Kamis, 23 September 2010

Mashable: Latest 25 News Updates - including “New “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” Trailer Hits the Web [VIDEO]”

Mashable: Latest 25 News Updates - including “New “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” Trailer Hits the Web [VIDEO]”

Link to Mashable!

New “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” Trailer Hits the Web [VIDEO]

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:41 AM PDT

The new cinematic trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie has appeared on YouTube.

This is the highly anticipated first part of the epic finale that brings closure to the adventures of the little (OK, maybe not so little any more) wizard.

The trailer itself doesn’t bring many answers to fans’ burning questions, but hey, we didn’t expect to find out what happens to Harry and his arch enemy Voldemort until we actually see the movie.

Check out the new trailer below, and if you had missed the first trailer for the movie, you can find it here.

More About: entertainment, Film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Movies, trailer, video

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Twitter to Release a Real-time Analytics Solution This Year [REPORT]

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 01:43 AM PDT


Twitter plans to launch a free analytics dashboard that will help its users – especially businesses – understand how others are interacting with their tweets.

Member of Twitter’s business development team Ross Hoffman has revealed at the Sports Marketing Summit that Twitter plans to launch the dashboard in the last quarter of 2010. He was speaking in the context of sports, but there’s no reason to believe the tool won’t be available to other users, too.

The team that works on this tool is the one behind Trendly, which Twitter had acquired in June. Trendly was all about highlighting important changes in the traffic that reaches your website, and, according to Hoffman, Twitter’s analytics solution will show you which tweets are spreading and which users are influential in your network.

There are two interesting things about this announcement. First of all, if the product will be free, then Twitter won’t be making any money out of it, and one possible business model for Twitter was charging for this type of tool. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Twitter won’t later release a more advanced version of the dashboard, aimed at businesses, which will not be free.

Secondly, this is bad news for companies that are building their versions of Twitter analytics tools – some that come to mind are Klout, Omniture and Twitalyzer. It is possible to compete with Twitter at their own turf – just check out third-party apps such as TweetDeck – but these companies will now have to try twice as hard to reach customers.


Reviews: TweetDeck, Twitter

More About: real-time analytics, social media, social networking, twitter

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Using Film to Change the World

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 12:08 AM PDT


With the glitz and glamor of Hollywood and blockbuster movies, it’s easy to overlook the very real and acutely transformative effect that film and motion pictures have had on the world. Beyond just transporting viewers into new worlds and fantasies, film has the power — perhaps beyond that of any other medium — to shed light on an issue, telling a story and chronicling history.

This greater power was discussed yesterday in the UN Week Digital Media Lounge in a session entitled, “Reel Impact: The Power of Film to Change Lives.”

In the session, film producer Caroline Baron, the founder and CEO of FilmAid, and filmmaker Lisa Russell, co-founder of MDGFive.com, discussed the impact and life-changing potential film can have on the developing world and vulnerable communities.

Both women were drawn into using film to help achieve social good during the war in Kosovo. Sometimes called the world’s first humanitarian war, Kosovo brought the plight of refugees and those in refugee camps to the public in a way that hadn’t happened with previous wars and conflicts.

Baron’s organization, FilmAid, focuses on bringing films to the millions of displaced and impoverished individuals across the globe. Not only do these films offer information about health and human safety, they also help bring the magic of the movies to those that need a message of hope more than anyone.

During the session, Baron recounted the experience of watching children in Afghanistan watch The Wizard of Oz for the first time. Beyond being the first movie that many of these children had seen, it was also the first time that they had heard music.

For Russell’s organization, MDGFive, the focus is on using social media and working with the creative community to encourage a local and global dialogue around maternal health. The MDGFive website features a remixer that users can use to create short films using music tracks, spoken word, photos and film clips from renowned artists around the world.

Rather than just portraying the negative aspects of how the developing world lives, MDGFive is focused on working with the local people and gaining their insight and perspective in presenting real issues and real problems.

Ultimately, the goal of MDGFive is to promote awareness and education in the area of maternal health. Film is one way that goal can be reached.

Check out the entire session below:

In the 115 years since the Lumière Brothers first filmed workers leaving a factory, moving pictures have changed the world as we know it. In the 21st century, film is being used to bring hope to others and to educate and tell stories that need to be told.

Has a film ever changed your life?

More About: Film, filmaid, mdgfive, Movies, social good summit, UN week, un week digital media lounge

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How Your License Plate Could Be Your New Username [INVITES]

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 10:52 PM PDT


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

Name: Bump

Quick Pitch: Bump allows users to connect online and offline via unique identifiers, including license plates, mobile phones and online profiles.

Genius Idea: Ever wanted to tell the driver in front of you that their lights are off? Or maybe you’ve wanted to be the good Samaritan and warn someone that his meter has expired. Perhaps you just find the driver in the adjacent vehicle visually stimulating and are hoping they think the same about you.

These street scenarios face us drivers on a daily basis, but there’s never been an easy or safe way to message another driver or car owner. Enter Bump, a recently launched, private-beta startup (we’ve got invites) that has created a way to message other drivers by using the one unique identifier all drivers have in common: our license plates.

Bump users can message other drivers through voice-automated commands, photo snapshots of license plates and SMS. Bump also includes e-mail support, which you can use by directing your message to State.Plate@bump.com, where state is the two-digit state name abbreviation and plate is the individual’s license plate number.

Bump stores all messages sent to a particular license plate in the system until the plate in question is claimed by the plate owner. If you claim your plate, you can then start to receive messages as voice messages, e-mails or text messages. Of course, this also means that those messages you attempt to send to the hottie in the Audi TT won’t get delivered unless he or she has also claimed their plate on Bump — a clear limitation of the service at launch.

Bump members can also connect their Twitter, Facebook, and eventually Match.com profiles, e-mail accounts and cell phone numbers with their license plate to further complete the loop between the physical world and the digital world.


Your License Plate as Your Identity


Eventually Bump will enter AAA’s realm and offer premium services to drives through a member program. Upgrades will include discount offers, special privileges and roadside assistance. The company is also working with rental car companies, sports leagues and fast-food outlets on marketing initiatives to target special offers to members on the road by tapping into existing video cameras. In this capacity, Bump aims to bring Groupon-like discounts to the real world through license plates, which may be a bit too ambitious for privacy-conscious drivers.

The service’s immediate and long-term success will rely on drivers claiming their plates. The challenge, however, is that even without offers directed at individual license plates, Bump’s technology will likely be a bit too intrusive for those who would prefer not to incorporate their license plate as part of their virtual and physical identities.

The license plate may seem like an obvious public identifier, but to those with higher profiles, their license plate number is not exactly information they want to be part of the public domain. For others, their license plate will be a welcome natural identifier to help bridge the gap between their online persona and offline life.

Right now Bump is available as a website and mobile web app, but the company has plans to release an app for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry in the near future. Bump is still in private beta, but 250 Mashable readers can start using the service today. Simply enter the invite code “mashable” during the registration process.

Bump has raised $1 million in Series A funding and recently appeared at DEMO in Silicon Valley. The startup is in the process of raising a Series B round that will likely reach $8 million. The startup also recently acquired Platester, a license plate messaging platform, for an undisclosed sum.

Image courtesy of richardmasoner, Flickr


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: Android, BlackBerry Rocks!, Facebook, Flickr, Mashable, Twitter, iPhone

More About: bizspark, bump.com, driving, license plates, spark-of-genius

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Pay for the Subway Using Your iPhone

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 10:12 PM PDT


Visa has just rolled out a new pilot program that allows New Yorkers to pay subway, bus and train fares with a wave of their iPhones.

New York City Transit, NJ TRANSIT and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are participating in the pilot program. As part of the program, Visa is testing both payment cards and Visa payWave-enabled smartphones.

Rather than having to buy or refill a Metro card, travelers can just wave their phones in front of a contactless reader.

As we reported last month, Visa is also working with Bank of America to bring smartphone payments to retailers in New York City.

Smartphones that are equipped with a special sensor can transmit payment information to contactless card readers at fare gates. Not only does this help people get through transit stations more quickly; it also eliminates the need to buy a transit card or dig around in your purse for your existing pass.

Check out this video that Visa produced to show the smartWave wireless payment option in action:

Beyond New York, Visa is also working with LA Metro to bring TAP ReadyCARD dual-use prepaid Visa cards that act as both transit tickets and Visa debit cards.

Internationally, Visa has been deploying its payWave technology in Kuala Lampur, Singapor, Paris, Istanbul and London.

The New York subway program is only deployed across 28 stops along the Lexington subway line; but if it is successful, we might see this feature rolled out across the wider system.

Frankly, as someone who frequently loses or misplaces transit cards, having the option to just wave my smartphone to pay my fare sounds incredible. Even better than getting to use this feature for a train, using the system on the bus would make getting around much faster. Would you like to be able to pay for transit tickets by waving your phone? Let us know.

Image courtesy of Ed Yourdon

More About: iphone, mass transit, micropayments, new york city, payWave, subway, Visa

For more Mobile coverage:


How Musicians Use Social Media to Inspire Activism [VIDEO]

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 09:05 PM PDT

A panel of musicians, marketing executives and media professionals joined the UN Foundation’s Executive Director of Global Partnerships Elizabeth Gore to explore how musicians and other celebrities can use social media to drive support for social issues.

The panel, which included musicians Lupe Fiasco and Kenna Zemedkun, VP of Sustainability Marketing at ignition Simon Isaacs, Founder of Lovesocial Azita Ardakani, and Rolling Stone contributing writer Laura Checkoway, discussed previous challenges and successes involved in creating awareness for social causes and talked about how new forms of media — including Twitter — are enabling celebrities to rally their fan bases directly.

You can watch the full discussion from Mashable’s and 92Y’s UN Week Digital Media Lounge above.


Reviews: Mashable, Twitter

More About: celebrities, media, musicians, social good, twitter

For more Social Good coverage:


Bing Rewards: Haven’t We Played This Game Before, Microsoft?

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 08:08 PM PDT


Microsoft, we thought you learned your lesson from the from the failure of Bing Cashback. It looks like we were wrong.

Earlier today, Microsoft launched Bing Rewards, a new program that lets users earn credits for performing actions like searching on Bing, making Bing their homepage and testing out new features. The more users perform these actions, the more credits they earn.

Of course, there’s a catch — you have to download the “Bing Bar” (it’s a toolbar for Internet Explorer) onto your Windows machine and sign up with a Windows Live ID. We hope you’re running Boot Camp, Mac owners.

Overall, Bing Rewards is exactly like any loyalty rewards program you’ve used via your credit card or at your favorite store. Buy more stuff and complete certain tasks, and you get some miniscule reward. The program is clearly the successor to Bing Cashback, the now-defunct rewards program that gave you money for buying products through the Bing search engine. Cashback’s termination was announced in June, and it officially closed on July 30.

We were hoping that Cashback would be the end of Microsoft trying to (directly) buy users, but it looks like that was hoping for too much. While the program seems like a decent enough concept, we just don’t think people treat search like they do their credit cards. Are thousands or millions of people really going to switch from Google and install a god-awful toolbar just so they can get a Zune?

Microsoft, you’re wasting time, energy and resources on this rewards program. Awesome new features are going to help you win the search war, not Bing points and gift cards.

Disclosure: Microsoft is a Mashable sponsor.


Reviews: Bing, Google, Internet Explorer, Mashable, Windows

More About: bing, Bing Rewards, microsoft

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Mark Zuckerberg Donates $100 Million to Newark Public Schools

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 07:08 PM PDT


Mark Zuckerberg is donating $100 million to the Newark public school system. The donation will be the first part of a foundation intended improve U.S. education.

Zuckerberg will announce the contribution Friday on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where he will be joined by Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

The New York Times broke news of Zuckerberg’s educational fund shortly before Forbes revealed that the Facebook founder and CEO had climbed to the thirty-fifth position on its annual list of wealthy Americans. Forbes estimates that Zuckerberg is now worth $6.9 billion, putting him seven spots above Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who is estimated to be worth $6.1 billion, ranking 42 on Forbes’ list.

Some will call the donation calculated. The timing of the announcement is in sync with the October 1 release of The Social Network, based on Ben Mezrich’s book The Accidental Billionaires, neither of which protrays Zuckerberg in the most favorable manner. The donation could also be aimed at counteracting any negative stigma that could arise from his new rank on the Forbes 400.

The fact of the matter is that Mark Zuckerberg just donated $100 million of his own personal wealth to one of the country’s worst school systems. This is the sort of philanthropy that we see from the likes of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates; frankly, it’s amazing to have someone else with the ability to contribute at that level to that field. Ideally, we should be able to take the gesture at face value and not taint it with speculation.


Reviews: Facebook

More About: bill gates, facebook, mark zuckerberg, philanthropy, social good, the social network, trending, Warren Buffett

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New Roku Units Aim Straight at the Apple TV

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 06:19 PM PDT


The connected-device market just got a little bit hotter; Roku has just announced its new lineup of streaming media players.

Competing head-to-head with the upcoming Apple TV, the Boxee Box and Google TV, Roku is hoping to entice customers to its newest units.

Roku is introducing three models, priced to sell at $59.99, $79.99 and $99.99. Each model supports HD streaming and has built-in wireless connectivity. The $79.99 and $99.99 models support 1080p streaming — a feature the $99 Apple TV won’t be able to match.

Like the older Roku devices, the new boxes support a slew of content networks, including Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, MLB.TV, Pandora, Flickr and MOG.

As small as the old Roku boxes were, the new units are even smaller. The Apple TV hasn’t shipped yet, so we’re not sure which device is smaller, but he new Roku is tiny and should be easy to hide away.

Check out a quick run-down of what each model offers:

Roku HD

Priced at $59.99, this entry-level Roku box supports 720p streaming and has built-in ethernet and 802.11 b/g and supports 5.1 surround sound. It includes both HDMI and composite video, so you can use this on standard-definition TVs or on newer models.

Roku XD

At $79.99, the mid-tier Roku box jumps from 720p to 1080p and gains extended range Wireless-N Wi-Fi support, plus the ability to do stuff like instant-replay with the new enhanced Roku remote.

Roku XDS

The $99.99 Roku XDS is priced the same as the Apple TV, but it offers 1080p HD streaming and dual-band extended range Wireless-N Wi-Fi. It can also play content via a USB drive.

The ability to play back external content is completely new for Roku. Using USB, customers can play stored music, photos and 1080p video. Roku will be introducing this new feature as part of a free software update, which we expect to roll out in November.


Taking on the Apple TV Head-on


It’s hard not to compare the new Roku units with Apple’s upcoming Apple TV. Both units offers similar capabilities and are of a similar form factor. The big distinguishing factor is content selection. Apple TV has direct access to the iTunes Store and can also connect to home networks. Roku has access to Amazon and an increasing number of partners and can now play content over USB.

Both units offer Netflix support, though Roku will be able to handle 1080p streaming. Roku provided us with a review unit of the Roku XDS, and we’ll be posting our full review soon.

What do you think of the new Roku boxes? Are you considering adding one to your living room? Let us know.


Reviews: Flickr, Pandora

More About: Apple TV, connected tv, roku, roku hd, roku xd, roku xds

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Make Internet Explorer Render Like Chrome with Chrome Frame

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 04:55 PM PDT


Developers, your IE6-related woes are over. Google’s taking the “beta” sticker off a handy line of code that will make older versions of Internet Explorer use Chrome’s Webkit-based rendering engine rather than its own default rendering engine.

This time last year, we told you that Google was working on improving the woeful Internet Explorer experience via Chrome Frame, an end-user plugin that brought some of Chrome’s open-web tech and JavaScript engine into Internet Explorer.

For today’s Internet apps history lesson, we highlight the fact that Chrome Frame was created especially for Google Wave, many aspects of which which wouldn’t render in Internet Explorer otherwise. As you can imagine, this revelation didn’t please Microsoft too much.

At the time, a Microsoft spokesperson stated that running Chrome Frame represented a security risk that “doubled the attach area for malware and malicious scripts. This is not a risk we would recommend our friends and families take.” However, last year’s developer preview of this plugin has become a stable product after months of bug fixes and security patches.

Here’s a brief demo video showing what Chrome Frame could do for the typical IE browsing experience:

The Chrome Frame plugin can be used for Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8. Once the user downloads the plugin, the browser detects the single meta tag added to the site on the developer’s end, and Chrome Frame switches to the Webkit rendering engine.

Another point of note is that Chrome Frame existed long before IE9, which is purportedly more web-standards compliant, more HTML5-ready, and much faster than previous versions of the web’s most infamous browser. Whether IE9 needs or would operate better with Chrome’s Webkit rendering engine is a highly technical and likely emotionally weighted debate we’ll leave to our good friends at Microsoft and Google.

However, what we do know for a fact is that not every IE user is working with the latest version of the browser, and many developers and designers working in the real world have to optimize for (or at least take into consideration) much older, slower versions of Internet Explorer. For these working stiffs, Chrome Frame could be a lifesaver. The onus to install the plugin still lies with end users, but requiring a plugin install is one workaround for the otherwise tedious task of reworking your site for IE6 or — worse yet — leaving your IE6-using customers out in the cold.

What do you think of Chrome Frame? Have you been using it over the past year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.


Reviews: Chrome, Google, Google Wave, Internet, Internet Explorer

More About: chrome, chrome frame, google chrome, IE9, internet explorer, microsoft, trending

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JetBlue Plans Fleet-wide Wi-Fi for Mid-2012

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 02:47 PM PDT


Good news and bad news for JetBlue loyalists: the airline has finally settled on an in-flight broadband strategy. Unfortunately, the airline won’t begin deploying the system to its 160+ plane fleet until mid-2012.

It’s a better late-than-never sort of announcement, as many of JetBlue’s competitors are already offering Wi-Fi through Gogo Inflight Internet. Even Southwest announced earlier this year that it would begin its own deployments in 2010 and expects to complete the process by early 2012.

A well-executed platform could be all that’s needed to excuse the delay, though. JetBlue CEO Dave Barger says, “This system will be designed for the 21st century, not just for today’s personal connectivity needs, but with the bandwidth to expand to meet tomorrow’s needs as well.”

Expandability is of no small importance when considering common usage. In the U.S., home broadband is currently reaching speeds in excess of 10 Mbps on the low end in most regions, with many areas reaching 30 Mbps and beyond. Additionally, the looming deployment of LTE mobile phones will put 50 Mbps wireless connections in the pockets of millions of Americans. It will also force home broadband speeds upward in order to remain competitive with pervasive mobile connections.

If JetBlue were to launch a non-extensible Wi-Fi package in 2012, when users are accustomed to fast Internet everywhere, it would be laughed out of the sky. Instead of taking the easy route with a Gogo deal though, JetBlue is building its service from the ground up.

JetBlue has partnered with the satellite wizards at ViaSat, Inc. The company provides a number of military and commercial SATCOM solutions, but it is best known for its aptly named subsidiary WildBlue. Through WildBlue, ViaSat currently serves satellite Internet to over 400,000 subscribers through resellers like DirectTV and DISH Network. Not surprisingly, ViaSat’s WildBlue technologies will be fundamental to its collaboration with JetBlue and it is this joining of forces that could make the service a viable competitor in 2012.

Have you been on many planes with in-flight Wi-Fi through Gogo or some other provider? Are you reading this from 30,000 feet? What’s your experience to date with in-flight Wi-Fi?

Image courtesy of Flickr, spackletoe.


Reviews: Flickr, Internet

More About: broadban, GoGo, jetblue, SATCOM, wifi, WildBlue

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How Universities Can Win Big with Location-Based Apps

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 02:03 PM PDT

Books Image

Dan Klamm is the Outreach & Marketing Coordinator at Syracuse University Career Services. This post was co-authored by Kelly Lux who is the Social Media Manager at Syracuse University’s iSchool. Connect with them on Twitter @DanKlamm and @KellyLux.

Location-based apps aren’t just for badges and discounts. Geolocation can have a real effect on education at the University level by building relationships with prospective students and families, engaging students with their course materials, and strengthening alumni bonds.

Universities are always looking for ways to strengthen ties within their communities and many higher education institutions have already implemented social media plans to help them carry out that end. Location-based services are the next step in creating meaningful relationships with prospective students, the current student body, and alums.

Here, we explore some ways that universities can leverage location-based services with tips, advice, and some schools that have already successfully implemented them.


Create a Special Visitor Experience


harvard image

Prospective students often cite their campus tour as a major factor in their choice of colleges, so why not make their first visit to campus extra special? Using a location-based service like Foursquare, schools can leave tips around campus to ensure visitors have a rich, vibrant experience.

Point out cool traditions and little-known facts that are tied to locations. Post information about buildings, landmarks and statues. Address frequently asked questions about safety, walkability, and navigating the campus. For prospective students and their parents, these quick tips are immensely helpful in learning about their surroundings and discovering campus culture — whether they’re walking with a guided tour group or exploring on their own.

Similarly, schools can leave tips that pertain to alumni. As alums swarm back to their alma mater for Homecoming, it might be refreshing to hear about things that have changed around campus since their last visit. Seeing a new science building on the site of a former football field can be jarring, but a Foursquare tip identifying when the change occurred can provide some context while respecting the history of the location.

Harvard, at the forefront of Foursquare usage among universities, offers a blend of historical information and things to do around campus on their Foursquare page.


Foster School Spirit


duck image

Innovative universities can encourage students to explore their campus and participate in events by offering rewards to those who check in to a particular set of venues. Through Foursquare or Gowalla, schools can offer rewards or badges which students unlock by visiting set locations — lecture halls, the quad, the sports stadium, the campus bookstore, or any location with a story behind it.

This can be particularly beneficial in engaging students who are new to campus and exposing them to the traditions of the school. In August, the University of Oregon used Foursquare as part of its Welcome Week.


Enhance the Event Experience


whrrl image

From freshman move-in to alumni weekend to graduation — not to mention all of the concerts, sports games, and lectures in between — schools are jam-packed with events. To add another layer of engagement to these events, universities can tap into location-based technologies like Whrrl. This network lets users not only check in to a specific location, but upload photos and messages to that venue so that they can share the experience with all of the people around them.

Can you imagine a student going to a campus concert and being able to see photos and commentary from the perspective of dozens of other attendees in real time? Or an alum returning home from Alumni Weekend to view images from events of the momentous weekend as captured by hundreds of fellow alumni, neatly organized in one location? Location-based services like these have tremendous potential for universities.

In May 2010, St. Edwards University used Whrrl to commemorate its graduation ceremony.


Drive Revenue with Promotions and Specials


loopt image

Colleges and universities can offer specials, promotions and discounts at retail locations such as bookstores and campus cafes. Location-based services are quickly becoming the new loyalty card of the mobile world. Gowalla, Foursquare and Loopt have teamed up with nationwide retailers to offer discounts for consumers who check in at their locations. Universities can do the same. By offering small prizes or perks to those who become mayor of a location, you can incentivize just dropping in to browse. Students and other customers can be driven by the competition to check in on a regular basis.

Customer loyalty can also be developed by offering incentives for accumulating checkins. If there are several choices of lunch spot, for example, a student might be enticed to visit the same location regularly, knowing they will receive a free soda or dessert every 10th visit.


Infuse the University’s Culture Beyond Campus


Location-based services can also be beneficial in helping universities engender engagement off-campus. Schools wishing to push their students to explore the broader community can provide rewards for those who venture beyond campus boundaries and engage with local businesses. They can also leave tips around the geographic region so that students receive friendly and helpful notes from their school as they explore new places.

Universities with satellite offices or study abroad locations should consider peppering their cities with tips. Students interning in a large and unfamiliar city can receive advice from their school’s alumni and those spending the semester abroad can read suggestions from knowledgeable program staff. These are just a few examples of how schools can spread their culture (and a helping hand) through location-based services.


Conclusions


With more students coming to campus with smartphones, it is important to create opportunities for them in a medium they understand. The mobile culture of colleges is the perfect setting for location-based services. Consider going to the places where students congregate and providing training. While many students have the technology, not all are aware of the applications that they can use on campus, and more importantly, what’s in it for them.

The more students at a university use location-based services, the more valuable it becomes to the institution in terms of data collection. Universities can see demographics, determine whether certain events are more popular than others, make choices based on tips (good and bad) left at campus locations, see trends in usage of various facilities like Health Centers and more. Eventually, using location-based data will become part of the culture of data collection that already exists in higher education. Campuses that transition early will be at the forefront of the wave of location-based technology that is about to emerge, and poised to reap its many benefits.


More Location Resources from Mashable:


- Top 16 Unusual Foursquare Badges
- How Non-Profits Can Maximize a Foursquare Account
- Beyond the Checkin: Where Location-Based Social Networks Should Go Next
- 7 Ways Journalists Can Use Foursquare
- Why the Fashion Industry Loves Foursquare

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, bioraven


Reviews: Foursquare, Gowalla, iStockphoto

More About: alum, alumni, foursquare, geolocation, geotagging, gowalla, location, loopt, Mobile 2.0, phone, smartphone, students, universities, university

For more Mobile coverage:


Mashable Is Hiring & 40+ Social Media and Web Development Job Vacancies

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 01:35 PM PDT


If you’re seeking a job in social media, we’d like to help out. For starters, Mashable’s Job Lists section gathers together all of our resource lists, how-tos and expert guides to help you get hired. In particular, you might want to see our articles on How to Leverage Social Media for Career Success and How to Find a Job on Twitter.

But we’d like to help in a more direct way, too. Mashable's job boards are a place for socially savvy companies to find people like you. This week and every week, Mashable features its coveted job board listings for a variety of positions in the web, social media space and beyond. Have a look at what's good and new on our job boards:


Jobs at Mashable


Ad Ops Manager at Mashable in New York, NY.


VP Sales at Mashable in New York, NY.


Mashable Job Board Listings


Software Engineer at Digital Madhouse in Scottsdale, AZ.


Front End Developer at YourCause LLC in Dallas, TX.


PHP Engineer at Synacor in Buffalo, NY.


Fact Checker at Groupon in Chicago, IL.


Copy Editor at Groupon in Chicago, IL.


Senior Software Developer, Mobile (Blackberry) at Mobio Identity Systems, Inc. in Vancouver, Canada.


User Experience Designer at Mobio Identity Systems, Inc. in Vancouver, Canada.


Web & Graphic Designer at cPanel Inc. in Houston, TX.


Drupal/PHP & MySQL Developer at The Recording Academy (GRAMMY Awards) in Santa Monica, CA.


Director of Social Media Strategy at Likeable in New York, NY.


Social Media Campaign Manager at M80 in New York, NY.


Application Support Engineer at Newstex, LLC in New York, NY.


PR/Marketing Internship at Howcast Media in New York, NY.


Performance-Based Internet Marketer at FeeFighters.com in Chicago, IL.


Social Media Marketing Manager at M80 in New York, NY.


Freelance Associate Director, Project Management at Digitas in New York, NY.


Software Engineer in Test at Google in New York, NY.


Account Executive at Yelp in Scottsdale, AZ.


Senior Account Executive, Financial Services at IMRE LLC in Sparks Glencoe, MD.


Sr. Marketing Manager at WOWIO in Los Angeles, CA.


Staff Writer at Groupon in Chicago, IL.


Digital Lead, Director at Weber Shandwick in San Francisco, CA.


Group Manager/Account Director at Weber Shandwick in Cambridge, MA.


Digital Community Supervisor at Weber Shandwick in Chicago, IL.


Operations Engineer at Flurry, Inc. in San Francisco, CA.


Client Success Director/Account Manager at Bazaarvoice in Austin, TX.


Social Media Manager at Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, MD.


Video Partner Manager at AOL in New York, NY.


Software Engineer at AxialMarket in New York, NY.


Senior Product Development Manager at American Express Publishing in New York, NY.


Social Media Manager at a financial services company in San Francisco, CA.


Account Executive/Senior Account Executive at SHIFT Communications, LLC in San Francisco, CA.


Emerging Media and Content Manager at Zumiez in Everett, WA.


Director, Interactive Marketing – Healthcare at Digitas in Philadelphia, PA.


Online Community Manager (Social Media) at Toolbox.com in Scottsdale, AZ.


Implementation Project Manager at Bazaarvoice in Austin, TX.


Director of Technology at Hungry Fish Media in Cambridge, MA.


PR and Communications Professional at Beck Media & Marketing in Los Angeles, CA.


Senior Application Engineer at Match.com in Dallas, TX.


Creative Director at Lime Labs in New York, NY.


Web Engineer at TIG Global in Chevy Chase, MD.


Manager, Digital Communications at The Torch Group in Beachwood, OH.


User Experience Designer at Musician’s Friend in Medford, OR.


Strategy Director at iCrossing in New York, NY.


Strategy Manager at iCrossing in New York, NY.


Mashable’s Job Board has a variety of web 2.0, application development, business development and social networking job opportunities available. Check them out at here.

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Image courtesy of iStockphoto, YinYang


Reviews: Google, Mashable, Yelp, iStockphoto


Get Your Fix of What’s Happening at Google in One Place

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 01:01 PM PDT


Are you obsessed with everything Google? Do you stalk the pages of Mashable just to be first on the latest Gmail update? Then you’re going to love Google New.

Google New is a simple dashboard for finding out exactly what is new and hip at the Googleplex. It’s essentially a dashboard of news from Google’s 100+ blogs coupled with the ability to search through Google’s key products and eight different areas of interest.

Frankly, there’s not much more to Google New than that, but it definitely makes it easier to follow all of the changes Google is making. It’s tough even for us to keep up with the changes going on at the tech giant. From our experience, Google launches a new update or a new product nearly every day.

Google New is one of the company’s 20% project ideas, where engineers spend 20% of their work time on any project they want. We doubt it took them that long to build this, but we’re glad they did; we’ll certainly be using it to keep track of the company.



Reviews: Google

More About: Google, Google New, google news

For more Social Media coverage:


Facebook Down for Some: Networking Provider to Blame

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 12:35 PM PDT


Facebook is down, at least for some of its users. Reports have been trickling in to our inboxes and via Twitter for the last half hour or so.

According to Facebook, the issue is with a “third party networking provider” that is causing some users to have problems connecting to Facebook.

“We are experiencing an issue with a third party networking provider that is causing problems for some people trying to connect to Facebook,” the company told Mashable in a statement. “We are in contact with this provider in order to explore what can be done to resolve the issue. In the meantime, we are working on deploying changes to bypass the affected connections.”

It looks like Facebook is on the case, but because it’s an issue with a third party, it could be some time until full Facebook connectivity is restored.

Are you experiencing problems with your Facebook account? Let us know in the comments.


Reviews: Facebook, Mashable

More About: facebook, facebook down

For more Social Media coverage:


100,000 Fans Vote to Air Indie Horror Film on MTV 2

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 11:41 AM PDT


Do you want to be the Master of Your Own Destiny? Well, too bad, but — judging by a recent campaign by MTV — you can increasingly have more control over what you watch, thanks to social media.

Savage County is not a big, mainstream horror film, but due to a campaign from MTV and Eventful, the movie (which was directed by David Harris) will now be airing on a mainstream network (MTV 2) on October 7.

How did this come to be? The deal was this: If 100,000 people “demanded” to see the film (via the Eventful’s “Demand It!” feature) it would air on MTV. If not, well, the film was formatted to function either as feature or in chapters, so it would have merely appeared on digital channels. On top of MTV 2, it will appear on MTV.com, Comcast VOD, and many other places like Playstation Network, Xbox, iTunes, DVD and Amazon.

According to MTV, the film reached the 100,000 mark in less than a month and a half (the Eventful campaign launch on August 10). According to David Gale, executive vice president of MTV’s new media division, this is only the beginning of the campaign.

Today MTV is launching a digital comic book, which will function as a prequel to the film, on Comic Book Resources. They also commissioned NYC artist Vincent Castiglia to create a painting for the film (in his own blood… shudder) and gave 10 prints away as prizes via horror news site Bloody Disgusting.

And that’s not all, there are also currently five trailers for the flick — which tells the tale of a group of teens who have a terrifying run-in with the mysterious Hardell family — as well as a transmedia project called The Savage Country Gazette, which is basically a newspaper from the town featured in the film’s title (think that website that launched to generate buzz for The Blair Witch Project). “Watching a movie doesn’t have to be a sit back, lean back experience,” Gale says, referring to the interactive nature of the website.

According to Gale, the network is working on getting the word out at a low cost while also reaching fans where they’re likely to be. “We had to build a fanbase in advance,” Gale says. And, judging by the 100,000 people who want to see the film, Gale and MTV have succeeded.

<

Savage County Official Trailer from Savage County on Vimeo.

Regardless of the merit of said film (you can check out the trailer above and come to your own conclusions), the social media campaign surrounding it is certainly part of an interesting tradition. First, there’s the idea of letting fans decide what they want to watch. Last year, the show Chuck scored a third season thanks to the social media efforts of fans, and, back in October, Paramount used Eventful to successfully lobby for the wide-release of indie horror flick, Paranormal Activity.

The campaign also dovetails nicely with cinema’s recent trend of getting folks where they live — remember that whole The Last Exorcism on Chatroulette thing? (Incidentally, anyone else noticing a trend here? Horror films using social media to gain a foothold and generate buzz. But that’s a post for another day.)

If you place content in a place where it doesn’t seem too blatantly promotional — i.e. give viewers experience and content versus telling them to watch something — people will be more apt to listen.

What do you think of MTV’s campaign? Will you watch Savage County?


Reviews: Eventful, Vimeo

More About: Film, MARKETING, mtv, pop culture, video, web video

For more Entertainment coverage:


HOW TO: Communicate Needs & Expectations to Web Designers

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 11:32 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.

You need something designed, you hire a designer. Simple enough. But what you get from that designer depends on how well you communicate what you want, what you need, and what you expect. That part’s not so easy.

In order to get the best work from a designer, you need to figure out what you want and how to talk about it in a way that will help the designer understand your goals. What you need might be a website or a logo, but your designer will require more to go on than that. Below are some tips from talented designers for how best to communicate what you want.


Know What a Designer Does


Before you even begin talking to a designer about what you want done, it’s important to understand what a designer actually does. Misunderstandings between designers and clients can often be traced back to misconceptions about roles and false expectations.

“Designers and clients should both understand the difference between design and production,” says graphic designer BJ Heinley. “Designing a logo and a business card is different than getting them printed. You hire a designer for her opinion and knowledge in a particular area, and you're asking her to help you navigate waters that you don't feel confident wading into alone. You hire production and development people to get something done in the best and most efficient way possible.”

This can get confusing since sometimes the design and production sides of the process are handled by the same person or company. Still, it is important to know which parts of what you’re asking a designer to do are design, and which parts are something else. Boundaries should be set to isolate one aspect from the other.


Think About What You Really Want


In order to accurately and clearly convey what you want to a designer, you really need to think about what it is you need and desire out of whatever it is you’re having designed. Think about what sort of functionality you want your users to get out of the design, what information you need to convey, and what sort of feeling you want to evoke.

“Examples are the easiest way [for clients] to share what they’re looking for,” says freelance web designer David Ronnie. “That doesn’t, however, mean for them to send over a website from a competitor and say ‘I want this,’” he warns. According to Ronnie, you should think about why you like a particular design and how it relates to what you want. Pay special attention to the functionality of the websites you like and what makes you like them — it might even be helpful to show the sites you admire to friends and colleagues and gauge their reactions. What about those sites do people actually like?

“We’re more interested here in why it appeals from a functionality standpoint than [...] about the aesthetic. This will help the designer immensely with understanding what the client is really looking for on their website,” says Ronnie.

Heinley likes to employ familiar analogies, like comparing a website to a car, as a way to draw from clients what they’re really looking for. “I'll often ask questions like: Why are the turn signals where they are? Why is the steering wheel round and not square? Why put the speedometer where it is?” he says. “These real-world examples have parallels on a website: Where is the logo placed on the page and why? Where are a search box and button placed on a page? What type of navigation should or shouldn't be used? After a few minutes of this, the client is usually clearer on some of the design considerations.”

Try that exercise on your own before speaking with your designer. You’ll find yourself armed with a better understanding of what you actually want.


Consider Content


“Any forethought and planning of content and navigation previous to meeting the designer can help immensely with the company’s job,” counsels Ronnie. Content is an oft-overlooked part of website design, but critical for the majority of sites. The point of a website for most small businesses is to get a message across and facilitate some action: sales, sign ups, attendance, etc. Thought should be paid to what it is you want to say on your website and what your goal is.

That process “is very much about setting priorities and establishing hierarchies,” says Ronnie. “Make priority lists and figure out what’s most important for your visitors to find. The more thought-out the content and structure is before ever contacting the designer, the better it will be for all parties involved.”

That doesn’t mean you have to write out all of your content before you hire a designer, or even before the designer starts designing, but knowing what you want to say, what your goal is, how you want to say it, and where different types of content fit in, will help the process go smoothly. Also, remember that content can include more than just written words — if you want to utilize video, podcasts, photo galleries, or any other type of rich media on your page, you should have a good idea of what you need before you talk to a designer.


Trust Your Designer, Give Up Control


One of the hardest things for a client to do, but one of the most necessary, is to give up control. That doesn’t mean you won’t get what you want or that you can’t offer feedback, but micromanaging the design process is a terrible idea. You’re hiring a designer because you value her expertise and skill, so trust her to take your initial input and create something that works.

Designer Jesse Thomas says that clients should hand over control along with the list of things they want. “I like to think about my job like a surgeon,” he says. “You don’t come in to the office of a surgeon and say, ‘I want this kind of cut, and I want you to do this many stitches.’ You come in bleeding, and let the man fix you.” Thomas says part of being a great designer is earning trust and being aggressive with clients about handing over control.

Heinley agrees. “It's often said that you hire a designer to say, ‘No.’” While it’s important for designers to be receptive to feedback and suggestions from their clients, says Heinley, it’s also important for clients to realize that “a designer's role is to have more experience in the field of design, passionately pursue the best path possible, use informed opinions, and approach the project from a user's perspective.”

In other words: designers know design, so it’s best to get out of the way and give them freedom to create.


Talk Money and Terms Beforehand


Of course, working with a designer isn’t all talking about form and function, there’s a healthy component of business, as well. So that there are no surprises, the business end should be clearly defined and gotten out of the way before any actual design production takes place, and before any money changes hands.

“There's nothing worse than getting to the middle or end of a project and finally getting around to discussing payment. Here's the key: talk about money and deadlines up front. No work should be done until payment prices and terms are agreed upon,” says Heinley, who advises that some sort of contract always be signed, even for small jobs.

It’s also important to realize that design is a difficult endeavor to price. “Due to the nature of exploration and innovation in design, projects sometimes will have unforeseen costs and time,” says Heinley, who often provides clients with a range rather than a fixed price.

Getting everything down on paper before you start will help you avoid headaches later.


More Business Resources from Mashable:


- HOW TO: Hire a Designer or Developer
- How Businesses Are Unleashing Their Employees' Social Media Potential
- HOW TO: Build Your International Business Network Online
- 10 Inspiring Non-Traditional Workspaces [PICS]
- Why Small Businesses Should Care About Mobile Payments

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, madmaxer, Revenant_hm, and Flickr, Adam Koford


Reviews: Flickr, iStockphoto

More About: business, communication, design, small business, web design, web designers

For more Business coverage:


How Independent Media Can Aid World Development [VIDEO]

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 10:42 AM PDT

An independent and well-supported media is an essential tool for developing nations, said the World Bank’s David Nelson and Internews’s Tara Susman-Peña on stage at Mashable and 92Y’s UN Week Digital Media Lounge Wednesday morning.

During the talk, Nelson and Susman-Peña outlined how both of their organizations, in partnership with the Brookings Institution, are working together to understand and promote local independent media and its impact on development. They believe a well-resourced, well-protected and widely accessible media network promotes better governance and a better economy, among other benefits.

Currently, however, media is an overlooked and under-invested sector of development. One of the reasons for this, they explained, is the lack of data to understand what’s going on in developing countries, and how media development assistance impacts their progress.

Consequently, the three organizations have launched a joint research initiative called the Media Map Project, which aims to demonstrate that impact through data analysis. The team behind the project is currently collecting and sifting through vast amounts of data, and plans to launch a web-based tool in May to give people easy access to what they’ve gathered, as well as the means to create visualizations to illustrate its meaning.

You can learn more about the project by watching the video above.

Thumbnail courtesy of Flickr, Terje S. Skjerdal.


Reviews: Flickr, Mashable

More About: media, Millennial Development Goals, social good, social good summit

For more Social Good coverage:


Mashable & 92Y Social Good Summit Recap & Complete Videos

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 10:14 AM PDT


Mashable and 92Y Social Good Summit in partnership with the UN Foundation brought together leaders in social good on Monday to explore the most inspirational, promising and effective ways in which new media can help address the world's challenges. We want to thank everyone who participated in the event and made it possible.

The Social Good Summit, one of the few public events being held during UN Week, was all about solutions. Every speaker, from (RED) CEO Susan Smith Ellis to Jumo Founder Chris Hughes, explained how digital media and innovative ideas can combine to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the UN's framework for creating a safer and healthier world for us all.

For everyone who didn't make the event or watch it live, thanks to Livestream, we have all the videos below in chronological order for presentation. Included are links to the some of news coverage surrounding the announcements made during the event. We'd also love any feedback about how we can make the event better in the future. We’re continuing our series of events during UN Week with the Digital Media Lounge, which is also being streamed live during the week. Also, for more UN Week coverage, visit our Social Good channel or UNWeekMedia.com


Livestream Videos of Speakers


Opening Keynote from Susan Smith Ellis, CEO of (RED)
(RED) CEO Susan Smith Ellis took to the stage to announce the organization's goal of using social media to help ensure that no child is born with HIV/AIDS by 2015. Ellis also announced the first ever Social Good Day in partnership with Mashable.


Malaria and Social Media
Ray Chambers, special envoy of the secretary-general for Malaria, talks about the fight to end malaria and the role of social media in helping to achieve its end. In fact, social media helped 174 million people get the message about malaria.


A Conversation with Geena Davis and Soledad O’Brien
Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning actor and founder, See Jane, in conversation with Soledad O'Brien, anchor and special correspondent, CNN/US.


Harnessing the Social Web for Social Good
Adam Conner, associate manager of Public Policy at Facebook, talks about how Facebook and the social web can be harnessed for social good.


How Sesame Street Is Changing Our World
A conversation with Sherri Rollins Westin, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Sesame Workshop, and Kami from Takalani Sesame.


MTV CEO Judy McGrath: Activating Millennials for Social Good
Judy McGrath, CEO of MTV Networks, overseeing MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and VH1 among other media brands, interviewed by Elizabeth Gore, executive director, Global Partnerships, United Nations Foundation.


Howard W. Buffett: Preserving Humanity in the Age of Technology
Howard W. Buffett, director of Agriculture Development, U.S. Department of Defense shares a moving story and talks about the human elements that drive innovation.


Digital Youth and the Social Good: Opportunities and Challenges
Carrie James, research director, Project Zero, Harvard University talks about how young people use social media and the untapped opportunity it presents.


Johnson & Johnson's Commitment to Women and Children through mHealth
Sharon D'Agostino, vice president of Worldwide Corporate Contributions and Community Relations at Johnson & Johnson, talks about the importance of education for expecting mothers and delivering life-saving information via mobile SMS.


DIY Film Distribution, Fighting Hunger and Social Commerce
Oren Jacob, executive producer, Ready, Set, Bag! from Ensemble Pictures talks about using independent film, social networking and social commerce to fight hunger and benefit everyone.


Empowering Entrepreneurs
Jessica Jackley, founder and CEO of proFounder/founder & former CMO of Kiva, says the stories of those in poverty can inspire people to action and that micro-financing can empower them for good.


The World In A Grain Of Sand
Dr. Lisa Masterson, co-host of The Doctors and founder of Maternal Fetal Care International, interviewed by Rachel Sklar, editor-at-large, Mediaite.com.


Pouring His Heart into a Cause
CNN Hero Doc Hendley, founder and president of Wine to Water, talks about what clean water can do to end poverty and improve health around the world. He said it’s one of the easiest fixes and one of the most important.


Engaging Consumer Advocates for Social Good
A conversation with Jack Leslie, chairman of Weber Shandwick and chairman of the U.S. African Development Foundation, and Bonin Bough, global director of Digital & Social Media, PepsiCo. During his presentation, Bough announced that the Pepsi’s Refresh Project racked up more votes than the last presidential election.


A Social Network for the Social Sector
Chris Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook, talks about how a connected people can create change, so he’s building Jumo, a social network for non-profits. Hughes also answered some questions from Mashable’s Josh Catone about the real value of social media for social good.


Edward Norton: Crowdrise and Online Fundraising
Matthew Bishop, American business editor and New York bureau chief of The Economist, makes some remarks about social media for social good before Edward Norton takes the stage. Edward Norton talks about how he first was quite skeptical of social media, but is convinced that it can be used with a purpose. Crowdrise, he said, is one of those platforms that is about taking action at its core.


Closing Keynote Interview with Pete Cashmore and Ted Turner
Ted Turner, chairman of Turner Enterprises, Inc & Pete Cashmore, founder & CEO of Mashable sit down to talk about the power of media to inform the masses, whether MDGs are realistic and more.


In Partnership with


Livestream is the most powerful live broadcast platform on the Internet. Producers can use the Livestream browser-based Studio application to create LIVE, scheduled and on-demand internet television to broadcast anywhere on the web through a single player widget. Our service comes in two flavors Free (ad-supported) and Premium (white-label, no-ads, pay for usage). Unique features include the ability to mix multiple live cameras, imported videos clips, and overlay graphics. With Livestream, producers can broadcast live from a mobile phone; use a customizable flash player with integrated chat; and develop a branded channel page on www.Livestream.com that incorporates interactive chat.


Supporting Sponsors


Blackbaud is the leading global provider of software and services designed specifically for non-profit organizations, enabling them to improve operational efficiency, build strong relationships, and raise more money to support their missions. Since 1981, Blackbaud's sole focus and expertise has been partnering with non-profits and providing them the solutions they need to make a difference in their local communities and worldwide. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com.

Johnson & Johnson is committed to helping achieve the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in the areas of maternal and child health by applying innovative mobile technologies. The rapid proliferation of cell phones has made it possible to provide timely health information in even the most remote locations. In February 2010, Johnson & Johnson launched Text4Baby in the U.S. through its partnership with the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB). In September 2010, we announced a five year initiative with our affiliate, BabyCenter, focusing on mobile health outreach to mothers in six countries starting with China, India and South Africa.

P&G's purpose is to improve people's lives, and its Children's Safe Drinking Water Program (CSDW) is a non-profit initiative that has provided over 2.4 billion liters of clean drinking water to people in need since 2004. CSDW has partnered with a diverse network of organizations to help distribute PUR™ Purifier of Water packets. These packets, developed by P&G and the Centers for Disease Control, use some of the same ingredients as municipal water systems to remove pollutants from contaminated water. To learn more about the CSDW program, and see how the PUR™ Purifier of Water packets work, please visit www.csdw.org and get involved at http://givehealth.changents.com/.


Ticketing Partner


At Eventbrite, we're passionate about bringing people together around a live experience. Whether it’s a photography class or a sold-out concert, an inspiring conference or an air-guitar competition — we’re true believers in the magic of events and the power of connecting people. Our service allows everyone to discover events and experience the excitement of bringing them to life. We do this by making it incredibly easy to create, find or attend an event. We help you manage the hard stuff — such as registrations and selling tickets — and we set you up with the tools to help your event spread virally through social networks. It’s event management, search, and promotion all coming together for the first time. We call it social commerce.


Reviews: Facebook, Internet, Mashable, social media

More About: 92y, livestream, social good, social good summit, ted turner, un foundation

For more Social Good coverage:


Mashlanta 2.0 Next Week: Tickets Going Quickly

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 09:42 AM PDT


Next week, we’re coming to Atlanta to host Mashlanta 2.0 in partnership with Regator and you’re invited! After an amazing event last year, we’ve gone bigger and tickets are going quickly.

This year, Adam Hirsch, Adam Ostrow, Vadim Lavrusik, Brett Petersel and our very own Atlanta-based Christina Warren, along with the Regator team, would like to welcome everyone to come and connect with your local social and tech community. Tickets are going quickly and sponsorship opportunities are available.

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2010
Location: Le Fais do-do, 1611 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard – Suite D, Atlanta, Georgia 30318
Time: 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET
Tickets on Sale Through Eventbrite: $40
The Event: Four hours of networking and an open bar
Age Level: 21+
Mashable Attendees: Adam Hirsch, Brett Petersel, Christina Warren, Vadim Lavrusik, Adam Ostrow
Socialize: Facebook, Foursquare, #mashlanta on Twitter, Plancast, Eventbrite
Sponsorships: Contact “mashlanta at mashable.com” for sponsorship opportunities


Thanks to our Co-host


Regator Logo

"With hand-selected blogs on more than 500 topics, Regator is the top source for high-quality blog content and trends. Visit Regator on the web or via Regator Premium for iPhone to easily find, read and share posts on the things that interest you.”


Thanks to our VIP Lounge Sponsor


“Definition 6 is a unified marketing agency that helps clients create experiences that unite brands and people. Definition 6 helps clients, including The Coca-Cola Company, VeriFone, HBO, Cox, La Quinta Inn & Suites, Nickelodeon and Cinnabon, to bridge the gap between marketing and technology. For more information, visit http://www.definition6.com.”


Thanks to our Platinum Sponsors


"Vitrue is a leading social media management company providing tools to help companies maximize their social presence. Vitrue delivers a comprehensive solution to manage content and create unique fan engagement apps."

"MailChimp makes email marketing fun, easy and powerful. It’s completely free, too. Sign up and see why everyone’s switching to MailChimp."


Thanks to our Gold Sponsors



Chevrolet is one of America's best-known and best-selling automotive brands, and one of the fastest growing brands in the world.


Thanks to our Startup Sponsors


Chirbit:Chirbit is a tool that enables users to record, upload and share audio easily. It is simple, useful, and fun.”

TechDrawl:TechDrawl is a video blog, fresh from the South, showcasing the latest in technology and geekery.”

Looxii: “Looxii: The only social media analytics provider strong enough to prove Pauly Shore still has a career. Try it free.

Sticker Mule: "Sticker Mule is the fast and simple way to buy custom stickers. Prices start at $69 for 100 custom stickers with free shipping to the US and Canada."

Creative Circus: "The Creative Circus is a two-year portfolio school specializing in the creative side of interactive development, advertising, photography, and design."


Thanks to Our Official Ticketing Partner


Eventbrite is the world's largest self-service online ticketing site. Eventbrite makes it easy for anyone to sell out an event.”


Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter

More About: atlanta, Events, mashlanta, mashlanta 2.0

For more Social Media coverage:


Stephen Colbert Interviews Google CEO Eric Schmidt [VIDEO]

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 09:06 AM PDT

Google CEO Eric Schmidt appeared last night on The Colbert Report. The two discussed everything from user privacy to why Google exited China: “Because we didn’t like their laws,” Schmidt said.

Still, one has to wonder who at Google thought it’d be a great idea to put Schmidt in an interview with Colbert. In the end, we only walked away knowing that Colbert wishes Google indexed more images of tall women carrying heavy objects and that Schmidt hopes his company’s algorithms don’t, in our lifetimes, become sentient and force humanity into servitude.

To be fair, though, there are few who can emerge unscathed from an interview with Colbert, and Schmidt did about as well as anyone. Nevertheless, he maybe should have considered wearing different attire to this appearance, because there was definitely a high potential to get wrecked.


Reviews: Google

More About: colbert report, eric schmidt, Google, stephen colbert

For more Tech coverage:


HOW TO: Gracefully Promote Yourself Online

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 08:17 AM PDT


Recently, my Stuff Hipsters Hate co-blogger and I received the following netiquette question from a relatively self-aware reader:

“how do I get my music blog out there (as it is fairly new) and make it accessible to my friends without looking like the pretentious f*** I really am and trying to make them realize that my taste in music is better than their own?”

Putting aside the fact that said capital-letter averse typist has decided to start a music blog in this overly saturated cesspool we call the Internet, what we’re really talking about here is the delicate art of self-promotion. If you want to earn eyeballs, buzz or cash dolla bills for something you’ve dreamed up, using social media is pretty much a must (and a topic taken on by plenty of writers before us).

But promoting oneself online is a concept that myriad people hate. There are the humble few who genuinely feel uncomfortable telling you why they are worth your time. Then there are the scores of self-righteous cads who really hate having to bother.

“I have to admit that I need others to validate the excellence of my intellectual property?” a musician might ask, staring at the contact info of yet another booker and weighing a possible future gig against the possibility of rejection.

Often he thinks, F this, and goes back to jamming in his basement for an audience of old hat boxes and Christmas ornaments. This is one of multiple tributaries feeding into hipsters’ poverty.

Self-promotion is an art, not a science, because it takes a bit of instinct and talent to tiptoe across the tightrope between tooting your own horn and sprinting down the street at 6 a.m. with an air horn blaring whilst your soon-to-be-former friends roll their eyes and plug their ears and discuss behind your back how desperately they wish you’d just shut the eff up.

And so begins my Netiquette column — which I write with my Stuff Hipsters Hate co-blogger, Andrea Bartz — this week over at CNN.


Check out the column at CNN.com >>

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, flyfloor


Reviews: Internet, iStockphoto

More About: cnn, netiquette, social media, Stuff Hipsters Hate

For more Social Media coverage:


LIVE: Watch the UN Digital Media Lounge [VIDEO]

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 08:01 AM PDT

Mashable is proud to be working with the United Nations Foundation and 92nd Street Y to host the first ever UN Week Digital Media Lounge this week. Today’s speakers include recording artist Lupe Fiasco, Helene Gayle, president & CEO of CARE USA, and leaders in social good. We’ve also added 100 slots for the week to allow more media and bloggers to attend.

The conversation about the world's biggest challenges no longer belongs to a small set of voices — it is a global conversation with an increasingly online pulse. As the world's leaders convene in New York, the UN Week Digital Media Lounge offers a dedicated venue that is completely wired and accessible to today's top online voices and up-and-coming bloggers. The Lounge brings the conversations from this historic UN Summit out of the halls of the UN and into the 92nd Street Y, where digital media will deliver it to the world.

A comprehensive agenda will give bloggers the chance to interact with thought leaders on the most important global issues. Confirmed briefings include experts such as Samuel Kargbo, Department of Health, Sierra Leone; Martha Kwataine, executive director, Malawi Health Equity Network; and Steve Cockburn of EndWater Poverty. We will also announce the participation of high-level government officials, UN Goodwill Ambassadors and celebrity advocates shortly. This is truly a unique program bringing the best of UN week to the leading voices in the digital world.


AGENDA


Wednesday, September 22

9 a.m.Lounge Opens

9:30-10:00 a.m.Oxfam's "breakfast with the world"
Live via Skype, Oxfam brings us experts from around the globe to discuss the reality of issues on the ground. Get answers for your community from people who live and know the situation firsthand.

10:30-11:00 a.m.The Media Map Project: Media's Impact on Development
While there is general agreement about the importance of free and independent media in
developing countries, the media is an often overlooked and under-invested sector with great potential to scale up improvements across all development goals. Internews, The World Bank and The Brookings Institute are collaborating to bridge the gap in current research by analyzing empirical correlations in the data on media and development. Funded by the Gates Foundation, The Media Map Project aims to answer the questions: What does the evidence say about media’s role in development? And what are the most effective ways to strengthen media?

12:00-12:30 p.m.Philanthropy goes viral: what girls can teach women
Moderated by the CEO of Vivanista – the go-to site for women bridging social and impact discuss how girls worldwide are embracing social media to drive social change.

  • Helene Gayle, president & CEO, CARE USA
  • Kimberly Perry, director, Girl Up
  • Layne Gray, CEO of Vivanista

1:00-2:00 p.m.Keynote Session: Saving 16 million lives – the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health
To set the context for the UN's groundbreaking new strategy – to be launched by the Secretary General directly following this briefing – a panel of leaders take on the big issues and challenges faced by women and children worldwide.

  • Tamara Krenin, executive direction, Women & Population, UN Foundation
  • Sue Mbaya, director of Advocacy & Justice for Children in Africa, World Vision
  • Dr. Abhay Bang, co-founder and director of SEARCH
  • Dr. Luc DeBernis, senior maternal health adviser, UNFPA
  • Patricia Mechael, director of Strategic Application of Mobile Technology for Public Health & Development, Earth Institute, Columbia University
  • Dr. Dorothy Shaw, MBChB, FRCSC clinical professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology,
  • University of British Columbia, PMNCH spokesperson in Canada

2:30-4:00 p.m.LIVE BROADCAST: Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon Special Event "Every Woman, Every Child."
Watch the UN Secretary General's special launch live on the 92Y's state of the art big screen.

4:30-5:00 p.m.Live in the lounge: music, media, & activism
Closing out the day, a group of world-famous musicians and social activists team up to discuss the power of music, social media, and some-good-old-fashion adventure to change lives!

  • Lupe Fiasco, artist, musician, and global do-gooder
  • Simon Isaacs, VP Sustainability Marketing, ignition
  • Azita Ardakani, founder and chief idea officer, Lovesocial

6:00 p.m.Lounge Closes


Reviews: Mashable, Skype

More About: digital media lounge, Events, mashable, social good, un foundation, UN week

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5 Easy Ways to Support a Cause Through Your Social Network

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 07:25 AM PDT

Thumbs Up Image

Collecting money for posting advertisements on your Twitter feed, Facebook wall, and other social media profiles might not be the best way to win friends (or followers) and influence people.

But your network is likely to be more forgiving, and even encouraging, if you are promoting a good cause.

The following five websites can help you collaborate with brands to support your favorite charities by endorsing their products on your social network.


1. Endorse for a Cause


This website can turn your online shopping habit into a fundraiser for the cause of your choice. When you visit one of Endorse for a Cause’s online retailer partners, you can send a tweet or Facebook update with an endorsement of brands or products that you like. You decide exactly what to say in the message, though starter tweets that begin with phrases like “I’m a fan of…”, “Shopping for…”, and “Help me help…” are provided.

When your friends click on your endorsements and make purchases, Endorse for a Cause receives a portion of the money and allocates about 70% to your cause. You can track how much money you’ve raised on Endorse for a Cause’s personal home page and earn badges for participation. Right now there are only about 10 cause choices, and they are primarily large charities like the American Cancer Society and the Humane Society. You can, however, vote to add a cause if yours isn’t yet included.


2. Rec.fm


Create a “Rec” for a product you love by telling Rec.fm exactly what you like about it. The site will generate a short URL that you can share on your Facebook or Twitter profile. When your friends click on it, they’ll be taken to a Rec.fm site with more details on the product. If they choose to buy the product, Rec.fm receives a payment from the retailer and more than half of it is passed on to the charity of your choice. You can also add a tab to your Facebook profile that shows your friends all of your “Recs” in one place.


3. SixDegrees.org


The idea behind the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” is that everyone in the world, including the prolific actor, is connected by no more than six steps of acquaintance. Although not initially pleased with the name of this game, Kevin Bacon decided to put its philosophy to use for good causes by starting SixDegrees.org.

The website partners with Network for Good to offer individuals the opportunity to create charity endorsement widgets called “fundraising badges.” These badges can be placed on their social networking profiles, blogs and websites. People who visit their sites can donate to the endorsed charity via the widget.


4. adCause


The platform adCause gives you a little more control over the money you can make from Twitter. While structured as a network where publishers (tweeters) and advertisers can sync up and seal an advertising deal, you can decide what percentage of your profits should go to charity and what percentage you want to keep. You can also split your profits between different charities.

Unlike other sites, however, advertisers need to select you based on the tweets you create. These “adspot” profiles include a short description of what you usually tweet about, how long you would be willing to advertise a product, how often you would tweet about a product, and how much you would charge for this service (the site suggests about one penny per follower).


5. SocialVibe


SocialVibe donates money to your selected charity based on participation in branded activities like surveys. A Facebook app encourages your friends to help by completing the same activity. Your friends earn points, and therefore donations for your charity by completing the activities that you post.

You can also integrate a widget into your WordPress or Blogger site.


More Social Good Resources from Mashable:


- 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Social Good
- 10 Ways to Start a Fund for Social Good Online
- Why Social Media Is a Game-Changer for Causes
- How Social Good Has Revolutionized Philanthropy
- 5 iPhone Apps to Help Fight Poverty

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Sveta


Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, blogger, iStockphoto, rec.fm

More About: adCause, advertising, advertising on Twitter, charity, Endorse for a Cause, rec.fm, Recommendations, sixdegrees.org, social good, social media, social networks, socialvibe

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Facebook to Make Games Less Annoying, More Engaging

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 06:44 AM PDT


John wants to share some level seven Energizing Lotion in FarmVille! How many times have you seen a similar sentence in your Facebook News Feed and either wondered what it means, or (if you’re familiar with Farmville and other popular Facebook games) removed the message in disgust?

Facebook is aware of the problem. While some users — 200 million of them, as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed at a Gaming Event in Palo Alto — enjoy playing games on the service, others aren’t interested. According to Facebook, users either “love playing games or hate them,” and the company so far didn’t have “the right tools to enable developers to grow their games while at the same time providing a great user experience for non-gamers.”

Thus, Facebook has devised a plan to make games less annoying to non-users, and more engaging to gamers at the same time. The first part is relatively easy: Facebook will only show application stories to users who are already engaging with the application, meaning that people who don’t play Farmville won’t have to endure Farmville-related posts in their feeds.

If Facebook decides you are interested in games, it will be displaying full game stories (instead of collapsed ones) in the News Feed, as well as adding prominent counts to those stories to highlight tasks that need to be completed within a game. Bookmarks will get smarter — apps will be automatically bookmarked and reordered based on actual usage. Finally, Facebook will start notifying users when their friends start playing a game (in addition to highlighting their activity within the game).

From the users’ perspective, these are welcome changes, especially for non-gamers who won’t be pestered by constant game-related notifications. From the game developers’ end, it remains to be seen whether these improvements will alleviate the fact that gaming-related notifications will now be less aggressive than before.


Reviews: Facebook

More About: facebook, games, gaming, social games, social media, social networking, trending

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Top 3 Stories in Social Media and Tech This Morning

Posted: 22 Sep 2010 06:31 AM PDT

This series is brought to you by HTC EVO 4G, America’s first 4G phone. Only from Sprint. The “First to Know” series keeps you in the know on what’s happening now in the world of social media and technology.


Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're keeping our eyes on three particular stories of interest today.

RIM to Unveil Tablet Next Week, Sources Claim

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) could unveil its forthcoming tablet, a.k.a. “the BlackPad,” as early as next week, sources familiar with the matter have told The Wall Street Journal.

The tablet, which is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of the year, has a seven-inch touchscreen and one to two cameras, the same sources claim. It will also have Bluetooth and broadband connections, however the device will only be able to connect to cellular networks through a BlackBerry smartphone, they said. It is not yet known which carriers or retailers will sell the device.

The sources also say that the tablet will run not on BlackBerry 6, but on a new platform built by QNX, an OS maker RIM bought earlier this year.

Facebook Reorganizes Game Applications

In addition to revealing that more than 200 million people play games on its network every month, Facebook announced a series of changes to its games platform late Tuesday. The changes are designed to drive further engagement and discovery among those who are active gamers on Facebook, while keeping their gaming habits out of the newsfeeds of non-playing friends.

Google Sues Illegal Drug Pushers

In an attempt to help rid the web of scammy ads for rogue online pharmacies, Google has filed a civil lawsuit against advertisers it believes have deliberately violated its policies by offering to sell pharmaceuticals without a prescription on its ad network.

“Litigation of this kind should act as a serious deterrent to anyone thinking about circumventing our policies to advertise illegally on Google,” the company said in a blog post.

Further News

  • A 17-year-old boy from Australia has claimed responsibility for inadvertently triggering a series of events that led to the widespread exploitation of a Twitter security bug yesterday.
  • Video ad network VideoEgg announced Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire blogging pioneer Six Apart, the company behind TypePad and Movable Type. As part of the acquisition, both companies will drop their names and be renamed SAY Media.

Series supported by HTC EVO 4G


This series is brought to you by HTC EVO 4G, America’s first 4G phone. Only from Sprint. The “First to Know” series keeps you in the know on what’s happening now in the world of social media and technology.


Reviews: Australia, BlackBerry Rocks!, Bluetooth, Facebook, Google, TypePad, video

More About: blackberry, blackpad, facebook, facebook games, first to know series, Google, research in motion, RIM, social gaming, Tablet

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