Home � � Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Convofy Turns Work Collaboration into a Visual Experience”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Convofy Turns Work Collaboration into a Visual Experience”

Posted by Ashim Adhikari on 5:28 AM // 0 comments

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Convofy Turns Work Collaboration into a Visual Experience”

Convofy Turns Work Collaboration into a Visual Experience

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 01:49 AM 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: Convofy

Quick Pitch: Convofy is a private social network for enterprise, designed for visual thinkers.

Genius Idea: Convofy runs on Adobe AIR and focuses on detailed annotations for images, video, links and documents, making it ideal for firms that collaborate on a lot of documents or multimedia.

Bringing social networking to businesses is, well, big business. Salesforce Chatter brings groups and news feeds to internal teams while Yammer has managed to win over 80% of the Fortune 500.

Convofy, built by the team behind the Scrybe task manager, differentiates itself through its focus on multimedia, drag-and-drop interface and real-time information stream. These features are made possible because Convofy runs on Adobe AIR and not in the web browser. And because it’s an AIR app, it can be placed in a convenient and always available area of your desktop.

It offers the features you’d expect from a social network built for the enterprise: a newsfeed, groups and file-sharing all fleshed-out features. Its newsfeed is extraordinarily visual, displaying documents, photos, slides and links inside the stream. Adding files to your Convofy network is as simple as dragging and dropping the files onto the app. It also comes with a series of notifications for when your coworkers comment on something you’ve added

Convofy has a few tricks up its sleeve to differentiate it from the enterprise social networking crowd. One of those tricks is the ability to markup uploaded documents and add conversational notes. It makes collaborating on documents rather simple, although it’s nowhere near as robust as Google Docs. Convofy also includes annotations for videos and photos as well, and these annotations include timestamps so it’s easy to see the history of a conversation around any given piece of multimedia.

The app takes annotations one step further than most of its competitors. A team within Convofy can even annotate the web. Say you read an interesting article and want to point out a key phrase to your coworkers; Convofy lets you comment on that item and gives everyone else in your network the chance to comment and converse on the link.

Convofy is also mobile via a mobile web application built for smartphones that can run HTML5.

If you’re already using Chatter or Yammer, you may not find a lot compelling reasons to switch to Convofy. The enterprise app really shines though if you’re a company or team that shares lots of images, videos and documents. Design, research and consulting firms are the ones who will most likely find it useful, especially if they are willing to learn the ins and outs of the system.

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: bizspark, convofy, enterprise, Salesforce, spark-of-genius, startup, yammer

For more Startups coverage:

HANDS ON: Tryx, Casio’s Rotating-Frame Camera [VIDEO]

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 12:31 AM PDT


Casio’s Tryx camera lives up to its name. In addition to a lens that rotates a full 360 degrees, the camera — set to hit stores in the next month — has a list of features its makers are touting as firsts.

“Features like zoom, resolution, and size are no longer exciting or differentiating,” said Toshiharu Okimuro, the CEO and Chairman of Casio America.

Tryx has clearly found a new way to be different. But whether or not all of its tricks add up to a smart buy is still up for debate.

We had a chance to spend some time with the camera at a press conference and concert Casio hosted on Thursday evening to celebrate its launch. Here are the three features that will likely stand out to the average consumer.

  • Rotating Frame: Tryx’s most eye-catching feature is its rotating frame (see video below). The camera body itself is exactly the same size as an iPhone, but the display and lens rotates 360 degrees, and the display flips to face either direction. This allows you to stand the camera on a table, hang it from a wall, twist it to shoot at an awkward angle, or easily take a self-portrait.
  • Motion-Activated Timer: One of Tryx’s smartest features allows you to trigger the shutter button with a wave of the hand. Instead of running to get into a group shot, the photographer can reach out and “touch” a virtual button when the group is ready.
  • HDR-Art: Casio calls its single effect feature “HDR-Art.” You can choose to apply the effect with three levels of intensity. It makes photos look like paintings. But it’s still not as much fun as the many filters of Instagram, Picplz, or Hipstamatic.

    • Tryx has a 3-inch screen, shoots HD video and can automatically share to social networks. Its biggest problem, in my opinion, is that many of the young adults who it is targeting already have a device that fits all of these specs riding around in their pockets.

    There’s no doubt that Tryx is a superior camera to the iPhone. Its 12.1 megapixels shame the iPhone’s 5 megapixels, and it uses “super resolution zoom” rather than notoriously fuzzy digital zoom. It also uses high dynamic range (HDR) technology, which means that it takes several pictures at once when you press the shutter button and then combines them to create the best possible image.

    With front-facing cameras that take self-portraits and dozens of apps for sharing photos to social networks or adding photo effects, most smartphones accomplish the bulk of Tryx’s Tricks. For people who want a higher quality camera than is found on their smartphone, however, Tryx’s flexibility is hard to compete with. If there’s a reason to purchase the $250 Tryx instead of relying on a smartphone for point-and-shoot situations, this is it.

    Here’s a short video of how the camera moves. Will you be buying a Tryx? Let us know in the comments.

    More About: camera, casio, gadgets, Tryx

    For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Meet Google’s New Leadership Team

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 11:21 PM PDT


New Google CEO Larry Page has formally promoted six executives to senior vice president positions, essentially dividing the company into six distinct business units. It’s part of an effort to make Google leaner, less bureaucratic and more innovative.

The company’s new senior vice presidents are Alan Eustace, Vic Gundotra, Salar Kamangar, Sundar Pichai, Andy Rubin and Susan Wojcicki. Eustace (previously SVP of engineering and research) is now SVP of search, Gundotra is SVP of social, Kamangar is SVP of YouTube and video, Pichai is SVP of Chrome, Rubin is SVP of mobile and Wojcicki is SVP of ads. They will be given greater control and autonomy over their respective business divisions, according to the LA Times.

The promotions essentially fill the void left by the departure of Jonathan Rosenberg, who will leave his post as SVP of product sometime this summer. Eustace, Gundotra, Kamangar, Pichai, Rubin and Wojcicki join existing SVPs Nikesh Arora (chief business officer), Shona Brown (business operations), David Drummond (corporate development and chief legal officer) and Patrick Pichette (CFO).

Page, who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin in 1998, has been looking for ways to reduce bureaucracy while increasing entrepreneurship and autonomy within the technology titan. While Google is in very good shape by almost any standard, the rise of Facebook and its failure in social has scared it so much that all employee bonuses will be determined by the success of its social media initiatives. Fixing Google’s social strategy is a big reason why Larry Page is now CEO.

It’s also interesting to note that certain people and divisions did not receive promotions. The most prominent omission is Marissa Mayer, Google’s VP of location and local services and the former VP of search products and user experience. Either Page doesn’t believe location merits the same status as search, social, ads, video, Chrome and mobile, or Page didn’t want to make Mayer a SVP.

The leadership shake-up is also be an indication that Page is shifting power away from Google’s powerful Operating Committee, a group within the organization that has traditionally been responsible for its most important decisions. In order to make Google a faster and more entrepreneurial business, he has to decentralize power and the decision making process.

Here are Google’s new SVPs:


From left to right: Alan Eustace, Andy Rubin, Vic Gundotra, Salar Kamangar, Sundar Pichai, Susan Wojcicki

More About: Alan Eustance, andy rubin, business, Google, larry page, Salar Kamangar, Sundar Pichai, Susan Wojcicki, Vic Gundotra

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

U.S. Government Considering Big Changes to Rules Governing Private Stock

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 09:54 PM PDT


Thanks to Facebook, the U.S. government is reportedly close to changing long-standing rules governing private company stock. It’s a move that could fundamentally change the startup, venture capital and IPO worlds.

The Security and Exchange Commission recently issued a letter to Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), outlining potential changes its heavily considering to how the law treats shares of private companies. “The staff is taking a fresh look at our rules to develop ideas for the Commission about ways to reduce the regulatory burdens on small business capital formation,” SEC Chairmain Mary Schapiro wrote to Issa, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The biggest change proposed in the letter is raising the limit on the number of shareholders a private company can have without being forced to disclose their financial information to the public. Currently that number is set at 499 by the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. It’s a number that Facebook is trying to avoid surpassing so that it doesn’t have to open its books, and it’s also the number that drove Google’s decision to go public in 2004. According to Schapiro, the SEC can increase the limit without Congress’s approval.

By changing this number, startups and fast-growing companies will have more time before they have to disclose sensitive financial information to the public. It could have a dramatic impact on the IPO market by giving companies incentives to delay filing for IPO. In addition, the SEC is considering relaxing the ban on general solicitation, which would make it easier for private companies to publicize private share offerings.

The SEC is also investigating the use of “special purpose vehicles,” a tool used by banks to help rich investors acquire a piece of a private company without surpassing the 499 shareholder limit. Special purpose vehicles received renewed attention after Goldman Sachs used one to help Facebook raise $1 billion from international investors.

The catalyst for these proposed changes seems to be Facebook’s recent round of funding. Because of SEC regulations, Facebook decided not to offer U.S. investors a chance to buy Facebook shares through Goldman Sachs, something that probably didn’t go down well with the SEC. There have been demands for decades to modernize the laws governing private company shares, but the attention on Zuckerberg and Facebook’s rapid growth may be what triggers fundamental changes in the private and public markets.

More About: facebook, ipo, SEC, startup, U.S. government

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

What Will the Smartphone Market Look Like in 2015?

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 08:00 PM PDT


Google and Apple are currently in a heated battle for control of the world’s smartphone market, but which mobile OS will reign supreme down the road?

That’s the question research and analyst firm Gartner is trying to answer. Its most recent prediction is turning some heads, though: Microsoft Windows Phone 7 will overtake Apple iOS market share by 2015. Not only that, but Gartner believes that Android will control nearly 50% of the mobile smartphone market within two years.

In its most recent predictions report, Gartner claims that Android will jump from 38.5% market share this year to 49.2% in 2012. That’s more than double its 22.7% market share in 2010. Needless to say, it’s a shocking conclusion.

Just as mind-boggling is the conclusion that iOS will actually peak in market share this year at 19.4%, then drop to 18.9% next year and 17.2% by 2015. Windows Phone, on the other hand, will grow from 5.6% this year to 10.8% next year and eventually reach 19.5% in 2015, according to the research firm’s estimates. BlackBerry is destined for a slow decline, dropping from 13.4% this year to 11.1% in 2015.

A Window into the Future

Of course, these are just estimates from one research firm in a very chaotic market. Case-in-point: seven months ago, Gartner predicted that Symbian would be the top OS in 2014 with 30.2% market share, Windows Phone 7 would just have 3.9% of the market in 2014, and Apple would only have 14.9%. Of course, these predictions came before Microsoft and Nokia struck their Windows Phone 7 deal, essentially dooming Symbian.

Some of the firm’s assumptions are tough to swallow as well. As Asymco points out, Gartner assumes Apple is interesting maintaining margins over increasing market share and RIM will migrate from BlackBerry OS to QNX by 2012.

Apple though is testing cheaper phones and seems to have learned from its mistakes competing with Microsoft during the Mac vs. PC years. RIM only acquired QNX Software last year. We believe it will take more time for RIM to fully integrate QNX software into its devices. 2012 is too aggressive.

Still, Gartner’s analysis provides an interesting window into the future of mobile. Android is showing no signs of slowing down, and it’s too early to tell how the Nokia-Microsoft partnership will play out. And there’s always the chance of another acquisition, merger or partnership that shakes up the industry.

Which mobile OS do you think will dominate the market in 2015? Let us know what you think in the comments.

More About: android, apple, blackberry, Google, iOS, microsoft, Mobile 2.0, Nokia, RIM, smartphone, trending, windows phone 7, wp7

For more Mobile coverage:

Google Rolls Out Checkin Deals for Latitude Nationwide

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 06:32 PM PDT


Google Latitude, the search giant’s location-sharing mobile app, is launching checkin offers nationwide, giving users the ability to unlock discounts with a handful of launch partners.

Much like Foursquare and Facebook, Latitude now reveals different offers if a user checks in to locations hosting a Latitude deal. However, Google adds a twist to the traditional checkin offer with its “status” system. Offers such as 20% off at American Eagle Outfitters can only be unlocked with statuses such as Regular, VIP or Guru, although these titles are customizable by Google’s partners. They are acquired by checking in to a specific place multiple times.

Google’s initial list of partners includes Arby’s, Macy’s, RadioShack, Finish Line, Famous Footwear, Great Clips, Naturalizer, Tasti D-Lite, Quiznos, Wireless Zone, Cellairis, PostNet and American Eagle Outfitters. Quiznos is offering customers a free sub when they buy one of equal or greater value (and the title of “Champion of Taste”), while Finish Line is giving a $10 discount on purchases over $50. Most Latitude deals offer similar discounts.

Google only added checkins to Latitude recently, and the iPhone app only got checkins two weeks ago, so today’s announcement is rather aggressive. Google clearly understands that it’s way behind in the local deals space. It’s the same reason why Google tried (and failed) to acquire Groupon and why it’s building its own Groupon competitor.

Google’s new Latitude offers are available for Google Maps for Android (which includes Latitude) and for Latitude for iPhone, although its iOS app doesn’t include status level achievements yet.

What do you think of Google Latitude’s nationwide deals? Is it a smart move by Google, or is it late to the party?

More About: check.in, checkin, facebook, Facebook Deals, foursquare, Google, google latitude, gowalla

For more Mobile coverage:

Google Quietly Preparing Chrome OS for Tablets

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 04:46 PM PDT


A series of changes to Google Chrome OS’s source code provide the clearest indication yet that the search giant is preparing its notebook OS for the tablet form factor.

Google has toyed with the idea of bringing Chrome OS to tablets; it even made mockups and concepts of a tablet running Chrome OS last year, and it’s had intentions to include touch for a while. Still, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt stated last year that Android was for touch and Chrome OS was for keyboards.

The line between Android and Chrome OS is about to be blurred though, according to CNET. It has uncovered several changes to the Chrome and Chrome OS source code that indicate work is being done on a tablet version. The changes include new references to a touch version of Chrome OS, references to tablet Chrome OS devices and a touch-optimized new tab page.

If Google really is preparing for the release of a tablet version of Chrome OS, what does that mean for its existing tablet OS, Android Honeycomb? The most prominent tablet running Honeycomb, the Motorola Xoom, has sold around 100,000 units, an okay start for a new device running a new OS but nothing compared to iPad 2 sales.

Is Google testing Chrome OS on tablets as an experiment, or does it plan to try a different strategy to compete with the iPad? One thing’s for sure: it won’t be long until we find out.

More About: android, Android Honeycomb, Chrome OS, Google, google chrome, honeycomb, Tablet, trending

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

10 Ingenious iPad Self-Portraits [PICS]

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 02:56 PM PDT

Now that the iPad 2 boasts a camera, we’re seeing even more creativity in the iOS photography arena. One concept that has raised a smile here at Mashable is the iPad self-portrait.

We’ve selected 10 top examples of iPad owners having fun with both versions of the Apple tablet to create playful portraits — a very modern twist on the classic artistic genre.

Take a look through the gallery to see our favorites (in no particular order) and let us know about any great ones you’ve come across — or created — in the comments below.


1. Tim Knezevich





Beautiful lighting adds a quiet grace to Tim Knezevich's fantastically done infinity illusion.


2. Alexander Small




Alexander Small adds another layer to his self-portrait with the addition of an iPhone that effectively highlights his intense eyes.


3. PBody




PBody gags himself in his perfectly aligned and very well done self-portrait.


4. Ryan Pendleton




The thinking behind Ryan Pendleton's fun shot is to show how sometimes gadgets can enslave their owners. Although as a self-confessed iProduct fan, Pendleton says he "happily succumbs" to such enslavement.


5. Chris Deakin




Photoshop ninja Chris Deakin has combined two separate images to create his pixellated take on the iPad self-portrait.


6. Jonathan Vazquez




There's no Photoshop in Jonathan Vazquez's portrait that uses multiple Apple devices to great effect.


7. Ted




Ted is the first to admit his neck isn't aligned perfectly, but we're certainly not going to hold that against him as we enjoy his cool camera-themed creation.


8. Andrei Popa




We're impressed with this pic, in which Andrei Popa puts himself inside his iPad.


9. Corey Weekley




There's a real sense of fun in Corey Weekley's photo. We especially enjoy the little bit of hair sticking up from behind the iPad.


10. Tim Sismey




Finally, not actually a self-portrait but a portrait of one of Tim Sismey's iPhone developer buddies, this makes great use of multiple iOS devices to create some serious quirk.

More iOS Art Resources from Mashable:

- iPhotography: 10 Pro Tips for Snapping Perfect iPhone Photos
- The Apple Canvas: 10 Outstanding Works of iOS Art [PICS]
- 15 Incredible iPhone Dog Photographs
- 10 Stunning iPhone Sports Photographs [GALLERY]
- 10 Essential Websites for iPhone Photographers
- 10 Incredible iPhone Portrait Photographs

More About: apple, galleries, gallery, ipad, iPad 2, iphoneography, iphonography, iphotography, List, Lists, photography

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Apple Patent Hints at Secondary Display for iPhone

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 02:32 PM PDT


A new patent application for Apple‘s Smart Bezel on its iPhone adds a secondary display arranged in segments around its main touchscreen, offering more controls for the phone without taking up space on the main screen.

In a patent application revealed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday, Apple’s Smart Bezel is an electroluminescent display. It is printed in segments on the front edges of the iPhone, designed to complement the main display.

In the illustrations, there are 12 segments shown, and each would be independently controllable, accepting direct touch input, or calling attention to a required touch input on the main screen directly next to that segment.

This patent application, found by Patently Apple, looks similar to the Smart Bezel idea Apple was toying with earlier this year for its iPad. In that concept, four areas on each side of the screen would serve as a touch-sensitive gesture area, perhaps making up for the patent’s proposed absence of that home button so loathed by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. While Jobs has never been fond of multiple buttons on any of Apple’s products, maybe the possibility of exotic and magical gestures with this 12-segment technology changed his mind.

When will we see this smart bezel? If the rumors of a larger screen on the iPhone 5 are true, there might not be enough space on the bezel for these buttons, unless they’re on the side or the back of the iPhone.

Apple might not have plans to include this tech on the next iPhone or even the one after that. The company simply wants to stake its claim on this idea before any of its competitors do.

Graphics courtesy of Patently Apple

More About: apple, idea, iphone, patent, Smart Bezel

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

How Geolocation Will Revolutionize the On-Site Service Industry

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 02:25 PM PDT

location image

Dave Yarnold is CEO of ServiceMax, a full suite of mobile field service management applications. Follow Dave on Twitter @dyarnold or visit the ServiceMax blog.

Geolocation services are popping up for consumers everywhere, from Uber, which sends a car service to your door two times faster than a cab, to Bizzy, an app that shows you where your friends have dined lately and offers their recommendations.

But what about the enterprise? Shouldn't this revolutionary technology be transforming companies and not just consumer habits? Well, it is. First, cloud computing transformed enterprises by allowing employees to be mobile while staying connected to the office. And now geolocation is furthering the transformation, most dramatically in the area of field service. Field service is best understood as the HVAC technician or equipment repair person who spends most of his or her time on the road, servicing machines and sourcing parts to make repairs.

Until recently, this has been a business run on clipboards, spreadsheets and Post-Its, with techs sent on their routes with little more than a phone to connect with the main office. But new cloud-based mobile solutions can deliver work orders on the fly, provide real-time access to warehouse inventory, optimize scheduling and routing based on location, and enable other features that have a direct impact on the bottom line. With geolocation, the age-old sector of field service suddenly becomes an industry on the cutting edge. Here's a breakdown of the best ways geolocation technology is being put to use for enterprise:

  • Real-time tracking and display of tech location and status. This will finally do away with those eight hour windows to wait for your technician to arrive. Field service managers can pinpoint a tech’s location, analyze his or time time on the road or stuck in traffic, plan his or breaks breaks, etc. This helps dispatchers assign and re-assign jobs based on the technician’s proximity and schedule.
  • Infer delays. Dispatchers can anticipate delays and limited availability, and perform real-time schedule rebalancing and optimization.
  • Tech performance management. Geolocation helps managers see when technicians are straying off routes, taking long breaks, making late starts and ending shifts early.
  • More accurate tracking. Location tracking can also automatically log arrival and departure time for more accurate labor billing.
  • Infer availability for routing tier-two support calls. Not all support calls are top priority. This is reflected in field service scheduling. Rather than tack tier-two support calls to the end of any technician's schedule, geolocation supports better awareness of technician location proximity to those tier-two calls so that they may be assigned based on location, saving technicians some travel time.
  • More efficient driving routes. Location awareness can give technicians updates on driving routes based on traffic and weather delays.
  • Connect your tech team on the road. When on a service call, a technician may have only a limited supply of parts and tools. Geolocation can show which other technicians are nearby. If their inventories are synced, it would be easy to see who has the needed part and connect with them on the road. The system could also indicate the location of the nearest warehouse for additional supplies. This will help get that repair done on the same day and save the customer from having to reschedule. Imagine that the actual parts are geo-enabled so a tech can quickly locate a required replacement in a nearby technician's van stock. Now that's smart field service.
  • Better customer communication. Geolocation and cloud services can also benefit the customer. Imagine a text that can automatically be sent to a customer alerting them when the technician is exactly 15 minutes away. Better technician scheduling also means better dispatcher insight into realistic service timelines. Wouldn’t it be nice to wait for a technician for those 15 minutes rather than your usual eight-hour window?

Geolocation technology is just one of the many innovations that is making its mark on the enterprise and helping companies rethink field service. What developments are you looking forward to? Is geolocation the future of field service? Let us know in the comments below.

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


Image courtesy of Flickr, YayAdrian

More About: business, field service, foursquare, geolocation, social media, technician

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

GramFrame Turns Instagram Photos into iPad Screensaver

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 02:13 PM PDT


Now that Instagram has a public API, developers can dream up alternative ways to showcase the stylistically filtered photos iPhone users love to share.

Developer Chad Etzel has done just that with GramFrame, an iPad app that turns Instagram photos into an iPad screensaver.

The $1.99 iPad app, released Wednesday, is for Instagram members and non-members alike. With GramFrame [iTunes link], popular photos cascade onto the screen in the style to create a vibrant Instagram collage.

Users can log in to their Instagram account from within GramFrame and toggle between popular photos, friends’ photos or their own photos.

In a perfect world, GramFrame would go one step further and allow app users to interact with, “like” and comment on Instagram photos. For now, we’ll settle for this view-only experience as it transforms our iPads into digital photo frames we can use to lean back and glance at the Instagrammed moments from our friends’ lives.

More About: api, gramframe, instagram, ipad app, mobile photo sharing

For more Mobile coverage:

Triscuit Plants Social Network for Home Farmers

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 01:37 PM PDT


Forget FarmVille. Cracker brand Triscuit is attempting to build a social network around actual farming.

Launched quietly earlier this year, homefarming.com claims about 14,000 members. The site features information about recipes related to farming, as well as information on the "home farming movement," which will be celebrated on April 12 a.k.a. Home Farming Day.

What does a box of crackers have to do with farming, you ask? According to a rep for Kraft, Triscuit has sought over the past year to align itself with the “real food” concept. "The effort taps into the trend of people getting back to basics in a tough economic environment and wanting to grow their own food," the rep says, adding that "it's a perfect fit for Triscuit."

Like some other brands, most notably Haagen Dazs's Five and Frito-Lay's Lay's potato chips, Triscuit has recently put a spotlight on the fact that it "starts" from a few basic ingredients — wheat, soybean oil and salt. The jump from simple ingredients to home farming was a fairly logical one. Last year, the brand created 4 million "home farming” Triscuit boxes with plantable herb seed cards. The brand plans to double that number this year.

Triscuit’s goal is a daunting one; creating a social network from scratch, rather than setting one up on Facebook, has proven to be an elusive goal for most marketers. Though weight-loss brands have claimed some success doing so, Walmart, among others, has failed to get user levels into the seven-digit range.

More About: facebook, Kraft Foods, Triscuit. marketing

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

Why You Should Stop Obsessing Over Your Competitors

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:50 PM PDT


Gabor George Burt is an internationally recognized expert on innovation, creativity and strategy development. His book Slingshot explores the connection between systematic creativity and smart strategy. Download your free copy of the first chapter at SlingshotLiving.com.

Steve Jobs certainly gets it. The unveiling of the iPad (and subsequently, the iPad 2) was not merely a product launch, but a defining moment in which Apple shared its grand vision for the consumer electronics marketplace. The company symbolically stepped away from the familiar confines of the PC era, leaving behind its own initial core business along with the competition.

“You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to step away from the shore," said Nobel Prize-winning author André Gide. In Gide's remark, the notion of new discovery is linked to bravery. In today’s marketplace, I would argue that doing something unprecedented is not just adventurous but imperative, and that the far bigger risk is focusing on current competitors as the barometer of strategy. Eliminating competition by trying to beat it is dangerously shortsighted. It deflects the attention and the resources of an organization away from the far more important and exciting question of how to shape consumer lifestyles. 

A great illustration of this predicament is what happened to Kodak in 2003, when it was caught sleeping as the world transitioned from film to digital photography. The company severely misjudged the speed and impact of this transition and its lifestyle implications. As a result, Kodak's core business, in which it was clearly dominating its competitors, was on a fast track to obsolescence. What were the consequences? Well, after 74 years, Kodak was delisted from the Dow Jones Industrial 30 Index of leading American companies in 2004. Kodak then embarked on a radical and painful restructuring to reestablish its relevance. It had to cut 25,000 jobs. It posted eight consecutive quarters of losses through the end of 2006, with a single quarterly loss of as much as $1 billion in 2005. Worst of all, the new reality was that even though Kodak quickly became a leader in digital photography, it was not a sustainably profitable business. In simplified terms, the company's core business shifted from being a monopoly to being a commodity in the blink of an eye, and it had to scramble to reinvent itself.

So instead of trying to figure out how to beat competitors, smart strategy looks to change the rules of competition altogether. To see the distinct mindset and exciting implications of this approach, let's consider an example from the world of sports. The Hungarian national team of the 1950s is widely considered as one of the most successful squads in the history of European football, by far the world's most popular sport. In a six-year span, the team went undefeated (aside from the controversial World Cup Finals in 1954), scoring over four goals a game, and recording the highest rating ever for a national team. They won the 1952 Olympics, and in 1953 decisively beat England 6-3 in the “Match of the Century” in front of 105,000 people at Wembley Stadium.

What was their secret? For one, the management ensured that the Hungarian team was made up of extremely talented players. But it was the team’s groundbreaking strategy that enabled them to reshape the very way the game was played and to leave the competition behind. Instead of playing strictly defined positions, the Hungarians introduced unparalleled flexibility and continuous rotation on the field that other teams simply had no answer to. Moreover, they invented the concept of the “playmaker,” which gave a designated player free reign to improvise and creatively run the team's offense. It was this willingness to go beyond prevailing boundaries rather than compete within them that allowed the Hungarians to elevate the sport to new heights of enrichment for players and spectators alike.

One of my favorite Dr. Seuss stories is about The Zax, imaginary creatures who can only go in one specific direction and are very stubborn. In the story, two Zax, one southbound, the other headed north, happen to bump into each other in the middle of the desert, each perfectly blocking the other's path. Neither of the two is willing to budge, expecting the other to get out of the way first. And they remain there, nose to nose, obsessed with winning the standoff. They become so preoccupied with and consumed by each other's presence that they don't notice the world passing them by — which it does. A new highway is built right around them in the desert. As Dr. Seuss puts it: "And they built it right over those two stubborn Zax. And left them there, standing un-budged in their tracks." Make sure that your strategy doesn't resemble that of a Zax, otherwise you risk getting left behind in the desert.

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

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, shironosov

More About: business, competition, small business, strategy

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

USA Today Considers Giving Writers Bonuses Based on Pageviews [REPORT]

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:40 PM PDT


We’ve heard of blogs paying writers based on pageviews before, but never print publications doling out bonuses based on clicks. However, rumors on the web Thursday report that USA Today will be doing just that.

Big Lead Sports referenced a conference call in which the pageviews-equals-pay idea was outlined. Those are basically all the details available. Gannett Blog (an insider blog about the media company) founder and former USA Today reporter Jim Hopkins told Jim Romenesko at Poynter: “This tracks with something I was told earlier, about reporters getting trained on using Omniture so they can track traffic on their stories.”

As we said, this info is rather thin. We’re reached out to USA Today and Gannett for comment.

Update: Jim Romenesko received the following comment from Ed Cassidy, USA Today‘s vice president of communications and event marketing:

“Jim, USA TODAY has and continues to consider bonuses based on page views but nothing has been decided at this time.”

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, shulz

More About: usa today

For more Media coverage:

Mall World Opens Virtual Fitting Room for Levi’s Curve ID Jeans

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:24 PM PDT


Levi's is getting consumers to try on some jeans — virtually — in a new in-app promotion with the Facebook game Mall World, designed to promote the Curve ID brand.

The promo, which went live Thursday, offers consumers in-game items by engaging in a "virtual fit experience" to find their perfect pair of Curve ID jeans. (The activity consists of matching up your body type to the proper pair of jeans.) Doing so gives an avatar a pair of Curve jeans to wear and display to friends in the game. Mall World, developed by 50 Cubes, claims 5.6 million monthly users. The deal was made possible by WildTangent, which brought its BrandBoost ad platform to Mall World.

In-app ads are becoming increasingly more common as advertisers seek that Holy Grail of social media marketing: engagement. A report this week from another player in the in-app advertising space, Appssavvy — admittedly not an impartial source on the issue — analyzed 170 "social activity" campaigns and found that such campaigns were 11.4 times more effective than display ads. (Paid search ads, meanwhile, were 12.2 times more effective.)

For the purposes of the survey, "social activity" advertising meant sending a virtual gift, playing a branded level within a game, completing a poll or quiz or entering a photo contest, among other activities.

For Levi's, which introduced Curve ID jeans in the fall of 2010, Mall World was a "perfect fit" with the new brand's targeted 18- to 24-year-old demographic, says Bill Clifford, vice president of global ad sales for WildTangent. Clifford says with the promotion, WildTangent is able to guarantee engagement with the brand and "enhance player experience."

WildTangent has more than 30 live campaigns on Facebook on behalf of McDonald's, Sprint and Microsoft, among others. Clifford says it's typical for the campaigns to deliver click-through rates of 10% compared with 0.1% for the average display ad and 0.06% for the average Facebook display ad.

More About: Appssavvy, CurveID, facebook, levis, mall world, WildTangent

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

Google: Social Media Success Will Determine Employee Bonuses [REPORT]

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:17 PM PDT


Google has reportedly applied a new multiplier to staff bonuses for 2011. According to a leaked memo from Google CEO Larry Page, the company is making its social efforts a top priority and will reward all employees if those products are a success — or dock everyone’s bonus if those efforts fail.

Google’s +1, which just launched last week, is the search giant’s most recent and perhaps most relevant social product. Since it’s tied to Google Web Search, +1 has a better chance than most Google social products.

Now we’re hearing that Page is betting heavily on +1 and is staking employee bonuses on that bet, as well.

Business Insider is reporting that Page “sent out a company-wide memo … alerting employees that 25% of their annual bonus will be tied to the success or failure of Google’s social strategy in 2011.”

Even Googlers not involved in building +1 and other social products are asked by Page to test products, give feedback and spread the word about these products to their families and friends. And if this word-spreading and feedback-giving pays off for Google as a whole, each employee’s bonus gets increased by 25%.

Competition in the social space has long been fierce, and given Google’s losing streak (Dodgeball, Wave, Buzz, need we continue?) and its to-the-death battle with Facebook (which doesn’t want to give Google an inch of social ground), Google definitely needed to put some urgency and incentive into its fight for a winning social media product.

But is asking for an all-hands whisper campaign the way to go? We welcome your opinions and comments on the subject.

More About: 1, Google, plus one

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

ESPN Now Streaming Live on iPad or iPhone — to Some Cable Subscribers

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 11:59 AM PDT


Sports entertainment company ESPN has released WatchESPN, a free mobile application for watching live ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com content via iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.

The application’s release comes just in time for sports enthusiasts to catch the Masters this weekend, watch the NBA Playoffs and tune into Major League Baseball games live on their iOS devices. There’s also plenty of live Sportscenter to go around.

The giant caveat here is that WatchESPN is only accessible to Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS TV subscribers. Subscribers to Comcast, Cox, Cablevision and other providers are unable to experience live programming. Cable cutters, of course, are also left out of the live sports-viewing party.

Still, the application works as promised and delivers a high-quality streaming experience with a simplistic and intuitive interface that showcases “Live Now” and featured content, and includes search.

Live streaming TV is far from a novelty, but licensing and streaming rights complications have created a content tug-of-war situation between cable companies and networks.

Independent app makers have mostly tried and failed to circumvent cable companies and networks to bring live television to mobile viewing audiences. More recently, cable companies, including Comcast, Time Warner and Cablevision have released apps allowing their subscribers free access to a combination of live and time-shifted content.

But networks and media companies continue to bump heads with cable companies over content rights. The result is a big mess for end users who are not always guaranteed unrestricted access to network content via cable company apps.

All things considered, if you want to watch live ESPN programming and you qualify based on your cable provider, WatchESPN is the surefire way to go.

The iPhone/iPod Touch version of WatchESPN [iTunes link] is available in the App Store. An iPad-optimized app is scheduled for May release.

More About: ESPN, iOS, ipad app, iphone app, streaming tv, television

For more Mobile coverage:

Homeland Security to Issue Terror Warnings via Facebook & Twitter

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 11:12 AM PDT


Gone are the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s color-coded terror warnings. Two new types of warnings will take their place starting April 27, and they’ll be coming to you via Facebook and Twitter.

Instead of the five threat levels that were originally implemented as part of the Homeland Security Advisory System in 2001, now there will be just two levels — “Elevated” and “Imminent” — according to a Homeland Security plan draft obtained by the Associated Press. When the government determines that issuing a warning will risk exposing U.S. spies or their operations, there will be no warning at all.

The warnings will be issued far and wide but only “under certain circumstances for limited periods of time,” according to the AP. The newest twist is that the messages will also be available on Facebook and Twitter “when appropriate” and only after federal, state and local officials have been notified. There were no further details about how those warnings would be presented.

Commenters, what do you think of this new way of notifying us? Is it needlessly spreading fear or making it more likely that someone could stop terrorists before they do any damage?

More About: Facebook Twitter, homeland security, Terror, trending, warnings

For more Social Media coverage:

Musicians Get a New Daily Deals Site

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 11:09 AM PDT


We all know the cliche: Musicians are poor. They subsist on cereal and dreams. Well, indie musician platform Hello Music has decided to do something about the situation, offering users Hello Music Deals on a variety of musical products.

All one has to do to reap the benefits of these deals is register for the site, which is free to join (if you’re already a member, you can bypass this step). Among other tools that Hello Music offers, you will now find “Deals” at the top of the page.

Deals include savings on instruments, recording equipment, gear, accessories, etc. There will be up to four products featured daily, with deals lasting up to 48 hours (or until products sell out — a few of today’s already have). Discounts can climb up to 70% off.

This new service fits nicely within a growing trend when it comes to music and deals sites. RCRD LBL is primed to launch its deals service, in conjunction with TopSpin Media; Sony recently launched PopMarket, a deals site for collectors; and GroopEase, a savings site for indie, digital music, launched this week.

Photo courtesy of Flickr, southerntabitha

More About: daily deals, hello-music, music

For more Media coverage:

Facebook To Help Users Burned By Profile-To-Page Migration

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 10:33 AM PDT


Facebook now offers a potential solution for users who converted their profiles into pages, only to regret the decision after the fact.

As reported by Inside Facebook, Facebook has created an appeal form for users who want to reverse course on their profile-to-page migration.

As we discussed, the Facebook profile migration tool may leave users with some unintended consequences. Facebook temporarily disabled the tool last week, reportedly because of API strain.

If you are one of the users who, like me, made the ill-fated decision to use the Facebook migration tool, you can fill out this appeal form. Filling it out is not a guarantee that Facebook will be able to reverse your profile, but it is at least as start.

The form page states:

Profile to business Page migrations are meant for profiles that do not represent a person. If you have accidentally migrated your profile to a Page, you can submit your request for a reversal. Please keep in mind that we will remove your business Page if your profile is restored. We may reject any appeals that we deem to be inappropriate. Further, we may not reply to all submitted appeals.

If your appeal is approved, the newly created business page will be removed. Users can still create a new business page for themselves, however, users will need to court fans the old-fashioned way.

Since sharing my own tale of near Facebook suicide, I have heard from dozens of readers who, after suffering the same fate, are looking for reprieve.

We think it’s great that Facebook is making an effort to help users recover their personal accounts. Our advice still stands: Avoid using the migration tool unless you need to convert the page of a brand or business for terms of service reasons.

More About: facebook, facebook appeal, facebook migration, friendfeed facebook support

For more Social Media coverage:

Stabilize Jittery Video on iPhone With SteadyCam

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 10:21 AM PDT


The iPhone just got the capability of being “a professional film camera in your pocket,” if Midnox, the makers of the iPhone app SteadyCam Pro are to be believed.

Can SteadyCam Pro [iTunes link] rival the magic of Steadicam, that professional stabilizing camera mount that’s been used extensively in the film and video production industry since 1976? We plunked down our $2.99 and gave the app a try.

Take a look at this video I shot on an iPhone 4, and you’ll see that the app actually works, smoothing out jitters and bumps. What you’re not seeing in the video is the way the app crashed more often than not, usually after recording for about 60 seconds.

At the beginning of the video, you’ll notice it drops a few frames, something it does within a few seconds of pressing the record button. The frame dropping stopped after a few seconds, though, and the app nicely smoothed out movement in real time.

If its developers could just fix the stability issues, it would be a wonderful addition to the iPhone’s camcorder capabilities. SteadyCam tells us a fix for those crashes around the minute mark is under way, and will appear as soon as Apple approves it.

It’s not a real Steadicam (notice the spelling of the pioneer camera stabilization system, compared to the “SteadyCam” spelling of this app), nor will it turn your iPhone into professional film camera, but its stabilization capabilities are real and impressive.

Here’s video of the app in action from its developers, showing its image stabilization prowess in its most positive light:

More About: hands-on, iphone app, review, SteadyCam Pro, video

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Facebook Launches Open Compute Project [RECAP]

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 10:12 AM PDT


Facebook is buzzing as it prepares to launch a “new technology initiative” with a group of partners from some of the world’s largest companies.

We’re here live at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California, for a press event. Executives from DreamWorks, VMWare, Fidelity, Delta, Dell, Apple and a sea of other companies are here for today’s launch.

We’re not entirely sure what Facebook will be launching today. We do have a few clues, though. There is a giant server rack in the center of the room, so it’s more likely an announcement about computing technology rather than product. The second clue is a tweet from Facebook asking people to tune in for the launch of “a new technology initiative.”

We’re about to find out what’s on Facebook’s agenda.

UPDATE: Facebook launched a cloud computing initiative called “Open Compute Project.” Details below in the live notes.

Here is a live video feed of today’s event, along with my constantly updated notes:

Live Video: Facebook’s Technology Initiative Launch

Facebook’s Technology Event: Live Notes


Zuckerberg unveils new project




Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduces a cloud computing initiative called "Open Compute Project." Photo by Ben Parr


Servers




A giant server rack stands in the middle of the room during the launch event for the Open Compute Project Photo by Ben Parr


Open Compute Project




Facebook plays a promotional video for its new Open Compute Project. You can check it out at the project's new website. Photo by Ben Parr


Comparison




This slide compares typical data center power to Facebook's Prineville data center power. Photo by Ben Parr


Experts discuss Open Compute Project




GigaOM's Om Malik moderates a panel that includes executives from Intel, Dell, Zynga, the U.S. Department of Energy, Facebook and Rackspace. Photo by Ben Parr

All times are in Pacific Time

9:59 a.m.: They are still making everybody wait outside of Faecbook’s offices. It’s a sea of press and technology companies.

10:10: We’re all getting settled. There’s a giant server rack in the middle of the room. It must have something to do with computing.

10:15: Today’s event is about a cloud computing initiative. I’ve figured that out by the titles of the execs that are here for today’s launch. Also, the hashtag is #OpenCompute.

10:18: Mark Zuckerberg has taken the stage. It’s called the “Open Compute Project.”

10:19: Zuckerberg is talking about building more efficient servers. “We’ve found there are a lot of similar hardware designs” for social products, he says.

10:21: There are different ways to design data centers. You can build them yourselves, or you can get the stuff mass manufacturers are making. Zuckerberg has focused on custom hardware for social apps.

10:22: Facebook wants to share all of that progress with the industry. Joint collaboration for developing the hardware that powers social.

10:24: Facebook’s VP of technical operations Jonathan Heiliger has taken the stage. He’s explaining how it designed its first data center. The company’s goal is to have the most efficient computing with the best economics possible.

10:27: Facebook is explaining the concept of PUE. It’s an efficiency metric for data centers. It’s the ratio of how much power goes towards actual computing/servers and the power that goes towards running the building and support structure for the data centers. While the industry standard is about 1.5, Facebook’s Prineville data center is 1.07.

10:29: Facebook is sharing the specifications and design documents that went into all of the hardware technology behind Facebook’s data centers. It includes Server Chassis, motherboards, battery technology and electrical and mechanical technology. Facebook says that these technologies have made its servers 38% more energy efficient and reduced costs by 24%.

10:30: Jay Park, director of Data Center Design, has taken the stage. He is diving deeper into some of the technology behind its data centers. In typical data centers, there is 11% to 17% power distribution loss, but Facebook’s Prineville servers only lose 2%, making them far more efficient. This is done by removing redundant systems and single points of failure, increasing the reliability of the company’s servers as well.

10:35: Park’s explaining the finer points of managing an efficient data center. He’s specifically talking about how to manage the heat generated from the servers. The highlights: First, it uses 480 volt electrical distribution system, providing 277 volts directly to each server. Second, Facebook has localized uninterrupted power supply each serving six racks of servers. Third, Facebook uses a Ductless evaporating cooling system — there are no heaters or air conditioners in its Prineville data center.

10:39: Facebook is now discussing the design of the chassis, the actual individual servers. Facebook designed a custom Intel motherboard, removed unnecessary parts like screws and expansion slots. The result is that its power efficiency exceeds 94.5%.

10:44: Facebook is playing a promotional video for its new Open Cloud Project. You can check it out at the project’s new website.

10:50: Now there is a panel on stage, moderated by GigaOmM‘s Om Malik. The panel includes Intel, Dell, Zynga, the U.S. Department of Energy, Facebook and Rackspace.

More About: dreamworks, facebook, technology

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Leaked Pics Lend More Credence to Rumors of Google Music Streaming Service

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 09:48 AM PDT


Another day, another leak — this time in the form of a developer version of the Android Market featuring Android Music 3.0, which seems to include Google’s rumored music locker.

Blog Tech From 10, which now appears to be out of commission, recently showcased screenshots of the app, reporting that it features playlisting, shuffle and repeat, and a UI very similar to iTunes. The app also reportedly features Google’s much-rumored cloud-based music service, a music locker that we’ve been hearing about for what seems like forever.

We’ve been getting glimpses of the service at a rapid clip, including a video in December, a screenshot in January including a “Sync Music” function, and recent buzzing that Google has been dogfooding the product at HQ.

With Amazon recently releasing its Cloud Player, and the market becoming increasingly crowded with music subscription services and lockers, we wonder if Google will release its competitive service soon. In the meantime, there are always more leaks to tide us over.

Here are some screenshots of the alleged app:

DownloadSquad shows the streaming functionality and caching for offline listening.

This image comes courtesy of Hypebot. As you can see, it features a playlisting option. It also demonstrates that Google employees dig Jared Leto’s band, 30 Seconds to Mars.

This image is from The Guardian. It demonstrates the service’s layout, which looks like iTunes coverflow.

More About: google music, music, rumor

For more Media coverage:

Ad Chronicles Evolution of the Cellphone… in 3D [VIDEO]

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 09:38 AM PDT

Recently at Mashable, we looked at some vintage ads from the early days of cellphones, which compared to some of today's commercials, seem prehistoric. But what about the phones themselves?

As this Vodaphone UK ad shows, the devices have morphed over time from the brick that Michael Douglas toted in the first Wall Street movie to this era's elegant, keyboard-less touchscreen slabs. As a YouTube commenter notes, the final phone is an Android-based model, not an iPhone, leading one to wonder if Vodaphone is trying to make some sort of veiled statement — particularly since the Android mascot makes a cameo at the end. In case you're curious, the carrier does offer the iPhone to its customers.

To achieve the effect, the advertiser used 3D projection mapping techniques, a.k.a. holograms, which project 3D images on a 2D plane. That technology is currently hot with advertisers, but has mostly been used to put 3D images on buildings.

[via AdFreak]

More About: advertising, cellphones, iphone, Vodaphone

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

Hands-On With Bing’s New iPad App [PICS]

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 09:30 AM PDT


Microsoft has released a new tablet-centric version of its Bing search app, Bing for iPad.

The new app takes many of the same features from the Bing search engine and Bing for iPhone, optimizing the interface and user experience for the iPad form-factor.

The new app [iTunes link] provides direct access to maps, weather, trends, news and movies. Users can also easily search the web using voice or text search.

The app is attractive and the layout is well-designed. Users can swipe between different sections of the app by sliding their fingers across the top portion of the screen. This makes it easy to pull up various “pages” or tabs within Bing, without having to rely on a standard navigation or tab bar.

At the bottom of the home screen, Bing offers up easy access to various sections of the Bing service, including Weather, News, Maps, Movies, Trends and Finance. Each section has its own specially designed display.

The news and trends sections, for example, display content in a Flipboard-esque paneled display. This makes it easy to browse new stories or top trends. Tapping an item will open up its web page within the Bing app. Swiping a finger can return users to the main sections of the app or a user can simply tap the Home button next to the search bar.

Like Google, Bing is touting voice search as a big feature for its mobile and tablet apps. Unfortunately, Bing for iPad suffers from the same problems as Bing or iPhone and Bing for Windows Phone 7; that is, it can’t reliably decipher certain words or phrases. The word “Mashable” is consistently difficult for Bing to understand and it’s a problem we’ve faced with the service since 2009. For what it is worth, Google for iPhone, iPad and Android can understand “Mashable” via the voice search feature with no problem.

Although we’re impressed by Microsoft’s efforts with Bing for iPad, we do question how often the app will be used. In some respects, the app seems to want to be a web browser replacement, but it just lacks the full functionality to serve that purpose.

The weather, news and movie search options are useful, but we’re not sure how often users will opt for Bing rather than simply using the built-in iPad web browser.

To us, the app could be more useful if it could hook into third-party apps like Twitter and Facebook and if it would allow users to open a web page in the default web browser.

Check out our gallery to see Bing for iPad in action and let us know what you think of Bing and its tablet strategy in the comments.


Bing Home Screen, Portrait





Bing Home Screen, Landscape





Bing Home Screen Options





Bing Wallpaper Overlay





Bing Weather





Bing Scrolling Instructions





Bing Voice Search





Bing Search Results




Bing for iPad, unfortuantely, isn't any better at deciphering "Mashable" than Bing for the iPad or Bing for Windows Phone 7.


Bing Movie Search





Bing Search




Mashable!


Bing News




Flipboard-style scrolling.


Bing News




Users can browse through selected categories. A thumbnail, brief article description and source are all visible.


Bing News: Article View




Links open up in their own window overlay.


Bing Movies




Bing's customized movie search/display.


Bing Movies





Bing Movies





Bing Top Searches





Bing Video





Bing Video





Bing Video




Playback.

More About: bing, bing for ipad, ipad apps

For more Mobile coverage:

LinkedIn Now Available in Android Marketplace [PICS]

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 09:00 AM PDT


LinkedIn’s Android app makes its debut on the Android Marketplace Thursday, bringing the business social network to millions of smartphone users.

LinkedIn’s Android app first launched in beta in December. At the time, the app included the ability to browse profiles, accept network invitations and search. However, it didn’t include some key features, such as messaging.

LinkedIn for Android v1.0 is the complete experience, though. The app has six main modules: Updates, Search, Connections, Invitations, Messages and Reconnect. Each of these modules is pretty self-explanatory, but LinkedIn has included several additional features such as unified search (the ability to search your contacts and LinkedIn’s entire network simultaneously) and suggestions for people you may want to reconnect with.

There has been incredible demand for a LinkedIn Android application for some time. And while it took the company a little too long to get this app to the Android Marketplace, the bottom line is that LinkedIn is now on the major smartphone platforms (iPhone, BlackBerry and Android), making it easy for its more than 100 million users to access the network on the go.

Check out the screenshots below. If you download the app, let us know in the comments what you think of it.


LinkedIn for Android's Home Screen





Profile Pages





Sharing on LinkedIn for Android





Search





LinkedIn Updates




More About: android, Android App, linkedin

For more Mobile coverage:

Mobile App Development: 10 Tips for Small Business Owners

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 08:47 AM PDT

phone image

Scott Gerber is a serial entrepreneur, syndicated columnist, public speaker and author of Never Get a “Real” Job. The content of this post was sourced from the Young Entrepreneur Council, a non-profit led by the world’s top young entrepreneurs. You can submit your questions to this group on YoungEntrepreneurCouncil.com.

Apps can be traps. Or specifically, time and money pits. Yet in the increasingly app-friendly world where smartphones and web-enabled devices are essential, many businesses can reap bountiful revenues, reach new markets and garner awareness by hopping on the mobile bandwagon.

That said, a business owner shouldn’t produce any old app, nor can you just throw an app online and hope it will be found. You need to have a plan for development, and a plan for marketing. And once somebody downloads your app, it must provide value — otherwise, you can almost guarantee negative comments and feedback. In short, app development is not for the faint of heart.

To help you maximize your mobile potential, I asked a panel of successful young entrepreneurs what to expect during the app development process, what features are best for your business, and the pitfalls to avoid.

1. Deals and Directions

dwivedi imageHave a location-based discount feature — customer has to check in at your location via your app to unlock special pricing.

Oh, and have a “directions” feature so that they can get to your location no matter where they are. “One touch call” and “share it with friends” features also help them connect to you.

- Devesh Dwivedi, Breakingthe9to5Jail.com

2. Create Special Promotions

wong imageOne way to get more sales is by creating an in-app system that rewards people who use the app well and often.

Offer them special deals, discounts, and such. This will help increase loyalty and engagement while also boosting your sales.

- Danny Wong, Blank Label Group, Inc

3. Forget About It

matt image… I think in the vast majority of cases, this is not an investment that will pay [off] unless you can provide massive value through the app and invest significant money in online marketing to drive downloads.

Instead, I would focus on partnerships with local Groupon and LivingSocial-type sites, Facebook Places, Google Places, DealMap, and LevelUp.

- Matt Mickiewicz, 99designs

4. Does It Solve a Problem?

bodi imageMake sure when you create an app that it somehow solves a problem and serves a niche.

People like to use apps that serve a purpose whether it’s information driven, makes them laugh, helps with productivity, etc. When creating an app, think about what you would want out of the app if you were the customer.

- Ashley Bodi, Business Beware

5. Mobile Payments Are The Next Big Thing

macneil imageMobile payments are going to be huge and you have the opportunity to let customers pay with their smart phones before your competitors do.

Check out Square and Intuit GoPayment to see how mobile payment processing works and whether it’s right for you. Promoting that you accept mobile payments will surely show your customers that you’re innovative and ahead of the curve.

- Natalie MacNeil, Imaginari.us

6. Social Media-Friendly Apps

ruby imageI would recommend including social media engagement where real-time interaction is built into the app. This could include live Facebook or Twitter streams.

Also strive to build an app that creates real community amongst your fan base. Allow them to meet each other virtually and build stronger brand evangelists to not only use your app but spread the word about your business! Be social media friendly.

- Kris Ruby, Ruby Media Group

7. Give Them Magical Powers

powers imageBefore you start building an app, make sure you’re not just summarizing your webpage.

Rather, give your customers some kind of magical power to interact with your business with only a few taps. For inspiration, check out how Starbucks lets you interact with Starbucks loyalty cards, while Chipotle lets you almost instantly place an order for pickup.

- Jeffrey Powers, Occipital

8. Make It Share Worthy

bell imageAn app isn’t very effective if only a handful of people are using it.

Build in benefits and features that inspire sharing. People are inclined to share things that are useful. Be sure your app solves a problem your clients have.

- Lisa Nicole Bell, Inspired Life Media Group

9. Focus on Your Audience’s Needs

gilbert imageAsk yourself one simple question: What’s in it for my customer? Why would they want your app?

Does it give them coupons, specials, discounts, behind-the-scenes access, exclusive opportunities? If so, now we’re talking. Reward them, and they shall reward you with their presence.

- Adam Gilbert, My Body Tutor

10. Prepare For the Worst

sadler imageFirst things first, you need to assume your app will get denied and plan an extra two to three months in the approval process.

This isn’t a joke. Your app should be dead-simple to use, should be intuitive to any user and if possible, let them share their experience with friends. One-click purchasing, send to a friend and push notifications for new updates are key features for any good retail app.

- Jason Sadler, IWearYourShirt.com

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

Image courtesy of Flickr, Guillaume Brialon

More About: App, business, List, Lists, MARKETING, Mobile 2.0, mobile app, small business, yec

For more Mobile coverage:

Another Earthquake Hits Japan, “Damn Japan” Starts Trending on Twitter

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 08:41 AM PDT


Almost one month after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami devastated the northeastern coast of Japan, another quake, accompanied by a tsunami warning, has hit the country.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the east coast of Honshu, in Japan’s northeast region, at 10:32 a.m. ET. There have been hundreds of aftershocks in the region since the March 11 quake, but this is by the far the strongest (none of the others surpassed 7.0).

The denizens of Twitter are rapidly spreading the news via the microblogging site, most expressing shock that such an incident has occurred again.

However, oddly, “Damn Japan” has become a worldwide trending topic in the past few minutes. Still, despite the rather negative look of the topic, most tweets are along the lines of: “Damn another earthquake and tsunami warning in Japan? :(”

We’ll keep you updated as we hear more. In the meantime, here’s a roundup of our coverage of social media and technology as it relates to the events in Japan, and ways you can help:

Image courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey

More About: damn-japan, japan earthquake, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

YouTube Video of the Day: Boy Who Cried “Governor” Gets His Wish

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 07:59 AM PDT

File this under “if you cry hard enough, you’ll get your way”: A little boy who racked up Internet fame for a video featuring him shedding bitter tears that he’s “too small” to be the governor of New Jersey has been rewarded.

The AP is reporting that Gov. Chris Christie signed a proclamation Wednesday appointing Jesse Koczon, 5, honorary governor of New Jersey — for one day. His twin brother, Brandon, was made honorary lieutenant governor. Jesse was 3 when the video first hit the web in 2009.

Too bad they didn’t have YouTube when I was a kid. I could have totally fulfilled my dream of meeting David Bowie/being a rock star/being related to Crazy Horse. I was one hell of a crier.

More About: New Jersey, video, viral-video-of-day, youtube

For more Video coverage:

HOW TO: Optimize Your Content for Social Discovery

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 07:03 AM PDT


David Sasson is the chief operating officer of Outbrain, a content recommendation platform that is based in New York. You can follow him on Twitter at @davidsasson.

Since the rise of search over the past decade, few obsessions have run deeper in the world of online publishing than search engine optimization (SEO). In an attempt to grow their audience and gain exposure for their content, publishers have increasingly focused on keeping Google's crawlers well fed with tasty morsels of meta data, keyword repetitions, internal linking and more. But designing websites for crawlers often has a downside; namely, it can lead to a poor experience for flesh-and-blood users. How often have you actually used a keyword tag like the one below to navigate a site and discover new content?

Probably never. It's wasted space cluttering the page, used only to help Google instead of actual readers.

Luckily, this mentality is beginning to change as the sources of traffic into publisher content diversify. While search may have constituted the majority of referrals to a publisher five years ago, we now see it giving up ground in favor of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and through the recommendation of other content creators and curators who link out more frequently than ever before.

This development is great for publishers. Not only does it mean they can return to their emphasis on structuring content for humans instead of crawlers, but the audience engagement levels from these sources is much higher. For instance, across the hundreds of major publisher sites where my company operates, we see that bounce rates (meaning people who consume only one page on a site before surfing elsewhere) from search traffic is generally 14% higher than from other sources. Similarly, time spent on site from search traffic is lower by about 16%.

These changes aren't totally surprising. After all, someone accessing content from search is usually looking for an answer to a question. If Google does its job perfectly, then the person should never need to go deep into a publisher's site to get what they came for. Meanwhile, how do people find great, original content using a search engine if they don't even know it exists? They can't. Search provides wonderful answers to directed inquiries, but it is not the natural starting point for discovering new, interesting content.

This changing landscape, however, means that publishers need to refocus on the larger question of content discovery: How do you create content that will find its way to people who are in browse mode? And equally important, once people come to your site, how do you help them discover great additional stories so they stick around longer? Fortunately, a lot of the tactics required to improve discoverability are a return to common sense principles.

1. Write Better Headlines

Your headlines need to be interesting and feed people's curiosity, not simply focused on keyword density and repetitions. Good titling boosts clicks, especially from social networks like Twitter where users won’t see a blurb or image.

For example, print publishers like Cosmo have known for years that people love lists. This translates to digital, too: "The 9 Reasons We Love Fatty Foods" will pull in audiences, even if you're boxed out on Google for the keyword "foods." (Interesting tidbit: Research on the publishers in my company’s network indicate that odd-numbered lists will net you a 20% increase in headline click-through rates vs. even numbers.)

2. Make It Visual

Add an engaging thumbnail image representing your story. Just as photos draw people into content in newspapers and magazines, a great image goes a long way online. Now that sites like Facebook automatically pull in your thumbnail when people share your story, it's more important than ever to designate engaging images in your page structure in order to capture audience attention from outside and within your site. At my company, we find that when we add thumbnail images as part of an article headline, we see a 27% increase in click engagement and content discovery.

3. Hold On to the Readers You Have

Use your page's real estate wisely. We tend to focus on tactics for drawing new audiences into our content, but it's equally important to think about how to ensure those people quickly find additional great reading material once they arrive. This means analyzing the real value you're getting from each navigational device on the page. Are people using them and clicking deeper into your site? Or are you simply cluttering the page with links that have diminishing returns? Avoid the notion that you can spray paint your way to a work of art. If you're not getting at least 1% engagement on a navigational module, junk it and keep the page clean.

4. Create the Best Possible Content in the First Place

Write great, original pieces. Easier said than done, of course. But now that content discovery is moving more and more into the hands of real people who are sharing it, recommending it and reading more of it once they come to your site, there's a limit to how far you can get through repurposed or aggregated content.

The tactics used to optimize for overall content discovery continue to evolve. While making sure your content is well represented in search will always play a role, SEO should be seen as just one piece in a much larger puzzle. It's now more important than ever to design your content for humans, not just crawlers.

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

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Palto

More About: blogging, business, content, facebook, Google, journalism, List, Lists, publishing, Search, SEO, SMO, social media, tips, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

Tags:

0 comments to "Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Convofy Turns Work Collaboration into a Visual Experience”"

Post a Comment
Newer Post
Older Post