Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Roger Ebert’s Inspiring Digital Transformation” |
- Roger Ebert’s Inspiring Digital Transformation
- What the Egyptian Revolution Taught Al Jazeera About Digital
- Projeqt Is an Online Storytelling Engine for Creatives [INVITES]
- Who’s Really Scanning All Those QR Codes? [INFOGRAPHIC]
- Hashable Sends Top 20 Users to SXSW
- Conan Sends Up the iPad 2 [VIDEO]
- Microsoft Begs Users To Stop Using IE 6
- 8 Essential Web Typography Resources
- HOW TO: Start #WINNING at Twitter [COMIC]
- CBS Interactive Acquires Clicker.com & Names New President [INTERVIEW]
- Is This a Robot or Human? [VIDEO]
- Meet Google’s Evil Twin, Google Sloppy [VIDEO]
- Flaming Lips Plan To Release New Songs Via Gummi Skulls [INTERVIEW]
- FashionStake Relaunches as the Next-Generation Online Boutique
- What Demand Media Plans To Do With New Acquisition CoveritLive
- 4 Hot Social Gaming Trends to Watch
- $424 Million NASA Satellite Launch Fails [VIDEO]
- Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: The Vanity Edition
- How Semantic Search Is Redefining Traditional & Social Media
- Announcing the Mashable Geek Games Host: Romany Malco
- Why the Search Marketing Industry Must Adapt or Perish
- Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters
- Watch TED’s 10 Advertising Contest Finalists [VIDEOS]
- Announcing Mashable & Gowalla’s SXSW 2011 Partnership
- Leaked Windows 8 Screenshots Show Improved Taskbar [PICS]
- Untapped Opportunity: Exploring the Arab Video Game Market
- AOL Bolsters Local News Investment With Acquisition of Outside.in [CONFIRMED]
- Customizable Mascots Promote 2012 Olympics
- Microsoft To Release Windows for Tablets in 2012 [REPORT]
- The 4 Biggest Stories in Tech, Gadgets & Social Media This Morning
| Roger Ebert’s Inspiring Digital Transformation Posted: 04 Mar 2011 10:44 PM PST      With the help of his wife, two colleagues and the Alex-equipped MacBook that he uses to generate his computerized voice, famed film critic Roger Ebert delivered the final talk at the TED conference on Friday in Long Beach, California. Prefacing his remarks with a scene from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ebert opened by telling the audience that he "became operational on June 18, 1942. [And] like HAL 9000, I also speak with a computerized voice" — the same remarkably realistic computerized voice he shared with the world on Oprah last year. From there, Ebert and friends took the audience on his inspiring journey, from the near-death experience in 2006 that left him without a voice to his search for the technology that creates Ebert-sounding text-to-speech to his present-day prolific use of social media for sharing his commentary on both movies and life with the world. Ebert credited a life-long love affair with technology for giving him the inspiration to both find his "voice" and continue his career on the Internet. "I joined Compuserve when it had fewer users than I have followers on Twitter," he joked. "For me, the Internet began as a useful tool and now has become something I rely on for my actual daily existence… [if this had happened before], I'd be isolated as a hermit; I'd be trapped inside my head. Because of the digital revolution, I have a voice, and I do not have to scream."  That’s not to say Ebert’s existence is not without significant physical and social struggle. In one of the more moving moments of his talk, Ebert’s wife Chaz choked up while reading his words aloud, saying, “People talk loudly and slowly to me… sometimes they assume I am deaf. There are people that don't want to make eye contact. It is human nature to look away from illness; we don't enjoy a reminder of our own fragile mortality… that's why writing on the Internet has been a life saver for me.” Meanwhile, the technology that enables Ebert to "speak" continues to see improvements — for example, adding more realistic inflection for question marks and exclamation points. In a test of that, which Ebert called the "Ebert test" for computerized voices, the critic closed by telling the audience a joke, saying, “If the computer can successfully tell a joke as well as Henry Youngman, then that's the voice I want." Judging by the laughter, tears and standing ovation from the crowd that followed as Ebert left the stage, it would seem that voice may have already arrived. Photo Credit: Robert Leslie / TED More About: roger ebert, TED, ted2011 For more Media coverage:
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| What the Egyptian Revolution Taught Al Jazeera About Digital Posted: 04 Mar 2011 09:28 PM PST   Much has been made of the role that social media played in the Egyptian revolution, including the way international news network Al Jazeera used social media in its reporting. But the crisis also taught the organization a number of lessons about digital media — lessons we'll see the impact of as Al Jazeera continues to cover ongoing turmoil in other parts of the Middle East. "I've always pushed our newsrooms to… go out and find stuff where people are putting it already," said Al Jazeera English online chief Mohamed Nanabhay, with whom we had the opportunity to speak earlier this week at the TED conference in Long Beach, CA. Don’t Call It a Facebook RevolutionNanabhay is quick to acknowledge the role social media played from a newsgathering perspective in Egypt, but he also dismisses some of the hyperbole that has emerged in the revolution's aftermath. "It's not a Twitter of Facebook revolution… It's an Egyptian revolution. Social media and mass media were important and had multiplying effects, but people didn't protest because of Twitter," he said. That said, the network quickly discovered how it could more effectively use Twitter as the crisis in Egypt escalated. Nanabhay said, "When you go to 24/7 rolling news, the way people expect their content to be delivered is different. We used to be hesitant to send out too many updates [on Twitter]. But when it's 24/7, they want to be flooded; they want to know [even if it's not big news]." Noticing this trend, Al Jazeera shifted resources to ensure that on every shift, the network had someone whose sole task was to keep the Twitter feed updated. The organization also began to see some of its viewers tweeting information based on its on-air reporting quicker than they were tweeting it on their own account. In these cases, Nanabhay said, they simply started retweeting their viewers. Live Blogging and Tumblr EmergeThe demand for real-time reporting also saw Al Jazeera's live blog grow immensely popular. "At any given time there were three times more people on the live blog than on the main story [on Al Jazeera's homepage]. Your editor usually invests [so much time] in the lead story… but if you look at the numbers, people were on the live blog hitting refresh. [So] we threw more resources into that," Nanabhay said. The popularity of the live blog inadvertently pushed Al Jazeera onto a new platform: Tumblr. When the live blog went down due to heavy traffic, the company quickly set up shop on Tumblr to keep its updates coming. When its live blog came back up, it dropped off Tumblr. But then a user put up a graphic asking Al Jazeera to come back, so it did; and the organization have been updating its Tumblr ever since. New Appeal With U.S. ViewersDemand for Al Jazeera in other places — most notably on U.S. television networks — also got a big boost from social media during the Egypt protests. According to Nanabhay, the company's "demand Al Jazeera" campaign saw more than 45,000 people e-mail their cable providers requesting they carry the channel, and more than 7,000 Twitter uses tweeted with the #demandaljazeera hashtag. In spite of the success stories and his role in formulating digital strategy — including getting the network on YouTube way back in 2007 — Nanabhay still views Al Jazeera's first responsibility as reporting the news. "What's behind [our social media success] is excellence in world-class journalism. The social media campaigns have been methods to get people to watch that content and make up their minds. Once you see it, you'll be hooked and come back for more." Wadah Khanfar Speaks at TEDDirector General of the Al Jazeera Network Wadah Khanfar spoke on stage at TED. You can watch his talk in the video below: More About: al jazeera, Egypt, media, middle east, social media, TED, ted2011 For more Media coverage:
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| Projeqt Is an Online Storytelling Engine for Creatives [INVITES] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 08:31 PM PST   The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.
Quick Pitch: Projeqt is a creative storytelling platform. Genius Idea: The art of online storytelling is all about presentation. As a non-linear storytelling engine, Projeqt gives creatives the ability to weave together stories dripping with style and personality from Flickr photos, RSS feeds, tweets, YouTube or Vimeo videos, and any media stored on their own computers. The accidental startup came to be after creative director and co-founder David Lee was tasked with redesigning creative advertising agency TBWA‘s website to better display client work and do so in a Flash-free fashion that would work across any device. Projeqt was born then as a device agnostic web-publishing tool for TBWA and later spun off as its own entity. Today, Projeqt is a private beta startup for the creative community with two primary use cases: a simple portfolio tool for artists to showcase their work and a presentation tool for brands and business users. The service’s 2,700 beta testers have been using the platform for said purposes since its release in December. Projeqt users are also repurposing the experience for personal start pages, press rooms, virtual classrooms and even company websites, says Lee. Users can craft “projeqts,” whatever their purpose may be, by adding content in the form of slides. Create a slide, name it, add tags, and fill the slide with a photo, text, video or feed. Slides are published to create the web story and be can reordered via drag and drop. Users can also create a projeqt within a projeqt to serve as a story inside a story. More advanced users can tinker with the branding and design tools to adjust the appearance of the projeqt and add footer links and social network buttons. In the coming months, Projeqt hopes to tap into additional social APIs — Instagram integration, for instance, is in the works and will allow users to display their Instagram photos in their projeqts. Also coming soon are theme options, though Lee insists that the startup won’t exactly follow the theme direction of WordPress or Tumblr. Projeqt remains free for now, though the startup’s long-term plan is to develop a freemium model that would charge users for more advanced features. Projeqt is graciously giving interested Mashable readers invites. Want in? Send an email to contact@projeqt.com with “Mashable” in the subject line. Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark  The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DaveBolton More About: creatives, portfolio, presentations, projeqt, spark-of-genius, story, storytelling For more Startups coverage:
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| Who’s Really Scanning All Those QR Codes? [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 06:47 PM PST   QR codes are everywhere these days — in fine art exhibits, some cities’ building permits, wrapping paper and every imaginable kind of marketing campaign. QR code-focused startup JumpScan was kind enough to send along a graphically organized representation of some data they’ve gathered about QR codes — who’s scanning them, what kinds of devices they’re using and what brands are running QR code campaigns. Cooler still, you can scan every QR code in this infographic to get more info, making this Mashable‘s first interactive infographic. So have your smartphones at the ready, and click the image below if you need to see a larger version. When you’re done clicking, scanning and learning, riddle us this in the comments section: When was the last time you scanned a QR code, and what did you get out of it? Image courtesy of JumpScan. More About: infographic, QR Codes For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Hashable Sends Top 20 Users to SXSW Posted: 04 Mar 2011 05:22 PM PST   Instead of launching a new feature or setting up a booth at SXSW, New York-based startup Hashable has recruited 20 of its top users across the U.S. (and one from Canada) to attend the conference. In exchange for paying their way to Austin, the company is asking that they leave their business cards at home. “Hashable is a networking app, and this is the mother of all networking events,” says Hashable CEO Michael Yavonditte. Hashable enables users to “check in” with people, regardless of whether those people are also signed up for the service. Using the app or website, they can choose to broadcast who they’re #meeting, #raninto or had #lunch with to Twitter, or keep it between their “inner circle” of connections. (To make this easy, the app pulls in contacts from Twitter and any webmail accounts the user adds.) They can also use the service to make introductions between their connections and exchange their business card information. In the meantime, they will build a database of “relationship records” and learn who in their network is connecting with whom. “Location is to Foursquare what people are to Hashable,” Yavonditte says. “Someone thought it was interesting to know that someone else was at Starbucks, we think that it’s a natural evolution to know whom they were with at Starbucks.” The startup’s networking team will simply continue to use Hashable as they network themselves silly, which the startup hopes will get the people who they meet talking about the tool. If influencers at SXSW do find the relationship log helpful, then sending the super-networkers to the conference might prove to be a smart alternative to paid placement at the event. As 4-Hour Workweek author Tim Ferris, recently explained in an interview, it’s quality not quantity that creates word-of-mouth success at SXSW. “If you hit the right 100 people at SXSW with, let’s say, Twitter, you can effectively hit everyone there if you have a strong impression on 100 people,” says Ferris, who attributes much of his success to a presentation he gave to about (you guessed it) 100 people at SXSW 2007.  Image courtesy of iStockphoto, USERNAME More About: hashable, mobile app, networking, sxsw For more Startups coverage:
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| Conan Sends Up the iPad 2 [VIDEO] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 04:18 PM PST Conan O’Brien discussed the new iPad 2 on Thursday night’s Conan. His take? Apple might be getting just a little bit cocky. The clip manages to perfectly send up the Apple announcement video. From the background to the “employees” with nondescript accents, this is parody gold. We’re quite fond on the closer, “iPad 2: You’ll buy it no matter what we say.” It’s funny because — at least for some of us — it’s true. More About: conan o'brien, humor, iPad 2, parody, team coco For more Media coverage:
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| Microsoft Begs Users To Stop Using IE 6 Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:30 PM PST   Like the rest of us, Microsoft is ready to move beyond Internet Explorer 6. The software giant has launched a new website, The Internet Explorer 6 Countdown, that bears the slogan: “Moving the world off Internet Explorer 6.” Here at Mashable, we’ve written at length about the problems created by the continued usage of IE 6. With the exception of specialized corporate/government environments and intranets, the arguments for continued usage of IE 6 are all but over. On its new website, IE6Countdown.com, Microsoft is making its most concentrated effort yet to get users to move away from the decade-old browser. As the site says in its preamble, “10 years ago a browser was born. …It’s time to say goodbye.” The goal of the website is to get Internet Explorer 6 usage to drop to less than 1% worldwide. Current IE 6 usage on a global level is 12% — though in many parts of the world, that figure is less than 5%. In the U.S., Net Application’s most recent numbers indicate that 2.9% of web users are still using IE 6. That’s a great start. The website has links to reasons why users should upgrade, documentation for corporate networks that need to migrate to a new browser and banners that webmasters can embed in their sites, alerting users that they should upgrade.  This is all well and good, but we sure hope that there is a multi-lingual version of this campaign. We say that because the bulk of iE 6 usage comes from China, where 34.5% of users are still on IE 6. South Korea, India, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam also still report more than 10% IE 6 usage. Frankly, we’re happy to see Microsoft take the time to push for the death of IE 6. It’s a long time coming and the faster we can move on to more modern browsers, the better the web ecosystem as a whole will be. When was the last time you used IE 6? Let us know in the comments. More About: Browsers, ie 6, IE6, microsoft For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| 8 Essential Web Typography Resources Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:54 PM PST
The rise of web fonts has coincided with a greater cultural recognition of type in general. The hugely popular documentary Helvetica introduced a brand new audience to the power of type. For users who want to learn more about type and web fonts, the web is full of great resources that offer good examples of typography and explore the history and future of lettering and design. Here are eight of our favorite sites to help you start or enhance your own education in type.
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| HOW TO: Start #WINNING at Twitter [COMIC] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:32 PM PST Having trouble gaining Twitter clout? Are you “engaging with users” and “building a community,” only to find your follower count still lacking? Tweeting is hard work. Instead, why not just become the highest paid actor in television, implode your public image, turn a tiff with your boss into a raging media bender and then sign up for Twitter. Boom! You’ll have 1 million followers in about a day, guaranteed or your money back.   This comic was illustrated by Kiersten Essenpreis, a New York-based artist who draws and blogs at YouFail.com. For more laughs, check out our previous Mashable Comics. More Mashable Comics:
More About: charlie sheen, comics, humor, mashable comics, social media, twitter For more Social Media coverage:
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| CBS Interactive Acquires Clicker.com & Names New President [INTERVIEW] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:11 PM PST   Clicker, the site that bills itself as the TV guide for Internet content, has been acquired by CBS Interactive. Clicker’s co-founder and CEO Jim Lanzone has also been named the new president of CBS Interactive. Earlier this year, Mashable named Clicker as one of the top tech companies to watch in 2011. Clicker.com launched in November 2009 to help aggregate video content from across the web. In the past 15 months, the company also has released apps for the iPhone, iPad, Android, Boxee, Google TV and the web. In December, the site introduced personalized recommendations and tight integration with Facebook. As president of CBS Interactive, Lanzone will oversee CBS’s web properties, including CNET, CBS.com, TV.com, CBSSports.com, CBSNews.com, Gamespot.com and more. “Clicker isn’t going away,” Lanzone told Mashable. The Clicker team is now part of CBS Interactive and will report to Lanzone. Being under the auspices of CBS Interactive means Clicker will eventually have greater synergy with other parts of the CBS ecosystem such as TV.com and CBS.com. The goal for now, however, is still to make Clicker the “premiere destination of discovering premium web video.” “We’ll figure it out as we go along,” Lanzone said. In past conversations with Mashable, Lanzone has always struck us as as one of the most forward-thinking individuals in the online content space. Shifting from content aggregatorto content creator and distributor requires putting on a slightly different hat, however. When speaking in broad terms about CBS’s future digital strategy, Lanzone said he “will have a seat at the table and that [his] point of view will be part of the conversation.” At the same time, he added, “I wouldn’t presume to know all the things that go into [the company's] strategy.” Citing CBS’s success in television ratings and online — as well as the recent partnership with Netflix — Lanzone noted, “obviously something is working there.” If CBS Interactive can successfully fuse the community and delivery engine of TV.com with the recommendation engine, interface and usability of Clicker, the company could have a very compelling web video destination product. We would love to see the greater Clicker vision expand to helping get more CBS content on more types of connected devices. More About: cbs interactive, clicker, connected tv, internet tv, jim lanzone, tv.com For more Startups coverage:
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| Is This a Robot or Human? [VIDEO] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PST Behold, the most real-looking robot ever created. It looks so human, you might think it’s some guy imitating a robot. Take a look at this video and notice how the thing actually breathes. It’s called a Geminoid, which is a lifelike robot created to look exactly like its master. Geminoids are controlled by a computer system that replicates movements. The video shows the latest version of a concept started in 2005. In this case, the robot’s subtle movements almost take it across that “uncanny valley,” where an android (or animation) gets close enough to appearing real that it borders on creepy. How much progress does this represent? Look at this Geminoid from 2007, which looks primitive compared with this latest one: Now, all this new robot’s makers at the Aalborg University in Denmark need to do is give this guy arms and legs and teach him how to walk, talk and think like Watson the supercomputer, and he’ll be ready to play Jeopardy. What other uses could you foresee for this lifelike bot? More About: Aalborg University, Geminoid, research, robots, trending, Uncanny Valley, video For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Meet Google’s Evil Twin, Google Sloppy [VIDEO] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:51 PM PST   What if your search engine yawned when you typed in a query? What if it screwed up the spelling of the words you entered, so that your search for “pineapples” produced results for “pinepaples”? Then you’d be using Google Sloppy — and you’d probably renew your appreciation for regular Google. That’s the idea behind Google Sloppy, also known as The Search Operators, the brainchild of Yuin Chien, a MFA at Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design. The conceit of the site is that it’s being run by three “humanistic” operators — one who’s falling asleep, one who misspells queries, and one inexperienced, incompetent intern. “The machine isn't perfect, it makes mistakes, and it needs rest just like everyone,” writes Chein. “Having a lazy Google is surprisingly comforting to some!” Apparently so, because the site has become one of the day’s hottest Google trends — not bad for a project cooked up by a grad student. Are users pranking friends, reminding themselves of Google’s worth, or simply enjoying the novelty? We asked Google Sloppy, but it simply told us it couldn’t find any results for “why is Slopp popluar.” More About: funny videos, Google. humor, humor For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Flaming Lips Plan To Release New Songs Via Gummi Skulls [INTERVIEW] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:39 PM PST Do you like the Flaming Lips? Do you like the Flaming Lips enough to consume an entire gummi skull in order to listen to two new tracks? If so, carry on reading. While the Lips were recently in New York for Philip Glass’s annual Tibet House benefit show, frontman Wayne Coyne took some time to sit down with Mashable to chat about social media, technology and music. So what did we learn? Well, in April, the unorthodox rockers plan to release three new songs via USBs embedded in life-sized gummi skulls — it’s all part of their plan to release a song per month in 2011. Frontman Wayne Coyne started talking about this out-of-the-box album release plan back in January, and the band dropped the first track, “Two Blobs F**king,” on Valentine’s Day. Much like the band's album Zaireeka, which came in the form of four CDs to be played at once, "Two Blobs F**king" (some extra romance for Valentine's Day) is meant to utilize multiple devices in order to come together — in this case, the band split the song into 12 YouTube videos, meant to be played simultaneously. This month, the band plans to release its collaboration with synth-heavy band, Neon Indian, in the form of colored vinyl. (Look! Wayne Coyne Twitpic’d it!) Check out the video above for more from Wayne on gummis et al. We had to cut out a lengthy section on his love for Twitter, but you should definitely give him a follow — he posts some pretty entertaining stuff. Video by Jay Irani More About: flaming-lips, music, neon-indian, wayne-coyne, youtube For more Media coverage:
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| FashionStake Relaunches as the Next-Generation Online Boutique Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:32 PM PST   Few startups have reinvented themselves as frequently — and as drastically — as FashionStake, which rolled out its third iteration Friday. We first profiled the startup when it launched in September 2010. At the time, co-founders and Harvard Business School graduates Daniel Gulati and Vivian Weng envisioned a site where consumers could support emerging designers by buying “stakes” in not-yet-produced collections in exchange for discounts and other privileges when said collections were manufactured. Within the first month it became clear, however, that customers were more excited about pre-ordering items at a discount. Shortly after, the second version of FashionStake was born, allowing customers to pre-order clothes from a small coterie of young designers. FashionStake was still able to offer these items as a discount because the company could use pre-order numbers to gauge demand ahead of production. Now, FashionStake functions more like a traditional online boutique that stays true to its roots in independent design, heavy discounts and customer engagement. Users can browse FashionStake’s full range of apparel and accessories, as well as “crowd favorites,” and purchase them well below original retail price. In addition, users can vote on designers and pieces to add to the store via a weekly ballot, which should keep customers coming back to the site often, and will continue to help designers (and FashionStake) gauge demand.  The new model, Gulati says, allows FashionStake “to quickly hone in on the best independent designers… [Shoppers] can browse the best of the best, not just because we say they’re the best, but because thousands of people in the fashion community say they’re the best. Secondly, by getting an early view of demand, we can adjust our merchandising strategy accordingly and deliver better sell-through rates,” all while maintaining a higher level of engagement with customers than a traditional e-commerce site, he explains. The company will also continue to offer a range of exclusive collections made especially for pre-order, which will be released in the coming weeks and months. In addition to the new design, FashionStake announced its latest investor, Alexis Maybank, a co-founder of luxury flash sales site Gilt Groupe. FashionStake’s lead backer is Battery Ventures, which is also an investor in Groupon. More About: fashion, fashionstake, gilt groupe For more Startups coverage:
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| What Demand Media Plans To Do With New Acquisition CoveritLive Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:24 PM PST   Demand Media is infamous for the search-optimized content that appears on its sites, including eHow.com, Trails.com and Livestrong.com. But these sites are not the sole focus of Demand’s recently publicized acquisition of live-blogging platform CoveritLive, says Demand Media CMO Dave Panos. CoveritLive is set to release a game component next week that will allow third-party sites to interact with their audiences around real-time events. The tool will allow publishers to "create a sporting event within an event," Panos says. CoveritLive CEO and founder Keith McSpurren calls it “live gaming.” Publishers will have the option to reward readers with points for logging into live coverage of events and answering trivia questions correctly, betting (using points) and posting a leader board. Instead of moderators accepting a handful of readers or viewers to add comments to the discussion, which is how CoveritLive works now, Panos sees the new tool as a way to make an event interactive for the whole audience. For example, a website could host a live discussion about the Oscars and have readers cast their predictions, with point wagers, for each category. Readers could see how their points for accurate predictions stack up against other readers, and at the end a winner would be named. “Particularly in the broadcast world,” Panos says, “[publishers] are thinking about this multi-screened world, and they've been trying to figure out what they're going to do.” The new solution, he says, is more affordable than what advertisers would charge for a custom game, and comes at a time when many web publishers are looking for ways to keep readers engaged for longer periods of time.  Demand Media will also leverage the platform for its own sites, hosting discussions with celebrity partners like Rachael Ray, as well as lesser-known personalities who can give hands-on advice. CoveritLive brings an impressive client list to Demand Media, which has held a minority stake in the company since 2009. Fox News, ESPN, CBS, the BBC and Cnet are just a few of the many large media organizations that already use the tool, and events hosted on the platform attract an audience of more than 60 million people every month. About half of sites that host more than 5,000 readers on the event platform in one month opt to display ads from Demand Media in lieu of paying for the platform (those who have fewer than 5,000 participants per month can use the platform for free). The content creation company will now receive full revenue whether third-parties choose to pay or display ads. Many sites, including — as the company is eager to point out — USA Today‘s Travel Tips, use Demand Media content, but most of the nearly 4 billion page views Demand Media collects on third-party partner sites come from the social tool it acquired in 2008, Pluck. Pluck is a social platform that adds site elements like comments, ratings, forums, blogs and other services, integrating Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, on more than 350 sites. Every time you check in on the Runner’s World forums, for instance, you’re logging a page view for Demand Media. Demand Media’s third-party partners accounted for less than half of its revenue in 2010, but with the purchase of CoveritLive, third-party sites will instantly account for a larger portion. Armed with its new, soon-to-be competitive, real-time social media tool, Demand Media is forging ahead with an effort to increase its presence as not only a mass producer of search-optimized content, but also a platform for interactive site elements. More About: coveritlive, Demand Media, real-time, social For more Social Media coverage:
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| 4 Hot Social Gaming Trends to Watch Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:52 PM PST   Prita Uppal is the founder and CEO of YooMee Games, a social competition platform that brings tournaments and cash prizes to skill-based games across websites, social networks and mobile apps. More than 18,000 interactive gaming industry pros came to San Francisco for the Game Developers' Conference this week, an annual event that draws programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers and anyone else involved in the development of interactive games. At GDC in past years, hardcore gamers have been reluctant to accept social games into the fold, but this year there's no denying it. Social games are the fastest growing segment of the gaming market with revenues projected to exceed $1 billion in 2011, and they are here to stay. There's more to social games than harvesting crops, and the future looks full of innovation and opportunity for developers and players alike. Here's a look at four of the biggest social gaming trends discussed at GDC 2011. 1. In-Browser ExperienceThe time for higher-quality browser-based games is here. There were two big announcements hinting that we’ll soon be playing richer and more complex 3D social games: Adobe launched a Flash Player beta that supports accelerated 3D, and Unity introduced a Flash export capability. Meanwhile, AAA quality MMOs like Frogster's Runes of Magic are starting to make a shift to browsers, too, abandoning the lengthy PC download, installation and registration process that has turned potential players off in the past. Will this open the door for new demographics to join the MMO crowd? 2. Mobile MattersWe've been playing games on our mobile phones for years, but for the first time in GDC's 25-year history, this year's agenda included a dedicated Smartphone Summit. The summit was designed to explore the future of gaming on platforms such as the iPhone and iPad, Android OS phones and tablets, and BlackBerry devices. Classic MMO games can be so resource-intensive, it seems unlikely that they could work on a handheld device. But that's just what's happening with mobile MMOs like Pocket Legends for iPhone and iPad. What does the emergence of the mobile MMO mean for game design? One of the big challenges for designers in the coming year will be translating classic MMO features to mobile while balancing a whole new set of user needs, like shorter gameplay sessions. 3. Augmented RealityParanormal Activity: Sanctuary from Ogmento on Vimeo. At the GDC Smartphone Summit, Ogmento's Terrance Cohen said the widespread adoption of touch screen smartphones has created a "perfect storm for augmented reality games." To demonstrate the possibilities presented by augmented reality, Ogmento added a layer to its location-based game Paranormal Activity: Sanctuary. From there, the company recruited GDC attendees to participate in a battle between good and evil, using the actual streets of San Francisco as a digital battleground. For social games that revolve around time management and commonplace tasks such as cooking a virtual meal or serving a dinner table, the idea of allowing players to physically perform tasks in a virtual world could be a serious game-changer. 4. Cloud Gaming Two years ago, OnLive introduced its pioneering cloud gaming service at GDC, giving players the ability to play console-quality games streamed from the cloud. Since then, companies such as Otoy and Gaikai have joined the fold, but all three have focused on high-end games streamed to TV, computers and micro-consoles. This week, Spoon introduced a cloud-based gaming service that brings the OnLive streaming model to casual games, allowing download-free access to popular arcade titles. Cloud gaming renders users’ computer speeds irrelevant and makes console quality graphics possible on slow internet connections. That means we can finally start seeing something a little more impressive than the overhead view and grid-based landscapes currently popular with most social game designers. Few industries have been impacted by the staggering innovation of the web as much as the gaming industry. And despite Wall Street's concern over rapidly declining console sales, the industry is perhaps as healthy as it's been in years, buoyed by its ability to adapt to a more social, mobile and on-demand world. Coupled with the industry's leadership in the development and implementation of new monetization methods, the games industry is poised for continued success. What will this success look like? You'll have to wait until GDC 2012. See you there! More Gaming Resources from Mashable:
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| $424 Million NASA Satellite Launch Fails [VIDEO] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:36 PM PST NASA’s Glory satellite ended up at the bottom of the southern Pacific Ocean early Friday morning, the victim of a failed launch that almost got the $424 million weather spacecraft into orbit. All seemed to be going as planned at the 2:10 a.m. PT launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, until the final stage of the launch, when a fairing covering the satellite was supposed to be ejected. Because that protective cover stayed on, the configuration was too heavy and too slow to make it to orbit, said NASA launch commentator George Diller. According to Space.com, Glory was intended to monitor two aspects of the Earth’s climate. It was designed to give scientists a dynamic look at tiny particles in the Earth’s atmosphere, called aerosols, in hopes of determining how they affect the planet’s weather. In addition, the satellite had instruments that measured variations in the amount of solar energy striking the highest regions of the Earth’s atmosphere. Alas, it was not to be. According to NASA launch director Omar Baez, “All indications are that the satellite and rocket are in the southern Pacific Ocean.” This is especially bad news for Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp, makers of the Taurus XL rocket that lifted the spacecraft to near-orbit. According to the AP, a similar problem occurred in 2009 with a Taurus XL launch vehicle, where a fairing stayed on a satellite and the launch failed, with its satellite ending up in roughly the same place in the South Pacific near Antarctica. Why is this a big deal? Besides the loss of $424 million of space hardware, Orbital Sciences is one of the private companies NASA is counting on to lift cargo to the International Space Station when the shuttles are retired. More About: Epic fail, fail, Glory, launch, NASA, satellite, space For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: The Vanity Edition Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:20 PM PST   We are all the main players in our own, personal films — tortured Dorian Grays rendered oh-so blue in the presence of our fading youth, staring in the glass, transfixed by our glittering reflections. In short, pretty much everyone is completely and totally self-absorbed, which is why this week’s YouTube roundup is all about you — well, vanity, actually. From preening stars to crowing children to careening kitties, we have a collection of utterly self-confidence-packed vids for you below. Take a look (which will sadly require you to think about someone else for a tick) and then sally forth toward a weekend that was — obviously — entirely fashioned for you. Twitter in Real LifeZachary Sniderman: "Everyone look at pictures of my cat." Glitter AttackErica Swallow: Glitter attack. I think I feel sick. Nike Commercial - "Pretty" - Maria SharapovaTodd Wasserman: In this Nike ad, Maria Sharapova is not only oh so pretty, but she's tired of hearing about how pretty she is and ready to kick some ass. Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"Ada Ospina: She's standing on a vanity. She's also pretty awesome, I'll take whatever she's having! Kim Kardashian Wax Figure UnveiledLauren Drell: "I'm 5'3, curvy and there's TWO OF ME!" #kimkardashian Silly Bandz Sell OutErica Swallow: This is what lifecasting really is. Real life, boring crap. Carly Simon, "You're So Vain"Amy-Mae Elliott: "Clouds in my coffee" - what an especially stand-out line among so many other stand-out lines! Cat vs. MirrorBrenna Ehrlich: This cat envies his very image! Subscribe to Mashable on YouTube for Our Latest Videos »Image courtesy of iStockphoto, HultonArchive More About: favorite-youtube-videos, vanity, video, viral video, youtube For more Video coverage:
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| How Semantic Search Is Redefining Traditional & Social Media Posted: 04 Mar 2011 11:23 AM PST
Semantic search is one broad area within the higher realm of semantic technologies, which also includes knowledge storage, information extraction and reasoning, among other topics. The goal of semantic search is to improve search result accuracy by understanding the searcher’s intent and the contextual relationships between the terms used in the search. We spoke with Evan Sandhaus, lead architect of semantic platforms at The New York Times Company, and Jeff Catlin, CEO of text analytics company Lexalytics, to better understand how semantic search is affecting news and social media. News Media The New York Times morgue, a collection of topical and biographical clippings and photographs from The Times and other publications, once existed in the old Times headquarters on West 43rd Street, but has since been relocated. “All websites are in the business of capturing people’s attention,” said Sandhaus, recalling a recent presentation he had attended. This is especially true for news organizations and blogs, which push out piles upon piles of online articles each day. In the end, the news isn’t exactly useful if no one reads it. So, the goal is to make content as findable as possible. The fundamentally challenging structure of the web, Sandhaus says, isn’t exactly helping the cause, though. The web is predominantly written in HTML, a markup language that focuses on expressing how information on a webpage should look, not what it means. As a result, important pieces of information within webpages, such as headlines, bylines and publish dates in news articles, are formatted within HTML, but aren’t explicitly labeled as “headline, “byline” and “publish date.” “As a consequence,” Sandhaus explains, “it makes it difficult for a wider web ecosystem to have an idea of the structured nature of content.” That is, while webpages are formatted for humans to easily read them, machines can’t easily determine the underlying meaning of content on a page if it doesn’t follow a consistent structure. Thus, devaluing the utility of data. So, what is being done to combat web content from falling into the great abyss that is the web? Many communities are working on this problem, with the concept Linked Data being a central part of the conversation. Linked Data is a best practice for exposing, sharing and connecting pieces of data, information and knowledge on the Semantic Web. Since its inception, The New York Times has set itself up nicely to participate in the Semantic Web. Since the late 1800s, it has maintained an authoritative and controlled news vocabulary to archive clippings from its and others’ publications, which were then stored in “the morgue” at its old New York City headquarters on 43rd Street. These archives were originally created so that reporters could easily research historical documentation on a certain topic in the reporting process. Little did anyone know, this organized structure would set The Times up for having an amazing amount of useful data once semantic technologies would evolve more than a century later. In 2009, The Times began publishing its indexing vocabulary, which includes people, organizations, locations and descriptors, as linked open data, enabling other datasets to interact with it, opening up a world of possibilities for useful applications, based on Times data. As of September 2010, there are 203 datasets — including data from The Times — published in Linked Data format. These datasets combined are more powerful together than any one dataset could ever be alone. Creating standards is the next step in the process towards building a more connected web. Working to further connect information on the web, The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), among other communities, continues to develop standards for the Semantic Web, explained Sandhaus, including RDFa, which enables users to embed rich metadata, such as title, author and date information, within web documents. This allows users to call out meanings for specific portions of a webpage, making the information more usable on the greater web. The problem with RDFa, though, is that different organizations can use it to develop different naming systems for the same pieces of data, says Sandhaus. In the media world, for example, a “headline” could also be called a “title,” or even “Schlagzeile” (in German) or “intestazione” (in Italian). The New York Times is hoping to alleviate this problem. As of October 2010, The Times, in collaboration with the International Press Telecommunications Council, is working on creating a standard within the publishing industry to express structural metadata within HTML — this framework is called rNews. With this standard, search engines, aggregators and social sites, for example, will have access to the data, making it more useful to the web at large. The project has only just begun, but Sandhaus expects to have more details about its direction in coming months. Leading innovation in the publishing industry, The New York Times continues to reimagine what is possible within the world of semantic technologies, making its data (and the data that interacts with it), more useful as more technological developments surface. Social Media Social media is another area of the web where data seems infinitely powerful — Twitter for example, logs more than 110 million tweets per day, and 50% of Facebook‘s 500 million active users log in daily. As users continue to spend more time on social networks, brands are finding it more important to maintain presences on social platforms. Analytics haven’t been a huge focus for early adopter brands, but as companies try to measure the ROI of being active on social networks, analytic tools are taking a prominent position in the discussion. Over the course of the past year, brands have begun to add sentiment analysis to the list of must-have features in their social media monitoring tools, says Lexalytics CEO Jeff Catlin. There are two sides to brand-oriented communication on social platforms — while brands are sending out marketing messages via their social channels, consumers are chatting about brands and products. As a result, there are two main ways that brands are currently using semantics:
While semantics is having a clear affect on social media monitoring, Catlin feels that it will also soon play a role in social search from a user’s perspective. Search engines and search features within social sites will have to integrate semantic technologies to stay relevant, says Catlin. He posed an example: if a user is searching for “Indian food,” a keyword search isn’t as useful as a semantics-driven search could be. “Let’s say you have an interest in Indian food,” explained Catlin. “Imagine that a tweet came out that happened to say, ‘This was the best chicken tikka I’ve ever had.’ [The search tool] would in fact lump that into your interest in Indian food. Even though the tweet never mentioned the term ‘Indian food’ anywhere, it can semantically understand that ‘chicken tikka’ belongs in ‘Indian food.’” Lexalytics is developing semantic technologies that do just that, and Catlin expects to unleash them later this year. “Imagine digesting all of Wikipedia, if you will,” Catlin supposed, explaining the technology, “If you digested all of the knowledge out there, you would start to see relationships. You would start to see things like ‘chicken tikka’ referenced in things about ‘Indian food.’ We hold onto that knowledge historically, so that we can use it later on.” ConclusionAs semantic technologies continue to evolve, data on the web will become more meaningful and useful. Traditional media outlets, like The New York Times, are already seeing the benefits of participating in the Semantic Web, as they are able to use other people’s data to reason about their own archives. Likewise, social search stands to gain much from incorporating semantic understanding in order to create better user experiences and enhance analytics for brands. Which industries are you most interested in seeing adopt semantic technologies? Let us know in the comments below. Series Supported by SES New York Conference & Expo  The Future of Search Series is supported by SES New York Conference & Expo, the search and social marketing conference helping brands, agencies, and professionals connect, share and learn what's next for the interactive industry. Learn why more than 5,000 brands and agencies from the enterprise level to brick and motor businesses choose SES for their online marketing education. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, thesuperph & Flickr, Jennifer Brook, KEXINO More About: Future of Search Series, Search, semantic, semantic search, semantic web, semantics, trending For more Media coverage:
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| Announcing the Mashable Geek Games Host: Romany Malco Posted: 04 Mar 2011 10:44 AM PST
Romany Malco, known for his roles in ABC’s No Ordinary Family and the 2005 hit comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin, is coming to the Mashable SXSWi House to host the Geek Games on Sunday, March 13 and Monday, March 14, in Austin, Texas. Romany, who also created the character Tijuana Jackson on HBO's Funny or Die Presents, will host the two-day single-elimination tournament where geeks will test their skills at bowling, Twister, shuffleboard and trivia. He’ll be leading the charge as 64 teams competing for all the geek glory, a sweet prize package from our sponsors and a good cause. All proceeds from the $25 participation fee will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas. We know he’s got geek cred from his role on No Ordinary Family as the character George St. Could, who is a huge comic book fanboy and runs an intelligence operation from his lair with Wi-Fi. Geek Games Schedule Monday, March 14, 2011 (Open to the public) To register your team for the Geek Games, click on this link: http://geekgames.eventbrite.com/ The $25 participation fee that goes to Big Brothers Big Sisters funds a full week of mentoring for a child. To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters visit: www.bigmentoring.org Each round of the tournament will require at least 2 participants from each team to compete. Each team will consist of 2 to 5 players, allowing for alternates for a team. Located at Buffalo Billiards, the Mashable SXSWi House is hosting a variety of public and private events ranging from VIP dinners to open networking opportunities and parties, including the third annual MashBash SXSWi party on Sunday, March 13, with music from DJ Chicken George, and the official Mashable Night 2 SXSWi 2011 Party with music from Eclectic Method. Register for public events at the SXSWi Mashable House on Eventbrite. The event is open to all SXSWi badge holders who are older than 21.  Thanks to our sponsors Come check out the Pepsi MAX Lot at 3rd Street and San Jacinto Boulevard! Follow @PepsiMAX on Twitter for the daily schedule for huge concerts, happy hours, BBQs, games, and giveaways! And, well, lots of free soda..  Sony Electronics is a leading provider of audio and video electronics and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Sony is noted for a wide range of consumer audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA® LCD and 3D high-definition televisions, Cyber-shot® and α (alpha) digital cameras, Handycam® camcorder and Walkman® personal stereo. Sony is also an innovator in the IT arena with its VAIO® personal computers; and in high-definition professional broadcast and production equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM® HD and CineAlta™ lines of cameras and camcorders, and the SXRD™ 4K digital projector. Join the Sony Conversation at Sony.com/Blog.  Skifta is an app-based media shifting service that turns your Android phone into a global remote control. Easily access your digital media from virtually any source and stream to connected electronics in the home. With the DLNA Certified® Skifta app on your phone, you can easily access music, photos and videos from your phone, the cloud, or remotely from your home and stream that media to connected DLNA and UPnP consumer electronics including TVs, IP-stereos like Sonos systems, PlayStation® 3 consoles, Windows 7 PCs, and thousands more. No wires, downloading or side loading. Check it out at skifta.com.  If your website has a play button, it belongs on .TV. Stand out from the crowd with a .TV domain name; tell people you create and share great video content on your site even before they visit. Come visit us in the Mashable House at Buffalo Billiards on March 13-14 for a chance to register a FREE .TV domain name. And, mark your calendars: the .TV AUCTION starts March 9. Bid on desirable, sought-after domain names including air.tv, stocks.tv, who.tv, and more at moniker.com/tv or register the .TV of your choice for while you're there. Image courtesy of Flickr, david_shankbone. More About: mashable, swsxi, sxsw For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| Why the Search Marketing Industry Must Adapt or Perish Posted: 04 Mar 2011 10:22 AM PST   Tommy Swanson is the Social Media Specialist at KMA (A Pursuant Company), a full-service fundraising company. Swanson is in charge of SEO and social media for numerous nationally recognized non-profit organizations. He is also a serial online entrepreneur who has built and sold several large businesses since his early teens. Type a query into Google and, nine times out of ten, you'll find a result that does not seem right. It's not a bug or a website getting a lucky break from the Google gods — it's the result of savvy manipulation by a group of Internet hustlers known as search engine optimizers (SEOs). I know because I am one. For the last few years, I've been pushing websites to the top of search engine results — websites that don't necessarily belong there in the eyes of Google. SEOs like to call their tactics making a site "search engine friendly," but what we're really doing is gaming the system and getting inside the algorithm that powers Google. It's what we are paid to do. As of recently, Google's algorithms are on the move. While there's no doubt that some of the current manipulation tactics will still play a role in shaping search results, the newest component of search comes from a new (but important) source: You. A Brief HistoryOver the last decade, search engines have evolved at a rapid pace for two reasons: To provide higher quality results to a given search query, and to keep SEO spammers from manipulating search results. But despite all attempts, the basic concepts behind search have remained consistent, and good SEOs have always come out on top regardless of minor algorithmic tweaks. In the early days, Google would scrape a webpage looking for keywords on the actual site to determine its ranking. Search marketers came up with the clever idea of stuffing their page full of the keywords they wanted to rank for. After some time, Google caught up with the clever tactics and brought out the ban hammer. Not all marketers are able to keep up with the rapidly changing algorithm. They continue to suggest that clients adopt mundane optimization techniques such as meta tags, keyword density, and directory submissions that, at the end of the day, won't get you anywhere near the top of a search engine ranking page. A New ModelMore recently, the search engine's algorithm has put most of its weight towards links around the web. To the search engines, a link is a vote of confidence. But not all links are created equal. A vote of confidence from someone influential in society is much more powerful than that of an Average Joe. A link from NYTimes.com is much more powerful than one from “JoesHardwareShopInNYC.com.” SEOs figured this out too. It's called "link building." We either create high quality content (which is what Google likes) and hand it off to websites in return for a link (white hat SEO) or pay for a link without providing any content (black hat SEO). With the proper techniques, good SEOs can take a website and, with good link building techniques, put them in the top 10 to 20 results for a term that gets millions of searches a month. And as of right now, it still works. But as SEOs look around the field, it's obvious that the engines are changing. Their most recent update, focused on killing content farms, saw had a nearly 12% change in their algorithm. There is no doubt that the keywords on your pages and the inbound links to your site will still play a major role in rankings, but the next big change is the”you” factor. The “You” FactorIn 2009, Rand Fishkin wrote a blog post titled "Terrible SEO Advice: Focus on Users, Not Engines." I think if he wrote the post today, he might reconsider that first adjective. As recent changes to Google have illustrated, search engines are moving towards a more user-focused algorithm. Most Internet marketers would agree that humans are much harder to manipulate than a computer-based algorithm. While there are certain aspects of life that are consistent for all people — eating, sleeping, and so on — everyone has their own unique set of preferences that define them as an individual. So why hasn't Google been taking these unique preferences into account in its search rankings? Well, it has, but not to the same extent that it has been changing its algorithm. In the past, links (which were often created by humans) were the most natural way to determine relevancy and popularity. As the Internet has evolved over the last decade, links aren't controlled by human placement to the extent they were years ago. But, as the Internet has evolved, so has the way humans can express themselves. Online behavior isn't limited to e-mail and stand-alone blogs anymore. Social MediaAccording to a 2011 Marketing Sherpa Report, 64% of marketers have begun integrating social media into their search marketing efforts. And there is reason to do so. In December of 2010, both Google and Bing confirmed that links shared through Facebook or Twitter have a direct effect on search engine rankings. But one word that was continually brought up through the entire interview with Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land was "Author/Social Authority," suggesting that it's not the quantity, but rather the quality of a tweet or share that has an impact on SEO rankings. In another recent post by Jen Lopez at SEOmoz, she presents an accidental case study that proves the correlation between a powerful Twitter account and search rankings. After being tweeted out by @smashingmag, SEOmoz's "Beginner's Guide to SEO" ranked number four for "Beginner's Guide" on Google. But if you're one of "those" Twitter users — one who follows all of the other marketers who follow you, who also follow your other account, which follows them — don't expect to get anywhere. Initial results indicate that the engines can easily weed out the Internet marketers and see true influencers in social media. Despite the fact that Google can filter out Internet marketers and spammers, there are still problems. What prevents me from buying a tweet from an influential person in the social space? Google's New “Personal Blocklist” Chrome ExtensionIf there was ever an incredible opportunity for Google to really crack down on spam without having to manually intervene, their new Chrome extension for search is the answer. The extension allows users to block websites within results — which is a good indication of content that doesn't deserve to be there. Matt Cutts, the head of Google’s Webspam team, explained the extension in greater detail on the Google Blog, saying it aimed to weed out shallow or low-quality content from suspected content farms. To do so, it allowed users to report or block sites from their web results. Those choices were then sent back to Google for analysis. Links are easy to manipulate. Social media will most likely be easy to manipulate, unless quantity becomes a larger factor. But if tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people using the extension? That won’t be so easy to game. More Business Resources from Mashable:
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| Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters Posted: 04 Mar 2011 10:10 AM PST
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| Watch TED’s 10 Advertising Contest Finalists [VIDEOS] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 10:10 AM PST   The organizers of TED threw down the gauntlet in December to the ad industry to create ads that people would like so much that they’d like to share some with their friends. TED got dozens of submissions to its contest and narrowed the final list to 10, plus 14 honorable mentions. TED will run the winning ad on its homepage during the week of March 21. Here are the top 10, which range from whimsical to poignant. Would you share any of these ads? Which ones? Tell us in the comments. Batelco, "Infinity"Bahrain Telecommunications Co., a.k.a. Batelco, illustrates the stream of consciousness of a young boy in this elaborate, epic tale told in 3 1/2 minutes. Chrysler, "Born Of Fire"Eminem stars in this popular Super Bowl spot that celebrates Detroit in all its gritty glory. Dulux, "Dulux Walls" (Director's Cut)Areas of the UK, France, Brazil and India get a fresh coat of paint in this high-speed video. Hornbach, "The Infinite House"A man moves into a shack, creates a home and turns his neighbors into friends in this 9-minute film. Intel, "The Chase"A woman outruns some bad guys in a chase that takes place across various desktop media including Facebook, YouTube and iTunes. The Nike Foundation, "Girl Effect, the Clock is Ticking"Dramatic animated video explores the potential future for a girl at the age of 12 who lives in poverty vs. who does not. Nokia, "Dot, the World's Smallest Stop-Motion Character Animation"Using the CellScope, a Nokia device with a microscope attachment, Sumo Science at Aardman Studios shot a film starring a 9mm girl called Dot. To see how the film, click here. The Savory Institute, "Changing Our Future"Zimbabwean biologist Allan Savory explains how his organization holds the key for reversing desertification, which the Institute calls "possibly the greatest contributor to man-made climate change." Target, "Fashion Kaleidoscopic Fashion Spectacular"Retailer Target takes over The Standard hotel in New York and puts on a light show. The Topsy Foundation, "Selinah"This video outlines the successful treatment of HIV/AIDS virus with anti-retroviral (ARV) medication by telling the story in reverse. More About: advertising, TED For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| Announcing Mashable & Gowalla’s SXSW 2011 Partnership Posted: 04 Mar 2011 09:23 AM PST
That’s why we’re thrilled to announce we’ll be teaming up with the location-based service to enhance the SXSW 2011 experience. Attendees can collect custom passport stamps and earn exclusive pins for checking into the Mashable SXSWi House, the Mashable Geek Games and panels featuring Mashable staff members. Here’s a breakdown of our featured Gowalla pins and how you can earn them. Check in to Win
How to Enter the Sony Bloggie Contest:
Winners will be contacted via Twitter about picking up their Sony Bloggie at the Sony Lounge at the Mashable House. Winners are only eligible if they have earned the Mashable SXSWi House pin and tweeted their answer to the question above using the required hashtag. You must be a SXSWi attendee to qualify. Attempts to game entry will not be permitted. Collect All Mashable Pins on Gowalla
Gowalla checkins can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Tumblr, so your friends can see what a dedicated Mashable fan you are. We’re looking forward to connecting with you at SXSW! Follow Mashable on Gowalla for Austin Highlights »Located at Buffalo Billiards, the Mashable SXSWi House is hosting a variety of public and private events ranging from VIP dinners to open networking opportunities and parties, including the third annual MashBash SXSWi party on Sunday, March 13, with music from DJ Chicken George, and the official Mashable Night 2 SXSWi 2011 Party with music from Eclectic Method. Register for public events at the SXSWi Mashable House on Eventbrite. The event is open to all SXSWi badge holders who are older than 21. Thanks to our sponsorsCome check out the Pepsi MAX Lot at 3rd St and San Jacinto Blvd! Follow @PepsiMAXon Twitter for the daily schedule for huge concerts, happy hours, BBQs, games, and giveaways! And, well, lots of free soda. Sony Electronics is a leading provider of audio and video electronics and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Sony is noted for a wide range of consumer audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA® LCD and 3D high-definition televisions, Cyber-shot® and α (alpha) digital cameras, Handycam® camcorder and Walkman® personal stereo. Sony is also an innovator in the IT arena with its VAIO® personal computers; and in high-definition professional broadcast and production equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM® HD and CineAlta™ lines of cameras and camcorders, and the SXRD™ 4K digital projector. Join the Sony Conversation at Sony.com/Blog. Skifta is an app-based media shifting service that turns your Android phone into a global remote control. Easily access your digital media from virtually any source and stream to connected electronics in the home. With the DLNA Certified® Skifta app on your phone, you can easily access music, photos and videos from your phone, the cloud, or remotely from your home and stream that media to connected DLNA and UPnP consumer electronics including TVs, IP-stereos like Sonos systems, PlayStation® 3 consoles, Windows 7 PCs, and thousands more. No wires, downloading or side loading. Check it out at skifta.com. If your website has a play button, it belongs on .TV. Stand out from the crowd with a .TV domain name; tell people you create and share great video content on your site even before they visit. Come visit us in the Mashable House at Buffalo Billiards on March 13-14 for a chance to register a FREE .TV domain name. And, mark your calendars: the .TV AUCTION starts March 9. Bid on desirable, sought-after domain names including air.tv, stocks.tv, who.tv, and more at moniker.com/tv or register the .TV of your choice for while you're there. More About: gowalla, mashable, partnership, sxsw, sxswi For more Social Media coverage:
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| Leaked Windows 8 Screenshots Show Improved Taskbar [PICS] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 09:03 AM PST   Tantalizing clues about the upcoming Windows 8 are accumulating. The latest addition is the screenshot above, which was leaked Friday. You can thank whomever leaked this screenshot for ignoring Microsoft’s admonition, “Let’s not leak our hard work,” because for the first time, here’s the left side of the Windows 8 taskbar. The useful progress indicator of Windows 7 will reportedly show additional functions beyond the usual file transfer progress it shows now. In Windows 8, there will be progress indicators for hardware installation — here you can see it indicating progress while installing a mouse. According to Win7China, Windows 8 will be a speedy install, taking a mere eight minutes, which the site says is 2.5 times faster than Windows 7. Keep in mind, though, according to Windows 8 News, Microsoft is using a fast PC with an eight-core CPU to get those numbers. The leakers say that Microsoft has expanded its System Restore capability. Now it’s referred to as “Factory Restore,” a hard-reset function that rolls back Windows 8 to its original state in two minutes. This next screenshot shows the bottom right part of the Windows 8 desktop, focusing on the system tray area. A new addition is a profile picture on the bottom right, reportedly displaying an avatar for either a local account (where you’ll also be allowed to use video avatars) or a Windows Live ID account. According to Win7China, this means users will be allowed to use their Windows Live ID to log into Windows 8, hinting that there will be further integration of Windows 8 with the cloud. So when can we see more and get our hands on this new operating system? There’s no firm release date set yet, but Windows 8 News reads the tea leaves, looking at leaked information about when the Milestone 3 build was compiled (they’re saying it was on February 28, 2011). From that info they extrapolate the first beta of Windows 8 will appear around June or July, 2011, with a possible release in early 2012. Images courtesy Download Squad and Win7China More About: leaks, microsoft, screenshots, Taskbar, trending, Windows 8 For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| Untapped Opportunity: Exploring the Arab Video Game Market Posted: 04 Mar 2011 08:41 AM PST   Mahmoud Khasawneh is the founder and CEO of Quirkat, a games development company based in the UAE with studios in Jordan. He is also the IGDA Middle East Chapter Leader. As the games industry in the Middle East has grown and evolved over the past decade, video game development and game localization aimed at the Middle Eastern market remains a tremendous opportunity. At first glance, the complexities of language, values, social fabric and an entirely foreign pop culture can, understandably, seem daunting to developers and publishers, particularly from a Western perspective. However, publishing video games for a Middle Eastern audience can yield positive results despite its challenges. Reliable statistics for the region are few and far between, but the Middle Eastern gaming industry is likely worth somewhere between $1 billion and $2.6 billion in terms of revenue across software and hardware. Western developers and publishers have the chance to successfully enter and influence a very green and receptive market, ready to be engaged and monetized. The “Global Audience”Many publishers and game developers claim to target "global audiences," but the reality is that this target often doesn't extend to the Arab world and rather focuses on North American, European and South East Asian markets. There is virtually no presence of big publishers in the Middle East and North Africa. There doesn’t seem to be a clear reason for this, as numbers show that the market is rife with opportunity. For starters, simple demographics indicate these regions have a population of more than 400 million people who speak a single language — Arabic. And many Arabic-speaking countries have young populations, some with more than 50% who are under 25 years old. The demographics also show more than 200 million mobile phones and a strong Facebook presence. These numbers highlight a wide spectrum of gamers that aren't being addressed at core or casual levels, nor on the web, via smartphones or through traditional retail channels. There is still no player in the multi-platform, core game development space. By some estimates, there’s an install base of about 8.5 million consoles in the Middle East (excluding gray imports). Sony has long been the dominant player in the Middle Eastern market, but recently, other hardware makers — notably Microsoft — have begun making moves in the region. But given these numbers, there can and should be many more players in this market. Development HistoryThe games industry in the Middle East has evolved over the past decade. Initially, the few developers who attempted to create original content for the Middle Eastern gamer faced an uphill battle in establishing a foothold in their home markets. High rates of piracy and a disconnected retail landscape fostered a difficult path to market. The few local games in the industry's early days had gained notoriety for having political agendas, and the typical gamer was looking to the likes of EA and Ubisoft for his or her gaming fix, due to the initial perception of inferior quality associated with locally developed games. Eventually, through partnerships with ISPs and mobile network operators, that perception was gradually shattered and local developers started seeing success. Further partnerships with Western studios and publishers yielded bigger, more impressive projects and higher quality games. Local developers also turned their eye to outside markets, one example being Egypt-based Timeline Interactive, developers of CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars. Today, a more structured retail environment, higher bandwidth, online payment channels and investor interest in the game development space have all lead to greater opportunity in the market. The Challenges of Localizaion The groundwork that was laid by the early pioneers in Middle East game development has paved the way for current Western developers and publishers to successfully enter the space today, and they are more cognizant of the challenges and specifics of this market. One of the greatest challenges along the way included attempts at pure language localization that weren't met with much success. THQ was one of the first western publishers to enter the Arabic speaking market and quickly learned the necessity of cultural relevancy: Ifirst localized title, Wall-E, was unsuccessful, as it was marketed to Saudi Arabia, a country with no cinemas. Yet another important localization lesson was learned when Arabized MMO games first started showing up in the Middle East. The purely Google-translated text made no sense, and a lot of technical flaws were exploited, like the lack of standard Unicode text, RTL (right-to-left) support in the marketing assets, and lack of support websites. With heavy ad spending, however, the developers saw traffic pick up from the region and the more far-sighted ones forged local partnerships for better localization and on-the-ground CRM. This resulted in the tremendous success of games such as Travian. Content relevance and adherence to familiar themes is crucial in developing and publishing games aimed at Arab markets. Sony understood this as far back as 2004 when it introduced This Is Football in Arabic for the PS2, given that football (soccer) is the region's biggest sport. Sony continues to cater to the market today, being the only console producer with Arabic content for its motion control platform with the release of Start the Party! in Arabic. The publishers that take the time to go beyond pure language localization and understand the gamer demographic and culture can reap the benefits of this wide open market. Cultural SensitivityIn addition to language localization and content relevance, cultural sensitivity is another important element that must be considered. On the surface, the guidelines might seem straightforward: Sex, gambling, alcohol and nudity are obvious subjects to avoid. The reality is slightly more complex, as approaches to topics such as family, workplace ethics, politics and war are all areas that could easily be misrepresented in a game environment. Additionally, the social and cultural guidelines are not consistent across the many countries that comprise the Arab world. A deeper understanding of these variations and how product positioning varies from North Africa all the way to the more affluent Gulf market is a sure way of guaranteeing stronger returns on any game investments made in the region. Ultimately, once the barriers of language and culture have been successfully understood and penetrated, the Middle Eastern gamer is no different than any gamer anywhere else in the world. The interactive experience sought and enjoyed in the Middle East is no different than the typical fun, entertaining game developed for the U.S. markets. It is my strong belief that partnerships between Western and Middle Eastern developers are the key to success; with new marketplaces, stores and digital distribution channels, there is no reason why a successful game cannot — with a little bit of effort and insight — bridge the cultural divide for a truly global game experience. More Gaming Resources from Mashable:
More About: games, gaming, middle east, social media, video games For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| AOL Bolsters Local News Investment With Acquisition of Outside.in [CONFIRMED] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 07:54 AM PST   Update (11:19 a.m): Patch’s VP of Communications has confirmed the acquisition. “More details in the coming weeks, but we’re very excited about the addition of Mark and his team,” she wrote. AOL has acquired local news aggregator Outside.in, according to multiple reports. Business Insider, who first reported the news, claims that AOL paid less than $10 million for the startup, which is backed by the likes of Union Square Ventures, Milestone Venture Partners, Betaworks and CNN. We expect that Outside.in will be rolled into AOL’s existing Patch network of 800 local blogs — although how that integration will manifest itself is unclear at present. We’ll have a better idea when AOL officially announces the news later today. For more Startups coverage:
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| Customizable Mascots Promote 2012 Olympics Posted: 04 Mar 2011 06:52 AM PST   With just 511 days to go until the games start, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is trying to get the word out via social media. To get the conversations started, the organization has rolled out a feature on its website where consumers can make their own Olympic mascot and then share them on Facebook and Twitter. The mascot maker is based on the designs of Wenlock and Mandeville, the Olympic and Paralympic mascots, respectively. Like those mascots, the self-created ones bear the distinctive one-eye designs and metallic finish that were originally fashioned from drops of steel used to build the Olympics stadium. Those characters, introduced in May 2010, are part of the viral push and appear in some online short films as well as “Swim Wenlock Swim,” a webcam-based swimming game, according to Creativity Online. The push comes after the logo for the 2012 Olympics received a chilly reception from the public upon its introduction in 2007, with many comparing it to a jigsaw puzzle. Nevertheless, customizable online avatars have a good track record in marketing. In particular, OfficeMax’s “Elf Yourself” program has been a continuing viral success since its introduction in 2005. More About: 2012 Olympics, ElfYourself, london, MARKETING, trending For more Business & Marketing coverage:
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| Microsoft To Release Windows for Tablets in 2012 [REPORT] Posted: 04 Mar 2011 06:44 AM PST   Microsoft will release a tablet-oriented version of Windows no sooner than 2012, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the matter. Despite Steve Ballmer’s bombastic statements in July last year, when he said Microsoft is “hardcore” about tablets and that we can expect “a lot” of Windows-based tablets by the end of 2010, none of the tablets that actually did hit the stores made any significant impact on the market. The reasons for this are quite clear: Windows 7 simply isn’t optimized for use with modern tablets with finger-based input. Remember the long, painful transition from Windows Mobile 6 to Windows Phone 7? Once again, it will take time for Microsoft to deliver the user experience it needs to be able to compete with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Honeycomb. The 2012 release date for Windows 8 is in line with what we’ve previously heard. However, a recent report claimed that a tablet-optimized beta version of Windows 8 is coming in September, and now Bloomberg‘s sources claim that the public testing of the new version of Windows will begin “at the end of this year” with partners and customers, with the final version of the OS being slated for “back-to-school season” of 2012. With the iPad 2 coming to stores one week from now, those dates sound very, very distant. There’s a long road ahead for Microsoft, whose Windows-for-tablets will probably have to compete with an iPad 3, far more advanced Android tablets and a second generation of RIM’s PlayBook. However, as evident from the examples of Microsoft’s search engine Bing and Windows Phone 7, which has been slow to make an impact on the market but a partnership with Nokia will surely bring it greater adoption, Microsoft has shown to be a company that knows how to be patient and learn from its mistakes. [via Bloomberg] More About: microsoft, Tablet, tablets, Windows For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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| The 4 Biggest Stories in Tech, Gadgets & Social Media This Morning Posted: 04 Mar 2011 05:20 AM PST   Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on four particular stories of interest today. Samsung Reconsiders Galaxy Tab Pricing In a refreshingly honest statement, Samsung's mobile division VP Lee Don-Joo admitted that iPad 2 made some parts of Samsung's 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab look "inadequate," and that the company might be forced to lower the price of its tablet. Windows Tablet OS Potentially Delayed Until Fall 2012 Microsoft’s tablet OS is not expected to hit the market until fall 2012, sources have told Bloomberg. Apple Trying to Negotiate Unlimited iTunes Music Downloads Apple is trying to make a deal with record companies that would allow it to offer unlimited downloads for iTunes music purchases, say anonymous sources. Facebook Now Valued at $65 Billion Facebook has jumped in value from $50 billion to $65 billion, based on a new investment stake from General Atlantic, according to CNBC. Further News
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, DNY59 More About: apple, facebook, first to know series, galaxy tab, gmail, Google, iPad 2, itunes, samsung, Windows For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:
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Name: 
Over the last eighteen months, the world of 
Semantics, the study of meaning, is playing an increasingly important role in the development of knowledge management tools across a variety of industries, and some of the most interesting developments are coming from the media world.
Offered at the 
Established in 1994, 
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Mashable uses 
Since 2007 
The Mashable SXSWi House Pin is earned when you check into 
To get the Mashable MashBash Pin you’ll check into our epic party, held from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 13 at the Mashable SXSWi House. If this coveted pin isn’t incentive enough to join, get ready for four hours of networking, games and dancing. Here’s a recap of 
The Mashable Total Geekery Pin can only be secured by checking into both days of the 
You can earn the Mashable Insider Pin by checking into three of the 13 spots with custom Mashable passport stamps. That means checking in at the Mashable SXSWi House, speaking events featuring Mashable staff and more. Stay tuned next week for a post revealing where you can find Mashable staff on SXSW panels and which events will qualify you for the Mashable Insider Pin.
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