Mashable: Latest 22 News Updates - including “iAd: Apple to Launch New Mobile Ad Platform? [RUMOR]” |  |
- iAd: Apple to Launch New Mobile Ad Platform? [RUMOR]
- Exclusive: Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher Launch Campaign to Ban Child Slavery
- Apple Acquires the iPad Trademark
- CTIA 2010 in Review: Top Trends in Mobile
- “Apple vs. Predator” Parody Highlights Apple’s Legal Woes [VIDEO]
- 10 Essential Money-Saving iPhone Apps
- FRIDAY POLL: How Did You Celebrate Twestival?
- Facebook Proposes Revisions to Privacy Policy, Hints at More Location Features
- Nokia Focuses on the Mobile Web with New Acquisition
- 5 Ways Non-Profits Can Increase Engagement With YouTube
- Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters
- RadioShack on the Auction Block? [RUMOR]
- The Dire State of the Newspaper Industry [STATS]
- Check.in Aims to Support Universal Location Checkins [INVITES]
- 600+ Communities Are Fighting for Google Fiber Internet
- WARNING: Tweeticlub Spam Invades Twitter Trending Topics
- 10 Fantastic Websites for Spotify Fans
- More Google TV Details Emerge
- Awesome: iPhone App Created to Control Mars Rover [VIDEO]
- Spotify Aims to Launch in U.S. in 3 to 6 Months
- Wikipedia’s Redesign Is Coming Soon
- 4 Tips for Reducing Social Media Stress
- Lady Gaga, Meet Chatroulette [VIDEO]
| iAd: Apple to Launch New Mobile Ad Platform? [RUMOR] Posted: 27 Mar 2010 03:57 AM PDT  
According to Mediapost, Apple is close to unveiling a personalized advertising experience based on technology from Quattro Wireless, which Apple acquired two months ago. It would once again pit Apple against Google, whose acquisition of AdMob is still undergoing regulatory review. The timing of the supposed announcement — April 7th — is very interesting: It’s only four days after the official launch of the iPad. This could mean that there are significant tie-ins to the iPad and the iPhone. If the rumors are true, it raises a lot questions: how is the iAd format different than other mobile advertising platforms? How much of the technology is based on Quattro Wireless? Will it accelerate Google’s acquisition of AdMob? How Will Google react? And can Apple succeed in a market that has never been part of its primary business model? Unfortunately, we don’t have the answers to these question — at least yet. In the coming weeks, we’ll see if Apple does announce the iAd platform and what it exactly looks like. Tags: admob, advertising, apple, Google, iAd, ipad, Quattro Wireless
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| Exclusive: Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher Launch Campaign to Ban Child Slavery Posted: 26 Mar 2010 07:51 PM PDT 
In an exclusive interview with Mashable, the couple explained to us exactly what is happening in the earthquake-devastated country, what they hope to accomplish through their foundation, and how people can use social media to spread the word. Here is what they had to say, as well as ways you can help. Background: Restavec and What’s Happening in HaitiSlavery is something that most people believe is a thing of the past. After all, it was abolished in the U.S. nearly 150 years ago by the Emancipation Proclamation and Abraham Lincoln. However, Ashton and Demi told us otherwise in a 20 minute phone call interview conducted earlier today. In Haiti, there is a system known as restavec, which is French for “one who stays with.” In it, a child is sent by his or her parents to work as a domestic servant with a host family, usually because the parents believe that their child will have a better quality of life if they give him or her up. Both Ashton and Demi strongly believe that the system is simply slavery given a different name. They are forced to help out a host family, clean after them, and essentially work as slaves. Ashton said that most of these children, who can be anywhere from five to fifteen, do not go to school and are not provided the opportunities they deserve. Here’s how former President Bill Clinton describes the situation:
The Campaign Against Restavec
This is where the Demi & Ashton Foundation (DNA) is looking to make the biggest impact. Their feeling is that in order to build a newer and better Haiti, we cannot put money into a broken system that includes restavec. Demi stated that just as builders will apply stricter codes to protect buildings from future earthquakes, they want to apply rules that will ban the restavec system. This, they believe, is “the first steps to a better and more just society.” They made it clear that they totally support governments, foundations and individuals that are donating their time and money to Haiti. However, the reality is that the suffering that exists there is horrific and it will take many years to rebuild; thus, it is important to rebuild it right. Starting now, their foundation is launching a campaign to bring awareness to the restavec issue to those with their fingers on the purse strings. They want to build incredible awareness and generate incredible discussion around this important issue, starting with the social web. The Role of Social Media in the CampaignThe key to their campaign to end child slavery — and slavery worldwide — is awareness. The problem is simple: most people think slavery doesn’t exist. Ashton specifically pulled out one stat: there are now twice as many salves than there were when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a problem that has only grown with time, and the celebrity couple do not want to live in a world where this atrocity exists. “It’s going to take a lot of loud voices,” Ashton said to me. This is why he and Demi are turning to the social web to spread the message. Platforms like Mashable, Facebook, and Twitter have helped the world come around on important issues before — three key examples Ashton gave was fighting Malaria, the #IranElection Crisis, and #BlameDrewsCancer. They believe that ending child slavery in Haiti will become another cause the social web will rally around. Slavery Is Not An Impossible Problem to SolveOne of the key themes of our conversation was that this is not an impossible problem to solve. Unlike curing a disease, which can really depend on the type of disease and the state of scientific problem, slavery is dependent purely on human behavior. Thus, the solution to the problem is based on “love thy neighbor as yourself.” Ending child slavery and restovec is not an unattainable goal. Their call to action is simple: tell people about what’s happening in Haiti, and reach out to the congressmen that have the power to get Haiti’s government to end child slavery. Demi and Ashton are encouraging everybody to use Twitter to @reply to the congressmen that will be attending next week’s UN meeting (they will soon post a list of them on their Facebook page, their Twitter account, and their foundation’s website). They encourage everyone to tweet and contact Barack Obama about the issue. They hope, most of all, to generate buzz and start a big conversation around restovec and bring a new level of awareness that was not there before. The campaign begins now, and goes on even after the donor’s conference at the UN next Wednesday — Demi says that it will take a long-term commitment by everyone to end child slavery not only in Haiti, but worldwide as well. I believe these two quotes from our phone call really sum up their passion for banning child slavery and the restovec system in Haiti:
If You Want to Support Demi and Ashton’s CampaignIf you want to support the Demi & Ashton Foundation’s aim “to eliminate child sex slavery worldwide,” then here are some links to get you started:
In addition, here’s a list of some of the congressmen and senators that the foundation is looking to reach:
[Ashton/Demi image via: SpreePIX] Reviews: Facebook, Mashable, Twitter Tags: ashton kutcher, Child Slavery, demi moore, haiti, politics, Slavery, trending, UN
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| Apple Acquires the iPad Trademark Posted: 26 Mar 2010 04:35 PM PDT 
The iPad launch is only a week away and as such, Apple is getting its ducks in a row: accepting submissions for iPad apps to the App Store, making developers use pre-release models in darkened rooms, oh and getting that whole trademark mess cleared up. Yup, as of last week, Apple is the new owner of the name iPad, having purchased the trademark from Fujitsu. Fujitsu originally filed for the trademark in March of 2003 but then stopped responding to USPTO requests, seemingly abandoning the mark until it reignited interest in the name in June of 2009. As you can see from the following public record, the mark was transferred to Apple Inc. officially on March 17. So all that marketing has not been for naught; the iPad is now an official member of the Apple product family. Tags: apple, fujitsu, ipad, law, trademark
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| CTIA 2010 in Review: Top Trends in Mobile Posted: 26 Mar 2010 04:13 PM PDT 
Overall, the trend of convergence between mobile devices and the internet not only continues, but is accelerating. We saw lots of shiny new phones of course, but we’re also hearing a lot more about environments like the car becoming increasingly connected. Tablets and smartbooks add to the array of devices we’ll need data plans for, and cell carriers will need to begin addressing a heterogeny of devices and platforms that single consumers need to get connected. Read on for some of the bigger trends the wireless industry is concerning itself with today and down the next few years of the mobile roadmap. 4G Next-Generation Wireless Networks As some carriers continue to quibble over who has the best 3G coverage, a whole new generation of wireless networks is already being rolled out. The gains in terms of data speed and capacity stand to be significant — imagine having the broadband speeds you’re used to at home but on your phone or portable wireless hotspot. Sprint will be the first to market with its 4G WiMAX network. The network is rolled out in 27 major metropolitan areas of the U.S. already, with at least 15 more cities to get coverage before year’s end. At CTIA Sprint announced the HTC EVO 4G (pictured above), which will be the first commercially available handset to take advantage of the WiMAX network. Notable for that alone, the phone is also a veritable smorgasboard of high-tech specs that have phone nerds like me marking our calendars for this summer when the device will launch. Verizon and AT&T are backing a 4G network based on a different standard, dubbed Long Term Evolution (LTE), but neither the network itself nor the devices that will be able to take advantage of it are expected to be ready before mid-2011. Still, both Sprint CEO Dan Hesse and partner Clearwire’s CEO Bill Morrow said that consumers shouldn’t expect to see a format war situation emerging because the WiMAX network architecture would allow them to also incorporate LTE down the road when it becomes available. Android There was without a doubt a singular winner in terms of smartphone platforms at this year’s CTIA, which may as well have been dubbed CTIAndroid. In addition to the HTC EVO 4G we mentioned above, four other significant Android phones were announced. The Samsung Galaxy S has one of the sharpest yet least annoyingly reflective screens we’ve ever seen, in addition to lots of power under the hood. The Motorola i1 is the first push-to-talk phone running Android, and is reportedly as rugged and durable as users of Sprint’s Nextel network have come to expect from PTT phone offerings without looking like a proverbial brick. The Dell Aero will be Dell’s first foray into the U.S. smartphone market, and the second Android handset to arrive on AT&T’s network. The Kyocera Zio M6000 is a slick-looking phone with a high-resolution 800 x 480 display, but sacrifices some power in the components in order to be able to offer what will be one of the cheapest Android offerings on the market: between $169 and $216 before subsidy. It’s a significant play to appeal to the more budget-conscious segment of the market while still providing a sophisticated smartphone OS on board. Tablets too were out in force with Android under the hood. We had a chance to see some pretty impressive demos of prototype tablets powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 platform, featuring full Flash support and offering a significant alternative to Apple’s iPad. Mobile Video Explosion Along with the advent of 4G networks, mobile video becomes a more viable proposition and a more pleasant experience for the consumer. Cisco’s CTO Padmasree Warrior gave a keynote address in which she conveyed the perhaps astonishing statistic that current trends show 91% of all internet traffic will be video content by 2013. With video becoming such a dominant force driving internet usage, and a perfect storm of fast networks and smart devices that can handle it, video will likewise be a significant driver of mobile data usage as well — occupying an estimated 66% of mobile traffic by 2013, according to Cisco. Handheld news and reviews site Brighthand produced its first Mobile Film Festival at CTIA, showcasing the best and most creative video content made specifically for cell phones. Much like web series have become an important cultural development in online video content, mobile films too stand to see significant uptick over the coming years as filmmakers tailor high quality short-form video specifically for the new generation of smartphone-wielding consumers. The Internet of Things Faster 4G networks and smarter mobile devices won’t just be connecting people to people and people to content, either — a significant area of growth for the wireless sector is going to be in connected devices. The Cisco CTO shared another eye-popping statistic in her keynote: by the end of 2010 we expect to see 35 billion devices connected to the network; by 2013 that number is expected to climb to almost a trillion. That includes wireless RFID chips, network-connected sensors, and many other forms of connected devices beyond phones and laptops — and increasingly, those devices will be talking directly to each other. In combination with 4G, adding network connectivity to a wide range of devices has profound implications for exploding innovation in sectors like health care and smart energy. Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse described a scenario in which an ambulance en route to the hospital could be sending back video feeds and vital information about a patient’s condition to an ER doctor who could then have a fairly clear evaluation of that patient before they even arrive. Remote medicine too could be revolutionized by mobile hotspots in the field and sophisticated diagnostic applications running on smartphones. With smart energy, imagine a hybrid vehicle that could monitor the network in order to charge itself during non-peak hours, or being able to run an app on your phone that could tell you how much energy you’d save by turning off specific lights or reducing the usage of certain appliances. Other verticals like education, security, law enforcement, and retail stand to benefit from fast 4G networks and the internet of things as well. United States CTO Aneesh Chopra spoke about the urgent need for innovation in terms of applications that will take the most advantage of the greater speeds and bandwidth afforded by 4G networks, and related that the students of today will be tomorrow’s innovators of mobile use cases we can’t even quite imagine yet. [img credit for "Internet of Things": Lynetter] Reviews: Android, Remote, Wimax Tags: 4G, android, cisco, Clearwire, CTIA, CTIA 2010, HTC EVO 4G, ipad, Kyocera, LTE, Mobile 2.0, Motorola, Nextel, NVIDIA, push-to-talk, samsung, samsung galaxy s, sprint, tablets, Tegra 2, trends, video, WiMax
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| “Apple vs. Predator” Parody Highlights Apple’s Legal Woes [VIDEO] Posted: 26 Mar 2010 03:17 PM PDT 
Buzz Out Loud put out a proclamation to make a video that merged Aliens vs. Predator and Apple’s recent woes, which resulted in the below vid by YouTuber Kelvington. The pilfered feature in question in this video is Apple’s “slide to unlock” capability, which Predators of yore did, indeed, appear to create. After all the lawsuits and trademark battles surrounding this and other Apple products, this video, with its whimsical tagline — “It’s about to get litigious” — brings some much-needed levity. I still think J.J. Abrams should sue, though. [via TUAW] For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: apple, Film, humor, ipad, viral video
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| 10 Essential Money-Saving iPhone Apps Posted: 26 Mar 2010 03:00 PM PDT 
Despite a recession allegedly in our rear view mirror, frugality remains a hot, dare I say trendy topic. Nowhere is that more evident than in the often expensive world of consumer tech. Those of you currently debating that iPad purchase know just what I mean. But remember, a one-time splurge could pay dividends in the long run if you do your homework. Take Steve Jobs' previous technological wonder. The iPhone's price tag might seem hefty, but just a cursory review of its money-saving potential might prove tempting to even the most fiscally conservative. Here are ten of our favorite apps for the frugal-focused. Finances The first step to saving money is learning how to handle it. Depending on your needs, there are literally hundreds of apps to help you manage your money, track expenses and pay bills. You can use your iPhone to make late fees and overdrafts a thing of the past.
Shopping Once you’ve got your accounts balanced, it might be time to start spending (wisely). But a note to the coupon clippers: Now you can leave that Sunday circular at home.
Food & Drink The recession has taught even the most sociable among us the value of eating in. These apps can make it cheap, and relatively pain-free for even the most amateur of gourmets.
Travel Whether you drive, fly, ride the rails or hail a cab, just getting around can cost a pretty penny. Luckily there are a number of apps to help keep prices (and aggravation) down.
Communications Since the iPhone is, after all, a phone, we should point out some ways to offset that monthly service fee. Chatterboxes, take note.
For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore iPhone resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, THEPALMER Reviews: Coupon Sherpa, Facebook, Google Maps, Skype, Twitter, iPhone, iStockphoto Tags: apple, iphone, iphone apps, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, mobile apps, money, personal finance
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| FRIDAY POLL: How Did You Celebrate Twestival? Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:23 PM PDT 
Yesterday, thousands of people in more than 175 cities got together to celebrate the second annual Twestival, an event that has (at the time of this posting) raised $311,696 for Concern Worldwide, an organization that works to provide an education to millions of children without access to one. Last year’s event raised $250,000 for a charity that brought clean water to 17,000 people, and set a precedent for social media philanthropy. Not only did participants register and donate money on the Twestival website, they also promoted the event via tweets. As our own Pete Cashmore said in his CNN column yesterday, “Twestival’s impact, then, is threefold: Its cash haul is significant, it raises awareness of the cause on a worldwide scale and it provides the framework for future campaigns.” This year’s event no doubt surpassed last year’s in terms of giving. Here’s hoping for another awesome turnout for Twestival number three. The Mashable staff was out in full force at New York’s event, where we not only contributed to a stellar cause, but also met a ton of interesting people and celebrated into the night. So, for this week’s poll, we’re asking you, our readers, to tell us how you celebrated Twestival? Did you attend an event? Did you tweet your support? What did you do to make a difference? Let us know in the comments! For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: social good, social media, twestival, twitter
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| Facebook Proposes Revisions to Privacy Policy, Hints at More Location Features Posted: 26 Mar 2010 01:37 PM PDT 
The proposed changes encompass an array of things, including location (another sign of things to come), new language related to sharing, information on controls for data shared with third parties, and more explanations to make features like the “Everyone” setting more digestible to users. Some of the changes are preemptive in nature. Location-sharing, for example, doesn’t yet exist on Facebook, but we know that details of what’s to come are expected to be revealed at f8, Facebook’s developer conference. The new language hints that those QR Codes discovered earlier in the month could be forthcoming in relation to location. According to the blog post on the changes, Facebook has “removed the old language and, instead added the concept of a ‘place’ that could refer to a Page, such as one for a local restaurant. As we finalize the product, we look forward to providing more details, including new privacy controls.” Users are encouraged to offer their feedback on the Documents tab — which also includes the full text of the proposed policies — via the Facebook Site Governance Page. There’s only a seven-day window, so make sure to check out the changes and offer your feedback before 12:00 a.m. PDT on April 3, 1010. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: facebook, location sharing, privacy policy
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| Nokia Focuses on the Mobile Web with New Acquisition Posted: 26 Mar 2010 01:00 PM PDT 
According to Nokia’s announcement, Novarra’s mobile browser platform will become part of Nokia Series 40 devices later this year. Chicago-based Kettle Partners was an investor in Novarra. During our digging into Novarra, we learned a few things. First, Novarra laid off 20% of its staff early last year (35 people). While that’s just one data point, it’s likely that Novarra was stalling and has been looking for a compatible buyer. The company’s main product, Vision, is often rebranded by carriers as their own custom Internet experience, mostly on Java-based phone systems. However, this technology is outdated compared to the browsers you’ll find on the iPhone or Android. We think the acquisition was likely more about talent and intellectual property. Novarra owns the patent for “adapting information content for an electronic device,” which focuses on the combination of in-network servers with handheld browser clients, which could have been of interest to Nokia. In any case, Nokia has a long way to go if it hopes to improve its footing in the U.S. smartphone market: Android and iPhone are growing like wildfire. For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Twitter Tags: acquisition, mobile browser, mobile web, Nokia, Novarra, vision
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| 5 Ways Non-Profits Can Increase Engagement With YouTube Posted: 26 Mar 2010 12:38 PM PDT 
According to ForeSee Results’ 2010 Social Media Study, YouTube is the second most powerful social network for consumer engagement. This critical component of the social web remains vital for causes, associations and government organizations. Non-profits have been engaging with YouTube for years, but it’s still important to have a specific online video strategy. The following five tips can help organizations maximize their YouTube offering for the most impact. 1. Participate in YouTube’s Nonprofit ProgramThe YouTube Nonprofit Program provides for extra benefits like branding capabilities, increased uploading capacity, and call-to-action overlays. Non-profits can use the call-to-action feature to drive sign-ups, donations, website traffic, and any other response in which users take action. This feature was effectively used by the World Food Programme to raise $36,000 on World Food Day with this video. “In a single weekend, it was viewed over half a million times and raised enough to feed over 140,000 children,” said Pierre Guillaume Wielezynski, Head of Web at the World Food Programme. “We did this by creating a video that was compelling and [put] to use all the bells and whistles offered to non-profit partners: A call-to-action overlay ad, annotations with an external link to a donation form, Google Checkout, as well as a branded channel that gained more than one compliment from visitors. “While this dramatic weekend is one we’ll remember at WFP for a long while, the long-term results are interesting,” added Pierre. “Since then, our video has helped to feed over 650,000 children and we’ve drawn a steady crowd to our YouTube channel where we have more great content. YouTube is an obvious place for us to share our videos — it’s become an outreach tool that is powerful, dynamic, and highly effective for raising both awareness and funds.” 2. Link to Your Cause with Video AnnotationsAnnotations can be used to add interactive commentary to videos, and for partners in the Nonprofit Program, they can be used to link to external sites. Video communicators can select when and where annotations appear as embedded content. Non-profits can embed multiple action items within a video as in the example above from Stillerstrong, or create “Choose-Your-Own Adventure” videos to further involve citizens in their cause, like this example that speaks out against knife crime in the UK. “Fortunately, because Causecast is a non-profit partner with YouTube, we were able to do ‘outbound annotations,’ which are annotations on the video that can bounce out of YouTube to the Stillerstrong/Causecast donation page,” said Brandon Buck, a Video Producer for Causecast. “Causecast added links to the donation and Stillerstrong gear pages, and provided links for people to tweet about the Stillerstrong site, and post directly to their Facebook, allowing friends to watch the video directly on Facebook's news feed. Causecast was able to quantify that more than 30% of Stillerstrong.org’s traffic came from the videos directly and their posting on Facebook.” 3. Can’t Make a Video? Find a VolunteerIf your non-profit doesn’t have the resources to create video, YouTube’s Video Volunteers program will help you find a skilled video-maker. The effort highlights different specific issues, and the top three videos are featured on the YouTube homepage at the end of each month. “We had a great video, courtesy of LisaNova, which showcased the ‘New Roots’ community farm — a fantastic program we're running out of our San Diego office,” said Kate Sands Adams of the International Rescue Committee. “We were able to get our supporters and Lisa's followers involved in trying to get us to the top. “And whether or not the video made it into the top three volunteer videos on YouTube, the exposure was tremendous,” continued Kate. “The ‘New Roots’ video was viewed over 200,000 times on YouTube, generated thousands of comments and resulted in a marked increase in traffic, both to our website and to our YouTube channel. It also introduced us to LisaNova's followers, on YouTube, on Twitter, and on other social networks –- all of whom could be potential volunteers and supporters for the IRC.” For this month’s contest, One.org and YouTube are seeking videos to fight global poverty. “I covered Anna Curran’s CrisisCamp in NYC because video journalism is my way of contributing to the cause,” said New York City-based changeblogger Nicole D’Alonzo. “CrisisCamp NYC is a great way for Internet-savvy volunteers to aid disaster relief in Haiti. My video promotes what Anna and her team are working on, and encourages others to get involved.” 4. Optimize for SearchIt’s often easy to forget that search drives the social web in so many ways. YouTube is no different, so savvy non-profits should leverage this. There are several easy things to do: Tag videos liberally, title well, and upload consistently to have a better chance of turning up in search results. Another strategy is to capitalize on current events by uploading content related to terms users might be searching for. Invisible Children did a great job of this last summer by publishing “Michael Jackson in Uganda,” a video highlighting a local student’s appreciation for the King of Pop. Even better, a master SEO strategy could yield broad based search results on standard engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. “Right now, Google is very big on integrating YouTube videos,” said Jennifer Laycock, editor in chief of Search Engine Guide. “Run a quick search for ‘Michael Jackson’ ‘Uganda Music’ or ‘Michael Jackson Tribute’ and you’ll see YouTube videos being integrated into the first page of results. “This gives companies a whole new way to gain a first page ranking for a term,” added Jennifer. “That said, much like organic search, your videos need to be optimized for the terms you wish to reach. Right now, the video is simply titled ‘Michael Jackson in Uganda.’ The video doesn’t show up for the term Michael Jackson or Uganda in Google search. I’m willing to bet that if they retitled the video ‘Michael Jackson Tribute from Uganda’ or something similar, they could trigger a Google inclusion.” 5. Use Measurement Tools to Optimize Performance Like any online communications effort, measurement can lead to maximum optimization. Non-profit communicators can find success with YouTube Insight, a version of Google Analytics for videos. Find out audience demographics, video popularity, traffic sources, and how effectively overlays are performing. In one incredible example, the White House’s social media department went so far as to publish its video analytics to the public web. We asked online cause wizard Damien Basile to analyze the White House’s efforts. “[The] YouTube analytics the White House has published openly can teach us all about paying attention to what your viewership demographics want and [how to give] them more of it,” said Basile. “What could be dangerous is just paying attention to what people are watching and not how long they’re actually watching it. The difference between what draws your audience in and what keeps them there is the difference between having a lot of first time or repeat customers. “There’s no magic formula for getting it right,” he continued. “The only way you’ll know you’re getting it right is if your analytics tell you over time. In conferences people may vote with their feet, but online people vote with their mouse. Be sure to pay attention to what they’re telling you.” For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore social media resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Bing, Facebook, Google, Google Analytics, Twitter, Yahoo!, YouTube, michael jackson, video Tags: List, Lists, non-profit, nonprofit, social good, social media, web video, youtube
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| Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters Posted: 26 Mar 2010 12:35 PM PDT 
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Not only does Clickatell offer an Interactive Campaign Manager tool that allows you to monitor and intervene in your customer campaigns in real time, it also generates and manages database integration and comes with additional marketing tools. Track the delivery status of your text messages and the responses; take the guesswork out of campaigning. Your valuable messages will always be delivered as our products allow for message escalation to alternative delivery gateways. Social networks are also, through the account management package, given control over network channels and connectivity options. All necessary tasks have been automated and our central interface allows you to manage multiple connections and projects at the same time. Which leading social networking companies have chosen Clickatell as a mobile messaging partner? Read our success stories here.  Influxis is an official Adobe hosting partner and resource for the Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server. Influxis provides Flash hosting plans for all levels of use – beginner to enterprise. With a reputation for exceptional customer service, Influxis provides an extremely reliable international network of FMS servers in the U.S., U.K., and Germany.  BizSpark is a program which offers new software businesses and entrepreneurs access to Microsoft design, development, and production tools with no upfront costs for up to three years. Members can also connect with a nationwide community of Network Partners – investors, incubators, service providers, and entrepreneurial organizations – who are keen to help. For more information, or to connect with a Microsoft BizSpark advisor, please visit MicrosoftStartupZone.com/BizSpark.  MailChimp is a powerful, easy-to-use e-mail marketing service. You design, me deliver.  If you’re working for a startup, Sun can help you get it off the ground fast. We created the fee-free Sun Startup Essentials program offering deep discounts on industry-leading, power efficient systems and storage products, optimized open-source software, massively scalable Web hosting services, plus free visibility via Sun’s co-marketing engine. It’s time to build your business on the kind of infrastructure that can scale right along with the skyrocketing demands of success. Find out about Sun Startup Essentials today!  MaxCDN – Content Delivery Network. MaxCDN makes it easy and affordable to get maximum global performance from your site and enable your visitors to get the most out of their visit! MaxCDN offers: resistance to the Digg effect, SSL Integration, No Setup Fee, US-based customer service, No Commitments. Get 1 TeraByte for just $10 today!  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. Additionally, thanks to the following partners for making Mashable happen: Since 2007 W3 EDGE has assisted with creative, web development and search / social media marketing Mashable.com and its numerous projects and other web properties. Day-to-day maintenance and support is also handled by Frederick Townes and his W3 EDGE team.
Thanks to ConVerdge for implementing our My Mashable social network.  Mashable would also like to thank AttentionPR for their PR support. AttentionPR proves that PR today is measurable, transparent, and yes, social. Learn more about AttentionPR.  Rackspace is the better way to do hosting. No more worrying about web hosting uptime. No more spending your time, energy and resources trying to stay on top of things like patching, updating, monitoring, backing up data and the like. Learn why.  iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of safe, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash® files. Using the most accurate search in the business, customers download a file at least every second from a collection of more than five million files for business, marketing and personal projects. iStockphoto started in 2000, pioneering the micropayment photography business model, and has become one of the most successful and profitable user-generated content sites in the world. iStockphoto pays out approximately $1.2 million weekly in artist royalties. iStockphoto is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Getty Images. Mashable readers save 10%.  Founded in 1998 as a free service, Dynamic Network Services Incorporated (Dyn Inc.) now operates two extremely reliable, “rock solid,” global DNS platforms; DynDNS.com for home/SMB users and the Dynect Platform for corporations and enterprises. As a leading provider of managed DNS services, Dyn Inc. plays a key role in keeping the Internet’s DNS infrastructure running smoothly, handling trillions of queries per day and servicing nearly four million active users. With a range of innovative solutions, from domain name and e-mail services on DynDNS.com, to failover, load balancing, traffic management and CDN balancing services with the Dynect Platform, Dyn Inc. remains committed to world class customer service and engineering excellence. Uptime is the Bottom Line. For more information about Dyn Inc., visit www.dyn.com, e-mail hello@dyn.com or call +1-603-668-4998.  ConcentricSky offers web development and strategic consulting services with a focus on emerging technologies such as Social Media and iPhone Apps. From simple websites to integrated web applications, we deliver innovative solutions that exceed your expectations – not your budget. We can get your name out there.Contact us for more information about supporting Mashable’s growth and development. Alternatively, visit our advertise section for more details about:
CPM-based advertising is available through our partner, Federated Media, but if you contact us directly, you’ll be entitled to exclusive unpublished discounts. Reviews: Digg, Google, Mashable, iStockphoto, social media
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| RadioShack on the Auction Block? [RUMOR] Posted: 26 Mar 2010 12:22 PM PDT 
The company is reportedly “exploring strategic alternatives,” according to inside sources. One of those alternatives is a potential leveraged buyout, with an asking price in the ballpark of about $3 billion. Another option being explored is the possibility of merging with still-standing rival retail chain Best Buy, buy back outstanding shares using its $900 million in cash assets or even potentially using those funds to acquire another company and pursue new growth via that route. What it apparently doesn’t want to do is the same old, same old: lay off employees, cut costs and build more stores. Sources say this is all very early in the process and may take weeks or months for a sale or new strategy to come to fruition. RadioShack itself has declined to comment on the rumors. Is the age of the brick and mortar consumer electronics retail chain coming to an end, or do you still think there’s a place for physical storefronts? Do you go to a store to buy your gadgets or order mostly online? [via CNet] [img credit: Joe+Jeanette Archie] Tags: best buy, business, CE, circuit city, compusa, consumer electronics, gadgets, radioshack
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| The Dire State of the Newspaper Industry [STATS] Posted: 26 Mar 2010 12:13 PM PDT 
On Wednesday, the Newspaper Association of America released its estimates for advertising revenue across the newspaper industry. The numbers for 2009 were nothing short of disastrous, once again bringing up a very tough question: Can newspapers find a way to survive? Let’s dive into the numbers. A 44.24% Fall from GraceIn 2009, newspapers made $27.564 billion in total advertising revenue. As a whole, they generated $24.821 in print revenue, while the rest ($2.743 billion) came from online advertising. Those numbers are indeed big, but when you put them in context, they are simply bad. In 2008, newspapers made $37.848 billion. Yes, they made a full $10 billion more last year than they did this year, a staggering drop of 27.2%. Nearly all of that loss was from print: Newspapers made $34.74 billion in print advertising in 2008, while they only accumulated $24.821 billion in 2009. The story’s even worse when you go farther back into newspaper advertising history. Let me outline just how far newspapers have fallen:
I have included the full spreadsheet at the end of this post. Journalism Isn’t Dead; It’s EvolvingThe numbers speak for themselves: The old newspaper model is simply not going to be market-viable as we head deeper in the digital age. News blogs (such as Mashable) and online reporting are the future of journalism. That doesn’t mean that newspapers should simply give up and die. There are many things that newspapers can do to avoid extinction. The ones that embrace the online space faster and more effectively have the best chance for survival. As for young minds fresh out of journalism school — journalism is not dead, it is just evolving. Blogs and online publications are growing, providing a new and exciting medium for reporting on the day’s news. Social media is already becoming integral to the new era of journalism, and is something journalists young and old should not ignore. Also read: Mashable's Social Media Guide for Journalists NAA Advertising ExpendituresImage courtesy of iStockphoto, Lillyday Reviews: Mashable, iStockphoto, news Tags: advertising, NAA, Newspaper Association of America, newspapers, stats
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| Check.in Aims to Support Universal Location Checkins [INVITES] Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:45 AM PDT 
Today Check.in is opening up its private beta service to Mashable readers (see below). Users will be able to simultaneously check in to venues on Foursquare, Brightkite and Gowalla (experimentally in the private release) from m.check.in. Since Check.in is an HTML5 (web-based) app, it offers a slick mobile experience that rivals each of the individual mobile apps in question. After users configure their accounts, Check.in provides a list of nearby places that they can check in to. The app will then match places against data from each service and allow users to optionally select a specific venue for each service. Successful checkins are denoted with green dots. The new app comes from the guys behind Brightkite, a veteran location-sharing service that has seen its thunder stolen by Foursquare and Gowalla. Still, let’s not forget that Brightkite co-founders Brady Becker and Martin May had the foresight to understand the importance of the place checkin before most, and we think they’re definitely on to something with Check.in. It’s also a smart maneuver to reclaim the idea of the checkin, something Foursquare has said it wants to own. In the future we can expect Check.in to evolve to support more location-sharing services as those APIs become available, which could include Google Buzz for Mobile. Becker also notes that adding support for photo uploads is on the roadmap. 50 Mashable readers will get a first crack at Check.in before the rest of the public. If you’d like to try it out, you’ll need to do two things: follow Check.in on Twitter and retweet this post. The first 50 readers to do so will receive an invite code via direct message.
For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Brightkite, Facebook, Foursquare, Google Buzz, Gowalla, Mashable, Twitter Tags: brightkite, check.in, foursquare, gowalla, location sharing
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| 600+ Communities Are Fighting for Google Fiber Internet Posted: 26 Mar 2010 11:16 AM PDT 
Earlier today, the technology titan posted an update on the status of the experimental Google Fiber project. While the company didn’t divulge many new details, it did release some interesting numbers. The most notable: More than 600 different communities have expressed specific interest in Google Fiber. While “community” can be hard to define, it likely still means that hundreds of cities, towns and other locations in the U.S. have told Google that they want it to be their high-speed broadband network. More than 190,000 responses from individuals have come through the search giant’s doors on the subject as well. Google’s about to start the next step of the process: reviewing the different communities, conducting on-site visits and meeting with local officials in order to pick the first community to get Google Fiber. The final decision from Google won’t be for some time, though. The company’s announcement says that it will have a decision “by the end of the year.” For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google, Twitter Tags: Google, google fiber, internet service provider, ISP, Topeka
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| WARNING: Tweeticlub Spam Invades Twitter Trending Topics Posted: 26 Mar 2010 10:53 AM PDT 
Tweeticlub has been trending for over an hour now (Update: It’s been removed from Trending Topics, although spammers are still creating hundreds of spam tweets around it). Every link you find though includes a link to “hop.clickbank.net”, an Internet retailer that sells digital products. The service is being harnessed by spammers though to reach Twitter’s vast audience. We strongly suggest not visiting any links related to the TWEETICLUB trending topic.. We’ve sent a note to the Twitter team about the issue, and will let you know if we learn anything more.  Reviews: Twitter Tags: scam, spam, twitter, Twitter SpamS
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| 10 Fantastic Websites for Spotify Fans Posted: 26 Mar 2010 10:07 AM PDT 
Current and future Spotify users are well taken care of online with nearly a hundred sites that have sprung up around the service offering anything from news to stats to playlists to social networking. Many of them you can take advantage of now, even if you don’t have access to Spotify. If you’re a fan of Spotify then have a look through the sites and services we’ve selected below, as they should prove more than useful, bringing an extra dimension to your Spotify usage, and do let us know about any other great Spotify-related online properties that you visit in the comments. 1. The Pansentient League What the cryptic name won’t tell you is that The Pansentient League is a really good news source for Spotify. Run from Edinburgh in Scotland, Jer White will keep you updated with all things Spotify. As well as news-based blog posts, there’s also what’s new on Spotify listings (a little dry with the list format but useful), links to other Spotify resources, and news of Spotify removals. White sometimes mixes it up with posts on synthpop music, Android, and a sprinkling of sci-fi, but it’s definitely one to follow if you want to stay Spotify savvy. 2. BeSpotify Built on the Ning platform, BeSpotify is a social networking site for Spotify users. As well as the purely social aspects you’d expect, BeSpotify lets you share playlists, invites, add-ons, applications, join groups of like-minded music lovers (you’ll be glad to note Folk/Viking metal lovers are well represented), ask questions and take part in forum discussions, and other bits and bobs. With almost 2000 members it’s no Facebook, but it’s a go-to place if you’re into Spotify and lean to the social side of the web. 3. Spotibot Not a support site for those with acne-ridden posteriors, but a recommendation engine with some nifty tricks up its sleeve, Spotibot is well worth a look. You can take the site on face value and simply use it by entering the name of an artist you like and getting similar artists recommendations, but you can also generate lists from your Last.fm profile, transfer your Last.fm “Loved” tracks into a Spotify playlist and get recommendations through Twitter. To take advantage of this last option, simply tweet “@spotibot similar to Artist/Song Title” to get a personal response. 4. Spotify Hunted As the name might suggest, Spotify Hunted is a specially themed version of We Are Hunted – the site that offers the 99 most popular (or most talked about) songs in the world at any one time. Interestingly, at the time of writing the first nine songs on Spotify Hunted and We Are Hunted were different, showing that, perhaps due to its regional availability, Spotify users are listening to alternative tune-age. As well as an interesting snapshot of what’s hot, Spotify Hunted is also a (good looking) great way to discover emerging acts. 5. SpotiChart Let’s be honest, we all love a good statistic, and this site offers plenty of Spotify-themed stats that it will also tweet to you if you follow it on Twitter. As well as the most tweeted Spotify songs over time periods ranging from the last 12 hours to the last 12 months, the site offers data on the top tags used in the tweets containing Spotify items, info on who the biggest Spotify sharers on Twitter are, and much more. Its “pet project” status excuses its slightly basic looks, as does the wealth of data it offers. 6. Spotinews Although the info is available elsewhere (such as in the previously mentioned list format over at The Pansentient League), Spotinews does a really nice job in highlighting new albums added to Spotify. It’s presented in a very visual way, with the news posts dominated by the relevat album covers. Each album cover is a clickable link through to that content in Spotify, so if you do see something you like, or are interested in, finding it in Spotify doesn’t even require a search. Simple yet effective. 7. Listify If you’ve lovingly created a plethora of playlists in iTunes but are making the switch to Spotify, then there’s a site that can help. In fact there’s two — SpotifiTunes offers the same service, but it’s not quite as easy to use and has less kittens. Listify will take your exported iTunes playlist and automactically generate a Spotify version. Any songs that are in the playlist but not available via Spotify will be listed while carrying out the transfer is copy-and-paste easy. 8. SpotiGuide As well as general Spotify news, SpotiGuide (slogan: Get More From Spotify) offers a whole lot more with “Tips” and “Tools” sections, as well as a look at Spotify-related technology and new and notable playlists. The site only went live in January 2010, so there’s not a wealth of material in terms of archives, but what is there is decent and there’s the promise of plenty more to come. 9. Spotify Collection Spotify Collection will let you create your very own Spotify profile page on the web. By using Spotify’s Uniform Resource Identifier (which can be copied by right clicking on content) you can re-create your Spotify collection online. As well as sharing it with others via your very own personalized URL (which will look like “http://www.spotifycollection.com/username”), there’s quick share options for Facebook and Twitter. The site also lets you tag your collection as well as organize it any which way you like, so perfect for those folk that used to alphabetize their CD collections. 10. Spotify’s Official Blog It’s kind of obvious, but if you want the news straight from the horse’s mouth, as the saying goes, then go direct. The official Spotify blog will keep you posted on all official announcements, news of Premium content, catalog additions, software updates and more – including when that much talked-up U.S. launch will take place… For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Spotify, Twitter Tags: hints, List, Lists, music, spotify, streaming music, tips, tricks
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| Posted: 26 Mar 2010 10:01 AM PDT 
VideoNuze has done some digging and it looks like, for now, the Android- (in part) based set-top box isn’t meant to be a replacement for existing set-top boxes, but as an additional device designed to sit beside your DVR or cable box. Think back to the RF or RCA plug days when you could run your Super Nintendo through your VCR so that your 19″ cable-ready color TV could connect to both devices despite only having one input. Or think of how Series 2 TiVo units connected to digital cable boxes in order to grab channel data and change channels. This is the same idea. The Google TV could grab information from supported channels on your cable or satellite box and offer ancillary content. It could also support Wi-Fi, a built-in browser and access to other types of web video through its own interface. Furthermore, it looks like this box, which will probably sell for $299, will be available at retail only. If this information is accurate, I think that Google’s success will hinge on three key factors:
As VideoNuze points out, going retail rather than partnering with cable operators is a risky move — especially if the price is in the $300 range. For $300, Google TV would have to offer me significant value that I can’t get from my other components (not to mention my Mac mini, which was only $600, give or take). What do you think? [via Gizmodo] For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Google, Twitter Tags: android, Gadget, Google, google tv, Hardware, intel, sony, television
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| Awesome: iPhone App Created to Control Mars Rover [VIDEO] Posted: 26 Mar 2010 09:29 AM PDT 
EclipseCon2010 participants were tasked with the challenge to “create the very best robotic control system to drive a robot across a prototypical Mars landscape” and to “prove [their] e4 programming skills by creating the very best e4-Rover client,” according to the website. We’ve embedded a video of a client made by software architects Peter Friese and Heiko Behrens below. They used the iPhone’s accelerometer to run their creation. You can also check out the e4-Rover Mars Challenge page for more information on the winners and the contest itself. Just think, if this idea were actually to come to fruition, you would have a whole new way to awkwardly avoid people at parties. I imagine it going something like this:
[via recombu.com] For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: Gadget, iphone, rover, video
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| Spotify Aims to Launch in U.S. in 3 to 6 Months Posted: 26 Mar 2010 08:58 AM PDT 
Spotify “aims to start U.S. operations in the third quarter,” and it’s currently ramping up its U.S. mobile and web partnerships and purchasing server space in order to make that happen. Senior Vice President Paul Brown revealed those details, along with Spotify’s intentions to build mobile applications for BlackBerry and Palm devices, in an interview with Bloomberg. The highly anticipated launch would mean that U.S. users would finally be able to access the alternative online music and mobile service, which is already extremely popular across the pond. Since the company’s launch in October 2008, Spotify has attracted seven million users in six European countries. While Ek did mention that there could be slight changes to the U.S. version of the service, we believe that Spotify will seek to partner with U.S. mobile carriers in a fashion similar to its current relationship with Telia. That partnership bundles Spotify on mobile devices, offering new users three to six months of complimentary usage. Spotify’s official U.S. launch date remains undecided, but we can expect to see it before the end of 2010, and hopefully in a few months’ time. Reviews: Spotify
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| Wikipedia’s Redesign Is Coming Soon Posted: 26 Mar 2010 08:24 AM PDT 
The new default design will start to roll out the week of April 5 on the Wikimedia Commons, the media repository used by Wikipedia.  Old Wikipedia Design  New Wikipedia Design The new design is the culmination of usability work that started in January of 2009 and is just the first step in what is still a continuing process. Wikimedia says that a second release will be pushed out later in the year. All Wikipedia languages will get the new look, with other Wikimedia projects to follow. The new interface, while still not exactly modern in terms of design, at least finally looks like it was developed in this century. From a usability standpoint, it’s too soon to really tell the improvements are, as the final tweaks aren’t in place, but it does appear to be a good start. What do you think of the new look for Wikipedia? Let us know! Reviews: Wikipedia Tags: redesign, websites, wikimedia, wikipedia
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| 4 Tips for Reducing Social Media Stress Posted: 26 Mar 2010 07:50 AM PDT 
We used to only be digitally connected via computer for part of the day, but today’s hand-held devices enable a “constantly connected” lifestyle. This presents huge benefits, and its share of challenges. An important question to ask yourself is: Are you going to be constantly overwhelmed by “Stress 2.0,” or can you successfully translate this lifestyle into “Wisdom 2.0?” We are all well aware of the benefits of the social media age, but the challenge is finding a balance, and living a healthy and rich life both online and off. If we are not careful, our increasingly connected life can take a negative toll on our mind and body. Below are four steps to go from a stressful social media life to a wise one, as well as the apps to help you do it. 1. Take Time to Disconnect I do not know anyone who, after a number of hours looking at a screen, does not experience some level of "brain freeze." For some it is two hours, for others four, but there comes a time when we just cannot process any more information. The best thing to do is step back from the computer and take a break. Go outside, get something to eat, spend some time with a friend. When you return to your computer you will do so with a much more open and creative mind. App to Live By: If you know how long you can go at the screen before you need a break, you can schedule them from your desktop with a number of apps, including Dejal Time Out. 2. BreatheIf there’s one thing that just about every health-conscious person can agree on, it’s that deep, full breaths are a good thing. Think of a time when you were nervous or frustrated — how was your breath? And think of time when you were totally at ease — how was your breathing then? Most likely in the former, it was shallow and tight, and in the latter it was full and expansive. In fact, even as you read these words, you can bring attention to your breath. Notice the breath coming in and out of your body. This attention to your breathing can help lower cortisol levels, increase oxygen levels, and lower your stress level. The challenge, of course, is remembering to do so. Apps to Live By: One way to help bring awareness to your breath is to set a bell to ring every so often as a reminder. When you hear the bell, pause, take a few moments to focus on your breathing, and then return to work. A few apps that can help with this include ProdMe (Mac), and Mindful Clock (PC). 3. Eat Food that Adds EnergyHow many times have you scarfed down an unhealthy lunch while you stared at your computer screen, and soon after noticed that you not only had a stomach ache, but that your energy had been zapped? Unhealthy food may bring short-term pleasure, but it generally decreases your energy level and ability to focus. There are healthy foods however, that taste good, and at the same time increases your energy level and ability to concentrate. Of course, strong caffeine or a good dose of sugar may give you a quick hit, but soon your energy drops — until you get another hit, and the cycle continues. There is a place for enjoying unhealthy food, but when it becomes a habit, you won’t be able to live and work at your optimum level. Eating healthy food, and taking the time to do so slowly, increases your ability to fully engage with whatever you’re doing, be it a phone conversation, a meeting, or writing a tweet. Apps to Live By: We tend to eat healthier when we make our food instead of getting take out. Whole Foods lists numerous healthy recipes. They also have an iPhone app. The next time you feel like you could use some nourishment, try making a healthy meal for yourself instead of ordering that slice of pizza. 4. Awaken the Body: Move If there has been one major change in people's lives in recent years, it may well be this: We are more stationary than any previous generation. Many of us sit at desks for hours and hours each day. The New York Times references a number of studies that revealed that just working out once a day is not as helpful as integrating movement throughout your day. This means that when there is a chance, get up and move. Work standing up for part of the day, walk instead of drive to lunch, ride a bike to work if possible, and walk over and talk to a colleague instead of shooting off an e-mail to him or her. Apps to Live By: There are a number of yoga and stretching apps you can download. The challenge is to integrate them in your day. Try making a commitment of five minutes in the morning, at lunch, and before going to bed to do some stretching. Yoga Journal has more information in this category, and an iPhone app with stretches. Conclusion: Learn to SurfIt is extremely unlikely that the pace of information we consume is going to slow down. In fact, it is likely to increase, as our friends not only post what they are doing, but also where they are at any given time. The challenge is finding a balance within the information stream. There is an old saying: "You cannot stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." We are not likely to stop the waves of information coming at us today (nor would we want to), but we can find a balance; we can live consciously and connected, with an active social media life and a healthy body and mind. 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, jhorrocks Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: apps, fitness, health, iphone apps, List, Lists, social media, stress, trending, twitter
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| Lady Gaga, Meet Chatroulette [VIDEO] Posted: 26 Mar 2010 06:33 AM PDT  There’s no denying that Chatroulette is currently a huge internet hit, brewing a new meme almost each day. Lady Gaga, on the other hand, recently became the biggest name on YouTube. Now, the inevitable clash of these two phenomena has finally happened, in the form of a Chatroulette version of Lady Gaga’s song “Telephone.”  In the video, the Gaga clone dances, scantily dressed in women’s clothing (mildly NSFW), to the song, while innocent Chatroulette users fall down laughing. The end result, like most Chatroulette videos, is strangely mesmerizing; you don’t really know why, but you cannot stop watching it. The video is embedded below. Tags: chatroulette, Lady Gaga, web video
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A new report suggests that Apple is poised to launch its own mobile ad platform — dubbed “iAd” — on April 7th.
On Wednesday, March 31st, there will be a meeting of donors at the United Nations to discuss sending $11 billion in aid that the Haitian government has request. Out of that, 
Remember the whole legal dust-up over the trademark for the name iPad? Well, now that’s been resolved.
The CTIA Wireless Association’s annual Las Vegas mobile-centric show has wrapped up for this year, and a few key trends emerged. We wanted to bring you some of the high points from the show that shed light on what’s hot now as well as what’s on the horizon in mobile in the near near future.
Luke Knowles is the founder of numerous money-saving websites including 
Yes, it’s that time once again, folks — time for the 
In keeping with a new tradition, Facebook is ready to alter its Privacy Policy and Statement of Rights yet again, but it’s asking for user feedback before making the changes permanent.
It’s been tough times for consumer electronics retailers of late, with both Circuit City and CompUSA closing their doors and being absorbed into online merchants. Now the 
We’ve known for a long time that the 
Location-sharing is all the rage, but those of us who spread our checkins across a handful of sites are already starting to find the process daunting. Check.in, a mobile app for any phone that supports 
Ever since Google announced last month that 
While Twitter’s efforts to reduce spam 
With Spotify 
It’s still too early to comment on the new 
Even though Daniel Ek gave a 
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If you recognize however long you'll go at the screen before you would like a possibility, you'll schedule them from your desktop with variety of apps, including
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