Minggu, 25 Juli 2010

Mashable: Latest 6 News Updates - including “Top 10 Accessories for Typography Nuts [PICS]”

Mashable: Latest 6 News Updates - including “Top 10 Accessories for Typography Nuts [PICS]”

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Top 10 Accessories for Typography Nuts [PICS]

Posted: 24 Jul 2010 07:11 PM PDT


For designers and lovers of design, a typeface can be as visually pleasing as any painting.

We've searched the web for great typographical accessories that will brighten up your office space, home, and maybe even your personal style with font-based fun.

Have a browse of our gallery now, and whether you tend towards the roman, italic or bold, we think you’ll see something you like. Let us know your favorites in the comments below.


1. Cast Iron Ampersand




The price tag ($250) is as weighty as the object itself (17.5 lbs) but what a way to prop open a door...

Cost: $250


2. Alphabet Ice




If you sometimes feel like you eat, sleep and dream in letters, this cool ice cube tray will allow you to drink them too (sort of!).

Cost: £20 (approx $30)


3. Typewriter Jewellery




The Etsy shop, QA Create, has a ton of typographical goodies made from parts salvaged from old typewriters. In addition to jewelery made from old typewriter keys, there's some lovely letterpress pendants, which we think offer unisex appeal and would make a great gift for a font-loving friend.

Cost: Varies, $34.99 for bracelet shown


4. Printer's Letter Stands




We love these 14-inch high stands that look like old printer letters. Buy your name and stick it on your desk! It's affordable if your name is "Bob," not so cheap if you got lumbered with "Mahershalalhashbaz."

Cost: $28 each


5. Fabulous Font Coasters




These gorgeous coasters have a fab aged look, and will add a little typographical chic to your desk or coffee table.

Cost: $20


6. Alphabet Photos




These fun pics come from Alphabet Photos, an online service that offers lots and lots of black and white images of letters and shapes that look like letters. You can browse to design your own word.

Cost: From $30 for two letters


7. Type Trumps




Surely the only way for designers to spend their down-time in the studio, these Type Trumps give the classic card game a typographical twist. With the fonts ranked by the likes of legibility, cost of ownership and even special powers, it's a fun way to brush up on your typeface trivia too.

Cost: $15


8. Helvetica Necklace




Celebrate the 50-plus years of one of the world's most popular fonts with this modern plastic necklace created by a graphic designer to add a little sans-serif style to your look.

Cost: $20


9. Font Snob Button




Do you scoff at poor kerning? Do you view cramped ascenders with scorn? Do you hate Arial? Then this button is for you.

Cost: $1


10. Digitus




After all that letter lovin' it's time to show numbers some sugar, and the self-stick Digitus series of numerals from the amazing Art Lebedev studio does just that.

Cost: $2 per digit


BONUS: Mashable is Sexy Tee




Heck, Mashable would be sexy in Papyrus!

Cost: $18.95

More About: accessories, design, fashion, fonts, gift guides, Gifts, helvetica, shopping, typography

For more Dev & Design coverage:


YouTube Easter Egg: Play “Snake” Game While Watching a Video

Posted: 24 Jul 2010 05:12 PM PDT


It turns out that you can play the classic game Snake (especially popular on cell phones back in the day) at Google-owned YouTube by holding the left and up arrow keys on your keyboard while a video is playing or paused.

Once the game starts, you can direct a transparent snake around the video player with the arrow keys to gobble up dots that cause the snake to grow. Hitting the edge of the player or any part of your snake’s body will end the game.

The easter egg — just one in a long series of similar stunts from Google — was discovered by users last week. No one’s sure exactly when the game was added, but it must be recent because it only works on the new YouTube video player introduced in April. It doesn’t work with embeds, either, so you’ll have to go to YouTube’s website to try it out.

Previously, Google put a button on YouTube videos that played a World Cup-style vuvuzela sound. Google’s no stranger to playable games on its websites, either; the logo on the Google home page became a playable game of Pac-Man two months ago, supposedly costing society more than $120 million in productivity.

This video that was embedded at gaming blog Kotaku reveals the feature, but note that the creator’s claim that you must be in a “Gaming” category video to play Snake is incorrect. Otherwise, it’s a solid explanation.

[via The Next Web]


Reviews: Google, World Cup, YouTube

More About: easter egg, Google, online games, snake, video, video games, youtube

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5 Tips for Aspiring Social Media Marketers

Posted: 24 Jul 2010 03:52 PM PDT

Social Media Beakers Image

Within the past few years, it seems that social media positions are popping up everywhere, in all types of organizations, from The New York Times, to Pizza Hut, and even in the White House. Businesses of all types are identifying the need to stay connected with their communities because they recognize the benefits.

Social media marketing is just a slice of the social media industry, but it’s a very important piece of the story. Businesses see social media as a platform for engaging with consumers and informing them of the latest company news and products. Marketers are blazing trails in the social media marketing sector, creating campaigns that are interactive, shareable and inclusive of the online community. For the most innovative of marketers, the focus isn’t on campaigns, but on letting consumers take the reigns in guiding a brand’s social presence.

For aspiring social media marketers, there are no strict rules for becoming successful. But we’ve gathered eight of the brightest minds in the social media industry to elaborate on five helpful tips for landing a job in social media marketing.


1. Join Social Media Meetups and Networks



In talking with a number of digital entrepreneurs, one tip stood out as the first step towards online success: step away from your computer, meet with professionals in the field you want to work with and join groups of others interested in social media and technology. Damien Basile, communication strategist and founder of Digital Somethings, a monthly digital influencer event series, said it loud and clear, “The old axiom still rings true: It’s who you know, what you know and how much money you have access to.”

Digital Strategist and Co-Founder of Foodspotting, Soraya Darabi, recommends that job seekers looking to break into the social media world get out and meet people in the industry:

“Most careers depend a lot on networks, but the beauty of social media is that you can “meet” most of the people you need to know online. Having said that, I truly appreciate real life conversations, and get great value from the New York Tech Meetup after-events, where like-minded entrepreneurs and digital strategists roam. Create your own networking event if you can’t find a nearby group to suit your interests.”

Joining groups like the New York Tech Meetup and Social Media Club are a great start to getting to know professionals in the industry. Make sure you’re not just attending events, sitting in the back and leaving after the speeches end. Be proactive about meeting new people, learning about what they do and having meaningful conversations.

If you can’t find a fitting group of interesting people nearby, start your own Meetup. Organizing a group of specialized experts is one way to sky-rocket your name to the top.


2. Make Relationships, Not Pitches


Joining specialized groups is just the beginning; don’t stop there. When you meet people with interesting stories, get to know them and build a true relationship. Forget the marketing pitches and the elevator speech and leave your resume at home. People can instinctively identify a fraud; be genuine in your mission to understand the industry and what your acquaintances are working on. I like the way Soundcloud Evangelist David Noël puts it, “Don’t be spammy, pushy, sales-y, douchey, or scary.”

The best thing about the social space is that you can continue your relationships online. As Basile puts it, “Comment, interact, blog and re-blog. The more you make yourself heard, the more you will be heard.” Make sure you’re staying active within your network, and don’t forget to listen.

Pedro Sorrentino, MediaMind’s marketing and PR coordinator in Brazil, says to remember that “it's not only about the people you know, it's about the way you treat them as well. Technology is just a platform and social media is all about sociology, human behavior and status.” He points out that technology can lead way to short, crass communications. Learn how to engage your network in a “clever and polite way.”

Sophia Aladenoye, a digital strategist at Ogilvy Public Relations, stresses the important of embracing the extrovert in you while on your mission to make your connections count:

“My top tip would be to always engage with people. I have seen this, time and time again, that those who are in the social media industry and who wish to break in are individuals who actually like people and like talking to people. Those are the ones who I see thriving in this industry — it is called “social” for a reason. Even if you consider yourself an introvert, there should be a part of yourself that still reaches out to people.”


3. Stay Informed of Trends, Tools and News


RSS Guy ImageTraining, experience and knowledge are all very important for any career choice. Since social media is such a new industry, there aren’t very many standards on what type of training you should have or which tools you should be utilizing to measure success. Because the landscape changes so quickly, it is therefore very important that you are constantly learning. Keep yourself updated on the latest technologies, trends and news by reading up. Walter Junior, social media strategist at Riot, points out that being in the know is key:

“Keep up-to-date with tools, applications, studies and reports. In my opinion, it’s essential to monitor and be familiar with a wide range of Internet materials, such as social media usage research, in order not only to comprehend market and users’ consumption habits, but also to know how they are changing each day.”

Darabi believes that industry awareness and a passion for new things keeps aspiring social media marketers on top of their game. “The magic word in our industry is beta. Get on the beta list for every product that intrigues you, try it for yourself before you recommend the product or platform to your brand or organization. Early-adoption and the ability to be first-to-market is an easy gateway to success.”

A background or knowledge in marketing or PR doesn’t hurt, either. Jakub Svoboda, publisher of Tyinternety.cz, a Czech blog specialized in digital marketing and social media, says that “you have to understand, at least on a basic level, how companies are communicating, what brand marketing is, how to deal with reputation, how to manage a PR crisis, and how to write copy for social advertisements.” If you have a passion for social media, but don’t have the marketing experience, don’t be discouraged. Pick up a marketing book, take a course, or get a mentor.

When you’re on top of the latest news, you’ll never have to worry about fudging up on the facts in an interview. Kimberly Aguilera, planning and new media recruiter at Tangerine Talent Management, advises that, “at an interview you should be prepared with your own ideas for the company or agency [you are interviewing with]. Have relevant examples of who is doing what right.” Aguilera also advises that you cut out the jargon and start at the basics while interviewing. “Being able to teach is a big part of the roles. Not everyone knows as much as you do all of the time. You have to make it all understandable for non-social media experts.”

To stay on top of the latest news, fill your RSS reader with the sources that cover that news. Our experts recommend AdAge, PSFK, Creativity Magazine, eMarketer, and of course, Mashable. We also recommend following or creating a Twitter List of social media of great thinkers in the industry, and interacting with individual tweeters on the list when they post something that’s of interest to you.


4. Find an Online Balance Between Personal & Professional


Noël will tell you that “the lines between your personal and work online presences are blurred.” There isn’t an invisible line between the two, and there is no way of keeping them separate, no matter how you may try. Noël looks at this truth as an opportunity to showcase your expertise. He elaborates, “Don't be afraid though, and use this to position yourself as an expert in your field and beyond, by blogging about things that are tangent to what your work life is about, but not necessarily cover it as a whole.”

Darabi advises, “Develop your own ‘personal-professional hybrid,’ a version of yourself online that you’re comfortable sharing with the CEO of a Fortune 100 company and your grandmother alike.”

Finally, don’t forget that anything you contribute to the Internet stays there. Basile puts it into perspective, “Everything is Googleable. Anything you put online is fair game, even if your privacy settings are strict. All it takes is one person to copy-paste something you said. Take 10 seconds to think about what you’re saying before you post anything. Someone is ALWAYS paying attention.”


5. Make Your Resume Stand Out


We asked our eight social media, communications, and digital strategy experts for their top resume tips for aspiring social media marketers. They had so many great ideas that we decided to leave you with these notes on sprucing up your resume:

  • “Aspiring social media marketers must include their professional and personal social networking links on their resume. A potential employer will find them anyway, so including them shows savvy and initiative. Don’t include your follower numbers, ratio or “influence” score. A potential employer will find that out when they search your social profiles”. -Damien Basile
  • “What you emphasize on your resume should also reflect what companies or positions you are applying for. No one likes a resume that doesn't feel somewhat personalized.” -Sophia Aladenoye
  • “It’s essential to emphasize your social presences by including your links to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and personal blog on your resume. In that way, interviewers can analyze your writing and publishing skills, the way you interact with other people and your ability to build a consistent personal image.” -Walter Junior
  • “Emphasize your writing and photography abilities, as this industry is largely about making content interesting through basic blogging techniques. You should also highlight projects you’ve self-started. My friend Mike Hudack, [co-founder] of blip.tv, often says he only hires people if they have a side project they feel passionately about. He wants all hires to be innovative and entrepreneurial. I like that approach.” -Soraya Darabi
  • “I consider owning some information channel that seems to be interesting a "must have". Even if it's your Twitter, a forum, or maybe a very good blog. And don't forget to show that you are always learning, don't try to be a know-it-all. Information changes really fast. If you want to show that you know something interesting and add some character, include something like, ‘My friends love my risotto!’” -Pedro Sorrentino
  • “Emphasize your own social media presence and successes. Present your great communication and language skills, and don’t forget social links to your blog, Twitter, and other sites you’re active on. Have your resume online, on sites such as on LinkedIn.” -Jakub Svoboda
  • “Include your passion projects. This is what sets you apart and tells your story. I recommend to leave off irrelevant experience.” -Kimberly Aguilera
  • “Get out there and do, write and say smart things. If you can back this up by [having] a strong web presence and point a recruiter to the things that best describe who you are as a person, you basically don't need a resume. A cover letter leaves too much room for BS anyway, and a CV can be constructed. Bottom line: link to your online presences that prove that you're awesome, and you have one foot in the door. Bonus if a company finds you before you find it.” -David Noël

Social Media Job Listings


Every week we put out a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we post a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the best social media jobs from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!


More Social Media Resources from Mashable:


- 5 Tips for Managing Your Company's Brand on the Web
- 10 Fascinating Facebook Facts
- 25+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events
- 10 Tips for Corporate Blogging
- Is Social Media Failing to Produce Business Leads?


Reviews: AdAge, Facebook, Internet, LinkedIn, Mashable, Twitter, society

More About: Damien Basile, David Noël, Jakub Svoboda, job search, jobs, Kimberly Aguilera, meetup, new york tech meetup, Pedro Sorrentino, social media club, social media jobs, social media marketing, Sophia Aladenoye, Soraya Darabi, trending, Walter Junior

For more Social Media coverage:


73% of iPhone Users Are “Very Satisfied” With AT&T [SURVEY]

Posted: 24 Jul 2010 02:38 PM PDT


A survey performed by the Yankee Group found that 73% of iPhone users are “very satisfied” with AT&T, despite all the negative press the cellular network has received since the iPhone launched back in 2007.

Also, 77% of iPhone owners would buy another iPhone, while only 20% of people who use the competing Google Android smartphone platform would repeat their purchases.

The survey was cited at CNNMoney.com, which was quick to suggest that the positive reviews from iPhone owners must be a result of a “halo effect” or “reality distortion field” accompanying the iPhone’s slick and impressive interface and features. The idea is that some users are so pleased and wowed by the iPhone’s presentation that they gloss over the downsides — in this case, AT&T’s struggle to prevent dropped calls or other problems caused by poor or lost signal.

That theory is supported by the finding that iPhone users are more likely to be satisfied with AT&T’s service than other AT&T customers, only 68% of whom are satisfied.

This all seems to conflict somewhat with a previous report by market research firm ChangeWave, which estimated that if the iPhone is released on Verizon in addition to AT&T, AT&T could lose more than half of its iPhone customers. Who knows when that might happen, though. Depending on which rumor you believe, it will either occur in January of next year, or sometime in 2012.

It just goes to show you that predictions and surveys in the tech world are educated guesses, not products of precise science.


Reviews: Android, Google

More About: 3g, apple, att, iphone, iphone 4, survey, yankee group

For more Apple coverage:


Yolink Helps Web Researchers Search Behind Links

Posted: 24 Jul 2010 12:42 PM PDT


This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.

Name: yolink

Quick Pitch: Yolink is a next-generation technology that enhances search by extracting information from behind links and inside of documents.

Genius Idea: Yolink wants to be a researcher’s best friend. How? By searching not just a page, but also the links contained within that page. This makes finding contextually linked information super simple.

Yolink is available as a browser plugin (for Firefox, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome), a desktop search app or a widget you can integrate with your own blog. The service is also an add-on to Craigslist, Wikipedia and Google Patent Search.

The Yolink team has also created a yolink Labs project that showcases just how powerful the service really is. From the Labs projects, you can interact with Yolink in any browser.

This video shows off how useful Yolink can be when doing research from a Project Gutenberg text:

Yolink would be useful enough if it only searched behind links and showed you relevant data from within those links, but it takes it to the next level with its share and save options. You can save the data to a Google Doc for instance, or save each link as a bookmark. You can also take data and send it to people via e-mail, capture it with Evernote or save something directly to EasyBib, with the citation automatically formatted correctly and linked.

Yolink has also opened up its developer API so that it can be integrated with just about any site on the web. Yolink is like semantic search on steroids and with the right type of integration, this service could really start to turn heads.

As it stands right now, Yolink is one of the best ways to canvas through lots of dense text or to deep dive into heavily-linked sources.


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.

Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines)."


Reviews: Craigslist, Evernote, Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, PHP, Wikipedia

More About: bizspark, Search, semantic search, semantic web, spark-of-genius, startup, yolink

For more Tech coverage:


Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

Posted: 24 Jul 2010 11:07 AM PDT

Twitter Chart Image

The vice grip of the World Cup has loosened after five straight weeks on top, and given way to a real mixed bag of Twitter trends.

Taking the cake this week is the psychological sci-fi thriller Inception, which left many tweeters raving and head scratching at the same time. Music, notes from the news, and TV populate the rest of the chart, during what turned out to be a pretty mellow week for Twitter.

As always, our partners in data at What The Trend have provided the full leader board below. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart.

You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topics section as well as read more about this past week's trends on What The Trend.


Top Twitter Trends This Week: 7/17 – 7/23

Rank
Topic
Top Index This Week
Intensity
Description
#1
Inception (Movie)
1
4
Inception; is a 2010 sci-fi action thriller film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Many people are chatting about how much they loved the movie, or how much they didn’t get it.
#2
Felipe Neto
1
2
Felipe Neto is a popular Brazilian vlogger who spoke out against the Twilight series of books and movies on a debate show on MTV Brazil.
#3
Rick Ross
1
2
"Teflon Don" is the new album by rapper Rick Ross @RickyRozay) released this week.
#4
I♥YOU
3
1
People are sharing who or what they love on Twitter.
#5
Shirley Sherrod
1
1
Shirley Sherrod, a former U.S. Dept. of Agriculture director, was forced to resign after an edited video surfaced where she reportedly made racist remarks about a white farmer. The White House apologized for the way this was handled and President Obama has spoken with her.
#6
If You Knew Me (TV Show)
1
1
People are tweeting about the MTV original series "If You Really Knew Me."
#7
Nelson Mandela
1
1
Nelson Mandela celebrated his 92nd birthday this week.
#8
Soccer/Football
1
1
A variety of tweets about various soccer players, most notably Ricardo Gomes, Martin Jol, and Caio Ribeiro.
#9
Tour de France
1
1
Controversy erupted this week when Alberto Contador ignored common race course etiquette and passed then-leader Andy Schleck while Schleck was stopped with mechanical failure.
#10
SHINee
1
1
The South Korean boy band released a teaser for their new album "Lucifer." It "shows a new and daring side of SHINee with extremely vogue hairstyles."


Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ricardoinfante


Reviews: Twitter, iStockphoto, movie, twilight

More About: entertainment, inception, List, Lists, Movies, social media, sports, Top Twitter Topics, trends, twitter, twitter trends

For more Social Media coverage:


Go On Your Own “Eat Pray Love” Journey With SCVNGR

Posted: 24 Jul 2010 07:23 AM PDT


SCVNGR — the location-based mobile app that takes a really creative approach to the space — is teaming up with Columbia Pictures to help promote the upcoming film, Eat Pray Love.

The movie, which stars Julia Roberts, is about a woman who goes on a yearlong sabbatical to find herself. First she explores the pleasure of food in Italy, followed by spending time studying prayer in India and finally finds love in Bali.

The concept behind the film — one of traveling and self-discovery — actually makes it particularly effective as a tie-in with a location-based mobile app. In order to promote the overall themes of the film, SCVNGR has created different challenges that capture some of the experiences from the film in 26 cities across the United States.

Using the SCVNGR app for iPhone and Android, users can check-in to different locations. Each city will have its own locations that is marked as being related to “Eat,” “Pray” or “Love.” Like other SCVNGR challenges, visiting a location and then completing a challenge, such as snapping a photo or answering a trivia question, will earn users points and badges in the game.

Here are some examples:

  • EAT – Looking for a little spice in your life? Stop by your Indian restaurant and send in a description of how spicy you like your food, like “holy-moly-fiery-burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth spicy,” and snag another 2 points.
  • PRAY – If you’re more of a dreamer, find a serene spot in a public park and let your friends what you’ve always wanted to do. Sing in front of a crowded room? Write a novel? Score another 2 points.
  • LOVE – Head to your laundromat and snap a pic of your dirty clothes arranged in the shape of a heart, score 2 points.


A Location-Based Tie-in That Makes Sense


Nearly every day we see another brand or product partner with a location-based social network for a promotion. After all, it’s a unique and effective way to advertise and to connect with customers.

We’re especially fans of SCVNGR’s approach to the location-based space, though. The company is demonstrating its ability to be unique and innovative with branded campaigns like this one, as well as with new features like social checkins.

As we noted when we first covered SCVNGR, the fact that the game aspect of the service has been given so much attention really sets the app apart from others in this space. It’s not tacking gaming elements onto a social network; it’s infusing social elements into a game.


World of Possibilities


We’re excited by how bigger brands are testing the waters with new forms of social media. We believe especially that there are lots of opportunities to make a great connections with customers through geolocation. These partnerships don’t just have to be standard “check in and earn a badge” deals; with a little bit of effort, they can be tailored to fit the service and the partner brand.

For content like movies and books, the power of location can expand the narrative. Think about how cool it could be if challenges could earn users money off a movie ticket, special clips from the film or a hidden interview with the cast.

When we think about the impact that location-based services can have on viral marketing as an industry, we get kind of dizzy. Just this week, at Comic-Con, Disney launched its new TRON [iTunes link] iPhone app. Inside the app, there was a feature that unlocked content if you used the app in the vicinity of the Disney Comic-TRON booth. We fully expect to see more of this sort of integration with marketing campaigns in the future.

What do you think about how film studios are using location-based apps to connect with audiences? Let us know!


Reviews: Android, love

More About: eat pray love, Film, geolocation, location-based games, Movies, scvngr

For more Mobile coverage:


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