Mashable: Latest 22 News Updates - including “Microsoft Reinvents Hotmail With an Onslaught of New Features” |  |
- Microsoft Reinvents Hotmail With an Onslaught of New Features
- Kindle Arrives on Android This Summer
- Google TV: Will You Pay for It? [POLL]
- Mobile Keyboard Faceoff: Physical vs. Virtual
- YouTube Expands into Africa
- GQ’s Men of the Year Issue on iPad: 365 Copies Sold
- Nachofoto Is Not Your Average Image Search Engine
- MySpace Positions Itself as Facebook Alternative with New Privacy Settings
- iPad’s Impact on Apple’s Other Products [REPORT]
- How the U.S. Engages the World with Social Media
- Free Music Monday: Get Your 10 Free Downloads
- Which Department Owns Social Media?
- Nestle Meets Greenpeace’s Demands Following Social Media Backlash
- Why Twitter Needs to Do More to Save Trending Topics
- Newly Revealed Apple Patent Hints at Deep Facebook-iPhone Integration
- HOW TO: Reclaim Privacy on Facebook
- How Venture Capitalists are Using Social Media for Real Results
- Mayors of Starbucks Now Get Discounts Nationwide with Foursquare
- Watch UFC Live in HD on Your Roku Box
- Mashable’s Weekly Social Media Event Guide
- How Facebook Makes Edgy Concepts Mainstream
- NBC Turns Television into a Social Media Game
- Google, Intel and Sony to Introduce Smart TV
| Microsoft Reinvents Hotmail With an Onslaught of New Features Posted: 18 May 2010 02:07 AM PDT  
Now, Microsoft announced a huge slew of upgrades to Hotmail to make it more competitive with Gmail, and we have to admit the list is impressive. It starts off with Hotmail Highlights, a quick overview of what’s new in your inbox, organized by source (such as email contacts or social contacts from Facebook or Twitter). This reminds me of the way Windows 7 “simplifies” the control panel and many other Windows features, and I prefer just skipping to the real thing. But this new view is definitely clean and simple, and I’m sure many users will get used to it quickly.  The Sweep function is touted as a simpler alternative to email filtering, enabling you to quickly organize the emails which aren’t exactly spam, but you want to tuck them somewhere out of view. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s simpler than Gmail’s filtering options. The new Hotmail is also integrated with the Office Web Apps, meaning you can edit documents directly from your inbox. You can also store the documents and photos you send on Microsoft SkyDrive, which means you don’t have to worry about size constraints, since your documents reside in the cloud.  Microsoft also took document integration a step further when it comes to consuming content. If you receive a video from Hulu or YouTube, you can view it right there in the inbox. If you receive attached photos, you can see them in the form of a nifty slideshow (provided you have Silverlight installed). Finally, Microsoft mentions some other features it hasn’t discussed in details: enhanced account protection, full-session SSL, multiple email accounts, subfolders, contact management, and ever-growing storage. All in all, you could say it’s catching-up, but we’ll give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt and call it a complete overhaul. It’ll be hard to steal users away from Gmail, which still has a zillion minor features that Hotmail doesn’t (just check the Labs), but Hotmail will most likely be a worthy competitor after the new version is launched this summer. For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook
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| Kindle Arrives on Android This Summer Posted: 17 May 2010 11:25 PM PDT 
Kindle is already available on the iPhone, iPad, and BlackBerry, but Android will join the mobile lineup in the next few months. The free app comes with all of the features you’d expect in a Kindle app: access to Amazon’s half a million e-books, automatic sync of bookmarks, notes, and highlights, and the ability to read books in portrait or landscape mode. While Kindle for Android seems very similar to its iPhone and iPad counterparts, it does come with an additional feature: the ability to buy books through the app itself. iPhone and iPad users currently have to buy Kindle books via the Safari mobile web browser because Amazon doesn’t want to give up 30% of its book sales to its new e-book rival. There still aren’t a lot of details about Kindle for Android, but Amazon has created a landing page where Android owners can sign up for updates on the app. Oh, and for those with older Android phones, there’s good news: Kindle for Android works on phones running Android 1.6 or better. With Apple and other book retailers challenging Amazon’s dominance of the e-book market, the world’s largest online retailer is responding by spreading its virtual library onto as many platforms as possible. It’s all part of a chess game between Apple and Amazon for control the e-book market.  For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Safari, Twitter Tags: amazon, android, Google, Kindle
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| Google TV: Will You Pay for It? [POLL] Posted: 17 May 2010 09:32 PM PDT 
We first got word of Google TV in March with rumors that DirectTV and Google were partnering on programming for a set-top box. The picture became clearer though when Sony and Intel surfaced as likely partners in the creation and distribution of an Android-based set-top box. While nothing’s confirmed yet, the box, now dubbed Smart TV, will likely integrate web services into TVs, run Android apps, and could retail for $299. While we’re betting that a lot more details will be revealed this week at the Google I/O conference, we wanted to check in with our readers on the subject. Does Google TV excite you? Do you think you’ll buy one? What will it have to do different than other set-top boxes to succeed? Cast your vote in the poll below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments. For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Google, Twitter Tags: Google, google tv, intel, Smart TV, sony
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| Mobile Keyboard Faceoff: Physical vs. Virtual Posted: 17 May 2010 07:31 PM PDT 
Last week we learned that the majority of you miss being “fans” on Facebook, and this week we want to find out your thoughts on what is still a controversial topic in the mobile arena: which is better, a physical QWERTY or a virtual keyboard? It was arguably the advent of the iPhone that ushered in the debate, with many phone aficionados proclaiming they’d never part with their tactile mobile keyboards. Several years on and we’re drowning in touchscreens and virtual keyboards from numerous companies besides Apple, but legions of Droid, BlackBerry, Palm Pre and Pixi owners and more are still rocking those actual keys. So at the end of the day, which do you prefer? Is an actual QWERTY keyboard still the best mobile typing experience? Have virtual keyboards caught up? Or are the screen real estate tradeoffs afforded by the latter worth the extra virtual keyboard learning curve? Let us know your vote in the poll below by Friday afternoon, May 21 at 3pm PST — and be sure to also leave us a comment with the reasoning behind your vote. Faceoff Series: Overall ResultsWeek 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Week 12: Week 13: Week 14: Week 15: Week 16: Week 17: Week 18: Week 19: Week 20: Week 21: Week 21: Week 22: Week 23: Week 24: Week 25: Week 26: Week 27: Week 28: For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Bing, BlackBerry Rocks!, Boxee, Chrome, Digg, Facebook, Firefox, Foursquare, Gmail, Google, Google Buzz, Google Docs, Gowalla, Gtalk, Hulu, Pandora, Posterous, Seesmic Desktop, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, TweetDeck, Twitter, TypePad, Windows, WordPress, Yelp, aim, iPhone Tags: iphone, keyboards, Mobile 2.0, polls, QWERTY, touchscreens, web faceoff
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| Posted: 17 May 2010 06:12 PM PDT 
While YouTube.com is available to almost anyone with an Internet connection, YouTube has localized content for 27 different countries on five different continents. However, while Germany, Australia, South Korea, Brazil and Mexico all have localized version of YouTube, no African country has had one, until today. On its blog, the Google-owned video site announced that South Africa now has its own version of YouTube. This isn’t just a technical launch, either: YouTube says that it is teaming up with South African broadcasters to fill the new version with locally produced content, as well as educational content from university such as the Rhodes Journalism School. South Africa, as one of Africa’s most developed nations, was a logical choice for YouTube. It doesn’t surprise us that it took the company five years to plant its African roots, but the expansion of new communication channels into the underdeveloped continent can only be a good thing. Where do you want YouTube to expand to next? Let us know in the comments. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Australia, Facebook, Google, Internet, Twitter, YouTube Tags: Google, South Africa, youtube
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| GQ’s Men of the Year Issue on iPad: 365 Copies Sold Posted: 17 May 2010 04:31 PM PDT 
The issue was priced at $2.99 per download — $2 less than the newsstand price — for a grand total of $1,091.35 in sales. Somewhat surprisingly, GQ appears to be pleased with this figure. "This costs us nothing extra: no printing or postage," says Hunsinger. "Everything is profit, and I look forward to the time when iPad issue sales become a major component to our circulation.” It seems developer fees did not enter into his cost calculations. It’s hard to put these numbers in context, as little data about iPad app sales has been released thus far. A month ago, ABC announced that its app has been downloaded more than 200,000 times, and earlier this month Rupert Murdoch revealed that the WSJ app has roughly 64,000 subscribers. Both of these apps, however, are free. Although we need more data to make an accurate assessment, one thing seems certain — the iPad is not the savior certain major publishers had hoped it would be — at least not yet. Nevertheless, it may yet prove a profitable distribution platform for magazines in addition to other platforms, like Facebook. Publisher Condé Nast is forging ahead with the development of iPad versions of its other popular titles. Vanity Fair appeared in the iTunes catalog this week, and WIRED is slated to launch this summer. [via 9 to 5 Mac] For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter
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| Nachofoto Is Not Your Average Image Search Engine Posted: 17 May 2010 04:10 PM PDT 
Name: Nachofoto Quick Pitch: Nachofoto is a real-time image search engine with a focus on trending topics and rising search terms. Genius Idea: Nachofoto is designed to return the most relevant and recent images for rising search terms, as determined by Google Insights for Search, Google Trends, AOL Hot Searches and Yahoo Buzz. The site functions just like the search engines you’re already familiar with, but is much more convenient for searches related to widely discussed topics. So a search for “Miss USA” will return images of the newly crowned winner, Rima Fakih, instead of a barrage of older photos that aren’t relevant to yesterday’s pageant. What makes Nachofoto remarkable is the freshness of its results, which can be seen in the company’s iPad case study. In this example, results for the “iPad” query were impressively timely on launch day, so results before 9:00 A.M showed images of eager Apple customers waiting in line, while searches after 9:00 A.M. highlighted happy iPad owners. As the day progressed, the “iPad” Nachofoto query zeroed in on unboxing photos. In practice, Nachofoto really delivers when it comes to searches involving dynamic keywords and we recommend it for your current events image searches. Try it out for yourself and share your thoughts in the comments.
[img credit: Orin Zebest] For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookSponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
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| MySpace Positions Itself as Facebook Alternative with New Privacy Settings Posted: 17 May 2010 03:20 PM PDT 
This default privacy change will affect all users who “previously had any granular page setting to ‘friends only,’” but can easily be changed. The change is part of MySpace’s new public commitment to privacy. The once-dominant social network’s stated goal is to simplify settings and let users more clearly post updates publicly, to friends only, or publicly to anyone 18 or over. MySpace’s privacy strategy appears to be the exact opposite of Facebook’s current strategy, as late last year we saw the company dramatically alter privacy settings for members to encourage public updates. That move caught the company some flack, but controversy around Facebook’s “Like” button and Instant Personalization features dominate headlines now. Perhaps it is the perfect time for MySpace to strike. In a blog post on MySpace, Co-President Mike Jones doesn’t specifically call out Facebook, but writes that, “We respect our users' desires to balance sharing and privacy, and never push our users to an uncomfortable privacy position.” Jones also takes a not-so-subtle stab at Facebook Instant Personalization by saying, “MySpace's core value of allowing self-expression and representation of yourself remains true, without the fear that your unique contribution to MySpace will be unknowingly used for an alternative purpose.” Still the company has nothing to show just yet — changes are slated for the weeks ahead — which makes the timing of the announcement all the more interesting. The subtext here is that MySpace hopes to position itself as the privacy-conscious alternative to Facebook. We don’t think that message will be enough for the company to reclaim its social network throne, but it’s a crafty maneuver at an opportune time nevertheless. [img credit: Darwin Bell] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter Tags: facebook privacy settings, myspace, privacy, trending
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| iPad’s Impact on Apple’s Other Products [REPORT] Posted: 17 May 2010 03:00 PM PDT 
Analysts and investors have been very curious about what impact the iPad, which sold over 1 million units in its first month, would have on overall Mac sales. So far, it looks like Mac sales are sitting pretty, but the iPod might need to check itself. However, iPods saw year-over-year sales drop 17%.  iPod sales have been in decline for quite some time, given that the iPhone and the iPod touch offer the same music/media playing abilities and much more. The iPad, which features a great screen, 10-hour battery life and the ability to run iPhone apps, is certainly a compelling product for users who aren’t looking for something pocketable. Many analysts see the iPad as the first in a new class of device. The impact that the product will have on existing markets, be it music players or netbooks, is something we’ll be watching closely. [img src: Fortune] For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: apple, ipad, ipad sales, ipod, mac, npd
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| How the U.S. Engages the World with Social Media Posted: 17 May 2010 01:59 PM PDT 
Social media has proven to be a valuable tool in this regard, and the State Department has made impressive gains in their mission to turn conflict into conversation. Cabinet officials, foreign dignitaries, and embassies are experimenting with ways to inject America's voice into the global chatter. Some of their experiments are paying dividends that few expected. Here’s a look at some of these efforts. Social Media Can Bridge the “Last Three Feet”President Barack Obama garners an enormous response when he solicits the country’s opinion online, as when he circumvented the White House press corps with YouTube-submitted questions this past February — an effort that received over 11,000 responses. But when Obama fields Internet questions from local residents during an overseas trip, the numbers are staggering — a whopping 17,000 responses during a visit to Ghana, and an astounding 250,000 in South Africa (though some responses did come from outside Africa). Given the relatively smaller population and shallow Internet penetration, these numbers speak volumes about the world’s web-based engagement with U.S. leaders. Obama's responses alone, just out of sheer publicity, may have some positive impact on foreign attitudes. But, for Bill May, Director of the State Department's Office of Innovative Engagement (i.e. social media), being at the epicenter of online chatter is what he thinks of as the "new version of the last three feet." May was invoking Edward R. Murrow's famous public diplomacy strategy where he wrote, "The real crucial link in the international exchange is the last three feet, which is bridged by personal contact, one person talking to another." In public diplomacy, there are a latent number of people throughout the world who will befriend America's vision after a thorough conversation. The reverberation of Obama's message, coupled with the hyper-local follow-ups from America's Embassies, can reach more of those hidden friends than ever before. Indeed, when Elizabeth Tradeau of the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria tweeted, "South Africa, what’s the impact of new media in your view of America?" there was a mix of negative and positive comments. But, one in particular seemed to prove May's point:  America is Fun For every serious news or political blog, there are likely twice as many dedicated to sex, drugs, or rock n’ roll. And when Bill Clinton pioneered a youth outreach strategy answering questions from MTV fans, it was the infamous "boxers or briefs" question that garnered him the most attention. In the end, entertainment is just so much more appealing. Seizing on this strategy, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia has seen Facebook fan growth of jaw-dropping proportions — an increase from 36,000 to 120,000 in roughly one month. On a single Facebook post, the embassy often receives between 700 to 1,000 comments (that's about 10 times more comments than The Huffington Post). This is especially astonishing when you consider that less than 10% of Indonesia’s population even uses Facebook. So, what's their winning strategy? Simple social games, where users can dress up Barack Obama in local garb and share the creation with friends, or suggest what Obama should eat during his next visit. While the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia does delve into some culturally thorny issues, foreign diplomat Tristram Perry admits that Facebook is "not a good venue for hard policy topics." Instead, he says "we make our Facebook fun. Jazz, technology, tourism — we have a fascinating history. There's lots about it that people admire." The embassy saw huge traffic from an essay contest to win a trip to “Barack Obama's America” (Hawaii and Chicago), where winners will blog about their tour for what will surely be a stadium's worth of jealous peers back home. EducationMany of the messages texted to President Obama plead for "not a hand out, but a hand up," says Trudeau of the South Africans she speaks with. Centuries of colonization, war, and resource scarcity have paralyzed innovation in many parts of the world. To jump-start the economy, the U.S. helps plant what is seen as the seed of technological innovation: Education. For instance, in the humble rural township of Mamelodi, just outside Pretoria, the Embassy provides technological and scientific literacy to disadvantaged children. In the Mae Jemison reading room, which is named after the first female African-American astronaut, children are "introduced to the Internet," says Trudeau. She tells them, “This is how you use Google; this is how you get an e-mail account," and my personal favorite as a writing teacher, "don't use Wikipedia as a source." The students’ curiosity is limitless. During class, Trudeau observes that students bunch up by computers "six-deep" in line "looking, exploring," and are eager to learn more. The current business culture in South Africa points to some promising returns on this educational investment. "It’s like being in Silicon [Valley] or San Francisco in 2004 with Biz Stone and all of his friends," said one visiting American at a local technology conference, as recounted by Trudeau. "It’s journalists, it’s editors, it’s tech entrepreneurs … they all use Twitter to connect. It's a very interconnected, very engaged community," Trudeau notes. Media Outreach The State Department has taken to providing timely information on crises and policy via social networks. During an attempted coup in Madagascar, a rumor began circulating that the threatened president was seeking refuge in the U.S. Embassy. After refuting the rumors themselves, the State Department tweeted out the correct information, "and immediately we started getting retweets and people saying 'thanks for the correction,'” notes Daniel Schaub, Director of Digital Communications for the State Department. "And, then within probably an hour or so, the traditional media had caught it," helping to blanket the spreading fire of a rumor that "could potentially put embassy staff at risk." Moreover, Schaub's department manages Secretary Hillary Clinton's blog, Dipnote, which provides rich context for otherwise curt policy pronouncements. Dipnote is now cited by news organizations such as the Associated Press and The New York Times for detailed explanations of Department policy and procedure. The importance of this supplementary information should not be underestimated. A recent study suggests that the clarity of White House rhetoric can impact the political world. "If the president is able to define an intervention in simple, compelling terms, he is likely to get considerably more support from the public," says Associate Professor Cooper Drury, editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy Analysis. ConclusionEvery single Department official I spoke with admitted that the era of one-way broadcasting is dying. The ubiquity of mobile and social technologies means the U.S. must now have an ear as well as a voice. It seems like an unprecedented opportunity to open a dialogue with people and communities all over the world who would otherwise be isolated. It should be noted that members of the State Department often disagree with their bosses on best practices. But, they also understand that conversation, even in 140 characters, may one day mean the difference between conflict and peace. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore social media resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Facebook, Google, Internet, Twitter, Wikipedia Tags: BLOGS, facebook, government, social media, state department, twitter, youtube
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| Free Music Monday: Get Your 10 Free Downloads Posted: 17 May 2010 01:19 PM PDT 
We hope you enjoy this week’s eclectic selection of free tunes we’ve collected. If there’s a genre you’d like to hear more of, drop us a line in the comments. And if you’d like to appear in a future edition of Free Music Monday, please check out the submission guidelines at the end of this post! And as always, thanks for tuning in to Free Music Monday!
As always, huge thanks to all who tuned in to Free Music Monday! If you find something you like in this feature, please feel free to share it with your music-loving friends. You can always check out the latest edition of this feature, plus all the past editions, on the Free Music Monday tag page, so be sure to tune in each week. We’ve also included the list of past Free Music Mondays at the end of this post in case you want to check out the back catalog. Thank you also to everyone who submitted tracks. If you sent us something and we haven’t included it yet, stay tuned for a future Free Music Monday. Here is how to submit your music to FMM: Attention artists/labels: there are new submission guidelines for Free Music Monday. Please pick one track you’re willing to give away to Mashable readers as a free download and either a) include it as an attachment in your email to barb+FMM AT mashable DOT com (25 MB file size limit, please) or b) include a link to a location where we can download the song (if you want to use “in exchange for email” or other specific widgets to offer the track to Mashable readers that’s totally fine — just send us or point us to the embed code). Please also include any relevant information about the artist (or link to their bio) plus their Twitter account, if they have one. If you’d like to also point us to more of the submitted artist’s work online where we can stream and/or download it, please feel free — but you must complete either a or b to be considered for Free Music Monday. Due to overwhelming submission volume we are sadly unable to include each and every submission or even reply to every inquiry. If we haven’t posted your track yet, you are welcome to submit another new track at a reasonable and totally not pushy time interval. If we’ve already posted a track from your band or artist, we are unlikely to double up and post something else from you for some time — as much as we love all of you! This makes FMM more diverse and inclusive of new music. Thanks! Free Music Monday Back Catalogue
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| Which Department Owns Social Media? Posted: 17 May 2010 01:15 PM PDT 
But how do you classify social media? Because it can be used in so many different ways, social media fits into many traditional departmental hierarchies. Is social media primarily a product of marketing and/or public relations? Is it ultimately about customer service and support? Does its technical nature put it under the auspices of the IT department and its policies? This is a loaded question with no clear-cut answer. We decided to talk to some social media professionals and consultants to find out their thoughts on what department ultimately “owns” social media. Marketing and PRSocial media is a natural extension of both marketing and public relations. We’ve written extensively about the use of social media across both disciplines and the impact social media or social elements can have on an overall campaign. In its November 2009 report on Social Media and Online PR, Econsultancy found that of the companies surveyed, 35% of companies managed their social media resources under the digital marketing team. PR/communications departments managed 21% of respondents, with 19% saying that social media was managed by a cross-functional team.
Social media has proven to be a solid marketing tool, so it isn’t surprising that many companies associate the two with one another. Likewise, the wide and distributed nature of social media makes it a great platform for public relations or communications teams. We’ve seen how useful social media can be as a source of news, and increasingly individuals are turning to social media channels to get information directly from a brand or company. Danny Wong, the co-founder and Lead Evangelist for Blank Label says that PR should own social media because that department knows “what the appropriate messages are for the company’s followers.” In his role as Lead Evangelist/PR, Wong manages all social media outreach. However, he notes that ultimately, the social media strategy should start from the very top. Furthermore, marketing departments are often comprised of those who understand social media the best. As Todd Kelly told us on Twitter:
While social media continues to expand into more and more areas, for many businesses, it is still ultimately a part of marketing or public relations. Is it Customer Service or is it PR?One area that social media has started to intersect with is customer service. Thanks to programs like @ComcastCares, social media is increasingly becoming useful as a customer service tool. Best Buy is another company extensively using Twitter as a customer service tool via its Twelpforce program. But is this really customer service in the traditional sense? Well, it depends on the implementation. As Chuck Tanowitz, principal at social media and PR firm Fresh Ground, notes:
The public-facing nature of the customer service interaction does make it more PR than strict customer service. However, traditional CRM tools like Salesforce have now integrated with Twitter and Facebook in such a way that real customer service tickets and cases can be created based off of those interactions. Thus, while the conversation may start more publicly, the full customer service department and procedures can take over off the public feed and within the existing CRM system. This is actually a great way that companies can augment their existing customer service and support strategies through the use of social media. It’s About EveryoneNatalie Ebig Scott, who works in PR for TechSmith, believes that no one should own social media and that it should be a company-wide affair. She notes that with the company’s recent Snagit10 release, members from marketing, public relations, development, training and support all worked together to spread to the word and use social media during the launch. As social media becomes useful in more and more areas, we expect to see many companies and brands adopt this approach. Of course, within each department, how social media resources are delegated and how they are managed can still become an issue. Why This MattersSo, why does classification matter? In truth, depending on the business or the brand, what department social media falls under may not end up being of importance. However, there are still some very valid reasons for trying to figure out what department ultimately owns social media. For instance, as many larger organizations are finding out, it is becoming necessary to create a social media policy — not just for official company communication, but for personal communication by employees (who make it clear they work for the company in their profile). Having a departmental ownership can help guide those policies. Depending on the context of the communications, there may be some accounting and reporting procedures that are legally mandated by the SEC and that might fall under the purview of corporate communications or human relations. Sometimes, social media departments don’t even own social media. While researching this story, we spoke with several social media managers who initially wanted to share their thoughts on social media ownership, only to be told by higher-ups that social media practices couldn’t be discussed on the record. In other words, even though these companies have individuals holding positions with “social media” in the title, corporate policy prohibited them from speaking about it. The number of companies that hold this view actually surprised us, and makes it clear that ultimately, the answer to “who owns social media” might be the legal team. What Do You Think?Do you think social media belongs more to one department or another? How is social media managed at your company? Is it ultimately a legal responsibility? Let us know! Series supported by Awareness  Awareness builds social marketing software for marketers leveraging multiple social channels to engage with customers, build their brand, and increase revenues. Built upon Awareness' expertise deploying more than 200 communities and social media projects for the world's biggest brands including Sony, JetBlue, Kodak, ASOS.com and AIRMiles, The Awareness Social Marketing Hub is a leading enterprise-grade application for marketers struggling with the social media chaos of managing multiple social channels. With the Awareness Social Marketing Hub, marketers are now able to publish, manage and measure across all their social channels from one central location using advanced built-in permissioning, workflow and audit controls. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookImage courtesy of iStockphoto, mstay Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: business, facebook, MARKETING, pr, small business, social media, social media for business leaders series, social media policy, twitter
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| Nestle Meets Greenpeace’s Demands Following Social Media Backlash Posted: 17 May 2010 12:49 PM PDT 
Eight weeks ago, Greenpeace UK released a provocative YouTube video calling into question Nestle’s methods for acquiring palm oil. Greenpeace claims that the company’s practices contribute to rainforest deforestation and used YouTube as a platform to shock viewers with a video that likens eating a Kit Kat to eating an orangutan (the graphic video is embedded below). The video caught the attention of Nestle, who had it removed from YouTube and consequently incited Greenpeace to rally the troops to call, send emails and leave chastising comments on Nestle’s Facebook Page. The situation created by the cacophony of updates worsened after a Nestle representative threatened to delete any comments by users whose profile pics included an altered version of the Nestle logo. What followed is quite remarkable from a social media standpoint, and has much to do with Nestle’s more aggressive plan to alter its palm oil practices. Greenpeace U.K. touts, “With nearly 1.5 million views of our Kit Kat advert, over 200,000 emails sent, hundreds of phone calls and countless Facebook comments, you made it clear to Nestle that it had to address the problems with the palm oil and paper products it buys.” Nestle is most certainly changing its tune, and its partnership with The Forest Trust means that Greenpeace can go after its next target, HSBC. [img credit: Greenpeace U.K.] [via CNET] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Tags: activism, facebook, greenpeace, nestle
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| Why Twitter Needs to Do More to Save Trending Topics Posted: 17 May 2010 12:13 PM PDT 
Twitter told us that the goal of the new algorithm is "to help people discover the 'most breaking' breaking news from across the world … rather than topics that have been popular for a while or on a daily basis." And while we may indeed see breaking news trend more quickly as a result, the obvious broader goal of improving trending topics – to make the service both more useful to existing users and less ridiculous looking to outsiders — is unlikely to be reached. And that's because as we've seen time and time again, users hold all the cards when it comes to anything on the Web that's inherently a popularity contest. Some HistoryIt didn't take long for spammers to start trying to game trending topics – a problem that Twitter has tried to address both in terms of which topics trend and which tweets show up within those trends. Legitimate marketers also started building campaigns that involved awarding users with prizes when they tweeted with a promotional hashtag – a strategy that we initially applauded but eventually became overdone to the point that it was also hurting the quality of trending topics. More recently, Twitter's trending topics have become more like the house that Bieber (and a rotation of other teen pop stars) built, a problem that the microblogging site looked to address somewhat – at least to outsiders – with a new homepage that de-emphasized trending topics.  This problem is far from isolated to Twitter though. Back in 2007 Digg experienced one of the most infamous revolts of all, when users of the site – a pioneer in the realm of letting users pick what's popular – bombarded the homepage with stories mentioning an HD-DVD encryption key that Digg had removed over copyright concerns. Photo sharing site Flickr saw similar backlash when it rolled out content filters to international users in a number of countries without any warning. The response was thousands of anti-Flickr photos getting posted to the site. The lesson in both cases – and what we're currently seeing with Twitter – is that the will of users can't be suppressed. Are There Options?Twitter does occasionally moderate trending topics manually – usually when words that most everyone would consider vulgar find their way onto the list. Broader editorializing, however, like manually removing Bieber-related topics or more controversial ones (like with the Digg case), clearly wouldn't be advisable, based on what we've seen happen on other sites that have tried to do so in the past. So what can Twitter do to improve trending topics?
Is This Really a Problem?Of course, there are countless other ways to get insight into what Twitter users are talking about, by way of all of the third-party apps that have been developed for just that purpose. Thus, for users that want to explore more, it's certainly out there. That said, Twitter's trending topic list is important. Millions of people see it every day, and similar to how major news outlets set the agenda for what people are talking about, it's a major piece of our media that's here to stay so long as Twitter remains relevant. It's also important that the Twitter discussion agenda continues to be set by users and not editors – it is, after all, what makes sites like Twitter and Digg so unique. And that means that trending topics as we know them – a list of 10 currently popular discussion items – will often be lacking the news value that many of us crave. But as a company that's stated goal is to "[ask] what's happening and [make] the answer spread across the globe to millions" and has the power to shape public discourse, Twitter needs to do more to balance what its diverse set of users want with what it should see as a responsibility to be a comprehensive guide to what the world's talking about. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Digg, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter Tags: justin bieber, Opinion, trending topics, twitter
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| Newly Revealed Apple Patent Hints at Deep Facebook-iPhone Integration Posted: 17 May 2010 12:00 PM PDT 
Apple has essentially patented the ability to sync actions between two or more devices. This could be something as simple as adding a to-do to my calendar on my Mac and having it automatically sent to my phone. Or I could create a list on my phone and, based on the parameters, have that list shared with my fiancé on his device. There are even provisions in the patent for device proximity. For instance, if I have my iPhone and iMac set to synchronize my schedule, when I enter my office with my phone, the Bluetooth connections on both devices will automatically initiate a calendar synchronization. Likewise, I could have my iPhone set to automatically transfer all the new photos from my phone to iPhoto on my Mac using either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.  The Facebook element of the patent comes into play with contact syncing. For example, say you meet a colleague or friend out somewhere and realize you haven’t friended her or him on Facebook. When you initiate an “add contact” on your phone, it can first pull in all the vCard information from your friend’s phone, send your info back (if you are exchanging information), offer to take a photo of your friend to add to your address book and then, if you so choose, add your friend to Facebook. Your friend will then get a notification on her device of the pending friend request and can then approve or ignore it. Basically, the idea is to take a series of separate actions and allow them to unfold autonomously with one command. There are some third-party solutions available for the iPhone (like Bump) and for Android and BlackBerry devices that can do similar things, but having a scripting workflow engine built into the device itself is pretty unique. Would you like the ability to perform tasks like grabbing contact information or sharing lists based on category more easily? Let us know! For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Bluetooth, Facebook, Twitter Tags: apple, facebook, iphone, patents
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| HOW TO: Reclaim Privacy on Facebook Posted: 17 May 2010 11:16 AM PDT 
Reclaim Privacy is an open-source browser-based privacy scanner that automatically inspects your Facebook privacy settings and denotes settings that are risky privacy-wise. Concerned Facebookers can drag the Scan for Privacy bookmarklet to their browser’s bookmarks toolbar, log in to Facebook and click to see which settings “might be unexpectedly public.” The results of the privacy scan are displayed above your profile. The scan detects whether or not you’ve opted-in to Instant Personalization, assesses what types of information — personal, contacts, tags, friends, etc. — you share with your social circle and beyond, and also detects what your friends and/or applications can share about you. Higher risk items are called out with red “insecure” alert buttons and links to the appropriate destination to alter your settings. The bookmarklet is simple to use and perfect for those of us confused by Facebook’s overwhelming array of privacy options. Of course, to use the tool you have to trust Reclaim Privacy not to violate your privacy, but the company promises that, “we never see your Facebook data” and “we never share your your personal information.”
[img credit: Darwin Bell] [via: ReadWriteWeb] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: facebook, facebook privacy settings, reclaim privacy
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| How Venture Capitalists are Using Social Media for Real Results Posted: 17 May 2010 09:12 AM PDT 
While it’s true that many minutiae (or dollar amounts) of startup investment deals are kept off the tubes, VCs and angels use social media extensively for research, promotion and other purposes. We spoke with a number of investors and startup advisers to learn how venture capitalists are using social media for real results. Finding Founders and InvestmentsVenture Hacks founder Babak Nivi told us that investors are “all over Twitter and blogs… They use social media to source deals and to create a latent relationship with entrepreneurs so they can close the deals they want to.” Lowercase Capital’s Chris Sacca said he often finds investment opportunities through Twitter. “Fanbridge came to me after I wrote a tweet asking if there were any bootstrapped, profitable startups with founders working late on a Friday night,” he wrote to us. “They replied that they totally fit that bill. It is now one of my favorite portfolio companies.” He continued to note that a Twitter stream and search can also provide valuable insight into a company’s culture and viability. “A startup’s account gives me a very solid sense of their popularity and visibility with users. I also use Twitter search to see whether users are enjoying a product or service and to uncover whether it is solving a real-world problem. The tweets don’t lie.” SproutBox, an early-stage accelerator/incubator, similarly uses social media as its “primary source of deal flow,” said co-founder Mike Trotzke. “We also use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn extensively for research. If we’re interested in an app, we immediately look up the entrepreneur’s profiles. If we know them, it reminds us how. If we don’t, we find common connections and get some context about what they do. I don’t think we could do what we do, at the scale that we do, if social media didn’t exist.” Angel Dave McClure also stated, “I use LinkedIn for lookups on key founders/employees/advisors,” and Sacca noted, “Looking at a founder’s tweets can give me a strong sense of who they really are and what matters to them. I can gather a very intuitive sense of their personality as well as their skills.” Building Reputations and BuzzBut it’s not just founders who need to have good online karma and well-rounded profiles. Investors need to build and manage their own online reputations as thought leaders with a keen eye for what models will make for good businesses. Don Dodge is a well-known blogger and has been eyeball-deep in the startup scene for ages, formerly at Microsoft and now at Google. He wrote to us saying, “Brad Feld, Fred Wilson, David Hornik, Mark Suster, Jeff Clavier, Josh Koppelman, and many other VCs write blogs and use Twitter to communicate to the startup world. They do it because they are building their reputation. “Everyone has money to invest; there are hundreds of VCs. Entrepreneurs want investors who have a reputation and can add value.” Dodge added that many of the better-known angel investors, such as Dave McClure and Chris Sacca, use blogs and Twitter for the exact same reasons. All that reputation has applications after the investment, as well. If there’s one thing the social web is great for, it’s word-of-mouth marketing. If a VC has taken the time to build a reputation online, he or she is probably an influencer in the tech startup sphere. A simple tweet or blog post can do wonders for a new app’s adoption rates and interest from mainstream media. McClure told us he uses the social web to help generate buzz for good companies. “I regularly share and tweet articles about companies both pre- and post-investment to get (their) attention, and to demonstrate awareness and marketing support,” he said. Trotzke also shared, “It just makes sense… that we would tweet about apps opening and closing — and that people would retweet the opportunity.” And Robert Scoble, another well-known figure in the startup scene, said, “I’d use social media to tell people what you’re passionate about.” Scoble frequently uses Twitter and other services such as FriendFeed for exactly that purpose, and his words help drive traffic and generate interest in newer services. Any investor who’s put in his time building an online reputation should be able to do the same. Clearly, whether they’re finding founders, pumping up the buzz for apps or building reputations of their own, VCs are using social media in a multitude of investment aspects. Series supported by Gist  Gist helps you build stronger professional relationships by bringing together information from across the web for all your contacts and their companies giving you the right information at the right moment to get a first meeting, deliver an amazing pitch, or just find a better way to make a connection. Gist does all the work for you, assembling a dynamic collection of all your contacts and their companies from your email inbox, your social networks, or even your CRM system automatically building and updating their profiles as new content is published – by them or about them. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook[img credit: tsevis] Reviews: Facebook, FriendFeed, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter Tags: angel, investor, real results, social media, twitter, vc, venture capital
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| Mayors of Starbucks Now Get Discounts Nationwide with Foursquare Posted: 17 May 2010 08:53 AM PDT 
Starting today, mayors of individual Starbucks stores can unlock the Mayor Offer and enjoy a money-saving perk for their frequent store checkins. The deal offers customers a $1 discount on a Frappucino. The special greets mayors with this message: “As mayor of this store, enjoy $1 off a NEW however-you-want-it Frappuccino blended beverage. Any size, any flavor. Offer valid until 6/28.” Tristan Walker, who heads up business development at Foursquare, tells us that the Starbucks special is a one-time mayor deal that runs through June 28, but he’s optimistic that Starbucks will continue to experiment with mayor rewards on an ongoing basis. “Starbucks is particularly innovative as it relates loyalty and social media,” Walker noted, “so we continue to be super excited to explore this intersection with them.” There are a number of reasons why the Starbucks nationwide mayor reward is significant. It’s a first for both Foursquare and the coffee retailer, and will likely bring mass attention to the marketing possibilities of the location-sharing trend. It’s also an important development in light of pending Facebook location features, which we’ve yet to see in the wild. Starbucks — which is one of the most “Liked” brands on Facebook — is making a conscious choice to go with Foursquare, which should serve to legitimize Foursquare as the key player in the space for now. On the consumer side of things, getting a $1 off a Frappuccino is a pretty nice discount, considering customers routinely pay $4 or more for their favorite blended beverage. Of course, with the mayorship rewards, we expect competition to heat up on Foursquare more so than ever before. As such, it will be crucial for Foursquare to ensure that their new anti-cheater measures work as designed.
[img credits: Thomas Hawk, TheBlackFin] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter Tags: foursquare, starbucks, trending
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| Watch UFC Live in HD on Your Roku Box Posted: 17 May 2010 08:36 AM PDT 
The new UFC Channel offers both live HD streaming of pay-per-view events, plus access to past UFC content via UFC Vault. Some of this content is free and more is available either à la carte or as part of a subscription. Hands-On Verdict: Very CoolWe had a chance to beta test the new UFC Channel two weeks ago during UFC 113. Watching live streaming HD on an Internet-connected set-top box — as opposed to a traditional cable box — was pretty surreal and the quality was great (though I’m not much of a UFC fan). Some of the playback controls are disabled during live events, but as soon as the event is over it’s archived in the UFC Vault, where you can access the full event for seven days after your pay-per-view purchase. UFC Vault subscribers have access to all past fights.  The purchase process was relatively painless; just sign up for a UFC account online, login to that account on the Roku box and select the event you want to purchase. When the fight goes live, you’ll be in on all the action and you can see host Joe Rogan talking about MMA and why certain fighters are such badasses, all in HD. You do need to have at least a 2 Mbps Internet connection if you want to have a seamless live HD experience, so keep that in mind that if you live in an area with less-than-optimal broadband. My home connection is pretty snappy and it was just as good — if not better — than watching anything live on Comcast (my cable and Internet provider). The Future of Television?Roku is quickly starting to differentiate itself in the burgeoning Internet-powered set-top box market as a box for sports fans. In addition to UFC, Roku also has channels for MLB.TV and NBA Game Time. Of course, Roku is still best known for being the original Netflix device and the company is planning on rolling out an updated version of the Netflix Channel next month. Internet-connected television devices continue to be big in 2010. In addition to set-top boxes like Roku, Boxee, Popbox and the upcoming Smart TV project from Google, Sony and Intel, more and more television sets and other consumer electronics devices like Blu-ray players and video game consoles are acting as a gateway for accessing Internet content on a television set. Although the majority of the content that these devices are serving are sourced from online services like Netflix or YouTube, more traditional commercial content, like UFC and MLB.TV, is starting to appear as well. What this ultimately means for cable television is unclear; I personally think that cable companies will simply start to adapt and embrace IPTV services within their own products. Still, it is a big step toward actualizing the “connected living room.” What do you think of IPTV? Are you excited about watching live events via devices like Roku? Let us know. For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Blu, Boxee, Facebook, Google, Internet, Twitter, YouTube Tags: internet tv, iptv, roku, ufc
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| Mashable’s Weekly Social Media Event Guide Posted: 17 May 2010 08:20 AM PDT 
Mashable’s Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace. Mashable Media Summit June 8, 2010, New York, NY: Mashable is hosting its first annual Mashable Media Summit 2010, which is focused on the impact of social media on the news industry, big brands and advertisers. It'll be unlike any other conference you've attended. We've eliminated panels, packing the day full with exciting announcements, incredible presentations, powerful interviews and a great deal of surprises. Grab your conference pass now before the event is sold out! Upcoming Social Media Events May 17, 2010, San Francisco, CA: The SF MusicTech Summit will bring together around 700+ visionaries in the music/technology space, the best and brightest entrepreneurs, developers, investors, service providers, journalists, musicians and organizations who work with them at the convergence of culture and commerce. We meet to discuss the evolving music/business/technology ecosystem in a proactive, conducive to dealmaking environment.Entering the discount code Mashable will get you 10% off. Look forward to (hopefully) seeing you there…  May 17-19, 2010, Charlotte, NC: Search Exchange is a 3-day action packed internet marketing conference offering insights into social media marketing, search engine optimization, online reputation management and pay-per-click advertising. Learn and network with industry professionals and business owners from around the world. Mashable readers save 10% using code mash10 during registration.  May 17-19, 2010, Munich, Germany: a4uexpo heads to Germany for a two day Conference and expo. Over 30 presentations and panel debates on how to embrace the Affiliate Marketing sector, to include how media owners, agencies and advertisers can utilise Social Media platforms within the channel. Topics also include SEO, SEM, Blogging, Best Practice, Video, Mobile and API feeds. The conference includes access to 3 networking parties and promises to attract the very best entrepreneurs and affiliate marketing specialists from across Europe. Mashable readers can enjoy a 10% discount on registration with the code MASH10.  May 17-19, 2010, London: The Future of Web Design is back in London at a brand new venue in the heart of the City. It’s all new for 2010 as the conference expands to a two track two day event with an additional day of workshops. Featuring the very best of the web design industry including Dan Cederholm, Elliot Jay Stocks, Dan Rubin, Paul Boag, Molly Holzschlag, Bruce Lawson, Simon Collison and many more and covering the topics and issues that matter to web designers and front end developers including CSS3, HTML5, jQuery and running your web business. The Future of Web Design is the event to attend to keep up to date and meet fellow designers. Visit http://futureofwebdesign.com/ for further details. Get 15% off a two day conference pass by entering promotional code mashable when signing up.  May 18-19, 2010, Santa Clara, CA: The Social Media Strategies Conference is the premier event for CMOs, Social Media Strategist, Managers, Marketers, Search Marketers, Online Community Managers, Corporate Communications, PR, Marketing, Advertising and Recruiting Professionals. This year the conference will focus on how organizations are and can leverage Social Media to achieve their business goals. Hear from the experts about this cutting-edge space, how it impacts your business and how you can leverage it. This conference will feature workshops, interactive sessions, panel discussions and keynotes from thought leaders. Don’t miss it! To save $100 use the promotion code: mashable.  May 18-19, 2010, Berlin, Germany: Looking for fundraising for your ICT, cleantech or life science company? Or are you an experienced investor who would like to meet new innovative entrepreneurs? If so, then you should definitely come to the European Venture Market (EVM)! The EVM is a two-day networking conference for investors, service providers and starting entrepreneurs to meet, network and further develop business ideas and projects. The conference program contains company pitch presentations, keynote speeches, industry specific presentations, one-to-one meetings and several other networking moments. Get 10% off by using code MASH2010. For more information and registration, please visit europeanventuremarket.com.  May 19, 2010, Seattle, WA: The Seattle 2.0 Awards recognizes the amazing accomplishments of the best from over 400 Seattle-based tech startups – the second biggest startup cluster in the US – and the exceptional people who are behind their heroic efforst. Vote for your favorites until May 11 and attend the Awards ceremony on May 19 in the biggest gathering of CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs and investors in Seattle, including guest speaker Jonathan Sposato, former CEO of Picnik recently acquired by Google. Use discount code Mashable for a 10% discount.  May 19, 2010, Chicago, IL: Collaborate with Social Media professionals across several disciplines at Windy City Social's Marketing Challenge. This much anticipated event will allow you to share your expertise and learn while competing to be the best and this unique, fast-paced, interactive networking event! Compete in teams against other teams to develop and present the best marketing ideas based on one of three live business cases. Winning team members receive fabulous prizes. There will also be time during the evening to network, enjoy appetizers and meet our sponsor companies. Past event cases include General Motors, Southwest Airlines, Goose Island Beer and Special Olympics. Save $5 off of event registration when you use code MASHFIVE when you register.  May 19-20, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Gilbane Conference San Francisco 2010 is focused on Content, Collaboration and Customers. Today web and enterprise content management permeate every aspect of an organization. Internal websites, whether in the form of intranets, blogs or portals and provide efficient ways to collaborate & share knowledge. Customer & internal-facing applications share requirements that call for a number of enterprise content, publishing and infrastructure technologies including multi-lingual, social media, search and integration software. Our conference is focused on what you should expect from these technologies. Mashable readers get to save an additional $200 – just use discount code MARSH when registering!  May 19-20, 2010, Hong Kong: Mobile Social Networking Asia. Breaking the Barriers of Social Networking in Mobile – The Next Generation of MSN. The event that will bring the social network giants in mobile, mobile operators, application developers, telecommunication analysts and consultants, broadcasters, social media players and start-ups in the field of Mobile Social Networking in one venue that will uncover and discover the trends in the region and the international scene. Mark your calendars on the 19 – 20 of May 2010 and join us in Eaton Hotel, Hong Kong for the most exciting and interesting Mobile Social Networking event of the year. Some companies onboard the conference: Friendster, Aircel, Bangalink, Plus Eight Star, GrupoDelaware, Zipano Technologies, Waze, Xuqa.com, Virgin Mobile, Maxis, Blogworks, Net Biscuits, Smart Telecoms, Infinita, Aljazeera Satellite Network, Exicon, Citycell, Dialog Telecom, Grameenphone, AdMob. Mention NeoedgeMashable when registering to save 25% discount on the delegate fee.  May 21, 2010, London, UK: SMiB10 is not your normal “run of the mill” conference, we are an agile progressive Web 2.0 style conference where the conversation and interaction begins well before the event day and continues long after. We’ll provide you with an outstanding, exciting, far-reaching and educational experience utilising social media experts who are experts in the true sense of the word. If you are interested in networking with the UK’s cream of the crop social media experts, looking for key strategic business insights, answers to organisational challenges you must come along to Social Media in Business. Register using discount code: mashable for a 10% discount off tickets.  May 21, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: Business Social Media (BizSoMe):Founders of Feedly, Twazzup, justSignal, nicefishfilms and EpicStates share their experience and insights directly with small groups of professionals. Presented in association with The UCLA Anderson School of Management, the BizSoMe workshop provides a practical real-world approach for businesses. Mashable readers should register though this link using discount code MASHABLE for 30% off.  May 21, 2010, New Delhi, India: Attend the Digital Media Conclave to hear from leading speakers and visionaries from the Digital and Media world who are instrumental in taking content and media online whether it be your newspaper/ magazines, your books, your music and video or even your favourite soaps and movies. All this while indulging in close customer engagement via innovative brand messaging, cutting-edge apps, value-added services and advertising. Digital Media Conclave brings together digital leaders, media executives, social media experts, book/magazine publishers, content producers and solution providers to discuss the up and coming Digital Media Revolution. Mention on event registration desk that you are a Mashable reader to receive 10% discount/ refund over the normal registration fee.  May 22–23, 2010 Los Angeles, CA: The You Conference presents a unique opportunity, to learn personal branding, social media, the art of the hustle, self promotion and create a flood of customers. Gary Vaynerchuk (Crush It!), Dave Lakhani (How To Sell When Nobody’s Buying), Peter Shankman (Can We Do That?!) and Geri Druckman will provide an interactive format enabling each attendee to learn the tools & techniques to infiltrate markets, make social media work for you and be successful. Use promo-code: Mashable for a $50 discount.  May 24, 2010, London, UK: IMMERSION is the leading international Forum & Showcase, focused on the business of games and immersive & social media. Ground-breaking sessions, leading strategy, world-beating developers and commissioners, exclusive networking. Virtual goods, micro-transactions, iphone, funding .. just some of the topics. Speakers include: Playfish, Electronic Arts, Rivers Run Red, Square Enix, Bing, Sony, Facebook. Register with promo code MASH15 and save 15%!  May 24-25, 2010, San Francisco, CA: The 2010 (fourth annual!) Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup is a two-day conference where today’s top brand, corporate and social marketers, media professionals, educators and non-profit organizations gather to share best practices, research and the latest strategies on marketing to youth with technology. Don't miss this year's keynotes Neil Howe, who coined the phrase “The Millennial Generation,” and anthropologist/Intel Fellow Dr. Genevieve Bell! Register here and receive a 10% discount with the code: MASHABLE.  May 24-26, 2010, Chicago, IL: If you want to learn how to create a Twitter account or Facebook Fan page, then School of WOM is not for you. This conference will equip you with the knowledge you need to ensure "no consumer gets left behind." The curriculum will focus on the power of how great customer service leads to customer recommendations resulting in driving sales, building brands, fostering community, sparking conversations and influencing a company's culture. School of WOM will ensure that your brand becomes talkable across all consumer touch points. Visit womma.org/schoolofwom and save $200 and receive the early bird rate by using the code: MashableRocks.  May 24-26, 2010, Chicago, IL: Human Resources IQ brings you the two-day Social Media for Recruitment Summit on each of the key social media channels. You'll learn proven success strategies & tactics for recruiting top talent through the hottest online communication tools. You'll find out how to demonstrate the ROI of your social media programs to your executive team. Mashable readers get an exclusive 20% discount off the standard All Access price with special code IUS_MASH_#1 when registering!  May 24-27, 2010, Princeton, NJ: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute's Forum on Social Media for Pharma: How To Develop, Execute And Evaluate Web 2.0 Strategies To Engage Your Audiences And Drive Business Results, to learn how to incorporate social media into your communications and marketing plans and leverage the latest interactive Web 2.0 tools and techniques to advance your organizational goals. Hear practical advice, firsthand, from leading organizations such as: AstraZeneca; Johnson & Johnson; Pfizer; Daiichi Sankyo; Acorda Therapeutics; Novartis Diagnostics; Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals; Novo Nordisk; Lundbeck; Fleishman-Hillard Digital; Porter Novelli; National Organization for Rare Disorders; Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness; and more. Mention Mashable when registering to save $200.  May 25, 2010, Philadelphia, PA: SocialMediaPlus is a 1 day Social Media and Web 2.0 business conference for business leaders throughout the Mid-Atlantic area. SocialMediaPlus focuses on 4 types of business professionals that most need to understand the effect that Social Media is having on many businesses across the area. Four specific business Tracks include: 1) Executive Track; 2) Marketing and Sales Track; 3) IT Track; 4) Human Resources Track. It’s like 4 conferences in one. Business owners, Executives, Vice Presidents, Directors and Managers from all 4 business units will learn proven strategies and tactics for utilizing Social Media and the technology that drives it. Attendees will learn from some of the industry’s best and brightest minds and hear from business owners and professionals who have succeeded in implementing programs and campaigns built around Social Media and web 2.0 technology. Use promo code MASH15 for a 15% discount.  May 25-27, 2010, The Sage Gateshead, UK: Thinking Digital attracts more than 30 of the world's most innovative, creative, insightful and/or accomplished people to come to The Sage Gateshead, United Kingdom annually in May and talk about their work, inspirations, insights and ideas. Our venue and speakers thereby attract a wonderfully eclectic mix of people from around Northern England, Europe and the world. Mashable readers save 25% using code tdc_mashable here.  May 25-27, 2010, Washington DC: Gov 2.0 Expo is THE technology conference and expo for 21st Century Government. It’s the premiere event that — in just three days of sessions, workshops, keynotes and rapid-fire presentations — gives government employees and contractors the practical tools, in-depth technical training and industry contacts critical to implementing new standards of transparency, collaboration and cost containment. Topic tracks include Agile Government, Cloud Computing, Open Data and Web Services, Social Networks and Collaboration and Emerging Topics. Gov 2.0 Expo will showcase the real-world application of Web 2.0 technologies in government and municipal sectors. Register Now & Save 15% using Discount Code: gxp10mp8 at www.gov2expo.com. Gov 2.0 Expo is giving away free Expo Hall Only passes! Use code gxp10mx8.  May 27-28, 2010, Greenville, NC: The Shift Conference is a free, two-night event for businesses to learn how to effectively use social media for cultural and economic influence. Bringing together speakers who are ‘in the trenches” { no big names here! }, businesses who are using social media on an everyday basis and a few other surprises, attendees will receive practical information that they can use for immediate real-world application. Please visit CityShift.org for more information.  May 28-29, 2010, Dallas, TX: The Big Design Conference is an intense day of learning within the scope of Strategy, Social Media, User Experience and Code Development. Experts from across the country will gather to present theories, research, experiences and best practices to students, professionals and executives looking to stay on the bleeding edge. Speakers include Jared Spool (founder, User Interface Engineering), Bill Scott (Netflix/author of Designing Web Interfaces: Principles and Patterns for Rich Interactions), Russ Unger (principal, UserGlue), Ryan Merket (founder, Ping.fm), Chris Bernard (UX Evangelist, Microsoft) and many more (full list at http://bigdesign10.com/speakers/). Mashable readers receive 10% off conference registration by using the code MASHABLE during the checkout process.  June 3, 2010, New York, NY: Hatch Match Columbia 2010: A great investor and industry event for one-on-one meetings with people you want to meet and have great conversations that stimulate action. This yearly event draws crowds of 400+ with 30+ investors including Union Square Ventures, Bessemer Ventures, Greenhill, Zelkova, NYC Seed, Metamorphic Ventures and more. Additional experts are made available in the areas of mobile, digital, advertising, legal, etc for you to access in the main room. For more information and sign up go to: hatchmatch2010.eventbrite.com to meet one-on-one with NYC investors. Mashable readers can receive 25% off registration with promo code MASH10.  June 4, 2010, Seattle, WA: Bigfoot – The Northwest's social networking/social media conference is focused on new and modern business concepts. The focus of 2010 is Internet social networking and social media for corporate execs, entrepreneurs, nonprofits and gov't. In this don't miss, one-day event, we feature 3 nationally known keynoters and 10 expert breakout presenters (including a Microsoft exec), each providing key social networking/social media takeaways that can be immediately put to use. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Visit http://bigfootsnc.com for complete details. Use registration code mashable for 10% off.  June 4, 2010, Toronto, Canada: Branded Content Summit (BCS) 2010 is an annual gathering where marketers, content producers and media convene to understand and profit from the shift towards branded content. Explore branded entertainment, content marketing, the future of video consumption and more. Join us; register now and use the discount code mashable to receive $100 off.  June 4-6, 2010, Washington DC: The iPhone/iPad Boot Camp: a 24 hour workshop on iPhone/iPad Development covering basic to advanced features. It is an established certificate training program that trained over 300 iPhone developers since 2008. The D.C. instructor is Dan Pilone, author “Head First iPhone Development" for O’Reilly Press. Developers are able to develop an app after the training. The workshop offers a money-back guarantee after the first day. For limited time only – a 10% discount off the discounted early bird rate – a $400 savings – is offered on the registration page using the discount code mashable.  June 4-6, 2010, Hutchinson, KS: Small Business Social Media Summit – A live, rub elbows, shake hands and sit down across a table from other small business owners event. Some of the most respected social media, internet based marketers and small business peers have come together to share their proven strategies. They will give you real life, no hype and the nitty-gritty details you need to know how to take advantage of the benefits social media has to offer any small business. This is your chance to develop a plan and take what you learn home with you. Register now and save at: smallbizsocialmediasummit.com. Special pricing of $180 for Mashable readers is available here.  June 4-6, 2010, Chicago, IL: The future of sports media gathers for Blogs with Balls 3 in Chicago at legendary Wrigley Field. This third installment of the conference will focus on sports and local media, the ever-changing face of traditional media, as well as all the ways that mobile and emerging technologies are changing the world of the sports fan (and the companies trying to reach him or her) today. Panels will feature speakers from companies like ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, The Sporting News, emerging blogging and new media personalities and former professional athletes. Register before May 15 and save more than $50 off the full ticket price at blogswithballs3.eventbrite.com. Use code WRIGLEYMASH.  June 4-6, 2010, Philadelphia, PA: The iPhone/iPad Boot Camp: a 24 hour workshop on iPhone/iPad Development covering basic to advanced features. It is an established certificate training program that trained over 300 iPhone developers since 2008. The D.C. instructor is Dan Pilone, author “Head First iPhone Development" for O’Reilly Press. Developers are able to develop an app after the training. The workshop offers a money-back guarantee after the first day. For limited time only – a 10% discount off the discounted early bird rate – a $400 savings – is offered on the registration page using the discount code mashable.  July 7, 2010, Melbourne, Australia: Digital Sport Summit is Australia’s premier sport and digital media event. Hear from social media pioneers who are changing the face of Australian sport. Learn how social media and mobile technology is taking fan engagement to a whole new level. Featuring leaders in Australian sport and digital media – including Australian Football League star, Harry O'Brien – there is something for everyone. Mashable readers get $20 off the ticket price with the code dssmash.  June 7-8, 2010, New York, NY: Kicking off New York’s Internet Week, the CM Summit brings together the leaders of digital media and marketing for two days of thought provoking case studies, insights and conversations. Join major brand advertisers from Fortune 500 companies like American Express, AT&T, Cisco, Starbucks; leading agencies like Group M, Moxie and Razorfish; innovative platforms like Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter; and media companies like Paramount and the New York Times. Mashable readers register now using code MASHPOP for $100 off regular admission price.  June 7-10, Baltimore, MD: RailsConf, the largest official conference dedicated to everything Rails, is the meeting place for the most innovative and successful Rails experts and companies. Learn useful information, ideas and techniques you can put to work immediately with a program designed for all levels of expertise. Save 15% with Discount Code rc10mash at www.railsconf.com.  June 8-9, 2010, Seattle, WA: Search Marketing Expo – SMX Advanced Seattle is the only search marketing conference designed exclusively for experienced internet marketers. In-depth sessions offered on SEO, paid search, social media and more. Participate in hour-long keynote conversation with Google Senior Software Engineer Matt Cutts. Check out the full agenda. Join the most accomplished search marketers in the world – attend SMX Advanced Seattle. Don't wait – SMX Advanced has sold out 3 years running. Register now, use discount code smx100mashable to save $100 plus secure your spot. Register today!  June 9, 2010, Mountain View, CA: The Online Community Unconference is a gathering of online community professionals – managers, developers, business people, tool providers, investors – to discuss experience and strategies in the development and growth of online communities. As we have found with our past events, the best source of information on all of these challenges is other knowledgeable practitioners. Get $20 off by registering with discount code mashable.  June 9-10, 2010, Chicago, IL: Making Media Connections. This annual conference will explore story telling in a digital age bringing together social media experts, nonprofit communicators and media for two days of trainings and panels. Keynoter Deanna Zandt, author of Share This! How You Will Change the World With Social Networking. Use promo code Mashable2010 for 20% discount on conference.  June 9-11, 2010, San Jose, CA: No longer a shiny new toy, social media is simply the professional communicators reality. This Social Media Summit brings together today's top brands and most dynamic presenters armed with cast studies and tested social media applications. Hosted at Cisco Systems headquarters, the conference will deliver practical, proven and innovative strategies and tools for corporate communicators. We invite you to come learn from the best and sharpen your skills in beautiful San Jose. Register today by visiting http://www.ragan.com/finance-MASH10 and you’ll save $200 off the standard registration price!  June 10, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: The Sales Innovation Summit is a collaborative event bringing together leaders from the sales, marketing and academic world to rethink the sales cycle. We will explore together how to execute in the new market reality in order to win market share and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Tickets are free.  June 10, 2010 Manchester, UK: jist, the north west's leading synchronised communications company are hosting a UK tour of introductory events for businesses looking to use social media as a communication tool. Communicate more effectively with your customers, prospective customers and other major stakeholders! Take a look online http://email.jistuk.com/T/ViewEmail/r/9961002AAB0F3900 – Use discount code mashable1 to get 10% off your ticket.  June 11-20, 2010, Washington, DC: Digital Capital Week (#DCWEEK) is a 10 day festival in Washington DC focused on technology, innovation and all things digital in our nation's capital. Modeled after Internet Week NY, Social Media Week, FotoWeek DC, Fringe Festival, etc. — DCWEEK will consist of a series of distributed events produced and hosted by individuals, organizations and community groups. Technologists, Artists, Entrepreneurs, Communicators, Govies and social capitalists of all kinds will participate in panels, workshops, projects and parties. Register at dcweek.eventbrite.com – general admission is FREE.  June 13, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: Fashion Camp: Fashion Industry's First UnConference presented by Mashable, FashionablyMarketing.Me and XCVI Clothing. Fashion Camp LA is an interactive one-day conference, that brings together fashion industry professionals, bloggers and designers and teaches them how to use technology as a marketing and business development tool. Tickets are $10-20.00; use code MASH for 25% discount!  June 14, 2010. New York, NY: Join the Real Time Revolution at TWTRCON NY, the Twitter for Business conference. Hear case studies and learn best practices from top organizations using real-time tools to deliver bottom-line results. Learn how to drive revenues, build your brand and listen and respond to customers and stakeholders using Twitter. Register today with code DVYN301 and save 20%.  June 14, 2010, Seattle, WA: Online Marketing Summit (OMS) is coming to Seattle with all new B2B and B2C case studies and social media integration tracks, unparalleled networking opportunities and an exclusive “Social Media and Content Marketing Workshop and Breakfast,” brought to you by the Online Marketing Institute and Wharton Interactive Media Initiative. Learn search, social media and integrated marketing from leading experts such as REI, SEOmoz and Web Analytics Demystified. Register now with promo code MASH20 for 20% off.  June 14-15, 2010, San Diego, CA: Bring your agency knowledge about emerging media, digital media buying/planning and the latest in analytics, usability and testing. These 2-day agencyside workshops provide hands-on training for digital marketing experts in the fields of social media, mobile marketing, online media buying, usability and web analytics. Workshops are held on June 14-15 at the Andaz Hotel in San Diego, CA. All workshops are designed specifically for the agency audience. Use discount code mashable to save 15% off registration at any time. Learn more and register today.  June 14-16, 2010, New York, NY: Arm yourself with the best digital and direct marketing strategies at Digital Marketing Days. You'll learn the latest strategies and best practices to acquire and retain customers in the digital era. Be privy to over 40 educational sessions on email, mobile, search, b-to-b strategies, international marketing and more, as well as keynote presentations, intensive workshops, a multichannel exhibit hall and fun networking opportunities. Mashable readers get $100 off the full access or daily conference pass with key code MASH1. Exhibit Hall Only passes are free until 5/28/10. Sign up today at www.dmdays.com.  June 15-16, 2010, Chicago, IL: Building on the success of the 2009 event, The 2nd Annual Health Care New Media Marketing conference will feature presentations from healthcare executives that implemented Web 2.0 strategies and developed quality metrics for evaluating the success of new media campaigns. Over the course of two days, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from thought leaders from major hospitals, healthcare institutions and social media outlets. Through a series of case studies and forums, attendees will walk away with the tools needed to ultimately reach consumers through new media in an accurate and appropriate. Discount code: MASHABLE get $50 off.  June 15-16, 2010 New York, NY: How your business can use social media for better marketing and communications: learn best practice through practical case-studies from corporate peers at 20+ experts from big businesses like McDonald’s, Dell, GM, PepsiCo and Adidas share best practice at new conference designed for large businesses. Companies like General Mills, Sears, Timberland and Merck are already attending. You can download a PDF brochure, book a ticket or even read our free white paper at our website here. Mashable readers save $200 if you quote MSH200 when booking.  June 15-16, 2010, Wilmington, DE: Join the sharpest minds in the investment community at the 2010 Early Stage East Venture Conference, the exclusive venture capital showcase for promising young companies. Listen to these high-growth startups present in the areas of Financial Services Tech, Cleantech and Media Tech and connect with an audience representing over $5B in capital. Our featured guests and panelists include keynote Daymond John, Founder of FUBU, Josh Kopelman, managing partner of First Round Capital and Jeff Pulver, founder of the #140 Conference. Register now to get the early bird discount. Mashable readers please use ESEM for $100 off.  June 16-18, 2010, New York, NY: Like every other industry, financial services is being transformed by the power of social media. We’re covering every topic of interest to PR, Marketing, Investor and Media Relations professionals. You'll discover the best way to pitch stories to the media about your company on Twitter, how to get the C-suite to buy into an aggressive social media plan and how NASDAQ Corporate Services helps companies track their online brand to make better decisions about their corporate strategy–the ideas go on and on! Register today by visiting  June 17, 2010, London, UK: Social Media Marketing 2010 will bring together some of the finest social media minds to discuss the latest campaigns, techniques and theories for achieving viral marketing success. From blogging to video-sharing, Flickr to Twitter, social media marketing is delivering impressive returns. Social Media Marketing 2010 will allow attendees to question the world's leading social media experts, including Chris Brogan & Brian Solis (via video), Mat Morrison, Andrew Walker, Charlie Osmond, Richard Sedley, Murray Newlands, Luke Brynley-Jones, Sue Keogh and Nadeem Azam. Register with code mashable to get a 10% discount.  June 17, 2010, New York, NY: Untethered 2010: Profitable Media in the Tablet Era. How will tablets and e-readers change the media, publishing and advertising business? Join the media and technology experts who are shaping this quickly evolving market for an intense day of discussion and debate. Featured participants include top executives from Simon & Schuster, NPR, Google, Sony, The Washington Post Company, HarperCollins, Ogilvy & Mather, Condé Nast Digital, Starcom MediaVest, Razorfish, Hearst and more. For full details and to reserve your seat today, please visit http://untethered.thebigmoney.com. Use special code MASHABLE for a 20% discount at registration.  June 18-19, 2010, Washington DC: The third annual Blogging While Brown Conference gives Bloggers of Color an opportunity to meet, network and learn about the latest technology to assist them with creating and distributing their content. During tremendous economic uncertainty and evolving technology, maintaining cutting-edge skills and strengthening relationships are more important than ever. As digital media content creators and distributors, bloggers rest at the intersection at some of the most challenging policy issues of our time, including broadband internet access, net neutrality and an evolving business environment for content providers. Register today and save 10% with promo code BWBMASH2010.  June 21-23, 2010, Denver, CO: Hosted by WebmasterRadio.FM, AffCon 2010 is a conference series designed specifically to meet the needs of affiliate marketers. As such, admission is FREE for all working affiliates to attend! Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to meet and share ideas with the brightest business people in the affiliate marketing industry. Pulling together an amazing lineup of session panelists and speakers (including super affiliates), AffCon 2010 – Denver also features an exhibit hall, general and targeted skills sessions, networking and WebmasterRadio.FM’s epic AffiliateBash. Get registered today!  June 21-24, 2010, Ottawa, ON: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute's Forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results, to learn how to capture the power of social media in your organization, along with helpful tools, tips and techniques to get started. Hear practical advice, firsthand, from leading organizations such as: City of Ottawa, ON; Public Safety Canada; U.S. Department of State; Norfolk County, ON; Canadian Internet Registration Authority; Office of the Ombudsman, ON; Alberta Environment; Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada; Public Service Commission of Canada; Ottawa Public Library; Department of National Defence; Corporation of the City of London, ON; Thornley Fallis Communications & 76design; and more. Mention Mashable when registering to save $200.  June 22-23, 2010, Atlanta, GA: The Business Of WordPress Conference is focused on providing generally non-technical business people with a roadmap for how they can leverage WordPress to establish or advance their business' presence on the web. This two-day event will include a Workshop Day on June 22nd for hands-on WordPress training. The second day will be an all day conference to learn what’s possible on the web today with WordPress, which now makes it easy for almost anyone to launch a world-class website. Register now and save 15% off of the June 23rd Conference. Use discount code mashable.  June 22-24, 2010, Santa Clara, CA: Now in its third year, Velocity – the Web Performance and Operations Conference from O’Reilly Media – is dedicated to helping people build a better Internet that is Fast by Default. Join hundreds of web developers and experts under one roof, Velocity packs a wealth of big ideas, know-how and connections into three concentrated days. You’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned immediately for high impact results and you’ll come away prepared for what’s ahead. O’Reilly Velocity 2010 is the premier conference dedicated to building industrial strength sites, at internet speed. Register Now and save 15% with Discount Code vel10msh at http://en.oreilly.com/velocity2010.  June 23, 2010, San Francisco, CA: The B2B Search Strategy Summit is designed by B2B Search Engine Marketers for B2B Search Engine Marketers to provide strategic and tactical Marketing knowledge and bring together the best minds in B2B search engine marketing, email, PR, social media and lead generation to share leading-edge information and experience. Conference attendees will walk away with a toolbox full of new strategies and tactics to apply immediately to current B2B Marketing challenges and opportunities. Register today and save 30% when you use the code MASHABLE. Attendance is limited to 150 B2B marketing professionals.  June 23-24, 2010, Boston, MA: Join us for the USENIX Conference on Web Application Development (WebApps ‘10) which will be part of the USENIX Federated Conferences Week. WebApps ‘10 is a new technical conference filled with the latest research in all aspects of developing and deploying Web applications. The diverse 2-day conference program will include invited talks by industry leaders including Adam de Boor, Google, on “Gmail: Past, Present and Future,” a variety of topics and new techniques in the paper presentations, WiPs and a poster session. Since WebApps ‘10 is part of USENIX Federated Conferences Week, you’ll also have increased opportunities for interaction and synergy across multiple disciplines. Learn more at http://www.usenix.org/webapps10/mash. Receive $100 discount by entering CONW10MASH upon registration.  June 23-25, 2010, Boston, MA: Join us for the 2010 USENIX Annual Technical Conference (USENIX ATC ‘10) which will be part of the USENIX Federated Conferences Week. Don’t miss the 3-day conference program filled with the latest innovative work in systems research, including invited talks by Ivan Sutherland on “Some Thoughts About Concurrency,” Ben Fry on “Visualizing Data,” and Matt Welsh on “RoboBees.” Find out about the latest in groundbreaking systems research in the paper presentations, WiPs and a poster session. Since USENIX ATC ‘10 is part of USENIX Federated Conferences Week, you’ll also have increased opportunities to network with peers across multiple disciplines. Learn more at http://www.usenix.org/atc10/mash. Receive $100 discount by entering CONW10MASH upon registration.  June 24, 2010, Oklahoma City, OK: Get Social Conference is hosting a groundbreaking social media business event in Oklahoma City. GSC is a traveling half-day unconference focused on the business case for social media. This cozy unconference is limited to 150 attendees at a cost of $100 & includes VIP all-access to the legendary OKC Tweetup boasting 400+ attendees. Mashable readers receive a 25% off discount by using the code Mashable.  June 24-25, 2010, New Orleans, LA: At The Customer Centric Solutions Expo we'll discuss how health plans should re-assess their customer service practices to ensure they implement “new” service models that meet the needs of their members. As health plans implement strategies to transform their business into customer centric organizations, essential to their success will be new customer service models supporting marketing, communications and benefit design strategies. Remain competitive in this new marketplace, register today to SAVE $200 on the current registration rate, mention PROMO CODE: XCX344 to qualify (not valid for gov't rate).  June 25, 2010, Walla Walla, WA: The Wine Bloggers Conference is now in its third year, with wine bloggers, social media experts and wine industry insiders gathering in Walla Walla, the heart of Washington’s wine country. The conference is limited to 300 attendees and content will focus on blogging and social media as related to the wine industry. Sponsorships are still available for wineries or other companies wishing to promote their product or service to wine bloggers. Mention mashable on your registration form to receive a $10 discount, not combinable with other discounts or for those already registered.  June 25, 2010, London, UK: Cleaning up communications: Let's face it. For reputation makers – from 'social media experts' to 'communicators' , PR folk and 'reputation managers', that 'spin doctor' tag is never too far away and our collective reputation is less than pristine. In an environment where trust is vital, what can be done to clean up communications? An informal, conversational event, with speakers including the PRCA. Free event.  July 26-28, 2010 Chicago, IL: Celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the eduWeb Conference, a premier annual event for higher education. We have 4 tracks, 46 presentations, 4 pre-conference workshops, 2 receptions and a dynamite program. Professionals in marketing, PR, alumni, admissions, advancement, student affairs, IT, athletics and other HE departments attend eduWeb to learn how to strategically communicate through their online presence. Register now and save an additional $50; use discount code: 10eduWebMash.  June 29, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Whether it’s social games, social news, social discovery, social search or other forms of social solutions, developers today are facing new hurdles in building instantly scalable products. As new technologies emerge to address the challenges faced by social application developers, it’s increasingly important to come together for knowledge sharing purposes. The first Social Developer Summit will bring together social application developers to discuss the challenges, solutions and best practices for building applications in the rapidly expanding social web economy. At the Social Developer Summit, industry experts will share tips and case studies for building high performance social web products. Register with promo code SDSMASH and save 20%!  June 29-30, 2010, London, UK: The 2nd annual Cloud Computing and Enterprise 2.0 World Forum is the perfect event to learn and discuss the future development and integration of cloud and enterprise 2.0 services and products. Building on the success of the 2009 show, this two day conference and exhibition will provide a focused platform for the global cloud computing and enterprise social media industry. The 2010 show will include a free-to-attend exhibition with scenario based workshop area and key service providers demonstrating their products.  July 1, 2010, London, UK: Brand Republic's Achieving Maximum Value From Your Social Media Strategy conference. Learn which social media strategies have yielded proven results, how to build brand awareness, deal with negative PR, gain senior buy-in, measure and monitor your success and integrate your social media campaign with traditional marketing and PR. Roundtable discussions, case studies and presentations from social media experts including: BT, Photobox, Speedo, BSkyB, Facebook, Lastminute.com, Labour Party, Amnesty International, Mirror Group, TripAdvisor, Fatface, Space.NK, SeaFrance and many more. Register online quoting MASHABLE50 and receive an extra £50 off the early booking discount at www.socialmediastrategyevent.com.  July 2, 2010, London, UK: Social Media and the Social Web are two of the most dominant web trends today. BrightLemon are bringing together a number of leading figures in this field to discuss why, how and who should use the “Social Web”. The focus for this event will be on building online communities, social web tools and how they benefit organisations and brands. Register for FREE now.  July 12-13 & 15-16, 2010, Singapore & Hong Kong: Join us at this Media Relations conference. This 2-day event will see leading PR practioners gather to share more about the integration of social media & traditional media. PR professionals can look forward to discussing strategies that help you achieve your communication objectives and enhance your media relations & positive coverage. Learn how top B2B and B2C companies integrate new media tools for an all-rounded approach. Register today. Save 10% when you enter Mashable under ‘Additional Info’.  July 13, 2010, London, UK: This senior level forum offers SVPs, VPs, Directors & Heads of eCommerce, Online, Marketing, Digital and Customer Experience the opportunity to discuss strategies, solutions and best practice for enhancing the customer experience and delivering competitive differentiation by effectively managing and integration online, social and mobile channels. Offering a unique mix of keynote briefings, interactive discussions and one-to-one meetings Customer Experience Online will provide you with a unique opportunity to propel your online initiatives to success and position yourself at the forefront of the industry. Spaces are limited and by invitation only, click here to find out if you qualify. When booking your place, please use discount code MASH_BAN for a 10% discount.  July 19-23, 2010, Portland, OR: OSCON takes place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. In its 12th year, OSCON continues to be the premier meeting ground for everyone using open source. At OSCON, you’ll participate in hundreds of sessions covering open source languages and platforms, practical tutorials that go deep into technical skill and best practices, inspirational keynote presentations, an Expo Hall featuring dozens of the latest projects and products, fun networking events and activities and the best “hallway track” around. No matter the economic climate, a strong technology foundation is the key for moving your business and projects forward. In just five information-packed days (and nights) OSCON gives you the tools you need to succeed. Join over 2,500 people passionate about open source and register now and save 15%. Use discount code os10mash when registering at: http://www.oscon.com/oscon2010.  July 20, 2010, New York, NY: Word of Mouth Supergenius is where you’ll learn to be a fantastic word of mouth marketer with 12 how-to classes, 12 real-world case studies and six brilliant authors. You’ll learn practical, hands-on techniques to get started, grow your program and earn amazing word of mouth. Save $75 off registration by using the code ILoveMashableWOM.  August 13, 2010, Nashville, TN: At Big South Social Media Summit, come listen to some of the most forward-thinking business giants from companies like Southwest, SAP, Comcast, Domino's as well as social media loving celebrities who will speak directly on how they drive ROI through social media. Speakers will share real-world success stories, pit falls and case studies to demonstrate the true value of social media. This summit will allow business leaders to finally understand how social media can propel their business and how to produce real results. More than the mechanics, this is a relatable summit that will open eyes to the power of social media in business. Get 15% off the ticket price by using the vacomash discount code.  August 15-17, 2010, New York, NY: Affiliate Summit East, the premier affiliate marketing conference, is taking place August 15-17, 2010 in New York City. This three day conference includes an exhibit hall with affiliate merchants, vendors and networks, as well as multiple tracks of educational sessions covering the latest trends and information from affiliate marketing experts. Use discount code mashable for 10% off any pass type.  August 16-20, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Discover the tools of engagement at this year's SES San Francisco. No longer just lecturing your customers, learn to listen and converse in a more social world. Our experts will show you how integrating search, social media and video in even basic ways will transform both your site’s visibility and profitability. Packed with sessions on PPC management, information architecture, social media, local search, mobile application development, video optimization and other advanced topics, we have created an educational and networking environment designed for both beginners and veterans in digital marketing. Register by July 30th and SAVE up to $554 with code MHNY15.  August 26, 2010, Galway, Ireland: Attend BlogTalk 2010: the 7th International Conference on Social Software. Join developers, researchers, practitioners and others who share, analyze and enjoy the benefits of social software and social media. Keynote speakers including Stowe Boyd, Dan Gillmor and Don Thibeau will share insights and discuss future developments. There will also be a one-day workshop on microblogging as part of the event. The cost is €200 for early birds and €250 for regular registrants. Use the mashtalk promotional code when registering to save 10%. We will also have a medieval banquet, but space is limited so register early.  September 7-9, 2010, Las Vegas, NV: The Global App Show is focused on delivering the optimum network environment for app developers, mobile manufacturers, businessmen and users alike. If you are serious about your app, if you want to increase your downloads, users and audience growth rate, improve your development skills, quality or functionality of your app, if you want to influence decision makers, find experts, sell a product or service, if you want to promote yourself as an industry expert, or build your brand, then you cannot afford to miss the Global App Show. Go to GlobalAppShow.com, mention MASH and receive $25.00 off your show pass. Early pricing ends June 15th.  September 16-17, 2010, Dallas, TX: This year's 2nd Social Media Optimization Summits event, presented by Multifamilypro, brings together small to mid-sized business owners with an interest in putting social media to work successfully within their organizations. The event offers two full days of intensive, hands-on workshops from the intermediate to advanced level, led by top social media experts including Brian Solis of FutureWorks, Jason Falls of SocialMediaExplorer.com, Shama Kabani of The Marketing Zen Group and Shama.TV, Geno Church of Brains on Fire and more. The unique "See it. Hear it. Do it." approach allows attendees to learn by doing and begin applying newly-acquired skills and knowledge while the event is underway. Register now and save $125 at: http://optimizationsummits.com/. Use discount code Mashable.  September 21–22, 2010, London, UK: ad:tech London is the UK’s essential free to attend event for professionals seeking to stay ahead of the latest interactive media, advertising and marketing trends. The event unites advertisers, media owners and agencies to harness the power of digital and deliver real marketing ROI. Alongside the exhibition, there is also a conference featuring 100+ international speakers for serious digital innovators and marketers. Mashable readers can take 20% off their conference ticket price – call John Corrick on + 44 (0) 203 180 6595 and quote Mash10. Register online now at: www.ad-techlondon.co.uk.  September 22-23, 2010, Singapore, Asia: At Social Media World Forum Asia, become educated, discover, engage, network, share and collaborate in the world of social media. Ideal for those looking to embrace the latest in brand engagement, monitoring, ROI, advertising and building communities. learn from social networks, brands, advertisers and analysts. Mention you are a Mashable reader to receive 15% discount  September 27, 2010, Miami, FL: Calling all Affiliates, Merchants, Advertisers and Social Media Strategists looking to CONNECT to the right people, LEARN from the experts, increasing their EARNING potential and GROW their business! The Performance Marketing Expo is the premier event for best-in-class educational sessions (become an expert at Landing Page Optimization, Search, Social Media Strategies and Relationship Management), highly effective facilitated networking (in the Tune-Up Shop, Idea Factory, Masters of the Universe Roundtable sessions) and access to the leading Super Affiliates (Stephanie Nelson, Coupon Mom – Zac Johnson, MoneyReign, – Todd Martini, Alex’s Coupons – plus, eCoupons, MarketAmerica, TrialPay, Parent Media and more). Save 15% when using code PME2010MASH at www.iirusa.com/performancemarketingexpo.  October 17-20, 2010, Scottsdale, AZ: agencyside presents one of the only digital marketing conferences exclusively developed for agencies. BOLO 2010 brings new ideas, new knowledge and actionable next-steps to both help your bottom line and achieve the goals of your clients. We realize time and money are both tight. That's why we've designed a conference that'll expand how you think and at the same time teach you hands-on how to manage digital more efficiently. You'll hear from industry thought leaders through keynotes, panel discussions and one-on-one meetings. agencyside has a proven track record for helping agencies become experts in the digital space. Build a team of subject matter experts. Fine tune operations to sustainable profitability. Generate new business for digital marketing services. This event will show you how. Early Bird of $699/person through June 18th. Use discount code mashable to save 15% off registration at any time.  October 26, 2010, San Jose, CA: Get real about social media at SocialTech 2010—the only conference dedicated to teaching B2B high-tech marketers how to harness the power of social media. You’ll learn from B2B marketing leaders at companies like IBM, Intel, SAP, HP, Adobe and Cisco how to use social media to achieve real, measurable business results. Enjoy networking and keynotes from Guy Kawasaki, Robert Scoble and Jeremiah Owyang. Can't make it to San Jose? You can join us online. Register today and save 10% with coupon code MASH10!
The Mashable Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace. Eventbrite is an online events marketplace where tens of thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations of all sizes manage, promote and sell tickets to their events. Make your event a success on Eventbrite. Reviews: Australia, Bing, Facebook, Flickr, Forum, Foursquare, Friendster, Gmail, Google, Internet, Mashable, Mobile social networking, Ping, Twazzup, Twitter, Web Design, WordPress, awards, feedly, picnik, social media, sports, timberland, video
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| How Facebook Makes Edgy Concepts Mainstream Posted: 17 May 2010 08:09 AM PDT 
In fact, Facebook has become so comfortable that most users don’t consider quitting, even after the newly introduced “Like” buttons were accompanied by semi-controversial privacy settings (which tend to be ignored), and multiple bugs in recent weeks put user privacy in jeopardy. This brand affinity affords the social network significantly more implicit trust than startups with brighter ideas or bolder purposes. What Facebook seems to realize is that they have the power to introduce some of these bleeding edge notions to their hundreds of millions of members and make them feel safe, familiar and normal. A Look at the Bleeding Edge
There are a handful of web services that are pushing the envelope of online mores and social acceptability. In this bucket we can dump Google Latitude, Foursquare, and Gowalla, and categorize them in the location-sharing department. Blippy, and now Swipely, are taking purchase-sharing to the extreme, so throw them in the bucket too. You could even toss Square and Venmo into the mix, as their alternative mobile payment systems aren’t something the general population will race to embrace. What it boils down to is that the majority of the population does not see the significance or utility of location sharing or going social with their credit cards. We’ve already explored in depth on Mashable why it matters, and what the future holds, but for the average person, telling the world where they are and what they’re buying is still a scary concept. While these services appeal to early adopters by pushing the envelope, ultimately that boundary pushing helps to normalize the behaviors, so that Facebook can step in and make once bleeding edge concepts acceptable, or even logical, to mainstream users. Edge services introduce new concepts to early adopters, Facebook makes them normal for everyone else. It’s a pattern we’ve seen before. Facebook is Familiar
When it comes to the web, users tend to gravitate towards the familiar. In search and e-mail sectors, Google is familiar, and Yahoo can be a comforting place for the everyday news seeker. In the social media space, Facebook is like family. You may not always agree with your family, but at the end of the day, you trust them to have your back. On the other hand, for the average user, services like Foursquare, Swipely and Square are like a “friend of a friend.” You don’t really know her, so a face-to-face encounter might feel awkward and unnatural at first. Fear of the Unknown
The psychological concept of the “other” highlights the basic human tendency to place what we experience into one of the two buckets — things we know, and things we don’t. It’s a common device of modern fiction, and very much a part of the mystery created by the hit television show Lost in its first and second seasons. Viewers know that The Others are people whose mere existence is completely foreign and troubling to the identify to the survivors. In applying this concept to the web, social media, and the average individual, Facebook is what we know, and the bleeding edge sites fall into the category of otherness. What’s especially interesting though, is that Facebook has the power to make the unknown known. For instance, Facebook’s “Like” button is not scary. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. For most users, it’s like a door mat that reads “welcome home,” and sends the message, “you know Facebook, you’re safe here,” regardless of whether or not that is actually the case. Application developers and publishers recognize the power that Facebook familiarity carries, and proof can be seen in the fact that the new social plugins are now on more than 100,000 sites. Facebook Normalizes the Extreme
With Swipely’s private beta launch, the conversation around real-time social shopping is bound to become heavily discussed and debated. On one side you have early-adopters eager to share their credit card purchases with the world in the hopes of being first to a new trend (some of them are already doing so on Blippy). On the opposite side, you have web users horrified by the notion of being so public with their sensitive information. In the middle, there’s Facebook and those welcoming “Like” buttons that are now plastered across the web. In much the same way that Blippy and Swipely create community around shared purchases, Facebook “Like” buttons give users the ability to share their favorite songs, movies, TV shows, sports teams, restaurants, and news items back with Facebook friends and integrate them into their profile. You may not equate the behaviors as the same, and there are obvious differences, but essentially Facebook has normalized the practice of product-sharing in a way that users can and want to embrace. Behaviors of this variety, previously considered extreme, feel safe simply because of the Facebook brand name behind it. Location-sharing and mobile payments can also feel extreme from unknown sources, but Facebook has the power to normalize these activities too. When Facebook launches its location features, they will play a major role in bringing checkins to mainstream users. In terms of alternative payment options, Facebook will also help the general population feel safer with their offering — Facebook Credits. Right now, Facebook’s virtual currency can be used to buy gifts and virtual goods inside Facebook, but we see a future when users will be able to pay with Facebook for real goods, either purchased within Facebook’s walls, on sites with Facebook integration, and potentially in the real-world via SMS in a fashion similar to what Venmo now supports. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook
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| NBC Turns Television into a Social Media Game Posted: 17 May 2010 07:25 AM PDT 
The endeavor is a network-wide initiative designed to leverage the presence of show fans on social networks and incentivize them with points for engaging with content — i.e. watching videos on NBC.com, Liking shows, chatting and recruiting friends. Points can be redeemed for goodies like NBC merchandise, show previews, virtual goods, badges and sweepstakes entries. Social media has given television viewers a platform to express their love and hate for network programming. In fact, sometimes — as was the case with Chuck — social media serves as an amplified microphone for television viewers dismayed by show cancellations; other times, it can help boost ratings for live award shows. NBC’s new platform acknowledges that television viewers with a social media presence are individuals who wield power — individuals the company wants on its side. If the program takes off, Fan It could possibly serve as a precursor for redefining metrics around television viewing audiences. The television ratings system has remained relevantly unchanged since 1950. One company, Nielsen Media Research, has always been responsible for audience measurement and those measurements play a significant role in determining network advertising rates. Data from social networks could become an important new element in measuring audience engagement. If done right, NBC’s initiative could move the industry towards officially recognizing the significance of social media.
[img credit: Edgar Zuniga Jr.] For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: facebook, Fan It, foursquare, myspace, nbc, tv, twitter
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| Google, Intel and Sony to Introduce Smart TV Posted: 17 May 2010 07:10 AM PDT 
Few new details are revealed in the report; Google’s hardware partners are still Intel and Sony. The hardware will likely consist of a set-top box based on Intel’s Atom CPU and Google’s Android OS, while Sony is slated to reveal the plan to integrate web services into its televisions. The Financial Times also claims that Google will call on its Android community to start working on apps for TVs. This would give Android a whole new dimension and a certain advantage over its main rival, the iPhone OS, which is confined to the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. According to a report out this morning, revenues from apps on TVs should increase from $10 million in 2010 to $1.9 billion by 2015. With Apple focusing (quite unsuccessfully) on Apple TV, could Google’s Android TV be the first to corner a significant emerging market? For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Google, Twitter Tags: Google, google tv, intel, Smart TV, sony
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