Home � � Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Apple’s WWDC Sold Out in a Matter of Hours”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Apple’s WWDC Sold Out in a Matter of Hours”

Posted by Ashim Adhikari on 5:23 AM // 0 comments

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Apple’s WWDC Sold Out in a Matter of Hours”

Apple’s WWDC Sold Out in a Matter of Hours

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 03:02 AM PDT


Less than 24 hours after the official announcement of this year’s Apple’s WWDC conference, the tickets for the event are sold out, as stated on the event’s website.

Last year, it took 8 days for the WWDC tickets to sell out, but this year’s record ticket sales are no surprise given how much the iOS platform has grown in a year’s time.

This year’s conference will focus on the next generation of iOS and Mac OS X Lion, and recent rumors claim that the next generation iPhone will be absent from the event.

[via TUAW, Apple WWDC]

More About: apple, Conference, iOS, wwdc

For more Dev & Design coverage:

Man Proposes to Girlfriend via iPad 2 Engraving

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 11:46 PM PDT


We’ve seen our share of geeky marriage proposals here at Mashable. Topping our list: Johannes Beals asking the Old Spice Guy to deliver his proposal and Path’s Matt Van Horn achieving a geeky trifecta when he used Twitter, Foursquare and Qik to pop the question. Oh, and let’s not forget the Groupon marriage proposal.

The newest nerdy engagement making the rounds comes from Jordan C., who decided to surprise his girlfriend Jessica by asking her the big question through an engraved iPad that simply read, “Will You Marry Me?”. Jordan told 9to5Mac that he gave her the iPad under one of the world’s largest trees in the National Redwood Forest near Crescent City, CA.

Her response? “Yes; now give me my iPad!” — It looks like Jordan has found a woman who appreciates her Apple gadgets.

While this isn’t the first time an Apple product has been used to ask a girlfriend for her hand in marriage, it’s the first iPad 2 proposal we’ve ever come across. Proposing under the giant redwood tree was a nice touch, too.

Congrats, Jordan and Jessica! If you want to take your wedding to the next level of geekdom, we have some suggestions for geeky wedding gadgets that would be perfect for your big day.

Image courtesy of 9to5mac

More About: apple, engagement, iPad 2, wedding, Wedding proposal

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Amazon Cloud Player: First Impressions

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 11:10 PM PDT

Amazon has made its triumphant entry into the music streaming world with Amazon Cloud Player. Rather than stream a library of predetermined music (e.g. Pandora, Spotify), Cloud Player lets you upload your existing music library and stream it from any computer or Android device.

For the last 30 minutes, I’ve been testing out Cloud Player. While it’s impossible to get the full experience in half an hour (mostly because Amazon estimates it will be another 12 hours before my first 1,262 songs are uploaded), I’ve had enough time to play with it to write a preliminary evaluation of Amazon’s new streaming music service.

Here are some of my initial thoughts about Amazon Cloud Player and its companion Android app:

  • Uploading: When you first install Cloud Drive on your computer, it searches your entire hard drive for your music and your playlists. While this takes a while (10 minutes), once the process is complete, it makes uploading songs a snap. It pulled my iTunes playlists and let me choose which ones I wanted to upload, a very welcomed feature.
  • Usability: The web-based cloud player is really intuitive. The layout makes it easy to select songs, search your music archives and organize your music. The player itself is quick to load, responsive, and even lets you skip around to different points in your music, something not possible with most of the streaming music players on the market today.


  • Music Quality: While I’m no audiophile, I really can’t tell any difference between Cloud Player and a streaming service like Pandora. Playing music from your hard drive is going to give you a better acoustic experience, but the vast majority of consumers won’t be able to tell the difference.
  • Features: Cloud Player doesn’t have a lot of frills, but you will be able to do almost everything you want within it. It doesn’t have iTunes’ ability to automatically download podcasts or Genius recommendation feature, but they’re not necessary features for a great music experience.
  • Android: I also took Amazon’s Cloud Player app for spin on a Motorola Atrix 4G phone. After signing in with my Amazon account, it quickly found my uploaded music and played it flawlessly. Again, I was able to skip around to different points in my music, create playlists and search my Cloud Drive for uploaded music. The player even lets you access your on-device music, essentially rendering Google’s official Music player useless.
  • Price: You start with 5 GB of free storage, but for the vast majority of people, that won’t be enough. Without a second thought, I upgraded to 20 GB for $20/year, though in retrospect I should’ve bought a cheap album instead. The pricing plan is very simple: 1 GB per dollar. I paid more for Pandora One ($36)than I did for 20 GB of Cloud Player storage, so overall I’d say Amazon’s giving everybody a good deal.

Even from my short test, it became apparent that Amazon wasn’t launching some half-baked product; Cloud Player is a fully-functional, very usable streaming music player that could even make iTunes obsolete for many people, and its ability to play on-device and cloud-based music could quickly make it Android’s killer app.

Amazon has thrown down the gauntlet and set a high bar for cloud-based music streaming. Apple and Google, which are expected to launch their own cloud players sometime this year, will have to match Amazon on usability and price if they’re going to compete.

Amazon can’t rest on its laurels though; Apple will surely harness its control of iPhone, iTunes and iOS to boost its own offering and give the shopping giant a run for its money.

More About: amazon, Amazon Cloud Player, Cloud Player, CloudS, streaming music

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Amazon Cloud Player Lets You Play Your Music From Anywhere

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 09:52 PM PDT


Amazon has just entered the streaming music business with the launch of Cloud Player, a music player that lets anyone upload their music to Amazon’s servers and play them via the web or Android.

The new Cloud Player service adds a new “Save to Amazon Cloud Drive” button for saving MP3s to the cloud, as well as an option to upload music from a hard drive to a user’s Cloud Drive. Users are given 5 GB of free storage, but can get 20 GB if they purchase an album through Amazon. It’s $1 per GB after that.

Cloud Player comes in two flavors, an app for the web and an Android app counterpart. Both players allow users to upload their music, create playlists and organize their music. And because it’s a cloud-based platform, users can access their music and settings from any compatible computer or Android device.

The most comparable service to Cloud Drive is probably Grooveshark, which also lets you upload your music, though Amazon has several major advantages in its MP3 store, its longstanding payment system and its stronger brand recognition.

Google and Apple have been rumored to be hard at work on their own cloud-based players, but it looks like Amazon beat them to the punch. Amazon’s Cloud Player will certainly face a stiff challenge when they launch their own streaming music services, especially given Google’s control over Android and Apple’s control over iPhone and iTunes.

More About: amazon, android, cloud, Cloud Player, trending

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Startup Gives You Direct Access to Famous Musicians & Professionals

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 08:18 PM PDT


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: Blazetrak

Quick Pitch: Blazetrak provides direct user access to professionals in a variety of fields, and guarantees a direct video response in return.

Genius Idea: Direct-to-artist/professional connection.

Ever dreamed of getting your jams in the hands of Big Boi himself? Well, obnoxiously throwing your CD at the rapper during his next show probably isn’t the best way to get through to him.

That’s where Blazetrak comes in. The site was conceptualized out of an experience one of the co-founders, Corey Stanford, had back in 2007. Stanford had linked up with a record label named Dirty South Records, and was having issues wading through all the CD submissions the label received. In order to cull the wheat from the chaff, the label started charging musicians $35, for which execs would listen to the music and call the artist for a chat about his or her submission.

Blazetrak is a more advanced version of this concept — a site that allows professionals in a variety of fields (business, fashion & design, music, screen & stage, sports & fitness) to put out a video call for any kind of content they desire. One can even offer up one’s expertise to fledgling professionals.

Blazetrak members can then submit responses to the pro in question, and — for a fee — they will receive a guaranteed response. The pro decides what a response is worth, and, in turn, receives cash for his or her time (Pros have to apply to use Blazetrak — quality is ensured by the site not functioning as a free-for-all). Users buy credits in order to interact with the pros: one credit is $15, three is $37.50, six is $92, etc.

So what sort of people are currently on the site? Well, how do these names strike you: B.o.B, Big Boi and Rubin Studdard (of American Idol fame)? And those are only a smattering of pros from the musical category.

“I thought it would be a cool way to meet some producers and songwriters,” says Studdard, who joined the site at the end of December. “When you’re doing an album, random people send you music all the time. This gives you a chance to filter through the songs you want to hear. It’s also good for aspiring producers and songwriters, because they can get feedback.”

One of those aspiring songwriters is AMiR, a Canadian artist, songwriter, and producer who recently linked up with Studdard via Blazetrak. AMiR got the chance to visit Studdard’s studio in Birmingham, Alabama, where the two worked on songs for the former Idol’s upcoming album. Check out the response video AMiR received below.

Of course, there are other sites out there that let you connect with musicians and the like — Indaba springs to mind. For example, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer started a few sessions on IndabaMusic.com and began working with members to produce rough demos that he had written with his wife.

Rivers used Indaba's session platform to work collaboratively, utilizing the commenting system to engage musicians and achieve exactly what he envisioned. The producers were also paid for their work.

Still, Indaba doesn’t guarantee responses in the same way that Blazetrak does, and it doesn’t cater to as many fields as the other service.

Would you pony up the cash to get the likes of Big Boi and Ruben Studdard to hear your music?

Image courtesy of Flickr, Aidan Jones

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: big-boi, blazetrak, music, ruben-studdard

For more Startups coverage:

Sprint Kicks Off the War Against AT&T’s Acquisition of T-Mobile

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 07:22 PM PDT


Sprint is making it clear that it will do everything it can to prevent AT&T from acquiring T-Mobile USA, setting up a likely showdown between the nation’s top wireless networks in Congress.

The $39 billion acquisition would combine the two of largest wireless carriers in the U.S., something Sprint says “would entrench AT&T’s and Verizon’s duopoly control over the wireless market.” AT&T is trying to fix major flaws in its network, while T-Mobile is hemorrhaging customers and needs an exit strategy.

The acquisition, if approved, would result in a company with more than 125 million subscribers, besting Verizon’s more than 93 million and dwarfing Sprint Nextel’s more than 49 million customer base. Before it can go through, though, it has to secure approval from the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commissions. And since it’s a high-profile deal, it’s also likely to face scrutiny from Congress.

The First Shots Are Fired

That’s where Sprint comes in. It had some harsh words for AT&T in its announcement, claiming that the deal would create an anticompetitive duopoly:

“If approved, the proposed acquisition would create a combined company that would be almost three times the size of Sprint in terms of wireless revenue and would entrench AT&T's and Verizon's duopoly control over the wireless market. The wireless industry moving forward would be dominated overwhelmingly by two vertically integrated companies with unprecedented control over the U.S. wireless post-paid market, as well as the availability and price of key inputs, such as backhaul and access needed by other wireless companies to compete. “

AT&T didn’t take long to fire back, though:

"With regard to Sprint’s recent statements about our transaction, we have always found that the most constructive course is to focus on our own strategies for serving our customers and building our business, rather than becoming distracted by challenging the business strategies of others,” SVP Jim Cicconi said in response.

While Sprint may be ready for a fight, AT&T spends six times more on lobbying than Sprint, and the number two wireless carrier has been ramping up its antitrust operation in order to win government officials over, according to WSJ. If AT&T gets its way and the deal is decided based on the competitiveness of the nation’s 20 local markets rather than from a national perspective, then the deal is likely to secure government approval.

Still, Sprint isn’t about to let AT&T absorb T-Mobile without a fight:

“So on behalf of our customers, our industry and our country, Sprint will fight this attempt by AT&T to undo the progress of the past 25 years and create a new Ma Bell duopoly,” Sprint SVP Vonya McCann stated in the company’s announcement.

Those are fighting words, and you can bet that this battle will only get more brutal as Congressional hearings loom.

More About: acquisition, att, fcc, justice department, sprint, T-Mobile, t-mobile usa

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

50% of Tweets Consumed Come From Only 0.05% of Twitter Users [STUDY]

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 06:06 PM PDT


A mere 20,000 Twitter users steal almost half of the spotlight on Twitter, which now ropes in a billion tweets every week.

That means only 0.05% of the social network's user base attracts attention, according to a new Yahoo Research study titled, "Who Says What to Whom on Twitter."

Of the 260 million tweets with URLs that the study's authors analyzed, nearly 50% of the tweets consumed were created by what they called "elite" users who fall into four categories: media, celebrities, organizations and bloggers. "Ordinary" users encompass everyone else.

Like findings in previous studies, the researchers for this one conclude Twitter resembles an information-sharing hub rather than a social network, with the top generators garnering huge follower tallies but not following their content consumers in return.

Unlike previous studies though, this one delves deeper into the production and flow of tweets. For example, while ordinary users consume a high number of tweets from celebrities and bloggers, those celebrities primarily listen to other famous people's tweets and those bloggers listen to other bloggers on Twitter.

"By studying the flow of information among the five categories … our analysis sheds new light on some old questions of communications research," the authors wrote in the 10-page study.

For access to a PDF of the full study, click here.

Do you think Twitter, which marked its fifth anniversary earlier this month, has evolved away from being a social network and transformed into just an information-sharing outlet? And if you think so, is that a good or bad thing?

More About: social media, social networking, study, twitter, Yahoo

For more Social Media coverage:

Is Apple Delaying the Release of iPhone 5?

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 04:20 PM PDT


Apple could be delaying the release of its unannounced generation iPhone from its typical summer debut to sometime in the fall due to the Verizon iPhone 4.

For the last four years, Apple has released a new version of the iPhone in June or July. And for the last three years, Apple has unveiled the phone at its Wordwide Developers Conference (WWDC), held sometime in June each year.

Earlier today, Apple announced the dates for the next WWDC. The announcement was unusual though. Apple’s SVP of marketing didn’t say anything about new hardware; in fact, it was all about software. "At this year's conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS," he said in the company’s press release, making it sound as if a new iPhone wasn’t high on the company’s agenda for WWDC.

The Loop chimed in, claiming it has heard that WWDC will be “a software show in 2011, not a hardware event.” Adding fuel to the fire is a new report that claims Apple has yet to order components for the iPhone 5. Apple typically orders the parts for its phones six months in advance, so if this rumor is true, then Apple won’t have enough time to assemble enough iPhones for a June or July 2011 release, even if it started ordering parts tomorrow.

Instead, Apple may wait until September or October to release the iPhone 5, after its 2012 fiscal year begins. Apple’s current fiscal year ends on September 24. The upcoming smartphone is rumored to include a a bigger screen and better cameras and could feature NFC chip technology and a metal back.

The reason Apple may be waiting to launch the iPhone 5 could be the Verizon iPhone 4, which it announced in January and launched in February. The CDMA-version of the iPhone has given Apple more than 100 million potential customers, so the company could be avoiding a scenario where it shoots itself in the foot by releasing a new iPhone too early.

By delaying the iPhone 5′s launch, Apple can focus on acquiring new CDMA customers. A delayed release would also give Mas OS X Lion a more prominent role at this year’s WWDC.

Image courtesy of iDealsChina

More About: apple, iOS, iphone, iphone 4, iPhone 5, mac osx, trending, wwdc

For more Mobile coverage:

SimpleGeo Releases Database for Location-Based App Makers

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 03:00 PM PDT


SimpleGeo is introducing a cloud-based geospatial database Tuesday, called SimpleGeo Storage. It’s an extension of the company’s à la carte location services platform.

The new database offering is fine tuned to fit the real-time needs of developers who use location in their applications. The on-demand database, with pricing determined by usage, will be available for web, Android, iOS and Windows Mobile 7 platforms.

“What we’ve come up with is one of the most powerful technologies in location,” says SimpleGeo co-founder and chief strategy officer Matt Galligan.

Developers can use the Storage product to store real-world data, and access the database from any mobile device or server via an HTTP API. Users can run queries on nearest neighbor, bounding box (developer-defined geographical regions) and radial location. SimpleGeo Storage, like the rest of the startup’s API, also supports latitude/longitude, IP address or physical street address queries.

Speed is said to be one of the greatest attributes of the cloud database. “In testing, 99% of all requests came in in less than 100 milliseconds,” says Galligan. The technology is also designed to help developers mitigate potential risks around location queries that would otherwise cause application downtime.

What does this news mean for the average app user? More sophisticated and location-rich applications. A yet-to-be named “major record label” is one of SimpleGeo’s early Storage customers. The label is using the database to record transactions and analyze the trends around how, where and why people buy music, says Galligan. Posterous is also using SimpleGeo Storage for its Events product, so Posterous users can see and post to nearby events in the iPhone app.

SimpleGeo is introducing a new pricing structure around the database release. It will cost 25 cents per 1,000 API calls and 10 cents per 1,000 database records.

According to Galligan, SimpleGeo Storage will help the 2-year-old startup break even before the end of 2011.

More About: cloud database, geolocation, geospatial data, location-based apps, simplegeo, simplegeo storage

For more Startups coverage:

How Businesses Can Survive a Product Recall Using Social Media

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 02:21 PM PDT

broken image

Patrick Kerley is the senior digital strategist at Levick Strategic Communications. He is also a contributing author to Bulletproof Blog™ and can be found on Twitter @pjkerley.

Driven in equal parts by regulation, litigation, and new levels of public awareness, today's companies are working harder than ever to ensure that they are prepared to manage the many communication dimensions of a product recall.

With the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) now on the books, companies are not only liable for the problems that led to a recall but for the effectiveness of the recall itself. Under the law, strict penalties can be imposed if regulators sense that a company has fallen short of its responsibility to notify consumers and ensure that dangerous products are retrieved in a timely fashion. Should the government find fault with a recall, it's a safe bet that the plaintiffs' bar — armed with regulators' findings — won't be far behind. Add the brand damage that can be incurred when consumer anxiety has been stoked by numerous high-profile recalls of toys, baby formula, pet food, and a host of other products, and the need for advancement in recall communications is readily apparent.

It comes as little surprise that companies are increasingly turning to social media to limit legal risk and maintain consumer loyalty when a product liability crisis arises. From Toyota to Similac, crisis teams are learning from the online successes enjoyed by their counterparts in the marketing and brand management departments and leveraging that knowledge into recall solutions that communicate concern for, commitment to, and action on behalf their consumers.

Of course, there is more to integrating social media into recall communications than a Facebook update and a well-timed tweet. The following five tips will help ensure that companies maximize the potential of social media to protect consumers and their brands in the midst of any product recall situation.

1. Anticipate Your Likely Recall Scenarios

Before a recall ever materializes, the team responsible for managing it must sit down to develop a plan. What are the company's most likely recall scenarios and what keywords will consumers use to search for information? Which social media content channels will be utilized for outreach and who will be monitoring those channels? How will messages and responses be approved prior to posting? The quickness with which information must be shared demands that these questions be answered well in advance of a recall. Companies should also prepare templates for web content that can go live on the corporate website, blog, and social media profiles the moment they are needed.

2. Preempt Consumer Questions

Today's consumers are as informed as ever and will likely hear about a recall the moment it is announced. Further, as with so many industries, a push to put data and tools on mobile devices means consumers will have access to information anywhere.

For example, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have released a new mobile app that enables consumers to access up-to-the-minute information on product recalls directly from the retail store aisles.

The same savvy consumers who take advantage of mobile technology will likely be the most outspoken and the most apt to connect online. They will turn to the company's website or social media profiles to find out the specifics of the recall and to provide commentary of their own. Before this crucial early adopter/early responder audience begins researching and posting about a recall, it is important that information about the recall be readily available. Without your information, consumers will be left to make their own determinations — which could have dangerous consequences on both their safety and the trust they put in your company.

3. Control Sources of Consumer Information

Anyone can post and disseminate information — or misinformation — about a recall. It is important that Facebook updates, tweets, and other recall-related social media activity serve as a portals to facts and good information sources. This means using social media to link back to the corporate website or another venue where the company has total control over the messaging.

Once the online conversation surrounding a recall gets going, users will likely be posting their own remedies to corporate social media profiles. While their intentions might be good, their tips might not comport with company policy or instructions from federal regulators. Thus, it is essential to ensure that users understand that solutions officially prescribed by the company can only be found on an official corporate website.

4. Contribute to the Conversation

Never assume that a single Facebook post or tweet telling consumers where to go for information is enough.

Content gets buried quickly on social media. Make sure that you repost and update often enough to keep your messages up top and easily within view of the people who need to access them.

5. Follow-Up

Even after the majority of recalled product has been accounted for and the surrounding anxiety has seemingly died down, continue to monitor social media for signs that consumers are experiencing problems. While recall news spreads quickly in today's media-driven marketplace, there will be those who haven't yet taken all the necessary steps to protect themselves or return affected products. By remaining vigilant, companies further ensure that every consumer who needs assistance gets it. It will say a great deal about that company’s commitment to consumer safety.

Interested in more Business resources? Check out Mashable Explore, a new way to discover information on your favorite Mashable topics.

Image courtesy of Flickr, iNafih

More About: business, MARKETING, product recall, recall, social media

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

The Cheezburger Network Acquires Know Your Meme

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 02:11 PM PDT


The Cheezburger Network is about to get meatier; the LOL behemoth just announced the acquisition of cataloger of Internet culture, Know Your Meme.

Cheezburger founder and CEO Ben Huh says acquisition talks started in January, and the deal closed last Monday.

Tubefilter News is reporting that Know Your Meme cost Huh and Co. seven figures, but Huh wouldn’t confirm this with Mashable.

Know Your Meme, a spinoff of Rocketboom founded in 2008, is a site dedicated to researching and documenting viral culture. Users can submit memes for consideration, and then the staff decides which ones are valid enough to research and document.

“We see ourselves as an entertainment destination,” Huh says of the acquisition. “It helps to build a context and know your origins. … So much of Internet culture is new, and we thought it would be good if people could know the history of that culture.”

According to Huh, the staff will remain in place, which means that the Cheezburger Network will now have a New York City base as well as a Seattle office. Huh also plans to expand the staff and cover more content, a formula he has also applied to acquisitions like The Daily What and Sketchy Santas.

This deal comes on the heels of a recent — and sizable — round of funding for the Internet culture network. In January, it scored a $30 million Series A led by Foundry Group, with participation from Madrona Venture Group, Avalon Ventures, and SoftBank Capital as well.

More About: Ben Huh, cheezburger network, humor, know-your-meme, pop culture, Rocketboom, viral video

For more Media coverage:

Buffett Declares Social Media Valuations Overpriced [REPORT]

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 02:08 PM PDT


Warren Buffett warned investors that valuations for social media firms are unwarranted, though he declined to name names, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Speaking in New Delhi, Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said that most social networking websites "will be overpriced," adding that "it's extremely difficult to value social networking site companies. Some will be winners, which will make up for the rest,” according to the report.

Buffett's comments come as social media companies, including LinkedIn, Groupon and Facebook prepare IPOs for this year and next. The valuations for the companies — particularly Facebook's, which has run as high as $65 billion — has spurred talk of a dot-com-like bubble in social media, though not everyone agrees.

Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time, has always steered clear of tech stocks, even Apple, which he recently said he avoids because the business is too unpredictable.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Ethan Bloch.

More About: facebook, groupon, ipo, linkedin, Warren Buffett

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

How To Hack the New York Times Paywall … With Your Delete Key

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 01:49 PM PDT


Frustrated by the idea of paying for what was once free, some New York Times readers have devised widely publicized methods for subverting its newly erected paywall. Their efforts, it turns out, may have been for naught.

While testing out the paywall Monday afternoon, Mashable readers Dmitry Beniaminov and Yuri Victor pointed out that it’s breathtakingly easy to subvert the paywall. Readers need only remove "?gwh=numbers" from the URL. They can also clear their browser caches, or switch browsers as soon as they see the subscription prompt. All three of these simple fixes will let them continue reading.

We were already aware that the Times doesn’t want to make it difficult for readers who want to access its content to be able to do so without paying — in addition to 20 free articles per month, readers can view 25 free articles per day through search, and an unlimited number via blogs and social networks. But we weren’t aware the Times wanted to make it quite that easy. Especially if, as rumors suggest, the Times paid $40 million to erect its paywall in the first place.

More About: new york times, paywall, trending

For more Media coverage:

Java Creator Joins Google; Will Android Benefit?

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 01:40 PM PDT


James Gosling, the man who created the programming language, Java, has just joined Google.

The hire was quite the win for Google, which is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with Java’s owner, Oracle, over some uses of Java in the Android stack.

Gosling said in a blog post on the move, “I don’t know what I’ll be working on. I expect it’ll be a bit of everything, seasoned with a large dose of grumpy curmudgeon.” Call us psychic, but we’re willing to bet Gosling will be working on the Android platform.

Gosling developed Java while he was an employee at Sun Microsystems. The project began in 1991, and the language was released in 1995.

But when Sun was acquired by Oracle in a deal that closed in January 2010, Gosling left the company a few months later. At the time, he said, “Just about anything I could say [about Oracle] that would be accurate and honest would do more harm than good.” He’s since been notably cynical about Oracle’s treatment of the Java language and community, even going so far as to call Oracle CEO Larry Ellison “Larry, Prince of Darkness.”

Gosling said he had turned down several “excellent” opportunities prior to signing with Google. He wrote that the new job, whatever it may entail from day to day, “looks like interesting fun with huge leverage.”

More About: android, Google, james gosling, java

For more Dev & Design coverage:

Linux Foundation Announces Designated Gurus for 2011

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 01:36 PM PDT


Five open source experts have been proclaimed gurus by the Linux Foundation, a title awarded for outstanding contributions to the FOSS community.

One of the reasons Linux works so well is because of its community — an army of pro bono tech support and IT experts who, via forums and Q&A boards, will get you up and running, help you customize and configure, and be your safety net in the world of OSes without operating manuals.

So when the Linux Foundation decided to pick a roster of true gurus — no social media-style “experts” here — it looked at the Linux.com users who showed the most participation and contribution in 2010. Between February 2010 and February 2011, these individuals made up a significant chunk of the more than 500 community blogs, 4,500 message board posts, 2,600 comments, and nearly 700 answers to questions posed by the community on Linux.com.

Not only does this contribution show these Linux users are committed to furthering the aims of the FOSS community; it’s also a nice implicit recommendation on their CVs. According to tech job site Dice.com, Linux knowledge is still a widely sought after skill, with demand growing 47% over the past year.

This year’s Ultimate Linux Guru is Matthew Fillpot, a technology enthusiast that constantly works on new projects for “nothing more than new knowledge.” He’s a development and training specialist at an international travel company and has been a Linux user since 2000. Fillpot has been a Linux.com moderator since early 2009, and as the Ultimate Linux Guru, he will receive a fully loaded "Dream Linux Machine."

This year’s other gurus include:

Each of these experts will be invited to attend this year's invite-only Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit in San Francisco, where they will participate in the annual Linux.com Planning Meeting. Each guru has also received a Guru badge on his Linux.com profile.

More About: foss, Linux, linux foundation, linux gurus, open source

For more Dev & Design coverage:

The Future of Online Classifieds: 5 Ways to Beat Craigslist

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 01:14 PM PDT


Reg DesRosiers is the founder and president of zipzoom, an innovative communication technology changing the way consumers and businesses find each other.

Let me be clear: I don't think Craigslist is going anywhere any time soon. Craig Newmark's ad-listing service operates in over 700 locales and generates roughly 20 billion page views every month, according to the company fact sheet. Obviously, Craig and his list are doing alright for themselves.

But in comparison to the rest of the web’s social heavyweights, Craigslist hasn’t aged all that well, both in terms of aesthetics and usability. Wired hit on the problem in an August 2009 article that compares the site to other popular job boards: “[A]nother wasteland of hypertext links, one line after another, without recommendations or networking features or even protection against duplicate postings. Subject to a highly unpredictable filtering system that produces daily outrage among people whose help-wanted ads have been removed without explanation, this site not only beats its competitors — Monster, CareerBuilder, Yahoo’s HotJobs — but garners more traffic than all of them combined. Are our standards really so low?”

I wouldn't go that far, but obviously what we think of as the "Internet" has changed a lot in the last 16 years since Craigslist was first launched. Even if a site looks straight out of 1995, it should incorporate the web values of 2011. Here are the five characteristics that the next ecommerce powerhouse should offer the modern web user.

1. It Should Be Personalized

All you need to create an account on many classified ad sites is a working email address. Often, there are no additional information requirements. The result? Many users are anonymous.

There are times when anonymity is beneficial, but looking through online classified ad sites can feel very impersonal, and there is little accountability for the business-customer relationship. This can be a great disadvantage in today's market.

Users should have the ability to personalize their activities to maximize efficiency. Customizable search options, profile listings based on services or products, and other tools can help make a website feel tailored to personal needs. This not only makes a website more useful, but will also ensure your users return time and time again.

2. It Should Integrate Social Recommendations

What was once used simply for personal communication, social media has become essential for the success of businesses. Those that know how to employ social media to respond to customers in real time, as well as generate new leads, are the ones best equipped to both build and maintain a brand in this new world of ecommerce.

Aside from the use of Twitter and Facebook Fan Pages, an important feature of many user-generated sites is community reviews or rankings. These help people find the most desirable services and encourages businesses to adopt good practices. This also might reduce the risk of scams, schemes, and otherwise unlawful activities which can reflect negatively on the site.

3. Search and Organization Should Be Smarter

Some of today's largest online classified ad sites' search abilities are very simple. But with simplicity comes limitations. Searching from Craiglists’ homepage or clicking on any of the categories will yield long lists of every relevant post, starting with the most recent. Then begins the grueling process of looking through hundreds of little blue links to find what you’re actually looking for.

Investing time in developing more subcategories is almost always a good starting point, but I'd also recommend allowing your user to search multiple categories. A cleaner layout would also inevitably lead to better mobile usability.

Businesses working in the ecommerce space must develop forward-thinking search models if they want to be successful in the coming years. For instance, a company might utilize a system that integrates the search process with the contact process. In this way, customers can search for things they need and contact businesses simultaneously. Improving search is the next big obstacle for many online classified ad sites, and it's only through considerations of such shortcomings that we'll be able to implement creative and practical solutions.

4. Your Ad Should Not Be a Message in a Bottle

In the Craigslist model, you simply post a listing for a service and hope that someone sees it. You might as well just put a message in a bottle and throw it into the ocean.

That message can become disconnected from the company that posts it, as well as any users who might seek to reply. Sure, you can make and maintain a connection via email, but there are no accountability systems in place within Craigslist to ensure that customer service needs are met. That might be OK for selling an old futon, but when it comes to offering goods or services, or hiring on a regular basis, businesses and consumers are going to need a better infrastructure to ensure their needs are met on both sides of a listing.

5. Filter the Chaos

In its infancy, Craigslist’s fire hose of raw information was manageable. Today’s web is so noisy that many online businesses exist simply to clean up the clutter. Users need filters to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Google's recent clampdown on content farms is just one example of this. The next ecommerce leader will have to "reverse engineer" the noise of the Internet to deliver the best service possible to both consumers and the businesses that serve them.

Interested in more Ecommerce resources? Check out Mashable Explore, a new way to discover information on your favorite Mashable topics.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, abu

More About: craigslist, ecommerce, List, Lists

For more Social Media coverage:

Altoids Skewers Your Facebook Friends [VIDEO]

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 01:10 PM PDT

The curiously strong candy brand and ad agency The Evolution Bureau have released a song on Altoids’s Facebook Page, intended as a tongue-in-cheek “Curiously Strong Award” to “the stars of your social network.”

The archetypes include "The Like-A-Lot," who "likes everything you do" and “The Friend Tycoon,” who tries to friend everyone he meets. "Let me tell you about The Oversharer," goes another lyric, "treating that rash with aloe vera. Did he get it from hiking in the High Sierras or from a girl named Sarah? Yo, we don't care-ah."

Yes, it's funny stuff, but as AdFreak notes, it's also “a canny admission that while Facebook interactions can often be completely frivolous, for millions they’re also enjoyably meaningful diversions.”

Many writers have tried to catalog the various Facebook archetypes before, but none have been quite as catchy as this.

One qualm, however: What does this have to do with mints? On Facebook, after all, no one can smell your breath.

More About: advertising, Altoids, MARKETING, viral videos

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

The New York Times Paywall: Yes, It Works

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 12:49 PM PDT


If you haven’t heard, The New York Times erected a paywall around its digital content beginning 2 p.m. ET on Monday. Based on our initial tests, it’s already fully functional.

After clicking through 20 articles on the site, further access was blocked by a pop-up message politely requesting I subscribe to read more. I was still able to read a seemingly unlimited number of articles if I clicked through from Facebook, Twitter or another online publication. I was also able to read another five by arriving via Google and, interestingly, five more if I searched through Bing, suggesting that I can simply switch search engines if I need to pull up more than five Times articles about a given subject in a 24-hour period down the road. (I’ve reached out to the Times to confirm that the paywall is supposed to work this way, and will update this post with any further information.) Update (4:05 p.m. ET): Users can access five additional articles per day through five major search engines — Ask, AOL, Bing, Google and Yahoo — for a total of 25 articles per day, a spokesperson has confirmed.

Update #2 (4:09 p.m.): Readers who have surpassed the 20-article limit can also remove “?gwh=numbers” from the URL, clear their browser caches and/or switch browsers to get rid of the pop-up message and continue reading. Thanks for the tip, @yurivictor.

This all makes a good deal of sense. The Times isn’t trying to get everyone to start paying for its digital content — in fact, the publication has repeatedly stressed that the paywall will only impact a small percentage of its readers, and it very much wants new and casual readers to continue to have access to its content. Specifically, it will impact those that have a habit of arriving at the nytimes.com to read several articles per day, and/or those who frequently access Times content through its mobile and tablet applications. It won’t impact lighter readers, and those who tend to arrive at the Times from search or social media. I fall in the latter category, and I suspect many of you do, too.

Paywall Details

For the first four weeks, the Times is offering a heavily discounted digital subscription rate of $0.99 for the first four weeks. After that period, readers who wish to continue reading more than 20 articles per month, and who want to have access to full Times content on their mobile and/or tablet devices, must then choose between three different plans at NYTimes.com/access:

  • $15 for four weeks of access to NYTimes.com and a mobile phone app.
  • $20 for four weeks of access to NYTimes.com and its iPad app.
  • $35 for four weeks of access to all of the above.

Print subscribers to the Times will continue to have access to all of the Times's digital offerings at no additional charge. Kindle and International Herald Tribune print subscribers will have free access to nytimes.com as well.

Those who decline to subscribe will still be able to read all NYTimes.com front page content and up to 20 additional NYTimes.com articles per month, as well as browse — but not click through to read — the "Top News" sections of the Times's smartphone and tablet applications, without paying. In addition, non-subscribers will have access to articles found through search (limited to five per day from major search engines), blogs and social networks like Facebook and Twitter, even if they have exceeded their 20-article reading limit.

More About: bing, Google, new york times, paywall

For more Media coverage:

HOW TO: Add Facebook Questions To Your Brand Page

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 12:14 PM PDT


Facebook released a new version of Questions late last week and will soon begin to roll the feature out to Facebook Pages as well.

The feature can be used by brands and publishers as a new way to survey customers or crowdsource information from readers.

Page owners can ask questions with a set of possible answers, and they have the option to allow users to add additional answers for which other users can vote. The best part is users can share the questions for their friends to answer, broadening the potential exposure.

But, if you want to get your hands on the feature for your Facebook Page today, you can add it by following the simple steps below. Note: The feature is not yet available in all countries.

1. Sign In To Your Facebook Page

Go to the “Account” tab at the upper-right side of your Facebook account and click “Use Facebook as Page.” Click “Switch” next to the page you’d like to be signed into (this should be the page you want to add Questions to).

2. Go To Facebook’s Questions Page

Go to Facebook’s Questions page, which not only outlines the product, but is also where you add Questions to your Page. Once you’re there, click on the bright green button that says, “Get Questions Now.”

The action will apply to the Page you’re logged in as, so if you’d like to add Questions to multiple Pages, repeat step one and two for the specific Page in question.

3. Ask Your First Question

After you’ve clicked “Get Questions Now,” a pop-up box will open confirming that Questions have been added to your Page. You’ll now see the Questions tab on your Facebook Page and you’re ready to ask your first question. You can add poll options and the ability for your fans and others to add other answers. The question will post to your wall as well as the News Feed of users who have “liked” your Page.

It’s as simple as that. Any questions?

More About: facebook, facebook pages, Facebook Questions, social media, social networking, social questions

For more Social Media coverage:

100+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 11:46 AM PDT

social_media_events_guide1

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

In the meantime, here are some tips on how to network, share your information and 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 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.

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 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.

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 30, 2011, Culver City, CA: IdeaMensch LA showcases some of Los Angeles' most passionate people who have successfully brought their ideas to life. With a focus on being inspirational, informative and super awesome, the event will include six 10-minute presentations from successful business folks, tech entrepreneurs, authors and filmmakers. Speakers include Pro Founder CEO Jessica Jackley and Dan Gould, the co-founder of Namesake. Register and use the promo code Mashable to save $5.

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%!

March 31, 2011, Toronto, Canada: Influence People is hosting a one-day Social Media Monitoring event. It will bring together some of the finest minds in social media to highlight the best tools and techniques for listening and measurement. Topics covered include sentiment detection, influencer analysis, how to measure social media ROI, data access and quality, small business monitoring and reputation management for brands. Speakers include Murray Newlands, Trey Pennington and Joseph Thornley. Register with the promo code mashable to save 10%.

April 1-3, 2011, Washington, DC: Please join us for the first annual Social Learning Summit, brought to you by the American University Social Media Club. This weekend conference will bring together students, educators, and professionals to learn from each other and with each other about a broad swath of topics at the intersection of social media, technology, and education. Speakers include professors, researchers, students, and professionals from all fields of study, and all are invited to attend. Registration is only $10, so register today!

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 4-7, 2011, Cannes, France: The mobile media, technology and entertainment industries converge for Connected Creativity, the first-ever global forum on connected entertainment, April 4-7th, in Cannes, France. As a part of MIPTV, Connected Creativity participants get the full benefits of joining 10,000 industry players at the world's greatest gathering in TV and media. This multi-billion dollar content market gives the world its first taste of the newest content that will shape the year to come for TV, Internet, mobile and all video-rich platforms. For more information and to register, please visit connected-creativity.com.

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 6, 2011, New York, NY: What do LivingSocial, BuyWithMe, Travelzoo, Gilt City, Group Commerce, Thrillist, eBay, SailThru, Yipit, Urban Candy, and Google all have in common? They are but a handful of companies that will be at Daily Deal Summit, the first ever conference focusing on the multi-billion dollar daily deal space. You read about them in Mashable. They are some of the fastest growing companies of all time, and almost all of them didn’t exist just two years ago. Now, is your chance to meet the leaders and hear what they think in person. What should traditional publishers do? Is there room for any more startups? What will the landscape look like a year from now? These questions and more will be discussed and debated at Daily Deal Summit. Tickets are limited, so register today! Mashable readers can save 20% by clicking here.

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 9-10, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: RetailCamp, an interactive two-day Unconference, hits Los Angeles April 9th &10th, 2011. RetailCamp brings together apparel and retail industry professionals, bloggers and agencies in an educational setting to discuss social media, mobile development, online marketing and connecting with customers through technology. Register and use the promo code MASHABLE for a 25% discount.

April 10-13, 2011, Denver, CO: 360|Flex, the world’s first and still best Flex Developer conference, will be held in Denver, CO and bring together the best and brightest of the Flex development community! Speakers include many leading community members and Adobe engineers. With over 50 sessions, including hands-on training the Sunday before the conference, 360|Flex offers more content than any other Flex/AIR developer event in the world. Register and use the promo code flexmash to save 20% off the ticket price.

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 over 4 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 1600 exhibiting companies from over 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 14, 2011, Boston, MA: Interested in meeting early-stage Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists in Boston? If so, then register for the FundingPost event on April 14th! FundingPost has hosted 175+ sold-out venture events in 20 cities over the past 9 years. At our next Boston event, the panel of investors will focus on Early-Stage Venture Investing: How to meet investors, pitch them, and what it really takes to get them to write you a check! For more information and to register, please click here.

April 16, 2011, Everywhere: What started in 2010 as a grass-roots efforts to motivate people to get out and check in is back and now with the support of over 100 local foursquare committees around the world. On April 16th (4 and 4 squared) foursquare users are self-organizing meetups, lectures, swarms, scavenger hunts, and much more. Foursquare users can visit 4sqday.com to find out about about nearby events. Find out how cities such as Cincinnati are getting Foursquare Day officially proclaimed by reading the blog. The official slogan of Foursquare Day 2011, selected by fans in an online vote, is “Foursquare Day: When the World is Your Venue.” Events are not profit-driven and no event is too big or too small.

April 17-21, 2011, Las Vegas, NV: The Mobile Connections Conference is a first of its kind technology event that provides technical cross-platform knowledge for mobile developers. Attendees will gain understanding on how to leverage cloud based services, how to market and sell apps, app security solutions and the latest market predictions. Developers will be able to network with peers, IT professionals, carriers and a wide range of mobile infrastructure, product and service vendors. Register with promo code 100MASH and save $100!

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 it's 7th 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 25-30, 2011, Philadelphia, PA: Philly Tech Week is a week-long celebration of technology and innovation in Philadelphia. Rock to 8-bit chiptunes, discover the ins and outs of augmented reality, or see the next great Philly startups as Technically Philly hosts over 25 technology-focused events in the city of Brotherly Love. Most events are free.

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!

April 26, 2011, Kansas City, MO: The Social: IRL Social Business Summit with Jeremiah Owyang takes place April 26 in Kansas City MO. The event location is just minutes from Kansas City International Airport for easy nationwide attendance. This event offers a unique opportunity for anyone serious about social business and social strategy to spend a full day learning from industry leader Jeremiah Owyang in a unique interactive format. With a focus on business objectives first, Jeremiah will lead attendees through sessions that present a framework, include hands on workshops, group collaboration, and interactive Q&A. The goal of the Social Business Summit is for attendees to bring an actionable plan to their day job. Register and use discount code MASHABLE to receive a $25 discount on registration(s).

April 28, 2011, New York, NY: Don't miss the Guardian newspaper’s gathering for leaders working across all sectors who are proving that, through the use of technology and the internet, we can make the world a better place. Confirmed speakers include Nicholas Negroponte, Craig Newmark, Arianna Huffington, Nathan Eagle, Jeff Jarvis, Emily Bell, Iqbal Quadir, Bruce Schneier and Benjamin Bratton among others. For more information, please visit www.guardian.co.uk/activate/new-york.

April 28, 2011, Las Vegas, NV: Interested in meeting early-stage Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists in Las Vegas? If so, then register for the FundingPost event on April 28th! FundingPost has hosted 175+ sold-out venture events in 20 cities over the past 9 years. At our next event, the panel of investors will focus on Early-Stage Venture Investing: How to meet investors, pitch them, and what it really takes to get them to write you a check! For more information and to register, please click here.

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 5, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Social-Loco will convene thought leaders in social web, mobile and location-based commerce at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco. Leading pundits, executives and investors will dive into what the convergence of social and mobile web technologies means for SMB, big brands and consumers. Confirmed speakers include Emily White, Sr. Director of Local, Facebook; Clara Shih, CEO of Hearsay and author of The Facebook Era; Robert Scoble, Managing Director at Rackspace; John Battelle, CEO of Federated Media and more. Register with the promo code mashable20 and save 20%!

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 9, 2011, New York, NY: TEDxEast, the largest independently organized TEDx event in NYC is now accepting applications for its next day-long conference themed "Tinker, Noodle, Obsess," to be held at The Times Center in the NY Times building. An inspiring group of influential thoughts leaders and innovators will explore the things that capture our attention and get stuck in our heads or under our skin. The speakers come from diverse backgrounds, each representing the point of view of someone who "tinkers," "noodles" or "obsesses" with a particular topic or idea. Pre-event parties and networking opportunities are part of registration. For more information and to register, please click here.

May 10-12, 2011, London, UK: Internet World 2011 is the industry event for digital marketing and online business. With unrivaled keynotes, including speakers from Facebook, Google, Nike, eBay and many more, it's the only place to get exclusive insight… all for free! With more than 300 solution providers and more than 100 seminars, Internet World attracts 12,000 visitors, combining five shows in one event for your one-stop-shop covering all things new media. Register now to help formulate the future digital agenda.

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 brings together 24 speakers over the course of three days. The format is “open discussion”. The topics focus on 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, Jason Falls, Oliver Blanchard, Spike Jones, and Anita Campbell. Register with the promo code unGeekedChicago and save 5% off regular ticket price. Tickets includes the latest book from Olivier Blanchard and entry into the Chris Brogan Roast.

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 16-17, 2011, Atlanta, GA: Digital Summit 2011 will feature over 100 speakers and an audience of over 1,000 internet execs, entrepreneurs and senior marketers. Join dozens of industry leaders and innovators in the conversation on topics such as Social Media, Mobile, Cloud Computing, Online Advertising, Analytics, Search, Video, Ecommerce and more. Top brands and thought leaders converge on one of America’s Most Wired Cities. Register and use the promo code MASH for 20% off.

May 17-19, 2011, Boston, MA: In the ever changing world of social media and mobile marketing organizations are finding it difficult to navigate the complicated legal waters. At the 2011 Social Media Legal Risks and Strategies Summit, attendee's will have the opportunity to learn practical strategies for staying compliant with regulations and safeguarding against legal risks. During this 3 day summit attendee's will learn, first hand, from top legal minds from such brands as, The Walt Disney Company, General Mills, General Electric and The Better Business Bureau. Register and use the promo code MikeSM to receive a discount. http://socialmedialegalrisks.com

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 23, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Hosted by Our Social Times, Social Media Marketing & Monitoring 2011 will bring together leading marketing and PR experts, brands, agencies and journalists for an intensive one-day conference. Following this sell-out event last year, join us for an update on the latest strategies, tools and techniques in social media marketing. Topics include: community management; blogger outreach; influencer analysis and engagement; Twitter marketing; geo-location marketing; social gaming; social media monitoring and Social CRM. Register and use the promo code Mash1 to save 10%.

May 24-26, 2011, New York, NY: BlogWorld & New Media is the first and only industry-wide conference, tradeshow and media event dedicated to blogging, podcasting, social media, social networking, online video, music, Internet TV and radio. BlogWorld conference attendees enjoy more than 120 cutting-edge educational sessions presented by industry leaders, while New Media Expo provides the only industry-wide new media marketplace for networking, online business and marketing resources. Social Media Business Summit, exclusive to BlogWorld, is the world's largest social media business conference where business owners, marketing executives and global brands learn strategies, tools and technologies to grow their businesses with social media. Register at blogworldexpo.com with the promo code MASH20 to save 20% off the ticket price!

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 25-27, 2011, Portland, OR: WebVisions explores the future of web design, technology, user experience and business strategy in a punchy, new format! The all-star lineup of speakers includes author Douglas Rushkoff, design strategist David Armano, mobile researcher Rachel Hinman, usability expert Jared Spool, design ethnographer Kelly Goto and many more. Take advantage of package deals for workshops and conference passes, discounts on hotels, and networking events and after hour parties. Register here and save up to 30% off the Standard Admission rates! rates.

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 3-4, 2011, Victoria, BC, Canada: Last year’s event was the largest social media event in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. This year’s Social Media Camp will feature more time, more sessions, more speakers, more exhibitors and more sunshine! This year’s keynote speakers are the critically acclaimed authors of “The Now Revolution”, Jay Baer and Amber Naslund. Whether you are an avid Facebook user, interested in learning about Twitter, or you're trying to grow your business by leveraging social media tools – there is something for everyone at this event! Register and use the promo code MASHABLE to save $50!

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, Boston, MA: 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 7-8, 2011, Seattle, WA: Search Marketing Expo – SMX Advanced Seattle is the only search marketing conference designed exclusively for experienced internet marketers. In-depth sessions offered on SEO, paid search, social media and more. Join the most accomplished search marketers in the world – attend SMX Advanced Seattle. Register by April 2nd to get super early bird pricing and use discount code smx100mashable and you'll pay only $1295. SMX Advanced attendance is limited and has sold out 4 years running – register today and secure your spot!

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 14, 2011, London, UK: 20 social media experts will be speaking at the Social Media Results Conference – From Engagement To ROI. Procter & Gamble, Barclaycard, Nokia, Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, MTV Networks UK & Ireland, Mothercare, Lonely Planet, American Airlines, Kodak Ltd, Comic Relief, Vue Entertainment, Cisco Europe, Phones 4u Limited and many more will be discussing their real-world, actionable social media insights on how to drive the customer journey with consistently genuine interaction and fully integrated, targeted social media campaigns. Click here to download/view the conference program.

June 15-18, 2011, Nairobi, Kenya: The spotlight in AfriTech Kenya 2011 will be on "Brand building using a digital platform". It’s projected to be the largest gathering of digital media gurus and industry shapers in the African continent. The conference will be held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) on June 15-18, 2011. Outstanding business luminaries, philanthropists, government decision-makers and investors will be participating during this four day historic summit. For more information and to register, please visit afri-tech.com.

June 15-16, 2011, New York, NY: “Exploring the State of NOW” – The 140 Characters Conference: New York City (#140conf) will be taking place June 15-16, 2011 at the 92nd Street Y, where we will continue to explore the effects of the real-time web on both business and on people. This event is expected to be the largest worldwide gathering of people interested in the effects of the real-time Internet on both business and "we" the people. #140conf exposes you to the power the Internet has to disrupt businesses, change lives and create serendipity. You will leave with a fresh outlook on how the real time web can be used in your business or personal life to actually do something meaningful. Register TODAY and take advantage of the "Early Bird" prices.

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 20-21, New York, NY: At the new ALL FOR ONE Marketing Show presented by DM Days, you'll learn how Domino's, FreshDirect, Grey New York and other top companies maximize ROI by leveraging customer insight and data to successfully integrate marketing channels. You'll walk away with concrete examples of successful campaigns from marketing experts and thought leaders. Register with the promo code DM730 and save $200!

June 20, 2011, New York, NY: Games for Change is the leading global advocate for supporting and making games for social impact. The Games for Change Festival is the largest gaming event in New York City and the only international event uniting "games for change" creators, the public, civil society, academia, the gaming industry and media. Register before April 15th and save 30%!

June 21-22, 2011, New York, NY: The Second Annual Corporate Social Media Summit is 'the' event for big business using social media. This year we have speakers from Dell, Best Buy, Kodak, Coca-Cola, Southwest Airlines and many more. They will share best practice to help your company leverage the power of social media for better marketing, customer engagement and enhance profitability. The conference is designed for corporates like you – and our agenda is based on three months of research with your peers. Download a brochure here for all the info you need. Register and use the promo code MASH11 to save 10%.

June 21-22, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: Digital Content Monitization West 2011 is a unique opportunity to find out how to drive revenue and profitability from different content and formats across a wide variety of channels. 60+ senior level speakers from will help you sort out the best short and medium term strategies for delivering revenue through digital content. With its focus on west coast industries, you’ll dig deep into how the film, music and games sectors are driving new sources of revenue. Plus the publishing, sports, TV and news sectors will provide detailed information about how to monetize rich media content. Register online at dcm-west.com and use the promo code DCM MASH for early booking discounts.

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.

July 14-16, 2011, Dallas, TX: The Big Design Conference is an intense day of learning within the scope of Strategy, Social Media, User Experience, Gaming, Mobile, Usability, Design, and Code Development. Experts from across the country will gather to present theories, research, experiences, and best practices to students, professionals, and executives looking to stay on the bleeding edge. Experts include Beverly Robertson (President, National Civil Rights Museum), Russ Unger (Director of UX, Happy Cog), Jeremy Johnson (Director of UX, Game Stop), Brian Sullivan (Usability Principal, Sabre), Joshua Clark (author of Tapworthy), Jared Spool (Founder, User Interface Engineering), and many more. Mashable readers receive 20% off conference registration by using the code MASHABLE during the checkout process.

July 27-29, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Join us at the premiere of ePharma Summit West, the sister event to The ePharma Summit, the largest, longest running and most respected digital marketing event for the Life Sciences Industry. Network and join the conversation with hundreds of fellow thought leaders from top Pharma, Biotech, Device and Health Science companies. Register as a Mashable reader with the promo code XP1656MASH and save 10%.

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 11-14, 2011, Denver, CO: Come join the best and brightest of the iOS development community at 360|iDev, the first iOS developer event to be held by the developer community! Speakers include many leading community members, and app store success stories. With over 40 sessions, including hands-on training the sunday before the conference, 360|iDev offers more content than any other iOS developer event in the world. Register and use the promo code iosmash to save 20% of the ticket price.

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.

October 1-6, Boston, MA: At DMA2011, you – and 10,000 marketing peers from around the world – will find everything you need to develop and execute the real-time integrated marketing campaigns that drive measurable bottomline results for your brand. Listen to 300+ marketing experts and gurus talk about social, mobile, mail, search, data, attribution, and more. Plus, you'll find hundreds of technologies in the Exhibit Hall, the only one of its kind in the world! Register now with the promo code AN504 and SAVE $250!

October 9-11, 2011, Scottsdale, AZ: Join 200 of your advertising and PR agency friends at BOLO 2011. This event champions the marketing stalwarts, showing you how to leverage today’s digital marketing trends and technologies for economic advantage. Hear from industry thought leaders such as Scott Stratton, President of UnMarketing, and Jay Baer, author of The Now Revolution. From analytics and targeting to social media and agency management, the topics are cutting-edge and chosen to help your agency stay ahead of the curve in digital. Register now with the promo code MASHABLE for 10% off.

October 26-27, 2011, Sofia, Bulgaria: The only digital industry event for Central and Eastern Europe and one of industry’s premiere events in Europe. At the Webit Expo & Conference, more than 6,000 people from CE Europe’s digital ecosystem gather together. Amazing lineup of world-renowned international and local speakers in the conference programme and some of the top service and technology providers among the exhibitors. Webit Conference programme includes The Main Stage (inspiring keynotes from the leading digital companies in the world), Webit Dev Camp (where platform owners meet the developers of CEE), eGov Summit (regional government officials and world CEOs in discussion on e-gov, e-health, etc.), The Creative Lounge (the world’s creative minds gathered together). Register with the promo code WEBMASH and save 10%!

November 3-5, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: BlogWorld & New Media is the first and only industry-wide conference, tradeshow and media event dedicated to blogging, podcasting, social media, social networking, online video, music, Internet TV and radio. BlogWorld conference attendees enjoy more than 120 cutting-edge educational sessions presented by industry leaders, while New Media Expo provides the only industry-wide new media marketplace for networking, online business and marketing resources. Social Media Business Summit, exclusive to BlogWorld, is the world's largest social media business conference where business owners, marketing executives and global brands learn strategies, tools and technologies to grow their businesses with social media. Register at blogworldexpo.com with the promo code MASH20 to save 20% off the ticket price!

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.

eventbrite logo

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

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

More About: Social Media Event Guide

For more Social Media coverage:

20 Essential Online Resources for Finding New Music

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 11:29 AM PDT


The Content Exploration Series is presented by Mashable Explore, a new way to discover resources and information on your favorite Mashable topics. Mashable Explore is brought to you by the all-new, 100% reinvented 2011 Ford Explorer. Drive One.

Back in the oft-mentioned “day,” we only had the radio and helpful record store clerks to satiate our musical hunger pangs. Now we have the entirety of the web.

Still, with this veritable diner menu of choices (read: overstuffed), it can be hard to find what one is looking for, impelling one to perhaps choose whatever is safest and most familiar, rather than seeking out something new, and perhaps, more delectable.

Luckily for you, oh consumer of tunes, there are scads of music discovery services out there, just waiting to help you make a more adventurous decision. In fact, according to a new survey from Orpheus Media Research, 54% of music lovers surveyed have used such a service.

Mashable has gone ahead and assembled an impressive menu below of such services, one that’s sure to satisfy both casual diners and gluttons alike. Check them out and then let us know what jams you discover.

1. Get Curated

If you’re the kind of person whose every decision needs to be backed up by fact and research, it may be best to turn to an expert when it comes to seeking out new music. Luckily for you, there are tons of people out there whose job it is to tell you what to listen to.

First of all, there are the institutions. MTV recently launched a new site called Hive that centers entirely around music. (Yes, we hear you commenters, “MTV doesn’t play music anymore” – just calm down for a second and read.) Featuring artist interviews and new online video programming (including the resurrection of 120 Minutes as 120 Seconds), as well as new elements such as MTV’s music discovery tool, the Music Meter, Hive is meant to be a resource for music fans.

Spin magazine is also taking steps to become a more modern resource for music fans — via a new integration with “Pandora for music blogs,” Shuffler.fm, which lets readers listen to all the music on the site while surfing, as well as a slick new iPad app [iTunes link], which also allows you to read and listen at the same time.

Outside of the confines of old media reborn, there are also tons of web-only solutions for music discovery. Epitonic — one of the first curated MP3 resources — recently relaunched, bursting with handpicked jams, reentering a space that now includes the iconic Hype Machine, as well as RCRD LBL, a site and daily newsletter featuring free music, and MySpoonful, which bills itself as "DailyCandy for Indie Music."

RCRD LBL also just recently kicked up its content a notch by partnering with artist-to-fan site Topspin to offer the yet-to-be-launched RCRD Deals, which will bring Gilt-like, music-related deals to RCRD LBL’s newsletter.

Add these sites to your Google Reader and subscribe to these newsletters for a daily shot of expert opinion.

2. Hunt and Gather

If you’re not down to take someone else’s advice when it comes to your musical taste, there are also sites out there that replicate the record shop experience, allowing you to comb through the racks to find your new favorite band.

First of all, there’s We Are Hunted (to which MTV’s Music Meter bears a resemblance). This site allows you to surf through an online, listenable music chart of up-and-coming acts to build your own charts that you can share with friends and other music lovers. The site also has a “Discover” tool, which helps you find new music based on what you like and dislike on the site. (We Are Hunted also recently released an iPhone app called Pocket Hipster [iTunes link], which uses The Echo Nest’s API to comb through your musical library and suggest new tunes.)

Similar to We Are Hunted is TheSixtyOne, a “music adventure” that crowdsources content from independent musicians and presents the visitor with a stream of songs (featuring artist info) that he can then “heart,” comment on, share and even download.

One can also create playlists sorted by mood (mellow, happy, rocky, smooth), as well as follow friends. TheSixtyOne is in no way a passive music-listening experience, but one that will draw you in and captivate you for a goodly amount of time. The creators also have an iPad app — Aweditorum [iTunes link] — that replicates the searching and digging experience of visiting TheSixtyOne.

So, music lovers, block out an afternoon or evening and start hunting and gathering tunes — all from the safety and relative isolation of your computer chair. All that’s missing is the judgmental clerk scoffing at your decision to buy that record.

3. Listen To Your Friends

Some of us have friends who have rad musical taste, some of us have friends who like Justin Bieber — for those of you in the first category, read on, because there are myriad ways your friends can help you find tunes.

Music subscription service Rdio is the most top-of-mind choice for those us who want to tap into the musical brain of our compatriots. The service allows users to follow friends and trusted influences, and to check out their collections of cached and listened-to jams.

For those of us who are a bit skint when it comes to cash (Rdio costs $4.99 per month on the web, and $9.99 per month on mobile), there’s also Blip.fm, a service that allows you to be a “DJ” of sorts — and to follow other DJs — and share music to social streams like Facebook and Twitter.

And there are even more options for those light on cash: Disrupt.fm is a much more startup-y, indie site that requires you to share a song on Facebook before downloading it for free, and then there’s mFlow, a “Twitter meets iTunes” that allows you to share music to your social streams, and rewards you with credits to acquire music when friends purchase songs you share.

For those of your who prefer a bit of a more “lean-back” deal, online radio service (and Y-Combinator startup) Earbits also makes it super easy to share music with friends. With an interface similar to TheSixtyOne’s pleasing, image-heavy experience, users can check out music from up-and-coming (and relatively unknown) musicians via the web, iOS [iTunes link] or Android. If you like a song, you can share it with friends via Facebook chat, your Facebook wall or Twitter (on the web — mobile sharing options are more limited).

Music recognition service Shazam also recently added a layer of sharing magic with Shazam Friends, a new update [iTunes link] for the service's iPhone, iPod touch and Android apps that lets users check out which songs their friends have discovered via the service.

Use all of these services to keep up with your pals’ musical going-ons, or, you know, ask them to make you a mixtape — depending on their level of Luddite-hood.

4. See a Show

One of the best ways to discover new music is to go see it live — opening acts can be a veritable gold mine all on their own. The web makes it super easy to track when your favorite bands are blowing through town.

Songkick, for one, is a wonderful resource. A kind of concert-going social network, Songkick lets you track favorite bands from your Last.fm, Pandora and iTunes, get email alerts when your top acts are playing near you, buy tickets to shows and create show calendars that you can export to Google calendar, Outlook or iCal.

The site also lets you share your experiences via a “Gigography,” so that you never forget that one show — you know, the one where you fell in love with that dude whose name you no longer remember?

SuperGlued is another great, concert-planning website and app that functions much like SongKick. SuperGlued’s iPhone [iTunes link] and Android apps, however, are the most useful of its suite of offerings. The apps have a feature called “Recommended” that scans your iTunes and then suggests shows to go see based on your musical tastes. That feature is extremely useful when one is trying to find a show to go to on Saturday night, but one has no idea who’s playing.

Armed with these apps, there’s really no reason to toil away in a realm of mundanity, listening to that one song on repeat. Download, bookmark and subscribe — your ear, and your neighbors, will thank you.

Series Supported by Mashable Explore

The Content Exploration Series is presented by Mashable Explore, a new way to discover resources and information on your favorite Mashable topics. Mashable Explore is brought to you by the all-new, 100% reinvented 2011 Ford Explorer. Drive One.

More Music Resources From Mashable:

- Just How Helpful are Music Recommendation Services? [SURVEY]
- How One Music Startup Is Defying the Odds By Breaking the Rules
- The Age of Mediocrity: Why Rebecca Black Is Everyone’s Fault [OPINION]
- Top 5 Rebecca Black “Friday” Covers
- Music Discovery App Mocks Your Musical Tastes

Images courtesy of Flickr, Pink Sherbet Photography, KanyaRae, ZeroOne

More About: android, aweditorium, blip.fm, Content Exploration Series, disrupt-fm, earbits, epitonic, Hive, Hype Machine, ipad, iphone, mtv, music discovery, myspoonful, pockethipster, rcrd-lbl, rdio, shazam, shuffler.fm, songkick, spin, superglued, thesixtyone, wearehunted

For more Media coverage:

YouTube Video of the Day: Musician Mashes Up Vids To Create Gorgeous, New Song

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 11:19 AM PDT

Some people play guitar. Some play the keys. Others, well, they play the YouTube. Today’s YouTube Video of the Day is “My Favorite Color,” a song created from a series of videos of amateur musicians rocking out to different jams.

If the quality of this video seems familiar, it’s because it was created by Israel-based producer Ophir Kutiel, a.k.a. Kutiman, who came out with another experiment in musical mashups back in 2009 titled ThruYou.

That project racked up millions of YouTube views and made it onto Time‘s “50 Best Inventions of 2009″ list.

Kutiman’s newest jam is much more jazzy than ThruYou, which was much more funk-oriented, but it’s no less impressive.

More About: Kutiman, music, thruyou, viral-video-of-day, youtube

For more Video coverage:

A New Era for Internet Domains: Why .XXX Is Just the Beginning

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 10:40 AM PDT


Ben Crawford is the CEO of domain industry firm CentralNic. Prior to joining that firm in 2009, Crawford worked at various jobs which combined his love of sports with Internet technology, including serving as executive producer for IBM’s official Sydney Olympic Games website.

A new era of Internet use is about to begin, marked by the recent decision by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to approve the long-debated .xxx top-level domain (TLD).

ICANN will shortly be announcing the final rules and roll-out schedule for hundreds of other new TLDs. The program will let brands, trademark holders, industry associations and entrepreneurs bypass traditional extensions and become "masters of their own domains" by acquiring and controlling their own domain suffixes such as .canon, .nyc or even .mashable.

The Benefits of New Top-Level Domains

Where domains like .com and .net have little informational value in-and-of-themselves, most of the upcoming extensions contain information about the content of the websites they support. The domain .xxx will mark sites that contain adult content, and ICANN's recently approved domain extensions in Cyrillic, Arabic and Chinese characters indicate that the content of websites using these domains is written in those scripts. In the future, locally focused websites will use their city TLD, websites on specific cultures will use their community TLD, and businesses will use their industry TLD or their own .brands.

New and more secure distribution methods will emerge with these more informative TLDs. The current model for distributing domain names using generic extensions (.com, .net, .org, etc.) has huge consumer benefits, in that anyone can get a domain name online quickly and affordably from more than 100,000 registrar and reseller websites.

However, the system also contains serious flaws. Because these domains are sold as an unrestricted commodity, anyone can obtain domain names that include trademarks — legitimate trademark owners and "brand pirates" alike. The result is that the current domain name system is rife with speculators, squatters, phishing sites and so on, with an entire industry built around processing complaints, legal actions and the arbitration of domain name disputes.

The .brand TLDs will remedy many of these issues by creating a regulated online space that can be tightly controlled by the principal that sets its policies. As a result, consumers will benefit from the assurance that all domain names with a given ending are authentic and trustworthy. Banks, charities, online merchants, industry associations and other entities that rely on online transactions will particularly benefit from this controlled online presence.

The Red Cross offers a good example. In the midst of recent tragedies in Japan, it has had to deal with domains registered by third parties containing the words “Red Cross” and “Japan.” Taking action against these registrants to curtail possible misdirected donations can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars (even under ICANN’s Uniform Dispute-Resolution Policy) that could otherwise be used to aid the victims of this horrible disaster. A .redcross TLD could help to avoid this scenario entirely. The Red Cross would have control over who could obtain one of its domains, and therefore bring unprecedented clarity and security to consumers with the simple message, “If the web address doesn’t end with .redcross, it's not authentic.”

With the controversial .xxx debate out of the way, ICANN will shortly be announcing the final rules and rollout schedule for other new TLDs. While there has been much resistance to the introduction of these new TLDs, largely from representatives of trademark owners concerned about compounding the problems of the current system, ICANN has been through years of laborious policy consultation, publishing a half-dozen drafts of the applicant guidebook, which now includes many new protections like rapid take-down provisions for knockoff sites. Although many observers feel that ICANN's bottom-up policy-making methodology has led to paralysis, the .xxx decision is a sign that new TLDs are sure to come soon. After all, the ICANN Board does not wish to be remembered for approving .xxx but declining more worthy domains, like .unicef.

Transitioning Away From a .com World

Some marketers are throwing their arms up in despair as 15 years of guiding consumers to their brand's .com destinations must soon be "unlearned." But in fact, the introduction of new TLDs will be quite seamless, and consumers' experience of the Internet will be drastically improved.

First, despite all the regulation, technology and expense that is implemented behind the scenes, the customer message from any major brand or global website with its own TLD will be as simple as: “You no longer have to type ‘.com’ at the end of our web address."

Second, search results will be populated with web addresses with much more variety, as smaller companies take advantage of new domain extensions that are more informative and intuitive or more creative than the options they currently enjoy. New TLDs will improve the user experience by making it even easier to distinguish between the websites of Mary Smith the lawyer (marysmith.law), Mary Smith the children's entertainer (marysmith.kids) and Mary Smith the porn star (marysmith.xxx).

And for consumers wishing to start their own websites, they may be able to get their domain names for free from their telecom provider, or even from a sponsor.

Regardless of its impact on accessing or suppressing adult content online, .xxx is poised to be the extension that incites 1,000 new top-level domains, and now is the time to prepare for the impending Internet revolution.

Interested in more Tech resources? Check out Mashable Explore, a new way to discover information on your favorite Mashable topics.

Image courtesy of Ryan Christopher VanWilliams.

More About: .xxx, Domain Names, ICANN

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Kraft To Turn Mac & Cheese Tweets Into TV Ads Within 24 Hours

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 09:45 AM PDT


Your tweet about Kraft’s Macaroni & Cheese could be on TV tonight if the brand picks it up for a new initiative converting tweets into TV ads.

The marketing minds behind the brand, along with agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, are trolling Twitter right now looking for just the right tweet. The only qualification is that the message mentions Mac & Cheese. Kraft and the agency will then pick five tweets, and write and shoot ads based on them this afternoon. All the filming is taking place in a studio with multiple sets in Los Angeles. One of the five will run during Conan and Lopez Tonight this evening on TBS. The other four will run on Kraft Mac & Cheese's Facebook Page.

Noelle O'Mara, senior brand manager at Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, says she's not sure if this will be a one-off. "We're focused on today," she says. "We'll see how it goes."

Kraft's last Twitter-related marketing push, which ran earlier this month, was a big success, O'Mara says. In that campaign, called “Mac & Jinx,” Kraft identified pairs of people who tweeted about the brand at the same time and then contacted them. The first of the pair to respond got prizes, including a T-shirt and five boxes of Mac & Cheese. The effort propelled Mac & Cheese into a trending topic for a day and garnered more than 1.5 million tweets, according to the company.

O'Mara adds that consumers' expectations and their ability to comment immediately has forced marketers like herself to step up their game. Says O'Mara: "I think social media has given us the opportunity to engage in real time." Indeed, several marketers of late, including Toyota’s Prius, Coca-Cola and various Academy Awards advertisers, have created outreach efforts with real-time communication in mind.

Kraft has taken more risks with marketing Mac & Cheese after hiring Crispin last March. Meanwhile, Crispin is coming off a rough start to the year after losing its Groupon account due to an ill-received Super Bowl ad, as well as losing the Burger King account it held for several years.

More About: crispin porter + Bogusky, Kraft Foods, Mac & Cheese, twitter

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

Jack Dorsey Officially Returns to Twitter

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 09:39 AM PDT


Twitter inventor and co-founder Jack Dorsey is officially returning to Twitter as Executive Chairman, CEO Dick Costolo announced, fittingly, via Twitter Monday morning.

Dorsey will begin overseeing product at Twitter on a day-to-day basis, whilst continuing to operate as CEO of his most recent startup, mobile payment system Square.

Dorsey served as Twitter’s first CEO before Evan Williams assumed the post in October 2008. (Williams was later replaced by COO Dick Costolo almost exactly two years later to focus instead on product strategy). At that time, Dorsey took on a less time-intensive role as chairman of the board. Two years later, he launched Square, which allows vendors to more easily process offline credit card payments using their mobile devices and a small credit card reader.

Business Insider first reported last week that Dorsey was in talks to return to Twitter as “something like a chief product officer.”

More About: jack dorsey, trending, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

Lady Gaga Donates $1.5 Million in Part to Zynga’s Fundraising Campaign for Japan

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 08:56 AM PDT


Lady Gaga is apparently on top of it when it comes to donating money to those affected by the March 11 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Today, it was announced that the pop star donated $1.5 million to Zynga's fundraising initiative with Save the Children, as well as to the American Red Cross.

Gaga raised these funds via sales of her Japan Prayer Bracelets. "I'm inspired that my little monsters banded together to help those affected by the terrible tragedy," she said in a release.

Last week, the singer also participated in a benefit album called Songs for Japan, which also features popular tunes in original, remastered, live or acoustic formats from Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Bieber, Eminem, Katy Perry and more. Worldwide proceeds from album downloads will go to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Zynga, for its part, donated more than $2.5 million in the last two weeks for Save the Children's Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund via its social games (Café World, CityVille, FrontierVille, FarmVille, Words With Friends, Vampire Wars, YoVille and Zynga Poker). Players donated 100% of the purchase price of virtual goods to the relief effort.

What do you think of these methods of fundraising? Would you buy a bracelet — or a virtual farm — to benefit charity?

More About: facebook, Lady Gaga, social good, social media, Zynga

For more Social Good coverage:

Marc Jacobs Intern Calls CEO a “Tyrant” in Twitter Meltdown

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 08:55 AM PDT


A Marc Jacobs intern staged a meltdown of sorts on the fashion brand’s official Twitter account Friday evening.

The anonymous intern was assigned to oversee Marc Jacobs’s Twitter feed while the company searches for an official overseer of its social media accounts. Beginning last month, followers have been invited to send in clever tweets to nab interviews with the company’s CEO, Robert Duffy.

Thus far, Duffy has been “presented… with 50 people,” the intern tweeted, but is “not happy” with any of them.

The intern went on to tweet that Duffy is a “tyrant” and that @MarcJacobsIntl followers “have no idea how difficult Robert is. I am only an intern,” he wrote. “My last day is tomorrow. I wouldn’t be tweeting this if not!”

“Good luck! I pray for you all. If you get the job! I’m out of here. See ya! Don’t want to be ya! Roberts a tyrant! Seriously! He is tough!” the intern continued.

“I can call him out! I’m out! Won’t work in this town again! I know that! Learned a lot. But, I don’t have the energy for what is expected!” said another tweet.

Before signing off, he wrote, “Yea, walk in my MJ shoes! Don’t judge me! I’m alone in this office having to try and entertain you all. This isn’t easy. I have tried. Done!”

Most of the tweets, which were sent from Twitter’s official application for iPhone, were deleted by 4 a.m. Saturday morning, the Daily Mail reports. The company later tweeted a warning to “protect your passwords,” and assured followers that “all is well here at MJ. Twitter is a crazy place.”

As far as PR mishaps go, it was hardly a disaster. Given the amusing irreverence that has long marked the voice of Marc Jacobs’s Twitter feed, the rant was, in fact, perfectly on brand. We can only hope the company’s next Twitter overseer is as entertaining.

[via The Cut]

More About: fashion, marc jacobs, pr, social media, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

7 Superb Short Films Shot With Cellphones

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 08:51 AM PDT


The Digital Photo and Film Series is supported by Adobe® Premiere® Elements. To connect with the product team, find creative tutorials, tips and information, join them on Facebook and Twitter.

It’s not just music videos that are being shot on cellphones these days. Short films are, too. Even full-length films are being shot on mobile devices — Oldboy director Chan-wook Park’s Paranmanjang will soon be released in movie theaters, for example.

We’ve found seven superb short films — documentary, action, and even the world’s smallest stop-motion movie — that have been shot on cellphones. So, grab some popcorn and have a look through our gallery of great mobile-made clips. Let us know in the comments which ones you like best.


1. BMX


Filmed and edited by Lenaic Marechal on a Nokia N8, this bike-themed short shows off some great BMXing skills, as well as some great cell-phone cinematography.


2. Golden Harvest


Shot on the Panasonic Lumix GH1 and the iPhone 4, this is a lovely montage of harvest-time activity. The director reveals some tricks of the trade in the video description -- the time-lapse shot was snapped on the iPhone attached to a home-made tractor dolly with Legos and Blu-Tack!


3. The Commuter


Shot in four days by the McHenry Brothers, Nokia's official showcase film for the N8 stars some big names -- Pamela Anderson, Ed Westwick, Dev Patel and Charles Dance all make appearances.


4. Apple of My Eye


Director Michael Koerbel shot this entirely on the iPhone 4 and edited it in iMovie -- all within 48 hours. The $103 budget shows how much you can achieve with very little.


5. 156 Turns


Billed as the "first corporate iPhone 4 film," 156 Turns takes you inside the world of motorcycle racing at the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.


6. Dot


Another Nokia-backed project sees "the world's smallest stop-motion animation character" filmed on an N8, thanks to the addition of Professor Fletcher's "CellScope" microscope attachment.


7. Space Balloon


Luke Geissbuhler and his son Max launched an iPhone into space from the unlikely location of Newburgh, NY. They posted this incredible video once the photo made it back down to Earth.

Series Supported by Adobe Photoshop Elements

The Digital Photo and Film Series is supported by Adobe® Premiere® Elements. Adobe's® software delivers powerful, automated movie-editing options and professional-quality effects, and enables quick and easy sharing. Now you can create incredible movies, effortlessly. Download a free trial of Adobe® Premiere® Elements® 9 to try it out!

More Video Resources from Mashable:

- 8 Simple Ways to Improve Your YouTube Channel
- Top 10 Funny YouTube Videos About Twitter
- 10 Fascinating YouTube Facts That May Surprise You
- 10 Incredible Interactive YouTube Videos
- 10 Captivating Time-Lapse Design Videos

More About: Digital Photo and Film Series, iphone, Nokia, short films, video, videos

For more Video coverage:

American Express Takes on PayPal With Serve

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 08:41 AM PDT


With its new platform Serve, which was announced Monday, American Express is looking to take on industry giant PayPal in the digital payment and commerce space.

Like PayPal, Serve can be used to make purchases and person-to-person transactions online, as well as at merchants that accept American Express cards and via mobile devices. Serve accounts can be funded by debit, credit, charge card, bank account or transfers from other Serve members.

AMEX is offering apps for iOS and Android and says the service will also be accessible through Facebook. American Express explains the set-up process in a statement:

Consumers set up an online account at Serve.com or through a smartphone app. Funds can be added from bank accounts, debit cards, credit and charge cards, or other Serve accounts. Customers can use those accounts to send and receive money to friends, pay bills and make purchases online. Serve bridges online and offline commerce — each customer will be issued a Serve reloadable prepaid card linked to their Serve account that can be used at any merchant or ATM that accepts American Express cards.

Serve is available immediately now to anyone in the U.S., and American Express says it plans to launch in other international markets in the coming year.

Because Serve is going after a very established market player, American Express is waiving its consumer fees for the first six months. Afterward, these fees will be:

  • Putting money into a Serve account — 2.9% plus 30 cents per load, discounted to 0% for cash, debit and ACH
  • ATM cash withdrawal — One free each month, then $2.00

Taking on PayPal

Serve isn’t the first product designed to compete with PayPal, however it might be the most expansive. By focusing on digital, mobile and point of sale, Serve is clearly hoping to make a big play at some of PayPal’s most entrenched areas.

On a conference call, American Express made it clear that it sees Serve as a bridge between the world of cash/credit card based transactions and the future of near-field communication transfers.

For Serve to be a credible threat against PayPal, however, Serve needs to gain adoption and scale. The fact that Serve will work with all American Express merchants is a good start — however for Serve to really scale, it will need to be available internationally and it will need to become a “must support” payment type for online merchants.

More About: american express, mobile payments, paypal, serve

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

Last Week for Mashable Connect Attendee Applications

Posted: 28 Mar 2011 08:31 AM PDT


Time is running out for you to fill out an attendee application for Mashable Connect 2011, a unique event at Disney World in May that will bring together heavyweights in social media and digital.

At Connect, these influential leaders and you will get the chance to discuss and learn about the new online identity, Attentionomics and the new ROI, trends in social TV, mobile marketing and social good, among other topics. Keynotes, so far, include Raymie Stata, Yahoo’s CTO, and David Jones, who Adweek named one of the top two executives of the 2000s for his role as global CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide and CEO of France’s Havas Worldwide.

Mashable executives, editors and writers also will be in attendance and ready to mingle. Below, a few of them sound off on what excites them most about Mashable Connect:

  • Pete Cashmore, CEO and founder: “Mashable Connect is unique in that every one of our participants is a digital influencer in his or her field. These are the early adopters who discover and propagate new products and ideas. I’m looking forward to learning about the next big thing before it becomes widely known.”
  • Ben Parr, co-editor: “I’m looking forward to having intimate and forward-thinking conversations about the big issues facing technology and media today. Mashable Connect will definitely be one of those rare events that brings thought leaders together in one place. And whenever that happens, you’re always going to return home with something profound.”
  • Todd Wasserman, business and marketing editor: “We all know what it’s like to have superficial conversations with industry leaders, but I’m looking forward to the rare opportunity at Mashable Connect to spend a more prolonged period of time with some of the top minds in social media and get beyond the buzzwords and posturing and learn about what these people are really thinking.”

We hope to see you there, so apply now:

Attendees include leaders from leading companies, organizations and brands such as the 92Y, American Association of Advertising Agencies, Behance, Buddy Media, Constant Contact, Converseon, CNN, Deep Focus, Edelman, Fenton, Fidelity Investments, Ford, Gowalla, Groupon, Hallmark Cards, Hasbro, HBO, Hilton Worldwide, Intridea, iStrategyLabs, Microsoft, NBC, Ogilvy, PepsiCo, Rackspace Hosting, Radian6, Rockfish, Saatchi & Saatchi, Scripps Networks, SocialVibe, Spotify, Syncapse, Thrillist, Triton Digital, Tumblr, TV Guide, UN Foundation, Universal Music Group, Wells Fargo, Xero and Yahoo.

Registration for Mashable Connect 2011 is all-inclusive and includes content, meals, special events and surprises, hotel rooms and ground transportation.

There will be plenty of opportunities to connect with speakers, including:

  • Scott Belsky, Founder & CEO, Behance
  • Rohit Bhargava, SVP, Global Strategy & Marketing, Ogilvy
  • Sabrina Caluori, Director of Social Media & Marketing, HBO
  • Cameron Death, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NBCUniversal Digital Studio
  • Craig Engler, SVP & General Manager, Syfy Digital
  • KC Estenson, SVP & General Manager, CNN Digital
  • Elizabeth Gore, Executive Director Global Partnerships, UN Foundation
  • Scott Heiferman, Co-Founder & CEO, Meetup
  • Lisa Hsia, Executive Vice President, Bravo Digital Media
  • David Jones, CEO of Havas & Global CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide
  • David Karp, Founder, Tumblr
  • Rob Key, CEO, Converseon
  • Dave Knox, Chief Marketing Officer, Rockfish
  • Josh Koppel, Founder, ScrollMotion
  • Michael Lazerow, CEO, Buddy Media
  • Marcel LeBrun, CEO, Radian6
  • Adam Rich, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, Thrillist
  • Steve Rubel, SVP/Director of Insights, Edelman Digital
  • Ian Schafer, CEO, Deep Focus
  • Michael Scissons, President and CEO, Syncapse
  • Raymie Stata, SVP, Chief Technology Officer, Yahoo!
  • Christy Tanner, Executive Vice President & General Manager, TVGuide.com & TV Guide Mobile
  • Josh Williams, CEO, Gowalla

For more details, click here.

More About: mashable, mashable connect 2011, social media, social networking

For more Social Media coverage:

Tags:

0 comments to "Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Apple’s WWDC Sold Out in a Matter of Hours”"

Post a Comment
Newer Post
Older Post