Selasa, 28 September 2010

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Top 3 Stories in Social Media and Tech This Morning”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “Top 3 Stories in Social Media and Tech This Morning”

Link to Mashable!

Top 3 Stories in Social Media and Tech This Morning

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 05:03 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.

Twitter to Unveil Promoted Accounts Feature Today

At today’s IAB Mixx conference in New York, Twitter is expected to unveil its latest advertising product, dubbed Promoted Accounts.

Businesses will be able to buy their way into Twitter’s recent “Who to Follow” feature in order to attract additional followers and greater visibility.

We will be at the conference to deliver you all the details about the microblogging service’s latest monetization effort later this morning.

Amazon to Open App Store for Android [RUMOR]

Just as we were complaining about the lack of apps in Amazon’s Kindle Store, rumor has it that Amazon is about to launch its own app store for Android devices in the U.S. Just two weeks ago, Verizon rolled out its own app store for Android, which, unlike Google’s “open” Android Market, subjects apps to a detailed review process before inclusion in the store.

AOL Acquires 5Min Media [REPORT]

AOL has acquired web video startup 5Min Media, which collects and distributes a library of some 200,000 video clips, for between $50 and $65 million, sources close to the situation told AllThingsD. The deal is scheduled to be officially announced later this morning, those same sources claim.

The purchase is part of AOL’s seemingly aggressive — albeit not yet detailed — move into online video.

Further News

  • Xmarks, a browser add-on that allows users to synchronize their bookmarks, passwords and other data over several computers, is shutting down in 90 days, its CTO announced.
  • The four men behind The Pirate Bay, who were found guilty of assisting in making illegal downloads of copyrighted content possible, will go to court today to appeal their sentence of one year in jail and $905,000 each in fines.
  • At the BlackBerry developer conference in San Francisco Monday, Research in Motion introduced its brand new tablet device, the BlackBerry PlayBook.
  • Microsoft and Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, have announced that the Windows Live Spaces blogging service will be phased out in favor of WordPress.com over the next six months.
  • Vevo, the popular website that streams music videos from major labels, would like to transcend the world wide web and launch its own TV channel, CEO Rio Caraeff said in an interview.

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.

More About: 5min media, amazon, android, aol, first to know series, Promoted Accounts, twitter

For more Tech coverage:


AOL to Acquire Video Service 5min [REPORT]

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 05:01 AM PDT


AOL has acquired online video service 5min Media, reports All Things Digital citing sources close to the situation.

The deal is not officially confirmed, but same sources claim that AOL has paid between $50 million and $65 million for 5min Media. Earlier this year, AOL has acquired the video creation platform StudioNow for $35 million.

5min is a service that syndicates how-to and instructional videos to other sites. It raised $5 million in a Series A financing round from Spark Capital in 2008 and has been growing ever since. The company claims its 200,000 clips generate 110 million views a month, across 800 partner sites.

According to ATD, the deal should become official today.

More About: 5min, acquisition, aol, business

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Bookmark Syncing Add-on Xmarks Is No More

Posted: 28 Sep 2010 01:13 AM PDT

xmarks

Xmarks, a browser add-on that lets you synchronize your bookmarks, passwords and other data over several computers, is shutting down.

According to a lengthy blog post on the official Xmarks blog, today Xmarks will start sending notifications to users (I still haven’t received one) that the service will be shut down in 90 days. The reasons for the shutdown are explained in detail in the post, but it boils down to funds running out and Xmarks being unable to find a viable business model or a buyer.

Xmarks (originally called Foxmarks) started out with a very simple purpose: to let Firefox users sync their bookmarks on several computers. Later, the company changed the name to Xmarks (as it extended support for other browsers) and added more functionality, such as browsing recommendations and password syncing.

The interesting thing about Xmarks is this: If you ask me, or many people I know, what their favorite Firefox add-on is, we’d say it’s Xmarks. After drivers and Firefox, it’s the first piece of software I install on a new computer.

And I’m not the only one: Xmarks claims it serves some 2 million users across 5 million desktops, adding nearly 3,000 new accounts per day. Sounds like a successful service, but it obviously wasn’t enough. Normally, when you hear about a service shutting down, it’s usually due to lack of interest, but there’s no lack of interest in bookmark synchronization; users still need the feature, perhaps more than ever.

The problem is that Google, Opera and Mozilla have either added or are planning to add most of the features Xmarks offers, for free. The folks at Xmarks knew this, and you can’t blame them for lack of trying to extend their niche with additional features, but at the end of the day, users installed Xmarks for its core functionality, and that’s bookmark synchronization.

Here’s a quote from Xmarks CTO and Co-founder Todd Agulnick that sounds like a warning for many startups following a similar path: “For four years we have offered the synchronization service for no charge, predicated on the hypothesis that a business model would emerge to support the free service. With that investment thesis thwarted, there is no way to pay expenses, primarily salary and hosting costs. Without the resources to keep the service going, we must shut it down.”

Sometimes, you can fight the big guys, such as Google and Mozilla, and win. Sometimes you can join them. Most of the time, unfortunately, you lose.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, bennylin0724


Reviews: Firefox, Flickr, Google, Opera, Xmarks

More About: add-on, bookmark synchronization, browser, chrome, Firefox, trending, Xmarks

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UK Med School Students Get a New Prescription: iPhones

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 11:49 PM PDT


The University of Leeds announced it will be issuing iPhones to all fourth- and fifth-year medical students. The always-connected nature of smartphones coupled with the burgeoning app marketplace has made smartphones an increasingly attractive learning tool.

According to the university, this is the first time a UK medical school has issued smartphones to its students. The 520 students in the medical program will each be loaned a 16GB iPhone 3GS for the remainder of their education.

The phones will be pre-loaded with apps and textbooks designed to keep students informed, help them take notes and test their knowledge. Students will also be able to download any other apps from the App Store.

In addition to the phones, the university is also providing unlimited broadband connectivity via . The goal is to encourage students to keep in contact with their tutors and other students via e-mail.

This isn’t the first time a university has issued iOS devices to its medical students. The Ohio State University College of Medicine piloted an iPod touch program, and the results led to the medical school shifting its formerly PDA-based learning tool program to the iPod touch or iPhone.

Medical professionals are also increasingly using the iPad for patient evaluations and to access information and specifications.

What do you think about the iPhone becoming the new medical school textbook? Let us know


Reviews: App Store

More About: apple, Hardware, ipad, iphone, medical-students, medicine, o2, tech

For more Mobile coverage:


Gawker Founder: The Future of Online Media Is Video

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 11:09 PM PDT


At Monday’s IAB Mixx conference in New York, Gawker Media Founder Nick Denton took the stage with AllThingsD’s Peter Kafka to discuss the future of the blogging network — and that future is all about images and video.

“People don’t really want to read text,” Denton said. “They want videos, they want images, bigger, more lavish.” In other words, consumers are looking for online media products that more closely resemble TV and magazines.

Denton cited Gizmodo’s notorious leak of the iPhone 4 as an example, which quadrupled traffic for the blog that week. “There is a huge kind of hunger for that image, for the video we produced,” he said. “The core of that story was the image of the phone.”

Text, he contended, is more useful for providing context and explanation for more visual kinds of media, rather than serving as the primary medium itself.

Gawker’s eight media properties are currently undergoing a redesign to accommodate better delivery of image and video-based content. The current design of the blogs is “ludicrous” he said, noting that Gizmodo had to hold publication of all stories for six hours to keep its iPhone 4 story at the top of the page. (We wonder if Denton should consider implementing a “Trending Story” box in the meantime.)

Since video is generally expensive to produce, Gawker staff will concentrate on finding and curating available video to embed on the site. However, Denton noted it was considerably less expensive to produce video that captured gameplay or software run-throughs and that Gawker titles — particularly, we imagine, Gizmodo and Kotaku — would look to create more original video in those areas.

Denton also said that Gawker may eventually roll out Facebook versions of its Google-optimized sites, which would allow for a more personalized, “intimate” news and entertainment experience. Facebook versions would also allow the company to further capitalize on the sharing capabilities of the platform to reach new readers. Denton does not have similar plans for Twitter, which he thinks is too much of a closed system.

Image courtesy of The Guardian.


Reviews: Facebook, Google, Twitter

More About: blogosphere, BLOGS, Gawker, gizmodo, iab mixx 2010, media, nick denton, video

For more Web Video coverage:


LED Signs Turn Twitter Streams into News Tickers

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 10:21 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: Twisplays

Quick Pitch: Twisplays are LED signs that allow you to conveniently display Twitter streams.

Genius Idea: In today’s Twitter generation, many brands and retailers not only use Twitter, but also advertise their presence on websites, in e-mail newsletters and via additional promotional materials. Those businesses looking to really feature their Twitter presence in lights will want to consider Twisplays’ LED signs.

Twisplays makes one-line LED signs that display tweets from a Twitter account in news ticker-fasion. The 26 x 4 signs cost $299 a piece (there is a corporate program for bulk pricing) and can be mounted to the wall or rested upright on a table or shelf.

Twisplays treat tweets as scrolling text, making them an easy way to highlight your Twitter presence to passersby or store patrons. Though likely more retail-appropriate, Twisplays could also make for handy additions to newsrooms, offices, conferences, bars, parties or even the bedrooms of Twitter-obsessed geeks.

We think the idea is simple yet clever — at the very least, Twisplays will add real-time color and information to the venues that use them.

The Twisplays website is still under construction and the signs themselves won’t be shipped for another few weeks, but interested parties can still pre-order Twisplays with free shipping (normally an additional $20 fee) for a limited time.

You can watch of a video demonstration of Twisplays in action below.


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: Twitter

More About: advertising, bizspark, MARKETING, twisplays, twitter

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Mashable Readers Using Hulu, Torrents to Watch TV Shows

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 08:49 PM PDT


According to a poll we conducted last week, Mashable readers are using a wide variety of ways to get access to top-shelf television programming, including Hulu, Netflix and even (gasp!) regular old television sets with cable, satellite and/or network channels.

But our readers’ favorite non-traditional way to get TV shows (by a nose) was illegal torrent downloading.

While we won’t call the FBI on you just yet, you naughty people, we will get into more detail about the results of this poll and their implications in the broader world of television, entertainment and online content distribution.

Ours was a multiple-selection poll, which means that readers could select any number of options while voting. For example, if you watch House on your TV set, The Office on Hulu and Mad Men via Netflix, you could select all three of those options in the poll.

The results of the poll show that 28.56% of the votes we counted were for traditional TV. That doesn’t mean those readers only watch their content on regular TV, however; but it’s also a somewhat good sign for old-media executives that even with digital options available, many people are still tuning in through traditional channels.


A Word on Torrents


However, the second-most popular choice was file-sharing through a torrent client such as BitTorrent or Vuze. There are a huge number of justifications — some more solid than others — for downloading copyrighted content through unapproved channels and without paying for it. For example, you could say that it’s the show producers’ fault for not making the content available themselves elsewhere online. You could summon the teachings of Richard Stallman and suggest that “piracy” is an outmoded and inappropriate term for sharing, something that we hold to be a good cultural value.

But regardless of shifting mores and personal opinions, peer-to-peer sharing of copyrighted content is still illegal in most cases. The police may not come knocking on your door, and you may not get sued to the tune of millions of dollars. However, what is more likely is that your ISP might start throttling your Internet access — at least they will as long as net neutrality is still a debatable issue.

At the end of the day, people with the access and knowledge will use technology to illegally access content until it becomes easier for them to use legal channels. For example, Hulu probably cuts down on a ton of illegal downloading; it’s free, it’s easy, it’s web-based and you can use it with a clean conscience. You just watch the occasional ad, and everybody wins. We’d love to see more content on Hulu and more ways to access television and film content via the web, either free or for a small subscription fee.

We’re definitely looking forward to seeing how new TV-delivery methods change the way we use torrent clients.


Non-Traditional Television


Hulu, with 21.04% of the vote, was the third-most popular way of getting television programming without using a typical television set, and other TV-oriented websites came in fourth with 12.46% of votes.

Netflix, which got 12.07%, was in fifth place. Other DVD rental options came in dead last, with less than a percent of votes (just 18 people chose this as one of their options). In fact, more of our readers said that they wouldn’t be watching TV at all than those who said they used a non-Netflix DVD rental service.


The Future of Television


With this postmodern plethora of options for content consumption, it’s no wonder Blockbuster is declaring bankruptcy. Legitimate, “over-the-top” delivery for premium television content is getting better all the time as our hardware and Internet connections improve and as studios and networks hammer out distribution deals with digital content startups and other web-focused companies.

In fact, we’re looking forward to seeing how well “superphones” and tablets handle this type of content and whether these mobile modes are adopted by the masses. Your Samsung Tab, HTC Evo or iPad — and handy software such as Bitbop — could be the new standard in television within a relatively short time period.

And then there’s the tech giants who are wading into the pool of television content. Google TV and Apple TV, as well as startups such as Veebeam and many others, are revolutionizing the very meaning of the television set. Without doubt, these types of devices that intertwine traditional television with Internet technologies will be a big part of television’s future.

Let us know what you think of the poll results and where you think TV is headed in the comments.


Reviews: Hulu, Internet

More About: bittorrent, cord cutting, downloading, file sharing, over the top, p2p, peer to peer, television, torrent

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Mark Zuckerberg to Become Comic Book Hero, Villain?

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 07:50 PM PDT


Can’t get enough of Mark Zuckerberg? Well, if the upcoming movie The Social Network doesn’t sate your desire for the Facebook founder, he’s slated to star in his own comic book come December.

Bluewater Productions — a Canadian production company specializing in comic books, graphic novels and multimedia that has previously told the tales of celebs like William Shatner, Roger Corman, Ray Harryhausen and Vincent Price, among other luminaries — plans to release Mark Zuckerberg: Creator of Facebook as a 48-page saga that seeks to answer the question: “Who is the real Mark Zuckerberg?”

Is he the philanthropist who recently donated $100 million to public schools in Newark? Or is he the darker character we’re all anxiously awaiting meeting in David Fincher’s The Social Network?

“Rightly or wrongly, Mark dealt harshly with some people on his way to where he is today”, says comic book author Jerome Maida. “As we see, he left many people feeling betrayed. I try my best to be fair here. No one is totally innocent in this story. I try to represent each of the major players’ point of view.”

Zuckerberg has become a figure of massive public interest over the last couple of years as Facebook has reaped both praise and torrents of criticism. It will be interesting to see how history looks back at this period in the coming years — we’ll certainly have a trove of source material in the archives if this Zuckerberg-centric storytelling trend continues.


Reviews: Facebook

More About: comic books, comics, facebook, mark zuckerberg, trending, Zuckerberg

For more Social Media coverage:


Vevo Plans to Challenge MTV on TV, Too

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 06:13 PM PDT


Vevo, the popular website that streams music videos from major labels, would like to transcend the world wide web and launch its own TV channel, according to a New York Post interview with CEO Rio Caraeff.

Vevo argues that it is the top destination for music video programming on the web, though MTV Networks gets more traffic when you include all kinds of content, and much of Vevo’s traffic runs through YouTube.

The site is backed by three of the four major record labels — Universal, Sony and EMI — while Warner Bros. works with MTV. If anyone is well-positioned to bring more music content to cable and satellite TV, it’s Vevo.

MTV is putting on a public face of confidence in the face of new competition. When we inquired about MTV’s take on this news, an MTV spokesperson told us, “We welcome new players in the music video category and think any exposure for music is good for the industry and everyone in it, from Fuse to Vevo to all of our music video services from Palladia to Pure Country."

That said, Vevo’s plans are still in their early stages. Vevo has no agreements in place with cable or satellite TV providers, and many people are critical of any suggestion that music videos by themselves can sustain a stand-alone television channel profitably. MTV didn’t move to reality programming on a whim; it found out over time that programming in that vein was far more lucrative than airing music videos on a loop.

Even though The New York Post reports Vevo is planning on launching a TV channel, the company’s living room-invasion strategy for now seems to be based mostly on streaming online content to set-top boxes and other Internet-connected devices in the home.

We’ll have to keep an eye on Vevo to see if its television channel becomes a reality or remains a pipe dream.


Reviews: Internet, YouTube

More About: abu dhabi, abu dhabi media, cable, channel, EMI, entertainment, mtv, mtv hits, mtv networks, music, music videos, network, sony, sony music entertainment, television, tv, umb, universal, universal music group, vevo, video, youtube

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CBS Turns Another Twitter Account into a TV Show

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 05:29 PM PDT


First, CBS turned a Twitter account about the caustic and profane things one man’s dad said into a TV show. Now, hot off the premiere of $#*! My Dad Says, the network has made a script deal with the author of a second comedic Twitter feed.

CBS has locked in a deal for @shhdontellsteve, a Twitter account that regales its followers with the antics of one man’s roommate. While nowhere near as popular as @shitmydadsays, the account has more than 14,000 followers.

According to Hollywood Reporter, Don’t Tell Steve will be produced by CBS TV Studios and Katalyst, Ashton Kutcher’s production company. Ashton Kutcher, Karey Burk and Jason Goldberg are executive producers on the project.

Last week’s premiere of $#*! My Dad Says garnered a respectable 12.5 million viewers, which could be an indication to CBS that Twitter accounts really do make for good TV shows. CBS and Katalyst still have to make a successful pilot before Don’t Tell Steve becomes part of the CBS comedy line-up; but clearly, if you have a crazy friend, roommate or family member, tweeting about what he or she says is a winner.

Image courtesy of Flickr, roadsidepictures.


Reviews: Flickr, Twitter

More About: aol, cbs, shit my dad says, television, twitter

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The Pirate Bay Appeal Begins Tuesday

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 04:32 PM PDT


The four men behind The Pirate Bay will go to court Tuesday to appeal their sentence of one year in jail and $905,000 each in fines. Eight trial days will occur before October 15.

It’s been a rough ride for the surprisingly resilient BitTorrent website, which shut down its tracker 10 months ago but remained operational in a bare-bones sort of way. The advocacy organization that founded the site closed its doors in June.

In April, Gottfrid Svartholm, Fredrik Neij, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde were found guilty of assisting in making illegal downloads of copyrighted content possible. All four pleaded not guilty and appealed the ruling, essentially claiming that they weren’t responsible for how people they had never met used their technology.

As TorrentFreak notes, this appeal is light on flair or publicity, unlike the original case. The first case was a media frenzy. Its developments were prominently featured all over Twitter, tech blogs and even mainstream media. This time, not even The Pirate Bay, which is known for mocking its enemies, has acknowledged that the appeal is currently taking place.

We’ll know the result of the appeal in a couple weeks, but if the defendants choose not to resume their social media blitz, you might have to wait for the upcoming documentary about The Pirate Bay to see the inside story.


Reviews: Twitter

More About: appeal, copyright, court, file sharing, intellectual property, law, piracy, sweden, the pirate bay

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Microsoft Replacing Windows Live Spaces with WordPress.com

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 03:33 PM PDT


Microsoft and Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, announced today that the Windows Live Spaces blogging service will be phased out in favor of WordPress.com. Users of the service will have the ability to transfer their blogs via a new migration utility beginning today.

In a post on Inside Windows Live, Dharmesh Mehta, Director, Windows Live Product Management, said:

“Over the last few weeks, we've spent a good bit of time talking about our approach to partnering with the web, and as part of that, how we're deeply integrating with the leading consumer services that you find most valuable….

As we looked at customers' blogging needs and what different companies were providing, we were particularly interested in what WordPress.com is doing….

So rather than having Windows Live invest in a competing blogging service, we decided the best thing we could do for our customers was to give them a great blogging solution through WordPress.com.”

Automattic’s Paul Kim added on the Just Another WordPress Weblog:

“Over a six month period, beginning today, Windows Live Spaces users will have the option to move their blogs to WordPress.com. To make this possible, we've created a brand new importer for Windows Live Spaces to WordPress.com. New Windows Live users will also be offered a WordPress.com blog when they choose to create a new blog.”

WordPress.com currently hosts nearly 14 million blogs. If even half of the 30 million blogs on Windows Live Spaces make the transition, it’s a major client acquisition for the WordPress.com service.


Reviews: WordPress

More About: automattic, microsoft, Windows Live, windows live spaces, wordpress.com

For more Social Media coverage:


Jason Schwartzman Strips Naked for “The New Yorker” iPad App [VIDEO]

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 02:43 PM PDT


Quirky actor Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) introduced The New Yorker’s iPad app [iTunes link] in a hilarious video ad directed by Roman Coppola.

The 2-minute clip opens with Schartzman waking up in bed; it seems innocuous at first. After a rather surprising lick, you know you’re in for some major oddities. Those oddities include bouts of outrageous nudity. A well-placed iPad prevents things from getting too obscene.

The ad has been making the rounds on blogs, Facebook and Twitter today. Some people seem to really enjoy it and it seems to be a cultural match for The New Yorker.

Earlier this year, publisher Condé Nast announced that its magazines would each get iPad apps. Wired and Vanity Fair already made their debuts — now it’s The New Yorker’s turn. The app itself is free, but you’ll have to buy issues to see all The New Yorker’s content each Monday.

In addition to the magazine’s content, the iPad will have bonus cartoons, audio readings by featured fiction and poetry writers, film and music clips, and some articles from past issues. Each new issue costs $4.99. Subscriptions aren’t presently supported, but Apple’s looking into making them a possibility.

It’s interesting to note that The New Yorker’s iPad app was made using Adobe software — InDesign CS5. But Flash isn’t part of the equation, so it’s not a big upset despite Apple and Adobe’s feud over getting Flash apps on iOS devices.


Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, adobe AIR

More About: actor, ad, App, apple, celebrity, Commercial, iOS, ipad, jason schwartzman, the new yorker, video, viral videos

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HOW TO: Advertise Inside Social Games on Facebook

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 02:33 PM PDT

Social Game Billboard

Alex Rampell is founder and CEO of TrialPay, the leading provider of transactional advertising technology that uses the efficiencies of the web to pair online shoppers with ideal offers at every stage of the purchase process.

With Advertising Week upon us, many marketers at the NYC conference will be examining the new ways they can reach customers on Facebook. While Facebook is now the largest display advertising site on the Internet, there are many other ways besides display ads for companies to reach consumers on the network. One of the most effective new ways to advertise is inside social games.

According to a recent report by Nielsen, online games have surpassed personal e-mail to become the second most popular activity on the web, accounting for 10% of time spent online. Games also represent a huge audience for advertisers, as more than 56 million Americans play social games on a regular basis.

Social games provide some unique opportunities for advertisers, as gameplay generally involves virtual goods — things players want, but often don’t want to pay for. Game publishers have begun to tie virtual goods or currency to “real world” purchases from advertising partners (spend $50 at the Gap, get 20 Facebook Credits, for example). Advertisers can also use in-game ads to get in front of consumers before there is purchase intent. While a consumer might not have been planning to shop at the Gap when she logged into Sorority Life, she might make a purchase when she's offered free virtual currency.

In-game marketing works well for a wide range of advertisers; from a consumer perspective, this is what various promotions look like:

  • Retail goods: Get virtual currency or goods for free in return for making a purchase from an online retailer like Gap.com or Nordstrom.com.
  • Subscription services: Sign up for a monthly service (such as Netflix) to get free virtual currency or goods.
  • Local advertisers: Order a pizza online at PapaJohns.com to get virtual currency (works great at 5 p.m.)
  • Survey research: Complete a survey to receive free virtual currency or goods.
  • Branded video views: Watch a short video ad or movie trailer to earn virtual currency or goods.

Here are four great ways to use social games to promote your brand.


Hit the In-Game Wall


The easiest place to start is the “Offer Wall” inside the game. This is a great option if you’ve got a “low-commitment” offer such as a free trial for your service, a survey or a video you want people to watch.

However, the Offer Wall is somewhat like the bulletin board at the front of a grocery store — it’s easy to post something but it’s hard to stand out. There are frequently 20 or more offers from other advertisers right next to yours. To boost your conversion rates, make sure that your offer text is clear and concise, with explicit instructions on how to complete the offer.


Post Your Ad on an In-Game Billboard


Advertisers are increasingly reaching customers through in-game placements, such as on banners or billboards inside the game or with limited-time deals that are offered to customers when starting a game. These placements can deliver a huge bang for your buck. At my company, we’ve observed that during a live campaign, as many as one out of every three players will view in-game promotions. More importantly, because there is consumer benefit to interacting with the promotion (or purchasing from a retailer), we’ve also seen conversion rates can be hundreds of times higher than for typical search or display advertisements.

Instead of being just one of many advertisers on an offer wall, in-game placements highlight a single advertiser and provide more real estate for brand messaging. Plus, these placements can give advertisers up to five times more exposure to customers than with Offer Wall placements.

When creating in-game placements, be sure to highlight the value your offer provides to players. For example, restaurant.com provides discounts at popular restaurants, so it recently featured an ad with the headline “Dine For Less” in Playfish’s Restaurant City game. Players who clicked on the billboard saw an overlay branded by restaurant.com.

Disclosure: This campaign used the TrialPay platform.


Put Your Name on Branded Virtual Goods


Want to take it up a notch? Consider partnering with a game developer to put your brand name on the virtual goods themselves. MTV recently got in on the game to boost ratings for its 2010 Video Music Awards by giving away virtual replicas of celebrity accessories and fashion items on Mall World, a style and fashion-oriented Facebook application.

This strategy has also paid dividends for brands such as Cascadian Farm, who recently teamed up with game developer Zynga to be the brand behind the game's organic blueberries crop. Within a few days of launching in the FarmVille Market, Cascadian Farm organic blueberries had been purchased by more than 1 million players for 20 credits each.

Consider branding virtual goods that are complementary to your products. For example, if you are a clothing brand, you can give players the option to customize their virtual persona by providing branded virtual clothing.


Launch Your Own Branded Game


The pinnacle of in-game brand building would be to create and launch your own branded game. This strategy not only gives consumers a fun and memorable way to engage with your brand, but it also enables you to create and sell your own branded virtual goods.

For example, the New York Jets recently launched a Facebook game called Ultimate Fan that lets football fans predict game scores, take quizzes on their knowledge of various NFL teams, allot points to their favorite teams and hold virtual tailgate parties with other fans. The Jets anticipate generating revenue through product placement sponsorships and fans purchasing virtual tailgate items.

You don’t have to be a sports or entertainment company to create your own social game. Reckitt Benckiser, the company behind brands such as Lysol, Clearasil and Woolite, developed its own branded game to allow people to learn more about the company, its brands and its work environment. The game, called poweRBrands, presents players with marketing challenges for various products. As players complete the tasks, they are awarded points to exchange for promotions, different job locations and office upgrades.

If you don’t have the in-house expertise to develop a game yourself, there are multiple agencies that can develop the game for you, such as Arkadium and Avenue Social.

There are so many avenues you can take with advertising when it comes to social gaming. Let us know what brands you think have done a great job of using social games as an advertising opportunity.


More Business Resources from Mashable:


- Why the Social Gaming Biz is Just Heating Up
- Why Games Are the Killer App for Social Networks
- How Online Retailers Can Leverage Facebook's Open Graph
- 15 Twitter Lists for C-Suite Execs to Follow
- HOW TO: Legally Structure your Startup
- How Coca-Cola Created Its "Happiness Machine" [INTERVIEW]


Reviews: Facebook, Internet, retail

More About: advertising, business, facebook, farmville, gaming, mall world, poweRBrands, restaurant city, social, social gaming, sorority life, ultimate fan, video games, Zynga

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BlackBerry PlayBook Revealed: RIM’s Answer to the Tablet Boom

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 02:13 PM PDT

At the BlackBerry DevCon in San Francisco today, RIM introduced its brand new tablet device: the BlackBerry PlayBook. The device is scheduled for release in early 2011 in North America, and will roll out to the rest of the world in the second quarter.

The PlayBook will run on the brand new BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK, which will be released to developers in the coming weeks.

So what does the PlayBook have to offer? It turns out, quite a lot. Featuring a 7″ screen (much like the new Samsung Galaxy Tab), the PlayBook sports a 1Ghz dual-core processor, has 1GB of RAM, and touts the ability to multi-task and run Flash 10.1.

To a large extent, the PlayBook looks like it’s a showcase of RIM’s acquisition of QNX. QNX Neutrino is the base of the new OS.

RIM is selling this as the first “enterprise-ready” professional tablet.

Check out the specs:

  • 7″ LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support.
  • BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing.
  • 1 GHz dual-core processor.
  • 1 GB RAM.
  • Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording.
  • Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV.
  • Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA.
  • HDMI video output.
  • Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n.
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR.
  • Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts.
  • Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe.
  • Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java.
  • Ultra thin and portable.
  • Measures 5.1″x7.6″x0.4″ (130mm x 193mm x 10mm).
  • Weighs less than a pound (approximately 0.9 lb or 400g).
  • Additional features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook will be shared on or before the date this product is launched in retail outlets.
  • RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future.

What do you think of the new BlackBerry PlayBook? Could this be a game changer for RIM?


Images



More About: blackberry, blackberry playbook, blackberry tablet, qnx, tablets

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New App Rewards Shoppers for Scanning Barcodes

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 02:06 PM PDT


Checkins may be trendy, but mobile consumers want more mobile coupons, and plenty of startups are working on mobile coupon platforms for that purpose.

Newcomer CheckPoints is taking a slightly different approach to the mobile shopping space with a service that combines checkins, barcode scanning and rewards for an all-in-one consumer and brand-friendly platform.

CheckPoints, available today as a consumer-facing iPhone application, is designed to encourage shoppers to interact with brand-sponsored products at offline stores. Initial product partners include big brand names such as Tyson Foods, Belkin, Energizer and Seventh Generation.

As a CheckPoint user, you can fire up the iPhone app at retail locations and grocery stores to check in and view advertised products. You can then scan product barcodes to accrue points, which can be instantly redeemed in the Rewards Store for gift cards, airline miles and gadgets.

Product partners work with CheckPoints to create a completely branded product scanning experience that both engages and rewards the consumer. With Tyson, for instance, should you scan the back of one of the company’s featured frozen food items, you’ll find yourself playing a bonus Tyson-themed mini game for the potential to earn more points.

Essentially, the CheckPoints platform is at the intersection of mobile advertising and barcode scanning. QR code and barcode scans are slowly becoming more commonplace place activities thanks to applications such as RedLaser, ScanLife, Stickybits and myShopanion. CheckPoints’ focus is to use the scan to connect the consumer to the brand and reward the consumer for their behavior.

The startup hails from Mark and Todd DiPaola, entrepreneurs and brothers who are self-financing the endeavor after success with Vantage Media, an online ad agency they sold in 2007. The brothers designed the service to help advertisers connect with consumers around products. CheckPoints will face competition from Shopkick and other applications that support rewards and points programs including Foursquare, SCVNGR, CardStar and possibly even Facebook Places.

Update: CheckPoints says that the iPhone application is pending approval by Apple, but should be available for download within the next few days.

Image courtesy of acordova, Flickr


Reviews: CardStar, Flickr, Foursquare

More About: checkpoints, iphone application, loyalty program, MARKETING, Mobile 2.0, mobile advertising

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Twitter to Launch “Promoted Accounts”

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 01:36 PM PDT


Twitter intends to monetize on the desire to collect more followers with the announcement of its “Promoted Accounts” product tomorrow.

The company plans to reveal its newest promoted advertising product tomorrow at the IAB Conference in New York. It’s relatively straightforward, according to All Things Digital: Businesses can pay to be included in the “Who to Follow” feature. This will give brands additional followers and thus additional visibility.

The plan for Promoted Accounts first leaked two months ago. At that time, it was a product being debated in the concept stage. Clearly the company has decided to move forward with the initiative. With Promoted Tweets going for near $100,000, it’s easy to see why the company would want to monetize on a brand’s desire to have more followers and influence.

Liked Promoted Tweets, Promoted Accounts will be algorithmically targeted toward users that will be more receptive to following specific brands. If you are a loyal member of PETA, Twitter probably won’t suggest Tyson Foods as a company to follow.

We’ve reached out to our friends at Twitter to gather more details, but we will also be at the IAB Conference to deliver you all the details on Twitter’s latest monetization effort.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Ben Amstutz


Reviews: Flickr, Twitter

More About: advertising, MARKETING, Promoted Accounts, trending, twitter

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How and Why PepsiCo Engages in Social Good [VIDEO]

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 01:29 PM PDT


At last week's Mashable & 92Y Social Good Summit, PepsiCo offered up the compelling sound bite that its Pepsi Refresh project had racked up more votes than the last U.S. Presidential election.

Sound bites aside though, the program is a significant experiment in the realm of social good, especially social good driven by the for-profit corporate world. After all, the company passed up on advertising during the Super Bowl last year to invest $20 million to get Refresh off the ground.

Bonin Bough, global director of Digital & Social Media at PepsiCo discussed the topic on stage with Jack Leslie, chairman of Weber Shandwick. Afterwards, I had an opportunity to chat more in-depth with Bough about how Refresh is going, what it means for PepsiCo and its various brands, and what's next for the project (it's coming back and going international in 2011, among other additions).

Check out our interview below:


Reviews: social media

More About: pepsi refresh, pepsico, social good

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100+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 01:04 PM PDT

social_media_events_guide1

Every week, Mashable puts together a calendar of upcoming social media and web events, parties and conferences. Would you like to have your conference or event listed here? If so, please contact us at least one month before your event to establish a media partnership. For more upcoming listings, check out Mashable’s Events section.

Mashable has two events this month:

Mashlanta 2.0 – September 30, 2010, Atlanta, GA
Mashable is excited to announce Mashlanta 2.0 in partnership with Regator. After an amazing event last year, we’ve gone bigger (200 – 300 more tickets), longer (an extra hour) and we’ve added a venue with ample parking. Tickets are now on sale, sponsorship opportunities are available and judging from last year, we’ll sell out quickly.

In the meantime, here are some tips on how to network, share your information and/or promote your event(s) using social media:

Mashable’s Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace.


September 27-28, 2010, Chicago, IL: midVenturesLAUNCH is the largest startup and innovation conference in the Midwest. Showcasing new startup companies in web, mobile, consumer products, sustainability and greentech, we're bringing together 150+ new companies in three tracks: COMPETE, a startup competition with over $100,000 in cash and prizes; mVDEMO, an area for early-stage startups to gain exposure; and LAUNCH, where later-stage VC- or angel-backed startups and established brands will launch new, innovative products and services from 2010 on our main stage. Featuring key panelists and speakers from the top of the industry, midVenturesLAUNCH is the conference for technology innovators, offering a unique opportunity to seek funding, meet entrepreneurs, investors, developers, designers and leaders, and watch new ideas come to life. All in one space. Visit wwww.midventureslaunch.com for more info.


September 27-28, 2010, Minneapolis, MN: Get your ticket today for the ninth annual MIMA Summit, the premier interactive marketing conference in the Midwest. We're offering summit attendees more session speakers than any year before, a whole new line of intensive workshops, and featuring author and high-energy businessman Gary Vaynerchuk and comedian, author, and vigilante pundit Baratunde Thurston keynoting the event. The MIMA Summit 2010 will offer more than 1,000+ attendees a dynamic range of educational content—from interactive, media, brand and technical strategies, to design, content strategy, the neuro-science of marketing, open-source CMS, and even social media. Early bird pricing is available until September 3 at www.mimasummit.org.


September 27-29, 2010, Dallas, TX: After 15 years, the Web has lost its “new media” moniker to a new disruptor: mobile. The action is clearly local. Local mobile advertising is forecast to take an even sharper hockey-stick trajectory than the local Web, going from a few hundred million in 2009 to $14 billion in less than five years. Join Borrell Associates for its Local Mobile Advertising Conference to identify what’s working today for local advertisers, what’s likely to work tomorrow, and how to get there. The conference is designed for executives selling mobile-related advertising at the local level. Use promo code MASH100 and save $100!


September 27-30, 2010, New York, NY: Web 2.0 Expo New York assembles top tech influencers for four days of intense talks, workshops, discussions, and networking events. This year, Web 2.0 Expo New York focuses on Platforms for Growth, diving into the platform opportunities for the whole web ecosystem. We'll highlight the important challenges faced by the industry’s key players, and help you pick the winning platforms for growth in a web-fueled world. Connect with other designers, developers, entrepreneurs, marketers, business strategists, and investors at one of the most vibrant events of the year. Use discount code webny10bd14 when you register to save 25%.


September 27, 2010, Miami, FL: Calling all Affiliates, Merchants, Advertisers and Social Media Strategists looking to CONNECT to the right people, LEARN from the experts, increasing their EARNING potential and GROW their business! The Performance Marketing Expo is the premier event for best-in-class educational sessions (become an expert at Landing Page Optimization, Search, Social Media Strategies and Relationship Management), highly effective facilitated networking (in the Tune-Up Shop, Idea Factory, Masters of the Universe Roundtable sessions) and access to the leading Super Affiliates (Stephanie Nelson, Coupon Mom – Zac Johnson, MoneyReign, – Todd Martini, Alex’s Coupons – plus, eCoupons, MarketAmerica, TrialPay, Parent Media and more). Save 15% when using code PME2010MASH at www.iirusa.com/performancemarketingexpo.


September 28-30 2010, London, UK: IIR's Mobile Broadband World is an absolute must for all those involved in the MBB ecosystem, including Mobile Operators, Content Developers, Financial Investors, Press and Media, Consultants, Technology Partners, Handset Developers and more. To claim your 10% discount courtesy of Mashable, please quote I2GS2MASH when registering.


September 28-30, 2010, Hamburg, Germany: Facebook, Twitter & Co are now part of good corporate communication and marketing. They dominate all channels of interaction. To find out how to optimize your business and marketing activities by using these instruments is this year`s topic of the annual Community & Marketing 2.0 Summit in Hamburg. Within two parallel tracks 36 experts from different companies share their experiences and best practices in the fields of community management and marketing 2.0. Register with promo code CMSMASH and save 10%.


September 28, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Want to learn how to leverage technology as a tool to GROW your business? Want to attend the Small Business Technology Tour? The tour is for business owners, entrepreneurs and business professionals who want to have FUN, NETWORK and LEARN. Whether you know nothing about technology or know a lot, the Small Business Technology Tour is for you. Bring a friend! The first 10 attendees who register with discount code MASHABLE – get a complimentary ticket. Use discount code MASHABLEDISCOUNT to get 50% off!


Sept 28, 2010, Brisbane, Australia: Come to Bluewire Media's E-mail Marketing Secrets event and learn how to use email marketing to its full potential. Discover the dos and donts of growing your database, getting the basics right, nailing your newsletter content, calculating your ROI and be amazed by some of the biggest email marketing blunders! Bring your most pressing questions for our guest panel of email marketing professionals – Evan Fortune (Vision 6), David Smerdon (Clemenger), Adam Franklin (Bluewire Media) & MC'd by Toby Jenkins (Bluewire Media). Tickets $50. Early birds $40. Register with the promo code MASHABLE to get $10 off your ticket price!


September 28, 2010, London, UK: Brands are frequently companies’ most valuable asset. The threats to this valuable asset are increasingly coming through online channels. This event will provide practical solutions and risk mitigation strategies for brand owners to combat these critical risks. Join experts from companies including Abercrombie and Vodafone to benefit from the practical advice and guidance they can provide. Not only will they share their own experience of preventing brand abuse, but will explain how they derive real ROI from their brand protection activities. Mashable readers save 10% on the event with the code KW8079MASH. For more info or to register, please go to http://www.ibclegal.com/obpmash.


September 28, 2010, London, UK: The first ever Mobile and Video in Recruitment Conference has been designed to help recruiters get the most from using mobile and video in Recruitment. This unique conference will include speakers from some of the largest and well-known blue chip companies (including YouTube) who are leading players in mobile and online video. The conference will also include case studies and discussion panels and is aimed at forward-thinking recruiters who want to gain a competitive advantage. Save 15% with the discount code MASHABLE.


September 28, 2010, New York, NY: Discover how to best use online media to target the mature consumer and make your brand stand out among the high school demographic. Delve deep into the minds of both consumer groups during our live consumer panels. Led by Ken Colen of Colen Research, these panels will discuss music discovery and purchasing behavior, social media usage and music gifting. Also slated for the agenda are research and best marketing practices presentations offering fresh perspectives, facts and figures. Event speakers include Lori Bitter, President of ContinuumCrew; Scott Hess, VP of Insights for TRU; Scott Jones CEO/Founder of ChaCha; Ron Roy, Partner at Wines That Rock; Joseph Vella, President & Founder of Vella Interactive and boomitude.com; and Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group. For presentation descriptions, pricing and registration information, visit knowyourconsumer.eventbrite.com. Use the promo code Mashable100 to receive $100 off the non-memberr ticket price.


September 29-30, 2010, Singapore: The Customer Show Asia 2010 is providing a unique platform that links loyalty and experience strategies with the latest technological tools and media. This conference will gather the world's largest brands, major stakeholders and leading solution providers in the customer care industry to learn, network, establish partnerships and seal profitable business opportunities. For more information, please visit website at http://www.terrapinn.com/2010/customerasia/index.stm. Register with promo code CSAMAS01 and enjoy 10% discounts.


September 29-30, 2010, New York, NY: The Location-Based Marketing Summit in New York City, is the leading event for Fortune 1000 companies seeking to maximize marketing, commerce and business strategies using location-based services. Attendees receive valuable industry insight that can be immediately utilized in developing a location-based strategy. We give you an inside look at the location based marketing activities of major brands. Hear from companies who’ve made the journey and learn from their experiments and activities. We cut through the hype and separate buzz from success. Register with promo code MASHVIP to save an extra $100 off registration. The full schedule and speakers list can be found here.


September 29-30, Denver, CO: Are you a CEO, Owner, or Marketing Executive wondering how you should be using social media to promote your business? Come to our Free 90-minute Social Media Boot Camp for CEOs where you will learn proven techniques and valuable tips to drive customers to your website and generate new leads. Our expert speaker, Paul Slack, will offer abundant detailed strategies you can immediately put into action. We will be in a different city each week, so please check our listings to see when we will be in your area!


September 29, 2010, Baton Rouge, LA: Coastal Social is the premiere social media conference for the southeastern coastal states. #CoastalSocial is a one-day summit for regional social media professionals, enthusiasts and business owners looking to further their professional development in social media. The conference provides an opportunity to learn from the best in Facebook, Twitter, blogging and more through workshops, roundtable discussions and national keynote speakers including Julien Smith, Jason Falls, and Jay Baer. Enjoy getting social in the south as we mix and mingle with the best in the business. Register with discount code MASH225 and receive a $50 discount — 33% off the conference price of $149.00!


September 29, 2010, London, UK: At a time when organisations are having to cut their budgets for training, marketing and communications, we recognise that having the right skills in-house are more important than ever. With this in mind, sounddelivery are proud to announce The Social Media Exchange Express. During this one-day event, you'll have the opportunity to attend four workshops of your choice. From podcasting and video production, to AudioBoo and social media management, you will get hands-on and learn the skills you need to improve your organisation's online presence and increase your confidence in the use of social media, all in bite-size, one-hour chunks.


September 30-October 1, 2010, Lake Tahoe, NV: Tahoe Tech Talk is NOT just about assembling an outstanding lineup of speakers (though we’ve done that, including Digg founder Kevin Rose, Twitter adviser / investor Chris Sacca, and former Facebook strategist Dave Morin). It’s about creating an opportunity for true discussion. Each speaker will return to the stage for a massive interactive session, taking questions from the audience about the technology sphere in 2010 and beyond. Conference registration includes a complimentary night’s stay at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe Resort and Casino… all for just $399! Space is extremely limited, so reserve your spot today! For more details, visit www.tahoetechtalkconf.com.


September 30-October 1, 2010, Málaga, Spain: From the organizers of SearchCongress, a new and professional online marketing event, WebCongress, featuring two days of conferences, workshops and networking, will take place at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga. The event offers a wide range of sessions providing you a complete training in social media, developer, hosting and domains, web design, search and marketing online. Come and share with Google, SEMPO, W3C, Sedo, InternetX and the most impressive experts specializing in SEO, SEM, web analytics, accessibility, usability and social media. For more information, please visit www.wcongress.com/malaga.


September 30, 2010, New York, NY: DigitalFlashNYC Productions, in conjunction with Popular Science magazine, presents POPSCI LIVE, a one of a kind digital tech event. For the first time in New York, the future of consumer electronics—from phones and cameras to next-gen 3-D televisions—will be in your hands. Popular Science Deputy Editor Jake Ward will be on hand to discuss these amazing devices in an interactive Q&A about the future of electronics, and what they mean for the future of media. As part of Advertising Week, this event will be the only place that will be providing an interactive forum for you to hold the gadgets you've always wanted to understand, and to ask tough questions about where it's all headed. There’s also a special discount for the Mashable community – enter coupon code DFNYMASH at checkout for a 15% discount off your ticket. Go to www.digitalflashnyc.com to register.


September 30, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Vator, a leading platform for innovators and entrepreneurs to connect and learn from one another, is holding its third Splash competition to find 10 promising early-stage startups to present at the Vator Splash event on Sept 30, Thursday. Enter the competition today and join other onstage presenters, such as Groupon founder and CEO Andrew Mason, Twitter COO Dick Costolo, Eventbrite founder and CEO Kevin Hartz, and VCs from First Round, FirstMark, Charles River, Felicis Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, Mayfield, Norwest and many more. Buy your 20% discount ticket here using the code MashableSplash.


September 30, 2010, New York, NY: More than ever, ad operations is integral to online advertising. AdMonsters introduces OPS, a forum for the growing Ad Ops community, and invites everyone to join us and dig in. OPS will deliver a deep understanding of the critical technologies, tools, methods and practices that will enable you to turn online ad operations into a source of greater profit. In true AdMonsters fashion, this one day event will focus on what is actionable today that will lead to long term success. Speaking companies include The Wall Street Journal, Turner Broadcasting, The Weather Channel, MTV, NBC, Havas Digital, Universal McCann and more. See the event page for more details and register today.


September 30, 2010, London, UK: Bringing together collective thoughts on Social Media for 2011. We know its going to be much more than an introduction to Social, we're looking forward into the bigger picture about how we communicate within the platforms and how we measure and integrate Social Media into our strategies. We're bringing together some of the leading authorities in Social Media, from app developers to word of mouth evangelists to discuss where and how the industry is evolving! – 'A forward thinking social media conference'. For more information, please visit http://www.social-collective.com. Mashable readers can receive 25% off ticket prices at registration with promo code MASH25


September 30, 2010, London, UK: Get the latest on the attempts to increase regulation surrounding the moderation of UGC. What qualifies as illegal and inappropriate content and how should it be dealt with? This year Luisa Edwards, Head of Commercial, Google Legal EMEA, will share with you her expertise on the interactive online environment, based on experience managing the legal challenges facing Youtube. Plus attend the workshop Social Networking and the Law: Challenges, Risk & Opportunities; a fully interactive guide on protecting your organisation and maximising on the opportunities that social networking presents. Mashable readers save 10% on the event with this code: KW8094MASH. For more info or to register, go to http://www.ibclegal.com/ugcmash.


September 30, 2010, London, UK: Brightlemon Drupal Training – Drupal Development with Views and CCK: Drupal is a powerful CMS solution on its own – but the add-on modules of Views and CCK take that flexibility to a whole new level. This day is dedicated to turning you into an expert of how to integrate the two modules to get a lot done quickly. Buy tickets here.


October 1-2, 2010, New York, NY: The Open Video Conference (OVC) is a multi-day summit of thought leaders in business, academia, art and activism to explore the future of video on the web. Join us October 1-2 for two days of learning and inspiration, and stick around for the OVC hack labs, presented in partnership with NYU ITP.


October 1, 2010, New York, NY: Produced by Mediabistro and Social Times, the third annual Social Ad Summit explores best practices for social media marketing and advertising. The rapid growth of social media is providing marketers with larger reach, stronger customer relationships and increased relevance. At this showcase of recent case studies from agencies and brands, you'll see firsthand what is working and learn how to implement a successful strategy for your organization or client. Social networks, publishers, ad agencies, marketers, PR agencies, service providers delivering social advertising and anyone else interested in the latest trends in social media marketing will unite at Social Ad Summit. Speakers include Organic SVP Steve Beck, Turner Sports VP of Marketing Jeff Mirman, Skimlinks Co-founder and CEO Alicia Navarro, and more. Register with promo code MASH and save 15%!


October 2-3, Vancouver, BC, Canada: The Pacific Northwest Drupal Summit is an annual conference to unite and improve the Drupal Community in the Pacific Northwest region. This year’s Drupal Summit is being organized by volunteers from the Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria Drupal User Groups. The camp will feature both scheduled sessions and “unconference” content on both days. Sessions are proposed by community volunteers and programming decisions will be made based on the interests and Drupal experience level of the attendees. In addition to the scheduled sessions, the camp will feature space for community gatherings, Birds of a Feather (BoF) sessions, hands-on training and more!


October 2-3, 2010, Philadelphia, PA: PodCamp Philly 2010 is targeted to audio and video podcasters, bloggers, social media enthusiasts, professionals and hobbyists, musicians, marketers, and people who generally want to understand more about the new media space. The power of an unConference is you get open access to ideas, thoughts, best practices, and the true "wisdom of crowds" simply by registering and attending. Find out more at http://www.podcampphilly.com, or sign up at http://podcampphilly2010.eventbrite.com.


October 3, 2010, Victoria, British Columbia: Come to Canada’s most beautiful city, and the first city in the world to proclaim Mashable’s Social Media Day! Whether you are an avid Facebook user, interested in learning about Twitter, or you're trying to grow your business by leveraging social media tools – there is something for everyone at this event! Social Media Camp is a one-day event featuring interesting and knowledgeable speakers from around British Columbia, and across North America! Register with promo code SMCV10 and save 15%!


October 4-5, 2010, Barcelona, Spain: Now in its seventh year in the U.S. and its second year in Europe, PdF brings together the top opinion makers, political practitioners, technologists, and journalists to network, exchange ideas, and explore how technology and the Internet are changing politics, democracy, and society. The conference will combine plenary talks and one-on-one conversations with leading thinkers each morning, followed by afternoon breakout sessions on more focused topics and hands-on skills-development sessions, ending with a major closing plenary panel each day. Register with promo code MASHABLE and save 50 Euros. Find out more at www.personaldemocracy.com/pdf-europe-2010.


October 4-6, 2010, New York, NY: At Search Marketing Expo – SMX East, you'll learn to maximize ROI from paid search advertising, optimize your website content for superior organic search results, expand your skills with local and mobile advertising expertise, master social media marketing on Twitter, Facebook and other SMM networks, boost conversions… and increase sales. Use code "smx100mashable" and save $100 off your registration. For more info visit http://www.smxeast.com.


October 4-7, 2010, Atlanta, GA: FutureMedia Fest 2010 – Explore new paradigms in how Content is Created, Distributed and Consumed with FutureMedia at Georgia Tech. Join our mash-up of talent, ideas, trends and technology. Hear directly from top industry execs and visionaries. Talk with investors. Meet interactive marketing experts. Network with potential partners. Experiment real-time with open innovation. Industry leaders, academics, entrepreneurs and VC's will inspire and challenge attendees with provocative panel discussions, facilitated small discussion groups and hands-on demos of next generation technology. Register today at futuremediaglobal.com and use the code FutureMedia 2010.


October 4-7, 2010, New York, NY: Digital Content Monetization 2010 is a multi-stream summit incorporating only the most senior strategists and decision-makers in Film, Sports, TV, Publishing, Games and Music. You'll learn about the latest projects and strategies from 65+ content-owner speakers including companies like Sony Music, Electronic Arts, Lifetime, Universal Pictures, the NFL, Disney, ESPN, New York Times, Playboy and NASCAR. The conference address the major need of content owners: the need to know how to build sustainable business and technology models to enable multi-platform delivery of digital content. Register and use the promo code Mashable for 10% off.


October 4-8, 2010, Boston, MA: FutureMis the first ever week-long, collaborative, multi-location conference in Boston offering participants the opportunity to tap into the freshest thinkers in marketing, media and technology. Leading innovators will come together to share and explore how the newest technologies and insights are changing the way marketers think, create, engage and measure.


October 5-8 2010, Austin, TX: The Game Developers Conference® Online, formerly GDC Austin, is designed for online and connected game developers creating social network games, free-to-play titles, large scale MMOs, and all types of social games. GDC Online focuses on emerging topics in connected game development including microtransactions, the casualization of MMOs, and new distribution models and is ideal for online gameservice providers, tool vendors, and emerging game technology pioneers. Join industry trailblazers from Bigpoint, Disney, Playdom, Tencent, Relic, Zynga and more to discuss best practices and provide insight on the future of online games. Register with code GDCMASH and save 15% off conference passes. Learn more about GDC Online and start the registration process at www.gdconline.com.


October 5-6, 2010, Prague: EyeforTravel's Online Marketing & Social Media in Travel Summit brings together top travel brands to share key insights on how to maximize the impact of your online marketing and social media initiatives. The 2 days are packed full of case studies, presentations and networking opportunities. Speakers hail from across Europe and include Lufthansa, Lonely Planet, Expedia, TripAdvisor, P&O Cruises and many more. Use the code MASHABLE to claim your €100 discount on the price to attend.


October 5-6, 2010, London, UK: Are you looking to quantify your social media efforts? Do you want to have constant customer engagement? If the answer is yes, join us at in London at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel for iStrategy 2010 to learn, network, share ideas, and understand how to build your online marketing strategy to its fullest potential. iStrategy 2010 London brings together Europe's leaders in social media marketing. iStrategy will give delegates the valuable insight they need to: Harness New Technologies, Drive Revenue Growth, Create Value from Digital Assets, Develop Innovative and Creative Online Strategies and achieve a Market Leading Online Position. Register now and Quote MashableLON to receive a 10% discount.


October 6-7, 2010, Boston, MA: The Inbound Marketing Summit is where the online marketing community gathers to solve today’s marketing and business communications challenges. This event features the brightest minds in the business, including world-renowned authors and practitioners, as well as leaders from some of the companies already using the new tools and strategies. This fast-paced and information-packed event is your check-up on your existing business communications strategies and your prescription for the coming months. On October 6 and 7 join Chris Brogan, Justin Levy and the entire New Marketing Labs team along with hundreds of marketers like yourself and 60+ speakers and sponsors at Gillette Stadium for two days of fast-paced, highly interactive, actionable content. For more information, visit us at: Inbound Marketing Summit. Use the code “MASH50” for a 50% discount.


October 6-7, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: Digital Music Forum West: Over 300 of the most influential decision-makers in the music industry gather in Los Angeles each year for this incredible two-day dealmakers’ forum to network, do deals and share ideas about the business. Digital Music Forum West -– now in its fifth year –- features a lively and fun debate on timely cutting-edge business topics and demos, as well as unrivaled access to some of the most progressive companies in Hollywood, Silicon Valley and beyond. Mashable readers can receive 10% off registration with promo code MASH10.


October 6, 2010, San Francisco, CA: As the patient moves to the center of healthcare delivery, innovative personal health technologies empower the consumer with a wealth of data and information. This new consumer is responding by changing their behaviors and taking ownership over their own health outcomes. VITAL brings together all the key stakeholders shaping this revolution to evaluate consumer preferences, and the impact consumer health technologies have on health outcomes to meet the needs of an empowered digital health consumer. Visit www.iirusa.com/vital/vital.xml for more program information. Please use the promo code XP1554MASH when registering.


October 6, 2010, New York, NY: AdWeb 3.0 is an exclusive event taking place at the Cornell Club in New York City focusing upon the latest in business models, solutions and technologies in the digital advertising business in of data, platforms and monetization from the perspectives of buyers and sellers. Registration is open and available at the discount rate of $495. For more information on registration, and a full roster of speakers and sponsors, visit adweb30.com.


October 6, 2010, Seattle, WA: The International Search Summit is coming to the US for the first time and will be held alongside Localization World at the Bell Harbour Conference Center. As with the European events, the Summit will focus on international and multilingual search marketing topics and offer delegates insight and advice on how to effectively develop and manage international online campaigns. Speakers at the event will include Eugene Lomize from Russian search engine Yandex, Greg Jarboe of SEO-PR, Andy Atkins-Krüger from WebCertain, John Yunker of Byte Level Research and Anne Kennedy from Beyond Ink. Topics covered will include International Video Optimization, Twittering in Tongues, International Link Building and Geolocation. The summit is a must for any marketer targeting multiple markets and/or languages online. Register now with the coupon code MASH20 to receive 20% discount.


October 7-8, San Francisco, CA: Every year we bring you our biggest and brightest conference in the Fall in our beautiful hometown of San Francisco. Health 2.0 always features the most comprehensive line-up of technology innovators, as well as leaders in health care, government and finance, and unveils the best new health care technology startups at Launch! You won't want to miss the Fourth Annual Health 2.0 Conference. With nearly a hundred speakers and plenty of new healthcare demos and technologies on display on stage and in the exhibit hall, you'll get a sweeping overview of the ways that information technology and the web are changing healthcare.


October 7-8, 2010, Las Vegas, NV: Over 100 venture capital and angel investors will review and select the top pitches to speak at the PerfectBusiness Summit 2010 in Las Vegas. Some of this year’s speakers and attendees include John Paul DeJoria (founder of Paul Mitchell & Patron Tequila), Gavin Maloof (owner of the Palms Casino & NBA’s Sacramento King, Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos.com), plus 60 other speakers and over 2,000 attendees. For more information, go to www.PerfectBusiness.com/DISCOUNT20 and receive $20 off tickets


October 7, 2010, New York, NY: Please join Google, Cisco and Wikimedia on Thursday, October 7, as we discuss issues that even the savviest of brands face today — hosted by WOMMA's Brands Council. The Brands Council is a learning community where marketers from Brands and Non-Profits share best practice advice on how to use Word of Mouth and Social Media marketing more effectively. Register before September 24 and save more than 10% off the full ticket price. Use code WOMMATalkMASH. http://womma.org/events/october-7-talkable-brands-exchange/


Oct. 7, 2010, Cheyenne, WY: Last year’s inaugural event was so great, we’re bringing SocialWyo back. And SocialWyo 2.0 will be free! Build on your knowledge of social media for small business and other applications while learning a bit more about keeping your online life in balance with your offline life with Boulder, Colo.’’s Gwen Bell. The only statewide social media conference in Wyoming will be at Laramie County Community College, and once again is sponsored by LCCC and the LCCC Entrepreneurial Program. Space is limited, so register soon at socialwyo.com.


October 8-10, 2010, Miami, FL: The Blogalicious Weekend conferences are aimed at celebrating the diversity of women of all ethnicities in social media. Over the course of 3 event-filled days, savvy, influential and talented bloggers will ignite a sense of unity within the multicultural blogging community as well as educate marketers on the importance of our demographic in today's marketplace, all while networking, building relationships, and promoting inspiration and success for each other. Imagine a getaway that combines all of the things that you love about blogging with the added element of face-to-face interactions and the intimacy of "IRL" relationships. At Blogalicious 2010, You'll laugh, you'll learn, you'll let your hair down. It will be just like blogging…only better! Register with the promo code MASHABLE10 and save 5%


October 8-10, 2010, Philadelphia, PA: Experience 24 hours of training in iPhone/iPad Development covering basic to advanced features. It is an established certificate training program that trained over 400 iPhone developers since 2008. Matt Campbell, author of “How to Make an IPhone App" for AppMastery Press, will serve as the instructor. Developers will be able to develop an app after the training. For limited time, a 10% discount off the discounted early bird rate – a $400 savings is offered on the registration page using the discount code mashable.


October 8, 2010, Cambridge, MA: The Beyond Cause Marketing summit is bringing together a diverse group of leaders to create a new framework for how companies, charities, and government can better engage and encourage the public to solve social issues. Let’s face it – Cause Marketing isn’t getting the job done. For all the money and attention raised, not enough is being done to address the major challenges facing society today. It’s time to shift our thinking and approach. Register by September 30th for the $49 rate.


October 9-14, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Unlike other conferences out there, DMA2010 is the only Global ROI Marketing Event, focusing on direct and digital marketing integration across all channels! Learn from 300+ experts from brands like Pepsi, LG, HP and Twitter. Network with 10,000 practitioners from 50+ countries giving youaccess to broad and fresh marketing insights. and, create new partnerships with any of 400+ vendors in the comprehensive Exhibit Hall to learn how to merge direct and digital to maximize your ROI! Register and save an additional $250 with the discount code AN500.


October 10-13, 2010, Cincinnati, OH: The HighEdWeb Conference is nationally recognized as the conference designed by and for all higher education Web professionals — from programmers to marketers to designers to all team members in-between — who want to explore the unique Web issues facing colleges and universities. With more than 60 presentations; a robust poster session; daily general session addresses; pre-and post-conference intensive, hands-on workshops; and multiple high-quality networking opportunities, HighEdWeb attendees receive a high-quality professional development experience packed into just a few days. Register by August 31, 2010 and save $125!


October 12-13, 2010, London, UK: a4uexpo is Europe’s largest Performance Marketing Conference with over 1,000 delegates, 48 diverse conference sessions, an all inclusive middle evening party, a pre and post event networking bash, and a buzzing expo hall all being shared with the leading entrepreneurs and players within the dynamic £10bn Affiliate & Performance Marketing industry. A4uexpo London focuses on quality, knowledge transfer and unparalleled networking opportunities with delegates from around the world, whether you’re a new or established affiliate, agency, entrepreneur, search specialist, merchant or network, a4uexpo is simply a must attend, educational and networking event for those serious about making an impact in Affiliate Marketing. Register online today with code MASHABLE25 and save £25 on a full conference pass for a4uexpo London.


October 12, 2010, Orange County CA: Trust Agents: A Special Night of Networking with Chris Brogan. Well known author, A-list speaker and social media mogul Chris Brogan is in Orange County for 1 night only. With themes from his WSJ and NYT best-selling book Trust Agent and a stellar networking opportunity with some of the top marketers, social media influencers and biz talent in SoCal, we hope you’ll join us. Not in SoCal? Join us for the LIVE or On Demand recorded broadcast here.


October 13-14, 2010, New York, NY: The 2010 Social Media Strategies Conference will feature leading digital, client, and agency experts who will reveal how to use social media to increase business and explore the future of this extremely powerful marketing platform. Presented by YouTube and in Association with Buzz Media, this event will be held October 13-14 in New York City. For more information, visit socialmediastrategiesconference.com.


October 13-14, Princeton, NJ: Brought to you by the producer of the sold-out ePharma Summit, the Multi Channel Pharma Marketing Event brings together product managers and marketing operations under one roof to discuss cross-channel media plans for building brand value and elevating top line sales. Join us at the ONLY industry event focused on breaking down internal silos to achieve channel integration and maximize return on engagement. Visit www.multichannelevent.com for more information. Register with Priority Code XP1515MASH to save 15% off standard registration!


October 14-15, 2010, London, UK: Creating and distributing video online? Join us at Online Video Strategies this October in London and learn how to choose the online video solutions that meet your needs, increase audience engagement with interactivity, use video for marketing, promotion and branding, deliver video to the iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices, leverage video for internal and external corporate communications, make sure your video gets seen by viewers and search engines and measure the ROI of your video projects. In addition, Online Video Strategies is a featured event at Streaming Media Europe and all delegates enjoy unlimited access to the Streaming Media Expo as part of their registration. Register at streamingmediaglobal.com/ovs. Quote priority code MASHABLE20 for a 20% discount.


October 14-16, 2010, Las Vegas, NV: BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of new media including all forms of blogging, podcasting, social media, social networking, online video, music, Internet TV and radio. The BlogWorld conference features more than 120 educational sessions, panel discussions and keynote presentations, while the New Media Expo features the only industry-wide new media marketplace where thousands converge to network and find all of their online business and marketing resources. Running concurrent with the BlogWorld conference, the Social Media Business Summit is the world's largest social media business conference where marketing executives, business owners and world-renowned companies send their teams to learn the strategies, tactics, tools and technologies they need to build their brands and grow their businesses with social media. Register today with the code MASH20 for 20% off!


October 17-19, 2010. New York, NY: Pivot Conference is the only industry conference to explore and evaluate the attitudes, technologies and preferences of the “always on” 18-34 year old consumer. Attend Pivot Conference and hear from those successfully engaging with today’s emerging consumer and create your own action plan for success. Register today with code MASH101 and save 20%.


October 17-20, 2010, Scottsdale, AZ: SuperGlad describes the prosperous life of agencies on the right side of the digital marketing divide. The “have’s” have it. The “have nots” do not. For an agency, in-house digital marketing expertise is now a must, not a nice-to-have. And does the knowledge permeate the agency or rest with just one person operating as a stand-alone department (who, by the way, could leave you high and dry if something better comes along)? Digital marketing is a core competency of the “have” agencies. You might not need to execute on all of it but you need to understand it and drive the strategy upon which decisions are made surrounding it. BOLO 2010 takes on the big task at hand: explaining why digital media leads the charge in SuperGlad agencies. It is not an afterthought. It is dealt with using creative, media, traffic and account service employees who think traditionally first, then translate that thinking to a digital environment. This event will show you how. $799/person (or $599 for agencyside members). Use discount code mashable to save $125 (more than 15%) off full-price registration at any time.


October 18-22, 2010, Chicago, IL: Discover the tools of engagement at SES Chicago Conference and Expo on October 18-22, 2010. No longer just lecturing your customers, learn to listen and converse in a more social world. Our experts will show you how integrating search, social media, and video in even basic ways will transform both your sites visibility and profitability. Our program features 60+ sessions covering everything from marketing attribution, the business value of social media, brand reputation management and more. Save 15% with promo code MHCH15. Register now!


October 18-20, 2010, Washington, D.C.: As Social Media quickly emerges as more than a communication tool, the U.S. Government must proactively leverage this new "environment" to achieve organizational goals. IDGA's 3rd Social Media for Defense and Government provides a forum for senior Government and Military officials, industry partners and academic communities to align shared goals, showcase new technology and define the way forward. This conference will present advanced social media strategies that not only improve communication but actually utilize the tools to improve effectiveness. Register with code MASH4GOV and receive 20% off the standard three-day event fee!


October 18-19, 2010, Dallas, TX: The Restaurant & Hospitality Social Media Marketing Bootcamp event provides the practical knowledge and insights required by restaurant and hotel operators to establish objectives and strategies for your market, properly select the social media platforms to engage guests and monitor and measure the results of these efforts for a greater ROI. This event is presented by RestaurantWorx Consulting and Inside Hospitality. Use the code MASHABLE when registering and receive VIP pricing on “Day 1″ or “Day 1 & 2 Attendance” tickets. See complete event details on the event website at www.restaurantsocialmedia.com.


October 18-19, 2010, Singapore: Build your company's reputation and profits at Online Reputation Management Asia 2010. It only takes a few blog posts or YouTube videos or Facebook threads to destroy reputation and image. Don’t miss this opportunity to benefit from industry leaders' extensive experience, practical insights, and proven business-building tactics that you need to know. Be sure to secure your spot now! For more information, please visit our website or download the brochure. Mashable members/subscribers are entitled to a 10% discount off the registration fee!


October 18, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Join us for the third annual i-stage startup competition, featuring debuts from game-changing apps, products and services. Presented by CEA, i-stage gives tech startups the opportunity to compete for a share of $50,000 in prize money and a free booth at the 2011 International CES. Audience members get the first look at the industry's newest visionaries and network with high profile investors, media and industry leaders. Past winners include Boxee and Regen Inc's ReNu solar charging system. There is no entry fee for competing start-ups. Mashable readers save 10% on attendee tickets. Register now and use discount code IMASH.


October 18, 2010, Washington DC: Digital East 2010 will feature over 75 leading speakers addressing best practices and trends in Social Media, Mobile, Online Advertising, Ecommerce, Cloud Computing, Web Analytics, Search, Online Video, Email, ORM and more! Hear from brands such as ESPN, Google, Intel, Salesforce.com, AOL, Rosetta Stone, National Geographic and the US Dept of Energy just to name a few. When registering, use the code MASH1 for 20% off.


October 19, 2010, New York, NY: Spend a day learning how to make social media an effective and repeatable part of an overall integrated marketing strategy. Established thought leaders and rising stars—including companies such as American Express, Arc Worldwide, Forrester, IMI International, Nokia, The Roger Smith Hotel and more — help you leverage social media to build your brands and businesses. Learn how social media impacts the path to purchase; the intersection of social and mobile; which social channels are most effective against which segments; and more! Non-members of PMA can register with promo code MASHABLE and save $65!


October 19, 2010, Dayton, OH: SummitUp is a one day conference dedicated to exploring the integration of creativity, communication, and technology. The event takes place on October 19, 2010, and it is being held at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. SummitUp features exceptional speakers, engaging breakout sessions, interesting panel discussions, and the opportunity to meet and make friends with some of the brightest, most influential minds in modern business. Speakers include John Moore, Pete Blackshaw, Steve Lance, Kevin Dugan, Artie Isaac, Michael Rubin, Brian Solis and many more. Ticket also includes parking, breakfast, and lunch at the event – all for well under $200. Event information can be found at www.summitup.org.


October 19, 2010, New York, NY: Create business value — and discover insight — in enterprise, web, and social content. Smart Content is the profitable future for media & publishing, advertising & on-line commerce, marketing and PR… and for content consumers. Register now for an unmatched opportunity to learn how.


October 20–22, 2010, Washington, D.C.: Come join us for the largest nonprofit technology conference in the world. The 2010 Blackbaud Conference for Nonprofits is coming to D.C. this year and will feature more than 170 sessions and four featured presentations focused on nonprofit technology. This year's conference will feature leading experts on social media for social good including technology keynote Allison Fine with a virtual appearance by Beth Kanter, (authors of The Networked Nonprofit) and leading social media experts from Causes, TwitPic, Twitter, and YouTube. The conference will provide nonprofit professionals with three days of specialized educational content and opportunities to network and interact with peers and nonprofit experts. Register at http://conference.blackbaud.com.


October 20-22, 2010, Las Vegas, NV: Every year, Stamats Integrated Marketing: Technology Conference brings together digital thought leaders from higher education and corporate America to offer fresh, innovative thinking and hands-on, practical strategies and tactics to take back to campus. The conference will cover the crucial building blocks of integrated digital marketing, including Social Media, mROI, Content and UX. Register with the promo code MASHTECH for $50 off the registration fee and a free pre-conference session.


October 20-21, 2010, Baltimore, MD: The Power of eMarketing Conference provides the perfect forum for actionable and relevant best practices, processes and case studies that will transform and improve your marketing programs. 35+ speakers – four dynamic modules – 12 breakout roundtables – 15 presentations – two keynote sessions – four panel sessions and one great networking party! The conference has several tracks and will cover social, search, email and emerging marketing technology. Register with the promo code linkedin and receive a special 10% discount off your registration.


October 20, 2010, Mumbai, India: Social media marketing is about fostering relationships with your end users to continue product and service excellence. Social media websites are also growing by almost 100% year after year in India. This multi-faceted conference will equip you with a holistic approach to social media marketing, providing you with fresh ideas on brand presence, social media tools, current market risks and innovative strategies to improve your organisation's products & services. The Social Media Summit 2010 will examine how social media culture and social networking platforms are having a major impact on business communication, practices and processes. Social Media Marketing is undergoing a lot of structural changes and is poised to grow and contribute greater revenues to the industry in years to come. Please visit our website for more information.


October 21-22, 2010, Princeton, NJ: IIR's 2nd Annual Value-Driven Pharma is not just another managed market event – it delves deeper than ever before to give you the tools to reconcile government, payer and patient perspectives on drug valuation to bring you closer to the patients you serve. Visit www.valuedrivenpharma.com for full program information. Please use the promo code XP1580MASH when registering.


October 21–22, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Influence People is hosting a one-day social media monitoring conference in San Francisco on October 21st, followed by a half-day training bootcamp on October 22. Monitoring Social Media (San Francisco) will bring together leading brands, PR and marketing experts to discuss the latest ideas, trends and techniques in social media monitoring and measurement. Through a series of presentations, panels and expert-led discussions, we will explore the critical issues that marketers and PR professionals are facing in their efforts to monitor their social media interactions. Register with code mashable to get a 10% discount.


October 21, 2010, Mountain View, CA: See “Super Angel” pioneer Mike Maples Jr. speak at the The Founder Showcase – Silicon Valley’s premier startup pitch and networking event. This quarterly event brings together over 300 investors, founders, and members of the press to hear talks from leading CEOs, and pitches from 10 hot technology start-ups. Over $1.5mm has been raised by presenting companies at previous Founder Showcase events. Tickets start at just $40 – to register or enter the free Pitch Competition, go to www.FounderShowcase.com. Mashable readers get 15% off by using discount code mashable_15.


October 22, 2010, Sonoma County, CA: SocialBizWorld is a Social Media and Web 2.0 business conference for private and public-sector business executives, leaders, managers, employees and consultants looking for insightful speakers, hands-on workshops, in-depth discussions and real-world examples to move their business forward with new media. With Basic, Intermediate and Advanced tracks, attendees will have full access to multiple sessions, have numerous networking opportunities, attend the evening Social Media Awards and Business Networking reception (with Special Guest "The TwitchHiker") and have access to experts gathering in Northern California from all over the country. Join us for this fantastic event in beautiful Sonoma County, at the foot of wine country, minutes from Sonoma and Napa, and just 30 minutes north of San Francisco. Mashable readers receive 15% off conference registration with promo code MASHED. Please visit www.SocialBizWorld.com for more information.


October 22-23, 2010, Atlanta, GA: Social Media Experts will be in high demand as social media becomes an integral part of PR and marketing campaigns. Will you be one? Designed specifically for marketing and PR professionals of all backgrounds, non-profit organizations and small business owners, the Integrating Social Media Conference goes beyond the buzz words to real-world and proven methods for successfully incorporating social media into your current marketing and PR strategies. You'll hear firsthand from social media experts including Shiv Singh of Pepsi Co., The Brand Builder's Olivier Blanchard, WholeFoods's Marla Erwin, HubSpot's Mike Volpe, Kellye Crane of Crane Communications and more. Register with promo code MASH and save 20%.


October 22, 2010, Nashville, TN: Social Media Marketing Workshops 101 & 201 — a full day, hands-on training for businesses who want to create a social media marketing campaign from the ground up. Featuring top 10+ networking sites with step-by-step setup guides on each application with strategies on how they all work together. Sessions include blogging strategy, social CRM, social monitoring, email & mobile marketing, best of Google Analytics, SEO tactics and special focus on Wordpress websites for businesses. These are no-nonsense, intensive learning workshops you wont find anywhere else! Register with the promo code MASH and save $100!


October 23, 2010, Seattle, WA: Looking to meet interesting people, learn the latest techniques in bringing profitable products to market, share experiences, and get re-invigorated to build bigger, better products? Join us at ProductCamp Seattle on October 23, 2010! ProductCamp Seattle is a self-organizing unconference, where product managers, marketers, business executives, project managers, and engineers get together to discuss challenges and explore the latest techniques, tools and innovative practices in building and bringing to market profitable products.


October 25-29, 2010, Boulder, CO: Web Marketing and Social Media One-Week Certificate Program – In this one-of-a-kind program, you will be immersed into the world of web marketing from one of the smartest and most experienced experts in the industry! In one week, you’ll be introduced to proven strategies for growing your online audience with qualified traffic. You’ll learn the fundamental principals and insider tips for search engine optimization, pay-for-placement advertising, social media marketing and other more. Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to provide these immensely valuable and in-demand services for all organizations who need to grow their online audiences.


October 25-26, 2010, Northborough, MA: The Restaurant & Hospitality Social Media Marketing Bootcamp event provides the practical knowledge and insights required by restaurant and hotel operators to establish objectives and strategies for your market, properly select the social media platforms to engage guests and monitor and measure the results of these efforts for a greater ROI. This event is presented by RestaurantWorx Consulting and Inside Hospitality. Use the code MASHABLE when registering and receive VIP pricing on “Day 1″ or “Day 1 & 2 Attendance” tickets. See complete event details on the event website at www.restaurantsocialmedia.com.


October 25, 2010, San Francisco, CA: It is inevitable that every startup will encounter failures: in idea development, teamwork, hiring, design, scaling, and countless unpredictable ways. Yet most conferences only seem to feature speakers telling you what they did right – something that can be hard to learn from and near-impossible to emulate. At FailCon, join over 400 founders, investors, executives, developers, service provides, and press as we share tips to avoid, prepare for, and recover from the most common startup mistakes. Register and use the promo code 10mashable to receive 10% off the ticket price. For more information, please visit www.failcon2010.com.


October 25, 2010, Orlando, FL: IIR presents CUSTOMER WORLD, the co-location of three unique customer-centric events (NACCM, Linkage Strategies & Customer UNinterrupted) under one roof. Where the Voice of Your Industry comes together to champion and celebrate CUSTOMERS 1ST. Customer World's flagship event, NACCM, is an industry favorite. It attracts top customer-centric leaders in North America to share new and best practices for strengthening customer relationships. Content areas include customer-centric social media strategies, loyalty, customer experience, innovation, culture, engagement, leadership and more. Register with code CWORLD10MASH and save 15% off the standard rates.


October 26-28, 2010, Frankfurt, Germany: The Enterprise 2.0 wave has spilled over the corporations' boundaries and creates a good deal of discussion about the way businesses will be managed in the future. "Setting the path towards an open and agile E 2.0 driven organization" is therefore the topic of this year's Enterprise 2.0 Summit, the gathering of European experts and practitioners discussing technology trends and adoption topics on Enterprise 2.0. The English-language conference consists of interactive workshops, seminars, expert talks and best practices from all over Europe, e. g. BMW, Hewlett Packard, SONY, Swiss Reinsurance Company, etc. Go to www.e20summit.com and register with the promo code MASH10 and save 10%!


October 26-27, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Define the Future of Money at PayPal X Innovate 2010. There's only one conference dedicated to empowering developers and innovators as they redefine how people conduct commerce – PayPal X Innovate 2010 Developer Conference. Learn how to seamlessly integrate payments into mobile apps, ecommerce sites, gaming, and digital goods – almost anywhere you can think of. Use code INVMASH and receive 20% off. Be part of defining the future of money. Register now at https://www.x.com/innovate


October 26, 2010, San Jose, CA: Get real about social media at SocialTech 2010 — the only conference dedicated to teaching B2B high-tech marketers how to harness the power of social media. You’ll learn from B2B marketing leaders at companies like IBM, Intel, SAP, HP, Adobe and Cisco how to use social media to achieve real, measurable business results. Enjoy networking and keynotes from Guy Kawasaki, Robert Scoble and Jeremiah Owyang. Can't make it to San Jose? You can join us online. Register today and save 10% with coupon code MASH10!


October 27-28, 2010: The Caribbean Media Conference & Expo have become the Caribbean's premier regional conference on television, cable and satellite, broadband, wireless, radio, magazines, news and print media, advertising and marketing. The 2010 Caribbean New Media Expo and Conference is unique in that it seeks to strengthen the relationships with new media companies, marketers and advertisers to further capitalize on the benefits of digital, social and mobile media. Presentations and panel discussions will help marketers understand concepts such as online-display advertising, search and social networking and how the impact of new technologies has wrought consumer behavior changes.


October 27-29, 2010, Washington, DC: This event will showcase 15 federal perspectives on different strategies government agencies can implement to comply with the Obama Administration's Open Government Directive. The social media realm will be a prevailing topic of discussion as it has been the prime means federal agencies have taken to achieve compliance, but problems with its use still persist. This event will provide ADVANCED solutions and ideas to the policy, security, monitoring and measuring struggles that many agencies face on a daily-basis. Mashable subscribers will enjoy a 10% discount when they mention MASHABLE in their follow-up email to the event contact listed here: event.


October 27, 2010, New York, NY: With millions of people participating on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, brands can no longer avoid social media as an effective research and marketing channel. ocial Media Bootcamp: Social Media for Research and Marketing explores best practices for using social media as a research and marketing tool. Hear case studies that identify the best tools for listening to the consumer and the best ways to use social networks to listen to and engage your consumers. Speakers include: Chris Boudreaux – Converseon, Frank Cotignola – Kraft Foods, Jeff Rosenblum – Questus, Peter Fasano and The ARF's Lynne d Johnson and Steve Rappaport. $200 discount for ARF Industry Leader Forum registrants.


October 28-30, 2010, Toronto, Canada: Today, companies recognize that Social Media is an important part of an integrated strategy that is woven into every fiber of Sales, Marketing, PR, Advertising, Customer Relations and Branding campaigns. The second unGeeked Elite three-day Retreat brings together 10 keynotes and 16 presenters who'll provide you with examples of best practices, solutions and case studies in a forum where keynotes and presenters ask you to engage, poke them in the eye with questions and get one-on-one responses in this intimate learning environment. RSVP with the promo code unGeekedMashable and save 30% off regular ticket price!


October 28-29, 2010, Chicago, IL: Your customers are more empowered than ever before with social and mobile connections. The only defense you have is to empower your own employees to solve those customers' problems. Forrester's Consumer Forum 2010 connects you with analysts, peers, and industry leaders whose expertise will help you unleash your employees and transform your company. Register with promo code CFXMSH to save 15%. Discount applies to new registrations only and cannot be combined with other offers.


October 28-29, 2010, Exeter, UK: The Like Minds Conference – Autumn 2010 is a 2 day event attended by participants from across Europe focusing upon the subject of “Creativity and Curation”. This year, we have a range of workshops, keynotes and lunch time talks from leaders in marketing, communications and media from around the world. Then, you can relax on Thursday and Friday night with the Like Movies and Like Music festivals. Details and registration at www.wearelikeminds.com.


October 28, 2010, New York, NY: At The AARF Industry Leader Forum: Discovering Consumer Insights, the ARF will unveil its new "Insights Value Creation Model", preliminary results from executive interviews with leading marketing and business executives about research's impact. Industry leaders will share their visions, successes and plans to address the transformation of the research profession, and attendees will learn the skills they need to translate insights into actionable organizational change and how to sustain it. Headline speakers include: Donna Goldfarb – Unilever, Beth LaPierre – Eastman Kodak, Charles Mohs – Pfizer, Drew Westen – author of The Political Brain and Susan Whiting – The Nielsen Company. Register by September 24 to save $100 with our Early Bird rate.


October 28, 2010, London, UK: The International Search Summit will focus once again on international and multilingual search marketing topics and offer delegates insight and advice on how to effectively develop and manage international online campaigns. Speakers at the event will include Eugene Lomize from Russian search engine Yandex, Omar Khaled from Arabic search Engine Ayna, as well as well-known search marketers Mikkel deMib Svendsen, Marty Weintraub, Massimo Burgio and Barry Lloyd. The Summit will be held at The British Library in London and is a must for any marketer targeting multiple markets and/or languages online. Register now with the coupon code MASH20 to receive 20% discount.


October 28, 2010, New York, NY: Join a select group of senior communications professionals in helping you build an integrated PR and marketing engagement strategy that maximizes your impact with your targeted audiences and key influencers. PR+MKTG Camp™ East limits talking head powerpoint presentations. Executives from top agencies and some of the world’s largest brands will lead HIGHLY INTERACTIVE discussions on such topics as assessing the current media landscape, building a integrated strategic engagement vision, executing an action plan, and measuring your results. Mashable readers get a 10% discount with promo code MASHABLECAMPEAST.


November 1-2, 2010, New York, NY: Are you a health marketing and communications professional? Please join us at unNiched 2010, a unique collaborative boot camp where you will actively learn and use collaboration, strategic marketing and communications skills. Using our unNiched Innovation Model, gain the tools to create and drive marketing communications success within (and without) your organization. In addition, you’ll have access to a private online group and learn from a range of experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS.gov, Edelman, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and the Stanford University Persuasive Technology Lab. Use the discount code Mashable and get 10% off.


November 1-2, 2010, Dubai, UAE: Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Summit at Total Marketing Discuss and debate the opportunities and challenges faced by marketers in leveraging social media as a marketing tool. Hear from leading organizations on how they managed to turn Twitter and LinkedIn amongst others into powerful communication channels! Getting in at the top of any search remains a key focus for many organizations today. Hear from leading practitioners on how best practice strategies and innovative methods to get the most out of the internet. Register and save 15% when using code MASHABLE-TM. For more information, visit www.totalmarketing2010.com.


November 3-5, 2010, San Francisco, CA: DevLearn|10 is the super-charged conference and expo for those involved in the design, development, or management of e-Learning. DevLearn|10 offers the industry's largest expo, over a hundred sessions covering the latest e-Learning tools, technologies, and strategies, plus exciting content stages like the Social Learning Camp, Mobile Learning Jam, Serious Games Zone, and Learning Media Studio . If you want to know what’s coming next in the world of e-Learning and what the top people in the field are thinking, this popular, cutting-edge conference is the place to be.


November 3, 2010, Frankfurt, Germany: The viscom tec.10 conference focuses upon how to create a customer focused experience with technology. Thanks to modern technologies, consumers are now more networked and better informed than ever before. Used to finding the ideal product by making comparisons and consulting with others on a wide range of webservices. In the future the challenge for marketing and technology providers will be to reach this “always on” generation in real life. The conference will highlight the perspectives and visions of the different sectors: from traditional advertising and out-of-home possibilities to web and mobile-based communication and digital signage. Use the early bird pricing and save 200 EUR.


November 4-6, 2010, New York, NY: IMM is the leading residential training course for the brightest executives working with international brands or within the international departments of agencies, media owners and client companies. Created in the UK in 1990, the course has now trained over 2,000 executives – many now working at senior levels within US-based organizations and across the world. The two and a half day course combines presentations from leading thinkers with practical group work and mentoring. Send your most promising people to the first IMM New York, designed to help train the next generation of American advertising talent.


November 4-6, 2010, Savannah, GA: Geekend is the interactive conference phenomenon you have been waiting your whole life for. Geekend is your chance to interact with people taking the tech and creative industries by storm. Join us this November as the brightest geeks, designers, developers, artists, and social media mavericks flock to Savannah for a weekend filled with cutting edge speakers, fun-filled after parties, and amazing networking opportunities. Speakers include Noah Everett of Twitpic, Scott Stratten of Unmarketing, Margaret Francis of Lithium, and many more.


November 4-5, 2010, New York, NY: Influence People is hosting a one-day social media monitoring conference in New York on November 4, followed by a half-day training bootcamp on November 5. Monitoring Social Media (New York) will bring together leading brands, PR and marketing experts to discuss the latest ideas, trends and techniques in social media monitoring and measurement. Though a series of presentations, panels and expert-led discussions, we will explore the critical issues that marketers and PR professionals are facing in their efforts to monitor their social media interactions. Register with code mashable to get a 10% discount. Limited tickets still available at www.socialmediamarketing.co.uk.


November 6, 2010, Topeka, KS: PodCamp Topeka is Topeka’s annual low-cost “unconference” focused on social media, podcasting & videoblogging, blogging, Twitter, Facebook, photography, and web design, for starters. Our keynote speaker is Patrick O’Keefe, author of Managing Online Forums. Register now!


November 8-10, 2010, San Francisco, CA: The Open Mobile Summit & Appcelerate — The most anticipated mobile conference of the year. Meet the CEOs of Sprint, LightSquared, HTC USA, Loopt, Smule, Booyah, Shopkick and more. Explore the key mobile battlegrounds – OS wars, PC vs Phone, video, advertising, cloud – and see who is set to lead in the next phase of the open mobile revolution. Register now with VIP code MASHABLE and save $100


November 8-11, 2010, Las Vegas, NV: PubCon, the premier search and social media conference, features the industry’s biggest names and key players shaping the future of the Web. PubCon holds cutting edge panel sessions exploring tracks dedicated to search, social media and affiliate marketing, an intensive professional search and social media training program and some of the world's top keynote speakers. PubCon Las Vegas will also hold a one day two-track slate of intensive educational training programs led by some of the industry’s most respected search professionals. PubCon makes all of this available at some of the most affordable registration rates in the industry. Please use the code ma-8201210 for 10% off the registration price.


November 8-11, 2010, Santa Clara, CA: See the latest collaboration tools and technologies at Enterprise 2.0 Santa Clara’s comprehensive conference and expo. Gain thought leadership — from strategy to execution and performance monitoring — to bring the power of collaboration to your organization, accelerate information flow, drive revenue and increase productivity. Register with the promo code CNUJES04 to save $100 off the onsite price for passes or for a free expo pass.


November 8-9, Boston, MA: The eCommunications & Online Marketing Summit is a two day conference for the pharmaceutical industry. We will be showing how to revamp your eCommunications strategy to know, reach and interact with your customer. The event will feature 20+ pharmaceutical speakers and a key note from Citi Bank . The event’s agenda will feature 14 case studies that will give you knowledge on only the most critical business issues. For our event brochure, click here. Register and use the promo code MSH200 to save £200.


November 9-10, 2010, Toronto, Canada: Take back practical strategies for integrating social media tools and measure their ROI at your company – all in just 2 days! The Canadian Institute's 4th Annual Conference on Social Media will provide you with the right tools to integrate and measure the impact of social media in your organization. Learn how to increase the number of your followers, handle negative publicity and attacks in social media, strategically leverage social media as a key tool in crisis communications and much more. Enter Mashable discount code 207AX03 to get 15% off the conference.


November 9, 2010, Philadelphia, PA: BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media features 8 great case studies on the best social media programs at large corporations. SAP, American Express, Johnson & Johnson, Scholastic, SunGard, The Hershey Company, Pfizer, and BlackRock share case studies in corporate social media. You’ll learn how to get started, get past roadblocks, and make your social media program phenomenal. From GasPedal and the Social Media Business Council. Save $39 off registration by using the promo code ILoveMashable.


November 9, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Agencies and advertising brands are invited to The Bees Awards – 1st international social media competition for marketing professionals. 20 judges from 13 different countries will gather at the Legion of Honor to grant recognition to the best industry practices. Honor will be granted in 16 different categories including: best use of social media platform, best conversation with consumers, best campaign, agency of the year, client of the year, and others. You are invited to submit your work before October 1st and join the celebrations on November 9 at www.beesawards.com.


November 10-12, 2010, Orlando, FL: Please join the Social Media Club for their first annual conference, Social Media University, in Orlando, FL. The Social Media University event will be a deep dive into the higher ideals and issues affecting Social Media itself, including the rise of the Social Media Professional. It will be quite different from what you have experienced at other conferences on social media. With John Hagel III, David Meerman Scott, KD Paine, Tom Foremski and many other social media masters as our 'faculty', this conference will be invaluable for all Social Media Professionals. Please visit www.socialmediauniversity for more information!


November 11, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Social Media Prom, presented by @FunnyOrDie, is for anyone and everyone who didn’t have a chance to go to prom. Or maybe you did, but you were the wallflower, someone poured punch down your dress, or gave you a wedgy and hung you from a locker. This is your chance to shine, and relive what you may not have been able to experience from the backseat of the car or behind the bleachers. Visit www.socialmediaprom.com to get your tickets! Don’t have a date? No big deal, go stag! Tickets are $20 for couples and $15 for singles.


November 11, 2010, London, UK: The first London Social Gaming Summit is a one day event focused on the intersection of games and the social web. The event focuses on helping social games developers build, monetize, and grow their social games. We’re bringing together the leaders in free-to-play games, social networking, and payments infrastructure for a full day of panels and talks.


November 12, 2010, Mountain View, CA: The Under the Radar Conference is a one-day showcase of carefully selected innovative startups presenting to an audience of early-adopter customers. Key audience members are responsible for leveraging innovation to help their company compete in the fast-evolving digital landscape. Join 350 decision-makers from global carriers, brands, agencies, technology companies, startups, and investors to hear from the next wave of innovators. This year’s Under the Radar conference will hear from brands, agencies retailers and media companies who are looking to improve customer engagement. Key challenges are improving their decision process, making it easier for them to get what they want, at the best price, in real-time and closest to them. The Under the Radar conference will showcase the latest startups that are addressing these challenges and influencing this behavior. Areas of focus will be on Social Commerce, Loyalty/Rewards, Social Scanning and Payment. To register, go to www.undertheradarblog.com/register.


November 12, 2010, London, UK: The first London Virtual Goods Summit is a one day event focused on the emerging market opportunity for virtual goods and economies. Once restricted to the world of online gaming, virtual goods and currencies are beginning to influence the development of social networks, community sites, and many other new and exciting markets. The market for virtual goods continues to grow – join us for engaging talks and panels designed to highlight important trends in this fast growing market. This is a must-attend event for those in the games, social media, and entertainment markets. Register now with the promo code MASHABLE010 for 15% off!


November 15–18, 2010, London, UK: Europe's definitive customer strategy experience. Focusing on the strategy behind the concept of loyalty, Loyalty World will provide you with the insight and tools to develop the ultimate loyalty initiative to support your business goals and add measurable value to your bottom line. Loyalty World will examine the relationship between your brand and your customers, look at what drives consumer behaviour, and help you understand how you can identify and harness new trends and tools to really drive engagement. Loyalty World attracts participants from some of the world's most reputable brands. With speakers from retail, financial services, travel, leisure, utilities and telecoms, you will gain cross-transferable loyalty insights and experiences that will help rejuvenate your loyalty strategy, attract, engage and retain customers, and strengthen your market. Register here and SAVE 10%.


November 15, 2010, London, UK: The virtual goods model is the revenue-generating sensation that is taking the world by storm, from games publishers to media companies, from social-networking sites to consumer brands. The Virtual Goods World Europe 2010 promises to be the next step for your business! Major brands will come together to discuss the opportunities presented by the rise of virtual goods. Social networking sites will participate, to learn more from the brands and create business models for the future. Games publishers and developers will learn best practice customer acquisition strategies. All participants will learn new opportunities presented by advances in alternative payment systems. Register now with the promo code VGWMASH and save 10%!


November 17-19, 2010, Loudoun County, VA: Social Media Tourism Symposium. The symposium will be a combination of destination marketing organizations, hotels, resorts, attractions and any other tourism related entities sharing ideas and learning more about how social media is effecting promotion within the travel industry. What makes this conference unique is the involvement of attendees throughout the entire process. Attendees will have a voice in everything from the location to the session topics and presenters. Register now and become a Facebook fan.


November 17-19, 2010, Las Vegas, NV: The WOMMA Summit 2010 is the pinnacle of all we’ve learned this year as well as trends to watch in 2011 and beyond. WOMMA Summit 2010 showcases the NEXT and BEST practices from some of the innovative and forward thinking brands in word of mouth and social media marketing today. Register before October 1 and save $200 off the full ticket price. Use code WOMMASummitMASH.


November 17-18, 2010, Raleigh, NC: The Internet Summit 2010 will feature over 100 speakers and an audience of over 1,500 internet execs, entrepreneurs and senior marketers. Join dozens of industry leaders and innovators in the conversation on topics such as Social Media, Mobile, Cloud Computing, Geolocation, Online Advertising, Analytics, Video, Ecommerce and more. This years, keynotes are Go Daddy’s CEO Bob Parsons and Ancestry.com’s CEO Tim Sullivan, and then hear thought leaders from Foursquare, Google, Salesforce.com, Yelp, eBay, StumbleUpon, Playboy, Red Hat, Microsoft, Cisco, Autotrader.com, Playdom, Travelocity and many more! Register and use the promotion code MASH for 20% off.


November 17-18, 2010, London, UK: The Corporate Social Media Summit is a two-day conference focused exclusively on how big businesses can use social media to enhance their marketing/comms strategy. The conference is tailored exclusively to a corporate – not a social media – audience. It features 20+ senior executives from European corporations speaking – including Vodafone, Honda, Nokia, Cadbury, PepsiCo and more. 14 in-depth, interactive workshops deliver best practice examples and practical next steps from companies that have already experienced marketing/comms success using social media. For our brochure, click here. Register and use the promo code MSH200 to save £200 off the ticket price .


November 17, 2010, New York, NY: Financial Services Social Communications: Case Studies and Roundtables — Our Keynote Presenter will be Craig Pfeiffer, Chief Marketing Officer, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Case studies by MasterCard Worldwide, AllianceBernstein, and others will showcase how leading financial institutions are embracing social media and marketing to achieve business goals despite the regulated environment. The case studies will be followed by moderated interactive roundtables. Register and use the promo code MASH for a discounted rate of $155.


November 17, 2010, Phoenix, AZ: Fifth Annual Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference (AZEC10). In the current environment, some companies will still come out stronger than before. Has your business suffered? Have you been laid off? Are you trying to grow in difficult circumstances? Here at AZEC10, we’ve got your back. Local investors, local entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley veterans will spend the day discussing the realities of business today. You MUST meet these people and learn from them during the Great Re-Set of 2010. This is the premier entrepreneurship conference in Arizona, benefitting the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation.


November 18-19, 2010, New York, NY: Get your tickets now to attend NextGen:Charity, a conference on non-profit innovation being held in New York City. Learn and network with 500+ executive-level professionals of non-profits and foundations. Featured speakers include Seth Godin, Scott Harrison, Arianna Huffington, Nancy Lublin, Randi Zuckerberg. Visit our website for more information, to learn about all our presenters and get your tickets. Click here to register now!


November 18, 2010, Madrid, Spain: Stepping out of the comfort zone: Innovation & Social Media in Healthcare. Advertising in the new markets of conversations is the big challenge, and realizing that you no longer have the control of the brand is difficult to assume and scary. But wanted or not, the conversation is out there. HCPs are right now storytelling their opinions, experiences, unmet needs, therapeutic strategies and ideas via the Social Web. They are looking for connectivity and knowledge in these new ecosystems which are "common and global grounds". The word of mouth surpasses, in credibility, the traditional communication tools.


November 18, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Join the Real-Time Revolution with code MASHABLE and save 20%! Register today at http://twtrcon.com/sf10. Real-time tools are transforming business, government and non-profits. At TWTRCON SF 2010, you'll see case studies and learn best practices from leading organizations that are using the real-time web to deliver bottom-line results. Speakers from Ford, H&R Block, Wells Fargo, SAP, Southwest, Twitter, Google, stickybits, Roxy Theatre, StatusNet, OneRiot and more. New at TWTRCON SF: Hands-on workshops designed to let you learn the how-tos of real-time applications, tools and platforms. Register at http://twtrcon.com/sf10 use the promo code MASHABLE for 20% off.


November 18, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Calling all women in technology! Vator, a leading platform for innovators and entrepreneurs to connect and learn from one another, and Girls in Tech, a social network for women in technology, are holding their first event, Amplify, to recognize women-led startups. Silicon Valley legend Esther Dyson will be the keynote speaker, sharing advice on what it takes to build a company. Amplify is a day-long event and will be held on November 18 in San Francisco. To be among the 15 women-led startup presenters, be sure to enter the competition here. Register and use the promo code MashableAmplify for a 20% discount.


November 25, 2010, London, UK: BrightLemon Drupal Training – Introducing Drupal (London): This Drupal course quickly gets you up to speed with building dynamic database-driven websites with Drupal. It begins with a basic introduction into the main concepts behind Content Management Systems (CMS) and the types of websites they are meant to help create. We then map these concepts onto Drupal as a CMS and take you through installation to creations of a series of websites – each one adding an additional layer of functionality. Buy tickets here.


November 25, 2010, London, UK: The media and marketing industry's Global GREEN Awards 2010 recognise and reward creative work that communicates the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility, sustainable development and ethical best practice in any sector and across any marketing discipline. Now in its fifth year the GREEN AWARDS™ are going Global, this year for the first time, all the categories are opened for entry from all over the world. The Awards illustrate the crucial role that needs to be played by green marketing and sustainability communications in informing people about green issues, products and lifestyle choices, and showcase examples of excellence and best practice in communicating sustainability and green issues. The Awards are now open for entry. For more information about the 16 categories and entry process, please visit http://www.greenawards.co.uk.


November 25, 2010, London, UK: The Digital Brand Strategy Summit is designed to create a unique showcase from leading brands and industry experts on how to create, launch and implement an effective Digital Marketing Strategy for your brand. During this one day event delegates will be presented with strategic information, case studies and hot tips enabling delegates to walk away with a clear understanding of the digital concept and the knowledge and tools necessary to deliver an effective strategy.


November 30 – December 2, 2010, Boston, MA: In Todays Business Climate, Companies are under great pressure to attract and keep more customers. Corporate websites are now the most important public face of an organization and the best way to communicate with a broader customer base. Successful sales and marketing now requires Web sites with supporting content management systems that can reach a global audience, a mobile audience, and an audience familiar with social media and used to richer media. Use the promo code MASHABLE to save $200. Visit www.gilbaneboston.com for conference details.


November 30, 2010 – December 2, 2010, London, UK: Online Information is the largest UK event dedicated to the information industry. Taking place in the Grand Hall at London's Olympia, the exhibition attracts more than 9,000 visitors each year from around the world. This unique, free to attend event consists of an exhibition with more than 200 international exhibitors alongside an extensive seminar programme. Online Information covers 6 core segments: Content Resources, ePublishing Solutions, Library Management, Content Management, Search Solutions and Social Media, providing an annual meeting place for this global industry. Mashable readers may register to attend here.


November 30-December 1, 2010, London, UK: Apps World aims to address the entire app ecosystem and the challenge of delivery, development and design of apps across multiple platforms. The event will bring together leading operators and app stores worldwide, and draw in parallels between the mobile & TV app platforms. Register now to receive the early-bird discount.


November 30, 2010, London, UK: Social Recruiting Conference will gather together leading employers and recruitment industry professionals, to passionately discuss and practically demonstrate the power of Social Recruiting. The conference will be unlike any other Social Media Recruiting conferences you have attended. Our aim is to take the talk from theory to practice; and shift conversations from hype and hope to reality and results. #SRCONF will focus on Social Recruiting case studies, with measurable ROIs. Save 10% when you register with the code MASH10 at http://www.srconf.com.


November 30, 2010, London, UK: Hear how 21 heavyweight brands, including Facebook, Sainsbury’s, Google-YouTube, COI, King of Shaves, Motorola, JustGiving, BBC, Volvo, M&S, FT, Jaguar, Eurostar and Santander are demonstrating real results from social media at the Social Media Results For PR & Comms Conference. Tried and tested strategies to genuinely engage audiences, fully embed and integrate social media practices and clearly demonstrate real results. Mashable readers receive a £150 discount with the promo code MASHABLE if you book before August 19. Click here to download the conference brochure.


December 1-2, 2010, Berlin, Germany: Lead generation, lead nurturing, inbound marketing, B2B social media marketing, SEO, storytelling, mobile marketing and blogging, B2B marketers are facing new challenges in building profitable marketing strategies. The first BB2B Marketing Europe event features a keynote presentation by Chris Brogan and will bring together European B2B marketers to share knowledge through real-world case studies, best practices, lessons learned and offer networking opportunities with some of the biggest brands and businesses today – Forrester Research, Google, Philips, Dassault Systemes, Accenture, HP, Honeywell, Canon, Kodak, Symantec, HubSpot, iTive and more. Register by September 30th to receive an early bird discount.


December 1, 2010, London, UK: The Mobile Cloud Computing Forum will provide a full perspective of mobile cloud computing and SaaS from business value through integration and implementation and to the emergent trends in the industry. Meet some of the best known mobile cloud computing and SaaS professionals in person and exchange your experiences. Register with promo code MCMASH20 and save 20%!


December 1, 2010, Toronto, Canada: The Canadian New Media Awards recognize the highest standards of excellence in all areas of Canadian digital media and seek to honour individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievements over the past year. The CNMA gala will take place during nextMEDIA Toronto at the Design Exchange. Visit www.nextmediaevents.com/cnma for more information.


December 2-6, 2010, Departing from New Orleans, LA: When you attend Social Media Conferences do you get the most value out of the conversation in-between sessions? Check out the 2nd Annual Social Fresh Cruise, the best parts of a social media conference at sea. Cruise the Caribbean for four days with 90 other social media leaders and influencers. For about the same price as just the ticket to many conferences, the Social Fresh Cruise includes all meals, private cocktail parties, eight hours of high-level interactive social media sessions, unbeatable networking, and entertainment.


December 2-4, 2010, San Francisco, CA: unGeeked is a unique three-day Social Media, Marketing and Branding Retreat. During the retreat, attendees will engage in discussions involving every aspect of your internal and external branding efforts. The goal is to learn how to align the personal and corporate brands by involving, Sales, Marketing, PR, Advertising, Customer Relations, Human Resource and Legal into your SoMe integration efforts. unGeeked San Francisco includes Social Media authors, mavens and practitioners such as Brian Solis, Scott Stratten, Jason Falls, Amanda Hite Jeff Power and more. Keynotes and presenters are here to get you involved in the discussions by asking you to bring your challenges, obstacles or questions to this intimate (we limit attendance to 150 people) learning environment. Register with the promo code unGeekedMashable to save 10% off three-day ticket cost.


December 2-3, 2010, Berlin, Germany: Gone are the days of paper surveys or email questionnaires where you often get poor response rates. With the advancement of mobile technology, surveys can be seamlessly integrated into mobile apps, making it more fun for consumers to respond than traditional methods. The international conference on Market Research in the Mobile World: The Next Frontier will be held on the 2 & 3 December 2010 in Berlin. The aim of this conference is to bring together top researchers and practitioners to discuss the key challenges and opportunities of using mobile research applications for generating actionable insights. Mashable subscribers will enjoy a 20% discount off the full registration fee when they use the promo code mashable20 before November 15.


December 6-7, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: The LA Mobile Entertainment Summit is brought to you by the producers of the widely acclaimed 3D Entertainment Summit, this high level strategy and networking event will explore all facets of the mobile entertainment industry. This event will be presented in association with Variety and in partnership with the Mobile Excellence Awards, the industry's most prestigious awards program for the mobile industry. Located in the heart of the Entertainment industry, the Summit will attract the brightest minds in the mobile ecosystem. Delivering two days of packed in-depth discussions, the summit will deliver strategies to capitalize on this rapidly changing landscape, attracting senior level decision makers, leading press and market analysts.


December 6, 2010, San Francisco, CA: The SF MusicTech Summit brings together 700+ visionaries in the music and technology space, along with the brightest developers, entrepreneurs, investors, musicians, service providers, and journalists who work with them at the convergence of culture and commerce. We meet to discuss the evolving music/business/technology ecosystem in a proactive environment. Register and use the promo code Mashable to receive a 10% discount off the ticket price. For more information, please visit www.sfmusictech.com.


December 6, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: The Mobile Excellence Awards offers invaluable exposure, PR, branding and networking with the who’s who in mobile entertainment, media, & technology. The event has become one of the most influential and prestigious in the industry, honoring the best in mobile entertainment, technology, marketing & media. Attendees represent the entire mobile ecosystem, including execs from all major studios, entertainment companies, brands, content providers, industry influencers & press. Deadline for submissions is September 20th!


December 7-9, 2010, Santa Clara, CA: Taking place in the heart of Silicon Valley, BIA/Kelsey's Interactive Local Media 2010 (ILM:10) is a unique, three-day mega-conference featuring the true innovators of local media, local directories, local search, local mobile, local social and local direct marketing. One highlight is a special Mobile Local SuperForum offering the deepest and most strategic dive ever presented in the mobile local space. Head's up: Local is hot, and this year's conference should be BIA/Kelsey's largest ever. Register with promo code ILMMASH and save $200!


December 8-10, Reno, NV: Join professionals from marketing, tourism, gaming, service industries and nonprofits in Reno-Tahoe's amazing ski country for Social Media at Reno Tahoe (SM@RT), one of the best values of any similar national conference in 2010. Speakers, along with specialized breakout session presenters, include top authors, practitioners and strategist from media giant, Gannett, winter travel destinations, Vail Resorts, and many other experts in building business for professional service firms. Anchored by the University of Nevada, and its business and journalism schools, attendees get specialized instruction to return home with ways to immediately improve their social media marketing. Register now and save and an additional $100 online for the main conference with the discount code MASH.


January 20-22, 2011, Mumbai, India: Click Asia Summit 2011 is designed to be Asia's largest digital & mobile marketing conference and expo where industry thought leaders congregate to discuss online marketing, challenges faced by agencies, and the changing face of social media. Click Asia Summit 2011 is going to change the way you look at Digital and Mobile marketing. Please register by clicking here. http://www.clickasiasummit.com/register


February 7-10, 2011, Orlando, FL: ARC's 2011 World Industry Forum: Driving Innovation, Sustainability and Performance will take place at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld! This forum will focus on challenges that will help you develop winning strategies. It provides an ideal environment for industry executives to collaborate, share ideas, and find new ways to attack their most pressing problems. The event includes sessions on the major issues facing our industry, with multiple tracks that enable executives to explore these topics from different perspectives. Owner/operators, solution providers, & technical experts will all benefit while contributing to the community's body of knowledge.


February 7-9, 2011, New York, NY: Now in its 10th year, the ePharma Summit is going to be bigger than ever. We are looking ahead to new trends and opportunities in digital marketing with unparalleled insight from leading industry innovators. Join us for more novel mobile strategies, more regulatory insights, more customer perspectives, and more examples of what is really working now from the organizations you admire most. Join us February 7-9 in New York City at the most respected digital marketing event for the life sciences industry as we explore innovative e-strategies and proven techniques to drive business. Register with promo code XP1606MASH and save 10%.


March 8-9, 2011, Brussels, Belgium: Are you looking to unleash the power of social media for CRM? As new channels and strategies emerge it is increasingly important to meet face-to-face to share knowledge, challenges and experiences. Enterprise Social 2.0: CRM will bring social media marketers and CRM experts together to share knowledge through real-world case studies, best practices, lessons learned and offering networking opportunities with some of the biggest brands and businesses today. Past speakers include: Google, Kodak, L'Oreal, Philips, Nokia, Lego, Siemens, Vodafone, SWIFT, SAP, Roger Smith Hotel, Dominos Pizza, Airbus and more. To receive a special discount, register now!


March 28-29, 2011, Paris, France: The Marketing 2.0 Conference features leading social media experts who will discuss and learn about the social media initiatives from brands, advertisers, researchers and analysts. Hear from leading people in social media about their strategies, revenue models and how they are approaching upcoming trends in the field. The event will also examine the current market conditions, future forecasts and predictions from leading researchers. Use the promo code mash2011 to receive a discount off the registration price.


April 13-15, 2011, Singapore: The Internet Show Asia 2011 is a series of seminars and a large end-to-end showcase of the latest internet technologies and solutions. More than 10,000 attendees will be at the exhibition and conference to find new ways of doing internet business and enhancing product offerings through the internet – through case study presentations and speaking directly with solution partners. The show will aim to increase your ROI, it's all about business, not a technology show. For more details and registrations, please visit www.theinternetshows.com/2010/Singapore.


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Exclusive: Trent Reznor on “The Social Network” [INTERVIEW]

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 12:09 PM PDT


Back when it was first announced that rocker Trent Reznor would be scoring David Fincher’s The Social Network, we thought it was a match made in pop culture heaven — a movie about the dark side of the social networking biz, scored by a man who has plumbed the depths of social media, while also wrestling with its implications? Sign us up.

Well, we got an aural glimpse at the soundtrack the other week after Reznor, along with his record company, The Null Corporation, and Sony's Madison Gate Records announced the disc on Null Co’s website and gave fans a five-song sneak peek. Now we’re itching to see how music and celluloid go together.

As the premiere of the highly anticipated film rapidly approaches, we decided to talk with Reznor about the experience of scoring a movie in its entirety, the state of the music industry, and, of course, social media on the whole. Check out our interview with the rocker below.

First of all, you’re pretty well-known around the tech and music realm for finding interesting ways to use the web to get your music out. When did you decide to join the digital revolution?
Several years ago, I realized that the record companies are collapsing. The whole format of the business that I dedicated my life to is now collapsing in front of me and people are getting used to getting music for free. As a musician I thought to myself, ‘Let me figure this out.’ I know that answer’s not going to come from record labels, major labels, because they’re run as bloated bureaucracies with people who have no idea what they’re doing. Their first concern is: How do we keep our bottom line, how do we keep milking people?

It’s not about how the kid in the dorm room that likes to listen to music. Or how they find out about music…. They’re not thinking about the artist that finishes the record and turns it in and watches it leak…. I felt furious when the record I’d worked on for a year, that my heart and soul’s gone into, [leaked]. I’m pissed off at people that are listening to it. I’m mad that they’re snubbing me — by what? By being excited about hearing my music? And that’s wrong. I shouldn’t be mad at these people. I should be glad that people are interested.

And a lot of the business models that we’ve come up with, the experiments we’ve tried in the last few years, are just direct results of paying attention to how people use music and how they listen to music.

Well, it seems like you’re taking these lessons to heart. In the past, you’ve released albums in really creative ways — i.e. putting the first volume of Ghosts up on torrent sites, and then offering packages at varying prices for different tiers of fans. Why did you choose to release the soundtrack for the Social Network via Amazon’s deals program?
This record was unusual because it really is a companion piece to something else — and that something else, obviously, is the film. And the film is the main thing, really. So partnering with Sony — because at the end of the day they’re the ones calling the shots — we tried to get this out so that it might grab a little bit more attention than the run-of-the-mill soundtrack, because I also think it’s a great soundtrack.

So that felt to me that it was worth doing. It’s not compromising the integrity of it. It’s not buy a case of Mountain Dew and get a soundtrack if you send in a sticker or any of that kind of bullsh**t. So that’s what we did on that one.

Have you seen any negative reaction to the way the album was released?
I have seen some things pop up like, ‘Why is he doing that?’ and they feel like I took a step backwards. Well, bottom line: I want to be able to offer this to people at the cheapest possible price. And I can’t give it free because it’s not just me [involved], and I also I don’t think free is appropriate for this thing.

Speaking of the film, what was your initial reaction to the idea of a “Facebook movie”? A ton of people seem to think it’s kind of a silly idea.
I myself had the reaction when I got a call from David Fincher, who’s one of my very favorite directors, saying ‘Would you like to score this film?’
‘Yes! What is it?’
‘It’s about social networks. It’s about the founding of Facebook.’
‘Hmm… really? How can that be interesting?’”

When I actually read the script and knowing David was involved — and David brings a level of excellence to what he’s interested in and what he works on — I knew this wasn’t going to be what I feared it could be in lesser hands. [And it became]: How can I help change people’s preconceived notions of what a Facebook movie is — the same feeling I myself had when I first heard of it…. It’s not about Facebook, so much. It’s about people and greed and creation and entitlement. It’s not about how people use Facebook, necessarily.

This is the first movie you’ve ever scored in its entirety. Are you happy with the result?
It was interesting for me to not be boss. I’m not the top of the pyramid here. So, I enjoyed the role of working for someone, for someone else’s vision.

I wanted to make it something that inched up the drama a little bit. And darkened the mood. Because I think there’s a great sense of betrayal and greed that runs through this film that I kind of wanted to play up. So I went off into my laboratory for a few weeks with Atticus [Ross], my conspirator, and just generated a bunch of sketches… Somehow we got it right almost the first time. [David] didn’t have an constructive criticism because he was blown away in trying some of these out in different scenes. I would like to say it was genius, but it was probably luck.

My first big moment was right after we gave [the rough cut] to him. He said, ‘I’m showing a very early, super rough edit, come by and check it out. But watch out, we put a lot of your music in it and you had no input on where it it. Just be prepared.’ The lights go down, the movie comes on. And I got goosebumps and I was like, ‘F**ck, we did that?’

I’m very proud of the results and how it turned out. I think it really helped congeal the movie into something that subtly pushes it along and changes the presentation in a cool way. It makes it a little heavier. A little less light.

You have a pretty storied history with social media — you even quit Twitter and other sites a few times. What’s your ultimate opinion of the phenomena?
I can’t participate as a civilian because I have a level of celebrity that makes me not able to use Facebook in the way that someone who’s not a celebrity can use it. I watch people, friends of mine, and see how they portray themselves online and I find interesting that it’s kind of a hyper-real version of yourself, how you’d like to be seen, in a way. And I question the generation or two coming up who are used to engaging people in that format and wonder what the repercussions will be down the road — how human relationships will differ in an age of oversharing.


Reviews: Facebook

More About: david fincher, facebook, MARKETING, music, social media, sony, the social network, Trent Reznor

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Motorola Droid R2-D2 Hits Verizon on September 30

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 11:50 AM PDT


For those of you who have been holding out for the DROID R2-D2 by Motorola, Verizon has sent word that the device will be in stores on September 30. News of the device first turned up when the DROID 2 launched this summer.

Speculation says the limited edition device could update the 750Mhz processor found in the DROID 2 with a new 1.2Ghz processor, but the rumor is currently unsubstantiated. Confirmed features include a specially designed frame resembling R2-D2 from the Star Wars films and a custom media dock.

The DROID R2-D2 will also include R2-D2 ringtones and notifications, four live wallpapers, an R2-D2 clock widget and an exclusive binoculars app. So unless the processor update turns out to be true, the DROID R2-D2 will essentially just be a pretty looking version of the Motorola DROID 2 currently carried by Verizon Wireless.

Although it does include that custom media dock, we’re not entirely convinced that these cosmetic updates warrant the $350 in-store price tag. Nevertheless, if you do pick one up, there is a $100 mail-in rebate that brings the total cost down to $250.

More About: droid, droid 2, DROID R2-D2, Motorola, Star Wars, verizon

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6 Free Web Tools for Managing Time Differences

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 11:46 AM PDT

This series is brought to you by UPS. Discover the new logistics. It levels playing fields and lets you act locally or globally. It’s for the individual entrepreneur, the small business, or the large company. Put the new logistics to work for you.

Time Zones Image

Conducting business with international clients can mean more than just a language barrier — there can be a time barrier as well.

With 24 standard time zones, it can be overwhelming to keep track of all your clients’ business hours, and scheduling tasks across time zones can be a challenge.

If your business depends on knowing what time it is everywhere, don’t worry, as there are plenty of free online tools to help you coordinate, and ensure you never unwittingly call a client at 4 a.m.


1. World Time Zone


World Time Zone is a handy, at-a-glance map that lays out every region. Divided and color coded, you can quickly see which areas fall into which time zones. It also displays local times for each of the world’s capital cities.

If you want to focus on a specific region, the site is broken up by continents, so you can view an easy-to-read chart with all the time differences.

Another handy feature is the highlighting of which areas are observing Daylight Saving Time. Also, take a look at the Sun Clock feature, which (as the name implies) allows you to see in what regions the sun is still shining.


2. Time Zone Converter


This website is pretty much as straightforward as it gets when it comes to calculating time differences. There are two clocks. The one on the left displays your local time. The one on the right will do the conversion for a number of major cities. If you simply need to know the time elsewhere in a hurry, this easy-to-use website has you covered.


3. Gmail Time Zone Tricks


If you don’t want to use an external web app, you can keep tabs on international time zones right in your Gmail inbox. Simply select the “Labs” icon (the little green beaker) at the top of Gmail and scroll down to enable the “Sender Time Zone” feature. This will allow you to see what the recipient’s current local time is when you send them messages, and allay those worries about why they haven’t answered you yet: They’re probably asleep.

If you need a quick way to keep track of multiple time zones right from your inbox, you can add a Google Gadget to your side bar that displays the relevant info. You’ll need to enable this feature in Gmail Labs, so click that green beaker and enable the “Add any gadget by URL” option.

In a new tab, head over to the Google Gadgets Directory and type “Time Zones” in the search bar. There are a variety of time zone gadgets (of various quality), but a good option is one called World Time Zones.

Back in Gmail, click “Settings,” and you’ll now see a tab marked “Gadgets” has appeared. From the “World Time Zones” Gadget page, you’ll need to grab the second URL (which starts after “&url=” in the address bar, and ends in .XML). Paste it into Gmail’s gadget dialog and hit “Add.” Now, if you scroll down the left side of you inbox, you’ll see the gadget has appeared, and you can flip through all the world’s time zones without ever leaving Gmail.


4. World Time Server


The World Time Server is another helpful resource for all your international planning needs. The site shows you the current time and date for any city, country or time zone, and has a self-maintained database that adjusts for Daylight Saving Time.

Here too is a time converter, but with twist that’s great for planning long distance interactions in real time. If you were planning a meeting with a client via Skype, or if you were to live stream a presentation that you wanted clients in different cities to be able to watch at the same time, then this time converter might be of use.

After you’ve set the time for your event, you’ll be sent a link that you can then e-mail to clients or post on your blog or Twitter profile so that people can figure out at what local time your event is starting.

There is also a meeting planner that allows you to choose up to five states, provinces or countries so you can organize the best time to have a conference call for all the parties involved. The site also offers local news and weather updates — because it never hurts to show a client that you know what’s happening in their neck of the woods.


5. Time and Date


Time and Date has the same features as the sites listed above, plus a few extras. Calendars and holiday observances are listed here and broken down by country. They are particularly helpful for scheduling important deals or conversations since each country has its own civic holidays or widely observed religious ones that differ from the North American schedule.

The site is updated regularly with news on any changes countries have made regarding their daylight saving time schedule. Another useful feature is a pull down menu of international dialing codes, since it’s not always as simple as dialing one and then the phone number to call out.


6. Every Time Zone


Every Time Zone is a simple, nicely designed site that is perfect for quickly accessing time zones and date changes. Your local time is generated from your IP address and is displayed as a fluorescent green bar. Other regions are listed above and below your local time, giving you an instant look at the time difference. You can drag your local time tab forward or backward to measure specific time differences as well.

With these tools, you should be more than able to manage your international meeting times. Let us know in the comments below what works best for you and how you manage working with companies in different time zones.


Series supported by UPS


This series is brought to you by UPS. Discover the new logistics. It levels playing fields and lets you act locally or globally. It’s for the individual entrepreneur, the small business, or the large company. Put the new logistics to work for you.


More Business Resources from Mashable:


- HOW TO: Build Your International Business Network Online
- 5 Lightweight CMS Alternatives for Small Businesses
- HOW TO: Optimize Your Mobile Site Across Multiple Platforms
- 8 Funding Contests to Kick Start Your Big Idea
- 4 Tips for Writing SEO-Friendly Blog Posts
- How CEOs Will Use Social Media in the Future

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, JuSun


Reviews: Gmail, Skype, Twitter, iStockphoto

More About: business, countries, gmail, international, International Business Series, List, Lists, small business, time zones, timezones, web apps

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Hearst CEO: Bullish on Tablets, Not on Paywalls

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 10:49 AM PDT


At the IAB Mixx Conference & Expo in Manhattan on Monday, Hearst Vice Chairman and CEO Frank Bennack talked about the changing landscape of media, and what that means for the company and its advertisers.

Bennack said that Hearst, unlike News Corp., has no plans to put up paywalls around the online versions of its newspapers, although the company is still seeking ways to get audiences to pay for content. Hearst will, for instance, continue to provide incentives for heavy media consumers to continue purchasing its print products, such as Sunday papers, by releasing features content first in print and later online.

Tablet devices offer even greater opportunities, Bennack believes. He estimates that as much as 25-30% of newspaper consumption will occur on devices like the iPad in the future. (He did not cite a specific date for his projection.) Hearst has already released more than 20 apps, bringing many of the company’s magazine titles, such as Popular Mechanics to Apple’s iPad. This August, Hearst opened a think tank of sorts, dubbed the “App Lab,” to explore further opportunities in the space.

“I think [tablet] devices provide a better opportunity for paywalls than online,” he said. Unlike Internet users, who have come to expect access to premium media content for free, users of devices like the iPad are being conditioned to pay for subscriptions and individual pieces of media content. Tablets also offer advertisers greater value beyond display advertising, such as in-app e-commerce integration. Eventually, Bennack said, Hearst will sell products directly on advertisers’ behalf, though it will “still very much be in the business of helping our advertisers sell their businesses.”

Although he’s excited about the prospects offered by tablet devices, Bennack repeated that it’s important to diversify across all kinds of media — not just one. He noted that a tried-and-true method, local TV advertising, was very strong this year.

“Don’t fall in love with one kind of media,” he advised. “Be open to all of them.”

Image courtesy of Hearst Corporation.

More About: apps, frank bennack, hearst, ipad, media, tablets

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Online Retailers to Offer Facebook Credits as Shopping Incentives

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 10:35 AM PDT


You can already buy Facebook Credits (the social network’s virtual currency) as gift cards at brick-and-mortar stores. Soon, you will also be able to accrue Facebook Credits by shopping online, as it’s now possible for online retailers to offer the credits as shopping incentives.

Ifeelgoods, an e-commerce promotions provider for online retailers, has integrated Facebook Credits into the online shopping experience, meaning that its clients can use the credits to incentivize customer purchases and other shopping-related behaviors.

Essentially, what this means is that online retailers can now lure you in with the promise of Facebook Credits if you buy that pair of jeans you saved in your online shopping cart. Ifeelgoods will also allow retailers to offer smaller Facebook Credits incentives for e-mail newsletter sign-ups and social behaviors such as voting or Facebook shares.

As Facebook continues to grow in size and its currency becomes more versatile, Facebook Credits may prove to be the perfect complement to the online shopping experience. Though virtual in nature, the credits are still more tangible than points, and for some customers, may prove to be more desirable than coupons or other rewards.

How would you prefer to be incentivized for your online purchases? Would Facebook Credits sweeten the deal? Let us know in the comments.

Image courtesy of pmsyyz, Flickr


Reviews: Facebook, Flickr

More About: e-commerce, ecommerce, facebook, facebook credits, MARKETING, online retailers, online shopping

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The Mashable Awards Officially Launches – Start Nominating!

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 10:24 AM PDT


Today we are officially launching the nominations period for the fourth annual Mashable Awards (formerly known as Open Web Awards). The Mashable Awards seeks to reward the very best of social media and the web — from the top websites to the best social media campaigns. We’ve opened 21 of the 25 categories, in which you can nominate a person, company, organization, app, device, gadget, video, url or technology. Mashable will roll out the final four categories in the upcoming weeks.

To get started, just sign in to Facebook or Twitter and you’re ready to start nominating! You can nominate once per category every day (meaning up to 21 total nominations per day).

Nominations will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, November 29, 2010. The top five nominees with the most nominations (subject to editorial policies and official rules) will move forward to the “Final 5 Voting Round” starting Wednesday, December 1, 2010.


How to Place Your Nominations


This year, Mashable has created a unique and social voting platform for the Mashable Awards. Submitting your nomination requires four easy steps:

Step 1: Visit Mashable.com/Awards

Step 2: Log in via Facebook or Twitter

Step 3: Choose a Category and Nominee

Step 4: Submit Your Nominations for Any and All Categories
*You may nominate/vote in all categories once per day


The Official First 21 Categories


  • 1. Best Location-Based Service
  • 2. Best Social Media Service for Small Business
  • 3. Best Music Discovery Service
  • 4. Best Web Video
  • 5. Best Online Game
  • 6. Best New Gadget
  • 7. Best Mobile Device
  • 8. Best Mobile Game
  • 9. Best Mobile Platform
  • 10. Best Mobile User Experience
  • 11. Best Website User Experience
  • 12. Breakthrough Website Design
  • 13. Best Use of an API
  • 14. Best Social Media Management Tool
  • 15. Most Creative Social Media Campaign
  • 16. Most Creative Social Good Campaign
  • 17. Must-Follow Personality
  • 18. Must-Follow Brand
  • 19. Must-Follow Non-Profit
  • 20. Most Promising New Company
  • 21. Entrepreneur of the Year

Mashable Awards Timeline


Nominations: September 27 to November 29
Final 5 Voting Round: December 1 to December 15
Winners will be announced at the Mashable Awards Gala


Tips for Getting More Nominations


If you think you or your preferred nominee are right for a category, Mashable would like to provide a few tips to help you start promoting.

Promotional Widget and Graphic: Visit our Mashable Awards Promote Page for a graphic and/or link to preset the nominee.

Tip: Promote the nomination link via Twitter (using #MashableAwards), Facebook, YouTube, company newsletters and e-mail blasts.

Tip: Embed the promotional graphic and a link on your website or blog.


The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity


In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will take place in Las Vegas. It will bring together the winners, nominees, Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics brands, technology brands, and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner, Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances.

Date: Thursday, January 6, 2011 (during International CES Convention week)
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. PT
Location: Cirque du Soleil Zumanity, New York New York Hotel, Las Vegas
Agenda: Networking, Open Bars, Acts, Surprises and the Mashable Awards Gala presentations
Tickets On Sale Now: General Admission and VIP Tickets Available through Eventbrite
Socialize: Facebook, Plancast, Foursquare, Meetup, Using #MashableAwards on Twitter

Register for Mashable Awards tickets in Las Vegas on Eventbrite


About Past Open Web Awards


The Open Web Awards began in 2007 and achieved more than 250,000 votes and more than 20 million page views combined between Mashable and our 50 international blog partners. Click here for a list of the Open Web Awards 2007 Winners.

The second Open Web Awards, in 2008, included more than 26 categories, more than 100 Blog Partners (from 25 countries and written in 10 different languages), 50,000 total nominations, 80,000 total votes in the first round, and 90,000 votes in the final round. Click here for a list of the Open Web Awards 2008 Winners.

The third Open Web Awards in 2009 included 50 winners, achieved more than 440,000 nominations with more than 70,000 nominees and 780,000 final votes. Click here for a list of the Open Web Awards 2009 Winners.


Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Mashable, Twitter, YouTube

More About: categories, facebook, mashable, mashable awards, nomination, open web awards, social media, twitter

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Formspring Snags Two Key Hires from Nokia and Second Life

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 10:02 AM PDT


Social Q&A website Formspring is looking to take its product to the next level, starting with snagging two key senior-level hires from Nokia and Linden Lab, creators of Second Life.

Later today, Formspring will announce that it has hired Rob Storrs to be its head of engineering and Tom Wang to be its head of product. They started with Formspring earlier this month, CEO Ade Olonoh told me last week.

Rob Storrs was the director of web development at Linden Lab, the company behind the Second Life virtual world. There, he created and oversaw different engineering teams focused on social networking, search, virtual goods and e-commerce.

Tom Wang was the VP of product at social networking service Plum before its acquisition by Nokia in 2009. Before that, he was the VP of product at Break Media and a director of product management at AOL.


Growth and Challenges


Both are definitely impressive hires for a company that’s been, for the most part, on the rise. Formspring was launched just 10 months ago, but it already has 17 employees, 20 million users and 1 billion questions answered. We can think of a lot of startups that would love that type of traction.

The social Q&A service is also a power player on Twitter, apparently; Olonoh told me that 1 to 2% of all tweets are related to Formspring, an incredibly impressive number that is actually believable when you search for Formspring on the microblogging service.

Everything isn’t perfect at the company, though; the website’s traffic has been going downhill since its peak in May, according to data sent to us by Compete. In May, Formspring had 8.96 million unique U.S. visitors, but that number has dropped to 6 million as of August. While the drop can be attributed to the summer doldrums (Formspring has a lot of high school and college users), it’s still the wrong direction. The company hopes the return of classes and its two new senior hires will put them back on track.


Reviews: FormSpring, Twitter

More About: formspring, hires, Linden Lab, Nokia, Plum, Second Life

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A Detailed Look at Apple and Google’s Fight for Mobile Developer Attention

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 08:58 AM PDT


Appcelerator and IDC just published a new survey of smartphone developers focusing on long-term platform perceptions, as well as what features are most important when developing a new app.

The results, like those from a similar study performed by Appcelerator in June, indicate that Google’s Android platform continues to be where developers see the most long-term potential, especially when powering multiple types of devices (read: beyond smartphone/tablet).

In fact, the gap between iOS and Android over “best long-term outlook” has widened an additional 10 points since June. The latest survey results indicate that 58.6% of respondents see Android as having better long-term outlook as compared to 34.9% for iOS.

I spoke with Scott Schwarzhoff, VP of Marketing at Appcelerator about the results of the survey and some of his thoughts on why trends are shaping up as they are.


Android: BusyBox for the 21st Century?


The latest survey results indicate that both the iPhone and iPad still lead Android and Android tablets in terms of developer interest — at least today. That gap continues to shrink and when looking at non-smartphone or tablet use-cases, the capabilities and potential for Android really start to take shape.

Appcelerator and IDC asked developers a series of questions about how they perceived Android and iOS in terms of capabilities, openness, long-term outlook and ability to power a variety of connected devices in the future.

You can see the results in the chart below:

While Android leads iOS in all four questions, the two where Android has an overwhelming lead over the competition are variety of devices and openness. These two areas both speak to Android’s potential as an underlying framework (and one that isn’t necessarily tied into Google or the Android Market) as much as its capabilities.

We’ve already seen a barrage of Android-powered or Android-based devices of all shapes and sizes hit the market. Beyond tablets and portable music players — and keep in mind, Google hasn’t released a tablet-optimized version of its OS yet — we’ve seen Android-powered ebook readers, Android TVs, Android picture frames and more. Google’s upcoming Google TV will be based on Android.

At its base, Android is a customizable low-level operating system that is perfect for embedded devices. In this case, it’s similar to the GPL-licensed BusyBox. BusyBox is a very lightweight and portable set of Unix tools and utilities that can be used with the Linux kernel. On electronic devices that run an embedded version of the Linux kernel (read, hundreds of thousands of electronics), BusyBox provides an ultra-lightweight set of tools that can be used for diagnostics and for adding additional features.

In many ways, Android is becoming the BusyBox of the 21st century. Sure, the base hardware specifications are going to be higher, but as chip prices fall and capabilities rise — not to mention the convergence of connected devices — it makes sense to have a base platform that has built-in support for networking, userland tools and also can be hooked into a higher-level application ecosystem.

In theory, iOS could be used for these same purposes. The difference is that Android is licensed under the Apache license (Google’s own applications and the Android Market are under different licenses, which is why you don’t see the Android Market on devices without a cellular data connection), whereas Apple’s iOS is proprietary and not licensed to outside device makers.


iOS Still Has the Better App Experience


In the long-term, the outlook on Android may be in the lead, but according to the developers studied, iOS still offers better revenue opportunity, a better app store and the biggest market for business and consumer apps.

The Android Market is tied to Google Checkout and paid apps are still not available in all countries. This limits the revenue opportunities for developers. Additionally, the app discovery system pales in comparison to iOS.


Mobile App Development: What Features Do Developers Want/Need


Beyond what platform developers are interested in developing for, Appcelerator and IDC also asked respondents for feedback on what features and APIs and types of integration are essential when building apps.

Interestingly, four of the five developers surveyed favored developing a native app over a web app — most of these developers come from a web development background.

Still, when it comes to native applications, developers want their apps to be location aware and to be able to offer push-updates. Schwarzhoff described these two indicators as an area where mobile development is unique from other types of development. Context becomes increasingly important for mobile development as apps can display or push out different information based on what time it is or where a user is located.

Schwarzhoff also noted that when it comes to the phone camera, developers increasingly want to utilize the camera as a way to capture additional information, instead of the traditional, “take photos and upload to Flickr” sense (though that is helpful too).

That’s why QR codes and barcode apps have seen a lot of traction. The camera can be used to bring back in lots of information that can then be used to inform the app of what to do next.

Likewise, it’s important that apps have hooks to social features like Facebook and Twitter.

In the area of commerce, 49% of developers responded that they needed access to the iOS-in-App purchase system. That has really been a great way for developers to offer upgrades and enhancements to their apps.

Likewise, PayPal Payments are requested by 48% of developers. PayPal has been dedicating a lot of energy into improving the mobile payment process. Earlier this year, it rolled out its PayPal iPhone SDK as a way for developers to accept PayPal payments in app. We’ve spoken to PayPal several times and they see mobile and mobile payments as a real focus going forward.


Going Forward


On the macro level, Android continues to entice developers with its possibilities and future use cases. iOS still really leads when it comes to the overall app development experience, and especially with any revenue plans.

Looking at the features that developers want to be able to integrate into their apps, it’s important to note how many are platform agnostic. This actually shows that there is potential for another company — Microsoft, RIM, HP — to capture developer interest depending upon how easy they make it to hook into the types of services and types of features that developers want to bring to their apps.

What do you think of the survey results? Are you surprised with any of the findings? If you develop mobile applications, what features are most important to you?

Image courtesy of nrkbeta


Reviews: Android, Android Market, Facebook, Flickr, Google, Linux, Twitter

More About: android, appcelerator, idc, iOS, mobile app development

For more Mobile coverage:


Daft Punk’s “TRON: Legacy” Soundtrack Gets November 22 Release Date

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 08:51 AM PDT


Daft Punk’s TRON: Legacy soundtrack will be released on November 22, according to its official website. TRON: Legacy, the long awaited sequel to the 1982 film TRON, will be in theaters on December 17 in IMAX 3D and RealD 3D, making it one of the most technically ambitious films to date.

TRON: Legacy takes place 20 years after the original, with Kevin Flynn’s (Jeff Bridges) son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) entering the virtual world of TRON to find his father. It’s also been confirmed that members of Daft Punk will appear in the film as DJs.

The TRON: Legacy soundtrack will be available as a high quality 320Kbps MP3 for $10. Those wishing to purchase a physical copy of the soundtrack can do so for $35 and get a yet-to-be-revealed poster as part of the deal.

In the nearly 30 years since its release, TRON has gone on to become one of the most prolific science fiction films of all time. The sequel borrows heavily from the techno-styling of the original, but has received a healthy dose of modern special effects, as evidenced by the TRON: Legacy trailer:

[via BBC 6 Music News]

More About: Cinema, Daft Punk, Film, music, science fiction, TRON, tron legacy

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37 Productivity Tips for Working From Anywhere

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 08:12 AM PDT


The Non-Traditional Workspaces Series is supported by RingCentral, the leading business phone system designed for today's small businesses, entrepreneurs, and mobile professionals. Visit RingCentral.com to learn more.

productivityThe days of shackling your business to a brick and mortar office are over. Even people who work primarily in traditional offices occasionally find themselves working on the road or from their kitchen tables. This flexibility is great in a lot of ways, but each new work setting also brings with it a new set of productivity challenges.

We asked people who work from home, from coworking spaces, in coffee shops, on the road and in offices to share their secrets for a productive day no matter where they’re working. The following are the highlights of their collective advice.


From Home


3_monitors

Joel Ohman, the founder of Domain Superstar, uses three monitors to maximize his productivity at home.

Home workers reduce their commuting time to zero, aren’t distracted by coworkers, and can work on whatever schedule fits their style. On the other hand, their work often competes with their children, errands, and other distracting comforts. Here are their tips for staying focused, keeping a schedule, and reducing distractions.

  • Have a work space that has a door that can be closed. It’s hard to be productive with kids screaming in the background or the TV on. It also gives a bad impression to clients. — Rohan Hall, Founder and CEO of rSitez, Inc
  • Even if you’re the only one in the house, try listening to music on headphones while you work. It will help you forget your surroundings and focus on the task at hand. — Emily Widle, E-Commerce Marketing Specialist at Pegasus Associates Lighting
  • Put together a box of toys, games, and books that your children are only allowed to use when you are on the phone. Make sure these ideas are saved for “special” times (when you’re on the phone, or can’t give your child your full attention). Also, load up on popsicles. It always keeps them quiet for a few minutes for an important phone call. — Deb Walker, Project Manager for Contemporary-VA
  • Even if you work at-home, get dressed for the office, go through your typical morning routine and tackle your day like you’re clocking in at 9. — BJ Cook, CEO of Digital Operative Inc.
  • Don’t eat lunch in your office. Use this time to regroup and take a break. Why? Because if you do it right, working out of the house is constant work – no water cooler/cubicle talk, no walking across the building to the copier, etc. So you have to re-energize by getting out of the chair and out of that room. — Roger Grant, Founder of RG2 Solutions
  • Be honest with regard to when you are productive. For example, I am far more productive at night. I get more done between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. than I ever do before noon (when I have the luxury to choose). When I was in a situation where I had that flexibility, I would go to the gym in the morning because that requires no thought and do the hard stuff in the afternoon, evening and night. — Jeff Bogensberger Co-Founder and CEO of SOCO Games
  • To the extent possible, chain yourself to the desk. There are plenty of non-work distractions at home. Spend as much time working at home as you work in the office. — Jon Gelberg, Chief Content Officer at Blue Fountain Media
  • Three monitors is the productivity “sweet spot” for most people. I love using my three 30″ monitors and my “Geek Desk” that is fully hydraulic and accommodates working from a seated or a standing position. — Joel J. Ohman, President of Domain Superstar

From the Office


Blake

Mashable Tech Editor and office productivity master Blake Robinson at work in Mashable HQ

Most offices are designed with efficiency in mind, and some workers focus better if they have a set schedule and a dedicated workspace. On the other hand, a work day is a huge chunk of time to stay focused, and organizing it productively can be daunting. To avoid getting stuck in water cooler talk, organize the workday, and maximize productivity, read these tips.

  • Do NOT check your e-mail for the first 45 minutes that you are in the office in the morning. Don't even open it. There are never meetings at that time and most people are settling in and reading their e-mails, so it's a mellow time (not too much talking, few drive-bys, hallway conversations and urgent requests rarely happen). — Amanda Feifer O’Brien, Marketing Manager at Firmenich Inc.
  • Take the first 30 minutes to plan the rest of your day. By plan, I mean make a list of the important tasks that you need to have done today and stay focused on these items. If you start working without first organizing your day, it’s very easy to spend the first 4 hours just reading and responding to e-mails. Most of these e-mails are distractions from the more important tasks that you need to do. Make a list of the things that you want to achieve that day and work from that list until it’s completed. — Rohan Hall, Founder and CEO of rSitez, Inc
  • I stumbled across an application called Freedom. It is actually pretty pathetic that somebody would need to purchase something like this, but it was the best $10 I have spent! The app simply locks you away from the Internet. It removed nearly every distraction possible. — Erick Bzovi, Founder of HealPay.com
  • Block [the] like-minded tasks together. Set aside time to make outbound calls, and make one right after the other. Plan times during the day to check your e-mail, Twitter and social media to avoid a huge time trap. — Lorraine Bosse-Smith, President of Concept One
  • A few years ago I did not change the time on my alarm clock back to winter time. So I got used to getting up an hour earlier than the “rest of the world.” It is probably my most productive hour of the day as the world is still asleep, no phones ringing, etc. — Ann Castro, Investment Banker and Author.
  • I give myself three must-complete tasks each day (usually fairly large tasks) and take short breaks between each one to give my mind a break and switch gears. — Britt Reints, author of miss-britt.com
  • Show up to meetings on time. How many times have you had to get late arriving people up to speed on what was covered in the first five minutes, then again when someone comes in 10 minutes late? That’s a huge waste of time. — Chad Otis, Executive Creative Director of Smashing Ideas
  • Carve out transition time. Devote the final hours of your workday to some of your least-pressured tasks. I like listening to music on grooveshark.com and doing paperwork. You will feel a sense of accomplishment by completing at least one thing before day end. — Susan Fletcher, Ph.D., Author of Working in The Smart Zone

From a Coworking Space


New_Work_City

Workers get down to business at New Work City, a coworking space in Manhattan (courtesy of Alex Hotz)

Coworking solves the lonely independent worker problem, and coworking spaces can be great environments for collaborating and finding feedback on your work. But even though coworkers leave the distractions of their homes, there are other distractions at a coworking space — mainly, other enthusiastic people working on interesting projects that you want to know more about. Read these tips for staying focused.

  • I like to pretend all the people around me are potential clients judging my work habits. Is it a little weird and unorthodox? Sure. But competition and putting yourself “in the spotlight” will always make you work harder. — Eric Fulwiler, Partner at ZAC
  • If the work you’re doing requires some skills that are outside your immediate field, see if your coworkers might be interested in working with you on the project. Or they might know someone in their network of friends who would be perfect for it. Word of mouth referrals from someone you know is still the best way to find good help. — Jay Catalan, Co-Founder of The Network Hub
  • Rather than standing up from behind your wall of monitors and shouting “Can you all shut up?!” you may want to consider, what I call “The Cone of Silence.” It really works! All you need are a nice pair of headphones, (not earbuds), a wave file that plays “white noise,” and Windows Media Player set to “auto-repeat.” — Paul Preibisch of B3D Multitech
  • Surround yourself with the right people. Coworking spaces can be a huge asset or a huge liability, depending almost entirely upon who I’m surrounded by. You want to surround yourself with smart people who have similar work styles as you. For instance, if you’re a loose, fun worker, then being surrounded by just computer programmers hacking away at keyboards all day will cramp your style. The opposite obviously applies if you’re a “get down to work and work long and hard” type of person. — Jesse Davis, Co-founder of Entrustet.com
  • Pretend like you are in third grade again, and return to the same desk everyday. While technically ‘open’ space does not mean you have rights to that same spot, it’s amazing how inherent social etiquette brings us to respect the spots that are regularly staked out. Having a space you return to every day will make you feel like you have an office, and people with offices must be productive because they pay a higher rent, right? — Melissa Pickering, Managing Co-Founder of iCreate to Educate
  • When someone is in your cube space and they keep talking beyond what you consider acceptable, just stand up like you are about to leave to get coffee or go to the bathroom. It’s like magic with some people — they wrap up what they are saying and head out. — Kenneth Carlson, Owner of Authentic Development
  • Plan on wasting time. Instead of keeping unnecessary windows open (chats, blogs, twitter, etc.) all day long, work intently with no distractions for a given time, then give yourself (significantly shorter) blocks of time to be unapologetically unproductive. — Matthew Hall, Jr. Consultant at Mutual Mobile
  • Engage. The whole point of working in public spaces is to be out in public. So, engage the people around you. Ask their perspective on a topic of debate amongst your team. Did you overhear them mention something of interest to your business? Offer to buy them a coffee in exchange for fifteen minutes of their expertise. Or, offer them a few minutes of your expertise on their problem – sometimes, stepping outside your immediate task can be refreshing and re-motivating. Get a stranger’s feedback on your product, website, blog post, etc. You’d be surprised how often you are standing too close to the problem to see the obvious solution, and a newcomer’s point of view can prove invaluable. Your environment should be an asset to your work, even in less traditional workspaces, so take advantage of the opportunity to connect with the people around you. — Erica Benton, Marketing Communications Manager at oDesk.com
  • Bring headphones to a co-working space as an indicator of busyness. Wearing them signals to others that “I can’t be disturbed right now.” — Jonathan Wegener, Founder of Adopt a Hacker

From a Coffee Shop


coffee_shop

For many people, coffee and working go together. The coffee shop itself, however, can be a bit of a challenge. Although it provides a temporary office and free Wi-Fi, it also provides an excellent people watching venue and a wide variety of sugary desserts. Getting down to business undisturbed can be tricky, but these tips can help.

  • Get to know the guy who runs the coffee shop you frequent. Learn his name, make small talk, take an interest in his business, become friends. He usually knows everyone who comes in, and if you’re a freelancer you can get some good — and importantly, varied — business introductions. — Cody Robbins, Founder of Sakuzaku
  • If I feel like I need some extra motivation to work hard, I’ll leave my computer charger at home. This forces me to complete my work before my battery runs out. — Ben Nesvig, Project Manager at Fuzed Agent
  • I buy a drink and give myself 45 minutes to an hour to complete an assignment. I “bribe” myself by saying that I can’t get a pastry (how I love them) or a refill until that assignment is done. So it motivates me to work faster and stay focused because I have an incentive. — Jessica Aguiar, Senior Copywriter at PostcardMania
  • In coffee shops I have a few rules: Try to face a wall and never a busy street, and order a small drink to minimize bathroom breaks. — Corina Kellam, Founder of Life History Books Ltd.
  • Choose a coffee shop that does NOT have Wi-Fi. You can check your email and news later. — Alexander Seinfeld, Executive Director of Jewish Spiritual Literacy

  • From The Road


    road_worker

    Taking a break from the office might not mean taking a break from your work responsibilities. But shuffling between trains, planes and automobiles without your usual workspace isn’t conducive to efficiency. Learn how to make traveling work better for you by reading these tips.

    • I usually check in to airports [on location networks] just to let my family know that I am traveling and getting around safely. However, the tips are what make the app priceless. For instance, I can check in to terminal B at Logan International, and I can find a tip that says, “Logan International has free Wi-Fi and if you go to the Legal Seafood bar, they have outlets for every stool at the bar.” Now that is helpful. — Andrew Lazorchak, Director at WineSoiree.com
    • Keep everything electronically.If you’re working from a coffee shop or in a park, the last thing you want to be doing is shuffling papers. Become proficient in taking notes in PDF documents and get used to reading documents on your computer. It’s a challenge at first, but worth it in the end. If you must, carry one small notebook for notes and memos. — Michael Carney, Founder and President of MWC Accounting
    • Assign yourself a “course” each month during your commute. One month, listen to one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, and then listen to a commentary. The next month, listen to part of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, then listen to it again so you start to hear themes. Does this have anything to do with your work? No. But it definitely gets your mind in the game more than listening to drive-time shock jocks. — Laura Vanderkam, author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
    • Get menial tasks done like organizing your My Documents folder or going through your e-mail client and deleting useless/outdated e-mails (all the stuff you always want to have time to do but just don’t ever get to do during the week). — Ashley Schwartau
      Managed Mischief, Inc.

    • Use the settings on your iPhone or Droid to troll for free Wi-Fi when the traditional bread company isn’t around. If you can connect to it on your phone, you’ll be good to go when you crack open your laptop and get down to work. — Tyler Sickmeyer, Director of Client Development at 5Stone Marketing
    • Get a portable phone number (such as Google Voice) that can ring one or more phones. I am an attorney and work from my home, different office locations and on the road. Being accessible to my clients wherever I am is crucial. — Lara A. Aman, Attorney at Law
    • I scanned and saved my actual signature as a graphic and insert it into Word documents as a picture. If it’s a PDF, I have the same signature saved as a Custom Stamp. I don’t have to print anything. — Peggy Duncan, Personal Productivity Expert at The Digital Breakthroughs Institute
    • Make sure you can cache your e-mail. This way, you can work on planes or in areas where you do not have an Internet connection.– Blake Bookstaff, Vice President of moneymanager.com

    Series supported by RingCentral


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    More Productivity Resources from Mashable:


    - How Businesses Are Unleashing Their Employees' Social Media Potential
    - 10 Useful iPhone Keyboard Shortcuts, Tips and Tricks
    - 10 Tools for Distributed Developer Teams
    - 40+ Essential Social Business Resources
    - 10 Must-Have BlackBerry Apps for Small Business

    Image courtesy of iStockphoto, hidesy, Photoroller, susib


    Reviews: Google Voice, Internet, RingCentral, Twitter, iStockphoto

    More About: Coffee shop, coworking, efficiency, Home office, List, Lists, New Work City, Non-Traditional Workspaces Series, productivity, Productivity Lists, trending, work tips, working from home, Working on the road

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Promoted Tweets Selling for “Upwards of $100,000”

Posted: 27 Sep 2010 07:52 AM PDT


With Twitter continuing to experiment with a variety of business models, at least one format appears to be attracting meaningful revenue: promoted tweets and trending topics.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, advertisers are spending "upwards of $100,000" on the ads, which are still in testing with only a handful of partners (more than 30 "big name brands" per the WSJ's report).

As for the results, there are a couple reasons for Twitter to be optimistic. For one, about 5% of those who see promoted tweets interact with them (i.e. – click a link, retweet or reply). Also, 80% of brands that have purchased ads have gone on to do so again.

Specific case studies we've seen so far include Coca-Cola, which reported a 6% engagement rate for its campaign, Virgin America, which credits Promoted Tweets in part for its fifth highest sales day ever, and online trading firm Zecco, which said last month that engagement on its promoted tweets was 50% higher than its regular tweets, with "200 to 300% increases in some cases."

That said, there is some reason to be cautious. The WSJ notes that PepsiCo and Best Buy –- two brands that are highly active in the social media space –- are yet to re-up on Twitter ads following a trial run. We're also waiting to see if Twitter's plan will extend beyond big brands with big budgets and will eventually offer small businesses a self-service way to target promoted tweets to potential local customers.


Reviews: Twitter

More About: advertising, MARKETING, Promoted Tweets, twitter

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