Mashable: Latest 28 News Updates - including “Kindle DX Gets a Better Screen, Lower Price”

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• Kindle DX Gets a Better Screen, Lower Price
• Apple and AT&T Slapped With an iPhone 4 Class-Action Lawsuit
• Borrow, Rent, Buy and Lend with Your Neighborhood
• Gay Social Network Fabulis Gets Backing from GeoCities Founder
• HOW TO: Rescue Your Blog From Social Isolation
• 7 Hackathons Around the World and on the Web
• Mozilla Submits Firefox Home to iPhone App Store
• iOS and Android Continue to Battle for Supremacy [STATS]
• Facebook for iPhone Updated to Support iOS 4 and Fast App Switching
• Acquired By Amazon? Have Your Monkey Rap About It [VIDEO]
• Google Revamps Google News
• RIP Microsoft Kin
• 70,000+ People Get Facebook Tagged in Huge Panoramic Photo
• Woot Acquired by Amazon
• Teens Experiencing Facebook Fatigue [STUDY]
• The Rise of Comedy on Twitter
• Keep Your Social Media Connections Organized with Cliqset 2.0
• Facebook Apps Must Now Ask Users for More Specific Permissions
• Why Social Experience is the Future of Online Content
• Android 3.0 Coming This Fall? [RUMOR]
• Google Creates YouTube Video Game to Highlight Chrome and Flash
• 6 Challenges to Managing a Brand on the Social Web
• New “Paranormal Activity 2″ Teaser Spreads Across the Web
• Online Plot Hatched to Annoy BP Executives with Vuvuzelas
• IMDb Brings Movie Discovery to Android Devices
• Happy Social Media Day!
• iPhone 4 Reception Issues Put to the Test
• 6 Ways to Manage International Relationships Online
• A New Low for Laptop Pricing: $37

Kindle DX Gets a Better Screen, Lower Price Posted: 01 Jul 2010 01:45 AM PDT Kindle DX, Amazon’s e-reader designed for reading magazines and newspapers, made some sense before Apple introduced its iPad, but afterwards it was really hard to justify buying one. The iPad is more powerful, has a more attractive screen, and yet the cheapest version costs $499, only ten bucks less than Kindle DX’s original price. Amazon had to take some steps to make the DX more competitive, and now it improved on its two crucial aspects: the price and the screen. Kindle DX now costs significantly less – $379 – and its new screen has a 50 percent better contrast, Amazon claims. The DX also has a new, graphite-colored case, which should further improve readability. The new Kindle DX will be shipping on July 7th, but you can pre-order one now. By the way, if you’re still interested in the smaller, original Kindle, you can now snatch one for only $149.99 on Woot, the sale-a-day e-commerce site Amazon acquired today. More About: amazon, kindle dx For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Apple and AT&T Slapped With an iPhone 4 Class-Action Lawsuit Posted: 01 Jul 2010 01:07 AM PDT The iPhone 4 has some reception issues when held a certain way. The problem – which partially stems from iPhone 4’s newly designed external antenna – can be viewed as more or less serious, depending on a number of factors. Is it serious enough to spawn a class-action lawsuit? It appears that it is. The lawsuit against Apple and AT&T has been filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland by Ward & Ward, PLLC and Charles A. Gilman, LLC. on behalf of Kevin McCaffrey, Linda Wrinn and a number of other iPhone 4 users. The lawsuit accuses Apple of Defect in Design, Manufacture, and Assembly as well as Breach of Express Warranty. It also makes several claims against both Apple and AT&T, including General Negligence, Deceptive Trade Practices, Intentional Misrepresentation, Negligent Misrepresentation and Fraud by Concealment. Due to the complexity of the issue, and the fact that some other phones exhibit a similar behavior, it’s hard to guess what the outcome of this lawsuit will be. However, it might spur Apple to start working on this problem fast, before it escalates into something far more serious. Interestingly enough, another class-action lawsuit is in the works; it seems that Apple and AT&T may soon have a couple of these on their hands. [Image credits: Gizmodo] More About: apple, att, iphone 4, trending For more Apple coverage: Follow Mashable Apple on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Apple channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Borrow, Rent, Buy and Lend with Your Neighborhood Posted: 30 Jun 2010 10:47 PM PDT Mashable's Spark of Genius series highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, see details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. Name: NeighborGoods Quick Pitch: Why buy when you can borrow? Save money and resources by sharing with your friends and neighbors on this online community. Genius Idea: You know how Polonius was all, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” in Hamlet? Well, homeboy wasn’t weathering recession times. Unless you’re a total Spartan, you probably have a ton of stuff piled up in your closet that you hardly ever use. Conversely, you most likely find yourself in need of a hammer or sleeping bag every once and while — yet you’re reluctant to shell out the cash because, well, remember all that stuff stacked in your closet? That’s where NeighborGoods comes in. NeighborGoods is a kind of social networking site for borrowing and lending. Like Craigslist, Freecycle and a bevy of other online classifieds sites, NeighborGoods allows users to browse and post information about goods they want/could stand to part with for awhile. Still, rather than being a bare-bones posting destination, the site allows users to create profiles for added personalization. Users can then search for goods in their neighborhood and connect with other users who have what they require. You can choose to rent, buy, borrow or score for free (or rent out, purchase, lend or give away). When you find something you dig, just fill out the online form, which looks like this: Moreover, you can connect the site to your Facebook, Twitter and OpenID accounts, allowing you to broadcast your need for a hammer or your desire to rent out your fixie to your social network. Also, much like eBay, the site seeks to give its users an added sense of security by featuring user ratings. It also features transaction histories, deposits, and automated calendars and reminders to make sure you get your stuff back (and a panic button you can push that alerts the site when someone’s holding your stuff ransom). You can also choose who can access your listings — friends, the whole community or only verified members. The verification process adds a sense of security, and allows users to see more listings. Basically you verify your account via PayPal (for $4.99 — which explains how the site makes money) and the site sends you a welcome kit including a verification code via snail mail. You enter this code into your profile and thereby receive the stamp of approval. We’re still not sure how the site plans on ensuring that you’re not murdered upon arrival, but we figure that’s always a worry when dealing with strangers (Craigslist has had its own share of woes in that department). Up until today, NeighborGoods was going through a testing period in Los Angeles, but after making an account for myself and adding my own listing (anyone wanna borrow a beat-to-hell acoustic guitar?), I found a goodly amount of postings near Brooklyn for stuff I would actually borrow/buy/rent. You can also join groups to better pinpoint your search — although, there’s only one other person in the “Williamsburg” group at present. We’re into the idea of saving ourselves and our neighbors money — the site keeps track of just how much you hold onto/save your friends as well — so as NeighborGoods continues to grow and expand, perhaps we’ll hit you up for a cup of sugar. image courtesy of iStockphoto, StuartDuncanSmith Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. Reviews: Craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, iStockphoto More About: facebook, MARKETING, money, social media, spark-of-genius, twitter For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Gay Social Network Fabulis Gets Backing from GeoCities Founder Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:57 PM PDT Gay social network Fabulis is getting a quarter of a million dollars toward its seed round from David Bohnett, who founded GeoCities at the tender age of 16. This brings the network’s total seed money to $825,000, VentureBeat reports. Bohnett’s venture capital firm, Baroda Ventures, typically backs early-stage new and social media companies, including an ad platform and online video network, as well as e-commerce and e-ticketing websites. The majority of these investments have clear revenue models in place and Fabulis is no different in that respect. This site, which features a quick and painless Facebook integration for signup, helps gay guys figure out where to go, what to do, who to meet and more. It’s not exclusive to gay men — or “out” gays, as the case may be — and allows “friends of gay guys” to sign up for the site and get in on the fun as well. Users can tag themselves in any way they choose — a nice change from the more heteronormative websites such as Facebook or MySpace, which offer only the most bipolar of gender and sexual preference identifiers. The interface is gorgeous too, with Vimeo-reminiscent features that scream “accessible” and “intuitive.” In addition to self-tagging, which lets you easily find others who identify themselves in the same way, the site also features an anonymous Q&A function… sound familiar? You can add photos and share travel/outing plans on the site, too. Event planning via Fabulis is a bit like Facebook Events, but with a prettier interface. You can RSVP, get details and directions, and see who else is attending from the site. And each event has a “Buzz” section consisting of users’ comments on the event. The site features a virtual currency/points system, “Fabulis Bits,” which can be earned through site participation or partner offers; they can also be bought outright. Bits can be spent when asking other users questions and setting a “price” for your profile’s Q&A is an option for all users. You can also use your bits to unlock special site features and upvote other members. Additionally, the site has special, timed offers and sweepstakes, presumably to create urgency around special deals for travel and other purchases. Finally, Fabulis has an asymmetric friendship model: You can “follow” people who don’t follow you back, just like Twitter. And Fabulis also has messaging with autocomplete, so you can keep in touch with all your contacts without having to navigate around the site too much. All in all, this new website has grabbed some of the best elements from incredibly beautiful, successful and viral web applications and given them a treatment that is, well, fabulous. Startups, if you want to see a new, niche network done right, get over to Fabulis and start taking notes. And to the Fabulis founders, we want to ask: When will you roll out a site for the sisters? Lesbians and other queer women should get a Fabulis of their own — and we think advertisers and corporate partners would agree with us on this. The site still has a few bugs scampering around, but Fabulis uses Get Satisfaction for users to report issues or file complaints. We encourage you to give the site a try and let us know what you think about it in the comments. Reviews: Facebook, Get Satisfaction, MySpace, Twitter, Vimeo More About: gay, gay men, social network For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

HOW TO: Rescue Your Blog From Social Isolation Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:12 PM PDT Let’s face it: You never really leave high school. The Internet realm is no different. It can be hard to get your freshman blog noticed among the teeming masses of digital domains. Why? Last year the total tally of blogs hit 126 million, according to BlogPulse. That’s a big class to climb to the top of. We’re not saying you have to be head cheerleader, but it would be nice to get noticed. So if the only IP address StatCounter has to report is your own, and your comments section features a chorus of crickets rivaling that field behind the cabin you visited last weekend (and posted about in painful detail), face it: Your blog is that pathetic, friendless kid who skulks under the jungle gym at recess and reads Lois Lowry books in the bathroom during lunchtime. Consider this your letter home to the parents — no blog deserves that kind of social exclusion. Read on to pinpoint and correct its reader-repelling ways. And so begins my Netiquette column on CNN, which I write with my Stuff Hipsters Hate co-founder, Andrea Bartz. Head on over to C to the NN for more. Check out the column at CNN.com >> image courtesy of iStockphoto, sdominick Reviews: iStockphoto More About: blog, humor, pop culture, social media For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

7 Hackathons Around the World and on the Web Posted: 30 Jun 2010 07:12 PM PDT This series is supported by Rackspace, the better way to do hosting. Learn more about Rackspace’s hosting solutions here. Sometimes, there’s nothing quite as entertaining and exhilarating as a 48-hour break from the norm to hack together a new app for profit or pleasure. While a lot of you might spend your weekends coding and designing side projects, others prefer the structure — and inability to procrastinate — of an event. A hackathon, if you will. Twitter, Facebook, Google and a lot of other major tech companies host these events periodically, as well; keep an eye on each company’s developer channel to stay informed about upcoming Developer Garages, Hack Days and Code Jams. While you wait for those events to roll around, however, here are a handful of web and IRL hacker events designed to keep your minds limber and your GitHub repositories fresh. If you’re lucky, you just might get a working side project (or a working team) out of it. 1. Startup Weekend The idea of Startup Weekend is that over the course of two and a half days a group of hackers and designers can take a web or mobile app idea from a concept to a (mostly) functioning product ready to be pitched to VCs and press. The event takes place in a real-world space; you can code through the night or bring a sleeping bag. This event is the brainchild of Andrew Hyde, a staffer at TechStars, mentorship-driven seed stage investment program. The first Startup Weekend took place in 2007 in startup hotbed, Boulder, Colorado. Today, Startup Weekend events have been held in cities all over the U.S. and all over the world. To find an upcoming event near you, just check the website. Best of all, if a Startup Weekend hasn’t been planned in your community, you can work with the organizers to start one yourself. 2. Node Knockout Node.js Knockout is a 48-hour node.js coding contest held on the web. This year’s Knockout will take place from August 28-29, from midnight to midnight. According to the rules of the contest, you can work on any imaginable web project; but you have to start from scratch and work with no more than 3 other people. You can use node.js and anything else you like. Why node, you might ask? The event’s organizers, who clearly have a deep and abiding love for this server-side, evented I/O framework, write on the site, “It's at the bleeding edge of a technology stack that allows developers to blur the lines between software, the web, and the new like never before.” If node’s on your list of tech to learn, this might be the perfect motivation. 3. SuperHappyDevHouse Co-founded by David Weekly (of PBWorks fame), SuperHappyDevHouse (SHDH) is a concept event that gave birth to and is now part of Hacker Dojo, a kind of hacker community center based in Silicon Valley. It’s what you might consider one of the first of its kind: Part party, part hackathon, part serious, all innovative. SHDH events have been held on a roughly monthly basis since its inception in 2005. This concept has also given rise to DevHouse events all over the world, from Pittsburgh and Austin to Cologne and Guadalajara. And if you want to start your own DevHouse event, that’s just fine by Weekly, et al. 4. PyWeek If you like Python and you like games, have we got a hackathon for you. PyWeek is coming up and will run from August 22-29. This web-based contest gives teams seven full days to build a working game from scratch. The game has to be fun (duh), and it should probably contribute in some way to the currently available body of knowledge about game development. Also, each game should incorporate a predetermined theme. We’re not sure what August’s theme will be; if you’re interested, check the website again in a couple weeks. 5. Yahoo Hack Day Yahoo’s Hack Days have been going on for some time now. They occur periodically in cities around the world and at universities, too. Next month, Yahoo is sponsoring an Open Hack Day in Bangalore on July 24 and 25, and upcoming “Hack U” events at schools and colleges will be announced soon. Yahoo does a lot to support and motivate developers these days. In addition to hosting Hack Days, the company is also running a contest with Paypal to get devs to use Paypal’s APIs and Yahoo’s dev tools (YQL, for example) to create innovative applications. The contest allows for about one month of development time, and registration begins on August 1. One benefit of this contest is the impressive cash prizes offered to winners. 6. Django Dash Another popular, Python-flavored, single-technology-based contest is the Django Dash. This fairly popular framework is used as a starting point for a 48-hour code-a-thon. This year, devs will form teams of up to three members and have two days (from midnight on August 13 until 11:59 p.m. on August 14) to create open-source apps. The event’s organizers see the dash as a great way “for Django enthusiasts to flex their coding skills a little and put a fine point on ‘perfectionists with deadlines.’” 7. Rails Rumble Later this fall, from October 15-17, the famous Rails Rumble will pit teams of Ruby devs against one another in a 48-hour, web-based challenge. This contest is the one that spawned events such as the Django Dash and Node Knockout, from the cleverly alliterative titles to the 2-days-one-technology format. Teams can be as large as four people or as small as one hacker flying solo. You can use Rails or another Rack-based framework to build and deploy a web app. As a former Rumble judge, I can attest that the codemanship is impressive in this contest, and the resulting apps engender a lasting fascination. Of course, you can always start a hackathon of your own, either in your local hacker enclave or on the web. If you do so, be sure to tell us about it. And if we left out your favorite time-limited developer contest, feel free to enlighten us in the comments. [Full disclosure: Mashable Editor Josh Catone's web site Rails Forum has been a sponsor of the Rails Rumble.] Series supported by Rackspace Rackspace is the better way to do hosting. No more worrying about web hosting uptime. No more spending your time, energy and resources trying to stay on top of things like patching, updating, monitoring, backing up data and the like. Learn why. [img credit: superamit, mastermaq, Laughing Squid, and nachof] Reviews: Facebook, Google, Python, Twitter More About: django dash, hack day, hackathon, hacker, hacker event For more Dev & Design coverage: Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Mozilla Submits Firefox Home to iPhone App Store Posted: 30 Jun 2010 06:19 PM PDT Mozilla has submitted Firefox Home, its first official iPhone app, to Apple’s App Store. It may be the closest thing we ever see to Firefox on the iPhone. Firefox Home is not like Fennec, the official mobile version of the Firefox browser, currently in pre-alpha for Android. Instead, it is an app that provides users access to their Firefox bookmarks, browsing history, and open tabs. It also has an “Awesome Bar,” which helps you find the websites you frequent the most on your desktop. The app works by hooking up with the Firefox Sync add-on. We expect Apple to approve Firefox Home without much trouble. After all, Apple approved Opera Mini, and it essentially competes with Safari Mobile as your iPhone’s browser. Firefox Home looks to be a great addition to any heavy Firefox user’s arsenal. Will you download Firefox Home if and when it comes out on the App Store? Let us know in the comments. Reviews: Android, App Store, Firefox More About: Fennec, Firefox, Firefox Home, mozilla For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

iOS and Android Continue to Battle for Supremacy [STATS] Posted: 30 Jun 2010 05:50 PM PDT AdMob released its May 2010 Mobile Metrics Report today. In addition to giving the latest information on devices and usage share in the U.S. online, the report also looks at emerging trends over the last two years. The big takeaways should be familiar to mobile stats watchers: iPhone and iOS devices continue to dominate worldwide but Android is making big gains as a platform and experiencing large month-over-month and year-over-year gains, especially in the U.S. You can check out the entire AdMob report below, but we’re going to touch on some of the highlights. Device and OS Marketshare Worldwide On the marketshare front, Apple was the number one device manufacturer worldwide with 30% of all ad requests coming from its products. Nokia was in second place with 23%. While Apple rules in North America, Western Europe and Oceania, Nokia is the leading manufacturer in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. When it comes to operating system, Apple’s iOS was again the leading platform for smartphones worldwide, with 40% of all ad requests (and this included only iPhone devices, not iPod touch or iPad units) but Android is gaining quickly and had 26% of all ad requests worldwide. You can see from this graph how much Android has grown since August of 2009. Comparing iOS and Android In the May report, AdMob does extensive comparisons between iOS and Android. As noted last month, iOS devices are much more diversified with less than half of all iOS devices located in North America. Conversely, 67% of Android devices are in North America, with China coming in second place with 13%. Looking at the broader global reach, you can see that while the percentage of unique Android devices is catching up to the number of iPhone devices in the US (total iOS numbers are still more than double), from a worldwide perspective, Android still lags behind. This will change over time, especially as more phones are rolled out overseas and deals are struck with other carriers, but global reach remains Android’s biggest spot for opportunity. Who Buys Apps? While the download habits of Android and iPhone users remain similar, iPhone and iPod touch users regularly download paid applications far more often than either Android or webOS apps. In fact, looking at that data, webOS users buy apps more regularly than Android users. While Android is obviously a much more attractive marketplace for mobile developers, that’s still an interesting note. As we’ve discussed before, sheer marketshare isn’t the only thing that determines how much a developer or development company will invest in a mobile platform — if that were the case, Symbian development and BlackBerry development would be outpacing iOS and Android. Another important factor in encouraging developers to invest time in a platform is the number of customers willing to buy applications. In this area, iOS users clearly out pace the other platforms. This of course, feeds the cycle. More developers treat iOS as the top-tier development platform because more users buy applications. That leads to higher quality apps and more sales and so on and so forth. In many ways, we see Android’s biggest challenge not in gaining marketshare but in competing as an application platform. After all, if you can only pick one platform, many developers will go with the company that has paid out $1 billion to its developers over the last two years. That company is Apple. It’s Just the Beginning The overriding them in AdMob’s mobile report is how far the mobile industry has come in just two years. If you compare where we were two or three years ago to where we are today, the landscape is markedly different. That’s why it’s important to note that no matter what the numbers are showing today, they may not necessarily be indicative of the future. This is an explosive industry with so many growth points, what we see today may be vastly different from what we see in two years. What do you think about the direction the mobile market is heading? Let us know! Reviews: Android More About: admob, android, iOS, ipad, iphone For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Facebook for iPhone Updated to Support iOS 4 and Fast App Switching Posted: 30 Jun 2010 04:22 PM PDT Today Facebook has released an update to its popular iPhone application with support for iOS 4. Most notably, version 3.1.4 of Facebook for iPhone [iTunes link] now supports fast app switching and high-resolution icons. The refreshed application also purports to include bug fixes, which — in our tests — have made the application more stable. While feature-wise, Facebook has yet to introduce anything new, the refreshed version looks and feels more pristine with iOS4-compatibility. Of course, there’s still no word on Facebook for iPad, so this update will have to quell your mobile Facebook desires for the time being. Reviews: Facebook More About: facebook, iOS4, iphone app For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Acquired By Amazon? Have Your Monkey Rap About It [VIDEO] Posted: 30 Jun 2010 03:41 PM PDT Earlier today, Amazon acquired Woot, the popular website network that helped pioneer the deal-a-day shopping model (one dominated by Groupon). The acquisition announcement was made via a humorous blog post and even more hilarious letter by Woot CEO Matt Rutledge. If you’re not familiar with the Woot culture, we summarize it in one word: bonkers. Everything from the product descriptions to the brand itself is designed for maximum hilarity and entertainment. Today is no different. Woot’s famous Screaming Monkey has taken to YouTube to rap about its new Amazonian overlords. I won’t spoil the two minute, 46 second rap for you though; you have to see it for yourself. Let us know what you think of the Woot monkey’s rap and the acquisition itself in the comments. Reviews: YouTube More About: acquisition, amazon, business, woot, youtube For more Web Video coverage: Follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Web Video channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Google Revamps Google News Posted: 30 Jun 2010 02:58 PM PDT Today Google is releasing a redesigned version of their Google News site to English-language users in the U.S. The update focuses on presenting news stories happening around the world and locally in a way that is more customizable and user-centric. The purpose of the new look is all about surfacing news items tailored to individual users. The “News for you” section is the biggest addition in this area and displays stories in a section or list view based on users’ specified interests in topics like Business, Sports or their own preferred subject matters. Also, Google News now includes a feature that enables users to select which news sources they would like to see more or less often. Settings can be tweaked in the News Settings section with Google reconfiguring the rankings for sources on stories based on users’ personal tastes. The big news stories of the day, however, are now displayed underneath the aptly named Top Stories section in the left-hand column. Here Google News will provide links to the coverage happening around the major news items for the day. The right-hand column of Google News has also been overhauled to serve as a place for locally-focused, breaking news and less time-sensitive content. Here users will find recent stories, local weather and local news. The Spotlight section rounds out the column with stories that should remain relevant over time. Watch the video below for a more visually descriptive look at the new Google News. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, fotosipsak Reviews: Google, Google News, iStockphoto, news, sports More About: Google, google news For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

RIP Microsoft Kin Posted: 30 Jun 2010 02:08 PM PDT Microsoft has decided to kill off the Kin, two Microsoft-branded phones targeted at teenager users, we have confirmed. The Kin, formerly known as “Project Pink,” was revealed in April and lauched on the Verizon network in May. However, ominous signs emerged for the phone’s demise after Microsoft cut the price of the Kin in half. However, it doesn’t look like it was enough — the Kin until will be folded into the Windows Phone 7 team after abysmal sales and millions of dollars lost in R&D and marketing. Here is Microsoft’s official statement on the Kin: "Microsoft has made the decision to focus on the Windows Phone 7 launch and will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones." While the Kin isn’t going away completely, it’s clear that the Kin has not met expectations and Microsoft is shifting resources elsewhere. More About: Kin, Microsoft Kin For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

70,000+ People Get Facebook Tagged in Huge Panoramic Photo Posted: 30 Jun 2010 01:53 PM PDT At last weekend’s Glastonbury Festival, the legendary UK music and performing arts event, a huge photo was taken of 70,000 enthusiastic fans. Now this picture, which was snapped during the halftime of the England-Slovenia World Cup Match, is being circulated around the web and tagged via Facebook Connect. The panoramic photograph has already been tagged with thousands of people and is, in all likelihood, the most-tagged photo in existence. The experience is a bit like Where’s Waldo for the digital age, where oddly dressed cartoon characters are replaced by real people. If you enable Facebook Connect, you can tag yourself and your friends. Just be a good sport, and don’t tag people you know aren’t in the photo. That would ruin the game for everyone, wouldn’t it? In addition to this fascinating exercise in photo-tagging, the Glastonbury organizers have also developed a cool mobile app for navigating the festival, including current and upcoming acts on various stages, exits, amenities and more in an augmented-reality interface. Kudos to that team for making such great use of available digital media tools. The Glastonbury Festival is the largest open-air music and performing arts festival in existence. Although Glastonbury is best known for showcasing musical groups, it also features dance, cabaret, theater, comedy, circus and other types of acts. Would you like to see more massive photos from events like this tagged via Facebook? What do you think about this from a viral marketing perspective? Reviews: Facebook More About: facebook, glastonbury, photo, Tagging For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Woot Acquired by Amazon Posted: 30 Jun 2010 01:27 PM PDT Amazon has acquired popular deal-a-day website Woot. The announcement was made on the Woot Blog. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Woot will remain an independent, autonomous entity, much like Zappos when it was acquired last year by the online shopping giant. Here is the full text from Woot’s announcement of the deal: “Holy crap! Woot has signed an agreement with Amazon – yes, the Amazon – to become an independent subsidiary of the ecommerce colossus. Woot HQ will remain in Carrollton, Texas, and will operate as autonomously as other Amazon companies like Zappos and Audible. More details forthcoming after we pick our eyeballs up off of the floor. Anybody see where Lefty rolled off to?” And now the full letter from Matt Rutledge, Woot CEO, to employees. In typical Woot fashion, it’s off-the-wall and hilarious: Woot CEO Matt Rutledge’s Letter to Employees “I know I say this every time I find a picture of an adorable kitten, but please set aside 20 minutes to carefully read this entire email. Today is a big day in Woot history. This morning, I woke up to find Jeff Bezos the Mighty had seized our magic sword. Using the Arthurian model as a corporate structure was something our CFO had warned against from the very beginning, but now that's water under the bridge. What is important is that our company is on the verge of becoming a part of the Amazon.com dynasty. And our plans for Grail.Woot are on indefinite hold. Over the next few days, you will probably read headlines that say "Matt Rutledge revealed to be monstrous pseudo-human creation of Jeff Bezos." You might even see this photo making the rounds. Rest assured that these rumors have nothing to do with our final decision. We think now is the right time to join with Amazon because, quite simply, every company that becomes a subsidiary gets two free downloads until the end of July, and we very much need that new thing with Trent Reznor's wife on our iPods. Other than that, we plan to continue to run Woot the way we have always run Woot – with a wall of ideas and a dartboard. From a practical point of view, it will be as if we are simply adding one person to the organizational hierarchy, except that one person will just happen to be a billion-dollar company that could buy and sell each and every one of you like you were office furniture. Nevertheless, don't worry that our culture will suddenly take a leap forward and become cutting-edge. We're still going to be the same old bottom-feeders our customers and readers have come to know and love, and each and every one of their pre-written insult macros will still be just as valid in a week, two weeks, or even next year. For Woot, our vision remains the same: somehow earning a living on snarky commentary and junk. We are excited about doing this for all sorts of reasons. One, our business model is so vague that there's no way Amazon can possibly change what it is we're truly doing: preparing the way for the rise of the Lava Men in 2012. Also, our deal means that Jason Toon will finally be released from that Mexican jail owned by Zappos honcho Tony Hsieh. No, don't lie, Tony, we've seen the paperwork. And we need a powerful ally in case Steve Jobs finally breaks down and comes after us for all our Apple jokes over the years. Don't think of it as a buyout; think of it as NATO! I will go through each of the above points in more detail later, but first, let me get to the top 5 burning questions that I'm guessing many of you will have. TOP 5 BURNING QUESTIONS: Q: F1RST!!!! A: Okay, that's not a question, but it is a good place to mention that our forums will still be policed by a team of moderators, as before. And also, Woot's previous and always-in-effect privacy policy will still be just as always-in-effect, so don't worry, there are no plans to suddenly give up or merge your forum data. Q: Is Snapster leaving? A: Are you kidding? He's out the door about ten seconds after that check clea- that is to say, Snapster will continue as Woot.com CEO, just like before, and the rest of our staff's not going anywhere either. Woot and all our various sites will continue to be an independently operated company full of horrible, useless products and an untalented jerkface writing staff, same as it ever was. Q: Will the Woot culture change? A: Amazon is interested in us because they recognize the value of our people, our brand, and our unique style of deep-tissue, toxin-releasing massage. And they don’t want to start changing things now. Amazon’s hoping our nutty Woot steez continues to grow and develop (and perhaps even rubs off on them a little). They're not looking to have their folks come in and run Woot unless we ask them to, which incidentally you can do by turning off the bathroom lights and saying the word "Kindle" three times; a helpful Amazon employee will appear in the mirror. That said, Amazon clearly knows what they’re doing in a lot of areas, so we're geeked about the opportunities to tap into that knowledge and those resources, especially on the technology side. This is about making the Woot brand, culture, and business even stronger than it is today, and we expect that any changes will be for the better or we wouldn’t bother with this endless paperwork. Q: Where can I get one of those vuvuzelas? A: Are you even paying attention? Several months ago, when we were all sitting on Jeff Bezos's bumper drinking orange Mad Dog and trying not to be noticed, we heard a voice in the distance yelling "You kids better not scratch my Mercedes or I'm calling the cops!" We ran. It was later that night when Amazon came by the house and said they liked our style and also wanted to get that money we owed them for messing up the chrome. We like to think that our relationship with Amazon will continue at this level for many, many, many years to come. But we here at Woot are still a thoughtful company, so, at the end of the day, I watched the sunset, and its golden-hued glory made me think about two questions: 1) Is there really a universal deity? 2) Does such a thing preclude free will or are we humans in control of our own destiny? After spending a lot of time falling asleep at the library while facing the philosophy books, I determined that the concept of destiny is a construct that allows man a gentle release from facing the terror of his existence, and that a Hyundai full of twenties would pretty much offer the same benefits. And so, I ultimately said YES! This is definitely an emotional day for me. The feelings I'm experiencing are similar to what I felt in college on graduation day: excitement about getting a check from my folks combined with nausea from a hellacious bender the night before. I remember fondly that time when an RA turned on the lights and yelled "WHO OWNS THESE PANTS?" Except this time, the pants are a company, and the RA is you, and the sixty five hours of community service is a deal that will ensure the Woot.com experience can continue to grow for years and years and years, like a black mold behind the Gold Box. Join us, because together, we can rule the galaxy as father and son. Also, there will be six muffins waiting in the company break room, courtesy of the nice folks at Amazon.com. Welcome to the family! Matt Rutledge CEO, Woot” More About: amazon, woot For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Teens Experiencing Facebook Fatigue [STUDY] Posted: 30 Jun 2010 01:02 PM PDT Online gaming site Roiworld surveyed 600 teens ages 13 to 17 in late April and found that teens spend two hours per day online on average, 80% of which is spent using a social network. These same teens are, however, showing signs of “Facebook Fatigue.” Nearly one in five (19%) who have an account no longer visit Facebook or are using it less. Of the group that are saying goodbye to Facebook, 45% have lost interest, 16% are leaving because their parents are there, 14% say there are “too many adults/older people” and 13% are concerned about the privacy of their personal information. While interest in Facebook may be waning, it’s still the most popular social network among teens — 78% have created a profile and 69% still use it. YouTube ranks second; 64% of teens claim to have a YouTube profile and continue to use the site. MySpace comes in a distant third (41%) and Twitter takes the fourth spot (20%). The study also suggests that the teens that continue to stick to Facebook do so primarily to play games. Roiworld found that more than one-third of the teens who play games on Facebook admit to spending at least 50% of their time on the site immersed in gameplay. The online gaming trend extends far beyond Facebook, as 75% of surveyed teens claim to play games on the web. It seems obvious that the newest generation of online users would have few qualms about spending money online, and this study supports that theory. The research purports that 43% of teens using social sites have spent money within a social network. They’re purchasing items such as currency for virtual items (35%), music (33%), avatar accessories (30%) and points to level up (23%). Nearly half of this crowd (49%) indicate that they have an allowance for such expenditures. For more on how teens are spending their time and money online, check out a portion of The Teens and Social Networks study embedded below. Teens Study June 2010 [img credit: foreversouls] Reviews: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube More About: facebook, social media, study, teens For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The Rise of Comedy on Twitter Posted: 30 Jun 2010 12:28 PM PDT This Twitter Trends Series is supported by Bing.™ Check out the Bing Local Twitter Trends Map on Mashable. It takes only a quick glance at the most “faved” and retweeted updates to know that tweeters love the funny. A good 140-character quip is a jewel in any Twitter feed, and the network has impacted humor for pros and amateurs alike. If you tweet with the right crowd, Twitter can be a hilarious non-stop party. And if you follow professional comedians who use Twitter well, you’ve got a free, live, unfiltered stand-up show right in your feed. Many humor pros have used the medium to reignite their careers and reach new fans. But is Twitter humor different from “traditional” humor? And what happens when the television, publishing, and performance industries are set aside in favor of direct “social” comedy? We spoke with some hilarious tweeters to get their take on these trends, and on what it means to get a laugh in the digital age. The One-Liner Renaissance You’ve only got 140 characters to fit the setup, punchline, and some breathing room for retweets. Depending on your comedic style, Twitter might be the perfect medium, or your greatest challenge. In either case, the cap has propagated a culture of “one-liners” or “riffs,” and the funniest of the Twitterati have been hitting them home for some time. “The people that get a lot of play [on the funniest Twitterers lists] are people who keep it really simple,” said comedian and writer Paul F. Tompkins, who hosted VH1’s Best Week Ever and tweets regularly in between stand-up gigs. “In that arena, it’s so digestible. You get it: This is a joke.” “Even the longest stories in your act should be succinct,” said stand-up comedian and writer Steve Hofstetter. “Twitter’s focus on the economy of words is a good thing.” For pros who have been joking in other media, it takes some work to adapt. “I enjoy the challenge of, How can I sound like me in 140 characters?” said Tompkins. The writers and performers of the 90s cult comedy TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000 have found Twitter to be the perfect channel for their brand of one-liner comedy. Their more recent venture, RiffTrax, is their digital way of talking back to bad movies, and their promotion is highly social. “We have been working in the quip business for quite a while, so [Twitter] works well for us,” said Michael J. Nelson of RiffTrax. “But I think it’s allowed people to find their comedic ‘voices’ in an environment somewhat safer than a bar. Fewer Piña Coladas being blended during your punchlines. Less flying food.” “It’s amazing how much people love delivering one-liners. It’s like crack,” said Kevin Murphy of RiffTrax. “You could say it’s cultivated a more literary form of one-liner. Hasn’t cut down on the volume of dick jokes, though.” “It’s not surprising that a big share of riffs we put into a RiffTrax movie are 140 characters or less. WE HAVE BEEN TRAINING ALL OUR LIVES FOR THIS,” Murphy added with capitalized emphasis in an e-mail interview. The flip side is, there’s no filter. The publishers, editors and producers through which we have traditionally gotten our comedy don’t exist on Twitter. So you get the good with the bad. “Good: There’s a lot of genuine wit out there, from many different and unexpected quarters,” said Bill Corbett, the third comic brain behind RiffTrax. “Bad: The Tweet-groaners that are trying way too hard, and still seem too long at 140 characters. So it’s a renaissance just like the actual Renaissance: Amazing art, but with occasional outbreaks of bubonic plague.” Social Performance Funny, audience-building tweeters, as well as established Twitter-savvy celebs can click a button and send laughs out to hundreds, even thousands of fans. There’s no gig to arrange, book to publish, or episode to shoot. It’s become a very direct and personal form of comedy for many writers. “I think the ‘publish yourself, whenever you want!’ aspect of Twitter greatly appeals to professional writers and comedians,” said Corbett. “Most of us have the faith, and perhaps the arrogance, to believe that we are almost always worth hearing or reading. Most of us are mistaken, of course,” he added, including himself in this category. “The idea of playing whenever you want to an ever-waiting audience is rather addictive.” Tompkins views it as a much more social experience than performing via traditional channels. “I end up thinking of it in way more intimate terms because people are talking to me directly when [they] respond to what I’ve written. I don’t think of it as 50,000+ people expectantly looking at me,” he said. “It just feels to me like I’m another person on Twitter. I read other people’s stuff, so it’s like, ‘Here’s my contribution to what everybody’s talking about.’” The real game-changer for performers seems to be in the dialogue. “One of the things that’s been so great is to find out that my fans are funny. The people that like me are actually funny people themselves,” said Tompkins. “That’s so satisfying and so flattering. It’s like, ‘Wow, smart, funny people like what I do.’” But Hofstetter has reservations about how much Twitter is impacting traditional comic reach. “Well, most comedians aren’t playing to thousands on [Twitter]. I don’t think it’s changing the industry, as it’s exceedingly rare for someone to get famous [from] Twitter. Typically, the famous people have a big audience and the non-famous people do not.” The Perfect Marketing Channel Plenty of businesses look for ways to be fun or personal on social networks in order to build a market for their products. For many tweeting comedians, the medium is the message, and snagging “LOLs” on Twitter is both an art and a marketing strategy. “It’s changed my way of looking at promotion, really,” said Tompkins. “How do I boil down my essence in this very limited amount of space to give people an idea of me and the way that I’m funny to maximum effect? It’s been an enormous boon for my career.” Tompkins noted that Facebook Groups come in handy as well for organizing attendees at his live performances. When enough fans commit to a show in a particular city, he’ll book it and perform for them. Twitter is a way to drive people back to the Facebook Groups, and get the word out about committed performance dates. “There’s always conjecture with social networks about ‘how long is it going to last,’ and ‘people are done with that one, now they’re on to this one.’ For people like me, it’s not all one or the other. It’s using all of them in conjunction with one another to cover all your bases. And it’s fairly easy to do,” Tompkins said. In addition to their in-studio work, the RiffTrax crew also perform “live riffs” on movies which are simulcasted to theaters nationwide. Much of their Twitter engagement — which includes contests, giveaways, etc. — revolves around these events, and the performers tend to get the most play when tweeting with fans from their personal accounts. “I don’t have huge numbers of followers, but I suspect a large percentage of those I do have actually care, at least a little bit,” said Nelson. “So people are happy to hear when we have events coming up.” “We announce to our tweeps, and then they spread the word,” Murphy added. “People link up, meet up at events, tell each other about the surprise live events we’ve been known to do. It’s a hell of a lot more fun and exciting for people than looking at an ad.” Corbett concurred. “I wouldn’t expect people to follow or enjoy a constant commercial, but I think it’s fine to promote your work in the context of a mostly for-fun account. Mike, Kevin and I all seem to follow that pattern, actually, whereas the RiffTrax account is mostly business.” But the line between performance and promotion can be a delicate one. “I have people unfollow me, and they’re like, ‘It’s too much self-promotion, I’m just here for the comedy, so I’m unfollowing you,’” said Tompkins. “So what you’re saying to me is, ‘Hey, you’re not giving me enough comedy for free, so I’m bailing on you.’” “[T]he relative anonymity allows people to heckle you and run,” Nelson added. For comic tweeters, it’s about finding the right balance. “We never really stay too serious in any of the four accounts. That would be just plain weird, given what we do,” said Corbett. The Culture of Riff One trend that has arisen in snarkier Twitter circles is the habit of talking back to popular culture in real-time. Tweeters riff on live television, sports, and the news regularly. And depending on who you follow, the results can be hilarious. “Oh, I love it,” said Tompkins. “I think of Oscar night for something like that. To see a bunch of funny people all making comments in real-time as this thing’s happening — that’s like a gigantic party with the funniest people you could imagine. It’s great.” “It has made live television relevant as fodder, I suppose. Though I’ve worked in TV, I’m delighted to see anything that makes it less passive and brain-deadening,” said Corbett. “Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of a culture where everyone riffs everything all the time. It could get so self-referential that the universe swallows itself. On the more positive side, people seem happy when they’re creative and interacting with each other, especially for some laughs. It’s hard to think of that as all bad.” “[I]t gives the audience a voice of their own,” added Murphy. “And that’s really damn cool.” The “LOL” vs. Real Live Laughter For the average humor-tweeter who doesn’t have access to a comedy club stage or her own television show, 140-character accolades will have to suffice. But for the current generation of pros who cut their teeth on stage and screen, a retweet or an “LOL” is nice, but not quite the same as the real thing. “It’s great to hear that people are laughing and retweeting, but a laugh from an audience is something special — sort of a neutron star of delight,” said Murphy. “Nothing beats a real, live laugh for maximum joy in the moment, unless that laugh is from a mad scientist bent on world domination. Then it’s a little awkward,” Corbett added. But all the comics we spoke to noted that the retweet has become something special for humorists — something that doesn’t have an exact real-world equivalent. “What’s really gratifying to me is when people pass on the things that I’ve written,” said Tompkins. “I’m really flattered that people are passing my ‘message of comedy’ along.” “A retweet is more gratifying than a laugh,” Hofstetter added. “It’s the equivalent of someone re-telling one of your jokes after a show. And not botching it.” Time will tell if comics who start out in social media (on Twitter, blogs, and the like) will ever be able to reach the mainstream audiences that their predecessors did through television, film and print. We’ve already seen some crossover, and we expect more of it as newer artists use social media as a starting point, rather than a supplementary channel. For the moment though, entertainment, like all industries, straddles the line as it sorts out its digital future. To wit, Tompkins added, “As much as I love the Internet, nothing beats real life.” This Twitter Trends Series is supported by Bing.™ Check out the Bing Local Twitter Trends Map on Mashable. More Twitter Resources From Mashable: - HOW TO: Help New Users Stay Engaged on Twitter - 5 Terrific Tools for Keeping Tabs on Twitter Trends - What Twitter Places Means for the Future of Location - 20 Resources for Displaying Twitter Updates - HOW (NOT) TO: Annoy People on Twitter [Img Credit: Pasquale D'Silva] Reviews: Bing, Facebook, Internet, Mashable, Twitter More About: bing-twitter-trends, comedians, comedy, entertainment, funny, interview, interviews, social media, trends, twitter, twitter trends For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Keep Your Social Media Connections Organized with Cliqset 2.0 Posted: 30 Jun 2010 12:10 PM PDT Social networking service Cliqset has just released what it is dubbing Cliqset 2.0, giving the service a pretty solid overhaul in the process. Cliqset is a website that lets you manage multiple identity streams in one interface, making sharing and discovering information more manageable. The new release brings in a completely refreshed dashboard, stronger Twitter integration, support for Foursquare and Status.net, and an easier way to find and follow users. Cliqset can integrate with more than 70 different social services, including Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, LinkedIn and dozens of others. You can pull in and push out content from your social networks. Full Twitter Integration Cliqset has always had strong support for Twitter, but it now supports the Twitter API at nearly every level. Every Twitter feature, save user lists, are natively supported by the site. That means your @replies and direct messages, as well as Trending Topics, are all viewable and accessible within Cliqset. It also means that when you reply to a tweet in Cliqset, it will automatically show up on Twitter as if you are replying with any other client. That makes your Twitter experience a lot more seamless altogether. Additionally, you can easily view all of the replies to another user’s tweet in your stream and easily follow or unfollow users all from within Cliqset. The improved Twitter integration also extends to signup. You can now sign up for Cliqset with your preexisting Twitter, Facebook, Google or Yahoo account, eliminating one more barrier for membership. Better User Discovery Perhaps the best new feature of Cliqset is that finding and following users is now much, much easier. In the past, the biggest problem I had with Cliqset and similar services was that in order to get any added value, my friends needed to be Cliqset members. Unless I just fed in a syndicated (and thus, non-interactive) feed of content, I could really only communicate with my Twitter or Facebook friends who had also signed up for Cliqset. That’s now changed. Because of the way Cliqset interacts with Twitter and Google Buzz, you can now search for users across the entire social web and start following them from Cliqset, even if they don’t have a Cliqset account. If that user does sign-up for Cliqset later on, Cliqset is smart enough to consolidate that connection and allow access to Cliqset-specific features. This is great news because coupled with an easier sign-up process, it means that the site is now infinitely more accessible for finding people and interesting topics. More Support For More Services Cliqset supports the Salmon API and messaging system so that you can send a message to anyone who is using a Salmon-enabled service, like Status.net. That means you can create private, customized messages that are sent out to a variety of users from different account types. Cliqset now also supports geolocation and you can use it to directly check in to Foursquare. In your Cliqset stream, you’ll see an embedded map of your location updated to your stream and that info will also be pushed out to Foursquare. Plans for the Future I asked Cliqset CEO Darren Bounds about the company’s plans for mobile devices, and he told me that Cliqset is focused on bringing a HTML5-optimized mobile site to devices like the iPhone, the iPad and Android. However, Cliqset has also just updated its API, meaning that developers can build mobile or desktop apps based on Cliqset’s new features. I think a mobile-optimized site for Cliqset is a great idea and I hope someone takes up the cause to create a Cliqset mobile client. In its current implementation, Cliqset offers a lot of value for users who want a way to aggregate various streams without losing out on ways to actually use those services. Moving Forward We like the direction the new Cliqset is taking. By making it easier to sign up and improving integration with other services like Twitter for discovery, Cliqset is now offering a lot of value that separates it from many other services. The fact that I can find and follow Twitter or Buzz users who don’t use Cliqset is huge. We hope that sort of integration continues with other services like Facebook, because it’s a feature that makes Cliqset infinitely more usable and useful. The content and social aggregation game first kicked off by FriendFeed and expanded to a certain degree with Google Buzz is still evolving, but solutions like Cliqset provide a nice real-time, web-based alternative that truly does make managing many social connections easier and less noisy. What do you think of the new Cliqset? How do you organize your presence on and use of multiple social networks? Disclosure: Cliqset is a past Mashable sponsor. Reviews: Android, Cliqset, Facebook, Foursquare, FriendFeed, Google, Google Buzz, LinkedIn, Mashable, Twitter More About: cliqset, facebook, friendfeed, google buzz, social aggregation, social media tools, twitter For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Facebook Apps Must Now Ask Users for More Specific Permissions Posted: 30 Jun 2010 11:50 AM PDT Facebook is rolling out new permissions guidelines for apps that access user information. With these new permissions, all Facebook apps will have to specifically ask you for profile information that they plan to use. A Facebook rep said to us in an e-mail that these extra steps for apps will give users “more control over which information they are sharing with applications, as well as a better understanding of what they are giving access to in exchange for services on Facebook Platform.” For example, if you’re using Facebook Connect to play with JibJab’s app, JibJab has to ask you for specific access to your photos, videos, friends’ photos and friends’ birthdays. Here’s what the new permissions dialog will look like: This development was previously announced at f8, Facebook’s developer conference, which was held in April. These extra measures will likely be a welcome change for users, who saw new privacy controls debut last month, a move that has largely silenced a PR furor over Facebook privacy issues. Facebook CTO Bret Taylor said in a blog post this morning, “These improvements reflect two core Facebook beliefs: first, your data belongs to you; second, it should be easy to control what you share.” Do you think these more specific app permissions are a good thing for Facebook users? Reviews: Facebook More About: facebook, Facebook app, permissions For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Why Social Experience is the Future of Online Content Posted: 30 Jun 2010 11:32 AM PDT Jon Goldman is CEO of the multiuser content-sharing platform Qlipso, which recently acquired the assets of online video site Veoh.com. He lives and works in Los Angeles. Every time you navigate from website to website, or video to video, you're driven by the experience. And yet, when we share content online — whether it's scrolling through a Flickr photostream from your friend's wedding, or a live-streaming video — we are often left feeling that something is missing; that for all of the attention on social networking, there are few social media experiences that match the fun of hanging out together with friends in person. The old debate about what is more valuable — content or distribution — doesn't capture the whole picture because it's the user experience that counts. It's pretty clear now that social interaction is a key factor in driving “stickiness.” We want to socialize, interact and engage around content. So why has this type of interaction been missing from most digital media experiences? One way to look at this is through the lens of the music industry. Lessons from the Music Industry The music industry offers an excellent case study of the unhappy ending online video could face if we forget the importance of social interaction. By now, everyone knows the tale of how the music industry largely shunned technological improvements in distribution in the early 2000s, just as downloading portals, such as Napster, offered consumers a more engaging and efficient means of acquiring music. The decades-old distribution model for music was dead. But the new distribution model for music, while revolutionary and largely beneficial, was inherently prone to over-saturate the market. File sharing lead to rampant piracy, and iTunes’ 99 cent-per-song model made music distribution and consumption nearly ubiquitous, to the point where artists started losing profits from the very model they thought would save them. As a consequence, consumers’ perception of the value of the actual content — songs and albums — decreased. This has led musicians to go back on tour to entertain and engage their fans and have real-life social interactions. It's bringing back the real-world social connections that make music so important to our lives. Content Can’t Always Be King The rise of social media has allowed pundits, social media gurus and seemingly everyone else to proclaim, "content is king." And while great content can keep people coming back for more, one could argue the music industry’s current content model — a 99 cents, listen-all-you-want platform — isn't sustainable. It offers instant access to great content, but that content has become commoditized. It's difficult to keep this type of content exclusive over time, which in turn degrades user loyalty. Content acquisition alone can’t be the final answer. User Experience Will Trump Ubiquitous Content The mass distribution models of the digital age are beginning to show their faults. As people throughout the world gain access to an increasing number of media consumption devices (computers, smartphones, iPads, etc.), we now have more choices than ever before. Content itself no longer defines our choice of distribution channel. The balance of power within digital media is shifting again, this time to the experience that envelops the content. In the same way that musicians are now making money again by going on tour and entertaining their fans at real events, online content that is packaged as a social experience will be more in line with consumer web use trends than mass-market online content portals. In the coming months and years, we're going to be able to interact with media in more engaging and fun ways. We'll be able to watch our friends' reactions when they get “RickRolled” for the first (or thousandth) time; we'll be able to high-five our friends with 3D avatars while we're all watching the World Cup online; we'll be able to better bridge the gap between our real-life social inclinations and the content we enjoy on the web. As content and distribution continue to expand to overwhelming proportions, user experience becomes the key to locking onto and growing a real, loyal audience. More Social Media Resources From Mashable: - 5 Ways to Build a Loyal Audience on YouTube - How Real Estate Pros are Using Social Media for Real Results - How Social Media is Helping Veterans Connect - HOW TO: Help New Users Stay Engaged on Twitter - Why Food Bloggers Are Here to Stay Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Andresr, flyparade Reviews: Flickr, iStockphoto More About: apps, content creation, ipad, iphone, itunes, social media, web video, youtube For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Android 3.0 Coming This Fall? [RUMOR] Posted: 30 Jun 2010 10:50 AM PDT The online rumor mill is operating at full tilt today; according to a fairly prominent Russian mobile journalist, Android 3.0 might be coming as soon as this fall. In a recent podcast, the editor of Mobile-Review.com — Eldar Murtazin — discussed some supposed details of Android 3.0, a.k.a. Gingerbread. While no one has hard proof of his claims, most of what Murtazin says is in line with the evolution of the Android OS to-date. But these rumors also add up to what is essentially a fork in the technology; Gingerbread would be for high-end, powerful devices, and Froyo would continue to ship on smaller, slower models. If these tidbits of information are true, we can also see Gingerbread as the flagship Android OS for tablets. So, here are a few highly speculative, if not unlikely, bullet points from that podcast: Android hardware will keep getting bigger and better, and Android 3.0 will be tailored for the largest, most powerful devices. Screen sizes will be 3.5 inches and larger, and the OS will require a minimum of 1GHz and 512MB of RAM. This rumor correlates with current Android hardware trends; devices such as the Incredible, the EVO and the Droid X show that Android phones are getting progressively bigger, better and faster. These are the types of devices that would be sporting Gingerbread OSes in the future. A new 1280×760 resolution will be available for devices (such as the Droid X and EVO) with displays of 4" and larger. The user interface is getting a complete overhaul, with the final product being comparable to the Gallery App on Nexus One. Animations will be light and smooth. Gingerbread will be released in mid- October (around 15 -16th), 2010. The first Gingerbread-running handsets would start shipping during the holiday season. All that being said, Android 2.2, a.k.a. Froyo, hasn’t been rolled out to most existing Android handsets yet; it might be a bit premature to release new OS details when the latest installment has yet to hit most people’s phones. Still, we think these speculations are exciting, and we’ve reached out to Google to confirm or deny any of the rumors mentioned here. How likely do you think these predictions are? Let us know your own thoughts in the comments. Reviews: Android, Google More About: android, android 3.0, gingerbread, rumor For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Google Creates YouTube Video Game to Highlight Chrome and Flash Posted: 30 Jun 2010 10:12 AM PDT The latest stable release of Google Chrome comes with Adobe Flash built-in. To highlight the addition, Google has created Google Chrome FastBall, a Flash-based game for YouTube. The FastBall game tasks users to complete a series of web-oriented challenges that integrate with APIs from a combination of Google and social services like Last.fm and Twitter in a series of YouTube videos. The idea behind the game is to both demonstrate Chrome’s Flash capabilities and the underlying speed of the browser. The game itself requires a tad too much thought for this early riser, but the more rested among us should try their hand at completing each of the five challenges as fast as possible. If you’re super speedy, try and get the ball from one end of the obstacle course to the other in 66 seconds — the current record — or less. The YouTube video game hails from Google Creative Lab and BBH Labs, who tells us, “The video player for the experience is built on top of the YouTube API with six separate video players loaded on the page – each featuring a different piece of a handmade track. All games are loaded at the beginning, but are made invisible. As the current video comes to its stopping point, we pause it and cue the window to expand to show the game.” We should note, that though the game is meant to highlight Google Chrome with Flash, the game appears to play quite well in other browsers too. At the very least, FastBall is a fun distraction that demonstrates how Flash can enhance the YouTube experience. Reviews: Google, Google Chrome, Twitter, YouTube More About: browser, Google, google chrome For more Tech coverage: Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

6 Challenges to Managing a Brand on the Social Web Posted: 30 Jun 2010 09:36 AM PDT This series is supported by IGLOO, a leader in helping organizations improve business processes, increase employee productivity and enhance stakeholder engagement inside and outside the organization using social technologies. As more companies and PR firms attempt to manage their brands using social media, there are just as many opportunities for greatness as there are pitfalls. To broaden our collective understanding of these challenges, we consulted six social media pros with extensive experience in PR, branding and marketing. Each one has gained respect in their respective spheres of work; and each one of them told us about a unique challenge and how to address it. From being transparent to being profitable, from the tools you use today to the ones you’ll need tomorrow, here are six specific challenges to managing your brand on the social web. If you’ve got your own insights to share, please let us know about them in the comments. 1. Drew Olanoff: Your Biggest Challenge Is Transparency You might know Drew Olanoff from his long and ballsy public “feud” with cancer. But he’s also a king among community managers — currently working for textPlus — and an all-around bright young man, especially when it comes to dissecting how social media mechanisms work in real-world business environments. Olanoff’s advice stressed the need to “be everything to everyone.” He advises not holding back or skimping on your branding and marketing. Internally, you have to let employees know what your external messaging is going to be. When communicating to the outside world, Olanoff said, “You have to be straight up. If your company fails, you have to be the first to call yourself on it. If you succeed, you have to message that in a way to get people’s attention.” It requires undivided attention to communicate with the social web in an honest, diligent way. “It’s a 24/7 job,” he concluded. 2. Scott Monty: Your Biggest Challenge Is Scale Scott Monty is Ford’s intrepid and brilliant social media chief. He told us that among all the challenges facing a brand on the social web, “one of the biggest is the issue of scale. If you’re working for a successful brand, there will always be more customers than there are employees, which means there will be many more conversations about your brand than you’ll be able to participate in.” Monty says that being able to scale your social media conversations and branding requires careful prioritization. “Exercise judgment to determine which discussions are worth spending time on. It could be engaging with a major influencer, publicly handling a customer complaint, or giving fans special access to events, information or other opportunities that would deepen a relationship.” He also noted that you’ll need to limit how many services and platforms you use. “Decide which social networks are the most relevant to your customer base and help you achieve your broader business communications goals. Choose a small number to begin and expand your footprint based on staffing and trends that are evolving externally.” Monty noted that half the battle is simply showing up. “It’s not just about running an online promotion or campaign and expecting results. You need to be there consistently and reliably every day, so that over time, a community will grow — and that’s when the magic begins to happen.” 3. Laura Fitton: Your Biggest Challenge Is Your Toolbelt We love Laura “@Pistachio” Fitton. This woman is a powerhouse: Intelligent, capable, and bursting at the seams with a deeply ingrained knowledge of the apps and software that make the social web both easier and more robust. For Fitton, the biggest challenge facing brand managers is “figuring out which tools you should use from the hundreds of tools you could use.” As the founder of oneforty, an app store for third-party Twitter applications, she knows better than anyone just how many tools are available and how much they can vary in quality. “It takes time and effort to find tools that suit your business’ needs, your team’s work style, your data, backup, analytics and tracking requirements,” Fitton said. “The right tools can save a lot of time, money and hassle.” 4. Peter Shankman: Your Biggest Challenge Is Revenue PR man Peter Shankman is perhaps best known for Help a Reporter Out, his amazingly cool resource for PR folks, subject experts and journalists trying to find sources. He also wrote the book on PR stunts that actually work. While this sometimes flamboyant, outspoken, skydiving entrepreneur clearly loves making a splash, he advises brand managers to keep and eye on the bottom line. Your biggest challenge, he said, is “convincing the people actually doing the managing that it’s not about cool, but about revenue. If what they’re doing doesn’t increase revenue in some way, the powers that be won’t give a damn how cool it is.” 5. Ayelet Noff: Your Biggest Challenge Is Relationships On the flip side of that coin, online marketing and branding pro “Blonde 2.0,” a.k.a. Ayelet Noff, reminds us that not every action will or should lead to a quick buck for brands that use the social web. “Brands have to make the mental switch from seizing every opportunity to sell to their market and rather look for ways to engage with consumers instead,” she said. “If a customer reaches out to you, instead of pitching them, try talking to them, listening to what they have to say and make an effort to develop an ongoing communicative relationship. Such a relationship is far more valuable than any one-time sale.” 6. Brian Solis: Your Biggest Challenge Is the Future One of the biggest names — and one of the best guys — in new media right now is Brian Solis. He is the principal at über-firm FutureWorks and recently published Engage!, a thorough and fascinating guide to online marketing and branding. When we asked him about the blessings and curses of social media for brand managers, Solis gave us the following forward-looking advice: “The greatest challenge that faces brands in social media today and tomorrow is the culture shift required to not only support engagement in social media but also adapt to become an authority within each network of relevance. In order to do so, however, businesses require a bottom-up conversation workflow that leads and responds, and also a top-down hierarchy that transforms insight into new products and services.” Essentially, businesses need to listen to their communities and embrace new ideas while having the administrative structure and openness to convert those ideas into practicable services. “This is not about competing for the moment,” Solis said, “this is about competing for relevance and resonance for the long term.” Series supported by IGLOO This series is supported by IGLOO, a leader in helping organizations improve business processes, increase employee productivity and enhance stakeholder engagement inside and outside the organization using social technologies. IGLOO is a social software company that builds online communities for business. Uniting content management, collaboration and knowledge sharing tools, within one secure social networking platform, IGLOO enables organizations to overcome the barriers to communication and collaboration that emerge because of size. Whether the obstacles are organizational or geographic, a more open and connected business improves employee productivity (Workplace Communities) and helps to foster better relationships with customers, partners and suppliers (Marketplace Communities). Learn more about how IGLOO is socializing the workplace and helping organizations build successful online communities through the IGLOO Social Media Playbook. More Business Resources From Mashable: - Why Your Next Business Card May Be Virtual - HOW TO: Improve B2B Sales Productivity with Social Media - HOW TO: Use Social Media for Lead Generation - HOW TO: Use QR Codes for Small Business Marketing - 5 Useful iPhone Apps for Business Networking [img credit: jdlasica] Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, textPlus More About: ayelet noff, brand management, brand management series, brian solis, drew olanoff, laura fitton, peter shankman, pr, scott monty, social media, social web For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

New “Paranormal Activity 2″ Teaser Spreads Across the Web Posted: 30 Jun 2010 09:14 AM PDT The first teaser trailer for Paranormal Activity 2 has just been released. For those who don’t remember, the first Paranormal Activity was a smash hit at the box office, grossing more than $100 million despite an original budget of just $15,000. How did the movie become such a success? Much of it had to do with a successful viral and word-of-mouth campaign that was significantly aided by social media. The film’s producers used Facebook to spread the word to college students and then created Eventful campaigns so that would-be watchers could request shows in their home towns. The film was consequently able to create and sustain buzz without having to finance an expensive traditional media campaign — that came later, after the film was a hit. The sequel, while not as low-budget as the original, was still produced relatively quickly. Paramount hopes that the film will have the same degree of success as the original, potentially creating a Saw-like franchise for the studio. It comes to theaters this October. What do you think of the teaser trailer? Reviews: Eventful, Facebook More About: Film, MARKETING, movie trailers, Movies, paranormal activity, viral marketing For more Entertainment coverage: Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Entertainment channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Online Plot Hatched to Annoy BP Executives with Vuvuzelas Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:47 AM PDT Does the situation in the Gulf have you mad as hell (and not gonna take it anymore)? Well, you could create a satirical Twitter account, knock out a kickass plugin or paint your Tumblr dashboard black — or you could call upon the powers of the most obnoxious viral meme of all time to sound your fury to the gods: That’s right, the vuvuzela. Adam Quirk, a web video producer from Brooklyn and the co-founder of Wreck & Salvage art video collective, has launched a Kickstarter project that’s truly a unique method of protesting BP’s follies. He’s aiming to raise $2,000, with which he will purchase 100 vuvuzelas to be distributed to 100 Craigslist volunteers who will then park themselves outside of BP’s International Headquarters in London for an entire day. Predictably, said volunteers will vuvuzela the day away, returning each day until the situation is resolved. Quirk is aiming to give at least half of the money raised to the Center for Biological Diversity – depending on how cheap he can get the horns and volunteers for. It appears that the project launched just yesterday, but Quirk is already nearly halfway to his goal. Yeah, there’s a lot of “Ehh…well”s to this project: i.e. Why waste money on this when you could just give to cleanup efforts? What about the poor office drones who had nothing to do with the spill? Is that most extreme of torture devices — the vuvuzela — really warranted? Still, there’s no denying that it’s a creative enterprise. Will you contribute to the cause? image courtesy of iStockphoto, ManoAfrica Reviews: Craigslist, iStockphoto More About: bp, kickstarter, money, Political, pop culture, social media, vuvuzela For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

IMDb Brings Movie Discovery to Android Devices Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:30 AM PDT The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has released its IMDb Movies and TV app for Android devices. Like the IMDb app for iPhone and iPad, Android users can use the tool to quickly access movie news, showtimes, movie trailers and information about their favorite actor or film. The Android release is also coinciding with a new mobile and social initiative known as “IMDb Everywhere.” The goal with “IMDb Everywhere” is to encourage users to use mobile applications and social networks like Facebook and Twitter to discover and share IMDb content wherever they are. As we noted in our original IMDb for iPhone review, the app itself is pretty stellar, adding a level of discoverability and an optimized viewing experience you just can’t get on the website itself. The Android version has been customized specifically for the platform and it includes a few things that even the Apple counterparts currently lack, including voice search and social sharing options. The app is available worldwide but movie showtimes and TV listings are only available in the U.S. The app works on devices with Android 1.6 or higher. One More Thing: IMDb Twitter Bot Is Awesome In addition to the Android app, IMDb has also recently launched a new Twitter account, @imdbbot. You can send queries about a movie, TV show or person to the bot and then get an automated response with a link just 60 seconds later. Simply send a tweet to @imdbbot in the form of “t [movie title] or [TV show title]” or “p [person's name]” and the bot will reply with a little bit of information, like the year it was made, the average rating and a shortlink to the IMDb page. Your Favorite Movie Apps We want to know: What apps do you like best for finding movie or TV info on your mobile phone? Reviews: Android, Facebook, Twitter More About: Android apps, Film, IMDB, Movies For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Happy Social Media Day! Posted: 30 Jun 2010 07:22 AM PDT Today we acknowledge and celebrate the revolution of media becoming social. A day that honors the technological and societal advancements that have allowed us to have a dialogue, to connect and to engage not only the creators of media, but perhaps more importantly, one another. It’s a day to celebrate the changes in media that have empowered us to stay connected to information in real time, the tools that have enabled us to communicate from miles apart, and the platforms that have given a voice to the voiceless and victims of protest injustice. It’s a revolution worth celebrating. Today, we celebrate Social Media Day and we hope you’ll join us. So how do you participate? Being social, of course. You can do this online by tracking the social updates in various ways as listed below, or you can make some connections offline by attending an event near you. There are more than 600+ meetups in 93 countries today with thousands of attendees. As far as we know, there is no official holiday dedicated to social media. We think it deserves a day of it’s own, and what better way to celebrate than to connect with your local social media community? There are lot’s creative events planned from panels, to charity fundraisers and even sporting tournaments. Below is a message from our very own Pete Cashmore explaining the idea, reasons for and goals behind Social Media Day: A Message From Mashable’s Founder and CEO Pete Cashmore So what’s next? As Pete mentions, we want this to be a launching point for you to build a lasting relationship with your social media community by continuing to host Monthly Mashable Meetups using our Meetup Everywhere page, or more frequently if you think it works better for your community. Perhaps today’s local meetup was a place for you to network, but now you can take it one step further by organizing panels, demos and more — or maybe you can just keep it simple with monthly social networking meetups. The point is, let’s keep this social community connected, online and off. And next year, watch for the second annual Social Media Day, as we hope to continue to build on this celebration. Stay tuned and stay social! How To Participate in Social Media Day Meetup Everywhere Mashable: Sign up to attend an event on the Meetup Everywhere Mashable. Watch the live streams worldwide: We’ll be updating throughout the day. Tweet: Use the #smday hashtag on Twitter. With so many participating, we should be a trending topic on Twitter on June 30. Also, we’ll soon be announcing a prize for those that tweet or post to Facebook. Add the Social Media Day Twitter theme from TweetyGotBack to your account in support of the day. Follow @mashSMday: Follow @mashSMday on Twitter for updates and developments on the celebration. Comment via Facebook: Go to Smday.com and leave a comment either promoting your meetup or tell us what you’re doing for your event. Upload to Flickr: Upload photos to Flickr and tag them with #smday. Winner of Sony Dash Giveaway Last week we announced a Sony Dash giveaway that would be awarded to an attendee of a Social Media Day meetup in the U.S. and had fanned us on Facebook. The winner is Heather Spring, an Internet Marketing Manager at Accenture in Chicago, and is attending the Wheaton, Illinois meetup today with a crowd of about 40. Spring, who prior to entering the web world worked as a nuclear engineer, heard about the local meetup through the Mashable e-mail newsletter. She thinks meetups are a great way to socialize in real life with other social media professionals. “Hopefully we can have conversations longer than 140-character tweets,” Spring said. Why is social media day worth celebrating? She said because “social media has become such a force that allows anyone to be heard – no matter where they are or who they are or what they have to say. And there's always someone willing to listen.” Congrats to Heather on the prize! Top 10 Meetups (Based on Attendance) 1. New York, NY 2. Sao Paulo, Brazil 3. Barcelona, Spain 4. Santa Ana, CA 5. Antwerp, Belgium 6. Buenos Aires, Argentina 7. Atlanta, GA 8. Boston, MA 9. Philadelphia, PA 9. Chicago, IL 10. San Francisco, CA Social Media Day Tweets See the Closest Meetup to Your City We’d also love to hear what you’re doing for Social Media Day in the comments below or in the Facebook comments section on Smday.com. Reviews: Facebook, Flickr, Twitter More About: Events, mashable, meetups, smday, social media day, trending For more Social Media coverage: Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Social Media channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

iPhone 4 Reception Issues Put to the Test Posted: 30 Jun 2010 07:14 AM PDT We know that the iPhone 4 has some reception issues when held a certain way — particularly when your fingers touch its lower-right side — and we’ve seen a growing discussion about the severity of the problem and Apple’s indifferent reaction towards it. Now, thanks to Anandtech’s in-depth analysis, we know a whole lot more about the issue, the iPhone 4’s antenna and, most importantly, about the real-life impact of it all. The folks at Anandtech have employed some tricks and managed to replace the signal bars with a numeric signal strength indicator, meaning that we now have real numbers to compare the reception strength of various smartphone models when held in different positions. What Anandtech has discovered is that most smartphones have similar reception issues. However, the iPhone 4 is worse than both the iPhone 3GS and the Nexus One in this regard. When you cover the lower-right side with your finger — especially if you clutch the area tightly — signal strength will drop, and not by a little. However, Anandtech’s tests have showed that the iPhone 4’s external antenna works great — much better than the antenna on the iPhone 3GS. Although the signal drops, which users will notice by looking at the signal bars, in many situations it won’t result in degraded performance. Finally, using a bumper case with your iPhone 4 almost fully alleviate the issue. So, there you have it: The problem is real, but may not be a deal-breaker. If it’s really causing you problems (perhaps you’re living in an area with a weak signal, or you’re a lefty), it can be solved by using a bumper case. More About: apple, iphone, iPhone 4 reception issue For more Apple coverage: Follow Mashable Apple on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Apple channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

6 Ways to Manage International Relationships Online Posted: 30 Jun 2010 07:10 AM PDT This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. Sometimes the hardest part of having international clients is finding a way to connect with them. Small businesses often have to worry about different time zones, different languages, and even different customs and traditions. While there's no catch-all, golden resource that can solve every problem a small internationally-minded business could have, there are some easy ways to keep your business up-to-date and in the overseas loop. Here, we’ll help you through the basic steps of interacting with overseas clients, from translating pleasantries to tracking shipments to making sure you don’t accidentally call them in the middle of the night. 1. Basic Information Before you even get started, it's important to know the basic information about your client's country. Usually the most thorough and reliable way to bone up is through the country's official webpage. England, for example, has a good site with lots of information. Unfortunately, most of these sites are geared towards tourism and less so the time-pressed businessperson. Wikipedia can actually be a great, quick and comprehensive alternative. Wikipedia pages exist for most major countries and include a helpful info bar on the right side of the page (usually just below the country's flag). This information includes official languages, government make up, population estimates, GDP, currency, time zone, and calling code. Also check out The World Factbook, maintained by the CIA. It includes “information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities,” according to their website. 2. Time Difference No one likes getting a business call at 3 A.M., especially when you thought it was scheduled for 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Time zones and time differences can be difficult to remember on the fly, especially if you're handling international clients from more than one country. Time Zone Converter is one way to keep all your zones and time differences in check. The site lets you convert any time from a huge range of possible countries and zones. Ever wanted to know what time it is in Moscow, Russia when it's 11:25 A.M. in Dublin, Ireland? (The answer is 2:25 P.M.). You can also look up time differences on specific days, perfect for future meetings or conference calls that might overlap with tricky shifts in daylight savings. One catch: Zones are described by their central cities, so you'll still be able to convert even if you don't see your home town. World Time Zone is a more graphical display of time zones across the globe. You can either eyeball the map, based on Greenwich Mean Time, look up relative times in world capitals, sort according to continent, or simply type in the place you're looking for. With an impressive, nearly exhaustive list of cities, if World Time Zone doesn't have it, it probably doesn't exist. Lastly, if you’re in a hurry, you can alway use Google. All you have to do is search “time City, State, Country,”. For example, if you “time Atlanta, GA” Google tells you the time right now in Atlanta. 3. Translation Quoi? Qué? Huh? No matter how you say it, it's important to speak a little of your client's home tongue. Fortunately, there are some simple ways to pick up some pleasantries without taking a night class. Some basic often-used options include Yahoo! Babel Fish, Bing's Translator and Google Translate (complete with its own drag and drop buttons). All three are easy to use, but a little slow when in the middle of a chat, and are best employed in emails. Word of caution: Though the language range is impressive, and usually spot on, sometimes idioms and complicated sentences can throw off the accuracy. For example, the phrase: "So great speaking with you again!" translated into French on Babel Fish reads "Parler tellement grand avec vous encore" (To still speak so large with you again!). Google also has some translation bots you can add into your Google Chat. By adding a series of coded bots as friends in Google Chat, you can send quick IMs to be translated. For example, en2fr@bot.talk.google.com will translate from English “2″ French. This is helpful when you need a sentence quickly, or when you're typing an IM. 4. Chat Services Phoning long distance can rack up bills pretty quickly. Free chat services like Skype, Google Chat and Campfire are fast, effective, and accepted ways to speak with your clients. Skype is an instant messenger with a built-in web-video function. You can use it as either a phone, IM chat, or for face-to-face discussion online. After both parties set up an account, the whole process is free and relatively pain free. Also, some phone and portable devices have Skype enabled so you can take the chat service with you. Google Chat offers similar services to Skype, with expanded video and phone options being included. Campfire is a message-based business group chat and file-sharing service. Campfire has more customizable options than Skype or Google Chat but requires a monthly payment. It is also tailored for people within a business — meaning it might be the perfect option if you have an office overseas and don't mind the monthly fee. 5. Shipping Nobody like shipping things, but it is a necessary evil. While you might have to slog through getting your package to the post, a couple sites can help you track how and when it gets to your clients. TrackThis, TrackthePack, and Packagetrackr are online services that let you track shipments by email, text message, Facebook or Twitter. All three sites track major US shipping carriers like FedEx, UPS and DHL Global Mail by looking up your tracking code. Packagetrackr promises all the same services as the other two but will auto-detect your tracking code when you email your shipping confirmation to its email address. And as an added bonus, TrackThisPack has an iPhone app. 6. Cultural Faux-Pas When dealing with other cultures, it's important to know what is in good taste and what is considered bad etiquette. For example, it's best not to invite your Indian client to a steak house without first asking (cattle are sacred for Hindus) or to give your Russian client an even number of flowers as a thank you (even numbers are reserved for funerals). There are a variety of ways to find these customs and traditions on independent sites, About.com or Kwintessential's extremely helpful international etiquette guide. Often, the best way to gauge foreign customs is by politely asking about anything you're unsure of. These resources can help you connect with your international clients and improve the reach of your small business. While this post focused on web-only resources, there are many other resources out there and ways to connect. Please add your favorite resources, hidden gems and best tips in the comments below. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, AlexMax Reviews: Facebook, Google, Google translate, Skype, Twitter, Wikipedia, iStockphoto More About: bing translator, DHL Global Mail, FedEx, google chat, google translate, international relationships, iphone, Kwintessential, language, language translation, Skype, time difference, time zones, translation, UPS, wikipedia, World Factbook For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

A New Low for Laptop Pricing: $37 Posted: 30 Jun 2010 06:52 AM PDT There are cheap computers and then there are cheap computers, but $37 might just take the proverbial cake. A persistent eBay listing has just that on offer, with the bargain basement price in question netting you a 7-inch netbook with Wi-Fi running Windows CE. Don’t plan on editing your next HD blockbuster film or running Crysis on these babies’ underpowered components, but for less than four Alexander Hamiltons you get an actually functional machine running on a 300 MHz ARM processor with 128MB RAM and 2GB storage. You also get a 7-inch screen displaying at 800 x 480 resolution, an ethernet port, two USB ports, an SD slot, Wi-Fi and a 9-volt AC adapter. The catch is that these laptops and internals are either factory seconds or items that failed quality control tests. Obviously you wouldn’t want one of these devices for anything mission critical, but for the adventurous and/or hobbyist crowd a working $37 laptop could make a fun auxiliary PC. It’s also a promising signpost on the way to the super cheap commoditization of personal computers. Would you consider experimenting with a $37 laptop, and if so what would you use it for? [via Wired] More About: arm, computers, laptop, netbook, olpc, PCs For more Tech coverage: Follow Mashable Tech on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Tech channel Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

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