Mashable: Latest 22 News Updates - including “Cameron: Don’t Watch Avatar on Your iPhone. Or Laptop.” |  |
- Cameron: Don’t Watch Avatar on Your iPhone. Or Laptop.
- Fan Made Pre Ad is Better Than Most Official Pre Ads
- Here Are Some Games You’ll Be Playing on the iPad
- 15 Insanely Popular Lady Gaga YouTube Videos
- Netflix via Wii Is Almost Here
- China Hands Down New Rules on Media Coverage of Google
- “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” Trailer Hits the Web [VIDEO]
- Friendgiftr Lets You Buy and Send Gift Cards on Facebook
- 13 Essential Social Media Lessons for B2B Marketers from the Masters
- CTIA Roundtable: Biz Stone, Aneesh Chopra and James Cameron
- Bush Wipes Hand on Clinton’s Shirt, Internet Goes Wild [VIDEO]
- Why #Twestival Matters
- Digg for iPhone Vaults to #1 News App Worldwide
- Internet Hearts Pi-Reciting, Book-Balancing Rubik’s Cube-Solving Girl [Randomly Viral]
- 3 Useful iPhone Apps to Help File Your Taxes
- YouTube Star “Fred” to Get TV Movie on Nickelodeon
- I’ll Have a Big Bite, a Slurpee and… a FarmVille Card!
- 37signals Makes iPhone Debut with Highrise App
- Line2 Adds a Second Line to Your iPhone [VIDEO]
- 6 Easy Ways to Score the Best Deals with Social Media
- No Plans Tonight? Play Chatroulette Bingo! [PICS]
- Bing Adds Foursquare Data to Maps
- AdMob: Smartphone Usage Up, iPhone and Android on the Rise
| Cameron: Don’t Watch Avatar on Your iPhone. Or Laptop. Posted: 26 Mar 2010 05:11 AM PDT  
James Cameron will have none of that. Talking about the upcoming Blu-ray release of Avatar, he said that watching the movie on an iPhone is “dumb”. “I don’t feel that I’m making movies for iPhones. If someone wants to watch it on an iPhone, I’m not going to stop them, especially if they’re paying for it, but I don’t recommend it. I think it’s dumb, when you have characters that are so small in the frame that they’re not visible,” Cameron said. Cameron feels (almost) the same about laptops. “I don’t know. I’ve never watched Avatar on a laptop. I guess it probably works, but I don’t recommend it,” he said. While we agree that small screens aren’t the best way to enjoy a movie, there are certain situations (on the subway, on a vacation) where it’s perfectly acceptable (and enjoyable) to watch movies on a device like an iPhone, laptop, or (gasp!) an iPad. What do you think? Would you ever watch a movie such as Avatar on a smartphone, tablet or a laptop, or will the screen size of these devices ruin the experience so much it’s not worth it at all? Tags: avatar, iphone, Mobile 2.0, Movies, video
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| Fan Made Pre Ad is Better Than Most Official Pre Ads Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:58 AM PDT 
Yet, this Palm Pre “ad”, created by a user named ThiesFX, is really great: in exactly 30 seconds, it shows the most important aspect of Palm Pre – its great operating system, webOS, and its multitasking capabilities. For comparison, you see less of Pre and what it can do in this official Palm Pre ad, which goes on for a full minute. Check out the “ad” below, and let us know what you think in the comments.
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| Here Are Some Games You’ll Be Playing on the iPad Posted: 26 Mar 2010 01:54 AM PDT 
The apps found are, for the most part, remakes of popular iPhone games or entirely new games. Here are some of the titles: Plants vs. Zombies HD, Worms HD, Ammoin HD, Flight Control HD, Grind HD, Azkend HD, HD Recovery, Labyrinth 2 HD, NBA Hotshot HD, NBA Spin, Numba HD, Sinterra HD, Sparkle HD, Zen Bound 2. These apps were impossible to install, returning only an error message. Furthermore, they were quickly removed from the iTunes web interface, which further confirms suspicion that these are, indeed, pre-approved iPad apps. The fact that most of these are (or sound like) games could be a coincidence, but it could also mean that Apple expects gaming to be one of the most important aspects of iPad use, and they plan to come out with a strong offering at launch. Tags: apple, Apple Tablet, games, ipad, trending
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| 15 Insanely Popular Lady Gaga YouTube Videos Posted: 25 Mar 2010 06:07 PM PDT 
And while we may not be able to agree on the merits of her music, we did think it would be appropriate to celebrate the occasion with 15 of the best Gaga YouTube videos. Watch these videos and tell us if you can figure out why Gaga has outdone all the competition — why does she appeal so much to the YouTube-browsing, web-savvy crowd? Maybe she’s just in the right place at the right time, maybe her label’s Vevo music video strategy is responsible, or maybe there’s just something undefinable about Gaga’s global appeal. These videos might serve up some hints. Music videos are at the top, everything else is farther down. Enjoy the music, Gaga disciples! Everyone else: Enjoy trying to figure out what all the fuss is about. Table of Contents - Music Video: “Bad Romance”
She wasn’t always outrageous. This early video of Stefani Germanotta — Gaga before she was Gaga — shows a young songwriter singing and playing the piano like Norah Jones without any elaborate costumes or electronic gimmicks. You might be surprised at what you hear and see here.
Want to look as outrageously glamorous as Lady Gaga? Here’s how.
Campy movie star and regular SNL host Christopher Walken appeared on the BBC one Halloween to read some Gaga lyrics. That’s an awful lot of weird in one minute.
We were originally going to include a far more popular acoustic Gaga cover, but when looking for it we stumbled on this one and decided to include it instead. It has only a few thousand views, but it is unexpectedly beautiful. Tim Burton’s cinematic reinvention of Alice in Wonderland is a web video hit in its own right. This mashup brings Gaga to Wonderland in Alice’s place. She fits right in.
This is an extended version of a very short clip of South Park’s Cartman singing a Lady Gaga song with his buddies while playing a Rock Band-like music video game. The original clip went viral shortly after the episode aired, then Lady Gaga’s songs came to Rock Band in real life. Coincidence? Probably. But it’s fun to think maybe they were related!
The joke here seems to be that Lady Gaga is a space alien. Fair enough, but the video isn’t as funny as the other parodies below. At more than 21 million views, however, it is much more popular.
This episode of Next New Networks’ Key of Awesome funny music video web series helped the series make its appearance in our January webisodes chart. It’s pulled in just shy of eight million views so far.
After the “Bad Romance” was so well received, Key of Awesome tried to make lightning strike twice with a parody of Gaga’s new video “Telephone.” This new video was just plugged on Perez Hilton’s celebrity gossip blog, so expect it to get some serious traffic. Reviews: Alice, YouTube Tags: celebrities, comedy, key of awesome, Lady Gaga, music, Next New Networks, video, viral videos, web series, webisodes, youtube
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| Netflix via Wii Is Almost Here Posted: 25 Mar 2010 05:38 PM PDT 
The announcement, from Netflix Vice President of Marketing Jessie Becker, is short but sweet: starting today, Netflix is sending out instant streaming discs to some Netflix members. Their feedback on the experience will help the company fine-tune the experience. After that, Netflix via Wii will be part of the Netflix unlimited plan ($8.99 per month). We first learned about Netflix for the Wii in January. The move makes sense; the PS3 and XBox 360 already have Netflix streaming, and the Wii is the best selling current-generation console in the U.S. Wii owners, will you be using Netflix via Wii? Let us know in the comments. Tags: netflix, Nintendo, streaming, streaming video, Wii
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| China Hands Down New Rules on Media Coverage of Google Posted: 25 Mar 2010 04:09 PM PDT 
The instructions, nabbed by China Digital Times, outline a series of rather disturbing edicts to media outlets that are covering the Google story. While this is nothing new, the Chinese government’s broad and suppressive mandates are still striking. In the next section of this article, I am including not only the Chinese Government’s memo, but my analysis of it as well. China’s Message to Media: A BreakdownChina’s message is indented; my analysis is below each part. I have bolded parts that I believe are important.
Analysis: Clearly China is taking this incident seriously. The government understands that Google’s move out of China could make its censorship methods more widely known among the Chinese populous and it could affect its relationships with other companies. Section AHere’s section A:
Analysis: One of the government’s biggest tactics in controlling the media is controlling the source of news. By limiting news reporting only from a media source controlled by the government, it can control the message. This same line of thinking also explains why it is discouraging investigative reporting — a key pillar of journalism in the western world. Discussion, forums, and other online and offline mediums for expressing opinions are also being strictly controlled in order to direct the message in the favor of the Chinese government. Section BHere’s section B:
Analysis: Online media is being strongarmed as well. Don’t expect any forum topics, open-comment blog posts, or other interactive discussions on the China-Google standoff. The key to this section is that websites cannot have any media or stories that “have a different tune from government policy.” The rows of flowers that Chinese citizens put in front of the Google logo sends the wrong message to its citizens, and China’s relying on the media to clean it up and tow the line.
Analysis: Overall, these guidelines are no surprise; this is just how the Chinese government works. It’s a different culture, a different government, and a different set of rules. Google’s clearly placed pressure on China, but it probably won’t be enough to break the censorship chains that bind China’s Internet down. Reviews: Google, news
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| “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” Trailer Hits the Web [VIDEO] Posted: 25 Mar 2010 02:33 PM PDT 
Soon after, the teaser hit the iTunes trailer site. The film is based on a popular series of independent comic books by Bryan Lee O’Malley about a slacker musician named Scott Pilgrim (Cera) who, in order to score his dream girl — one Ramona Flowers — must do battle with her seven evil exes. The film, which premieres on August 13, also stars Jason Schwartzman, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Flowers. As of right now, we don’t know how many views the trailer has gotten — there’s a few versions uploaded to YouTube — but we’re curious to hear your thoughts on the upcoming film. Personally, I’m happy to see Cera branching out — I mean, he’s never played a slightly awkward yet loveable musician on an almost hopeless quest for an impossible love with a quirky girl before. Oh, Michael, you’ll always be a glam band darling to me. For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Tags: Film, humor, pop culture, video
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| Friendgiftr Lets You Buy and Send Gift Cards on Facebook Posted: 25 Mar 2010 01:38 PM PDT 
Quick Pitch: This app allows you to send real gift cards to your friends on social networking sites. Genius Idea: Gift cards make easy presents because they’re relevantly easy to come by and tend to be more appreciated by their recipients than out-of-season or ill-fitting articles of clothing. Enter Friendgiftr, an online service that makes the process of giving gift cards to friends who use sites like Facebook (don’t they all?) perfectly painless. The site carries more than 125 gift cards from popular retailers like the Gap to chain restaurants like Chili’s. The selection is akin to what you’d likely see in your neighborhood supermarket, but you have the handy option of buying and sending online. The recipient can also choose to switch their gift card to another retailer, and to redeem online or off. There’s also a myriad of Friendgiftr applications that work within popular social sites. So you can use the Friendgiftr app on sites like Facebook, MySpace and iGoogle. Soon you’ll also be able to buy and send from your mobile device using Friendgift’s mobile site, which is currently in the works. Given its utility and convenience, Friendgiftr is a practical alternative for those last-minute shopping binds or the impossible-to-please birthday boys or girls.
Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
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| 13 Essential Social Media Lessons for B2B Marketers from the Masters Posted: 25 Mar 2010 01:08 PM PDT 
Social media marketing might feel simple for the B2C crowd, but with B2B, it’s an entirely different beast. Businesses are entities that are not entirely social — and certainly don’t do the immediate impulse buy like the typical consumer. Nevertheless, B2B marketing is absolutely possible on social media, but certain rules should be followed before proceeding along that route. We asked several “masters” about their number one B2B social media tip and included them below. 1. Jason Falls, Social Media Explorer“B2B is more P2P – people to people. The buyer still wants to buy from a trusted friend, not a logo or a company. Making your business more human, putting a name, face and relationship on the relationship goes a long way. United Linens isn’t a company. It’s Scott, the marketing director. I can trust him. Some random linen company? Not so much. That brings B2B down to a level we can all relate to.” 2. Chris Brogan, ChrisBrogan.com“Content is my best B2B social media lesson. I’ve seen many companies learn that providing interesting content (like video testimonials or how-to information) is a great way to encourage prospects, warm up leads, and convert to sales opportunities.” 3. Anita Campbell, Small Business Trends “My best B2B social media lesson was … learning to quickly get clear on what I wanted to accomplish with social media, so that I didn't spin my wheels. In the B2B world especially, it’s crucial to step back and look at your business and who your target customer is. A B2B target audience is usually narrower in scope than a B2C audience. So your use of social media needs to be narrower and more focused. Ask "who am I trying to reach with social media and why?" That's a clarifying question. If you are very very specific in answering that question, you'll pretty quickly get to a roadmap of which social sites you need a presence on; which you should monitor; and most importantly, how to use the social media sites you decide on. Here's why. There's no one right way to use a site like Twitter. A business insurance broker might use Twitter to establish expertise and credibility and awareness – and the business broker's target audience will be highly specific. A gift basket business, on the other hand, would see Twitter in a different light. It might use Twitter to develop ongoing loyalty with retail customers; publicize discounts and special offers; and monitor for customer service issues. Another example: for most B2B businesses, MySpace or other youth-oriented social sites are probably not worth the investment of time. So, understanding which sites and when to use them will save you many hours of time and possibly wasted staff resources and money.” 4. David Armano, Logic+Emotion“B2B professionals often only look within their niche and sometimes fail to borrow from the consumer world. For example, I worked [with] Grainger a huge B2B company and we made their commerce site best in class by looking to Amazon as opposed to direct competitors. Also, I think what AMEX is doing with OPEN Forum for small business owners is brilliant and it’s essentially a community strategy. B2B is a niche for sure, but at the end of the day, people are people.” [Disclosure: Mashable contributes to OPEN Forum] 5. Rohit Bhargava, Influential Online Marketing“People buy expertise. If I had to choose a core difference between how most B2B business operate versus B2C companies, this would be it. While you might buy a box of cookies or even a digital camera because of features or taste, most B2B sales are based on demonstrating some type of expertise either in a type of service or in the category of a product that you are providing. Once you realize this fact, the lesson for using social media effectively is clear: if you can demonstrate your expertise through social media, you can have a measurable impact on your sales efforts. Fortunately, one of the things that social media can be great for is making expertise visible to the world. White papers can be largely replaced by blogs, long winded demos by online video. When you consider social media as a way to extend and prove expertise, the possibilities are vast. In a world like B2B marketing where reputation and credibility go a long way to helping seal deals, social media is nearly becoming a necessity.” 6. Seth Godin, Seth Godin’s Blog“Social media isn’t about you, it’s about them.” 7. John Jatsch, Duct Tape Marketing“I guess I would say that it’s to find ways to fuse social media tools with offline engagement. When you meet someone at a Chamber event, connect with them on LinkedIn or Facebook to make it more natural to communicate with them until it’s time to propose some business. Bring your client’s social media profile information into your CRM system to help your sales folks learn more about your client’s day to day life for the next sale contact cycle.” 8. Valeria Maltoni, Conversation Agent “My B2B advice is “learn to be human again.” Many marketers in B2B companies tend to forget that each customer they’d like to attract and retain is a person. From using jargon in marketing literature, to creating blogs that are mere places to republish press releases — then tweeted as links — a B2B marketer can learn to be more spontaneous and make deeper/better connections with customers.” 9 Jessica Faye Carter, Technicultr“B2B companies benefit most from social media when they don’t try to emulate the engagement strategies of their B2C counterparts. Certainly they should engage clients using social media, but the degree and style of engagement will likely differ, depending on the products or services offered by the company. B2B companies can also leverage the improvements in company-client interactions brought about by social media, including those related to user experience, real-time client service discussions, and the integration of social media with existing business practices to create new product or service offerings.” 10. Todd Defren, PR Squared“Have a goal: When it comes to corporate engagement in Social Media, what doesn't have a tangible goal will often fall apart; it is too easily axed (and the client might ask his PR team: “what did we get from spending all that time on Twitter?”). Often, they want Social Media engagement to bring in leads — and that isn't happening as reliably for B2B. Get buy-in and put the right people in place: just because the CEO or CTO has a great name in their industry doesn’t mean they are the right person to blog or tweet. People that WANT to do it and have something to say are more likely to be successful. Move beyond broadcasting: Even clients that are actively doing several projects (Twitter, blog, Facebook page) seem to get a "B" on their efforts because engagement is still lacking. Marketing folks seem intent on broadcasting mode. B2B marketers in Social Media need to be doing more "@'s and RT's" and industry dialogue vs. "look at us!" Create and distribute a set of Social Media Guidelines to employees: Even if the company hasn't begun engaging with social networks from a corporate perspective, that doesn't mean that the employees might not, and you want them doing so in a transparent and positive spirit.” 11. Brian Solis, BrianSolis.com“Many people may not realize this, but B2B is the leading source of social media lessons for me. Whether it’s horizontal, vertical, mainstream, or long tail, social media begins with not only listening, but research and analysis. Every experience in B2B is revealing and educational when research serves as the catalyst for strategy, media programming, engagement, and metrics. Recently, I was asked to help a major B2B company make the case to engage on Twitter. I worked with the team to compile a list of keywords related to the brand, market, competitors, and partners. After combing through a 30 day window of conversations tied to these keywords, I could only attribute a total of 80′ish conversations for the entire month, including all terms. I presented the findings to the team along with the associated themes that each individual advocated. The response was surprising. According to the company, my research was flawed. They just couldn’t believe that only 80 conversations related to their industry transpired on Twitter in one month. Thus, I was presented with an expanded list of keywords and my research continued. After further investigation, the number jumped to 117. This time however, I decided to search other networks on my own. Obviously, these keywords were too important to not represent any online dialogue whatsoever. Low and behold, forums and discussion boards were alive and active, representing tens of thousands of active questions, answers, and conversations within the same timeframe. Lesson learned. Go to where people are interacting now. Creating and investing in a presence where a minority of your community shares, discovers, and creates content is buying futures in a market where the present is far more lucrative.” 12. Mitch Joel, Twist Image“True story: the CEO of a major organization and I are having breakfast and he's asking me about the implications of Social Media from a B2B perspective. As I go through how important those natural voices and conversations are [to] the decision makers, he starts laughing and cuts me off. Here's why: about a month prior to our meeting, his CTO came to him with a fairly advanced technical upgrade that needed to take place along with the pricing and deliverables. Without having much knowledge of the potential new supplier, the CEO found himself doing some online searches for what others have thought. Beyond the jargony-corporate website, the CEO was much more taken by the Podcasts, YouTube testimonials, Blog posts and Twitter chatter about the product. Without knowing realizing it, the CEO was entirely reliant on Social Media for their final decision. While it's easy to think that this is an isolated incident, do [your] own online search for "social media b2b" and you'll quickly realize that Social Media is probably easier to link to true ROI in the B2B space than it is for B2C.” 13. Tara Hunt, HorsePigCow“It’s less about the tools and more about the attitude emerging from the social web. Learn to cooperate with your competitors and collaborate with others in your industry towards better customer experiences. For instance, take a page from the social networking notebook and see that projects like OpenSocial (Google), Facebook Connect (Facebook) and Twitter’s extensive APIs are what makes them powerful players in the space. By allowing their users to move their data around to other networks (or keep it on multiple networks), they end up getting more activity. I’ve been advocating for a passport system where we aren’t locked into loyalty programs with a singular brand. Win with putting the customers needs first.” Now it’s your turnWe heard from the masters, but we now want to know what your business-to-business social media marketing advice is. The floor is open for your comments! Series supported by MarketingProfs B2B Forum  Drive sales and make social media work for you at MarketingProfs B2B Forum! You'll learn the ins-and-outs of social media as part of your overall B2B marketing mix – from integration and engagement to measurement. Get 1-on-1 access to the best and brightest B2B marketing stars who will share best practices and FREE advice! Plus, our loyal attendees say our events are ridiculously fun, interactive and the kicker is – we have the best Freebies in the biz! (no keychains here…FREE industry research reports & memberships—stuff to help you really drive sales in 2010!) Register today! Images courtesy of iStockphoto, Yuri_Arcurs, Andresr, WendellFranks Reviews: Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Mashable, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, blog, iStockphoto, social media Tags: b2b, b2b marketing, b2b marketing series, List, Lists, MARKETING, tips, tricks
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| CTIA Roundtable: Biz Stone, Aneesh Chopra and James Cameron Posted: 25 Mar 2010 12:54 PM PDT 
MCC: James, can you talk a little bit about why are you here? JC: Obviously the big thing for me lately with Avatar has been 3D, and the percolation of 3D out to other media. We saw at CES all the major manufacturers launched 3D screens. The question is, what happens next? I think we’ll see stereo ubiquity within five years. I think it will percolate down to laptop and mobile devices. The way we interact today is through screens — whether it’s desktops or mobile. It’s all about the screen.  MCC: When the screen is small enough, you don’t need the glasses anymore. JC: It’s the difference between a single user and a multiple user paradigm. If it’s a single user you don’t need the glasses. MCC: How are you thinking about mobile technology, Biz? Biz: There are a lot of applications created for Twitter, so it’s useful for people with smartphones. But it’s also about the ubiquity of the lowest common denominator: SMS. There are over four billion mobile phone accounts in the world, all essentially Twitter-ready. Compare that to only about two billion PCs. So it creates a huge growth opportunity for us. When a farmer in a rural village in a Third World nation can get information over SMS, it can have a dramatic impact on his life. We’ve always been excited about Twitter being able to work over this rudimentary network of SMS as well as the high tech smartphones.  MCC: Aneesh, how is the White House thinking about mobile? AC: We are witnessing a mobile broadband revolution. As we think about infrastructure requirements, the president is very concerned we have a long-term IT system in place. We need to advance policy goals in health care, energy and education. MCC: How much does government need to be involved? AC: With the Recovery Act, we have a unique opportunity in these areas in particular. It’s a $20 billion program to hospitals encouraging doctors to adopt digital medical records. We released a draft set of rules in December: Every American should be entitled to an electronic copy of their health care record within 48 hours of their request. If we can create the conditions for that information to flow in a way that advances policy goals, the private sector will deliver amazing innovations. Same thing with smart energy. What if we had the ability to access real-time usage data based on what’s in the meter? My web-enabled phone might enable me to know how much I could save by adjusting the thermostat.  JC: If your electric car is communicating with the grid to charge itself on off-peak hours — you’ve improved grid efficiency. How many coal-fired power plants could you obviate the need for if you do that on a global scale? MCC: How often do you think about government’s role in enabling tech, Biz? Biz: We think about events around the world — our whole thing is about the open exchange of information to have a global impact. My partner Evan Williams and I are committed to allowing people to communicate openly — this can have a dramatic impact in a lot of places. Raising awareness halfway around the world creates empathy. You have more a sense of yourself as a global citizen, not just of your town or your country. If you can have that empathy and a feeling of global citizenry, we’re moving forward. MCC: I think of the Venezuela protests for example — people know right away where people are gathering. I use Tweetdeck and can see a lot of evidence of this kind of empathy you’re talking about — Twitter is this constant stream of information and it makes me a little emotional — do you have that same sense? Biz: When we started Twitter we had no idea it would become so important to this and used in these ways. There was a photojournalism student at UC Berkeley who traveled to Egypt to photograph protests, but he kept missing them. He asked his Egyptian friends how they were getting organized, and they said they were using Twitter. So he gets on it and finally gets present at this protest and gets great photos — but the Egyptian police are there and arrest him. He sent out a one word tweet: “arrested.” Back home students called the dean who calls the consulate and this process gets him out — his next tweet is “freed.” There’s some stuff going on here we never expected. We’re the facilitators of this open exchange of information. We just have to keep the service running and let people do their thing.  MCC: Does Twitter have the power to topple a totalitarian regime? Biz: Whoa. [laughs] We heard a story about Twitter being used in doing that in Moldova, and e-mails started pouring in. I got one that said, “Mr. Stone, what was your role in the Moldovan revolt?” I was tempted to write back and say, “I don’t like what’s going on there, so I overthrew it!” [laughs] AC: What you’re describing is an environment of pure grassroots organization. No one is telling people to do this, they’re self-organizing. We’re doing a lot to promote this kind of grassroots connectivity, here, in Russia, elsewhere. By using these tools we can modernize our approach to traditionally governmental tasks. MCC: What do you think of Google pulling out of China? AC: We care deeply about Internet freedom. The president has spoken about this in China and elsewhere. Ultimately it was a decision by a private company, but we’re watching with great interest.  MCC: Did they consult you before they moved on it? AC: We don’t comment on certain issues relating to national security, but know this: We are very open to understanding how we can be helpful in this process. MCC: Anyone else want to weigh in? Biz: We want Twitter to be available in as many languages as possible so a free and open exchange of information can be in place. But we don’t have plans to put people or assets in China. We have our loft space in SF with our 160-person team and that’s where we’ll be for a while. JC: It speaks to the shifting nature of political power. Even in America we focus on an election process and centralized power system, very top-down historically. Now we’ve got bottom-up meeting top-down in the middle. And the future is going to be a lot of this — parents need to be getting directly involved in the education process instead of whining about how the government should fix it (My wife’s an educator and I’m channeling her rant!).  Biz: We see all kinds of things — tweetups happening, mom groups forming to discuss ideas, and other examples of self-organizing over this simple tool. Lets let people get together and do their thing. AC: A new front has opened too — what if we unleash this data? The First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign wants to bring more information into the nutritional decision-making process. We simply publish it in machine-readable format. Entrepreneurs can now take advantage of government data in new and creative ways. You don’t need a lobbyist to get this data, and overall it will help marry this grassroots spirit with government. Biz: Just seeing it and having this information is a huge win. It alters your behavior in a huge way. MCC: We talked about the positives — but we’ve seen technology cause economic destruction in some ways (the music industry for example). JC: In the film industry we saw the music industry crash and burn because it couldn’t get rid of its old models. The only thing holding it back in the movie business is just bandwidth — the time it would take to download Avatar in HD was historically prohibitive. So we said let’s re-invigorate the cinema experience because Moore’s Law says we can’t stop this progression — it won’t be prohibitive for long. Let’s recreate the movie experience with 3D and IMAX and all those things. What we found is very interesting: Avatar was the highest grossing film of all time, but it is also the most pirated film in history by quite a large margin. But what does that mean? People are discriminating between two experiences and they want both. Over the past few years we’ve seen more portability — watching movies on iPhones for example. But people also want the different experience of going to the theater and making a night of it. Biz: The short version of what you’re saying is, “Let’s get better. Let’s get awesome.” JC: The music industry crashed and burned, so we could see it coming. We wanted a proactive solution. People see it as zero-sum, but I think the high tide can raise all boats. AC: A key part of our economic history is innovation and intellectual property is important. We want to be stronger on IP enforcement — we have to get it right. These assets are one key element to our economic growth strategy.  MCC: When you think about the strategy of creating a “must go to theater” experience because people couldn’t do it at home — are you also thinking about how to monetize the phone? Right now you can’t get it on the phone so you pirate it. JC: Definitely. Avatar will be out on iTunes in May. There’s a monetizing strategy there, too — it doesn’t help you with the piracy issue, though. MCC: If you do something to eliminate their need to pirate… JC: You still have the windows issue — the window that protects the theater owners, etc. We worried about when to bring out the DVD. We see really two modes: One is “I want to own it and watch it whenever I want,” versus the second, which is social. Let’s get friends together, go out and have an experience. MCC: Thus far downloading movies is tough because of bandwidth. But Aneesh, you have a new FCC plan that makes it easier to do what he’s talking about? [laughs] AC: As a country we aspire to lead the world on ensuring all the innovations we’ve born out of this Internet initiative will flourish here in the U.S. We need to put in capital not only in mobile but also in wired environments. The FCC has put together a plan and we’re focused on getting all policy makers to aspire to this vision. We’re building more sophisticated connection points. We asked students — universities are getting on gigabit networks now — we’re asking them what innovations might be in your mind to take advantage of this incredible bandwidth? Those innovations are going to come from those students in schools today. You don’t need gigabit right now because we can’t even imagine the apps that will use it. We need to. JC: We could definitely use it in our business: for collaboration, for moving huge files around. Most of the Avatar shots were done in New Zealand while I was working here in the U.S. MCC: The FCC plan says, “Let’s increase the liquidity of spectrum, and have more auctions.” What is the potential rollout speed? AC: Again, the FCC is an independent agency. But the president has already done much — in the new budget docs we released just a week and a half ago the president calls for a new plan between the FCC (responsible for commercial spectrum) and the NTIA (responsible for government spectrum). He basically says, “I want the two of you to come back to me with a plan for mobile broadband over the next 10 years.” We need to do R&D on how we can share spectrum and being more creative in using it. MCC: It’s hard to know what to bid on spectrum when you don’t know what the net neutrality rules will be. Folks here have spent a lot of money for the ability to distribute. People like Twitter use a little bit of space, vs. YouTube, which uses trucks and trucks of space. Should the trucks pay more? AC: The president is committed to open Internet. That is what the FCC is doing: thoughtfully evaluating this question. They’re putting together an approach to this right now. The president has a vision, then these agencies try to translate that vision into reality. I would defer to current process.  MCC: Do we have a timetable on net neutrality? AC: It’s a proceeding. The information-gathering process is going on right now. As an independent agency they pace their work as they go. My hope is they get the best input and make the best judgments. MCC: When you say government experts are looking at questions I get slightly nervous — I have a soft spot for the wireless industry from covering Latin America for many years. In Latin America governments controlled the landlines, and only rich people had phones. Luckily all those economies were liberalized and now we have intense competition in wireless. It seems the more the government wants to ensure everyone gets it, it’s far less likely. Wouldn’t it be better to be hands-off, and let people decide? [audience claps] AC: There are two parts. One, a regulatory process and agency and a mechanism to have that conversation. Two, actions. In February we acknowledged that more people have access to phones even than pre-natal care. The data is tragic when you look at infant mortality rates. They’re not where they need to be. We fully see the value of this industry — we announced support of the “Text for Baby” initiative. Twenty-five thousand moms registered in the first month we released it. The cost to the taxpayer is zero. This is our role: These assets are here, we should advance policy objectives. Thank you to the wireless industry providers who waived SMS fees for two years for this program. Let’s find a way to get this out to those who need it. We have a great deal of innovation taking place — it’s my job to look at these initiatives from all over. There’s also a separate conversation: How do we take advantage of innovation capacity in this country to move the needle on things that really matter? JC: I don’t know the ins and outs of regulatory aspect of it, but thinking back to what was discussed earlier — this technology democratizes the process of communication on a global level. Here’s an interesting example in India, I met a fellow, Anil Gupta, who was initiating grassroots organization among poor farmers. They had developed an irrigation system that used only 10% as much water, and I said, “How do we get it to other countries?” The barrier is they didn’t have Internet. I asked, “Should we go through governments?” He said, “No, no — that never works.” [audience laughs] There at the peasant farmer level they had valuable new IP but hit a wall in disseminating the information.  Biz: Use Twitter! [laughs] We have deals with 65 carriers around the world to make Twitter over SMS free for those citizens, from Indonesia to India to Haiti and Caribbean. Once you’re connected via SMS to a network of other people — that’s when things start to happen. There was a fuel shortage in Atlanta, Georgia, and people were using Twitter to direct people to working stations with a hashtag in real time. I can imagine farmers beginning to network over SMS and how transformative that can be there as well as for health. SMS is an amazing thing — it’s like an unfinished phone call we can build on. AC: We need public-private sector collaboration too. We need to know how to deal with disasters better. In the wake of the Haiti disaster we didn’t have a functioning 911 system in place there. The military had a cloud-based communication platform, and we said, “Let’s open it up so NGOs can connect.” Digicell waived all text messaging fees and said, “Text us your issues and we’ll upload the data” and disseminate it through this cloud system. Everyone from NGOs to for profit organizations used it — we had 10,000 messages a minute at their peak coming in. Because of that information, because of a global network of collaborators, in 10 minutes we had first responders on the ground addressing their concerns. It’s about the spirit of collaboration. No complexity and legal fees — just, “Let’s do it.” That’s the spirit, and we need to embrace innovation at this level. MCC: Here in the U.S we’re focused on bigger and faster — will there be a content gap? JC: As the pipes get bigger and bandwidth goes up, it enables what I mentioned earlier with 3D. CE manufacturers came up with these great sets, but we don’t have 3D laptops or camcorders yet — it’s coming. The gap that exists right now is that everyone wants to do sports in 3D but there aren’t the cameras and crews — there’s an expertise gap as well. A lot of apps will be written, compression algorithms and so on, to handle this. MCC: And do you have a company that might be in position to take this on? JC: Why, it just so happens I do [laughs]. It’s a startup around 3D. I didn’t really come here to plug this, but I’m passionate about it. Sound has been catching up in theater and home — spatial sound. We haven’t been catching up with our own sensory system in visual media except with 3D, however. We have two eyes, not one. We need a lot of research data on how memory is written to the brain — it has profound implications for advertising and education. Could we improve education by 5% by using 3D because the memory is deeper or more connected? Maybe — we just don’t have the data. We don’t know how the visual cortex analyzes the 3D. We’ve just started to tap in here. MCC: Will you do the manufacturing yourself? JC: For us we built camera systems and train people how to use them. You can’t have bad stuff that hurts your eyes — camcorders need to be made smart to solve that problem. MCC: Do you have advice to others getting into this space? JC: Be thinking about your 3D apps. Sony and the other CE manufacturers jumped the gun on us — we thought it would be three years out yet. We had to be agile and change up. It’s coming faster than even we thought, and we were the evangelizers of it! It’s going to be ubiquitous in five years. Biz: Next week we’ll be announcing 3D tweets. [audience laughs] MCC: Biz, do you have more thoughts on this? Biz: I think these guys are smarter than I am. Someone asked me a while ago, “What’s blocking you?” What technological innovation do you need to get to the next stage? My answer was sort of different — we should instead be thinking, “What do we have already that we aren’t leveraging as much as we could be?” SMS is the perfect example. It was a one-to-one medium for a long time, but it suddenly became apparent there’s different forms of messaging. There’s a time and place for IM, e-mail, SMS. If a plane lands in the Hudson, it’s a tweetable moment [laughs]. What exists already that we can create and leverage cool things on it?  AC: There are a number of things we’re doing: We started innovation.ed.gov, a community where people can produce an idea to transform the educational gap in this country, post it and see how ecosystem responds. It’s coupled to a $650 million investment and innovation fund. We want to seed modest ideas that can change the way we address the achievement gap, implement good ideas in a few schools and scale what works more broadly. Secondly nhindirect.org — a nationwide health information network. Everyone should have spam-free secure access to health care data. Join our open collaborative space and tell us what scenarios in which you want health care data to run over your wireless networks. The VA Administration saw a 19% cost reduction from telemedicine usage, for example. At whitehouse.gov, we’re posing grand challenges we as a nation should tackle. Solar cells as cheap as paint. Mobile cells that are sophisticated tutors. What are the challenges we should be addressing? We want your input there. MCC: I want to end on something very Hollywood. How do you top Avatar? What do you do next? Biz: Titanic II: Zeppelin. It’s six hours long… [audience laughs] JC: Continue to challenge myself. That’s what Avatar was all about. Try to find something really interesting to do for the next four years of my life. MCC: Does creating the highest grossing film offset not getting the Academy Award? JC: It was not like, “Oooh we lost” — when Kathryn Bigelow won, she’s a close friend, so I was cheering for her. It was a no-lose scenario, but I think my team was disappointed. If I had to choose between the trophy and the $2.6 billion, though, I think I’d choose the latter. [audience laughs] MCC: Thanks everyone for coming! Reviews: Google, TweetDeck, Twitter, YouTube Tags: 3D, Aneesh Chopra, biz stone, CTIA, CTIA 2010, Film, james cameron, Mobile 2.0, Political, twitter
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| Bush Wipes Hand on Clinton’s Shirt, Internet Goes Wild [VIDEO] Posted: 25 Mar 2010 11:36 AM PDT 
According to The Huffington Post, Breitbart.TV first brought this clip to the attention of the public. We’ve embedded it below for your informed perusal. (Sidenote: Is this song stuck in anyone else’s head?) While it could be equally possible that Bush is merely patting Clinton on the back, most blogs and Internet denizens went for the worst possible scenario: That the former president is not only snubbing the man he just shook hands with, but also using Clinton as his own personal handkerchief. Either way, the video has garnered more than 700,000 views since it was posted to YouTube on Tuesday. When will these politicians learn? Holding office = Fame = Constant surveillance by the news = Don’t mess up or said gaffe will instantly go viral What do you think? Was Bush’s action a snub? For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Tags: Political, trending, viral video, youtube
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| Posted: 25 Mar 2010 11:25 AM PDT 
Why does Twestival matter? And what’s Twitter’s role in coordinating such campaigns? That’s the topic of my CNN column this week. Check out the column at CNN.com >>Reviews: Twitter Tags: cashmore, cnn, twestival
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| Digg for iPhone Vaults to #1 News App Worldwide Posted: 25 Mar 2010 11:09 AM PDT 
Now that the app's live [iTunes link], there are a few notable features to mention that we didn't know about when we obtained some exclusive screenshots earlier in the week. In addition to the ability to browse, search, and Digg/bury stories, there's also options to save stories for later viewing, an in-app browser, and a "preview" feature for each story. Digg provides a full demo of the app in the video below: In a blog post, Digg says that users can also expect an Android application soon, plus updates to its apps across mobile platforms as it rolls out the features of the new Digg. Have you tried Digg for iPhone yet? Let us know what you think about the app in the comments. For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Digg, Facebook, Twitter
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| Internet Hearts Pi-Reciting, Book-Balancing Rubik’s Cube-Solving Girl [Randomly Viral] Posted: 25 Mar 2010 10:41 AM PDT 
The comments section of the video is flooded with marriage proposals, and currently it has been viewed more than 30,000 times. So why the recent spike in interest? Could be because Pi Day recently rolled around? Or could it be because spring has sprung and the Internet set is feeling amorous? Have you got the hots for an Internet star? Let us know who in the comments. We’ll only laugh if you answer “Justin Bieber.” For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Tags: humor, pop culture, viral video, youtube
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| 3 Useful iPhone Apps to Help File Your Taxes Posted: 25 Mar 2010 10:11 AM PDT 
While there are a variety of tax-related apps by independent developers, the major players in the App Store market are also the star gladiators vying for dominance in the e-commerce market: Intuit (TurboTax) and H&R Block. Below is a run down of the three most sophisticated tax apps we found for the iPhone. 1. H&R Block Tax Answers For many filers, a simple W-2 won’t suffice. H&R Block offers free, human guidance for even the most complicated questions via its iPhone app, Tax Answers. To give it a test run, I asked a question about educational exemptions for Social Security taxes (something I'd been trying to figure out for a long time) and received an answer only a short while later (though estimates are up to 24 hours). Tax Answers also has an index of previously asked questions. While these questions are not searchable, I was able to find what I was looking for in their predefined categories (work, education, small business, etc). Unlike the other software on this list, I'll probably keep this one on my iPhone for its glossary. On occasion, I run across financial terms that I'd like immediately defined. It should be noted that H&R Block also offers these service on its website, but as more users, especially younger ones, move to mobile browsing, this will surely be a useful application. Cost: Free 2. TaxCaster Want an estimate on your tax return ASAP, but you’re either not ready to file or don’t have your W-2 handy? Intuit's TaxCaster is a quick-and-dirty tax calculator that takes about five minutes to use, and doesn’t require exact numbers to give an estimate. For those with more complex needs, TaxCaster can take a range of exceptions into account: Education, family, rental and housing -– even alimony and new vehicle deduction. The subtle genius of TaxCaster is its targeted advertising at the bottom of the screen, which dynamically updates itself based on your input. As soon as you input a number for "Annual Mortgage Interest," the ad fades from “Turbo Tax Free” to “Turbo Tax Deluxe.” Cost: Free 3. TurboTax SnapTaxIntuit's SnapTax, which automatically completes tax forms from a snapshot of a standard W-2, should be the iPhone’s showcase application in this category. After the W-2 is uploaded, users answer a few key questions about dependents, education, etc., and the information is whisked away to Uncle Sam. So far, the application is rated very well (4 of 5 stars). My experience, however, was much rockier. Unfortunately, SnapTax is only available for Californians, and the App Store reviews are littered with users who clearly did not understand this limitation. Additionally, if you require any other forms but a W-2, 1099-INT, 1099-G or 1098-E, SnapTax will offer you its heartfelt apologies with an online $10 discount at the TurboTax website. Like many employed students, I had a 1099-MISC, and therefore discovered I could not complete my return using this app. Other omissions include medical expenses, charitable donations, and vehicle registration fees. Out of pure geek-driven curiosity, I tried my hand at the "snap" feature to see how well the photo automation worked. Again, I was disappointed. I tried for an hour, but the only thing it ever accurately picked up was the Employer Identification Number. For all its shortcomings, it's certainly a move in the right direction and a much cheaper alternative considering state income filing software is often more expensive than $10. So, for brave experimentation, SnapTax earns a place on our short list. Cost: $9.99 ConclusionAs April 15th nears, we might see more options available in the App Store. Until then, iPhone users will be able to get a quick estimate on their return, receive answers from a certified expert, and automatically file their taxes from a mere picture. Taxes may still be a pain to file, but technology is making it increasingly more convenient. For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore iPhone resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: app store, apple, finance, H&R Block, intuit, iphone, iphone apps, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, Mobile Lists, money, taxes, turbotax
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| YouTube Star “Fred” to Get TV Movie on Nickelodeon Posted: 25 Mar 2010 09:50 AM PDT 
A theatrical release was hard to picture, given the close-up style of the web series; Nickelodeon seems like a much better fit. Varsity Pictures studio head Brian Robbins hopes to release a second movie in theaters after the Nickelodeon debut expands Fred’s audience beyond the millions who already watch online, though. Fred has either topped or hung out near the top of Visible Measures and Mashable’s monthly webisodes chart since its inception. It held the number one spot on YouTube’s charts for ages, but it was bumped down to number two a few months ago. Still, half a billion views is impressive. That popularity has already helped Cruikshank lay the groundwork for a career beyond the web. This movie won’t be Cruikshank’s Nickelodeon debut; he has previously appeared in a cameo role as Fred on Nick TV series iCarly. In addition to Cruikshank, Fred: The Movie will star Pixie Lott, John Cena and Siobhan Fallon. The script was written by David Goodman and the director is Clay Weiner. Reviews: Mashable, YouTube Tags: Clay Weiner, David Goodman, Film, Fred, fred the movie, Lucas Cruikshank, Movies, nickelodeon, television, tv, web series
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| I’ll Have a Big Bite, a Slurpee and… a FarmVille Card! Posted: 25 Mar 2010 09:40 AM PDT 
The deal sees $10 and $25 cards for FarmVille, Mafia Wars and YoVille go on sale at the retailers, which can then be used online to buy in-game items. This is potentially a big new revenue stream for Zynga, since it means users that can't currently make purchases because they don't have a credit card can now just buy game cards with their hard-earned cash. FarmVille also recently added a Facebook Credits payment option, but Facebook gets to keep 30% of that. Presumably, the retailers carrying the game cards are also getting some sort of cut, but it should still be a boon to Zynga, who now claims some 67 million daily active users across its games and is thought to be worth between $1.5-$3 billion. Reviews: Facebook, Yoville Tags: farmville, virtual currency, Zynga
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| 37signals Makes iPhone Debut with Highrise App Posted: 25 Mar 2010 09:04 AM PDT 
Opting to build an app for Highrise due to customer demand, the 37signals team worked with Overcommitted (who also built Ember) to create a clean and simplistic version of Highrise for the iPhone. The app is built around a great contact search experience and stores contact info locally (an initial lengthy download is required) to make the overall experience much quicker. The app also supports voice notes (with transcription possibility slated for the future), text notes, tasks and the ability to view e-mail file attachments within the app. 37signals spells out that this is just the first iteration, with future evolutions to come, but we still think that avid users of the CRM tool will greatly appreciate the introduction of the official iPhone app — especially since it’s free.
For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: 37signals, Highrise, iphone
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| Line2 Adds a Second Line to Your iPhone [VIDEO] Posted: 25 Mar 2010 08:52 AM PDT 
It’s also useful — and potentially revolutionary — for iPhone owners who want to cut down on their monthly voice minutes by allowing them to place calls over Wi-Fi as well as over 3G Voice Over IP (VOIP). As opposed to the Google Voice approach, which routes a single number to multiple phones and requires you to determine whether any particular incoming call is business or personal, Line2 easily separates your personal and business contacts into separate tabs and allows incoming calls to easily sort themselves based on context. The interface of the app is intuitive and easy to use — in fact, it’s visually identical to the iPhone’s own phone interface (which is an impressive feat considering App Store rules that typically frown on precisely that). A sophisticated web interface management tool also allows you to set up highly granular rules for incoming calls — imagine being able to send all business calls direct to voicemail after 7 p.m. or on the weekends, for example. Besides visual voicemail management and call-routing tools, the web control panel can be used to transfer calls, set up call forwarding rules, trigger auto-attendants, and more — think Google Voice on steroids. Line2 also supports easy conference calling for up to 20 participants, and all calls including conference calls can be placed over regular voice, Wi-Fi, or 3G VOIP — once again potentially saving you voice minutes, and giving you alternative options in low AT&T voice service areas. Unlike other iPhone apps that support VOIP calling, incoming voice calls won’t kill your in progress VOIP connection; you can simply choose to send the voice call to voicemail and continue your VOIP call or conference. Line2 is available in the App Store now for $0.99, which includes a 30-day free trial of the full service. If you like what you see after 30 days, you can continue the service for $14.95 a month, which includes unlimited U.S. and Canada calling and conference calling. For small businesses, Line2 could be an attractive and web-savvy alternative to traditional PBX infrastructure, and the app’s appeal extends into the consumer market for anyone who wants to maintain two separate and easily manageable numbers or take advantage of sophisticated call routing and management. We sat down with Toktumi CEO Peter Sisson for a demo of the app; check out the video below for a walkthrough of some of Line2’s featureset (pardon the slight blur due to focal distance limitations of the camera we had on hand). For more info, check out Toktumi on the web and Line2 in the App Store. For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google Voice, Twitter Tags: 3g, att, Google Voice, iphone, iphone app, Line2, Toktumi, wi-fi
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| 6 Easy Ways to Score the Best Deals with Social Media Posted: 25 Mar 2010 08:46 AM PDT 
We all want to save some cash. Social media-savvy shoppers know that right now there are more opportunities than ever to score a sweet deal. Sure, we're already all over Facebook and Twitter, but are we really maximizing these social media tools to spend less on the stuff we buy? The more channels you tap into, the better for your budget. Here are some of our favorites: 1. Fan and Follow for Secret Discounts To start getting the inside scoop on the best deals, the first thing you need to do is to make a list of your top 10 all-time favorite places to shop, and start fanning and following them on Facebook and Twitter. Beyond up-to-the-minute updates on hot deals and coupons, some stores and brands offer short-lived social media-only deals that you won't find anywhere else. Still others offer secret promotions and contests. For example, fanning Banana Republic's Facebook Page gives you access to coupon codes, deals, and contests that you won't find on their site. Kohl's offers a nice guide to getting the most for your money, and Aeropostale posts their latest discounts and printable coupons. Sears, Travelocity, Sephora, and many other big brands also use Twitter to spread the word about special deals and other promotions. 2. Search Smart and Aggregate to Cut Through ClutterSearch for #deal, #save or #coupon on Twitter and you'll see a flood of thrifty Tweets. But you can get even more out of Twitter by searching smart. If you know what kind of deal you want, narrow your searches using multiple hashtags at once. So if you're looking for deals on beauty products, search for #beauty and #deal, and if you're going for a new Mac, try #Apple and #deal, and so on. For a bird's eye view of all the top deals on Twitter, try CheapTweet, which lets you filter deals by category. Also check out CouponTweet, which, while still in beta, is another promising player in this field. Following frugal Twitter lists is another way to aggregate relevant deals on Twitter. Two lists we like are Frugal Friends and Frugal Bloggers. 3. Be a Team Saver with Community Buying If a deal only lasts for a day, it's probably going to be a good one. Community buying sites like Living Social and Groupon have popped up all over the web. When you sign up to use these sites, you get a daily e-mail with the option to buy in on a super-discounted local service, including restaurants, spa services, show tickets and many others. If enough people jump in and buy within 24 hours, then the scale gets tipped and everybody gets the discount. 4. Use Geo-Location for Nearby DealsYou can also use location-based sites and apps to find hot deals right around the corner from where you're standing. Social geo-location app Foursquare, where users share their whereabouts with their friends by "checking-in" at different venues, alerts users to special offers near their location. If you’ve become the “mayor” of a particular venue (i.e. checked-in at that location more than anyone else within the past 60 days), you may also be eligible for special offers, like a free beer, for example. And speaking of beer, if you're looking to unwind with a drink and a bite to eat after work, but don't want to empty your wallet at the overpriced bar down the block, Village Voice Media and GoTime recently released a free location-based app called Happy Hours, which will tell you where to find the nearest happy hour in 41 cities across the country. The app is available for the iPhone, Android devices, and Blackberry. 5. Share the WealthIt's often said that the more you give, the more you get. If you come across a great deal, spread the wealth and share it on Twitter and Facebook. Not only are you helping spread the best coupons and deals available online, you'll be surprised at how quickly your friends and followers will start sharing their secret finds with you. 6. Trust the CommunityThere are tons of online coupon sites out there. Some are great and offer hot deals that are legitimate, up-to-date, and that work as they should. Others are not so valuable. To avoid wasting your time sifting through old, fake or otherwise unreliable coupon codes, go where your fellow savers go. Look for sites with active communities and deals that are ranked and checked, and that have lots of new activity and a lively presence on Facebook and Twitter. Avoid those that look deserted. And finally, no matter which social channels you decide to build into your money saving strategies, never pay for coupons. Saving money — and the coupons that will help get you there — should always be free. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore social media resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, svengine Reviews: Android, Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: coupons, deals, facebook, List, Lists, shopping, tips, twitter
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| No Plans Tonight? Play Chatroulette Bingo! [PICS] Posted: 25 Mar 2010 08:31 AM PDT 
If you have some time on your hands tonight, gather together some friends and make use of these Internet-inspired Bingo boards. But remember, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye — most likely due to seeing something so horrific that it does permanent damage to one’s retina.  Behold, the Chatroulette drinking game, courtesy of Holy Taco. A whole bottle of whiskey is probably a requirement if images like those described are the norm.  Another board, from Chatroulette Bingo. Aww, look at those lovely little pictures — oh, wait… Ew.  Chatoulette Bingo provides you with a selection of boards, which it generates and downloads as PDFs. Print them out and play tonight! (I edited out some objectionable images from this one) For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Bingo, Facebook, Twitter Tags: chatroulette, humor, pop culture, video
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| Bing Adds Foursquare Data to Maps Posted: 25 Mar 2010 08:13 AM PDT 
Bing Maps is pulling in "quick tips" data from Foursquare, so as you're browsing a locale you'll see reviews from Foursquare users for various venues. Bing says that you'll also be able to "see who has unlocked specific badges, where and who has been crowned mayor of certain locations." Data about who's currently checked in isn't included (and wouldn't make sense unless the user is using the new public "celebrity mode"). The Foursquare application appears to be accessed from the "maps apps" area of Bing Maps, so it's presumably not on by default for everyone.  Google doesn't yet pull Foursquare data into its Maps, though it does pull in reviews from a number of third-party services like Citysearch and Zagat. We did however recently review Fourwhere, a Foursquare and Google Maps mashup that does much of what Bing is trying to do with its new features. We imagine we're only at the beginning of seeing Foursquare's increasingly rich local data integrated in apps big and small around the web. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Bing, Facebook, Foursquare, Google, Google Maps, Twitter Tags: bing, Bing Maps, foursquare, maps, microsoft, trending
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| AdMob: Smartphone Usage Up, iPhone and Android on the Rise Posted: 25 Mar 2010 07:48 AM PDT  AdMob’s Mobile Metrics report for February focuses primarily on smartphones, a category of mobile phones that has seen tremendous growth in the last year. In February 2010, smartphones accounted for 48% of AdMob's worldwide traffic, up from 35% in February 2009. The really big news, however, is the stellar rise of iPhone OS and Android. In the past year, Symbian’s share of requests fell from 43% to 18%, while iPhone’s share of request rose from 33% to 50%. Android fared even better, rising from 2% of smartphone requests in the AdMob network in February 2009, to 24% in February 2010.
These numbers should not be mistaken for market share; according to Gartner, Symbian was still a very clear leader of the smartphone market at the end of 2009. It does, however, show how a large application ecosystem can make a difference.  AdMob’s numbers are biased by heavy application usage, since AdMob serves ads into applications on the iPhone OS, Android and webOS platforms. But even within AdMob’s network, Symbian was the top dog one year ago; now, iPhone towers above the rest, accounting for half of all smartphone requests in AdMob’s network, and Android is approximately as big as Symbian, RIM and Windows Mobile put together. See the full report here. For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Twitter Tags: admob, Mobile 2.0, smartphone
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We agree: the Avatar is an amazing cinematic experience, best seen in the cinema or a huge TV (preferrably 
When fans are taking the time to create ads for your products, and the end result conveys a clearer message than the actual official ads for the product, you know 
We already know that we’ll be able to use iPhone applications on the iPad, scaled to iPad’s bigger screen size. But what native iPad apps has Apple approved so far? PadGadget has done some 
You may have heard that 
Netflix 
A new set of rules and instructions from the Chinese government itself suppresses China media outlets from reporting almost anything about 
This post is part of Mashable's Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details 
Name: 
Wrapping up this year’s CTIA mobile show here in Las Vegas is a special round table of thought leaders: Twitter’s Biz Stone, U.S. CTO Aneesh Chopra and filmmaker James Cameron came together with host and CNBC anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera to discuss the impact of mobile technology on business, media and the economy. Read on for the results of this discussion.
On Wednesday, Digg finally 
Tax season is upon us, and the iPhone is here to take the sting out of Uncle Sam's April chore. The current arsenal of App Store software is useful for both simple and complex tax processes, and is generally cheaper than desktop equivalents.
Fred, the squeeky six-year old played by 16-year old web video star Lucas Cruikshank, has found a home for his feature film debut. Variety reports that Fred: The Movie will air as 
Zynga's legion of social gamers have a new way to buy virtual goods –- pre-paid game cards that will be available for purchase at a combined more than 12,800 7-Eleven, Best Buy, Target and Gamestore stores.
In the past, 37signals — purveyor of popular business-friendly web applications — has stayed out of the mobile application business, leaving that task to enterprising third parties. That all changes 
Line2 is a mobile app from Toktumi that’s a refreshing option for iPhone users who need to maintain a separate personal and a business phone number.
Sara Dunham is the community manager at online coupon site and community 
Another day, another big Foursquare development, with Bing announcing that it's integrating data from the location-based network into its Maps product, with a set of features that will debut later this year.
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