Home � � Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Match.com To Start Screening Members for Sexual Offenses”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Match.com To Start Screening Members for Sexual Offenses”

Posted by Ashim Adhikari on 5:38 AM // 0 comments

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Match.com To Start Screening Members for Sexual Offenses”

Match.com To Start Screening Members for Sexual Offenses

Posted: 19 Apr 2011 04:51 AM PDT


Popular dating site Match.com will start screening its members against the national sex offender registry following a suit from a woman who claims she has been raped by a person she met through the service.

The woman claims she has met a man through Match.com who had six convictions for sexual battery. She claims the man had followed and raped her on their second date, and thinks it could have been avoided if Match.com had the screening process in place. The man plead not guilty, claiming the sex was consensual.

Match.com has agreed to implement the screening process, although the site’s officials still don’t think that screening is the best option to prevent cases such as this one.

“We’ve been advised that a combination of improved technology and an improved database now enables a sufficient degree of accuracy to move forward with this initiative, despite its continued imperfection,” said the site’s president, Mandy Ginsberg, in a statement to Associated Press.

“We want to stress that while these checks may help in certain instances, they remain highly flawed, and it is critical that this effort does not provide a false sense of security to our members,” she added.

The screening process is expected to go live on the site, which boasts some 20 million members across the world, in two or three months.

This outcome of this case could have a big impact on other dating sites as well, which might also start screening its members for sexual offenses.

What do you think? Can the screening process on dating sites help prevent future sexual offenses? Could it give the members a false sense of security? Please, share your opinions in the comments.

More About: dating, Match.com, screening, sexual offenders, sexual offense

For more Social Media coverage:

Most Marketers Plan to Increase Social Media Spend This Year [STUDY]

Posted: 19 Apr 2011 02:54 AM PDT


An overwhelming number of marketers consider social media to be integral to their strategies this year, and 70% plan to increase their social media budget by more than 10% this year, according to a poll from Effie Worldwide and Mashable.

The poll, given to a group of ad agency executives and marketers from firms such as Bank of America, Colgate-Palmolive and Mini USA, among others in February, also found that the primary social media goal is to increase Facebook "Likes."

Speaking on behalf of themselves and their clients, group members reported that social networking would take 11.9% of their overall budget this year compared with 13% for TV. That figure should be taken with a grain of salt, however, since $68.7 billion was spent on all TV advertising last year, compared with just $26 billion for Internet advertising, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau.

Much of that spending will go toward trying to find new Facebook fans, which 35% of respondents said is their main goal in 2011. "Increase our presence on mobile" was number two on that list, coming in at 22%.

    Other findings:

  • Brands that were cited for "effectively getting their message across via social media" include Old Spice (chosen by 15%), Pepsi (8%), Starbucks (7%) and Ford (6%).
  • 50% of respondents said they use a mix of in-house and agency to handle social media outreach.
  • 80% said they were planning iPad-based advertising and/or an iPad-based app this year, while 20% said they were "not planning much” of either.
  • 87% said social media was "important" or "very important" to achieving their biggest marketing goal this year.

More About: advertising, Effies, IAB, MARKETING

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

Retailers Start Selling Wii for $169; Is An Official Price Drop Coming Soon?

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 11:27 PM PDT


Remember those recent reports that a Wii price drop is coming in May? Well, it may come even sooner, as all the major retailers have dropped the price of the Wii to $169.

Amazon, Best Buy, Gamestop, Target and Toys R Us now all list the new price for the standard Wii hardware bundle, which includes a Wii Remote Plus, a Nunchuk controller, Wii Sports and Wii Sports Plus.

The rumored price cut was $50. Nintendo still hasn’t made an official announcement about the price cut, but we doubt all the major retailers chose the same price by accident. It seems we’ll have to settle for paying only $30 less for the console that makes our bodies move.

More About: console, gaming, nintendo wii, Wii

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Take & Share Interactive Panoramic Photos With New Bing iOS App

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 10:57 PM PDT

Let’s say you have a lot of cats, and you want to take a panoramic photo of all your precious pets as they scamper about the room. Well now you can, thanks to Photosynth, a new iOS app from Bing.

The free app (which had previously only been available on the web) is extremely easy to use. Just tap to start, and move your device around the room, tapping to capture images of each and every corner of the room.

When you’re done, the app will stitch together all the images into a 360-degree panorama, which you can then share on Facebook, the Photosynth website (where you can actually mouse around the panoramas) or to Bing Maps. By adding your snaps to Bing Maps, you’ll allow others to see them while surfing maps or business results. The image will also save to your phone’s camera roll.

Aside from appealing to overbearing cat owners, we can see this app being extremely useful to everyone from real estate agents to businesses specializing in visual goods (galleries in particular).

The Photosynth app [iTunes link] is available for the iPhone 4, iPhone 3Gs, iPod Touch Fourth Generation, and the iPad 2 running iOS 4.1 and later and will soon be coming to Windows phones.

Will you check out Photosynth?

More About: Mobile 2.0, mobile apps, photo sharing, photosynth

For more Mobile coverage:

Online-Only Publication Nabs Its Second Pulitzer

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 10:00 PM PDT


ProPublica, an online journalism outlet, was announced today as one of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize winners. This is the organization’s second Pulitzer; its first was awarded in 2010.

ProPublica is an independent nonprofit that syndicates content to various traditional news organizations; however, ProPublica itself operates solely on the Internet. This organization prides itself on its investigative reporting done “in the public interest.”

Last year marked the first time an online-only publication had been awarded the prestigious Pulitzer. ProPublica reporter Sheri Fink was the history-making online journalist to be recognized for her piece on the practice of medicine and euthanasia during and immediately after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans.

This year, ProPublica’s Jesse Eisinger and Jake Bernstein were recognized in the National Reporting category for “The Wall Street Money Machine“, which contained investigative reporting on how certain Wall Street bankers’ actions worsened the financial crisis. Their reporting was done with help from NPR programs Planet Money and This American Life.

The pair was specifically commended for “using digital tools to help explain the complex subject to lay readers.”

Eisinger and Bernstein beat out competitors from Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal. Reporters from those publications were also nominated in the National Reporting category for pieces on the questionable practices of life insurance companies and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, respectively.

Paul Steiger is ProPublica’s editor-in-chief, CEO and president. On the site today, he wrote, “These awards mean a lot to our staff, especially as all of them reflect the judgment of our peers in journalism. … ProPublica was created to spur reform through journalistic means, and to do this by reporting and writing stories with ‘moral force,’ that is, stories about abuse of power or failure to uphold the public trust. That is our mission, and today’s award encourages us to continue it with increased vigor.”

More About: journalism, media, online journalism, propublica, pulitzer

For more Media coverage:

Was One Video Game’s Alternate Reality Marketing Campaign Worth It?

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 09:25 PM PDT


Portal 2, the brain-bending sequel to Valve Software’s 2007 hit is arguably one of the most anticipated video games of the year.

For the uninitiated, Portal is a first-person puzzle shooter. Rather than guns and ammo, the player is armed with an experimental “handheld inter-spatial portal device” that can fire two connecting gateways at a time onto (almost) any flat surface — floors, walls, ceilings. Pass through these moveable gateways to clear obstacles, thwart enemies, and skirt the ire of GLaDOS, the murderous artificial intelligence run amok in the testing facility.

The game’s unsettling plot and jaw-dropping mechanics have earned it critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase. It’s even found a place in college curricula as a way to get students thinking about spatial relations, physics, and existential philosophy.

Anticipation of a sequel has had fans drooling over proposed features (such as multiplayer support) and teaser videos (including the one below) for some time now. And while Valve has made a traditional marketing push in the form of web videos, billboards and TV spots, its final and more subversive campaign has had online gaming communities in a tizzy for weeks.

The campaign began April 1, when a collection of indie games collectively dubbed “The Potato Sack” was released on Steam (Valve’s cloud-based delivery system — sort of an iTunes for video games). Players began noticing strange symbols and coded messages appearing in the games. Savvy users began to connect these “glyphs” to other games — which were receiving new content from Steam — as well as to external websites and real-world locations. A wiki and IRC channel were created by gaming forum denizens to start pooling information about what has come to be known as the Portal ARG (alternate reality game).


Coded messages appear during static-filled transitions in Portal 2 promo videos.

While it’s only been in motion for a few weeks, the ARG is exceedingly complex and tended to unfold in real time, with clues hidden across the web, gaming forums, podcasts, YouTube videos, and the Potato Sack games themselves. Highlights include cryptic blog posts that were deleted soon after discovery, messages in Morse code, clues encoded in the waveforms of audio files, and a handful of interconnected images sent from Gabe Newell, the co-founder of Valve himself, to a few prominent gaming blog editors.


An audio file run through spectrogram analysis reveals the hidden message: WhyMustThereBeSiblingRivalry.

The scope of the campaign cannot be overstated, but you can get the blow-by-blow on the Investigation History page of the wiki.

In the last few days, mounting clues were indicating that GLaDOS, the exceedingly creepy AI villain defeated in the original Portal, was attempting to reboot herself on the Internet and release Portal 2 early with the help of fans engaged in the ARG. A new website appeared, titled GLaDOS@Home, and featured a countdown clock and progress bars for all the games in the original Potato Sack. The more fans played these games on Steam, the faster the clock would tick down, with the promise of an early release for Portal 2.

At the time of this writing, however, the countdown is on track for the original release date of April 19 — in fact, it may even be a few hours late. After countless hours searching, decoding, compiling, purchasing and playing other Steam games, the most dedicated Portal fans essentially get nothing. And some of them are pretty upset.

So has Valve created some of the most epic buzz in gaming, only to shoot itself in the foot by punking its most loyal fans?

“Valve missed an opportunity to craft an ARG that actually let gamers ‘alter’ reality,” says Matt Peckham, a gaming journalist who covered the Portal ARG for PC World. “Instead, they got gamers to pay for their marketing stunt.”

But has that damaged Valve’s image? “I suppose it depends how good (and bug-free) Portal 2 is,” Peckham notes. “You follow a negative event with an overwhelmingly positive one, and people tend to forgive (and forget) their grievances.”

Despite some of the negative sentiment, the ARG may be remembered by fans as a unique an enjoyable experience, despite falling short of the end goal. “While the idea of the game getting an early release is cool, the ARG really is a way for fans — those kind of die-hard fans who actually take the time to figure out these sorts of things — to interact with the game in a different way,” says Andrew Webster, a writer who covers gaming for Ars Technica. “And in that I think it’s a success no matter what. Valve has built up so much goodwill amongst the gaming community that it would take a colossal screw up for something like this to damage its brand.”

Both Peckham and Webster agree that despite the depth and complexity of the ARG, the most ingenious aspect of it was that it got fans to buy and play 13 additional games they might not have on their own volition. “Somehow, while promoting its own game with a massive campaign, Valve still managed to come out the good guy by supporting indie games at the same time,” says Webster. “Not only did the ARG try and get players to play more indie games, but it likely sold a few as well, which is good for the developers for sure, but also for Valve, since it owns the Steam distribution platform.”

“It’s one of the most clever cross-exposure schemes going,” Peckham added.

Fans will likely rejoice around the actual game once it has been released to the masses. But whether enough goodwill remains for future Valve marketing efforts like this is yet to be seen.

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

More About: business, gaming, MARKETING, portal, steam, valve software, video games, viral marketing

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

Startup Helps Local Businesses Serve Deals on Their Own Schedules

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 08:33 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: Thinknear

Quick Pitch: Thinknear automatically adjusts and distributes deals for local businesses depending on how busy the business locations are.

Genius Idea: Using mobile ad networks to distribute deals instead of an app or mailing list.

For every glowing account of a business that turned a daily-deal offer into a successful marketing campaign, there is a cautionary tale of another being run into the ground by an influx of low-paying customers.

Thinknear wants to give small, local businesses an opportunity to promote themselves with deals that help their bottom line instead of hurt it. The company’s product pushes deals to nearby mobile phones depending on a business’s current foot traffic.

On a Tuesday afternoon, for instance, Thinknear might send out a 50% discount for a restaurant that is usually slow during that time. Three hours later, on Tuesday night, it might only take a 30% discount to fill the restaurant. The system learns what works best for each business and adjusts accordingly.

An algorithm also takes into account factors like traffic, weather, and nearby events to automatically decide which deals to push to customers. Deals have a one-hour expiration window to ensure they really do fill the empty slots as intended.

Group buying sites such as LivingSocial and Groupon have ventured into this territory, and both have huge head starts in gaining subscribers and participants for flash deals.

But the real brilliance of Thinknear’s product is that there’s no app, no mailing list, and no sign-up of any kind to receive the deals. Rather, the startup is relying on mobile ad networks to display its deals on the appropriate cell phones.

Only 25% of mobile publishers sell more than half of their inventory, according to a 2010 survey by mobile ad network Mojiva. Thinknear cofounder Eli Portnoy says this makes it relatively inexpensive to push a deal to people within a designated radius. Thinknear also has an API that will allow coupon and deal apps to integrate its deals. Merchants pay a flat fee for the service and are guaranteed a certain number of customers will claim the deal (no purchase required) and show up to redeem it.

Thinknear recently finished the TechStars New York Accelerator program and is currently raising its Series A. It plans to launch its product within the next two weeks.

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: daily deals, group buying, groupon, LivingSocial, local businesses, mobile ads, startup, techstars, Thinknear

For more Startups coverage:

Why Twitter Wants to Acquire TweetDeck

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 07:27 PM PDT


Why is Twitter so interested in acquiring TweetDeck? To answer that question, one has to dig deeper into Twitter’s complicated relationship with “frenemy” UberMedia.

Earlier today, The Wall Street Journal published a story claiming that Twitter is in talks to acquire TweetDeck, the most popular third-party client on Twitter’s platform, for around $50 million. This wouldn’t normally surprise us; however, TweetDeck was reportedly acquired for $30 million by Bill Gross’s UberMedia in February.

There’s a lot of backstory between Twitter and UberMedia. UberMedia, founded just a few months ago as an Idealab company, is the owner of UberSocial, Twidroyd, Echofon and UberCurrent, a combination that accounts for more than 11% of all tweets sent. It was founded by Gross, a serial entrepreneur and Idealab creator. Idealab is the Pasedena-based incubator behind a wide range of companies including Picasa, Compete, Citysearch, eToys.com, Answers.com and Netzero.

There has been recent friction between Twitter and UberMedia. In February, Twitter banned UberSocial and Twidroyd for API violations. This was just weeks after the rumors about the TweetDeck acquisition first hit the wires.

According to two sources close to the situation, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, UberMedia and TweetDeck were indeed talking about an acquisition. But either the deal never closed or it closed and then fell apart shortly afterward.

Then, last week, CNN first reported that UberMedia was building a Twitter competitor, one that could possibly remove the 140-character limit restriction on messages. From what our sources tell us, CNN’s report is accurate: UberMedia has been working on a direct competitor to Twitter. As expected, Gross wouldn’t say anything about the rumors surrounding UberMedia when I visited Idealab last week.

We don’t know very much about the UberMedia competitor, but we don’t believe Gross’s goal is to destroy Twitter. Instead, it’s more likely UberMedia’s Twitter competitor is a backup plan in case its apps get banned from Twitter’s platform for some reason. Our belief is that Gross would much rather work with Twitter than compete with it.

That brings us to today’s rumors about Twitter’s interest in TweetDeck. Recently, Twitter’s Ryan Sarver advised developers not to create Twitter clients that reproduce “the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience,” so it’s natural to think that Twitter is simply trying to consolidate its fragmented ecosystem by acquiring TweetDeck.

However, this acquisition is more likely a defensive move by the microblogging platform to keep TweetDeck out of UberMedia’s hands. Twitter simply doesn’t want one company controlling more than 20% of the ecosystem; that acquisition would give UberMedia way too much leverage and influence over Twitter’s platform. That’s why Twitter is willing to dish out $20 million more than UberMedia’s initial offer to TweetDeck.

Now for the big question: How will this piece of Twitter theater end?

The answer to that question lies with TweetDeck founder Iain Dodsworth, who will ultimately decide whether he wants to sell. He hasn’t confirmed or denied any rumors yet, but we’ve reached out to him via email and will update you if and when he responds.

More About: Bill Gross, tweetdeck, twitter, UberMedia

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

80+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 04:57 PM PDT

social_media_events_guide1

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

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

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

Upcoming Mashable Events

Mashable 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.

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 1-3, 2011, Washington, D.C.: Under the theme 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers, World Press Freedom Day will affirm fundamental principles of media freedom in the digital age—the ability of citizens to voice their opinions and access diverse, independent information sources—20 years after the original declaration was made. Professional and citizen journalists struggling to promote accountable governments and informed publics will look for support and inspiration, as the panels highlight innovative media platforms that are democratizing how people gain and share information – rights that now more than ever must be protected. 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, New York, NY: Co-created by Jeff Pulver of the 140Conf organization and Fashion Snoops, Fashion140 is a brave collaborative inquiry into how the real time web and social media are reshaping the fashion and style-related industries, now!. With over 50 speakers from Facebook, Twitter, Google Boutiques, Gilt Group, Urban Outfitters, Bonobos, Hautelook, Kmart Fashion, Miss Universe, Time Inc and many others, our goal is to create together a unique global perspective of the fashion industry and its future. For more information and to register, please click here.

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 5, 2011, New York, NY: DIGIDAY:TARGET will bring together the leading agency, brands, content and technology companies to examine and explore the innovations and the future of the audience targeting and measurement for media and marketing to consumers. The event will take a deep dive into the issues brands and agencies face as they enter this next frontier of advertising and marketing to improve their bottom line. Attendees will learn about the latest advances in cross platform technology, targeting, strategies, tactics that agencies, publishers, and brands can use to improve their communication and ROI among today’s consumers who spend more of their lives in the digital space.

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, San Francisco, CA: The SF MusicTech Summit brings together 800+ visionaries in the music and technology space, along with the brightest developers, entrepreneurs, investors, musicians, service providers, and journalists who work with them at the convergence of culture and commerce. We meet to discuss the evolving music/business/technology ecosystem in a proactive environment. Mashable readers can receive an exclusive 10% discount when they register and use the promo code Mashable. For more information and to register, please visit http://sfmusictech.com.

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 unrivalled Keynotes, including speakers from Facebook, Google, Nike, eBay and many more, it's the only place to get exclusive insight… all for free! With over 300 solution providers and more than 100 seminars, Internet World attracts over 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 12-13, 2011, Seattle, WA: As companies like Netflix, Zynga, AT&T and Disney Gaming start embracing HTML5 for their native and web based games and apps on platforms as diverse as Playstation, iOS and Google TV, then whether you’re a web, mobile, or casual game developer, it’s time to start taking HTML5 seriously. This is what Unplugged is all about. So, to keep up to date with this increasingly indispensable technology, come to Seattle in May, and learn from world leading experts in mobile and app design and development. Mashable readers can save $100 when registering with the promo code Mashable – just $695 before April 31st!

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 Expo 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 6, 2011, New York, NY: At Realtime NY 11 leading brands, government agencies and non profit organizations will present case studies and best practices for using the realtime web to deliver bottom-line results. Learn how to use realtime, social and mobile applications to drive revenue, build your brand, and listen to stakeholders. Discover how to find and engage influencers, and explore the value of social commerce and geolocation-based promotions. Realtime NY 11 will feature speakers who are pioneering and managing social media, mobile and realtime strategies for leading brands, including PepsiCo, IBM, Citibank, Delta Air Lines, McDonald’s, Gatorade and more. Register with the promo code MASHABLE to save 20%.

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: Join the most accomplished search marketers in the world – Search Marketing Expo – SMX Advanced Seattle. Check out the full agenda, featuring two days of experts-only sessions, keynotes and the highest-level networking anywhere. Don't wait – SMX Advanced has sold out 4 years running. Register with partner code smx100mashable and you'll save $100 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%.

August 1-3, 2011, San Antonio, TX: The eduWeb Conference is the event for you to meet, share, explore, and learn from your higher education peers on topics including mobile apps, branding, web site analytics, social media strategic planning, and web development. eduWeb offers four tracks: marketing communications; design and development; social media; and information architecture. Register with the promo code 11Mash and save $50!

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: Search and Social Hawaii 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 5-6, 2011, Seattle, WA: The first annual Seattle Interactive Conference is a two-day event celebrating the convergence of online technology, creativity, and emerging trends in one of the world’s most innovative cities. SIC brings together entrepreneurs, developers and online business professionals from throughout the U.S. and beyond for a powerful combination of in-depth presentations, networking opportunities, and uniquely Seattle social events. Attendees have the rare opportunity to explore disruptive technologies and business models with visionary thinkers and peers in areas ranging from online commerce and social media to gaming, interactive advertising, entertainment, and much more.

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 17-18, 2011, New York, NY: Pivot is the only conference focused purely on how major brands, agencies, marketers and content creators can succeed by understanding, accessing and influencing the emerging Social Consumer. Hosted by Brian Solis, a noted social marketing consultant to major brands worldwide and author of Engage, the self-help handbook for winning the new marketing game, Pivot delivers two full days of unique content and experiences that illuminate the altered marketing landscape, delivered by transformational thinkers, technologists, entrepreneurs and entertainers. Register with the promo code MASH20 and save 20%!

October 26-27, 2011, Sofia, Bulgaria: The only digital industry event for Central and Eastern Europe and one of industry’s premier events in Europe. At the Webit Expo & Conference, more than 6000 people from the CE Europe’ digital ecosystem gather together. Amazing line up 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 Events Guide

For more Social Media coverage:

Google Users Become Editors of the Map of the United States

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 04:56 PM PDT


Nearly three years after first releasing Map Maker, Google is finally ready to let its users edit and add to the map of the United States.

Google Map Maker is a parallel version of Google Maps that accepts user contributions and map edits. When approved by moderators, edits are published to Google Maps and are pushed live to all users.

The Map Maker tool has been used in 183 countries and regions around the world, and users have been actively adding the next level of detail — roads, universities, bike paths, pools and the like — to their towns. In 2008, roughly 15% of the world’s population had online maps of their neighborhoods via Google Maps. Today, that percentage has jumped to 30% thanks to user contributions via Google Map Maker.

Tuesday, Google is making the entire United States map available for editing. The three-year wait, explains technology lead Lalitesh Katragadda, was due to two primary factors. Google chose to first make map editing available in parts of the world that needed detailed maps. The company also wanted to ensure its moderation and editing processes could scale to meet higher demand. After all, he explains, the live version of Google Maps in the U.S. sees millions of visitors daily.

The processing of editing the U.S. map is not without its checks and balances. Anyone Google user can sign in and zoom in to a region to add a map point or draw an entity — a newly constructed swimming pool, for instance. Once an edit is saved, it is reviewed by a moderator and posted to the live version of Google Maps within seconds upon approval.

Google employs a hybrid moderation system to ensure the accuracy and quality of Maps edits. There’s a small in-house moderation team, but most of the moderation is managed by power Map Maker users who have graduated to become a part of the moderating community.

“Users are best served by having complete details,” says Katragadda. “The only way to get there is to have users doing it.”

Google is also adding a few new features to Map Maker. Beginning Tuesday, Map Maker will integrate with Street View so users can use imagery to help guide their edits. Plus, there’s now additional advanced search options.

Now that Google is giving us all the ability to become editors of the map of the United States, one can only hope that we wield our new digital cartography powers wisely.

More About: Google, Google Map Maker, Google Maps

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Digital Coupons Outperform Print Coupons But Cost More [REPORT]

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 03:20 PM PDT


Digital print-at-home coupons get more first-time buyers to try a product, but they aren't as cost-efficient as standard coupons, according to a new report.

Analyzing data from a panel of 23 million loyalty card shoppers from 2008 to 2010, Knowledge Networks found printable digital coupons generally performed better than standard coupons. The company reports that such coupons were more likely to attract new consumers — 46% of digital coupon redeemers hadn't bought the product before, compared with 34% of standard coupon redeemers. Overall, digital coupons drew more new buyers than print coupons did by a margin of 35%.

Digital coupons also drove incremental redemptions (purchases that wouldn't have occurred without the coupon) at a greater rate — 77% versus 68%.

But such coupons yield 18% less return on investment than standard coupons, the study found. Knowledge Networks attributed the lower ROI for digital coupons to the "historically low distribution costs" for standard print coupons. According to the report, Baby Boomers and large families were the biggest users of both types of coupons.

The report, which will be released Tuesday, is available here. The research did not look at mobile coupons.

Image courtesy of Flickr, sds2027

More About: Digital coupons, MARKETING

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

Apple Sues Samsung Over Galaxy; Are Other Tablet Makers Next?

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 03:00 PM PDT


In a patent suit filed Friday, Apple claims that Samsung’s line of Galaxy tablets and phones willfully infringe on its own patents. Apple is seeking injunctions as well as actual and punitive damages.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, which runs on Android, was released late last year. Apple claims the tab infringes on iPad patents and that the Galaxy S looks and feels a little too similar to the iPhone.

The lawsuit doesn’t detail the damages it is seeking, but it also doesn’t pull any punches. A sample: “Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smartphone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products.”

That kind of language suggests Apple may ask the courts to pull the Samsung Galaxy products from the shelves. And given that the Galaxy Tab is not dissimilar to other Android devices, such as the Motorola Xoom, this may be the beginning of a concerted effort to hobble the iPad’s competitors for what Apple sees as infringement.

“This kind of blatant copying is wrong,” Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet added in a statement. “We need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”

We will update with more details from the lawsuit as they come in. What do you think? Does the Galaxy Tab copy Apple’s technology? Are there features that make it more similar to the iPad than other Android tablets? Let us know in the comments.

More About: apple, galaxy tab, ipad, iphone, samsung, samsung galaxy s

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Zillow Joins LinkedIn, Pandora In Upcoming Tech IPO Boom

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 02:24 PM PDT


Real estate mapper Zillow has just become the latest Internet company to put an IPO into the pipeline. The company filed a statement with the SEC that will let it sell more than $50 million of stock.

The Seattle-based company, which maintains interactive maps of house prices, did not reveal how many shares it would sell or what price it would sell them at. But its S-1 form indicates it generated $30.5 million in revenue in 2010, a 75% growth over the previous year. Zillow isn’t profitable yet, but it is closing the gap. In 2009, the startup had a net loss of about $21.2 million. In 2010, it lost $6.7 million.

Zillow is only the latest tech company to file for an IPO. Demand Media filed in August 2010, LinkedIn filed in January 2011 (it finished 2010 with $243 million in revenue), and Pandora filed in February.

Goliath revenue generators Facebook and Groupon are expected to join the public market soon.

Like Zillow, neither Demand Media nor Pandora were profitable when they filed. But they were closer to hitting the black in proportion to their overall revenue. Pandora filed with a net loss of $300,000, and Demand Media filed with an net loss of $6 million.

Zillow’s relative size and lack of profitability is not necessarily an indicator of its chance at success. Zipcar filed its IPO with similar revenue and net losses to Zillow last June. Its shares rose 56% last Thursday when it went public.

There is a heated debate over whether or not the next tech bubble is upon us — and this round of IPOs, whenever it happens, could provide the answer.

More About: Demand Media, ipo, linkedin, pandora, tech bubble, zillow

For more Startups coverage:

Twitter In Talks To Buy TweetDeck [REPORT]

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 02:06 PM PDT


Twitter is in talks to purchase TweetDeck Inc. for $50 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.

TweetDeck is one of the most popular third-party Twitter clients, available in desktop, iPad, iPhone and Android versions. It displays your Twitter news feed, @mentions and direct messages, along with your Facebook feeds — all on the same screen, all updating in real time. TweetDeck can also support updates from MySpace, LinkedIn and Foursquare.

The 15-person company, based in the U.K., has never revealed how many users TweetDeck has. The number may be small — but it is also likely to include the most obsessive power users in social media.

The report comes days after CNN reported that UberMedia, the company behind Twitter clients Echofon and Twidroyd, was working on a potential Twitter competitor. Earlier this year, TechCrunch reported that UberMedia was in talks to purchase TweetDeck for $30 million.

Since that report, both companies have been tight-lipped regarding any sort of acquisition.

If Twitter were to acquire TweetDeck, it could cut down on the number of power users that UberMedia is looking to bring into its competing service. Whether or not the acquisition goes through, this news could be seen as Twitter firing a shot across UberMedia’s decks.

More About: acquisitions, social media, tweetdeck, twitter

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

HOW TO: Create a Printed Album From Your Digital Photos

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 01:59 PM PDT


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

Mobile photo sharing services like Instagram and Picplz continue to be a big app trend in 2011. Users love taking photos, applying effects and sharing their digital creations with friends and family members.

Sometimes, however, a digital copy just isn’t enough. As great as digital photographs are, there is still something special about a physical, printed photograph. Fortunately, creating physical albums and books from a digital photo library is easy and affordable.

We’re approaching the spring/summer gifting season (Mother’s Day, graduation, Father’s Day), which means that now is a great time to start making physical mementos out of digital memories.

Getting Started

The first step in creating a print album or photo book is to determine what photographs you want to use.

If you use photo management software like iPhoto, Aperture, Lightroom, Picasa or Windows Live Photo Gallery, finding and sorting photos for your album can be fairly straightforward.

Users who primarily upload all photographs directly to a service like Facebook or Flickr can use free web or desktop tools to download photos and photo sets in bulk.

For Flickr, the Adobe Air application Flump is an easy way to download sets and photos in bulk. For Facebook, we like Photograbber. Once you’ve downloaded the original files, you can either create a folder that contains the photos you want to use or you can import those photos into photo management software.

If you aren’t creating your book using built-in tools in your photo manager (like iPhoto, for instance), the next step is to export the photos you want to use for your book. The easiest way to do this is generally to create a new album or set in your favorite photo app and then export those photographs to a folder on your desktop.

Keep in mind that when printing digital photos, it helps to have the highest resolution source file as possible. That means that it’s important to export the photos you want to use for your album in full resolution. It also means that photos taken with a smartphone camera or using apps like Instagram — which reduce the fidelity of an image — may be more pixelated when printed out.

Picking a Service

There are literally dozens — if not hundreds — of services that offer to create digital photo albums and printed books for consumers. Some of the most popular services include SnapFish, Shutterfly, MyPublisher and Apple’s photo book service.

If you want to read an extremely in-depth review of 15 different photo book services, check out this write-up from Digital Home Thoughts. The author of the article had specific requirements that he wanted to satisfy that may not be applicable for all (or even most) users, but it’s a worthy read for anyone looking to choose a printing service.

Anecdotally, I will say that the photo book products I have ordered from Apple via iPhoto and Aperture have been of high quality. My parents still rave about a book I made them three years ago.

iPhoto ’11 (Mac)

If you are a Mac OS X user, one of the easiest ways to create a photo book is to use the built-in iPhoto app.

iPhoto has had support for printed photo albums for a number of years and the most recent version, iPhoto ’11, includes some added templates and additional book options.

To start creating your album in iPhoto, simply select an event or album and click on the “create” button. Choose “photo book” and then select what template you want to use or customize.

By default, iPhoto will assign images to different photo spots in the book. You can edit what photos are in what place and switch between layout choices at will. The software also lets users include captions in certain templates or you can add your own text fields.

Once you have finished creating your book, you can place your order using the “purchase book” link from within the application.

Don’t be afraid to be creative with your layout options or how photos are cropped. iPhoto will also let you easily edit photographs once placed in the book, which is nice if you see a last minute crop or red-eye situation that needs addressing.

Apple sells hardcover, softbound and spiral-bound books in various sizes.

Windows Live Photo Gallery 2011 (Windows 7)

For Windows users, Microsoft’s Windows Live Photo Gallery 2011 is a great free program from the software giant. The photo and video manager lets users make minor photo edits, apply effects and publish photos directly to third-party networks like Facebook or Flickr.

Back in September, Microsoft and Inkubook released a free plugin for Windows Live Photo Gallery to make creating photo books quick and easy.

After downloading the free plugin, users can start the book creation process on the PC. The app lets users select what photos they want to include and which template the book will use.

The app will then upload the photos in full resolution to Inkubook’s servers, where the customization process starts. Users can customize how they want the book to look and what captions to add to an album.

When finished, the final product can be ordered online. As of April 18, 2011, Microsoft and Inkubook are running a buy-one, get-one-free book promotion for Mother’s Day, which lets users get one book for themselves and free copy for mom. Use the code “MSFTMOM” at checkout to redeem the offer.

General Tips

Like any creative endeavor, building a photo book can be a subjective process. Having successfully made some books over the years, here are some of our tips:

  • If photos aren’t taking up complete pages, make sure that background mats contrast well with photo edges or borders.
  • If you aren’t creating a book within a photo app, don’t add your own borders — use the border options from the printing service instead.
  • For optimum printing results, keep photographs at 200 pixels per inch or higher. This may mean that cropped photos can’t (or shouldn’t) be printed full page.
  • Don’t be afraid to be creative with how photos are aligned and laid out.
  • Be aware of what fonts and colors you use for text. Avoid typing text directly on photographs and use captions or side notes instead.
  • If your project could be on the expensive side (read: 35 or more pages), consider doing a test run with just a few pages to see how the service works first.

Your Picks and Tips

What are your tips and tricks for creating a physical digital photo album? Let us know in the comments.

Series Supported by Adobe Photoshop Elements

The Digital Photo and Film Series is supported by the Adobe® Photoshop® Elements product team. Adobe's® photo-editing software delivers powerful options that make it easy to create extraordinary photos, unique print creations, quickly share memories in online albums, and automatically organize and help protect your photos. Download a free trial of Adobe® Photoshop® Elements® 9 to try it out!

More Photography Resources from Mashable:

- iPhotography: 10 Pro Tips for Snapping Perfect iPhone Photos
- 15 Incredible iPhone Dog Photographs
- 7 Superb Short Films Shot With Cellphones
- 10 Essential Websites for iPhone Photographers
- 10 Incredible iPhone Portrait Photographs

More About: Digital Photo and Film Series, iPhoto, photo albums, photography, picasa, windows live photo gallery

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Deals Site for Fashion & Music Joins the Group-Buying Fray

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 12:43 PM PDT


Aimed at an “elite group of influencers,” deals site 1band1brand launched at SXSW in order to offer users discounts on select music and fashion/design brands.

The site was conceptualized by 138 Music & Entertainment, a marketing and branding company for music. “This all was born after hosting emerging musicians in my brother's house bi-monthly and thinking we could make weekly introductions online without audience limitations of the size of his living room,” says Kyle York, who works for 138 and also is VP of sales and marketing at Dyn.

1band1brand is a rather simple concept: Merely sign up to receive notifications on deals, no member invite required. (It’s also different from Groupon, as you can get a deal regardless of how many people sign up.)

Each week, the site features one indie band, which will offer a mixtape on Bandcamp on a freemium pay scale (you can name your own price), as well as an indie fashion brand and a discount on its wares. Artists get a 50/50 revenue share with the site.

“Our approach is unique,” York says. “Although we're looking for a large number of subscribers, our site won't be for everyone. We are looking for socially connected young adults who will use their influence and share the overall concept as well as the bands and brands.”

“We basically have a thorough discovery and diligence process where we line up bands and brands individually and then present them together (after pairing) each week with a semblance of relevance to one another,” he says. “They need to have a professional brand, be emerging, have online distribution and a following.”

York says the service hopes to expand its brand in the future, possibly with merchandise, collaborations and live events.

Much like “Gilt for indie music,” GroopEase, we can see this service being a boon to unknown bands. However, we like that GroopEase lets users download one free track, a feature that 1band1brand lacks.

“We saw an opportunity to help on-the-rise bands and brands break through the clutter and reach people who are busy and may not have the time or energy to cut through that same clutter,” York says. “1band1brand makes the introduction, encourages the interaction and motivates the advocacy through our online experience.”

Image courtesy of Flickr, sashafatcat

More About: 1band1brand, fashion, MARKETING, music

For more Media coverage:

HOW TO: Make Your QR Codes More Beautiful

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 12:42 PM PDT

qr cork image

Hamilton Chan is CEO and founder of Paperlinks. With the free Paperlinks iPhone app, featured previously by Apple as the #1 New & Noteworthy app, consumers can scan and view QR code content with a native app experience. Paperlinks also provides a powerful platform for generating QR codes, hosting content and tracking their performance.

The QR code: A thing of beauty or an eyesore? The magical barcodes that can be scanned by a smartphone to launch an offline-to-online experience are often criticized for their black and white checkerbox appearance. Those who doubt that QR codes will go mainstream are quick to point out that the look of QR codes will deter marketers and advertisers from using them.

Fortunately, QR codes are malleable and can be redesigned in truly extraordinary ways, while still maintaining their scanability. The truth is, QR codes no longer have to be checkerbox in appearance. We've entered a new phase of "designer codes" that can be integrated into marketing campaigns in an attractive way that isn't an eyesore.

QR codes have so much potential from a design perspective, so let's take a look at a few tricks and techniques you should keep in mind when designing a code to enhance your brand and appeal to your audience.

1. Add a Color Palette

The easiest way to add branding power to your code is to add color to it. Your QR code does not have to be standard black and white in order to be scanned. You can embed multiple colors and apply a color gradient without affecting scanability. The only rule of thumb is that the code color should generally be dark and placed against a light-colored background. Make sure the contrast is sufficient, or the code will be difficult to scan.

A "reversed out" code, where the background is dark and the boxes are light colored, is generally not recommended. Only a small handful of QR code readers can treat such codes as a film negative and properly interpret the data.

2. Soften Hard Edges with Round Corners

blue qr image

One of the QR code's greatest aesthetic flaws is its numerous hard edges. You can dramatically lessen the severity of this look by strategically rounding some corners. It is not necessary to round all of the corners, but softening up the edges will definitely make the code appear more friendly and approachable.

3. Incorporate Dimensionality for 3D Impact

One high impact way to brand your QR code is to obstruct some of the boxes with imagery, such as a logo. By placing an image in front of the code, you imbue the code with a sense of depth. An ordinary barcode suddenly becomes a form of artwork, and you can really make a statement with the way you melt boxes together or choose to obstruct aspects of the code.

Fun ideas include adding a logo to the center of the code, but you could also add interesting elements to the corners or the sides for an even less standard look. Adding images or characters between the boxes is another playful way to dress the code with personality and style.

4. Use QR Codes With 30% Error Correction

green qr image

If you decide to add in a logo to create a 3D feel for your QR code, you need to decide which part of the coding to obstruct with your logo. The key to creating these eye-popping designer codes is to take advantage of the fact that up to 30% of a QR code's data can be missing or obstructed, and still be scanned. QR codes can be generated with 0%, 10%, 20% or 30% error correction rates built in. Building in the 30% error correction rate adds more noise (extra boxes) within the code, but those extra boxes within the code can then be removed to make way for a logo or other interesting imagery.

If you use a QR code with 0% error correction, the code will look more streamlined, but opportunities to brand the code by adding in a logo are very limited. Removing or obstructing a single box within a 0% error QR code could render it unscannable.

Apply a Trial-and-Error Process

cork qr image

Technically, it is possible to mathematically compute which boxes in a QR code are the buffers that can be removed, but such computations are generally unnecessary. By applying a simple process of trial-and-error, anyone can begin applying their design techniques to a code and then test for scannability.

Be sure to test your code's scannability with multiple QR readers, ideally three or four. Some readers may be able to overcome some stylistic elements of your designer code, whereas others will not. Deploying your code without testing for scannability is designer malpractice and can cause serious heartache with clients. It is true that even with reasonable precautions, designer codes may still be difficult to scan, so you must always weigh the costs of scanning difficulty against the benefits of designing a code that is eye-catching. If a designer code takes more than a few seconds to scan, it probably needs to be redesigned.

Conclusion

In the end, creating branded QR codes is as much art as it is science. The mathematical qualities of a QR code and the impact of a clever design can truly elevate a QR code to the point where the code becomes the central artwork of a piece of marketing collateral. Applying designer best practices will enhance scanning conversion rates and effectively augment an offline item with online capabilities.

It is only a matter of time before QR codes hit mainstream. Knowing how to innovate both in technology and design, and how to implement a QR code in the right way for your business, will keep your brand on the cutting edge of marketing and technology.

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

More About: 2d, code, design, Mobile 2.0, qr code, tech, technology

For more Dev & Design coverage:

Music Monday: Laptop Band Connects With Artist via YouTube to Create Painterly Music Video

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 12:03 PM PDT

The Internet can be a powerful tool when it comes to collaborations between artists of all ilks. Laptop band Project Jenny, Project Jan harnessed said power when it set out to create a video for its new song, “Lucky Me,” producing a lovely, painterly vid courtesy of a Turkish artist the band had never met.

“Lucky Me” comes off of the band’s new album, Home Sweet Home [iTunes link], which came out earlier this month. The band comprises singer Jeremy Haines and programmer/keyboardist Sammy Rubin, who met in college and decided to start a band when they both moved to New York. (Trivia: Haines also appeared in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist as a musician called Are You Randy.) This is the band’s fourth album.

“A friend of ours was looking for videos which showed the marbling technique,” Haines says of the video for “Lucky Me.” “We saw one that was done by Hikmet Barutçugil, a master of the art form, and instantly fell in love.”

The band contacted Barutçugil and sent him the song. They asked him to come up with images for certain sections of the jam, and the artist cranked out the gorgeous paintings above for the video — premiering Monday exclusively on Mashable — without ever having met the guys on Project Jenny, Project Jan. Casey Brooks edited the video.

If the style of painting in the vid looks a bit unfamiliar, it’s because it’s an art form called “Ebrû,” or “marbling,” — a kind of aqueous surface design. The designs that Barutçugil forms in the video are composed of color floated on water, altered with special instruments.

Rubin admits that he’s not much of a techie: “I use it first and foremost as a composition tool,” he says. “Beyond that I’m not much of a tech junkie. I’m usually a step or two behind the latest gadgets and gizmos and software.” But the idea of using outlets like YouTube to connect with other artists is certainly one that other musicians could crib.

Bands: What are you favorite social media tools for collaboration?

More About: music, project-jenny-project-jan, video, youtube

For more Media coverage:

YouTube Video of the Day: Child Crazy Dancing in the Apple Store

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 10:24 AM PDT

I don’t know about you, but the incredibly tense mood that shrouds the Apple Genius Bar always makes me feel like erupting into spontaneous convulsions. Luckily, a kid named Trevor feels the same way.

Apparently, this dancing child has been busting moves all over Apple stores for a year now, but — thanks to the above clip (and an obligatory dance to “Friday”) — he has become Internet famous, garnering more than 1 million views in April alone.

Maybe Apple should hire the little dude for its next run of iPod commercials.

More About: Apple Store, music, trevor, viral-video-of-the-day, youtube

For more Video coverage:

How Non-Profits Can Maximize Engagement on Facebook

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 10:03 AM PDT


The Facebook Marketing Series is supported by Buddy Media. Eight of the world’s top ten brands use the Buddy Media Platform to power their social marketing on Facebook. Find out why here.

heart imageIt’s important for any digitally-minded non-profit to be on Facebook because of the sheer number of active users. So, great — you set up a Facebook account for your organization. Now what?

Best practices are pretty variable when it comes to social media. This is especially true with Facebook, which switches up its appearance, services and features every few months. We did our best to put together some of the best approaches for non-profits, with some serious help from three social media mavericks at top causes.

Read on for some dos, don’ts, and a golden rule or two for how non-profits can better utilize Facebook.

How Facebook Can Help You

nwf story

“We have to remember that Facebook was not made for non-profits,” says Danielle Brigida, the digital media marketing manager at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). “Unlike Twitter, it is very hard for an organization to foster any individual relationships on Facebook, and it is almost best used as a discussion tool or for broadcasting.”

This certainly doesn’t preclude the ability to have conversations with your audience. However, the format does change how and what your audience will respond to. A question about IT staffing on Facebook may result in crickets, but that question would perform well on LinkedIn, says Holly Ross, executive director of the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN). “But if we ask our Facebook group what kind of music we should add to our hold lines, we’ll get twenty responses in an hour.” Ross sees NTEN’s Facebook community as a virtual water cooler — great engagement is about knowing what your community wants from your various social media profiles.

Golden Rules of Facebook for Non-Profits

livestrong image

“Ask open ended questions and use [Facebook] as a two-way street,” says Brooke McMillan, Livestrong‘s online community manager. “Always stoke conversation between you and the fan as well as fan-to-fan. We’ve seen some of the most supportive comments in the fan-to-fan relationship.” McMillan has helped build a vibrant online support community on Livestrong’s Facebook page, which has become a key component of Livestrong’s online identity. On the tech side, McMillan recommends posting at least once a day or as often as your organization has fresh content.

For Brigida (NWF), her golden rule is actually the age-old golden rule: “I engage with people how I want to be treated on Facebook,” Brigida said. “I don’t post things that will not engage our members … or overshare.” The NWF has specific audience pages — for photographers, teachers, gardeners and more — which Brigida targets from message to message. Understand that your community may be interested in different facets of your organization and tailor your posts to those niches.

Definitely Do Not Do These Things

Our experts honed in on two major non-profit no nos: lack of purpose and being too promotional.

“You have to have a reason to be on Facebook,” says Ross (NTEN). “Are you recruiting volunteers? Cultivating activists? Stewarding your donors? You won’t find any success in Facebook if you don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish.” McMillan echoed this, urging non-profits to keep their site active and their audiences engaged.

The other unfortunate truth is that no one really likes press releases. You don’t like writing them or receiving them, and your fans will get turned off by boilerplate messages. That said, your fans do want updates and information about your success and new campaigns. Ross recommends writing a post specifically for Facebook rather than copy/pasting a release. Adds McMillan: “In the [non-profit] world we often have really great studies and scientific papers that we want to share, but the general public doesn’t necessarily want to read an abstract for a research study — snoozeville.”

Find a way to deliver this information in an engaging way and your Facebook fans will reward you by actually reading it.

Trade Secrets

nten image

Every non-profit will have a different way of running its social media strategy. A lot of that depends on the size of staff, the importance of social media to the organization and myriad other factors. We asked each of our experts for some tips on how they keep their sites up, running and wonderful.

National Wildlife Federation — Danielle Brigida

“I do several things to keep community engagement lively. I post one or two times a day … with content that either has interesting photos, a neat project or questions. I do not post asking for a donation directly, simply because that is very prevalent on our website and throughout our email communications. I will occasionally promote the cause, and every Friday I do a “Friend Friday” where NWF links to a smaller wildlife fan page that deserves attention. We also keep our members up to date on important information if there are wildlife issues on people’s mind.”

Non-Profit Technology Network — Holly Ross

For Ross, there are three main components:

“One: Don’t just talk about ourselves. We try really hard to highlight the good work that others are doing, not just us. We don’t have an official ratio we follow, but we try to live by that general rule. Two: Mix up the content. All text status updates over and over again are really boring. We try to mix it up with lots of pictures and as much video as we can manage. Three: Respond. We don’t reply to every comment, but we do try to get into the middle of comment threads to show that we’re listening.

“We talk about non-profits and technology (our mission), but we also talk about the puppies our staffers get and the latest Google April Fool’s joke. It’s our chance to build a more personal relationship with community members, and for community members to build relationships with each other. That’s essential when you are working with a community that rarely gets to see each other in person,” she says.

Livestrong — Brooke McMillan

“Make sure you use Facebook as a tool to start a two-way conversation, not just to throw up a post. Make it a safe environment where people can support each other. Don't worry so much about people who post negatively against your group. Most of the time the community ‘takes care’ of haters. I hardly ever pull comments unless the individual continually attacks another fan even after I’ve warned him.”

Sometimes it’s just as important to take those Facebook conversations offline: “When someone posts that they have a friend in treatment, I offer to send the friend a care package and give our email address. Also, if someone posts they are having a hard time with a diagnosis or issues with bills or need support, I always post on their post about our services and do a ‘warm transfer’ to the service. I inform our support team that an individual may be calling about XYZ issue and then post on the person's comment that our staff is waiting for his/her call. We've seen a huge increase in referrals from Facebook by doing this.”

Weigh In

Facebook can be a little tricky to navigate for non-profits. However, with a good set of best practices it’s possible to make it a successful part of your organization’s mission and outreach. Use the comments below to share your own experience and tips for non-profits on Facebook.

Series Supported by Buddy Media

The Facebook Marketing Series is supported by Buddy Media. Eight of the world’s top ten brands use the Buddy Media Platform to power their social marketing on Facebook. Find out why here.

More Facebook Marketing Resources from Mashable:

- 4 Ways to Set Up a Storefront on Facebook
- HOW TO: Add Social Sharing Buttons to Your Website
- The Future of Social Search
- 5 Creative Facebook Places Marketing Campaigns
- Dog: Man’s Best Facebook Friend, Too? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Image courtesy of Flickr, Neal.

More About: best practices, charity, facebook, livestrong, non-profit, nten, nwf, social good, social media

For more Social Good coverage:

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Blames the iPad for Eliminating Jobs [VIDEO]

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 09:38 AM PDT

Apple is often cited by politicians left and right as a great American success story, but Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. sees a dark side to the company's success, particularly in regard to the iPad.

Speaking on the House floor on April 15, Jackson — an admitted iPad owner — says the device is "probably responsible for eliminating thousands of American jobs."

He continued: "Now Borders is closing stores because why do you need to go to Borders anymore? Why do you need to go to Barnes & Noble? Just download your book, download your newspaper, download your magazine." Jackson goes on to say that the iPad is also replacing textbooks in colleges and that the device will cause people who work in publishing, libraries and bookstores to lose their jobs.

Jackson, a Democrat from Illinois, continued by saying that "Steve Jobs is doing pretty well" thanks to the success of the iPad, but he notes that the iPad is produced in China. "So the Chinese get to take advantage of our First Amendment value to provide freedom of speech through the iPad to the American people, but there is no protection of jobs here in America."

Jackson's opposition to the iPad seems to run against the Democratic party's stance on technology. In January, President Barack Obama declared the U.S. "a nation of Google and Facebook," and former Vice President Al Gore sits on Apple's board. Meanwhile, Hawaii Rep. Charles Djou became the first member of Congress to use an iPad during a floor speech last year.

More About: apple, ipad, ipad2, Jesse Jackson Jr., steve jobs, trending

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Security Firm: Facebook Should Better Protect Its Users

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 09:24 AM PDT


Web security firm Sophos has penned an open letter to Facebook, addressing some of the ongoing safety and privacy issues associated with the social network.

The letter — which is brief — highlights three steps that Sophos’s technology consultants and security analysts think Facebook should take to better protect its users and improve overall security.

Through its Naked Security blog, Sophos frequently tracks various phishing scams and clickjacking attacks that appear on Facebook with growing frequency.

When it comes to security, Facebook’s servers and login system have a solid track record of keeping its systems clean and breaches to a minimum. Instead, the real security threats are from phishing scams and rogue Facebook apps.

To combat some of these issues Sophos’s Graham Cluley says that Facebook should consider adopting the following policies:

  • Make privacy the default, rather than the opt-in.
  • App developers and apps should be vetted and approved before being published to the platform.
  • HTTPS should be used for everything and be on by default.

We think these suggestions make a lot of sense — especially the call for privacy defaults and HTTPS for everything. Although we wholeheartedly agree that there should be significantly more oversight added to the application approval process, the sheer number of registered Facebook developers and Facebook apps makes implementing a stricter approval process more difficult.

What do you think of Sophos’s letter? What changes do you think Facebook should make to improve user security and privacy?

More About: facebook, facebook privacy, Facebook security, privacy, security, sophos, trending

For more Social Media coverage:

Food Calculator Turns Favorite Food Into Donations

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 09:01 AM PDT

meal image

What if your favorite thing to eat could actually help end child hunger across the world? Such is the question posed by the World Food Programme and its Feedback Calculator. The calculator is part of a larger campaign called WeFeedBack, aimed at stopping world hunger, especially for impoverished children the world over.

The app’s premise is pretty simple: Type in your favorite food, write down how much you think it costs, how many servings you want and the calculator will tell you how many children that one item could feed. For example, one serving of a $10 noodle soup could feed 40 children.

The app is based on basic math. The World Food Programme, a part of the United Nations, estimates that it only costs 25 cents per day to feed one child. No matter what item you select, the calculator takes the final number and multiplies it by four.

While the underlying math isn’t particularly exciting, the non-profit has managed to take a basic stat and create a platform designed to draw in users. Rather than skip straight to an ask, users are engaged by a personal question about their likes and dislikes. The process of deciding a type of food, its cost and a serving amount help keep users on-site and interested. It’s an intelligent way to not only create new donors but to put into perspective just how much we take our daily food for granted. The site, WeFeedBack, says it “operates on the notion that the food we take for granted every day could have a major impact on the lives of school children if we decided to share from time to time.”

A user may be more willing to donate $5 when that amount is framed as the cost of a hamburger he or she planned to eat for lunch. The donation isn’t seen as additional spending but rather as a substitution for money users would have spent on their own food anyway.

food calculator image

The site and its calculator app are also taking advantage of the social space by integrating with Twitter, Facebook, Google and LinkedIn. Game mechanics have also been added through a badge system that rewards users for donating or sharing out on their social networks.

The World Food Programme is hoping to take its app beyond WeFeedBack.org. On top of embeddable widgets for both business and bloggers, the organization is planning mobile as well as embeddable widgets, and an API in the fall that will let third-party developers integrate the “Do Good” functionality to their own apps. One of the first partnerships will be with Foodspotting. The payment system for the site is based on PayPal’s adaptive technologies, allowing the widget to be shared and modified without compromising its security.

The site has been live for a little while now, but it officially launches Tuesday. In that time, it has already provided meals to more than 100,000 children and has drawn up celebrity supporters like Christina Aguilera, Drew Barrymore, Thievery Corporation and soccer star Kaka.

What do you think? Are you more likely to donate if a charity can make you feel invested? Let us know in the comments.

More About: charity, food calculator, non-profit, social good, social media, UN, wfp, world food program

For more Social Good coverage:

Music Monday: Electro Pop Songstress Oh Land Premieres “Perfection” Video

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 08:52 AM PDT

From ballerina to electro-pop badass, Danish musician Nanna Øland Fabricius (a.k.a. Oh Land) has captured the attention of the music world of late, nabbing a spot in Vevo’s Lift program and playing stage shows replete with projections and other technological marvels.

Twenty-five-year-old Oh Land, who now resides in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, recently came out with her first album [iTunes link] on her new label, Epic Records, also titled Oh Land (she released another album called Fauna in her native Denmark).

“I had just moved from Europe to America and it was a very overwhelming change,” she says, explaining what motivated her to pen the songs on the disc. “Being a stranger in a place forces you to open up and let things inspire that normally wouldn't.”

Consequently, the album is full of tracks that have an air of searching — a convergence of city and nature. Songs like “Wolf & I” evoke an otherworldly mood — a feeling of entering a dreamy realm that exists outside the confines of concrete landscapes.

Oh Land recently had a New York City residency at the Charles Bank Gallery, where she played a week’s worth of shows — performance pieces of sorts that mingled with the art of fellow Dane, Eske Kath (who also designed her album art). The shows included elements such as balloon projections designed by multimedia artists Rune Madsen and Paul Rothman The projections were controlled by custom c++ framework programmed using OpenFrameworks.

“The application receives MIDI messages from Ableton Live (programmed tracks and live instrument input), and use these messages to display images, video, text and custom animations on the balloons,” the artists explain. “Each balloon is mapped to a MIDI note, and when this note is triggered, the balloon animates. By sending MIDI bank changes we switch between song templates, and MIDI program changes switch between animations within a song template.”

“It’s a natural thing for me to combine different art forms in order to give the full picture,” Oh Land says. “I grew up around creative people and that’s why I see Oh Land as a land. It’s my place where dreams are allowed to be taken seriously.”

A truly intimidating Renaissance woman, the former ballerina/current pop singer even studied electronic composition. “I was the only girl in the school,” she says. “I learned how to build sequencers, program and stuff like that. But quickly I found out that I was more concerned about the stories and emotions and songwriting, more than making the perfect sine wave.”

Still, her live shows often include a techie element, hinting at her geeky past. “I use tech all the time,” she says. “We have an incredibly advanced technical set up for playing live. Everything is triggered and live in the moment and nothing is playing on track. It gives a lot of freedom and make the music breathe.”

We have an exclusive video from the up-and-coming singer above for your perusal. Check it out and let us know in the comments: Which artists do you think put on the best, most innovative live shows? Oh Land’s picks? Björk and Kraftwerk.

More About: music, music monday, oh-land, vevo, video, youtube

For more Media coverage:

RIP Yahoo Buzz

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 08:39 AM PDT


Yahoo Buzz, once an attempt to counter aggregation sites, like Digg, Reddit and StumbleUpon, is being discontinued.

Yahoo announced the move on its Yahoo Buzz site Monday. "This was a hard decision," the company wrote in its post, which notes that the site will shut down on April 21. "However this will help us focus on our core strengths and new innovations."

Yahoo reps could not be reached for further comment.

Introduced in February 2008, Yahoo Buzz was presented as a "new way for you to tell us (and the world) what you think is cool," according to a blog post at the time. For a while, Yahoo Buzz buttons, similar to Digg’s or (later) a Facebook "Like" button, appeared widely on editorial content outside of Yahoo's network. The idea was if you liked a story or blog post, you could "Buzz Up" it and then Yahoo would present a list of the most-Buzzed items on a dedicated site. By May 2008, comScore reported that Yahoo Buzz had more monthly unique visitors in the U.S. than Digg.

Yahoo's bid to be a social news aggregator, however, never quite coalesced. The reason: The marketplace seemed to favor Facebook, Twitter and one more — maybe Digg or Reddit. Over time, Digg lost its influence and even Google failed to get much traction with a similar platform called Google Buzz.

“I think in any market, there’s always room for three — one dominant, second-based and the third is a niche type of player,” says Jeremiah Owyang, an analyst with the Altimeter Group. Owyang adds that Google’s inability to crack the market is a function of the company’s size. “Google has gotten so big, it’s hard for them to be as nimble. Yahoo is the direction Google is heading if they can’t become nimble again.”

Others blame Yahoo’s execution. “I think [Yahoo Buzz] was far too confusing and muddled,” says Erik Martin, community manager for Reddit. “The users were never sure what was at the top because it was from a Yahoo site, what was at the top due to actual user voting, and why the Yahoo editors selected some links to be featured on the Yahoo homepage and didn’t promote others.”

Rick Liebling, director of digital strategy at Coyne PR, says Yahoo initially had a chance to make Buzz a standard, but its undoing came from its lack of innovation. “I frequently used Buzz when it was first introduced, but as other services with similar features were introduced, Yahoo Buzz never seemed to develop into something more/different," Liebling says. "We’ve seen now that constant iteration is the key to success.”

More About: digg, facebook, google buzz, reddit, twitter, yahoo buzz

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

How the iPhone & Trade-ins Help the Environment [INFOGRAPHIC]

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 08:19 AM PDT


Trading in your older gadgets isn’t just a great way to get an upgrade on the cheap. It’s also a great way to reduce e-waste and help the environment.

The infographic below, released by eBay Instant Sale, visualizes the amount of CO2 saved by users who have traded in their iPod, iPad or iPhone units since October. Using Instant Sale, users can trade in their old gadgets for a pre-determined price. eBay sends out the shipping box and deposits funds in a user’s PayPal account.

Other companies in this space — known as recommerce — include Gazelle and NextWorth.

eBay and its environmental calculations partner Cooler say that Instant Sale trade-ins for Apple products have saved 1,550 tons of CO2.

The environmental impact aside, the infographic also serves as a nice breakdown of what items are most popular within the Instant Sale program.

eBay says that 71.3% of the Apple device trade-ins to Instant Sale are iPhone units. The iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS are the most popular items.

Interestingly, when it comes to the iPad, trade-ins of the iPad 3G are nearly double those of the regular Wi-Fi iPad. This makes sense to us (disclosure: I sold my own iPad 3G via Gazelle last month).

Check out the infographic and let us know what you think about the potential environmental savings associated with trading in old electronics.

More About: ebay, gazelle, green tech, infographics, instant sale, ipad trade-in, recommerce

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

Want to Speak at TED? Now You Can Audition

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 08:00 AM PDT

TED

TED is offering anybody the opportunity to join the ranks of Bill Gates, Al Gore and Jane Goodall as a TED speaker. Starting this month, the organization will begin accepting auditions via YouTube and Vimeo videos for its TED2012 conference.

“We're holding this audition to give a chance to the undiscovered talent we know is out there — and especially talent that can help us continue to reinvent the ancient art of the spoken word,” reads the online application.

Hosting open auditions fits with the conference’s 2012 theme, “Full Spectrum,” which TED describes as a focus on using creative methods to reach an audience. Some suggestions the application gives for fitting this theme include adding a custom-animated movie, improv or more images than words to a presentation.

Public auditions also fit in nicely with the organization’s attempt to spread its reach beyond the 1,300-attendee, five-day elite conference for which it is best known. In an effort to become more open, the conference started posting talks online in 2006, hosts a translation project that helps provides access to non-English speakers, and launched a Q&A platform in February that encourages users to engage with TED speakers and other thought leaders.

This is the first time that the conference has held public auditions. You can submit yours by uploading a one-minute video to YouTube or Vimeo that explains your idea, and then linking to it in the online application.

Finalists will give their presentations live in New York on May 24, and the best auditions will be posted on TED.com. One winner will be chosen to give a main-stage presentation at TED2012 in California.

Photo credit: James Duncan Davidson / TED

More About: auditions, TED, trending, Vimeo, youtube

For more Social Media coverage:

5 Tips for Keeping Remote Workers in the Loop

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 07:56 AM PDT


The Digital Careers Series is supported by Elance, where smart businesses go to hire and manage online instead of onsite. Check out Startup Cloud for tips on hiring and managing in the human cloud.

There can be many benefits in employing a team of remote workers, but some elements of managing such a team can be difficult. Despite the advances in technology that make keeping in touch easy, the nuances of communication across distance can still be full of pitfalls.

In addition to the usual advice about regular calls, emails, news bulletins and group chat rooms, we’re offering five tips for successfully keeping your remote workers in the loop. In addition, we’ve spoken to an organizational psychologist to shed light on the importance behind such comms.

If you work in or with a remote team, have a look at our tips below and let us know any communications strategies that have helped you interface more effectively in the comments below.

1. Be Hyper-Aware of Misinterpretation of the Written Word

“Effective communication becomes even more essential in a virtual organization. New forms of virtual communication may arise from a change in culture. To aid this, employees should be encouraged to communicate via electronic means,” says Hilary Blackmore, a chartered organizational psychologist at Mendas.

However, the digital written word, be that email, instant messaging or group chat conversations, can easily be misinterpreted from afar. It’s important to ensure that you keep your missives clear of ambiguity, and even more importantly, clear of causing any offense.

This is obviously also the case with “regular” staff or colleagues too, but it becomes more important if your primary form of communication is written. You may wish to consider updating your skills in this area.

“Training may be required to improve employee and managers’ ability to communicate electronically. By developing an email culture, group email notification can be used to minimize the risk that someone will be left out of the communication loop,” says Blackmore.

It might sound a little dour, but if there is any doubt that a non-essential comment could be taken the wrong way, then don’t add it. It’s better for your written communications to come across a little dry than to cause offense. Unless you’re certain you will achieve the right reaction, save your wit for a phone or video call, where it’s easier to gauge meaning and tone.

2. Share Informal News As Well as Company News

As well as company news, be sure to share personal news from within the team — such as birthdays, relevant family news, other celebrations and even amusing stories from head office, if applicable. This can make coworkers separated by distance feel much more part of a “proper” team.

“For many workers, the social interaction and communication in the workplace is highly important. A study by Mann and Holdsworth in 2003 highlights the psychological stress of separation from professional colleagues and the social banter and buzz that constitutes an office environment. The sense of feeling left out can be as basic as not being up-to-date with informal news,” explains Blackmore.

“Often, remote workers feel that once they are out of sight of their office-based colleagues they are no longer in the loop. Remote workers can feel irritable at being physically distant from the source of any problems. Social isolation can restrict the ability to sort out issues, leading to frustration, and can restrict the availability of the emotional support from fellow workers to deal with situations.”

3. Be Open About Less Positive Developments

Water cooler gossip is one thing, but when carried out across distance, such gossip can mutate like the worst game of telephone. In addition to sharing company success stories and positive news, be sure to communicate less positive developments with your staff as openly and honestly as possible.

If your product gets a bad review, the company gets a negative write up, your sales figures slump or if someone gets let go, be sure to communicate this to your remote team along with a suitable comment or explanation.

Don’t think that because they are distant, remote workers won’t catch wind of the news. One way or another, they will, and it’s your responsibility to keep your workers appraised of both good and bad developments. It’s much better if they hear such news from you, along with a confident comment from someone relevant in the organization, rather than via other means.

4. Use the Cloud

There is nothing more isolating for a remote worker who needs information to complete a task and can’t continue because that information is not available. It’s one thing to share staff changes, new policies or systems in a group call, but not everyone is good at absorbing information on the fly, and emails can easily get lost in busy inboxes.

Ensure any and all relevant information your staff could possibly need access to is available, securely, in the cloud, 24/7. This way the data is accessible for anyone to refer to (for anyone who needs a recap, may have missed a call or meeting, works part-time or in another time zone) when there is no one around to ask.

5. Always Make Further Actions Crystal Clear

One of the more difficult things about virtual meetings is that although a lot of matters may get discussed, sometimes in the midst of a busy call — or even a lengthy email thread — with lots of input and suggestions from various sources, actual actions may be left undecided or lost in the noise.

As someone in a management position, it’s your responsibility to ensure that everyone is clear on the results of a call, virtual meeting or emails. After a group call, send out (or delegate someone else to send out) brief notes and, most importantly, action points, so that everyone is clear on who is doing what, and therefore, stays firmly in the loop, especially if such matters get further discussion in smaller groups.

Alternatively, if you’re CCed into an email chain that’s going nowhere, step in and help bring some clarity to proceedings. Even the most capable people need a little direction keeping on top of developments when they are discussing them remotely with others.

BONUS: Adapt Your Strategy to Fit Your Organization

Finally, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for keeping your remote workers in the loop. It’s crucial to monitor how effective your company’s communications are and adapt your methods accordingly.

For example, if you know your team is not very chatty, you may find a weekly call about as useful as a philosophical discussion with Harpo Marx. Switch it to a monthly call and increase other methods of communication. Similarly, if your weekly email news letter is sparse, then just send out news on an as-needed basis.

Most importantly of all, beyond analyzing how things are going from your perspective, be sure to ask your remote workers for their input and suggestions (“Remote workers should be able to contribute to the organization with suggestions,” advises Blackmore), whether that’s on an ad-hoc basis, or a more formal, company-wide communications audit.

Series Supported by Elance

The Digital Careers Series is supported by Elance, where businesses tap into the human cloud for immediate access to the talent they need, when they need it. Elance offers the flexibility to staff up or down, and is faster and less expensive than traditional staffing and outsourcing. Check out Startup Cloud to learn how to hire and manage in the human cloud.

More Business Resources from Mashable:

- 5 Tips for Training Remote Employees
- How Companies Can Create a Brand Identity With Text Alone
- HOW TO: Recruit All-Star Employees on a Startup Budget
- HOW TO: Run Your Business Online with $10 and a Google Account
- HOW TO: Sync Your Online and Offline Marketing Campaigns

Images iStockphoto, PeskyMonkey, and Flickr, coolio-claire, Timothy Tolle, MzPromise, a loves dc, Fiona Henderson, Cameron Yee and Ian Sane

More About: business, communication, COMMUNICATIONS, List, Lists, remote workforce, startups

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

From A to Z: The iPhotography Alphabet [PICS]

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 07:27 AM PDT


Combining two of our favorite things — iPhotography and typography — we thought it would be fun to set the challenge of recreating the alphabet using great pics snapped on Apple’s mobile.

We have found all 26 letters as captured by iPhotographers from all over the world, made up from everyday objects, interesting typography examples and even architectural shapes.

So, if you love iPhotography and typography as much as we do, take a walk through our very own Alphabet Street gallery. Let us know about any typographical iPhotography projects you’ve seen (or are working on yourself!) in the comments below.


A by Eric Einwiller




Our alphabet starts with a flourish in Eric Einwiller's fancy "A."


B by Abigail Harenberg




Abigail Harenberg's triptych gives us three "Bs."


C by Carol Gilbert




"C" is for coffee from Carol Gilbert.


D by Daryl Marquardt




A gorgeous turquoise contrasts with rust in Daryl Marquardt's auto-themed "D" pic.


E by Lori Dellinger




Lovely muted colors make Lori Dellinger's fun "E" eye-catching.


F by Marc Melander




Marc Melander's architectural "F" is striking, with bold lines and colors.


G by Eck Kheng Goh




Eck Kheng Goh's photographer's eye has seen a "G" where most of us may have just seen plumbing.


H by Gabriel Ponzanelli




You have to look hard to see Gabriel Ponzanelli's hidden "H."


I by Nils




A familiar "I" becomes a study in shape when cropped out of context.


J by Jen Dobbs




Autumnal tones and great natural textures make up Jen Dobb's "J".


K by Paul




The yellow and blue of Paul's "K" contrast fantastically in this perfectly cropped pic.


L by Matt Jennings




"L" stands for "lonesome" in Matt Jenning's pavement pic.


M by Theen Moy




Theen Moy's "M" is trapped in place forever by the bars of the gate at Adelaide's Market Plaza.


N by Allen Weaver




With the Western-style font and the (bullet?) hole, you could almost imagine Allen Weaver's "N" making up the last letter in "saloon."


O by Paul




A car bonnet is the unlikely subject of Paul's abstract "O." The zing of the yellow letter and the rain drops add real interest to an unusual image.


P by Lyndon Maher




A discarded P-for-provisional driver plate is the found object snapped to great effect by Aussie Lyndon Maher.


Q by Timothy Valentine




Timothy Valentine stopped to grab an enigmatic "Q" on the streets of Brockton, MA.


R by Jennifer Ford




Nice framing from Jennifer Ford creates a ritzy "R" against the night sky.


S by Paul D Wade




Paul D Wade's backward "S" is righted in its shadow in this gorgeous atmospheric photo.


T by Ale Di Gangi




Italian iPhotographer Ale Di Gangi has zoomed in on a fun dual-tone "T," leaving the cropped letters to our imagination.


U by Sascha Unger




Clever perspective draws the eye to Sascha Unger's grainy "U."


V by Dario Sartini




Gritty texture and a close-up crop create a great "V" from Dario Sartini's open zipper.


W by Caroline Cohenour




The eponymous hotel brings the "W" for Caroline Cohenour's side-on snap.


X by Grace Oda




Some great gloss makes Grace Oda's "X" Instagram snap just shine off the screen.


Y by Carrrrrlos




Nature provides the inspiration behind Carrrrrlos' earthy "Y."


Z by Marco Cassé




Finally, the Lo-Mob app adds a vintage look to Marco Cassé's "Z."

Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, Dave Rutt

More About: gallery, iphone, iphoneography, iphotography, photography, typography

For more Mobile coverage:

Angry Birds Gets in the Easter Spirit

Posted: 18 Apr 2011 07:03 AM PDT

Easter is just around the corner and with it comes an update for Angry Birds Seasons.

The version 1.4.0 brings a new theme and 15 new levels. Chocolate eggs abound, the pigs are wearing bunny hats and the birds are angrier than ever.

Angry Birds Seasons is available for the iPhone for 99 cents, and the iPad version costs $1.99. The game is free for Android.

Rovio, the maker of the popular mobile game, recently released a special holiday edition for Valentine’s Day and another for St. Patrick’s Day.


More About: angry birds, Easter, Holidays, iOS, iphone, Mobile 2.0

For more Mobile coverage:

Tags:

0 comments to "Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Match.com To Start Screening Members for Sexual Offenses”"

Post a Comment
Newer Post
Older Post