Mashable: Latest 26 News Updates - including “Wired Magazine Arrives on the iPad” |  |
- Wired Magazine Arrives on the iPad
- Pete Cashmore Talks Facebook and Twitter Ads on Bloomberg
- Quirky Crowdsources Your Product Ideas into Reality
- AT&T’s Plan for NYC Data Congestion: Free Wi-Fi
- Is the iPad Killing Netbooks? [STATS]
- MTV Launches Casual Game to Promote Upcoming TV Series
- Twitter Emerging as Online Video Power Broker [STATS]
- LinkedIn Beefs Up Its Twitter Integration [PICS]
- The iPad-Compatible Little Black Dress Has Arrived
- OkCupid Uses Click Data to Match Most Attractive Users
- 10 Best “Get a Mac” Parodies [VIDEOS]
- 5 Ways to Monetize the Future of News Media
- New Type of Phishing Attack Goes After Your Browser Tabs
- Hugo Chavez Has a New Title: Blogger
- Facebook Heads to D.C. for Congressional Briefing on Privacy
- Why Facebook Users Are Considering Leaving [CHART]
- Brains Behind Xbox and Zune Leave Microsoft
- Google’s Pac-Man Logo Costs Society $120,483,800 in Productivity
- Google Chrome for Mac Leaves Beta
- 6 Tips for Effective Recruiting on Social Media Sites
- Towel Day Celebrations Hit YouTube and Flickr
- Dell Streak Tablet Arrives This Summer
- HOW TO: Send a Real Gift on Facebook
- Yahoo Acquires Location-Based Social Network
- Murdoch’s Next Step: Hiding UK Times Articles from Search Engines
- New Facebook Privacy Controls Arrive on Wednesday
- Wendy’s Frosty Gets a Social Media Infusion
| Wired Magazine Arrives on the iPad Posted: 26 May 2010 01:15 AM PDT  
When iPad was first announced, many thought that Wired Magazine’s version for the device would be the one to redefine the way we look at magazines. From the looks of it, it doesn’t disappoint: there’s a lot of interactive content (June issue features an interactive map of Mars), as well as slide shows, video and music. It’s also a hefty download: 527 MB is more than enough to store a lot of multimedia content, but you might want to download it over Wi-Fi instead of 3G. The app is available in the App Store for $4.99.  For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: App Store, Facebook, Twitter Tags: apple, conde nast, ipad, Wired
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| Pete Cashmore Talks Facebook and Twitter Ads on Bloomberg Posted: 25 May 2010 11:18 PM PDT 
In the light of public and media scrutiny — and growing user frustration — Facebook has decided to roll out a simplified suite of privacy settings starting tomorrow. The company is also holding a briefing for Congressional staffers to explain what these changes mean and what the new tools will do in a way that both legislators and the citizens they represent can understand. But Mashable founder and CEO Pete Cashmore isn’t certain that Facebook’s current measures will adequately address people’s concerns. More changes to Facebook’s “buttons and levers” might be just another complication for users to navigate. Meanwhile, back at the Twitter ranch, the powers that be made the decision to ban advertisements from third-party apps. The move proved less than popular among most developers, some of whom had built Twitter-based ad networks that were rendered essentially useless with the new ban. Twitter said they wanted to “protect the integrity of the stream;” Cashmore said the truth is that Twitter will be building their own ad network. Have a look at this quick news brief from Cashmore on Bloomberg, and as always, let us know your opinions in the comments. Reviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: ads, Bloomberg, cashmore, facebook, privacy, twitter
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| Quirky Crowdsources Your Product Ideas into Reality Posted: 25 May 2010 10:07 PM PDT  This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. Quick Pitch: Quirky is a social product development company founded in June 2009 by 23-year-old entrepreneur Ben Kaufman. Genius Idea: At its core, Quirky builds consumer products. It sells cable organizers, a modular spatula system, and double-sided USB sticks. It’s how they create and develop their products that really makes them stand out, though. Quirky describes itself as a “social product development company.” It essentially crowdsources product ideas and then places them at the mercy of Quirky’s thousands of users. The community votes on which ones they want to develop and then adds its input on things such as product aesthetics, design, logo, and even its name. The best ideas are then taken by Quirky’s team of engineers and designers and turned into 3D renderings. The next step is the most important one: the product is then placed on pre-sale, where anyone can buy the product. However, Quirky will only sell something if it hits a minimum number of sale commitments (usually under a thousand). Once that number is reached, the product is made and person who submitted the original idea gets a piece of the revenue pie. There are a few things to know before you go off designing tons of products for Quirky. First, it costs $99 to submit an idea. Second, even if your product is selected by the community, it doesn’t mean it will become a major hit. Finally, many products on Quirky still have yet to hit their minimum purchase requirement, and some of the products on sale on the site aren’t cheap.  In the end though, we believe that Quirky is a killer tool for both entrepreneurs without the means to bring an idea into production and for geeks looking to buy useful — if not odd — products. The best ideas find their way to the top and are vetted by the community, which brings multiple perspectives and opinions to a product’s development. Quirky was founded by Ben Kaufman, who is the creator of Mophie, the popular iPhone and iPod accessory company, so it has some serious brainpower behind the company. You can learn more about the Quirky process here. Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
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| AT&T’s Plan for NYC Data Congestion: Free Wi-Fi Posted: 25 May 2010 08:43 PM PDT 
Any current AT&T customers with 3G smartphones or mobile broadband cards, or who have AT&T as their high speed Internet provider, will be able to hop on to what is essentially a giant hotspot being installed in the north central area of Times Square. Smartphone users should even automatically be switched over from 3G service and connected to the hotspot when they come within acceptable range. For now it’s just a pilot project, but if all goes well the company has said it will be considering free Wi-Fi implementations in other congested major markets in the U.S. It’s an interesting solution that shows the carrier is more than well aware of the service issues faced by customers in crowded locations, but it does leave other parts of the city (and country) out of luck for now. What do you think of the idea of alleviating cell bandwidth woes by providing free Wi-Fi? And would it be enough to prevent mass exodus if AT&T were to lose iPhone exclusivity? [via Boy Genius Report] Image courtesy of iStockphoto, SVLumagraphica For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Internet, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: 3g, att, iphone, new york, NYC, smartphones, times square, wi-fi
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| Is the iPad Killing Netbooks? [STATS] Posted: 25 May 2010 07:27 PM PDT 
Tablets in general are newer, sexier and sleeker than netbooks, their hardworking if relatively old-school counterparts. When iPads were announced, many consumers put off their netbook purchase plans in order to try out and consider buying an iPad instead. And for folks currently considering a smaller, portable computer, an overwhelming majority are leaning more toward iPads.
That being said, laptops are also holding a steady lead in the portable computer market. In the past year and the current year, 65% of consumers who had to choose between a netbook and a laptop went for the latter in the end.
If you had to choose between a laptop, a netbook and an iPad, which way would you lean, and why? Do you think netbook sales will suffer further when non-Apple tablets are released? For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: apple, ipad, netbook, sales
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| MTV Launches Casual Game to Promote Upcoming TV Series Posted: 25 May 2010 05:55 PM PDT 
The “Chain of Thought” game centers on the theme that it’s “difficult to talk to one’s crush.” Players get points and level up by completing “conversation challenges” in which objects must be connected in the correct order to produce a sentence that elicits a positive response from the crush character. The game introduces new users to the show about an unpopular 15-year-old boy who deals with a sudden influx of newfound popularity at school and wants to figure out how to talk to his object of affection, Jenny. The title also features a “build mode” that brings in an aspect of user-generated content. Players are invited to set up their own conversation challenges along with positive or negative responses, and see them played out in a level of their own creation. The idea is to help break the ice with an actual crush or at least have fun with a friend who knows about the situation — and MTV hopes that aspect of the game will encourage players to virally share it with their friends.    We spoke with VP of MTV Digital Colin Helm and Supervising Producer at MTV Digital Tom Akel about the project and wanted to know what led to the idea behind introducing a game before the series launch. Early on the team was looking for a way to “raise awareness outside of what we normally do.” As one of the first scripted shows that MTV has produced in some time, they had the benefit of a longer lead time with available assets including visuals and scripts. Using a viral casual game to promote a television series seemed like a timely play in the context of interactive digital entertainment. As the TV show progresses, new “episodes” of the game will be unveiled as well, featuring actual dialogue and plot themes from the series. This type of tight integration between a television show and its companion game is a novel approach to episodic content, and we’ll be interested to see how much repeat interest is generated from the series to the game and vice versa. The game itself is live now, so if you have a chance to check it out on MTV.com be sure to let us know what you think in the comments. The Hard Times of RJ Berger series itself premieres on June 6 at 11 p.m., and you can check out a trailer to get a sense of the show as well. For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: casual games, facebook, games, Hard Times of RJ Berger, mtv, MTV Digital, tv
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| Twitter Emerging as Online Video Power Broker [STATS] Posted: 25 May 2010 04:36 PM PDT 
Further, when it comes to getting users to watch videos, users who discovered a video via Twitter tend to stay around longer, too. In fact, these users will view a video for an average of just over two minutes.
In a quick Twitter poll, we tried to ascertain the reasons for Twitter’s emergence as a video-sharing tool. From what we can tell, people are using Twitter to connect not just to their real-world friends, but also to specific interests. Hence, they’re finding content that’s directly related to those interests, content that is more personally relevant and, for the individual, more watchable. Simply put, for video discovery, Twitter is “more tuned to my tastes,” in the words of one user. It might also have something to do with the sheer volume of content and the ease of spreading that content around via retweets. One user said most of his video recommendations were via Twitter, and another said he was less likely to tune out a video if multiple friends retweeted it. However you want to slice it, though, Twitter is a huge referral source for online video. Video blogging pioneer Steve Garfield, who literally wrote the book on web video, told us, “Twitter is my #1 recomendation engine for finding videos.” Do you tend to find good videos from your Twitter stream? Are they more interesting or more relevant to you than the videos you’d find on Facebook or from random browsing elsewhere online? For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter, video Tags: ONLINE VIDEO, trending, twitter, video, youtube
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| LinkedIn Beefs Up Its Twitter Integration [PICS] Posted: 25 May 2010 03:58 PM PDT 
LinkedIn’s Tweets application, which the company announced has over one million users, has gotten a major upgrade. It is now divided into four parts: Overview, Connections, My Tweets and Settings. The overview tab shows you a basic outline of what your friends are tweeting, which people you are following and even suggests LinkedIn connections that you can follow. Of course, you can also update your Twitter status right from LinkedIn.  Connections is one of the more interesting parts of the updated Tweets application. It shows all of your connections that also use Twitter and whether you follow them. If you don’t, you have the option to add them to your Twitter stream right from LinkedIn. LinkedIn has also launched Twitter List integration. You can now save your LinkedIn connections as a dynamic Twitter List. It will even update the list when you add new connections to your LinkedIn profile. The business social network has made a big bet on Twitter as a source of growth. While LinkedIn has more than 65 million users, growth has stagnated, according to Compete. Deeper integration with Twitter should be good for its growth, but we do wonder if Facebook integration could be in the works, or if the social networks compete too much for the same users for that to happen. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Tags: linkedin, tweets, twitter, twitter list, Twitter Lists
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| The iPad-Compatible Little Black Dress Has Arrived Posted: 25 May 2010 03:32 PM PDT   Not everyone can pull off an iPad vest, which is why we’re relieved that someone finally came out with a line of fashion staples that will look good on anyone — well, anyone who wants to carry around their iPad on their person at all times, that is. iClothing is described on its website as “a modern take on old classics,” and features a line of t-shirts and little black dresses outfitted with massive, massive pockets. Next up, the iPad tux? One can only dream… [via TUAW] For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter
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| OkCupid Uses Click Data to Match Most Attractive Users Posted: 25 May 2010 03:15 PM PDT 
As a result of the categorization, the attractive users will be more likely to see one another in match searches, while the users who are in the lower tier will not see a change. The e-mail (which was sent by the “OkCupid Summer Interns”) specified that the determinations were made through analysis of clicks on users’ photos and reactions in the Quiver and QuickMatch features. Those two tools ask users to quickly respond positively or negatively to photos accompanied by segments of profile text. When users are presented in searches, QuickMatch or Quiver, their pictures are featured most prominently, but some profile data is included as well — usually just one paragraph. You can’t get a sense of who someone really is from that paragraph, of course, but a user may write someone off because of poor spelling or other factors that are apparent in the clips. So sure, it’s not entirely based on looks, but they’re probably the biggest factor. Is OkCupid Shallow? People who don’t believe in “leagues” of attractiveness might find this division a little crass, but others will see it as a win-win move for the dating site and its users. A dating site needs attractive users to thrive, of course. They’re more likely to remain active on the site if they’re easily able to reach men and women they consider desirable prospects. And since they’re attractive themselves, their continued presence will drive pageviews. Just think: When an attractive user’s photo shows up in a search of currently active users, it’s more likely to receive clicks than a photo of an unattractive member. OkCupid is primarily ad-supported, and those extra clicks and pageviews generate more revenue. Unattractive users won’t notice a difference — except, perhaps, fewer messages from attractive ones, but they probably weren’t receiving those messages to begin with. The Thinking Person’s Dating Site The Boston Globe called OkCupid “the Google of online dating.” That’s not because it’s the biggest dating site (it’s not), but because it’s arguably the most innovative and cerebral in its approach and features. OkCupid tracks data very closely, just as Google does in many cases, and it maintains a blog called OkTrends where it applies user data research to come to fascinating and helpful conclusions about how people approach online dating. Subjects have included how different approaches to profile pictures affect the amount of messages received, why young men should try to date older women and what the best first messages say. OkCupid also just launched a site called MyBestFace, which is like a very elaborate, almost-scientific Hot or Not-type tool that invites users to tag themselves and then vote on photos. The person who uploaded his or her photos eventually receives a report sharing which photos fared best with which kinds of people so he or she can make an informed decision about which ones to feature more prominently. Add that to the blogging features, a newsfeed and detailed matching algorithms, and you have an approach to dating that’s unique to the web-driven twenty-first century. Just don’t screw it up with any Facebook dating faux pas after other websites have found you the love of your life, alright? image courtesy of iStockphoto, CREATISTA For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: dating, okcupid, online dating, romance, sex
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| 10 Best “Get a Mac” Parodies [VIDEOS] Posted: 25 May 2010 02:41 PM PDT 
As Apple’s “Get a Mac” ad campaign comes to a close, it’s the end of an era for a series that not only became Adweek’s “Ad Campaign of the Decade,” but also became part of the public consciousness. Whether you’re a right clicka, or a MacBook flippa, we think you’ll enjoy our humorous collection of the best spoofs spawned from the four-year ad campaign. Let’s just hope Apple’s next Mac-verts are as ripe with humor as this series was. We’ve already rounded up the best of the Apple-produced ads and brought you a tribute. Here’s a look at the best parodies and spoofs. 1. Novell “Get a Mac Spoof”Novell created three spoofs for its BrainShare conference back in 2007 and introduced a third character: The smart, attractive and — gasp! — female Linux, to the mix. 2. “South Park Mac vs PC”Created as the final project for a multimedia production class at California State University Northridge using South Park-ified versions of the ad characters, this amusing spoof has racked up a whopping 15 million YouTube views. Hit play to see why. 3. Mac Spoof: “OS”This video from the TrueNuff comedy group is part of a series of sketches on the “Get a Mac” theme, taking a look at the darker side of computer ownership — in this instance, a Mac’s lack of “upgradability.” 4. “I Hate Mac” AdsAnother twist on the original here with some funny animation (Mac: “I’m the cool one, PC’s the dumb one”) in which we learn Macs are better because they’re shinier. Choice quotes include PC’s great line: “Stop looking at me with your stupid face.” 5. “Mac or PC” Rap Music VideoThe Pantless Knights do here what they do best — comedic songs — with a musical take on Apple’s ad format. Genius lyrics and a catchy tune make this an instant classic in the ages-old Mac versus PC war. “No fight gets bigga,” apparently. 6. “Hi. I’m a Mac.” Greenpeace Apple ParodyWhile some of the claims are almost certainly outdated now, it was a clever move for Greenpeace to use Apple’s own ad format to raise awareness of the nasties that go into computer manufacturing. 7. “Apple Mac vs PC” Spoof AdNeoFight also created a mini-series of “Get a Mac” parodies with this installment highlighting PC’s stronger productivity skills and gaming abilities. Well, it was made in 2006. 8. PC vs Mac — “Money”PC comes out on top in this spoof which sees Mac as a hip but dumb guy who can be easily fooled by a little bit of spreadsheet manipulation. 9. “Mac Vs PC Overdub”This super-simple clip uses footage from the original ads and delivers the message that “computers suck” regardless of OS. Maybe they’ve got a point… 10. “PC vs Mac Fight”This doesn’t follow the format of the ads, but it uses the characters, and it’s so funny we thought we could get away with including it. Mac and PC battle away, video game style, with some brilliant OS icon weaponry. It’s worth watching if just for the clever character selection at the start. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore YouTube resources from Mashable:
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| 5 Ways to Monetize the Future of News Media Posted: 25 May 2010 02:15 PM PDT 
It was a struggle, however, that many investors in 2006 and 2007 perceived as merely a temporary setback — a setback they attempted to capitalize on by snatching up seemingly undervalued media companies. In 2006, newspaper publisher McClatchy acquired what was then the second largest newspaper publisher in the U.S., Knight Ridder, for $4.5 billion in cash and also financed $2 billion of the company’s debt. In 2007, Rupert Murdoch purchased Dow Jones for $5.6 billion and Sam Zell bought the Tribune Co. for $13 billion — a move he quickly regretted when the company filed for bankruptcy one year later. Following that consolidation, more than 100 newspapers shut down in 2009. The recession has forced news organizations to face what they have long suspected: Their business models are broken. The advent of the 24-hour TV and web news cycles and the convenience of digital distribution mean that many consumers no longer need or want newspapers and news weeklies. Combined with mounting print and distribution costs and the loss of classified advertising revenue — previously the bread and butter of newspapers — to websites like eBay, Craiglist and Google, news media has a serious crisis on its hands. The numbers are ugly. Newspaper revenue fell 28% in the first three quarters of 2009, after declines of 17.7% in 2008 and 9.4% in 2007. Rounds of pay and staff cuts followed each bad quarter; nearly 15,000 employees were laid off in 2009 alone. Declining circulation also accelerated, dipping below pre-World War II levels — impressive, given that the U.S.’s population then was roughly half of what it is today. As the number of subscribers dwindled, so did the value of print ads on a per-ad basis. Weekly news magazines suffered to a lesser extent; between 2002 and 2009, Newsweek lost 25% and Time lost 18% of its subscribers, while U.S. News & World Report shuttered its print edition and moved its operations fully to the web. What’s more, evening TV news audiences also slid in 2008, even though it was an election year. As a result, content quality and quantity have suffered, while subscription rates have gone up. Traditional media outfits have been less able to support costly investigative and foreign news items. By and large, newspapers have reduced news pages, eliminated entire sections and closed their Washington and foreign bureaus in favor of outsourcing. Another problem, of course, is that when newspapers began to put their content online in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they allowed readers to access it for free. That decision has created a major dilemma, because consumers now feel that they have a right to free news content, yet online advertising does not currently generate enough revenue to support the free content model. These are just some of the many challenges that news media companies are facing. And while this story strikes many as devastating, others find it inspiring. New technologies and business realities are forcing traditional companies to innovate, and new ones — from online news aggregators to Facebook news groups and dozens in between — are constantly emerging. Since we’ve already profiled several sites experimenting with creative new business models, let’s take a look at five experiments traditional U.S. newspaper companies have recently developed to innovate and improve revenue. 1. Erect a Paywall In October 2009, Newsday, a Long Island daily owned by Cablevision, became one of the first non-business papers to erect an impermeable paywall around its website, newsday.com. Charging readers for access to content has been one of the most obvious solutions to declining print circulation and ad revenue, and the move attracted significant media attention as a result. Newsday.com charged $5 a week, or $260 a year for individual access to its site — expensive when compared to business papers like The Wall Street Journal, which charges $149 per year for full online access. Parts of the site, like the homepage, classifieds, weather, obituaries and stocks, remained free. In addition, all print and Cablevision subscribers — which already made up roughly 75% of Long Island residents (Newsday’s target audience) — continued to have free access to the site. The paywall was accompanied by a site redesign and launch that cost $4 million. How many paid subscribers did the paper attract during the first three months? A mere 35, netting the paper a whopping $9,000 — which may or may not have made up for the accompanying decline in traffic and thus online ad revenue. Arguably, the paywall was designed to enhance the value of Cablevision’s existing services. But it also suggests that users do not take kindly to paywalls after having become used to years of free Internet content — or at least they don’t take kindly to paywalls at Newsday’s price point. In the next four weeks, The Times’s network of news sites will also go behind impermeable paywalls. Unlike Newsday.com, however, none of the articles will be available for free, and they will not be indexed by search engines. The latter decision might prove damaging, since search engines account for over 20% of upstream traffic to news sites. The Times is making it more difficult for subscribers to find the articles they are looking for — since they will now be dependent on the search engines available at each respective site — and these companies will be losing out on valuable exposure to non-subscribers. 2. Put Up a Semi-Permeable Paywall Although Newsday has not fared well with the tried-and-true “freemium” model, whereby a percentage of articles are available for free in order to entice a small fraction of visitors to become paying customers, The Wall Street Journal has fared significantly better with it; it currently has the highest number of paid subscribers of all U.S. newspapers and has witnessed steady year-over-year growth even through the economic downturn. The WSJ’s current model is not perfect, however. Most of the news outlet’s content is still accessible for free via Google, and thus many regular readers do not feel compelled to pay for unlimited access to the site when they can easily slip in the back door. More dangerously, other sites have avoided linking to the WSJ’s articles because it’s highly likely that their readers won’t be able to access those stories. In fact, a study published earlier this week showed that although the WSJ had more than double the number of print subscribers as The New York Times in 2009, it was not one of the most-linked-to news outlets on blogs, Twitter or YouTube. Thus the company has lost, and continues to lose out on, both potential subscriber and page view-generated ad revenue. The WSJ’s overseer, Rupert Murdoch, has promised that the WSJ’s current set-up will not last. 3. Implement a Metered System In January 2011, The New York Times will go behind a paywall that is slightly different than the ones set up at Newsday.com and WSJ.com. Instead, the NYT will emulate the Financial Times’s “metered system” model, whereby visitors can read a set number of articles per day (at the Financial Times’s website, the limit is five) before being prompted to pay for further access. The subscription rate for full access to NYTimes.com has not yet been disclosed. Like the news sites mentioned previously, The New York Times believes it will be more profitable to target the 19% of readers who say they will pay for online news content than to extract revenues from increased page views and/or higher online ad revenues. One thing’s for sure: It’s unlikely that The New York Times will remain one of the most-linked-to news sources on blogs or other social media platforms in 2011 if a paywall is in place. 4. Remain Free Not everyone is going the premium route. A number of traditional news sites are going after more page views and thus more ad impressions; undoubtedly, many are hoping for a boost in traffic once the WSJ fills the holes in its paywall and the NYT implements its metered system. The trick for these sites is to generate more page views more cheaply, and the best way to do that is by creating a lot of inexpensive content. The New York Times, in a way, pursued this same strategy when it launched its network of blogs (and when it acquired About.com in 2005). Blog posts on the NYT’s website do not undergo the same extensive editing process that articles do, and thus more pages are published more quickly and less expensively by the newspaper’s editorial staff and network of paid contributors. The Chicago Tribune and The Washington Post are both pursuing a more aggressive strategy than the one pursued by the NYT. As fellow Mashable writer Samuel Axon detailed recently, The Chicago Tribune has launched a site called ChicagoNow, a site “created by Chicagoans for Chicagoans.” It focuses on local events and culture, as well as national news with a local twist. What’s great from a business perspective is that the site’s 100 daily posts are generated entirely by a network of volunteer bloggers and overseen by a handful of community managers and web developers; undoubtedly, ChicagoNow is much cheaper to produce on a page-by-page basis than The Chicago Tribune’s main site, chicagotribune.com. The Washington Post is pursuing a very similar strategy, where a small number of curators oversee a network of unpaid writers, but with a political emphasis that is much broader, geographically-speaking. Both companies are essentially lending their curatorial skills — as well as their brand names — to fuel this additional subset of content. While these strategies will generate more pageviews to monetize, both companies risk damaging their brands if the quality of the content is poor. 5. Create Better Value for Advertisers Instead of creating more pages to place display ads on, some traditional news companies are seeking more creative solutions to the problems of online ad revenue. Historically, newspapers were able to demand a premium for advertising because there were limited opportunities for advertisers to run display ads in front of a high-quality audience. Now that the web offers nearly infinite ad space, display advertising has become a commodity and newspapers find it difficult to compete with ad networks that specialize in more efficient, targeted advertising packages across multiple platforms. As Scott Karp of Publishing 2.0 recently pointed out, news sites need to work on coming up with premium ad solutions — something no one else on the web can offer. These companies need “to create REAL consumer value,” Karp argues, “the kind of value that complements and even enhances the value of high quality editorial content; the kind of value that high-end brand publishers specialize in creating.” Microsites and front page takeovers are simply not going to cut it. Recently, I spoke with Chadi Irani, the online manager of The Palm Beach Post. Like many other traditional news organizations, The Palm Beach Post has suffered from declining print circulation and advertising revenue. Local advertisers are no longer interested in what Irani describes as “the old-fashioned, standard [ad] packages we used to throw out.” What local businesses need, Irani has discovered, are not advertising solutions in the form of display advertising packages, but advertising partners. These businesses don’t understand how to advertise online and they want advice. A few years ago, Irani and his team began blogging and holding free seminars in an attempt to educate local businesses about online advertising. They cover topics ranging from how to claim your business on Google to the basics of search engine and social media marketing, yet do not try to sell ad space on palmbeachpost.com during these meetings. Instead, they have positioned themselves as a go-to resource for questions about online advertising. After the seminars, Irani’s team offers free one-on-one website evaluations and a media buy assessment if a business asks for one. “The key thing is to establish ourselves at The Palm Beach Post as the online experts,” Irani explained. “If [local businesses] have online questions, they come to The Palm Beach Post first. We begin with conversations, which leads to a meeting, which leads to further appointments [and] eventually leads to a campaign with us.” “We’ve opened up a mini-advertising agency here,” Irani said. “We learn about local businesses, have brainstorming sessions and bring them back ideas. They tell us what they like and then we produce solutions based on the goals they select. We didn’t use to listen as much. Now we work hand-in-hand. It’s more about selling the idea than the product.” The Palm Beach Post has also begun to offer creative advertising opportunities beyond simple banner ads. For instance, realtors can now stream their tweets on palmbeachpost.com to showcase their listings, and nearby restaurants can buy space on the website during lunch hours to tweet their lunch specials. The news site is launching a “What’s For Lunch?” hub soon, where users can browse lunch specials from a large number of local venues via a Twitter aggregator. Not only has ad revenue picked up, but The Palm Beach Post’s audience has also grown in the last several years, Irani says. Although print circulation continues to decline, the site’s traffic has grown to roughly 40 million page views per month, while its mobile site garners another 600,000. Irani acknowledged that this model would not scale to large, national or multi-national news organizations. “This is more of a local approach. Most newspapers thrive on their local business, their local partners. Most of the national papers deal with large brands that have agencies dedicated to them. Local companies don’t have ad agencies, so we need to provide those services for them.” ConclusionTraditional news organizations have had a lot of issues to tackle in the last several decades, including a decline in readership, loss of ad revenue, the climbing cost of print production and new (digital) models of distribution, among other things previously mentioned. I spoke with Jay Rosen, a member of the faculty at Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University and author of PressThink, about potential solutions to monetize news media. Because “the business model crisis is actually five or six things overlapping,” Rosen contends, “there isn’t going to be one thing that works. There isn’t going to be one model that replaces the old model.” “Therefore what news organizations have to do is experiment with lots of different ways of raising revenues and cutting costs. Creative combinations of revenues from advertising, membership events, direct commerce, selling the services, selling the brand in different ways, some unknown combination of things will be successful — but as to what that combination is, I don’t pretend to know,” Rosen confessed. “Instead of placing your hopes on one thing, it’s better to try them all.” News organizations should continue to cut costs where possible and seek out new, creative streams of revenue to leverage what has always been their greatest assets: the quality of their content and readership. Do you agree or disagree? How do you think traditional news media can monetize itself? Special thanks to Vadim Lavrusik for his help with this post. Series supported by Poynter Institute's Mobile Media blog  This post is part of a Mashable series providing analysis of how mobile use impacts journalism. The series is supported by The Poynter Institute's Mobile Media blog – your guide to the intersection of mobile and media. Sign up to receive our blog in newsletter format and be entered into a drawing to win an iPad. Learn more at Poynter.org/ipadgiveaway. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ProfessorVasilich Reviews: Facebook, Google, Internet, Mashable, Twitter, YouTube, blog, eBay, iStockphoto, news Tags: Google, mobile media series, News, news media, newspapers, online advertising, recession
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| New Type of Phishing Attack Goes After Your Browser Tabs Posted: 25 May 2010 02:13 PM PDT 
Tabnabbing operates in reverse of most phishing attacks in that it doesn’t ask users to click on a obfuscated link but instead loads a fake page in one of the open tabs in your browser. Check out this tabnabbing scenario:
Raskin shows off how this works in this video: Pretty scary, right? Raskin details some methods that could make this sort of attack even more insidious, including checking to see if a user is currently logged in or out of a certain site in order to better offer up a believable fake page. How would this attack get on your system to begin with, you might ask? Plugins and add-ons are the most common way that intruders can gain access to your system. Client-side script injections by way of JavaScript, Flash, ActiveX and so on are responsible for many browser attacks. This is just one more reason to always make sure you’re using an up-to-date web browser. The FixRaskin’s proof of concept is scary, but it isn’t fool proof. This is what you can do to keep yourself safe from these and other types of attacks:
As of right now, this is not an attack that is out in the wild — it’s a proof of concept. However, tabnabbing does illustrate some of the ways that users can have information compromised by way of indirect attacks. Update: Jerry Bryant, Group Manager, Response Communications at Microsoft provided us with the following statement:
image courtesy of iStockphoto, Spannerdude For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: 1Password, Facebook, Internet Explorer, Mashable, Twitter, Windows, iStockphoto Tags: Browsers, phishing, security, tabnabbing
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| Hugo Chavez Has a New Title: Blogger Posted: 25 May 2010 01:57 PM PDT 
Before you go adding the pres’ blog to your RSS in anticipation of juicy gossip or amusing commentary, let us assure you that Perez has nothing to worry about — the site basically contains news about meetings with Chinese officials, columns by Fidel Castro (who Chavez has already urged to join Twitter), as well as speeches, photos and videos. In short, this is a pretty standard political website — there’s even a comments section (although all comments are suspiciously positive). According to the AP, the president launched his website and accompanying blog today mainly to combat untruths that he says people are spreading online. This sentiment falls in line with statements he made two months ago when he called for greater regulation of the Internet after a website posted a story falsely suggesting that Diosdado Cabello, a senior minister and close aide of Chavez, had been assassinated. Back then, he was quoted by Reuters as saying: “The Internet cannot be something open where anything is said and done. Every country has to apply its own rules and norms.” Now it seems that Chavez is taking the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” approach — jumping into the Internet trenches and taking control of his own image. What do you think of the president’s foray into social media? Let us know in the comments. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Internet, Twitter
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| Facebook Heads to D.C. for Congressional Briefing on Privacy Posted: 25 May 2010 01:32 PM PDT 
Like any major corporation that plays footsie with public and private data, large amounts of money, mergers and acquisitions, and other hallmarks of big business, Facebook must stay abreast of policy changes and try to influence legislators in its favor. To help with the launch of its “new suite of simpler and easier-to-use privacy tools,” Facebook is inviting House and Senate staff to the Capitol Visitors Center to “learn about what these tools mean for your constituents and the future of sharing online.” The briefing will take place on Thursday, May 27 at 4 p.m. ET and will include a Q&A. This announcement comes in the wake of what can only be described as a “hoopla” around Facebook and privacy. One senator went as far as penning a letter to the FTC, urging them to create privacy guidelines for Facebook and other social networking sites. Here’s Kara Swisher of All Things D on a tour of Facebook’s D.C. office back in November 2009, when Facebook’s primary reason for being in D.C. was “privacy, privacy, privacy.” While we wait to hear back from Facebook reps on the specific talking points and goals for this briefing, let us know what you think Facebook should say to Congress representatives about privacy and how much you think Washington needs to be involved in the matter. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: briefing, congress, DC, facebook, Washington
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| Why Facebook Users Are Considering Leaving [CHART] Posted: 25 May 2010 12:52 PM PDT 
The Internet masses have been up in arms lately about Facebook, a wave of dissent that began forming around the time that Facebook launched a massive privacy overhaul five months back, and continued to grow as messages found their way to the wrong boxes (among other privacy gaffes) and the Open Graph was introduced. Add to that ancient, expletive-laden IMs from Mark Zuckerberg, sites calling for users to quit, a Time Magazine cover and some promising Facebook alternatives, and you’ve got a legit protest movement. So naturally we were interested to see how our readers were reacting to the uproar, and whether they would be in on the exodus. We’ve embedded a graph showing the results below, but there are some essential takeaways from this survey: Namely, people (even the social media-savvy fans of Mashable) are wavering in their dedication to the site, and giving up personal information seems to be the main issue.  We’re eager to see what Zuckerberg and Co. come up with when they announce Facebook’s new privacy controls on Wednesday. It will be interesting to see if this turn of events restores any measure of confidence in the site. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Mashable, Twitter
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| Brains Behind Xbox and Zune Leave Microsoft Posted: 25 May 2010 11:52 AM PDT 
J Allard, a senior VP of design and development who worked on the Xbox and Zune, and Robbie Bach, the division’s president, will both be stepping aside as CEO Steve Ballmer takes more direct control of the department. Remaining execs in the division will report directly to Ballmer. David Treadwell, currently corporate VP of Microsoft’s cloud-based Live platform, will be placed in charge of the core technology team inside the Interactive Entertainment group, which includes the Xbox and video games unit. “As we finalize and ship so many of our key products… it is a natural time for us to look ahead and make sure we have the right talent in the right roles to fuel our next set of offerings,” Ballmer wrote in an internal memo. “I am confident that the changes above will set us up well for the months and years ahead.” Do you agree with Ballmer? Was letting these two go the right move? How do you think Microsoft will handle games and mobile tech from here? For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: microsoft, windows mobile, xbox, zune
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| Google’s Pac-Man Logo Costs Society $120,483,800 in Productivity Posted: 25 May 2010 11:28 AM PDT 
The blog for time management tool RescueTime did the math and determined that Google Pac-Man consumed 4,819,352 hours of time, or $120,483,800 in productivity. The cost was determined by looking at how much time was spent on Google’s homepage the day the Pac-Man logo was up (48 seconds) versus the average amount of time spent on other days (11 seconds) and multiplied by the number of visitors to the site that day (503,703,000). The cost seems like a bit of a stretch, though. RescueTime assumed that the average Google user makes $25 per hour; that’s considerably higher than median income in Internet-connected nations. Also, you probably can’t assume that everyone who visited the site Friday was on the clock at work. If you haven’t wasted time at work playing Google Pac-Man already, you still have a chance to add to that lost productivity tally. Google has preserved the Pac-Man game logo at www.google.com/pacman (you can also download the game) even though the front page has returned to normal. For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google, Internet, Twitter Tags: Google, online games, pac-man, productivity, rescuetime, search engine, trending
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| Google Chrome for Mac Leaves Beta Posted: 25 May 2010 11:01 AM PDT 
Some of the new features in the newest version of Google Chrome for Mac include the ability to sync bookmarks and browser settings across computers. The latest build also includes the speed improvements demonstrated in a very cool video earlier this month. A longtime Safari user, I have found myself using Google Chrome more and more since the latest beta release. With the new stable build, my default browser might finally get a replacement. What do you think of Google Chrome for Mac? Let us know! [img src: Christopher Niemann] For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Chrome, Facebook, Google Chrome, Safari, Twitter Tags: google chrome, Linux, mac software, software, web browsers
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| 6 Tips for Effective Recruiting on Social Media Sites Posted: 25 May 2010 10:23 AM PDT 
The goal of recruiting is to find the right person at the right time. Logically, that means one source is never enough. You’ll want to tap into diverse mediums to find the best candidates. Social media is no exception. Each platform has its own unique demographic. You’ll want to consider that audience when making the decision about which applications to use for your recruiting efforts. Regardless of the application, there are some common elements to using social media for recruiting. Here are six things to consider when using any social media application for recruiting. 1. Create an Online Presence That Reflects Who You AreHaving a nice avatar, succinct bio and current contact information will make people want to connect with you. Be sure to organize your social media profiles to provide potential contacts with a better idea of who you are so they have a reason to communicate with you and form a relationship. “It’s about being human”, explains Bill Boorman, author of the Recruiting Unblog. “People connect with people, not brands. Connect with everyone because you never know who will make that referral or connection for you.” 2. Make the Most of Your TimeA large part of any success with social media is involvement. This is especially true if you want to use social media for recruiting. While mobile applications can help with this, Boorman agrees, “It takes a big investment of time to build a talent community.” To target your efforts, he suggests asking people directly which channels they use and looking at what your competitors are doing. “Consider directing your messages to a single point, like a relevant blog or company website.” 3. Individualize Your ApproachAt some point, you have to connect with people you don’t know and become a part of their conversations. “I actually find it easy,” says Chris Havrilla national recruiting manager for Hitachi Consulting, a global leader in delivering business and IT strategies. “I have found if you communicate with people in a meaningful and thoughtful manner, you can never go wrong.” Havrilla’s approach is to connect with people who have a genuine interest in his business and industry. “I follow or connect with people related to that space, 'listen' to and learn from the conversations, and participate when appropriate. If you are connecting with someone directly, be 'individualized' in your approach — take the time to understand who you are reaching out to and be respectful of their time and attention.” 4. Be AuthenticRecruiters always want to see the ‘real candidate’ and in order to do that, they have to be real as well. Amanda Hite, founder and CEO of Talent Revolution Inc., says when it comes to social media: “Remember it’s NOT about the tools it’s ALL about the relationships.” So don’t be afraid to be yourself. Hite adds, “Being the authentic, unapologetic you is totally on trend. But more importantly when you embrace your own authenticity and stay committed to ‘being you’ no matter what, you’ll attract the kind of clients and employees that do the same and are the best match for you.” 5. Share Interesting StuffAll work and no play is boring. So sharing news, tidbits, etc. of general interest can create what might be the equivalent of “social media small talk,” which leads to bigger conversations. Sylvia Dahlby works for SmartSearch, a leading talent acquisition system and recruiting business software solution firm. She works from home and lives in Hawaii. “Before social network sites like Twitter and LinkedIn, I belonged to dozens of old-style online newsgroups. Now, I leverage the new social networks much in the same way,” Sylvia explains it’s still important to interact with others. One of the things Sylvia mentioned was her Twitter account because she mixes her recruiting knowledge with Hawaii tidbits. “My Twitter account is for personal branding and making connections. I mostly tweet about my work, my product and the recruiting industry during business hours, chat with friends and business associates throughout the day, and throw in a mix of my hobbies and certain interests (such as Hawaiiana). I treat Twitter as my office ‘water cooler’ or after-hours ‘cocktail party’ where I can catch the news and buzz from people in various online communities around the world.” 6. Focus on Substance
Many recruiters realize that when it comes to recruiting, social media tools are just that – tools. The real value is in how the tools are used. Havrilla explains, “Social media can give you a great and efficient way to engage with your community – candidates, clients, customers, partners, prospects, etc. – on a very level playing field with the companies you are competing with for talent (or business). The key is to make sure you have the time to invest in to it. At a very basic level this is all about networking. The use of social media tools has greatly enhanced my ability to build, grow, and nurture my network. These tools are not a magic bullet though — to get value from your network, you have to add value to it.” For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore business resources from Mashable:
Images courtesy of iStockphoto, alexsl, mikkelwilliam Reviews: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, iStockphoto, my twitter Tags: business, employment, job recruiting, jobs, List, Lists, Recruiting, small business, twitter
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| Towel Day Celebrations Hit YouTube and Flickr Posted: 25 May 2010 10:22 AM PDT 
This universal holiday, which honors the life and work of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy author Douglas Adams, is being celebrated by his fans the world over today. To show reverence for Adams and his extensive and delightful tomes on interstellar travel, fans carry around a towel, which, in the books, is described as the single most “massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.” And of course, where there are silly, worldwide happenings, there are Flickr and YouTube uploads. Here’s a Köln, Germany, flashmob reenacting a bit of the literature:
And here are some Swedes celebrating Towel Day at a pub:
At an office in Amsterdam, a cubicle-dweller reminds us of the Guide’s motto:
There’s this charming after school special on the usefulness of a towel: And here’s a more thorough, canonical look at why a towel is the most useful item in the universe: Towel Day events are taking place all over the world today, from a flashmob in Columbia to a Vogon poetry slam in Portland. Let us know if you plan to celebrate Towel Day, and, for now… So long, and thanks for all the fish. [img credit: darkmere, maartenq, blase16, simulation] For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, YouTube Tags: hitchhiker, hitchhiker's guide, towel day
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| Dell Streak Tablet Arrives This Summer Posted: 25 May 2010 09:57 AM PDT 
Apple broke the dam by launching the iPad, so now we’re seeing lots of competing tablets show up. We’ve known that a Dell tablet has been coming for some months now. These devices should be easier to use on the go in your busy lifestyle than laptops with keyboards — in theory, anyway. The Streak will run Android 2.2 later this year, and with that upgrade will come Adobe Flash 10.1 support. Features and SpecsThe device has a 5-inch screen with 800 x 480 pixel resolution, and Dell has modified Android to take advantage of the additional screen space. For example, the notifications tray displays types of notifications that don’t show up on most Android smartphones. The Streak can be used to surf the web, run Android apps, play music and videos and make phone calls, though it’s quite a bit larger than most phones. You don’t have to hold it up to your ear, though; you can use a 3.5mm jack or Bluetooth to connect a headset. Other features include multi-touch (pinch-to-zoom is supported), GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi, a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera and a VGA front-facing camera for video chat functionality “down the road.” Up to 32 GB of storage is supported. Demonstration VideoHere’s a video demonstration straight from Dell. Unfortunately, it doesn’t radiate either hipness or accessibility. Dell will have to roll out some better marketing in the future if it wants this device to find mainstream success. Images  For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Bluetooth, Facebook, Twitter Tags: android, dell, dell streak, Tablet
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| HOW TO: Send a Real Gift on Facebook Posted: 25 May 2010 09:00 AM PDT 
A big pro here is that you don’t need to know the person’s address to send them a physical gift. And like the Twitter gifting services we recently rounded up, the service makes it easy to integrate birthday, anniversary, and holiday shopping right into your favorite social network. Take a look at our quick how-to guide below, and if Facebook’s in-house offering doesn’t quite do it for you, check out the three alternatives we’ve also detailed. Buy Facebook CreditsFirst things first: You need to get yourself some legal Facebook currency in the form of “Facebook credits.” You can purchase this virtual currency by going to the “Payments” tab in “My Account.”  Options to pay include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover or JCB credit cards, PayPal or via cell phone. At the moment, one credit equals 10 cents, so you can buy 50 for $5, 100 for $10 and 200 for $20.  Head to the Gift ShopOnce your virtual wallet is full of money, head over to the Facebook store where you are presented with the options of “Music and MP3s,” “Virtual Gifts,” “Charity,” “E-Cards,” “Sports,” and of course, “Real Gifts.”  Enter the name of the person you want to send the gift to and you can then choose from toys, flowers, candy, baked goodies from Mrs. Fields, various items of jewelery, some smaller consumer electronic items, Fandango movie tickets, and our favorite — all sorts of geeky products from ThinkGeek.  A nice touch is the ability to choose the delivery date. If you’re super organized and know your Facebook friend has a birthday coming up in the next few weeks, you can get the gifting sorted ahead of time.  If you do know the address of the person you want the item sent to, you can add it. But the system works on the basis of the giftee confirming a delivery address once they get the wall notification (with a message personalized from you) that you want to post them a present.  And that’s it folks. And by the way, if the person refuses your gift for any reason, then the order will be canceled and Facebook will refund your credits — but not your feelings. 3 Alternative Services1. DashGift This Boston-based startup offers a limited service at the moment, but is certainly one to watch if they manage to sign up more partners. The premise is quite simple: You post a gift on your friend’s wall via the Facebook app. Your friend hits a link to get a DashCode and then goes to the local store/venue to redeem it for the item. At the moment, some elements of the service are limited to the Boston area, such as SWEET cupcakes, a beer voucher for Tommy Doyle’s Bar, and Finale Desserts. But Fandango movie tickets and the $10 global giving donation are open to all users. Expansion into other local areas is planned this summer, so be sure to bookmark this app. 2. Friendgiftr Friendgiftr has had no trouble signing up partners. Its social gift card service currently works with around 150 companies, many of which are major names. You can buy a gift card from any of the stores and present it to a friend on Facebook. Your friend can then either shop online with a card code, request a hard copy version to be mailed to them, or — and this bit is cunning — swap the card for one from another retailer. So if you send someone a Lands’ End gift card, but they’re really more of an L.L. Bean kinda guy, they can do a switcheroo without you ever knowing. 3. ParcelGenie ParcelGenie is a fantastic resource for small, affordable and fun gifts, such as candy, buttons, key rings and the like. Via the Facebook app, you can chose a gift, select a friend to send it to, and personalize a message that will be posted on their Facebook wall, after which they need to let ParcelGenie know where to mail the item. The app cleverly displays Facebook friends’ upcoming birthdays, so you may end up sending more than you expected to. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore Facebook resources from Mashable- 5 Essential Facebook Privacy Tips Image courtesy of iStockphoto, kutaytanir Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto, sports Tags: DashGift, facebook, friendgiftr, Gifts, how to, List, Lists, parcelgenie
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| Yahoo Acquires Location-Based Social Network Posted: 25 May 2010 08:27 AM PDT 
This acquisition is especially interesting in the context of Yahoo’s new partnership with Nokia. Yahoo says it plans to continue to invest in the evolving Koprol service, including mobile applications, like its newly released app for the BlackBerry. Yahoo explains that the company “is focused on providing personally relevant content to its global users on multiple devices and access points” and that it plans to “leverage the rich community of information generated by Koprol users to make its properties and applications, including its homepage and media and communications products, even more locally relevant.” Still, it’s unclear why Yahoo is making this type of acquisition. It may be a strategic move for Yahoo’s Asia region, and the company may not intend to grow the network beyond the area. How or if Koprol will hook into Yahoo’s other location-based tools and APIs, like Fire Eagle, has not yet been revealed. What do you think of Yahoo’s latest acquisition? For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: geolocation, koprol, location, Yahoo
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| Murdoch’s Next Step: Hiding UK Times Articles from Search Engines Posted: 25 May 2010 07:24 AM PDT 
Rupert Murdoch has long threatened to hide some of the news sites in his media empire from search engines such as Google. It seems he’s finally ready to walk the walk. The folks from PaidContent saw a preview of the two upcoming redesigns, and the future is indeed looking bleak for non-paying customers. Visitors who aren’t members will be greeted with a login screen and will be unable to view articles. According to Assistant Editor of The Times Tom Whitwell, the reason you won’t be able to search for articles is to strengthen the distinction between paying and non-paying customers. "The clarity is something that was very important. If you're asking someone to pay for something, it has to be very clear what they're paying for," he said. The question is: How will The Times attract new readers? The times (no pun intended) are changing, and search engines, links and mentions on social networks are the currency of attention. Block them, and the attention will shift elsewhere. Murdoch claims he’d rather have fewer customers coming to his sites if they are paying. Soon enough, we’ll see if this “less is more” philosophy holds water. For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google, Twitter Tags: Google, rupert murdoch, search engines, Times
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| New Facebook Privacy Controls Arrive on Wednesday Posted: 25 May 2010 07:06 AM PDT 
What those features might look like is still anyone's guess, but we'd expect to see an alternative (or outright replacement) to the granular controls that Facebook currently offers. While that may appease some of those who think the site confuses users into sharing more information, the biggest question is whether or not recent feature additions –- specifically instant personalization and a series of social plugins -– will move from automatic opt-in to manual (a.k.a. –- default opt-out). We see that as unlikely given the rapid adoption of the tools by web publishers, but we should have answers within the next day or so. Stay tuned. [img credit: Darwin Bell] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: facebook, facebook privacy, privacy, trending
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| Wendy’s Frosty Gets a Social Media Infusion Posted: 25 May 2010 06:52 AM PDT 
The company will roll out three distinct social media promotions over the course of the summer that involve Twitter and Foursquare. Each endeavor, however, revolves around Facebook and the Frosty Facebook Page. Wendy’s is also touching all corners of the social sphere with action-oriented contests for prizes and a fan-powered charity drive. It’s tit-for-tat marketing at its best, with social media designed to drive awareness around the brand and reward fan appreciation. The Frosty Summer Social TourOn Monday, Wendy’s launched Frosty Summer Vacation, the first of three Frosty-themed initiatives. Frosty is going on vacation and will use its Facebook Page — which already has close to 600,000 fans — to leave hints about its whereabouts. It’s essentially a digital scavenger hunt that runs through June 6. Users 18 and up can access the application — which is live now — via the “Win” tab and sign up to tackle the challenge to find Frosty. After completing the registration form, Facebook users then gain access to a travel journal where they can view Frosty’s postcards and store each of the six letter stamps — one for each letter in Frosty — as they collect them. Frosty will reveal clues as to how to locate individual stamps using digital postcards, and fans will receive a postcard from Frosty every few days. The first hint for finding the “F” stamp is already live, and it directs users to navigate through Frosty’s collection of Wall photos on Facebook. Users who collect a single letter are entered into a drawing to a $25.00 gift card, while those who collect all the stamps could win the grand prize: a trip for two to Hawaii or Alaska.
Once Frosty Summer Vacation comes to a close, the company will release its Treat it Forward application to raise money for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (DTFA). The initiative kicks off on June 7 and runs through June 20. The campaign is timed to coincide with Father’s Day. Fans can participate in the social media charity drive and donate 50 cents to the DFTA by using the Treat it Forward application. Fans can pay it forward by with a #TreatItFwd hashtag tweet, a virtual Frosty Facebook gift, a Foursquare checkin at a Wendy’s restaurant or a Father’s day e-card created on Frostycard.com. For each fan action, Wendy’s will donate 50 cents to the DTFA in an effort to raise $50,000 with help from online brand fans. Wendy’s is planning to contribute to the foundation via in-store promotions as well, so for every Frosty purchased on June 19 and 20, the company will donate 50 cents to the DTFA. In total, the company plans to raise $4.5 million for the foundation. To close out the summer, Wendy’s will be inviting fans to share photos, videos and stories on how they enjoy Frostys for the Frosty Project. A custom Frosty Project Facebook application will launch on June 21 so that Frosty fans can use it to submit their digital Frosty memorabilia and other users can vote on the submissions they like best. The company will award prizes — like Kindles and iPads — based on the most popular submissions. The contest runs through July 18, with voting taking place from July 19 to August 18. Winners will be announced on August 19. [img credit: natashalcd] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter Tags: facebook, foursquare, frosty, MARKETING, twitter, wendy's
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It was 
Two topics that have been burning up our newsroom lately have been Facebook privacy and Twitter advertising.
Name: 
AT&T is rolling out a stopgap solution to its ongoing service woes in at least one major market: they hope to alleviate data congestion issues by blanketing New York City’s Times Square with free Wi-Fi.
According to new 
MTV is using a novel approach to generate buzz for their upcoming new television series The Hard Times of RJ Berger: the company is launching a casual game that will tie into the show via episodic content.
New stats we’ve just been shown by video measurement company TubeMogul show that Twitter is quickly growing as a top referrer for web video traffic, far outpacing Facebook, Yahoo, Google and Bing.
LinkedIn 
Dating site 
News media — including newspapers, news weeklies and TV news programs — was struggling long before the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession.
For someone who has been famously wary of the web — to the point where he called Twitter a 
Most Facebook users have no idea that the social network giant has a D.C. office full of lobbyists and policy wonks. But that office will be staging a Congress staffers-only 
The two men primarily responsible for Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division are 
We joked last week when 
Google has just dispatched a new stable release for its Chrome web browser, this time for 
If someone directs a question at you via social media, find a way to respond, even if it’s to take the conversation offline. “The key is substance,” says 
Happy 
The Dell Streak, a miniature tablet computer that runs a version of the Google 
Sometimes flinging a virtual cupcake at a 
Yahoo announced today that it has 
In four weeks, 
On Sunday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg 
With summer around the corner, the Wendy’s fast food chain is releasing a slew of social media promotions and incentives centered around its iconic Frosty dessert treat.
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