Mashable: Latest 28 News Updates - including “Walmart Cuts the Price of iPhone 3GS to $97” |  |
- Walmart Cuts the Price of iPhone 3GS to $97
- Australia Minister: Google’s Privacy Policy is Creepy
- Web TV Faceoff: Apple TV vs. Google TV
- NBA Star Uses Group Buying to Sell Playoff Tickets on Facebook
- Huge Gap Remains Between Mainstream Media and the Social Web [REPORT]
- Twitter F’n Loves Enrique Iglesias [PIC]
- Anonymously Confess Your Cheating Ways [APPS]
- Twitter’s Ad Crackdown Alienates Developers… Again
- Mashable’s Weekly Guide to Social Media and Internet Events
- Create a Mobile-Friendly Website for Your Business with moBistro
- Flash on Android Is Put to the Test [VIDEO]
- Pixel Art Gets a YouTube Documentary [VIDEO]
- Tony Blair Joins VC Firm to Advise Cleantech Investments
- How Hospitality Companies are Using Social Media for Real Results
- Free Music Monday: 10 Fresh and Free Downloads
- Google’s PowerMeter Comes to Consumer Devices
- New York City Creates a Yelp-Like Directory for Veteran Services
- How Data is Redefining Business Relationships
- 7-11 Starts Selling “FarmVille” Slurpees
- Yahoo and Nokia Join Forces for E-mail and Maps
- How Much Revenue Does Google Keep from AdSense?
- Twitter to Eliminate Third-Party Ads in User Timelines
- HBO Taps YouTube, iPad and Facebook to Distribute (RED) Documentary
- 10 YouTube Videos of People Doing Amazing Things
- RIP: “Get a Mac” Gets a Tribute [VIDEO]
- Facebook Users’ Phone Numbers Exposed by “Evil” App
- Constant Contact Acquires NutshellMail to Move into Social Media Marketing
- Steve Jobs to Open Apple’s Developer Conference on June 7
- Hulu Gets Tricked into Running on Android 2.2
| Walmart Cuts the Price of iPhone 3GS to $97 Posted: 25 May 2010 03:28 AM PDT  
The $100 price drop comes ahead of Apple’s WWDC conference, where Steve Jobs is expected to officially present the new iPhone, unofficially dubbed iPhone 4. When Apple first introduced the iPhone 3GS in 2009, Walmart lowered the price of the iPhone 3G to $99. Since Apple itself is expected to lower the price of the older model when iPhone 4 arrives, the early price reduction of iPhone 3GS gives Walmart a nice head start. The price cut for the iPhone 3GS in Walmart stores starts today. For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook
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| Australia Minister: Google’s Privacy Policy is Creepy Posted: 25 May 2010 01:24 AM PDT 
Google has apologized for collecting WiFi data from private households, and deleted all the data in its posession. Furthermore, Google claims that the entire incident was a mistake. “In 2006 an engineer working on an experimental WiFi project wrote a piece of code that sampled all categories of publicly broadcast WiFi data. A year later, when our mobile team started a project to collect basic WiFi network data like SSID information and MAC addresses using Google's Street View cars, they included that code in their software—although the project leaders did not want, and had no intention of using, payload data,” Google wrote in a blog post. Stephen Conroy doesn’t buy that explanation. “It was actually quite deliberate… The computer program that collected it was designed to collect this information,” he said. Conroy’s accusations stem from the fact that Google criticized Australian Government’s plan, spearheaded by Conroy, to apply a nation-wide Internet filter. “They consider that they are the appropriate people to make the decisions about people’s privacy data,” Conroy said, adding a jab or two at everyone’s favorite target when it comes to privacy issues, Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook, Conroy said, is “corporate giant who is answerable to no one and motivated solely by profit”. It’s true; handling over our privacy to private corporations, primarily motivated by profit, is dangerous. However, who can say that governments are any better than private corporations? One needn’t look further than China, whose policy of censoring Internet content created a rift between Google and the world’s most populous country. While governments and big corporations fight for the right to “protect” people’s privacy, for the rest of us it feels like being between a rock and a hard place. Images courtesy of iStockphoto, gulfix For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google, Internet, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: australia, Google, privacy
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| Web TV Faceoff: Apple TV vs. Google TV Posted: 24 May 2010 09:44 PM PDT 
That’s the question we’re asking you in this week’s Web Faceoff, where we poll the Mashable readership on which web apps and products they care about most. Apple was one of the first to move into the web TV market with Apple TV, first announced in 2006. However, the product never gained the success of other Apple products such as the iPhone, the iPod, and even the iPad. Still, Apple TV has a loyal niche customer base. Google’s taking a different approach though, partnering with Intel, Sony, Logitech, Adobe, and Dish Network to provide mass distribution of the Android-based TV platform. The search giant is betting big on Google TV’s ability to run Android apps and its unique integration of the web with the best of TV. Which excites you more? Let us know with your vote in the poll below before 12:00 PM PT on Friday. Check out Mashable afterwards for the results! 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 web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Bing, Boxee, Chrome, Digg, Facebook, Firefox, Foursquare, Gmail, Google, Google Buzz, Google Docs, Gowalla, Gtalk, Hulu, Mashable, Pandora, Posterous, Seesmic Desktop, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, TweetDeck, Twitter, TypePad, Windows, WordPress, Yelp, aim Tags: Apple TV, boxee, google tv, internet tv, tv, web faceoff
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| NBA Star Uses Group Buying to Sell Playoff Tickets on Facebook Posted: 24 May 2010 07:17 PM PDT 
Stoudemire’s group buying store employs a methodology that’s remarkably similar to the ideology that Groupon made popular. The store rewards Stoudemire fans with much cheaper playoff game ticket prices if enough people collectively purchase the tickets within an alloted time. The first big discounted ticket deal was launched prior to Game 3 of the Lakers vs. Suns playoff match up, and sold out. Now the Game 4 offer is in full swing and offers a pair of tickets that normally retail for $600.00 in Sections 201 – 205 at a reduced price. The price as of publishing is $302.81, but that price continues to drop as the offer is shared by Facebookers and purchased by more people. The price will continue to fall until the offer sells out or time runs out, with all ticket buyers only accountable to pay the final lowest price. Another bonus is that ticket buyers never have to leave Facebook during the process of the purchase transaction, and they can see how much their social media sharing activities will influence the ticket price. While the idea behind Stoudemire’s store is not original, the application is still interesting. The notion that an individual athlete can drive bulk ticket sales via Facebook is quite unique. The people behind the strategy and application are proving that the combination of celebrity and social media carries real power measurable in dollars and fan promotion.
[img credit: /:\ Road Warrior /:\] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: App Store, Facebook, Twitter Tags: amare stoudemire, facebook, group buying, NBA
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| Huge Gap Remains Between Mainstream Media and the Social Web [REPORT] Posted: 24 May 2010 05:43 PM PDT 
Furthermore, what is popular on one social network rarely proves popular on another. In a 29 weeks that the Center tracked news items on blogs, Twitter and YouTube, the three platforms only shared the same top story once — the week of June 15-19, 2009, when Iranian citizens flocked to the streets to contest the results of the presidential election. Let’s take a look at what was popular on the different social networking sites and how that compares to what gained traction with traditional news media in 2009. Blogs Of the three social media platforms examined, news-oriented blogs and mainstream media have the greatest overlap. Bloggers tend to credit traditional news outlets for their information and focus on the same topics, mainly political and international news. Even so, the two had the same top story for a mere 13 of the 49 weeks they were evaluated together. Although blogs cover many of the same topics, the study found that bloggers tend to focus on more ideological and emotional stories — particularly those concerning human rights, like access to healthcare services or privacy on Facebook — and often with a personal or partisan angle. Bloggers also like to make a story out of “off-beat” or “buried” items in mainstream media coverage. Although bloggers often attribute their material to the mainstream press, this rarely happened in the reverse. Over the course of the year, the study found only one story that the mainstream media picked up from the blogosphere: a story based on a number of controversial e-mails about climate research dubbed “Climate-gate”. Because bloggers are so largely dependent on the mainstream media for their information — more than 99% of the stories cited in blogs linked to the websites of traditional news outlets — it will be interesting to see what will happen once major sources like The New York Times and The Times go behind paywalls. Where will bloggers get their information? Will they be as likely to link to stories if they are behind paywalls? How dramatically will that hurt referral traffic to traditional news sites?  Compared to the blogosphere, Twitter’s community uses the platform more for sharing important breaking news items than for personal or political discussion, a method shaped both by the 140-character word limit — which does not allow for lengthy reflections — the service imposes, and because it is able to disseminate information through lists of followers quickly. Perhaps unsurprisingly, technology was far and away the most popular new topic on Twitter in 2009; of all the news stories shared or discussed on the platform, 43% were focused on technology. Technology makes up a marginal 1% of news coverage at mainstream outlets and 8% of blogs. Notably, few Twitter users appear to be interested in economic news; 1% of all news tweets were about the economy, compared to 10% of articles in the traditional press and 7% posts on blogs. Although technology is the Twitter community’s primary interest by and large, the top news subject in the latter half of 2009 was the aftermath of the Iranian election results. It remained the top news story on Twitter for seven straight weeks, much longer than on any other platform. Collectively, Twitter was more concerned with foreign events than the blogosphere and the traditional press, likely because its userbase is much more international. YouTube Like Twitter, YouTube is more of a platform to share and curate important information than a forum for lengthy discussions, although viewers are often active in the comments. Because videos take a long time to edit and upload, there is less of an emphasis on breaking news than on Twitter. What’s unique about YouTube is that its focus on politics and foreign events far surpasses that of any other platform. Of the news videos on YouTube, politics attracted 21% of views and international news attracted 26%, compared to 15% and 9% in the mainstream media, respectively. The study smartly points out that this is because “videos transcend language barriers in a way written text cannot.” What This Means for Mainstream MediaThe study underlines the large disconnect between what mainstream media thinks is “top news” and what social media users consider newsworthy, as well as the different kinds of content and discussion each platform attracts. It also suggests that if traditional news companies want to succeed online — that is, if they want to attract a large number of page views and be relevant to users on the web — they may need to alter their content to match readers’ interests. What do you find most interesting about the study? What does it imply for the future of news media, both new and old? [img credit: DRB62] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Tags: blogosphere, BLOGS, new media, news media, old media, technology, twitter, youtube
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| Twitter F’n Loves Enrique Iglesias [PIC] Posted: 24 May 2010 05:13 PM PDT 
If you were following Twitter around 7:45 P.M. ET today you were likely greeted by a tweet from Twitter with the F-bomb and an expression of emphatic love for Enrique Iglesias’s song “Escape.” If you’re like us, you were having a major WTF moment. The screenshot above says it all, but the peculiar tweet reads, “I don’t know how Enrique Iglesias ended up in my iTunes but Escape is a catchy fuckin’ song! http://bit.ly/bcY3wm Sing, Enrique! Sing!” Here’s what happened: Twitter’s account is managed by multiple parties using the Contributors feature that lets users flip between their personal account and a shared account on Twitter.com. In the byline, Maggie Utgoff is credited as the contributor for the strange tweet. Thus, we assume she meant to post the tweet in question to her account, but instead mistakenly hit the trigger button for Twitter’s official account. She fessed up to the deed in a follow up tweet on her personal account that reads, “I shouldn’t assume ALL of TWITTER appreciates the musical stylings of Enrique Iglesias the way I do.” Nothing but an honest mistake, but a rather funny one that exposed the faux pas to Twitter’s more than 3.2 million followers. Oops. [img credit: alacooid] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: twitter
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| Anonymously Confess Your Cheating Ways [APPS] Posted: 24 May 2010 03:39 PM PDT 
In essence, the site could be an asset: It could help guilty parties alleviate their consciences a bit and perhaps gain some guidance as to how to extricate themselves from a delicate situation. It could also help those in hurtful relationships get out of, or perhaps patch up something that’s been broken. But, given the structure of the website and its functionality, we’re guessing that it’s basically going to degrade into pure schadenfreude. First of all, it’s targeted toward a very broad demographic, which means it’s prime stomping ground for trolls. Add in required anonymity and you’ve got a recipe for immature answers and wanton cruelty. (A look through some of the comment streams confirms our suspicions.) The realm of Internet memes is getting dicey when it comes to sharing and commenting on the misfortunes of others. Popular sites like Texts From Last Night and FML include similar confessions, as well as the ability to comment. Still, what separates this site from the aforementioned memes is the format, which seems to suggest a community where one may ask for and give advice — rather than a venue in which to share amusing (albeit sad-sack) anecdotes. What do you think of CheatConfession? Share your thoughts in the comments. image courtesy of iStockphoto, A1Stock For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: FML, Facebook, Internet, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: apps, memes, online dating, social media
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| Twitter’s Ad Crackdown Alienates Developers… Again Posted: 24 May 2010 03:38 PM PDT 
Such behavior tends to leave one’s developer community feeling more than a little alienated, but this isn’t an open source lovefest, after all. This is big business, and it’s apparent that Twitter intends to make sure the most lucrative aspects of that business remain internal. Jason Goldman, Twitter’s product VP, told developers at Chirp that the company was looking increasingly at business and analytics services. “As Twitter gets ready to ramp up promoted tweets,” we wrote at the time, “be aware that the company is fully cognizant of the money-making potential of ad platforms and measurement tools.” In other words, don’t expect the company to give away a potentially lucrative revenue stream. In many ways, this move is reminiscent of the company’s acquisition of Tweetie about a month ago. Then, too, third-party developers and investors who had built startups on top of the Twitter platform were blindsided because Twitter wasn't transparent about its roadmap. “The problem is that business have been created, received funding and developed over the past year, with the full knowledge of Twitter, and this just undercuts & destroys them,” writes WhatTheTrend analyst Liz Pullen. “This is a policy decision that should have been made over a year ago.” Then again, all’s fair in capitalism, or so we must believe if we’re to build technology on increasingly competitive platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Developer Reactions Around the WebIn a Google group for third-party devs working on Twitter’s APIs, several devs chimed in to express displeasure with the announcement. “This isn’t a surprise,” wrote Moluv director/editor Maurice Wright. “It’s the fact that I’ve been participating in events, developing, networking, and building a team all year AFTER getting affirmations from individuals at Twitter that I had nothing to worry about in building a Twitter advertising platform… I understand the need to tidy up from time to time. But this was more like sand-blasting the living room in order to do some dusting.” “It is clear that Twitter is going to take everything for themselves,” wrote Twitter client Nambu founder Eric Woodward, echoing the sentiments of many developers we’ve spoken with about the issue. “I don’t understand why anyone would continue to develop on Twitter’s platform as anything more than a hobby. First it was us (Twitter clients), and now it is the ad platforms’ turn. Next it will be somebody else.” Some devs wonder why anyone would be surprised at this turn of events. In a Hacker News thread, MySpace engineer-turned-startup founder Cheolho Minale wrote, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. By now we should realize the pattern with Twitter is that any company that adds real value to Twitter, they are more than willing to take the idea, and build a competing service… They fooled us all when they said they just wanted to be the pipe.” A Matter of TrustDeveloper Adrian Duyzer cautions hackers that, although all technology is dependent on the innovations of others, “We’re all vulnerable to the whims of the people who build the operating systems, the browsers, heck, even the protocols. The important question probably comes down to ability and motive: Can this platform be turned against me, and do those who control it gain some advantage from doing so?” Ultimately, building apps on someone else’s platform requires a certain amount of trust. That trust should be proportional to the effort, funding and expectations one has pumped into one’s app — i.e., if you raise millions of dollars and spend a year working full-time and then some to build a Twitter ad platform, you have to really trust that Twitter isn’t going to undermine your business by releasing an ad platform of its own. But in the land of third-party apps, there are no such guarantees, and where money and corporations are concerned, there should be no such trust. For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter Tags: ads, ban, developers, hacker news, twitter
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| Mashable’s Weekly Guide to Social Media and Internet Events Posted: 24 May 2010 03:20 PM 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. Upcoming Social Media Events 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: Free Sessions, Networking and More at SMX Advanced Seattle. Meet more than 20 leading solution providers. Access 4 sessions on emerging search engine marketing topics. Attend 3 networking events and meet your next client, employer, vendor or mentor. Search Marketing Expo – SMX Advanced hits the Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle June 8-9. Be part of this exclusive event – for free – when you register for an SMX Expo+ Pass. Learn more and register today at SMX Expo+ Pass.  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 ragan.com/summit-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 14-17, 2010, Boston, MA: Attend Enterprise 2.0 Boston to learn how to use collaborative tools to accelerate information flow, drive revenue and increase productivity. Visit a bustling Expo Pavilion featuring technologies from 50+ established leaders and innovative start-ups, network with Enterprise 2.0 visionaries and gain comprehensive thought leadership —from strategy to execution and performance monitoring—bringing the power of collaboration to your organization. Register today with code CNRNEB26 for a FREE Expo Pass ($100 value) or save 30% on the on-site price of any Conference pass.  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, 2010, Seattle, WA: Deploy is the premier event to learn about the technology and techniques to get your software product or web application built and shipped faster and cheaper. Hear from technology leaders who have delivered, like Vanessa Fox, Brady Forrest and Cheezburger Network’s Scott Porad. You’ll learn the latest effective technology to meet your product goals. To see all of the topics and speakers go to http://deployday.com. To save an additional 10% use the promotion code mashable. Don’t miss it!  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 28–29, 2010, Sydney, Australia: Crime and Legal Issues in Social Media will advise and assist professionals on the utilisation of social networking without fear of the risks. Some organisations are still hesitant to maximise their use of online networking. Risks such as breach of privacy, fear of legal action, developing a negative reputation and lack of control have given way to avoidance of this important medium. The event will explore the legal implications of using social media and the policies that manage the risks. Save 15% when using code CrimeSocialMash or call +61 1300 550 662  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.  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.  July 21, 2010, New York, NY: Social Convergence & The Enterprise: Case Studies & Roundtables. The conference will demonstrate how leading consumer and B2B brands are embracing social media and networking across the enterprise. The case studies will be followed by moderated interactive roundtables. Use promo code MASH for a discounted rate of $155.  July 21-23, 2010, Sydney, Australia: KM & Collaboration Australia will feature renowned and respected international keynote presenters and Australian industry practitioners who will explore prospects and challenges in networking and collaboration, social media and Web 2.0, sustainability and profitability, and will outline and explain best practice tools, techniques and advancements in these critical areas. The event will provide you with useful, practical and timely lessons that you'll be able to implement within your organisation as soon as you return to the office! Save 15% when using code KMAusMash at http://www.kmaustralia.com/registration.htm.  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 14-15, 2010, London, UK: Creating and distributing video online? Join us at Online Video Strategies this October in London and learn how to choose the online video solutions that meet your needs, increase audience engagement with interactivity, use video for marketing, promotion, and branding, deliver video to the iPad, iPhone, and other mobile devices, leverage video for internal and external corporate communications, make sure your video gets seen by viewers and search engines, and measure the ROI of your video projects. In addition, Online Video Strategies is a featured event at Streaming Media Europe and all delegates enjoy unlimited access to the Streaming Media Expo as part of their registration. Register at www.streamingmediaglobal.com/ovs. Quote priority code MASHABLE20 for a 20% discount.  October 17-19, 2010. New York, NY: Pivot Conference is the only industry conference to explore and evaluate the attitudes, technologies and preferences of the “always on” 18-34 year old consumer. Attend Pivot Conference and hear from those successfully engaging with today’s emerging consumer and create your own action plan for success. Register today with code MASH101 and save 20%.  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, Gmail, Google, Internet, Mashable, Ping, Twitter, WordPress, social media, sports, timberland Tags: conferences, Events, mashable
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| Create a Mobile-Friendly Website for Your Business with moBistro Posted: 24 May 2010 02:58 PM PDT 
Quick Pitch: Create your own mobile websites that are compatible on 98% of all smartphones with a simple user backend. Genius Idea: moBistro is a service that makes it easy for business owners to create mobile versions of their websites without having to do any coding on their own. Many of the features are aimed at restaurant owners, who often have Flash-based websites that break on most mobile phones. Everything on your moBistro site is manageable through a control panel that was designed to be easy to use and operate. When it comes time to serve the website, moBistro will automatically redirect mobile phones to the correct version of the site, depending on what capabilities the phone has. You can customize moBistro to fit with your business’s branding and color scheme and you can monitor mobile web traffic from Google Analytics. moBistro doesn’t just create the mobile-friendly version of your website; it hosts it too. That’s good for users who don’t want to have to deal with configuring their web server to serve the mobile version of their sites, however, it does make the product more expensive. While we think the services offered by moBistro are great, we think the pricing — which starts at $19.99 per month — is a bit high for this kind of service. Still, the ability to easily create mobile-friendly content that can work on hundreds of devices without having to do any coding is an idea that should appeal to lots of business owners who are trying to figure out how to best address the mobile web. Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines)." Reviews: Google Analytics, PHP Tags: mobile web, mobistro, Web Development
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| Flash on Android Is Put to the Test [VIDEO] Posted: 24 May 2010 02:09 PM PDT 
Flash 10.1 is still in beta, so it isn’t fair to make any conclusive judgments. That said, it does look like fears regarding speed and battery life may not have been unfounded after all. PocketNow performed a pretty exhaustive speed test comparing the Nexus One running Froyo and Flash 10.1 beta, the iPhone 3GS and the HTC HD2. In his tests, the Nexus One slowed down considerably when loading Flash content, though with Flash turned off, the browser was blazing. Check out the video: Meanwhile, over at Engadget, a comparison test between Flash 10.1 beta and Flash Lite running on Android 2.1 proved that the new Flash is a big step up in terms of speed and overall video quality. It’s easy to be overly pessimistic about Flash on a smartphone even in beta, but as we noted with the Hulu browser workaround, the fact that Flash content can run decently on a mobile phone at all is nothing short of cool. Mashable’s Ben Parr has been testing Flash 10.1 beta and will be posting his own thoughts later in the day. Based on what you’ve seen, what do you think of Flash on mobile devices? Let us know. [via Business Insider] For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Twitter Tags: adobe flash, android, Flash, flash 10.1
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| Pixel Art Gets a YouTube Documentary [VIDEO] Posted: 24 May 2010 01:23 PM PDT 
In the video, Cottee interviews notable pixel artists like the creator of the brilliant art-house video game Passage and mixes those interviews with glimpses of some gorgeous works in the currently-niche-but-growing movement. The practitioners of pixel art turn the digital art clock back 20 years by electing to use only a palette of colored pixels — the same limitations that technology imposed on early digital artists who made (among other things) 8-bit and 16-bit video games in the ’80s and ’90s. The movement has a cousin in a musical genre called chiptunes, whose musicians employ the same chip boards that are used to synthesize sounds on video game consoles to make music. Both the pixel art and chiptunes movements rely strongly on nostalgia, but while that reliance could be the basis for unfavorable criticism, Pixel points out that childhood nostalgia has played a part in the works of many respected traditional artists. The documentary also shows that artistic movements that favor a medium or aesthetic’s most basic elements have popped up time and time again, so pixel art is not unprecedented. Pixel art and chiptunes music have been popping up all over the place lately. Animator Patrick Jean created a viral video depicting pixelated monsters destroying New York City, two lovebirds made 8-bit wedding invitations, an annual chiptunes music festival called Blipfest draws big crowds and even (comparatively) well-known electronic music artists like Crystal Castles have adopted the chiptunes aural aesthetic. Watch the documentary below, then check out the other examples of pixel art and chiptunes that we’ve included. Pixel — A Pixel Art DocumentaryRule by Simon CotteePassage: Gameplay WalkthroughCrystal Castles – “Crimewave”Blipfest 2007: “Nullsleep”The Incredible Adventure: 8-Bit Wedding InvitationPIXELS by Patrick Jean (New York Gets Destroyed)[via Boing Boing] For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: art, blipfest, chiptunes, music, pixel, pixel art, pixels, simon cottee, video, video games, youtube
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| Tony Blair Joins VC Firm to Advise Cleantech Investments Posted: 24 May 2010 01:01 PM PDT 
Over the past two years, Blair has advised JP Morgan and Zurich Financial Services on climate change and related issues. Today’s announcement will mark the former PM’s first concentrated foray into the world of startups. Blair has long been concerned with environmental issues. In a 1997 visit to the U.S., he criticized “great industrialised nations” for not reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2000, the then-PM earmarked 100 million euros for green-focused environmental policies. And in 2003, Blair told the U.S. Congress that climate change “cannot be ignored.” Through his firm, Tony Blair Associates, Blair will offer advice “drawing on his considerable geopolitical, political, organizational and environmental expertise,” according to a release from Khosla. The partnership will focus on startups in solar tech, batteries, biofuels, lighting, mechanical and energy efficiency, and building materials. Here’s a snapshot of Khosla’s current cleantech portfolio:
"Solving the climate crisis is more than just a political agenda item — it's an urgent priority that requires innovation, creativity and ambition," said Blair. "Entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and beyond will have a tremendous impact on our environmental future… I look forward to dedicating a portion of my time to help them move us toward a more sustainable tomorrow.” What do you think: Will Blair’s record on environmental issues and his experience in politics and policy make him a good adviser for cleantech startups? For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: tony blair, vc, venture capital
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| How Hospitality Companies are Using Social Media for Real Results Posted: 24 May 2010 12:40 PM PDT 
Because social media is a platform for the customer’s voice — and that voice can be heard by anyone in the world — the hospitality industry as a whole has embraced social media in a huge way. Hospitality businesses of all sizes — from the biggest hotel chain to the little neighborhood cafe — have found their own unique way to harness the power of Facebook and the distribution possibilities made available via Twitter. Personalizing Customer Service
Customer service is the most obvious way for the hospitality industry to use social media, and Twitter is the perfect vehicle for resolving customer issues or making a guest’s day with a simple “thanks for visiting” tweet. But the best in the business are going above and beyond in the customer service arena. For example, the Wynn Las Vegas and Encore hotels use social media sites like Twitter and Foursquare to improve their customer service efforts and better meet the needs of their guests. As the E-strategy Development Manger for the hotels, Jade Bailey makes sure that her team greets and caters to guests who check in there on Foursquare or tweet about being somewhere on the property, both on social sites and in person. The team has also seeded Foursquare with numerous tips inside the hotel, enlightening guests on the fascinating stories behind some of the more lustrous decorative embellishments. Smaller businesses are going the extra mile as well. CoffeeGroundz — an independent coffee shop in Houston, Texas — uses Twitter as a way to make its customer service more personalized than its bigger competitors. The store’s general manager is credited with making CoffeeGroundz one of the first businesses to take to-go orders via Twitter, an effort that began in October 2008. In addition to to-go orders, the boutique coffee spot now also accepts table and event reservations via direct message on Twitter. StorytellingAt the Roger Smith Hotel in New York, social media has become immersed within the hotel’s unique culture. At its core, the Roger Smith Hotel is about storytelling — with a focus on art and people — and social media has become the way in which the hotel can share these stories and create new ones. In fact, Brian Simpson, the hotel’s director of hospitality, says that while the hotel certainly attempts to connect the dots between social media and sales, ROI is not the focus of the team’s social endeavors. “We’re less concerned about how many rooms are booked because of social media, and more focused on telling stories and connecting people … you can’t pay a marketing firm to make those connections.” It’s this type of open thinking that keeps The Roger Smith at the forefront of the social media curve. Simpson primarily relies on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the hotel blog to distribute and collect stories, but also recognizes the value of location-centric social networks like Foursquare and Pegshot. He approaches each social site with a different strategy, saying, “We take all of these stories and figure out which social media networks support them best.” Simpson points to an event back in 2009 as a catalyst for some of its creativity. The artsy hotel then hosted a Social Media Breakfast, which led to interest from other social media and web groups, and ultimately inspired Simpson to actively immerse himself in the social media culture. Because The Roger Smith is independent, Simpson found ways to bend the rules for groups and startups, making the hotel inviting to all types of social media event organizers. For Simpson, exposure is key and hosting these events helps get the hotel’s name out there. Today, the hotel is essentially the social media-friendly hotel of New York; events are booked for each night of the week and its become the official hotel of many a New York web conference. “We’ve made social media a part of the hotel,” says Simpson. “If we stopped doing social media, the culture wouldn’t change, but the stories that get told about us would change, and that would change the perception of the hotel.” With storytelling at the center of everything the Roger Smith does online and off, Simpson is also looking for the next great way to engage current and potential guests. He says, “now that everyone’s on Twitter, and everyone has a Facebook Page, our objective is to find out what’s next and stay ahead of the curve.” The hotel is also being extremely avant garde with its approach to installation art. They’ve commandeered an art studio on Lexington Avenue outside the hotel and turned it into an experimental space where art meets social media. The space is dubbed the RS Pop-Up Shop, or RS POP, and it’s open to up-and-coming designers and artists who want to showcase their work with social media flair. Each selected RS POP participant is heavily supported with social media exposure, so artists and designers are featured both in the art studio and online via the hotel’s social media channels. Disclosure: The Roger Smith Hotel has hosted Mashable events. Making Good with MomMom is a very important person in the hospitality space. She books the hotels, makes travel arrangements and handles most of the money matters. Mom is often the decision maker for the family. As the former Vice President, Public Relations/New Media at Universal Orlando Resort, Cynthia Gordon developed The Universal Mom Squad to make Mom’s experience at the park second to none. Gordon says, “Hands down the best way to reach moms is online and through mom bloggers. Let’s face it, mom bloggers are a full-fledged Internet phenomenon. You have 42 million women online, with nearly half of those visiting blogs to get advice and recommendations. Mom bloggers have powerful voices and their opinions are valued by their readers.” She credits Disney for its social media outreach efforts saying it “took the lead in courting mom bloggers and inviting them to experience their parks’ new attractions and services.” Gordon is referencing the Walt Disney World Moms Panel — 43 hand-picked moms, and a few dads in the mix — who serve as online advisers and help answer park-related questions on behalf of Walt Disney World. The moms answer submitted questions and the inquisitive can browse through topics, search for answers, submit their own question or learn more about the panel. The program started in 2008 and new moms are added to the group each year. Another hospitality brand catering to moms is the Royal Caribbean International cruise line. The company recently took the opportunity to invite a group of moms participating in the weekly hashtag Twitter event #gno (Girls Night Out) aboard its Oasis of the Seas cruise ship to host one of its Twitter parties while at sea. The moms aboard the ship engaged with other moms the world round, spreading the message that cruise vacations are ideal for fun, family travel — there’s no cooking, cleaning or child care concerns to worry about. As the host, Royal Caribbean was a part of the thousands of tweets generated during the two-hour Twitter party. Employee EducationOften, social media is siloed to an individual department. This situation sets the customer up for failure. Imagine an eager customer — aware of a company’s social media presence — who ventures out in the real-world and encounters employees with zero knowledge of their own company’s Twitter account or Facebook Page. The end result defeats the entire purpose of social media. If social media is on the menu, then everyone from the doorman and the bartender to the CEO should know about it. Those in the know should make it a point to educate staff on their own social media presence and promotions, as well as encourage employees to embrace social technologies for their own personal use. Simpson says this is what helps set the Roger Smith Hotel apart from its bigger competitors. He works with his social media partner Adam Wallace to maintain the Roger Smith accounts, but the two of them have also prioritized educating the hotel’s 100+ member staff. Together, they’ve inspired nearly a quarter of the team to take up tweeting by teaching them that it’s just about conversation. As such, one of the hotel’s bartenders has developed his own following on Twitter. Simpson says that often the bartender will tweet while working his shift and even offer to pick up a drink for the first few patrons who stop by. In connecting the dots between social media, management and staff, the hotel can ensure that guests’ expectations are superseded, and not deflated, when they walk in the door. 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. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, lisegagne Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Internet, Mashable, Twitter, YouTube, iStockphoto Tags: business, coffeegroundz, disney, facebook, foursquare, MARKETING, real results, roger smith hotel, royal caribbean, small business, social media, social media marketing, twitter
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| Free Music Monday: 10 Fresh and Free Downloads Posted: 24 May 2010 12:23 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 ever, 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. Huge thanks to everyone who has 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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| Google’s PowerMeter Comes to Consumer Devices Posted: 24 May 2010 12:08 PM PDT  Google’s PowerMeter will now be available to consumers on real-time energy monitoring devices form Current Cost, the largest global supplier of such displays. Google’s PowerMeter helps you monitor how much electricity you use to help you save money and conserve energy at the same time. The company has been actively searching for device manufacturers for some time; Current Costs uses the PowerMeter API Google released in March to make their devices compatible with Google’s service.
The ENVI, pictured above, can monitor individual appliances as well as total energy consumption. It currently monitors only electricity, with gas and other forms of energy monitoring in development. Its LCD screen displays an environment’s energy consumption over a rolling 24-hour period as a bar graph. The ENVI can also calculate to the penny how much your energy use is costing you. When connected to a computer, the monitor can stream up to seven years of historical data. With its PowerMeter integration, the data is viewable from any Internet-connected device.
With Google’s expansion into the areas of energy production and consumption and their investments in green and clean energy, the company is building on its original mission to organize the world’s information to improve what we know about our own energy consumption. What do you think about Google’s efforts in the green energy space? For more technology coverage, follow Mashable Tech on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google, Internet, Twitter Tags: energy, Google, green, powermeter
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| New York City Creates a Yelp-Like Directory for Veteran Services Posted: 24 May 2010 11:21 AM PDT 
Warrior Gateway is a non-profit and privately-funded organization that aims to provide the military community with access to listings and locations of various services, job search help, links to academic programs or scholarships, and more. The site is free to use and you can browse without creating an account; however, only registrants can leave reviews, comments and discuss topics with other vets. When speaking with representatives from the New York City Council, I was told that the hardest part of populating services and sites like Warrior Gateway is getting all of the data compiled. The City of New York already has all of this information on file, so why not make it more accessible and useful by providing that data to Warrior Gateway? We think this is a great idea and example of how consumer-based tools like Yelp and Citysearch can be used in the public sector. Government websites are almost always cumbersome and difficult to navigate and even if information is available in a listed form, it often isn’t contextually linked to Google Maps and additional information (like related websites) are rarely available.  For the men and women returning home from war and their families, it’s important to have access to information about job opportunities and mental health groups. When you consider that there were 300,000 veterans living in New York City back in 2000 (the time of the last census), which was before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this is a growing group of individuals. It’s great that these resources will be more accessible. What do you think of the convergence between social media and social policy? Let us know in the comments. [img credit: NYCMarines] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google Maps, Twitter, Yelp Tags: citysearch, new york city council, veterans services, warrior gateway, yelp
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| How Data is Redefining Business Relationships Posted: 24 May 2010 10:50 AM PDT 
As businesspeople, we now have an unlimited amount of constantly updating information at our fingertips. It holds the promise of great value (and more importantly, profit), but it is also voluminous and fleeting. Powerful new search engines, newfangled social CRM systems, and a preponderance of social sites and services leave us sitting at desks, feverishly fetching news and updates throughout the day in an attempt to stay up-to-date. The trick, of course, is making sense of all that data, and putting it in context of what companies — and who exactly at those companies — matter most. Increasingly, we have the palpable desire to turn good data into good decisions and profitable relationships. But how can you take advantage of that tsunami of information without risking death by data? How can everyday businesspeople get value out of these data-heavy services and sources? Relationships Still RuleThe answer to these questions starts by first acknowledging that it's the same as it ever was: Business is still all about relationships. This should be soothing to many for whom the data web is a brave new world. The business world still runs on relationships, and data is as much at home at a cocktail hour or on a conference call as it is in a slide deck. The game has not changed much at all. The difference is that today's business data has put everything in stark relief, at very high resolution. Opportunities and risks have been amplified. For example, if I notice a partner's company’s stock surge at the opening of the market and tie it to a news item on quarterly earnings, I can now send a timely congratulatory note and schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss leveraging that momentum for a proposed joint venture. Or, say I am alerted to an old college friend changing his contact info on a social network, and as a result, track down a few details on his role at a new company. I might subsequently notice via a status update that he is departing for my home city in a few days, and now I can initiate a reconnection and invite him to participate on a panel I'm organizing. Today's most actionable business data comes from living and very human sources like social networks, wikis, microblogs, crowdsourced contact directories, collaboratively filtered finance communities, real-time search engines, hyperlocal news sites and more. Managing that data can involve a lot of mixing and matching, comparing and contrasting. Relationships Run on Data
"Networking" in the traditional sense used to take a lot of time and effort. But in truth, all networking has ever been is the act of information-gathering — of scouting and collating. We used to start with an idea of a person we were trying to do business with, without nearly enough relevant information about them. That has changed as a result of the personal data now available via social media sources. Now, when you finally meet someone in person, or run into them at a conference, the interaction can be immediately more rich and productive precisely because of data — you can get right to the heart of the matter because you're having a more informed, in-depth conversation that matters. From crunching data and doing your homework, to finding a path through your existing relationships, to setting up that first meeting with a timely and well-researched missive, the new data-driven way of doing business can be infinitely more productive. ConclusionRemember the under-the-table note sharing going on in high school? Well, imagine having the smartest kid in school organize, prioritize and collect notes for you, no strings attached. That's the kind of information advantage that is now available to us, through an ever-growing array of new social business tools. And it's not considered cheating, either. But even despite all this new data and these new tools, relationships are still the beginning and the end of every business decision. There is little doubt that there will be a fundamental overhaul in the skill-set of the average businessperson in the next five years as companies grapple with, and realize the upside of making better use of data, both internally and externally. Today, the technologies and techniques that were once the exclusive domain of Wall Street analysts and Silicon Valley engineers are finally trickling down to everyday businesspeople. But no matter how the world has changed, listening is still paramount -– listening to customers, listening to prospects, listening to colleagues, and listening to entire companies –- indeed, listening to data. For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore business resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Sportstock, stevecoleccs Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: business, data, small business, social media, social networking
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| 7-11 Starts Selling “FarmVille” Slurpees Posted: 24 May 2010 09:59 AM PDT 
Seven thousand 7-11 stores will offer around 30 branded items, including Slurpees and ice cream, among other things. When a customer buys one of the promotional products, he or she will then be directed to perform some special task in the game world to acquire one of the 7-11 items. This is the first retail partnership of this kind for Zynga, although this deal grew out of a more limited program in which the company sold FarmVille, Mafia Wars and YoVille game cards at 12,800 participating 7-11 stores. Zynga is no stranger to virtual branding promotions, either; it has been selling brand-sponsored FarmVille crops since last month. The company has been very busy making deals over the past few weeks, actually; it just signed a five-year agreement with Facebook involving the use of Facebook’s proprietary virtual currency, and it is also launching games on MySpace, including the new Bangkok expansion for Mafia Wars. For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Yoville Tags: 7-11, facebook, farmville, Mafia Wars, online games, promotion, social gaming, yoville, Zynga
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| Yahoo and Nokia Join Forces for E-mail and Maps Posted: 24 May 2010 09:50 AM PDT 
Nokia currently offers mapping and navigation tools for its phones under its Ovi brand; with the new partnership, Yahoo Maps will now be “powered by Ovi.” In exchange, Yahoo will become the exclusive provider for Nokia’s Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat services, which will be branded with a “powered by Yahoo” message. In the login space, Nokia and Yahoo are working to make Ovi user IDs usable across select Yahoo properties. We presume these will include maps, e-mail and chat, although it isn’t clear if the Ovi login will extend to other Yahoo services like Flickr. Strategically, this makes a lot of sense. Although Nokia is the largest mobile device maker in the world, its marketshare — especially in next-generation smartphones — lags behind companies like Google, Apple and RIM. Likewise, while Yahoo still has a significant share of the online mail market, its services are in decline and its search deal with Microsoft won’t be complete on a global scale until 2012. Since Nokia already has strong investments in mapping and navigation, and Yahoo has a handle on chat and e-mail, it makes sense for the two companies to partner together instead of trying to build out their own services. What do you think of this arrangement? For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Flickr, Google, Twitter Tags: Nokia, ovi maps, Yahoo, Yahoo Mail
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| How Much Revenue Does Google Keep from AdSense? Posted: 24 May 2010 09:39 AM PDT 
The breakdown: 32% of revenue from publishers in the AdSense for content program, and 49% from those who run AdSense alongside Google search on their own sites. That means that publishers keep the majority of revenue from AdSense, though Google notes that it does negotiate special deals with major websites. While Google says its sharing these numbers in the "spirit of greater transparency," it is also using the opportunity to address competing products. In a blog post, the company writes, "when considering different monetization options, we encourage you to focus on the total revenue generated from your site, rather than just revenue share, which can be misleading." In other words, while some networks might promise a greater revenue share, they might not always be able to collect on it from advertisers. For now, Google's not disclosing the revenue share on AdSense for mobile, feeds and games, areas it describes as "quickly evolving." Are these numbers in line with what you suspected was Google's take? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. [Image courtesy of iStockphoto, tforgo] For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google, Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: Google, google adsense
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| Twitter to Eliminate Third-Party Ads in User Timelines Posted: 24 May 2010 09:11 AM PDT 
In a blog post, the company indicates that it has updated its Terms of Service, writing, “We will not allow any third party to inject paid tweets into a timeline on any service that leverages the Twitter API.” The move is meant to preserve “the integrity and relevance of the timeline,” according to Twitter. Of course, it also means that Twitter’s own advertising offering — Promoted Tweets — will no longer have ad competition within the stream from third-party ad networks. To clarify, Twitter’s decision only targets those that insert paid-for-tweets into user streams, and does not affect applications that show ads around Twitter timelines. Twitter explains its decision citing two key reasons. “First, third-party ad networks are not necessarily looking to preserve the unique user experience Twitter has created … Secondly, the basis for building a lasting advertising network that benefits users should be innovation, not near-term monetization.” Twitter also encourages developers to leverage the business opportunities that will be available once Annotations launches, suggesting that “Twitter clients could begin to differentiate on their ability to service different data-rich verticals like Finance or Entertainment.” Today’s news is likely to garner mixed reactions from users, and reignite developer angst about Twitter. Obviously the third-party ad networks that have built their business models around monetizing in-stream tweets will be displeased with the news, but we can imagine that users confused by the ads in timelines will welcome the change. [img credit: Victor Hernandez / CNN] For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: ad network, third party apps, trending, twitter
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| HBO Taps YouTube, iPad and Facebook to Distribute (RED) Documentary Posted: 24 May 2010 08:29 AM PDT 
The film will first air on HBO and 9:00 p.m. EDT and at 11 p.m. GMT on Channel 4 in the UK. Then at 9:30 p.m., the film will air on YouTube, where it will available globally and remain online for the rest of the year. This is the first time that an HBO film is getting this kind of global distribution, and the film is the centerpiece of (RED)’s digital campaign for the coming year. Check out this trailer to see what the film is all about: The iPad, Facebook and TwitterIn addition to being available on YouTube, (RED) will release a free iPad app tomorrow in conjunction with the film. The app will contain the full-length film, as well as additional information about how antiretroviral drugs work and photos of the transformative effect that ARVs have had in Africa. The app will also include ways for users to take action by joining (RED) or lobbying governments. We think that having an iPad app is a really cool part of the campaign — especially since the device’s design makes it a great way to watch a film and then dive into more details about the people, the issues and the potential solutions. Facebook and Twitter are also both going to be used to promote the film and its overall message. (RED) is asking that users tweet and post status updates with the #lazaruseffect hashtag to spread the word about the cause — including facts like “40 cents a day in Africa = 2 lifesaving pills.” HBO also built a special Lazarus Effect Facebook page that users can use to send pre-formatted messages to Twitter or Facebook. Social Media Meets Global NeedWe’ve written a lot about the role that social media and new technologies are playing in campaigns for the global good. As we’ve seen with the Red Cross’s efforts in Haiti, social media can be a powerful tool to get a message across to lots of people all over the world. The overall message of the film — that HIV/AIDS is preventable and treatable, and that access to treatment is a fundamental part of helping eradicate the disease — is one I fully support. Check out the film, whether you watch on HBO, YouTube or the iPad and then get the word out about what we all can do to help. For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Tags: hbo, ipad apps, lazarus effect, outreach, Red, youtube
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| 10 YouTube Videos of People Doing Amazing Things Posted: 24 May 2010 08:15 AM PDT 
We’ve taken a light-hearted look at some amazing human feats and abilities that can be viewed right now via YouTube. It’s mixed bag of musical skill, athletic acumen, artistic aptitude, and plain old geekiness, but all the clips have one thing in common — they feature some very talented people. Browse below to see what we’ve selected, and remember kids: Don’t try any of these at home — except maybe the Rubik’s Cube one. Yeah, and the clapping probably won’t hurt. And circle-drawing isn’t too hazardous… Oh, you know what we mean! 1. Fastest Violin PlayerWe wouldn’t be surprised if this guy had sold his very soul to the devil, his fiddling skills are so amazing. Hit play now for the fastest rendition of “Flight of the Bumblebee” you’re ever likely to hear without first pressing “fast forward.” 2. Inspired Bicycles — Danny MacAskillMr. MacAskill is a BMX god, and his stunt bike abilities need to be seen to be believed. We love how this video draws you in with some failed stunts at first, only to leave your jaw on the floor towards the end. 3. Junior BreakdanceYou may think you’ve seen some tidy breakdancing moves in the past, but until you’ve seen “Junior’s” attempts, you quite simply ain’t seen nothing yet. 4. Rubik’s Cube Official World RecordIn 2008, Erik Akkersdijk broke a world record by solving the Rubik’s Cube puzzle in a tad over seven seconds. This clip captures the notable feat. Well, the first 20 or so seconds do — the rest is a bit of blur, which can perhaps be explained by the cameraman’s astonishment. 5. Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2009On July 4, 2009, Joey Chestnut ate 68 hot dogs and buns in ten minutes, beating his previous record by nine seconds. If that’s not an incredible feat, we don’t know what is. 6. Spiderman Climbs SkyscraperFrenchman Alain Robert (“the human spider”) has scaled over 80 giant structures around the world. Here he takes just 20 minutes to make it to the top of a 150-meter building in Abu Dhabi — not one to watch if you’re scared of heights. 7. Kent “Toast” French, The World’s Fastest ClapperIt’s best not to question why you’d want to be the world’s fastest clapper. Just hit play on the video and be amazed at what 14 claps per second looks like on film. 8. Amazing Human Beatbox28 million views later and it’s still hard to believe that “Scratch” is making all these sounds vocally. It’s safe to say that this vid is a masterclass in human beatboxing and scratching. 9. World Freehand Circle Drawing ChampionWe bet Alexander Overwijk’s pupils try to get him to perform his circle-drawing skills every lesson to avoid work, but we only need this one recording to enjoy it again and again on YouTube. 10. David BelleFather of parkour (the French discipline of overcoming any physical obstacle in your path), David Belle makes old Spidey above look like a slowpoke. This mini highlight reel video showcases his brand of free running that’s made him such a hot commodity as a Hollywood stuntman. BONUS: Amazing Feat by Pi Day CelebrantWhat do you get when you combine Pi, a hula hoop, and a Rubik’s Cube? Awesome, that’s what. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookMore YouTube resources from Mashable:
Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Tags: funny videos, List, Lists, videos, viral videos, youtube
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| RIP: “Get a Mac” Gets a Tribute [VIDEO] Posted: 24 May 2010 07:52 AM PDT  If you’ve been in “Get a Mac” withdrawal since the ad campaign bit the proverbial dust last week, you’re not alone. One More Thing Podcast has created a rather lengthy tribute video to the campaign of the decade. More than 100,000 people have already taken solace in this little vid, so if you’re among the bereft, cease with the shakes: Just plug in your headphones and let the iconic, repetitive strains of this spot’s classic background music envelope you for the next four-ish minutes. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Twitter Tags: apple, mac, MARKETING, pc, video
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| Facebook Users’ Phone Numbers Exposed by “Evil” App Posted: 24 May 2010 07:15 AM PDT 
Evil, a new app designed by Tom Scott, of Tweleted, Stupid Fight and Tweet Trumps fame, aims to prove just that — that users are unwittingly sharing their personal info on the web. The program is pretty simple: Just visit the website, and you’ll be privy to a list of six constantly changing Facebookers whose numbers are out there for all to see. Scott has censored the last four digits of said users’ digits, because, as he says in the site’s Q&A: “It’s called Evil, not diabolic.” How does the site work? According to the Q&A, “Evil uses the graph API to search for groups about lost phones. It picks them at random, extracts some of the phone numbers, and then [displays] them.” So, basically, it’s not hacking into Facebook or anything like that, merely revealing info that’s already out there. Amidst all the upheaval around Facebook’s privacy issues, this little tool — along with many others that are seeking to help users see what private info they’re making public — is certainly an eye-opener. It really highlights how frequently we willingly give our personal info to unreliable sources without even being conscious of who has access to it. Scott suggests that if you have ever submitted your info to one of these lost phone number groups — which are often “public” or “visible to everyone” — you should delete your digits now. Scott says the inspiration for the app came after “a friend of mine found that her number appeared in a Google search, in one of those groups… and then the whole idea appeared, fully-formed, in my head. When something like that happens… I have to build it!” In an e-mail to Mashable, Scott wondered whether he had gone too far this time in creating Evil. What do you think? Is this app harmful or helpful in protecting your privacy? Check out this video of how it works below: For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, Google, Mashable, Twitter Tags: evil, facebook, privacy, twitter
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| Constant Contact Acquires NutshellMail to Move into Social Media Marketing Posted: 24 May 2010 06:45 AM PDT 
The deal moves Constant Contact –- which went public back in 2007 — into the world of social media marketing. The company has 350,000 business customers for its e-mail marketing service, so the idea is to now become their provider of social media tools as well. In a statement, Constant Contact's CEO Gail Goodman said: “Small businesses clearly have the interest and desire to make the most of social media marketing. We want to make sure we provide the tools and the know-how for them to easily add social media to their marketing efforts." Back in March, Constant Contact competitor ExactTarget acquired CoTweet, a CRM tool for social media. It's becoming clear now that both companies see social media as their next growth area, and we'd expect other players in the space to either launch their own products or do similar deals in the months to come. Below, Goodman talks about today's acquisition with the NutshellMail team: For more business coverage, follow Mashable Business on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Facebook, NutshellMail, Twitter Tags: constant contact, email marketing, NutShellMail, social media, social media marketing
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| Steve Jobs to Open Apple’s Developer Conference on June 7 Posted: 24 May 2010 06:24 AM PDT 
Although Apple has lately leaked far more information than usual, most notoriously with the double leak of the next iPhone prototype and an iPod Touch with a camera, the anticipation levels for this year’s WWDC are as big as ever. Besides the next iPhone, big sales figures for the iPad and some jabs at Android, we can probably expect a surprise or two. When asked by a concerned fan whether Apple has some good announcements prepared for the WWDC, Steve Jobs promised him he “won’t be disappointed.” That’s all we ask, really. The conference runs from June 7 to June 11, providing advanced content for developers across five key technology tracks: Application Frameworks, Internet & Web, Graphics & Media, Developer Tools and Core OS. Apple engineers will deliver more than 100 solutions-oriented technical sessions and labs to developers in attendance. For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Internet, Twitter
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| Hulu Gets Tricked into Running on Android 2.2 Posted: 24 May 2010 05:46 AM PDT 
However, there’s a nifty trick to make Hulu run on your Android 2.2 device; all you need to do is make Hulu think it’s running on a desktop browser. According to Absolutely Android, the procedure is as follows: Open the web browser on your Android device, type “about:debug” into the address bar and press Go. Go to settings, scroll to the bottom and select “UAString”; then change the setting to “Desktop,” and enjoy Hulu on your Android device. This trick has been tested on Google’s Nexus One phone. Unfortunately, it comes with certain drawbacks; you get the desktop edition of Hulu instead of the version optimized for mobile devices; furthermore, it will likely get blocked by Hulu very soon. For more mobile coverage, follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter or become a fan on FacebookReviews: Android, Facebook, Hulu, Twitter Tags: android, Flash, hulu, video
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