferior one.

If done right, a podcast can reach the right people in your industry, establish your company as a thought leader, connect you with your customers and reach people on their own schedules.

These three company podcasts have successfully leveraged the platform to meet their business goals.

1. Ready, Set, Knit: Be Authentic and Informative

Kathy and Steve Elkins own WEBS, the largest independent retailer of knitting, crocheting and weaving supplies in the United States. Although they have a 16,000-square-foot retail store, most of their sales happen online.

So when a local radio station asked them to do a weekly show and podcast about knitting, they saw it as a great opportunity to connect with their geographically dispersed customers on a personal level.

"It's like inviting people into the shop and having a cup of tea, and it's the same conversation I would have as if I were sitting there knitting with them," Kathy explains. "It's not hard pushy sales, it's informative."

WEBS has produced 208 podcasts and attracted about 13,000 listeners per week.

And now the results are evident in the company's sales: When Kathy and her husband discuss a particular yarn or pattern on the show, she can see the traffic to that order page on the company's website spike. People write e-mails asking how their kids' hockey games, which they occasionally discuss on air, turn out, and she's been recognized by her voice at trade shows.

What made it successful? Kathy cites promoting the podcast on the company's other social media channels, keeping content interesting, sticking to a schedule and not using the podcast as a commercial.

"Be true to who you are," she says. "You don't have to be super polished, you don't have to have the booming radio voice — you have to be authentic."

2. More Hip Than Hippie: Think Global, Even If You’re Local

Like WEBS, Greenfeet.com faces issues connecting to its online customers. The founder and president of the eco-friendly e-retailer, Valerie Reddemann, has found a podcast to be a good way to interact with customers worldwide. It has been especially efficient at creating brand evangelists.

"They become extremely enthusiastic," Reddemann says. "They really connect with the company, and they understand that we're more than just a company. … These are people who I find … that mention our names to family and friends, that talk about us on their blogs, that tweet about us."

The podcast opens with a rock song and goes on to discuss new eco-friendly products as well as hot issues in environmentalism. The hosts also make an effort to include the audience as much as possible. They'll often reference listener communication, read e-mails or interview listeners on the podcast.

These listeners, like Greenfeet.com's customers, are spread throughout the world. In the five-plus years of running the podcast, about 1.2 million people have downloaded it. Most of those live in the United States, but China, Singapore, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Iran also make up significant portions.

It's inspiring to be in touch with these people, Reddemann says. And she tries to respond to every e-mail she gets regarding the podcasts.

"The whole idea is that you want to give your audience what they're looking for," she says. "But if you don't ask them, how do you know?"

3. Beyond the Book: Establish Expertise & Grow Your Audience

Copyright licensing firm Copyright Clearance Center uses its weekly podcast, Beyond the Book to establish its expertise in the publishing industry.

“It’s just awareness of our role in this business,” says Chris Kenneally, Director of Business Development for the company as well as the producer and host of the podcast. “I don’t always talk about copyright, but everything that goes in publishing finally comes down to copyright — who owns what and what can they do to maximize their return on it.”

The podcast actually started as a quarterly conference series by the same name. But the amount of people available in a specific time at a specific place to attend the conferences were limited. With the podcast, they could reach many more people for a lower cost.

Only 60 people downloaded the podcast during its first month in October 2006. But today about 17,000 people download it each month.

Tips for Creating a Successful Podcast

After seeing the potential for podcasts to play an important role in marketing plans in 2005, Rob Simon launched Burst Marketing, a firm that specializes in producing podcasts for small businesses. Simon produces about a dozen podcasts, including Beyond the Book.

These are his tips for making yours successful.

  • Consistent Frequency: Just like a newspaper or magazine, podcast listeners will expect a new episode of your podcast on a regular interval. If you don't deliver, you'll lose them.
  • Determine Your Audience: Think about what information the people who are trying to reach want. Generally, this is not a commercial about your company.
  • Promote Your Podcast Elsewhere: "You can't just expect people to find your podcast," Simon says. Promote it on your website, Twitter, Facebook and at the bottom of your e-mails.
  • Be Patient: “It takes awhile for a podcast to catch on, and few become huge hits. Don't get caught up in numbers. If you're trying to be a thought leader, maybe 1,000 of the right people are better than 10,000 random people.”

More Business Resources From Mashable:

- HOW TO: Change Your Business Model From Paid to Freemium
- HOW TO: Use QR Codes for Event Marketing
- 8 Tips For Creating a Successful eBay Storefront
- 3 Facebook Commerce Success Stories
- 21 Free iPhone Apps for Staying Financially Fit in 2011

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, webphotographeer

More About: MARKETING, podcasts, small business, success stories

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3G Kindle Coming to AT&T Retail Stores

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 06:56 AM PST


Amazon’s e-reader, the Kindle, will soon be available in AT&T’s retail stores, the company has announced.

The price for the 6-inch, 3G version of the device will cost $189, which is the same as the price on Amazon. Unsurprisingly, the Wi-Fi-only version of Kindle will not be available at AT&T.

If you’re looking for exclusive deals, forget about it, as AT&T isn’t offering any. However, if you want to test drive the 3G Kindle before you buy it, you will be able to do so at AT&T stores starting March 6.

More About: 3g, amazon, att, e-books, e-reader, Kindle, retail

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HOW TO: Use Your iPad as a Digital Frame for Facebook Photos [VIDEO]

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 06:42 AM PST

Startup Pixable launched Monday an iPad version of Photofeed, its web app for organizing and sorting Facebook photos.

The app allows users to see all of their friends’ photos without jumping from profile to profile, view photos deemed most popular by a proprietary algorithm, sort photos by categories like “family updates,” and get updates when specific friends add or are tagged in new photos — all while maintaining Facebook “like” and comment functionality.

On the iPad, Pixable’s Photofeed also has a slideshow feature that displays photos in a manner similar to a digital frame. Pixable co-founder Andres Blank stopped by Mashable HQ recently to give this demo below.

More About: facebook, Photos, Pixable, startup

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The 4 Biggest Stories in Social Media, Business & Media This Morning

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 05:50 AM PST

Social Media News

Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on four particular stories of interest today.

Facebook Upgrades the “Like” Button

Facebook has released an update that fundamentally changes the “Like” button's functionality. Now clicking the button on a story page pulls up the full story with a headline, blurb, thumbnail and comment box, which can then be posted to a user’s profile wall.

JP Morgan Eyeing 10% Stake in Twitter

JP Morgan is in talks to acquire 10% of Twitter for $450 million, valuing the microblogging service at $4.5 billion, sources have told the Financial Times.

A Mixed Oscars Night For The Social Network

It was a great night for The King's Speech and Inception at the 83rd Academy Awards on Sunday — and a somewhat more disappointing outcome for their main rival, David Fincher's The Social Network. Fincher's movie, a fictionalized account of the rise of Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, won three Oscars but lost in five other categories.

Google Glitch Disables 150,000 Gmail Accounts

About 150,000 Gmail account holders (0.08% of Gmail’s userbase, according to Google) were affected by a glitch that reset their accounts. Google is working to restore the missing data.

Further News

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59

More About: facebook, first to know series, gmail, Google, jp morgan, Oscars, the social network, twitter

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Is This the iPad 2? [PIC]

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 05:34 AM PST


How do you imagine the iPad 2′s visuals? Our idea of how the device will look certainly doesn’t look too different from this image, unearthed by Boy Genius Report.

Although it looks professionally done and very convincing, the image could very well be just a fake, and not having an image of the iPad’s front side doesn’t help matters much.

Still, what we can see in the picture is in line with the most plausible rumors about Apple’s next generation iPad: a rear-facing camera, flat back and a slightly redesigned speaker. What do you think? Real or fake? Please, give us your opinions in the comments.

[via BGR]

More About: apple, iPad 2, leak, rumor, Tablet

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