Mashable: Latest 25 News Updates - including “Opera 10.5 is Out, Dubs Itself the Fastest Browser on Earth” |  |
- Opera 10.5 is Out, Dubs Itself the Fastest Browser on Earth
- New Chrome Beta Offers Automatic Web Page Translation
- Twitter Location API to Support Places
- ShareThis Adds Real-Time Streaming to Share Tool
- Online Gaming Faceoff: Xbox LIVE vs. PlayStation Network
- Google Secures Broad Patent for Location-Based Advertising
- iCyte Creates Sharable Bookmarks from Highlighted Text
- Google Buzz Gets an Unofficial App Directory
- Streamy Awards to Honor Web Video’s Best: Here Are the Nominees
- ’90s Teen Drama “Felicity” Foresees the Coming of the iPad [VIDEO]
- Phishing Returns to Twitter Via Direct Message [WARNING]
- HOW TO: Create a Successful Company Blog
- Twitter Opens Up the Firehose to Startups
- Free Music Monday: Get 10 Free Downloads Right Here!
- Google Acquires Online Image-Editing Tool Picnik
- How Twitter in the Classroom is Boosting Student Engagement
- Who’s Dominating Oscar Buzz Online? [STATS]
- Viral YouTube Video Gets Crying 3-Year-Old Fan a Justin Bieber Visit
- Will the iPad Launch Be Delayed? [RUMOR]
- Sony PlayStation Network Outage Could Last 24 Hours
- Mashable’s Weekly Social Media Conference Guide
- Google Chrome Continues to Grow at Other Browsers’ Expense
- Movieclips Makes Legally Licensed Movie Clips Available Internationally
- OK Go Allows Embeds With New Version of Their Music Video
- 10 Reasons You Should Attend or Watch a Global Ignite Week Event
- Upgrading to Windows Phone 7 May Not Be Possible
| Opera 10.5 is Out, Dubs Itself the Fastest Browser on Earth Posted: 02 Mar 2010 04:54 AM PST  
Now, with Opera 10.5, the folks at Opera once again claim that Opera is the “fastest browser on Earth”. We’ve covered the various development builds of Opera 10.5, but here’s another rundown of the most important features in the final version of Opera 10.5. Opera has increased room for content on your screen by replacing the menu bar with the menu button. The new version also integrates with Windows 7/Vista, letting you access your Speed Dials, tabs and other features diretcly from the taskbar. Furthermore, Opera 10.5 features a new JavaScript engine, Carakan, and a new graphics library called Vega. Both should improve browsing speed, with Carakan being as much as 7 times faster than the Futhark JavaScript engine used in Opera 10.10. Finally, Opera’s private browsing features allow you to browse privately either in a tab or a separate window. You can freely download Opera 10.5 for over on the official Opera site and see a full list of changes in the new version here. Tags: opera, web browsers
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| New Chrome Beta Offers Automatic Web Page Translation Posted: 02 Mar 2010 02:56 AM PST 
First is automatic translation of web pages in language different from your preferred language setting in Chrome. The browser automatically detects the language and offers you an option (via a drop-down menu bar below the bookmarks bar) to translate it, using Google’s translation tools. I’ve tried it out, and while it works well on some pages, sometimes it doesn’t recognize the language (for example, Baidu.com is not recognized as a Chinese web page, possibly because it contains very little text). You can also set Chrome to always translate pages in a certain language, which really can speed up your browsing if you often open pages in foreign languages. However, there’s no option to manually translate a web page, which is an odd omission, especially given the fact that Chrome’s language detection doesn’t work perfectly yet. The other interesting feature in the new Chrome beta are the new privacy settings, available under Options – Under the Hood – Privacy. With the new options, you can fine tune your privacy settings and control how Chrome handles cookies, images, JavaScript, plug-ins, and pop-ups for individual sites. Check out a demo of the automatic translation feature, as well as the new privacy settings, below. Tags: chrome, Google, translation
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| Twitter Location API to Support Places Posted: 02 Mar 2010 01:19 AM PST 
But now Twitter’s Raffi Krikorian promises support for places, meaning locations (not necessarily very precisely defined) with a name, such as “Joe’s Bar on Manhattan” or “downtown LA.” From the Twitter API announcements message board:
Sounds like a minor detail, but it’s actually quite important, because it gives Twitter the ability to compete with location-based services such as Foursquare or Gowalla, which let you check in at various locations and share them with your friends. For further analysis of the importance of location sharing on Twitter see our recent article on the subject. It’s important to note, though, that Twitter will gradually rollout these new features, starting with the US, so competitors will have some time to prepare for whatever Twitter plans to do with location. Tags: api, location, trending, twitter
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| ShareThis Adds Real-Time Streaming to Share Tool Posted: 01 Mar 2010 10:29 PM PST 
Check out this video: This is actually a pretty innovative way to address the real-time nature of sharing links and information. And while on the surface it might not seem that dissimilar to Google Buzz or the built-in options for networks like Facebook and Twitter, what makes this different is that it aggregates data from across all of the different platforms. So you can see and search what people are sharing to Google Reader and Facebook and Twitter. That’s the beauty of multi-sharing tools like ShareThis — it makes it easy for people to share content on their networks of choice. Adding a real-time streaming option is a real boon for both ShareThis publishers — who can now see what’s popular and also track what’s getting shared from their sites — and for users, because they can now see what’s getting shared around and what related posts or information people might also be sharing. What do you think of real-time sharing tools? Let us know! Reviews: Facebook, Google, Google Buzz, Google Reader, Twitter Tags: real-time, sharethis, sharethis stream
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| Online Gaming Faceoff: Xbox LIVE vs. PlayStation Network Posted: 01 Mar 2010 07:16 PM PST 
Last week we saw HTML5 take down Adobe Flash in our dynamic web faceoff, and we’ve previously looked at handheld gaming’s big three. But what about the two major online console services: does the totally free PSN hold sway, or does the freemium model of XBLA offer a service compelling enough to offset the optional cost many choose to pay? For many it will simply come down to platform preference, but if you’ve used both services and can vote (and comment) on the relative merits of each individual online component, please do. Check back later this week for the results! Faceoff Series: Overall ResultsWeek 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Week 10: Week 11: Week 12: Week 13: Week 14: Week 15: Week 16: Week 17: Week 18: Week 19: Week 20: Week 21: Week 21: Week 22: Reviews: Bing, Boxee, Chrome, Digg, Facebook, Firefox, Foursquare, Gmail, Google, Google Buzz, Google Docs, Gowalla, Gtalk, Hulu, Pandora, Posterous, Seesmic Desktop, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, TweetDeck, Twitter, TypePad, Windows, WordPress, Yelp, aim Tags: games, microsoft, playstation, playstation network, polls, PSN, sony, video games, web faceoff, xbla, xbox, XBox live
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| Google Secures Broad Patent for Location-Based Advertising Posted: 01 Mar 2010 05:31 PM PST 
The patent, which was first discovered by Venturebeat, was filed nearly seven years ago, in September 2003, but was only granted last week. Since then of course, location-based advertising has boomed with companies such as AdMob (acquired by Google) and Quattro Wireless (acquired by Apple) leading the charge. That patent itself focuses on making sure businesses can better target their ads based on location information so that they can do things such as price arbitration (e.g. figuring out prices for items near you and getting the best deal). It also deals with the user interface and defining geographic areas. This is the second major tech patent to surface this week. A week ago, Facebook won the patent for news feed, stirring up big questions over whether Facebook would use the patent to force other companies with news feeds to take down or change their technologies. Google’s new location-based advertising patent raises the same questions, but as we said in the news feed article, there is a huge reputation and financial cost to litigation related to patents. At the very least though, it gives Google an advantage in mobile advertising, especially against Apple, who is quickly becoming its primary rival. Here is the full abstract from the patent:
Reviews: Facebook, Google Tags: advertising, Google, lbs, location based advertising, patent
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| iCyte Creates Sharable Bookmarks from Highlighted Text Posted: 01 Mar 2010 03:33 PM PST 
Quick Pitch: iCyte saves webpages with highlights, tags and notes. Search and retrieve your webpages (cytes). Never lose a webpage again. Genius Idea: When you browse the web, you visit more websites than you can keep track of, and sometimes your web browser’s bookmarks can become unwieldy when you’re trying to save very specific information for later review. iCyte tries to solve this problem by allowing you to highlight text on any website displayed by the Firefox or Internet Explorer web browsers, then bookmark the highlighted text in the cloud so you can either share it with someone else or review it yourself at a later time. Setup is quick: You just install the browser plugin and create an account. After that, highlight the text you want and click the iCyte button in your browser to save the link with the highlight included. The saved bookmark is called a cyte. You can name your cyte, apply tags for easy searching later, and choose whether or not the cyte is public or private. There’s also a button to bring up a sidebar panel that lists all your iCyte bookmarks. Watch the YouTube video here for a quick demonstration. iCyte is particularly useful for sharing stuff on social media sites like Twitter or Facebook. Sometimes the content of a link changes after you’ve shared it on social networks or there’s so much content that your contacts don’t know where to locate the stuff you found interesting, but iCyte addresses both of those issues. Cytes are preserved as they appear when you first make them, and the text-highlighting feature means you can draw your audience’s eye to whatever it was that you found interesting. Take a look at the Climate Change featured public cyte for an example of what that looks like. iCyte is free and is supported in Firefox 3, Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8. iCyte.com (and thus any shared cyte) works on other browsers, though; you just need one of the previously mentioned ones to install the plugin to create a cyte. Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines)." Reviews: Facebook, Firefox, Internet Explorer, PHP, Twitter, YouTube Tags: bizspark, Firefox, icyte, internet explorer, social bookmarking, software, spark-of-genius, startups
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| Google Buzz Gets an Unofficial App Directory Posted: 01 Mar 2010 03:08 PM PST 
Google Buzz launched a few weeks ago, and even without a completed API, somef developers are still building their own tools and apps to take advantage of buzz and make it easy to integrate with existing websites. We covered some of the options for integrating Google Buzz with your WordPress blog and how to create a separate Buzz desktop app, and now we’re seeing programs like BuzzAware cropping up. BuzzAware was created by the same team that created Twitdom, a highly successful Twitter application directory with more than 1,500 apps. The new program isn’t quite as extensive as the Twitter version — so far the selection is limited to 18 applications divided into four categories: browser, desktop, mobile and web.  The web category, which includes both blog plugins and tools like a Twitter contact importer, has the most entries right now — which is to be expected. Still, the Adobe Air-based Google Buzz desktop app and some of the browser plugins might be new additions to Buzz-seeking users. The success of the BuzzAware project will largely depend on how quickly the Buzz API is expanded and opened up to developers. However, BuzzAware is off to a good start. What is your favorite Buzz-related plugin or utility? Let us know! Reviews: Google Buzz, Twitdom, Twitter, adobe AIR Tags: buzzaware, google buzz, software, web apps
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| Streamy Awards to Honor Web Video’s Best: Here Are the Nominees Posted: 01 Mar 2010 02:27 PM PST 
Nominees were selected from 190,000 public submissions spanning 2,000 shows and 130 countries. There are 15 categories with five nominees in each. We’ve listed them all below, but there are a few items that are particularly notable. Both Crackle’s The Bannen Way and Felicia Day’s The Guild lead the nominees with seven nominations each; The Bannen Way is nominated for best drama, and The Guild is nominated for best comedy. Easy to Assemble is just behind with six nominations, and Next New Networks’s YouTube viral hit Auto-Tune the News is up for four awards. The main Streamy ceremony will take place on April 11 in Hollywood, California; the Craft Awards will be given out on the April 7. We’ll be in attendance, so don’t change that dial — or don’t switch to another web stream. In the meantime, we’ll be covering the world of web television more closely than we have in the past. Each month we work with video analytics company Visible Measures to put out a chart listing the top 10 most popular web series, and we’ve written up a beginner’s guide to made-for-Internet TV with some samples of the best shows. We also have a list of companies that are reinventing TV online. More to come! And the nominees are… Overall SeriesBest Comedy Web Series Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis Best Drama Web Series Angel of Death Best Hosted Web Series A Comicbook Orange Best Reality or Documentary Web Series Interview Project Best News or Politics Web Series Auto-Tune the News Best Foreign Web Series Flying Kebab Best New Web Series $5 Cover: Memphis Best Companion Web Series Assassin’s Creed: Lineage Best Animated Web Series Eli’s Dirty jokes Best Branded Entertainment Web Series Back on Topps (Topps) Best Experimental Web Series Auto-Tune the News DirectingBest Directing for a Comedy Web Series Blue Movies (Scott Brown) Best Directing for a Drama Web Series Anyone But Me (Susan Miller, Tina Cesa Ward) WritingBest Writing for a Comedy Web Series Back on Topps (Jason Sklar, Randy Sklar, Eric Friedman, Matt Price) Best Writing for a Drama Web Series Anyone But Me (Susan Miller, Tina Cesa Ward) ActingBest Male Actor in a Comedy Series Zach Galifianakis (Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis) Best Female Actor in a Comedy Series Ileana Douglas (Easy to Assemble) Best Male Actor in a Drama Series Craig Frank (Compulsions) Best Female Actor in a Drama Series Zoe Bell (Angel of Death) Best Ensemble Cast in a Web Series Black on Topps (Randy Sklar, Jason Sklar, Jason Nash, Janet Varney, Stephanie Courtney, Brian Huskey, Phil LaMarr) Best Guest Star in a Web Series Chris Hardwick (Back on Topps) Best Web Series Host Alex Albrecht (Diggnation) Best Vlogger Brigitte Dale (Brigitte Dale) Craft AwardsBest Editing in a Web Series $5 Cover: Memphis (Nathan Black, Morgan Jon Fox, Josh Swain) Best Cinematography in a Web Series Angel of Death (Carl Herse) Best Art Direction in a Web Series $99 Music Videos (Kit Pennebaker) Best Sound Design in a Web Series Fear Clinic (Kunal Rajan) Best Visual Effects in a Web Series Backyard FX (Erik Beck) Best Animation in a Web Series College Humor: Hardly Working (Dan Meth) Best Original Music in a Web Series Auto-Tune the News (Evan Gregory, Andrew Gregory, Michael Gregory) Best Live Production in a Web Series Coin-Op TV Live Best Interactive Experience in a Web Series Circle of Eight Best Product Integration in a Web Series Circle of Eight (Mountain Dew) Best Mobile Experience in a Web Series AT&T Life Without Mobile Reviews: MySpace, ShaneDawsonTV, Streamy, YouTube, news Tags: auto-tune the news, crackle, easy to assemble, felicia day, streamy awards, streamys, the bannen way, The Guild, web series, youtube
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| ’90s Teen Drama “Felicity” Foresees the Coming of the iPad [VIDEO] Posted: 01 Mar 2010 01:55 PM PST 
“It’s impossible to know what computer to get,” she lamented. “There’s PCs, there’s iMacs, there’s Think Books, there’s iPads… I really don’t know where to start.” Oh really? There’s iPads? Maybe in the future, random guest star Amy Smart. My mind = Blown. Bonus: Buzzfeed also noticed this clip right around the same time I did. I guess more than one tech writer spent her weekend Megavideoing Felicity. I don’t know if that’s sad or amazing. I’m going to go with amazing… Tags: Hardware, humor, ipad, television
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| Phishing Returns to Twitter Via Direct Message [WARNING] Posted: 01 Mar 2010 01:39 PM PST 
That short URL asks users to log in to Twitter, but one look at your browser's address bar indicates that it is not Twitter you're logging into, but a third-party site that looks like Twitter. Once you provide said site with your login details, it DMs your followers, hence creating the viral loop that is the anatomy of a Twitter phishing scam. Twitter posted some tips for avoiding these scams on Friday, but apparently the message didn't get through to everyone, because lots of users (including several high-ranking execs who have consequently sent me such DMs) are still getting duped. Lately, Twitter's phishing scams seem to share a common theme, with a message from someone you conceivably know (at least a little bit, since you follow them) sending you a DM that implies something about you has been posted somewhere on the web. While that’s certainly a tempting piece of bait, there's no conceivable reason you should ever have to give a third-party website your Twitter credentials — let alone a site you’ve never heard of — especially now that most reputable Twitter apps use OAuth. Meanwhile, if you think you've fallen victim, we remind you once again to change your password. As Twitter noted in its blog entry on the topic, the last wave of these scams often involves the phishers using compromised accounts to send out spam messages, meaning if you don’t move quick, your account will continue to be a source of embarrassment. Reviews: Twitter
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| HOW TO: Create a Successful Company Blog Posted: 01 Mar 2010 01:22 PM PST 
I’m often asked by entrepreneurs and business owners whether it is worth blogging, and if so, what they should blog about. On the first question, the answer is obvious to me — you must blog as an entrepreneur. In this post I’ll cover why you need to blog, how to determine what to blog about, and finding your blog’s voice. Why You Must BlogI believe that blogging in your business is vital to creating a public personae and making your company more accessible. In an era where companies like Zappos have differentiated themselves based on service, it is important to be public and accessible. My industry of venture capital, for example, has been shrouded in secrecy for 30 years, making the process of raising funds opaque for most entrepreneurs. When I started my first company in 1999, there were almost no public sources of venture capital fund raising information. Years later I discovered the blog of VC Brad Feld, then later VentureHacks, and Fred Wilson’s technology & VC blog, each of which clarified and demystified the venture capital process. So when I started blogging, I mainly viewed it as “earned media,” or a chance to let entrepreneurs get to know me by sharing my thoughts online with complete transparency; a concept that is repeatable for any business. In less than a year I’ve attracted a large monthly following of readers who come to my blog to discuss how to build startups, how to raise money, and to get my thoughts on technology markets. By publicly sharing my thoughts, I’ve been able to engage in online discussions with people all over the world, and though it was an unintended consequence, my deal flow has gone up dramatically. In other words, blogging can be a valuable networking tool and help the bottom line. What Should You Blog About?Start by defining the audience with whom you want to have a relationship. Presumably they are your customers, partners, suppliers and your broader industry as a whole. You should think about what kind of information they would find valuable. You should also try to talk about something that is differentiated from what other blogs in your field cover, even if your approach is just slightly different or new. Make sure the topic is something that you’ll have a passion for writing about on a regular basis. If you’re not going to keep up with your blog, you shouldn’t start one in the first place. It’s a commitment, believe me. If you pick a topic that relates to your customers, but you’re not that passionate about it, then you may have a bigger problem on your hands! The Right and Wrong Way to BlogLet me give some examples of the right and wrong approach to blogging. Right: I always liked the Mint.com blog. Even in the early days when they were relatively unknown, they blogged about personal finance. They talked about how to manage credit and balance your bank account — obvious topics for a startup focused on managing personal money. They were able to take a leadership role in talking about managing your money in a way that supported their brand and created a community around their product. Wrong: A friend of mine has a company in the personal finance space also. His blog was all about how to run a startup and raise venture capital. He was outrageous, brash and crass in his style, and I told him so. I said, “Your goal isn’t to be the cool kid in the venture capital circles. Your job is to build a great company and you’ll be a hero in entrepreneurial circles as a result of your success. Speak to your customers — that is what a blog is for.” Finding Your Blog’s Voice So you know you need to blog, and you’re convinced you ought to write about something you’re passionate about and that speaks to your customers. How can you create something that people will want to come and read every day? 1. Be authentic The thing that kills most blogs, in my view, is when you can tell that the writer is just going through the motions. You need to find a “voice” that is authentically yours. People will get used to your style and your style will become your signature. 2. Be transparent The “old school” way of getting media attention was to submit press releases. These were artificially crafted documents that were filled with glowing reviews of your company. In short, they felt fake. The best way to establish your voice is to be transparent. Be willing to talk like a human being. Be willing to show feelings and a point of view. Let your inner self come out rather than your “inner bullet point.” Don’t use too much lingo. Don’t feel like your prose has to sound like it was crafted by a university professor. Just speak! 3. Get inside your readers’ minds I give this advice often and in many scenarios, including public speaking. When people speak to many audiences, they sometimes get into a canned routine. They give the same presentation no matter which crowd they’re addressing. The key is that each time you present, you need to think about who is in the audience and what they want to hear. The same is true for blogging. On my blog, my audience is made of startup entrepreneurs and probably other VCs. When I write I try to be mindful of who these people are, the knowledge I assume they have, and what I believe they want to know. 4. Solicit feedback I ask people what they want to read about. I regularly ask for feedback on what I’m writing. When people give me good suggestions, I try to cover those topics. When community members write awesome comments, I’ll sometimes write a post about what they said to highlight them and their contributions. In my opinion, the best way to build an audience over time is to engage with them and to highlight those that really contribute positively to you. 5. Don’t be offensive or take big public risks I sometimes read blogs that get extreme. I read a blog once that jokingly suggested “offering your angels cocaine if that would get them to invest.” It was intended to be funny. It wasn’t. And comments like this run the risk of offending people. This was a blog about personal finance, and I found the comment totally irresponsible and at odds with the brand image the blogger was trying to project. I read a blog yesterday where the author was trying to make fun of a negative comment he got on his product. The blogger highlighted him and called him “retarded,” which I, and I’m sure many others, find offensive. There’s no upside to this type of comment, but there’s a big downside. My esteem for him went down. Further, unless your company revolves around taking stands on controversial issues, it’s best to leave your political commentary at home. Statements like these stand to upset or anger half of your potential customers no matter what side you take. 6. Have fun This may be obvious, but if writing a blog becomes a chore for you it will show. Try to make your writing fun and it will be easier to stick to. It will also reflect in your voice. Happy blogging! More blogging resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, johnnyscriv [Image Credit: Kristina B] Reviews: iStockphoto Tags: blog, blogging, business, entrepreneurship, how to, small business, social media
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| Twitter Opens Up the Firehose to Startups Posted: 01 Mar 2010 01:21 PM PST 
Currently, only a few partners have access to one of Twitter’s most valuable assets: its stream of tweets. They include search giants Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. It’s believed that these deals have already made Twitter profitable. But now Twitter is looking to foster innovation from some of its third party developers, starting with several real-time search and discovery startups. Starting today, seven new partners will have access to Twitter’s full firehose: Twazzup, Collecta, CrowdEye, Scoopler, Kosmix, Chainn Search and Ellerdale. This means that these companies will have the full feed of tweets to augment their search results. Collecta searches, for example, could now display all recent posts mentioning Mashable, rather than be rate limited as most Twitter apps currently are. Look for a lot more startups to have access to the Firehose as well: >Twitter says that it is looking for new partners involving its data. One thing we wonder about, though: Did these startups have to pay for access, as Google did when it struck its deal? And if not, does that devalue from the data that Google now uses in its real-time search engine? Reviews: Google, Mashable, Twazzup, Twitter, Yahoo! Tags: collecta, crowdeye, Ellerdate, Kosmix, Scoopler, twazzup, twitter
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| Free Music Monday: Get 10 Free Downloads Right Here! Posted: 01 Mar 2010 01:06 PM PST 
We also happily accept your submissions for Free Music Monday, and you’ll find information about how to submit your tracks (or music from artists you represent) at the end of this post. Without further ado, let’s roll some tracks!
Thanks huge to everyone for tuning in to Free Music Monday! If you find something you like in this feature, please do share it with your music-loving friends. You can always check out the latest edition of this feature, plus all the past editions, on the Free Music Monday tag page, so be sure to tune in each week. We’ve also included the list of past Free Music Mondays at the end of this post in case you want to check out the back catalog. Big thanks to everyone who has submitted tracks. If you sent us something and we haven’t included it yet, stay tuned for a future Free Music Monday. You can submit a track by sending email to barb AT mashable DOT com. Since Free Music Monday is now downloads only, be sure to send us an MP3 or two we can use (no more than 25MB file size total please), or send us a link to listen to tracks you’re willing to provide as a free download. Thanks everyone! Free Music Monday Back Catalog
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| Google Acquires Online Image-Editing Tool Picnik Posted: 01 Mar 2010 12:34 PM PST 
Picnik, which first started in 2005, has become a popular online alternative to image-editing software such as Photoshop. While not as feature-rich as its desktop counterparts, its user experience, simplicity and upbeat design have helped it gain nearly two million monthly U.S. visitors, according to Compete. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Picnik will remain up and operational, at least for the foreseeable future. It’s very possible that Google could turn Picnik into part of its Google Apps suite, though Google hasn’t announced its plans for the image editing tool. Google has been on an acquisition spree in recent months. This month alone, Google acquired Aardvar, a social search startup, and purchased reMail, a mobile e-mail utility app. Reviews: Google, picnik Tags: acquisition, Google, picnik
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| How Twitter in the Classroom is Boosting Student Engagement Posted: 01 Mar 2010 12:22 PM PST 
Fortunately, educators (including myself) have found that Twitter is an effective way to broaden participation in lecture. Additionally, the ubiquity of laptops and smartphones have made the integration of Twitter a virtually bureaucracy-free endeavor. This post describes the two main benefits professors find when using Twitter in lecture. Increased ParticipationClassroom shyness is like a blackhole: Once silence takes over, it never lets go. In my own experience, in a class of hundreds, the fraction of students who speak up is small, and a still tinier fraction contribute regularly. That’s why, Dr. Monica Rankin of the University of Texas at Dallas was pleasantly surprised when her experiment with Twitter began pulling more students into discussion. “It’s been really exciting because, in classes like this, you’ll have three people who talk about the discussion material, and so to actually have 30 or 40 people at the same time talking about it is really interesting,” said Megan Malone, Teaching Assistant to Dr. Monica Rankin’s United States history course, in the video below. During lecture, students tweet comments or questions via laptop or cell phone, while the TA and Dr. Rankin respond to a real-time feed displayed prominently in front of the room. Students who manage to live off the grid for 50 minutes can still pass in hand-written notes for the TA to tweet after class. Students in another Twitter-friendly classroom at Purdue University agree that digital communication helps overcome the shyness barrier. “It’s just an easy way to answer questions in class without embarrassing yourself and raising your hand in a big lecture hall,” said one student. Studies frequently discover that greater participation translates into better academic performance, motivation, and a likelihood of adopting different points of view, which is why it is so striking that Twitter can foster that type of communication. A Community of LearnersThe dynamic of an intellectual ecosystem, where students dive deep into class readings and argue contentious issues outside of class, is difficult to create if discussion ends when class is over. Fortunately, Twitter has no time limit. In fact, Dr. Rankin's colleague David Parry, Professor of Emerging Media at the University of Texas, found that Twitter chatter during class spilled over into the students’ free time. “The first thing I noticed when the class started using Twitter was how conversations continued inside and outside of class,” Parry wrote. “Once students started Twittering I think they developed a sense of each other as people beyond the classroom space, rather than just students they saw twice a week for an hour and a half.” As a result, classroom conversation became more productive as “people were more willing to talk, and [be] more respectful of others.” Parry’s experience is in line with results of one of the first education studies of Twitter, which found that students do indeed carry on discussion outside of the classroom. In part, students find themselves checking the feed after hours because the public trail of Twitter chatter doubles as an excellent study aid. As one student from Rankin’s class put it, “The significant terms that we’ve talked about in discussions, we’ll tweet that, and you can [go] back [to] that, and it’s a pretty good study aid.” This, in turn, keeps Twitter on their minds, fueling the cycle of involvement. ConclusionFor schools hit hard by the recession, Twitter is an inexpensive solution to the growing problem of increasing class sizes. It is a tried-and-true platform to let conversations flourish. Indeed, Dr. Parry declared that "it was the single thing that changed the classroom dynamics more than anything I've ever done teaching." More social media resources from Mashable:
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, lisapics Reviews: Twitter, iStockphoto Tags: classroom, college, education, learning, social media, trending, twitter
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| Who’s Dominating Oscar Buzz Online? [STATS] Posted: 01 Mar 2010 11:30 AM PST 
Data encompasses online conversations related to the 82nd Academy Awards from a variety of social and news sites spanning a month-long period from January 25 to February 26. In the feature film department, Avatar is the undisputed front runner, commanding 10% more buzz than its next closest online challenger, The Hurt Locker, which has amassed 16 percent of film-related Oscar buzz. If online buzz is any indication, Inglorious Basterds — which raked in a measly 2% of Oscar film buzz — is no contender for this year’s coveted Best Picture award. When it comes to actors netting the most online buzz, Jeff Bridges — nominated for his role in Crazy Heart — leads both Colin Firth and George Clooney by more than a 5% margin in buzz. For the actresses, it’s a much tighter race. Sandra Bullock is on top with more than 25% of all buzz for that category, with Carey Mulligan trailing behind by a few percentage points. As March 7th fast approaches, we expect online chatter to continue to swell, just as was the case with past awards shows. What will be interesting to watch — especially in light of the Grammys’ remarkable rating surge — is whether or not social media will significantly influence television ratings for the better. Of course we’re also curious to see if there’s a correlation between the social media winners and the real Oscar winners. [img credit: Bob D'Amico/ABC, Oscars.org] Tags: academy awards, celebrities, Film, Nielsen, Oscars, social media, stats, tv
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| Viral YouTube Video Gets Crying 3-Year-Old Fan a Justin Bieber Visit Posted: 01 Mar 2010 10:50 AM PST 
Three-year-old Cody loves Justin Bieber so much so that she couldn’t stop crying over the singer, and, times being what they are, Cody’s mother took a video of the excessive crying spell and her sister Cheyenne posted it to YouTube. Nearly two million views later, the video has already become a meme in spite of the fact that embedding is disabled. Moreover, it managed to reach the star in question. Tweets from Cody’s older sister Cheyenne confirm that the entire meeting was filmed by Jimmy Kimmel Live crew members for Monday night’s show. Cheyenne also confesses/gushes that she received a kiss from Bieber. We sincerely hope the kiss does not lead to sibling rivalry and more tears on YouTube. The lesson here appears to be that despite what your mother told you as a child, crying will get you what you want — if those tears goes viral on YouTube, that is. Reviews: YouTube Tags: celebrities, justin bieber, tv, video, viral video
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| Will the iPad Launch Be Delayed? [RUMOR] Posted: 01 Mar 2010 10:25 AM PST 
More than a month ago, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad to the world, with an ambiguous “late March” shipping date for the Wi-Fi version of the device. In the ensuing weeks, no further information about a specific date or pre-order options (despite rumors) have been made available. AllThingsD cites Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek as the source of the most recent rumor regarding the launch date. Misek claims that “an unspecified production problem at the iPad’s manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision” may limit the initial launch to the U.S. only. In addition, Misek claims that the delays will limit the launch to 300,000 units. It’s important to note that the only source of this rumor — and this is very much a rumor — is Misek. The source of Misek’s information hasn’t been revealed, but given the nature of the report, our guess is someone in Asian manufacturing. Our own sources with similar connections to the Asian manufacturing industry have not heard any information that gives any credence to these claims. Since we’re just playing a big game of hypothetical “what if” right now, we want to know from Mashable readers: Would an iPad delay or tightened availability alter your decision to purchase? Let us know! Reviews: Mashable Tags: apple, Gadget, ipad, tech
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| Sony PlayStation Network Outage Could Last 24 Hours Posted: 01 Mar 2010 10:11 AM PST 
— It may be some time until Sony PlayStation 3 owners can resume their usual online activities, according to a new blog post from Sony revealing it could take 24 hours to fix the glitch, which hit numerous users yesterday. Sony has gone so far as to advise PS3 owners “do not use [their] PS3 system” until a fix has been issued. News of the problem — which only affects owners of older PS3s — started to emerge yesterday. PlayStation has been keeping users updated via its Twitter feed. “We believe we have identified that this problem is being caused by a bug in the clock functionality incorporated in the system,” explains Sony in the blog post. As we’ve reported, the problems are related to the PlayStation Network, Sony’s online gaming service and store. As well as changing the PS3’s date, the bug signs users out of the PSN service, fails to display trophy data and also affects video playback. “We are doing our best to resolve the issue and do apologize for any inconvenience cause,” says Sony. We will keep you updated with news on the fix. Reviews: news Tags: down, outage, playstation 3, playstation network, PS3, PSN, sony, sony playstation
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| Mashable’s Weekly Social Media Conference Guide Posted: 01 Mar 2010 10:10 AM PST 
Is your event not on this list? Contact us at least one month before your event and let's establish a media partnership. Mashable’s Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace.  March 1-4, 2010, Ottawa, ON: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute's Forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results, to learn how to capture the power of social media in your organization, along with helpful tools, tips and techniques to get started. Hear practical advice, firsthand, from leading government agencies and organizations such as: ON Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care; Parks Canada; Communications Community Office; City of Ottawa, ON; Public Safety Canada; Indian & Northern Affairs Canada; Toronto Police Service, ON; Canadian Forces Aerospace Warfare Centre; Human Resources & Skills Development Canada; Northern Lights Canada; Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency; Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation; Royal Bank of Canada; Genome Alberta; Business Development Bank of Canada; Thornley Fallis Communications; Centre of Excellence for Public Sector Marketing, & more. Mention Mashable when registering to save $200.  March 1-5, 2010, worldwide: 70+ Ignites will take place in cities around the world. Upwards of 10,000 entrepreneurs, technologists, DIYers, creative professionals, and enthusiastic knowledge-seekers will gather for an evening that is a unique blend of networking, information, and fun. In talks that are exactly five minutes long, Ignite presenters share their personal and professional passions. Local Ignites will stream live video during the event, and those videos will be archived on the new Ignite video site that is being launched in conjunction with the event. At least 500 five-minute session videos will be available on the new site when it debuts. Don’t miss being part of this enlightening week—attend, present, or lead an Ignite in your city: globaligniteweek.com.  March 2-4, 2010, Santa Clara, CA: Search Marketing Expo – SMX West offers 50 sessions in 12 tracks on all of the search engine marketing topics – SEO, PPC, social media marketing, real time search, local & mobile, and more. You'll appreciate the depth and flexibility the SMX West agenda offers, whether you're new to search or a seasoned vet, own a small business or employed at a Fortune 500 company. Featured keynote – Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Get 3 jam-packed days of content for only $1295 if you register by March 1 and use discount code smx100mashable. Only two weeks left until the show! For more info visit smxwest.com.  March 3, 2010, Seattle, WA: Join a select number of PR, marketing and communications professionals at PR+MKTG Camp™ Seattle for a full day of highly interactive discussions on social media — complete with marshmallows and a virtual campfire. It will explore how to market, measure and manage the opportunities and challenges that social media presents. Our format avoids panels or PowerPoint demonstrations. Top agency and brand executives serve as moderators to help participants find solutions to their social media questions. Mashable readers get a ten percent discount with promo code MASHABLECAMPSEATTLE.  March 4-5, 2010, Chicago, IL: At SOHO's 2-Day, "The Co-Alignment of the Corporate and Personal Brand," a Strategy Framework, develop your exclusive copy of "The Draft," SOHO's 16-page social communications policy workbook for businesses and corporations. The focus in 2010 is aligning the corporate brand with internal and external communications. SOHO brings to you presentations, case studies and Town Hall meetings with Olivier Blanchard and Dan Schawbel, and other experienced practitioners. For more information and to register, please visit Sohobiztube.com. Use discount code MashableChi for a 20% discount on a 2-day "The Draft" ticket.  March 6, 2010, Cape Cod, MA: Geek Girl Tech Boot Camp – Cape Cod 2010 is going to rock! Geek Girl Boot Camps are full-day technology “unconferences” for women, taught by women, of all ages and knowledge levels where you can find workshops on everything to do with computers and the Internet! Workshops include PC and Mac, Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), Photoshop, QuickBooks, Blogging, Podcasting, WordPress, Google Tools, Dreamweaver, Video, Inbound Marketing, digital photography, and more. The workshops are designed for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. There are Discussion Groups and an all day Help Desk. The Mission of Geek Girl Camp is to educate and empower every girl and woman at every age level, on every skill level, at every income level on computer technology with fun and provide a legacy by giving back and paying it forward. Mashable readers get an exclusive $30 discount off the standard pricing of $139 with special code mashable2010 when registering!  March 6, 2010, Reno, NV: Nevada Interact will bring together business owners, non-profit advocates, publishers, newsmakers, bloggers, podcasters, filmmakers, media, PR and advertising professionals and anyone else interested in interactive media from every corner of Nevada together for hands-on learning, rich discussions, opportunities to meet with local companies working in interactive media and plentiful networking opportunities. Register now.  March 8, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: At digiday:MOBILE, discuss the question “Is Mobile The Next Critical Mass Medium?” Discover the what the future holds for you and this game changing media platform at digiday:MOBILE in Los Angeles. During this high-level full day event – top Publishers, Agency Executives and Brand Marketers will come together to discuss and debate how to fully utilize the next critical mass medium: MOBILE. DIGIDAY gives media leaders a chance to converge and discuss high level strategies and the future of Mobile Marketing. www.digidaymobile.com. Get $100 off for Mashable Readers with discount code: Mashable.  March 9, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: At digiday:SOCIAL we’ll discuss the question of The New Media Reality: Everything is Social. Are You? During this high-level event, top Publishers, Agency Executives and Brand Marketers will come together to discuss how Social Media is everywhere and is changing everything. DIGIDAY gives media and marketing leaders a chance to converge and reveal high-level success strategies as well as offer insights on how the future of Social Media Marketing will play out for all. Get $100 off for Mashable Readers using code Mashable.  March 9-10, New York, NY: Is your intranet dead or alive? Fire it up at INTRANET INSIDER WORLD TOUR LIVE 2010: Making Enterprise 2.0 Work. Learn how to get the intranet basics right (governance, buy in, usability, etc.), plus how to start down the Enterprise 2.0 journey with blogs, wikis, internal social networks, podcasts and video . Learn what leading edge companies such as IBM, ESPN, Alcatel-Lucent, Deloitte and EMC are doing to “socialize” their intranets for communication, collaboration and bottom-line success. Register today with promo code mashable10 to receive $200 off registration.  March 9-11, 2010, Baltimore, MD: At the Gartner Portals, Content & Collaboration Summit: Evolution in Real Time, you'll learn how to bring your workplace, information, and processes up to real-time speed for greater efficiency. In 3 days, 30+ Gartner analyst sessions, case studies, workshops and roundtable discussions you'll gain a set of tools and insights on Gen4 collaboration, cloud-based portal and content services, social networking, Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0, megavendor wars and more. Save $300 off the standard rate when you register at gartner.com/us/pcc with priority code PCCMASH.  March 10, 2010, New York, NY: Cross Media NYC brings together leaders from all key media industries to discuss, demonstrate, and debate cross media integration and partnerships. Our goal is to bridge the gap between the different media sectors in order to share information and find new opportunities. We want the gaming people to meet the TV people, the publishing people to meet the web video people, and everyone to meet the advertising people but let's be honest, in the end, it's all about the money. Use Registration Code mashable to get 15% off.  March 15-16, 2010, London, UK: At Social Media World Forum, learn from social networks, brands, advertisers and analysts. Hear from leading social networks on their strategy, revenue models and how they are approaching the future. Worldwide case studies from global brands and corporations on their use of social media. Examine the current market conditions, future forecasts and predictions from leading analysts. Mention you are a Mashable reader to receive 15% discount.  March 17, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Join SF New Tech, the Bay Area’s largest and longest running monthly tech event, to get an early look at of some of the hottest new tech around. Famous for its sold out events where executives (and the occasional hacker or two) takes to the stage to strut their stuff, SF New Tech is *the* place where early adaptors, developers, influnencers, venture capitalists, journalists, bloggers, and regular every-day folks converge to see the latest and greatest technology. Visit sfnewtech.com for details.  March 19, 2010, London, UK: Justmeans' Social Media and Stakeholder Engagement Conference will bring together the top minds in sustainability, marketing, innovation and technology. This executive forum will explore how technology can enable sustainable business by involving stakeholders in the value creation process and will showcase examples of success and failure in this rapidly evolving market. Use this link for a 10% registration discount.  March 22-23, 2010, Paris, France: At Marketing 2.0 Conference, learn from brands’ social media initiatives, advertisers, researchers and analyst. Hear from leading people in the Social Media business on their strategy, revenue models and how they are approaching the upcoming trends in the Social Mediasphere. Worldwide case studies from global brands and corporations on their use of social media. Examine the current market conditions, future forecasts and predictions from leading researchers. The socialmash2010 discount code gives you €200 off.  March 22-23 & 25-26, 2010, Hong Kong & Singapore: Join us at the Social Media & PR conference. This comprehensive two-day event sees PR practitioners from leading global brands and agencies come together to share about the best practices, pitfalls to avoid, case studies, how-tos, measurement and ethics of social media in PR. See social media’s relevance to both B2B & B2C, discuss how new & traditional PR avenues can be integrated. Register today. Save 10% when you enter ‘Mashable‘ under ‘How did you know about this event’.  March 22-25, 2010, Dallas, TX: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute's 17th Forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results, to learn how to capture the power of social media in your organization, along with helpful tools, tips and techniques to get started. Hear practical advice, firsthand, from leading government agencies and organizations such as: Transportation Security Administration; NASA; Microsoft U.S. Public Sector, CDC; GovLoop; Southwest Airlines; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Army Reserve; City of Sugar Land, TX; Missouri River Regional Library; City of Reno, NV; Texas Parks & Wildlife Department; Deloitte Services, LP; GolinHarris; 2ndSix; & Panetta Communications. Mention Mashable when registering to save $200.  March 22-26, New York, NY: Go beyond search at the Search Engine Strategies. Learn the newest trends, strategic action plans, and technology that industry leaders are employing today. Our experts will trace the natural evolution of search exploring topics such as: digital asset optimization, mobile application development, transition from search to discovery and more. SAVE 15% with code MHNY15. Program will focus on cutting edge strategies, tips, and tactics that will be driving search in 2010. Hear from the leading voices in search and digital like Avinash Kaushik, David Meerman Scott, Tim Ash, Ray Comstock and more.  March 23, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Swagapalooza is an experiment in viral media. On March 23rd, the world's most-followed bloggers, tweeters, and digital influencers will gather to judge five-minute auditions from the creators of the latest, greatest, and most unexpected new products. Are you one of the world's top bloggers or tweeters? If so you deserve to be begged for your attention and your following. Your taste and discernment make you the perfect judge of these marketers who will come to cajole, beg, and bribe you with more free stuff than you can imagine… Tickets are free for those who qualify. <  March 23, 2010, Sacramento, CA: Northern California Social Media Society Launch Party. Join NCSMS in celebrating their launch. Celebrate with cocktails, appetizers and door prizes; learn about the Society and network with other individuals and businesses. The NCSMS provides an opportunity for their members to collaborate with other individuals and advocates as well as continue to grow social media marketing skills and smarts. Whether you want to learn or lead, this is a great opportunity to be part of an organization which is dedicated to the advancement of social media. The event is free to those who register.  March 23-24, 2010, Berlin, Germany: Learn, discuss and explore the challenges and commercial opportunities that exist within the mobile internet ecosystem and make the most of best-practice perspectives over a two day period offering a programme packed with case studies, roundtable discussions, industry snapshots, masterclasses and fishbowl sessions. Significant discount for Mobile Operators, Online/Mobile Communities, and Content providers! Go to iir-mobileinternet.com/mashable for more information.  March 24, 2010, New York, NY: Social Reputation Management: Protecting and Strengthening Your Brand Across the Social Web is a conference that will share the best case studies on how communicators and marketers listen to conversations, monitor and comprehend what is being said, and engage through the social web. The case studies will be followed by moderated interactive roundtables. Use promo code MASH for a discounted rate of $155.  March 24, 2010, Rutherford, NJ: Learn about how you would grow your business, talk to your customers, interact and engage. Social Media will help your business grow, financially and in relation to your customers. Topics include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Blogging, etc. This workshop is geared for small businesses that want to grow their fanbase and reach potential customers and make your relationships better with by using the social web. Click over to socialbiz324.eventbrite.com to purchase tickets to the event and use the code mashable to save 50%.  March 24-25, 2010, San Francisco, CA: EyeforTravel's Social Media Strategies for Travel conference goes beyond the 'what is social media?' debates (that were so 2008!) and examines the strategic importance of social media to travel brands. The 2 day conference will share leading case studies, hits, tips and advice from top travel companies including JetBlue, Hilton, Virgin America and more. Use the discount MASHABLE to save $100 on the registration fee!  March 25, 2010, Santa Monica, CA: Join us for more rock solid networking with tech geeks, VCs, entrepreneurs and good folks just like you. Schmoozd is an exclusive social mixer bringing together professionals in marketing, advertising, technology, social media and startups. The event is designed to facilitate knowledge sharing, relationship building and deal making. For more information, please visit www.schmoozd.com. Mashable readers get 50% off when registering via this link.  March 25, 2010, Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom: Farnham Twestival 2010 is a 100% volunteer run charity fund-raising event, which seeks to raise funds for the education programmes of Concern Worldwide. Fusing the advantages of high-tech social media with the beauty of a historical location, the event will take place between 7 and 11pm in the Stone and Great Halls of the 900 year old Farnham Castle. It is co-sponsored by iBundle, the Surrey based innovation hub, thebluedoor PR agency and Mashable. Anyone who buys a ticket is welcome to attend. We also welcome new sponsors and individual donations.  March 25, 2010, Toronto, ON: Join Nick La, creator of the popular blog Web Designer Wall, owner of N.Design Studio, IconDock, and Best Web Gallery for a one-day immersion into WordPress, the world’s most popular publishing platform. If you want to learn how to create your own WordPress themes, understand how to use template tags and conditional tags to format and display the data you want, or how to use WordPress as a content management system, Nick will take you from WordPress Zero to Hero in 7 hours flat.  March 25-26 2010, Atlanta, GA: REtechSouth: The only event in the Southeast that ties cutting edge social media concepts and practices, plus tips and tactics on existing technologies, to the unique challenges of the current real estate market. It's worth attending just to absorb all the expertise that will be in the room, as real estate's best and brightest direct their attention towards your needs. Presented by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. Save $29 off registration by using the code Mashable.  March 29, 2010, Portland OR: The social media conference for marketers, Social Fresh is not about concept, but focused purely on case studies from the front lines. Learn what social media can really do for business bottom lines. One day, 35 speakers from companies like Intel, Ford, Comcast, Nike and many more. As well as keynote Peter Shankman. Register now and use coupon code mashable for 15% off.  March 30, 2010, London, UK: The upcoming Hit Me! Social Media and Search event is designed for business owners and entrepreneurs who want to find out the latest practical business advice and information about Social Media and Search. Freshbusinessthinking.com has partnered with Microsoft to deliver this power-packed one day event featuring experts and leading practitioners from the world of social media and search. Stats published by Nielsen show that social media usage has increased by 82% in the last year. The challenge for organisations of all sizes is how to use social media to drive business. Over 1500 delegates have attended our one-day events and the average rating is 8.5 out of 10 – the next one is shaping up to be the best ever with a host of experts on hand to give you the information and advice you need to grow your business online. Mashable readers: get a discount entering promotional code MASHABLE.  March 30-April 1, 2010, San Jose, CA: Become Location Enabled at Where 2.0. Now in its sixth year, Where 2.0 is one of the world’s foremost events dedicated to exploring the emerging technologies in the geospatial industry. At Where 2.0, we expose the tools pushing the boundaries of the location frontier. Join us and meet the people behind the mashups, the people behind the platforms, and the people looking ahead to the future of geospatial. Find out what’s viable now, what’s lurking just below the radar and how to gain a competitive edge. Register now and save 15% at en.oreilly.com/where2010. Use code whr10mash.  April 7-8, 2010, New York, NY: Strengthen your business with mobile marketing, apps, video, and content at Think Mobile, a conference focused on mobile strategy, marketing, and mobile apps. Learn how to get your brand in front of the right customers, how to handle mobile content, and how to make money in mobile. The full day dedicated to mobile apps will cover building an app team, designing user interfaces, marketing your app, and targeting development for specific platforms. Speakers represent AdMob, Pandora, Nielsen, Bravo, PCMag.com, and more. Register with promo code TMMASH and save 20%!  April 7-9, 2010 Sydney, Australia: ConnectNow is a three day event focusing on the intersection of social media, emerging technologies and enterprise. The first two days is conference, where you’ll learn from international specialists how to leverage off new trends in marketing innovation such as augmented reality, location based services, social search, the real-time web, mobile’s growing dominance and the importance of ’social capital’. Day three is workshop day specifically for non-profits, charities, Government and community groups. Attend ConnectNow and leave equipped with actionable strategies to implement to your business. Register online and email info@connectnow.net.au quoting: Mashablemates to get 10% discount!  April 8-10, Atlanta, GA: The 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference will bring together more than 1,000 nonprofit leaders, IT innovators, communications gurus, fundraising superstars and nonprofit staffers from all over. You’ll learn the latest trends, practical how-tos, and IT solutions that can optimize your organization’s use of technology and help you meet your mission to create more social good in the world — and you’ll have a good time, to boot. Select “Mashable” from the “How did you hear?” field to receive an $100 discount.  April 12–15, 2010, Santa Clara, CA: The 6th annual MySQL Conference & Expo, presented by O'Reilly Media, brings over 2,000 open source and database enthusiasts together to harness the power of MySQL and celebrate the huge MySQL ecosystem. The O’Reilly MySQL Conference & Expo is a new event that builds on the tradition of past MySQL conferences (previous events were co-presented with MySQL AB and with Sun). This inclusive, innovative event will showcase the full spectrum of the MySQL ecosystem, from global corporations and diverse service vendors to start-ups and grassroots projects. Our growing lineup of speakers, program committee members, and sponsors represent a wide array of some of the most influential companies and projects in the MySQL community. Register now and save an additional 15% at: en.oreilly.com/mysql2010. Use discount code mys10msh.  April 17, 2010, New York, NY: Seven on Seven will pair seven leading artists with seven gamechanging technologists, and challenge them to develop something new –be it an application, social media, artwork, or whatever they imagine– over the course of a single day. The seven teams will unveil their ideas at a one-day, public event at the New Museum. Participants: Tauba Auerbach, Ayah Bdeir, Cao Fei Jeff Hammerbacher, David Karp, Aaron Koblin, Andrew Kortina, Hilary Mason, Matt Mullenweg, Monica Narula, Marc Andre Robinson, Evan Roth, Josh Schachter, and Ryan Trecartin. Use registration code mash to get 15% off.  April 19, 2010, St. Louis MO: The social media conference for marketers, Social Fresh is not about concept, but focused purely on case studies from the front lines. Learn what social media can really do for business bottom lines. One day, 35 speakers from companies like Ford, Best Buy, Scottrade, Hardees, CMT and many more. Register now and use coupon code mashable for 15% off.  April 19-20, 2010, Washington DC: The annual Politics Online Conference is a decade old tradition where techies come together with elected officials, campaign consultants, hill staff, lobbyists, advocacy professionals, non-profits and more to talk about how technology is, and can be used, in politics. Over the course of two days we will have three keynotes, 28 breakout sessions, and two happy hours. Most importantly we will be giving away eight $1,000 prizes as part of the new Brains On Fire awards. Use discount code mashable to reduce the rate to $450.  April 20-23, 2010, San Mateo, CA: At NewComm Forum 2010, don't miss the premier conference for unlocking the power of the social web for business. Speakers include a who's who of social media experts and practitioners from leading companies. Five comprehensive tracks include: Online Communications & Communities, Social CRM, Markets are Conversations, Understanding the New Media Landscape, and NewComm Essentials. Early Bird discounts through March 12th Use discount code NCF2010MASH to save an additional $100 – register now – seats are limited!  April 20-23, 2010, Bangalore, India: As one the longest running independent developer conferences in India, Great Indian Developer Summit is the gold standard for India’s software developer ecosystem for gaining exposure to and evaluating new projects, tools, services, platforms, languages, software and standards. At GIDS participate in hundreds of practical sessions encompassing the full range of Microsoft computing, Java, Agile, RIA, Web, open source/standards, languages, frameworks and platforms, inspirational keynotes, an Expo Hall featuring dozens of latest projects and products activities, and engage with 80 speakers from around the world and over 3000 IT professionals. Save 50% when using code GIDS10MPR0200 to register at developersummit.com/registeronline  April 21, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Join SF New Tech, the Bay Area’s largest and longest running monthly tech event, to get an early look at of some of the hottest new tech around. Famous for its sold out events where executives (and the occasional hacker or two) takes to the stage to strut their stuff, SF New Tech is *the* place where early adaptors, developers, influnencers, venture capitalists, journalists, bloggers, and regular every-day folks converge to see the latest and greatest technology. Visit sfnewtech.com for details.  April 21-23, 2010, Atlanta, GA: The 30th Annual Medical Communications Conference is a three day conference that focuses on improving the communication skills of medical professionals. Attendees will receive one on one media training from seasoned journalists, participate in hands on sessions that utilize the latest Web 2.0 applications, meet agents in publishing and television and receive case study driven examples of how to be a medical expert in all media platforms. CME will be provided for both MDs and RNs. Register now and receive $200 off as a Mashable reader.  April 22–23, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: If you're like most marketers, your intention to react with quickness and quality outpaces your ability. Forrester’s Marketing Forum 2010 connects you with analysts, peers, and industry leaders whose expertise will help you establish and embrace adaptive marketing practices. Call 888-343-6786 and save 20% off the regular rate with VIP code MFXMSH. Discount applies to new registrations only and cannot be combined with other offers.  April 25-27, 2010, Toronto, ON: Now in its 9th year, FITC Toronto is 3 full days and nights of events, plus one day of optional pre-festival workshops. With some of the most unique and engaging presenters from around the globe, FITC Toronto is an information blitz of over 70 presentations, demonstrations, and panel discussions covering the Creative, Technical, and Business aspects of Flash and digital media. Sandwiched between our legendary FITC parties, abundant networking opportunities, and opped off with the FITC Award Show, it’s three days and nights that will leave you inspired, energized and awed. Buy your 10% discount ticket today using the code: mashable  April 26, 2010, San Francisco, CA: The Future of Money & Technology Summit will bring together the best and brightest thinkers around money, including visionaries, entrepreneurial business people, developers, press, investors, authors, solution/service providers, and organizations who work where cash and commerce collide. We meet to discuss the evolving money ecosystem in a proactive, conducive to dealmaking environment. Featured speakers include Ben Parr from Mashable, as well as representatives from Wells Fargo Bank, Kiva, SharesPost, Jambool, Founders Fund, Outright.com, SoftTech VC, and many more. Entering the discount code Mashable will get you 10% off. Look forward to (hopefully) seeing you there…  April 26-28, Berlin, Germany: Embedded Mobile & M2M. Services conference is a great chance to compare approaches to building a profitable Embedded Mobile and M2M business. The opportunities of the Embedded Mobile and M2M market are clear to see. This event will help you to realise them. Visit the website today and book your place at this exciting event. Receive a 10% discount by quoting I2AENMASH when registering. View our website at embeddedm2m.net/mashable  April 28-30, 2010, San Jose, CA: At NSDI ‘10, meet with leading researchers to explore the design principles of large-scale networked and distributed systems. This year’s 3-day technical program includes 29 technical papers with topics including cloud services, Web browsers and servers, datacenter and wireless networks, malware, and more. NSDI ‘10 will also feature a poster session showcasing early research in progress. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet with premier researchers in the computer networking, distributed systems, and operating systems communities. Save an additional $100 by using the discount code NSDIMASH10 upon registration.  April 29-30, 2010, Lawrence KS: Social media is much more than a fad – it’s changing the way the world communicates. The communities in northeast Kansas are at the forefront of this movement and have made the region a hub for innovative technologies and social media use. Because of this, The World Company of Lawrence KS, is hosting a brand new social media event: The Free State Social. The Free State Social will highlight the best in social media from our area and put local innovations and ideas on a national – even global – stage. Our purpose is to educate attendees about the current state of social media, present opportunities for its use and talk about where the industry is headed. The Free State Social will be held on April 29-30, 2010 at the new Oread hotel in Lawrence, Kan. Keynote speakers include Jeremiah Owyang, Ellyn Angellotti, Shawna Coronado, Sarah Evans, Gowalla co-founder Scott Raymond, and Chris Brogan, co-author of the New York Times best-seller Trust Agents. Enter MASHABLE when checking out for a $20 discount on each ticket.  April 30–May 2, 2010, Mountain View, CA: The Wisdom 2.0 Conference brings together staff from technology companies such as Twitter and Google, with Zen teachers, neuroscientists, and others to explore how we can live with deeper meaning and wisdom in our technology age. Speakers include Greg Pass, VP of Engineering at Twitter; Bradley Horowitz, VP of Products at Google; Dave Morin, Senior Platform Manager at Facebook; Ben Parr of Mashable; Loic Le Meur of Seesmic; and many others. Use the discount code Mashable here for special discount.  May 3, 2010, Boston, MA: Social Media & Community 2.0 Strategies is the FIRST social media event that focuses on real-life business impact. Not just for entertainment value, hype or buzz, but real-world examples of driving revenue, cutting costs, and energizing conversations around your brand. What can you expect from this event that you won't find anywhere else? Targeted advice for business managers including Market Researchers, Innovators, Brand Managers, Customer Experience Strategists and Marketing Enthusiasts seeking practical, real-life business examples they can translate into their own organization to monetize this powerful medium. Save 15% when using code SOCIAL10MASH at iirusa.com/socialmedia.  May 4-5, 2010, Boston, MA: Drive sales and make social media work for you at MarketingProfs B2B Forum! You'll learn the ins-and-outs of social media as part of your overall B2B marketing mix – from integration and engagement to measurement. Get 1-on-1 access to the best and brightest B2B marketing stars who will share best practices and FREE advice! Plus, our loyal attendees say our events are ridiculously fun, interactive and the kicker is – we have the best Freebies in the biz! (no keychains here…FREE industry research reports & memberships—stuff to help you really drive sales in 2010!) Register today with code MASH to save up to $200!  May 6-7, 2010, San Francisco, CA: The Social Gaming Summit focuses on the intersection of games and the social web. The event will focus 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. Speakers represent Gowalla, Five Minutes, Inc., LOLapps, RockYou, Booyah!, Inc., GameHouse Studios and more. Register with promo code SGSMASH and save 20%!  May 11-12, 2010, Toronto, ON: Join us for Social Media – Risks & Rewards. The social media revolution is happening now, and quickly gathering steam. No business can afford to be left behind – and no business can afford to be unaware of the increased legal risks that a Company is exposed to. Learn about implementing and improving social media strategies, protecting your brand, return on investment, legal implications and much more. PLUS…a special address from Kevin Flynn, member of the blogging team for Obama for America. Use promo code 10495MASH to receive 15% off!  May 13, 2010, London, UK: The International Search Summit Innovations will focus on some of the most recent trends, tools and techniques in digital marketing including video, mobile and social networking and offer delegates insight and advice on how to effectively use them in international online campaigns. A range of expert speakers will discuss the latest international opportunities in these areas and offer practical tips for integrating them into an organisation's overall marketing strategy. The Summit will be held at The Barbican Centre in London, and is a must for any marketer targeting multiple markets and/or languages online. Book now with coupon code MASH1305 to receive 20% discount.  May 13-15, 2010, Milwaukee, WI: unGeeked Elite is a Nationwide Marketing and Branding Event. Featuring eight social media gurus and mavens such as Chris Brogan, Jason Falls, Sally Hogshead, Olivier Blanchard and more. unGEEKING is the widespread adoption of trends, strategies, and tools that allow us to enhance and embrace internal and external marketing campaigns, enhance customer service and develop better PR campaigns. Throughout the three days this nationally-focused event participants will learn about positioning your internal and external brand; managing inbound and outbound marketing efforts; facilitating online customer relationships; building strategic public relations campaigns; and monitoring social trends among clients and customers. Mashable readers get an exclusive 25% off the standard pricing with the special code: unGEEKEDMASH  May 14-17, 2010, Chicago, IL: The 2010 NARM Music Business Convention is an annual event with two music-focused programs: 1. The Music Business Crash Course (May 14-15) is perfect for entrepreneurs, musicians, managers and labels. This session explores social media, marketing and sales opportunities in the evolving digital music world. 2. The Annual NARM Convention (May 15-17) brings top industry pros together to meet, share innovations, hear great live music — and discover what's next in music-related digital, physical, mobile, social networking and gaming initiatives. Use discount code mash25 to receive 25% off the non-member rate for the convention.  May 17-19, 2010, Charlotte, NC: Search Exchange is a 3-day action packed internet marketing conference offering insights into social media marketing, search engine optimization, online reputation management, and pay per click advertising. Learn and network with industry professionals and business owners from around the world. Mashable readers save 10% using code mash10 during registration.  May 17-19, 2010, Munich, Germany: a4uexpo heads to Germany for a two day Conference and expo. Over 30 presentations and panel debates on how to embrace the Affiliate Marketing sector, to include how media owners, agencies and advertisers can utilise Social Media platforms within the channel. Topics also include SEO, SEM, Blogging, Best Practice, Video, Mobile and API feeds. The conference includes access to 3 networking parties and promises to attract the very best entrepreneurs and affiliate marketing specialists from across Europe. Mashable readers can enjoy a 10% discount on registration with the code MASH10.  May 18-19, 2010, Santa Clara, CA: The Social Media Strategies Conference is the premier event for CMOs, Social Media Strategist, Managers, Marketers, Search Marketers, Online Community Managers, Corporate Communications, PR, Marketing, Advertising, and Recruiting Professionals. This year the conference will focus on how organizations are and can leverage Social Media to achieve their business goals. Hear from the experts about this cutting-edge space, how it impacts your business, and how you can leverage it. This conference will feature workshops, interactive sessions, panel discussions, and keynotes from thought leaders. Don’t miss it! To save $100 use the promotion code: mashable  May 19-20, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Gilbane Conference San Francisco 2010 is focused on Content, Collaboration and Customers. Today web and enterprise content management permeate every aspect of an organization. Internal websites, whether in the form of intranets, blogs, or portals and provide efficient ways to collaborate & share knowledge. Customer & internal-facing applications share requirements that call for a number of enterprise content, publishing and infrastructure technologies including multi-lingual, social media, search, and integration software. Our conference is focused on what you should expect from these technologies. Mashable readers get to save an additional $200 – just use discount code MARSH when registering!  May 22–23, 2010 Los Angeles, CA: The You Conference presents a unique opportunity, to learn personal branding, social media, the art of the hustle, self promotion and create a flood of customers. Gary Vaynerchuk (Crush It!), Dave Lakhani (How To Sell When Nobody’s Buying), Peter Shankman (Can We Do That?!), and Geri Druckman will provide an interactive format enabling each attendee to learn the tools & techniques to infiltrate markets, make social media work for you and be successful. Use promo-code: Mashable for a $50 discount.  May 24-26, 2010, Chicago, IL: If you want to learn how to create a Twitter account or Facebook Fan page, then School of WOM is not for you. This conference will equip you with the knowledge you need to ensure "no consumer gets left behind." The curriculum will focus on the power of how great customer service leads to customer recommendations resulting in driving sales, building brands, fostering community, sparking conversations, and influencing a company's culture. School of WOM will ensure that your brand becomes talkable across all consumer touch points. Visit womma.org/schoolofwom and save $200 and receive the early bird rate by using the code: MashableRocks  May 25-27, 2010, The Sage Gateshead, UK: Thinking Digital is overtly inspired by the TED and PopTech conferences in America. We attract more than 30 of the world's most innovative, creative, insightful and/or accomplished people to come to Hall Two of the Sage Gateshead, United Kingdom annually and talk about their work, inspirations, insights and ideas. Our venue and speakers thereby attract a wonderfully eclectic mix of people from around Northern England, Europe and the world. Mashable readers save 25% using code tdc_mashable here.  June 3, 2010, New York, NY: Hatch Match Columbia 2010: A great investor and industry event for one-on-one meetings with people you want to meet and have great conversations that stimulate action. This yearly event draws crowds of 400+ with 30+ investors including Union Square Ventures, Bessemer Ventures, Greenhill, Zelkova, NYC Seed, Metamorphic Ventures, and more. Additional experts are made available in the areas of mobile, digital, advertising, legal, etc for you to access in the main room. For more information and sign up go to: hatchmatch2010.eventbrite.com to meet one-on-one with NYC investors. Mashable readers can receive 25% off registration with promo code MASH10.  June 4-6 2010, Hutchinson, KS: Small Business Social Media Summit – A live, rub elbows, shake hands and sit down across a table from other small business owners event. Some of the most respected social media, internet based marketers and small business peers have come together to share their proven strategies. They will give you real life, no hype and the nitty-gritty details you need to know how to take advantage of the benefits social media has to offer any small business. This is your chance to develop a plan and take what you learn home with you. Register now and save at: smallbizsocialmediasummit.com. Special pricing of $180 for Mashable readers is available here.  June 15-16, 2010, Chicago, IL: Building on the success of the 2009 event, The 2nd Annual Health Care New Media Marketing conference will feature presentations from healthcare executives that implemented Web 2.0 strategies and developed quality metrics for evaluating the success of new media campaigns. Over the course of two days, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from thought leaders from major hospitals, healthcare institutions, and social media outlets. Through a series of case studies and forums, attendees will walk away with the tools needed to ultimately reach consumers through new media in an accurate and appropriate. Discount code: MASHABLE get $50 off.  June 29-30, 2010, London, UK: The 2nd annual Cloud Computing and Enterprise 2.0 World Forum is the perfect event to learn and discuss the future development and integration of cloud and enterprise 2.0 services and products. Building on the success of the 2009 show, this two day conference and exhibition will provide a focused platform for the global cloud computing and enterprise social media industry. The 2010 show will include a free-to-attend exhibition with scenario based workshop area and key service providers demonstrating their products.  August 13, 2010, Nashville, TN: At Big South Social Media Summit, come listen to some of the most forward-thinking business giants from companies like Southwest, SAP, Comcast, Domino's as well as social media loving celebrities who will speak directly on how they drive ROI through social media. Speakers will share real-world success stories, pit falls, and case studies to demonstrate the true value of social media. This summit will allow business leaders to finally understand how social media can propel their business and how to produce real results. More than the mechanics, this is a relatable summit that will open eyes to the power of social media in business. Get 15% off the ticket price by using the vacomash discount code.
Eventbrite is an online events marketplace where tens of thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations of all sizes manage, promote and sell tickets to their events. Make your event a success on Eventbrite. Reviews: Australia, Facebook, Google, Gowalla, LinkedIn, Mashable, Pandora, Seesmic, Twitter, WordPress, YouTube, society, video Tags: conferences, Events, mashable
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| Google Chrome Continues to Grow at Other Browsers’ Expense Posted: 01 Mar 2010 09:48 AM PST 
Chrome grew from 5.22% to 5.61% (0.39%) over the course of February. Internet Explorer shrunk from 62.12% to 61.58% (0.54%), Firefox from 24.43% to 24.23% (0.2%), Safari from 4.53% to 4.45% (0.08%) and Opera from 2.38% to 2.35% (0.03%). Here’s another tidbit: Chrome use grew among Mashable readers from 12.68% to 14.8% — 2.12%. From that you can deduce that Chrome’s adoption is (unsurprisingly) moving faster among web and tech enthusiasts. While 14.8% among enthusiasts and 5.22% among the general population might not seem like much, it’s actually very impressive progress for a new browser. Chrome passed Safari to become the third most popular desktop browser in the world in December. Net Applications also found that the archaic Internet Explorer 6 browser version declined another 0.24%. We’ve been saying “IE6 must die” for months now, and it looks like we’re slowly getting our wish. Expect the decline to speed up this month when YouTube drops its support. [via ZDNet] Reviews: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Mashable, Opera, Safari Tags: chrome, Firefox, google chrome, internet explorer, net applications, opera, safari, software, trending, web browser
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| Movieclips Makes Legally Licensed Movie Clips Available Internationally Posted: 01 Mar 2010 09:13 AM PST 
Back in December, we covered the launch of Movieclips.com — which is kind of like Hulu, but for movie clips. The site — which was originally only available in the U.S. and Canada — is unique in that it offers up thousands of searchable, embeddable, shareable legally licensed movie clips from Hollywood flicks — including films that are current in theaters — for free. I got to talk to co-founders Zach James and Rich Raddon about the site, the new API and international availability. Watch Out WorldOne of the best things about the Internet is that it can break down barriers like location. Unfortunately, when it comes to creative content like movies and TV shows, where you live often dictates what you can watch online. This can get downright ridiculous, especially when you consider how many films appear in theaters internationally — increasingly at the same time as they are released in the U.S. Sites like SpeedCine are making it easier for international users to find movie options, but it’s still a very silly problem in the age of the Internet. That’s why I was so impressed that Zach and Rich worked to launch Movieclips.com globally. The guys told me that it was actually feedback from the international community — movie lovers who couldn’t access the site — that pushed them to work out the deals so that no matter where you are, you can watch clips like this one: Movieclips.com APIThe other big announcement today is that developers can now apply to become an approved partner and gain access to the Movieclips API. This has some really exciting possibilities. As it stands right now, the Movieclips team tags every single clip with tons of meta information — this includes stuff like the dialogue in the scene, the actors and actresses, the mood of the scene, the general theme, etc. Developers can plug into this information so that they can serve not just clips from the database, but also pull up specific clips for a certain purpose. For instance, if you wanted to write an app that would generate a new clip based on certain holidays or based on a mood description, you could do it. Likewise, imagine the kind of movie trivia games that could be aided by having access to a huge library of clips, as well as details like actor name, role, etc. I hope that some developers take advantage of this tool, because this could add some great context and functionality to movie apps. More to ComeThe Movieclips guys will be announcing more stuff at SXSWi, but in the meantime, check out the site if you haven’t already. More and more clips are being added every week, and Movieclips remains one of the best ways to legally share content online — regardless of where you live. Reviews: Hulu Tags: hulu, movie clips, movieclips.com, Movies, video sharing
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| OK Go Allows Embeds With New Version of Their Music Video Posted: 01 Mar 2010 08:03 AM PST 
OK Go has made its bones, in some senses, on the viral nature of their music videos, the first of which to hit big was their now-famous treadmill dance for “Here it Goes Again.” So it was a big shock when the band found that it could no longer employ the Internet as freely to spread the word about their new video. Why did YouTube and EMI pull the plug? Well, for monetary reasons, of course. To put it simply: YouTube and EMI get paid when you watch a video on the video-sharing site, not so much when you watch it on someone’s personal blog. In response to the uproar, lead singer Damian Kulash posted a public explanation on the band’s blog, and even wrote an op-ed in The New York Times about how labels were screwing themselves over by bridling the shareability of videos for what amounts to a relatively small amount of cash. (NB: The video was also made shareable via Vimeo and MySpace.) Well, now the band has seemingly bucked the restrictions of the label by creating an entirely new video for the song, this time sponsored by insurance company State Farm. The new video — which seems much more elaborate than the marching band-inspired first iteration — revolves around a Rube Goldberg machine (a contraption that is designed to perform simple tasks in an extremely complicated manner) that was created with help from SynnLabs, a team of creative engineers from NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. You can take a look at a series of making-of videos (which are — surprise, surprise — entirely embeddable) below, and head on over to the band’s website at 7:00 p.m. EST for the premiere. Afterwhich, you can share the vid to your heart’s content. Kulash will be on hand for a live chat following the premiere as well. Keep an eye of Mashable later this week, as we plan to talk with the band further about the new video, the State Farm sponsorship and the reception of this new vid. The Making of “This Too Shall Pass”The Original VidReviews: Mashable, MySpace, Vimeo, YouTube Tags: business, EMI, money, music, OK Go, viral video, youtube
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| 10 Reasons You Should Attend or Watch a Global Ignite Week Event Posted: 01 Mar 2010 07:40 AM PST 
Today marks the start of Ignite’s most ambitious endeavor to date: Global Ignite Week. This week-long Ignite extravaganza has been eight months in the making and is a first of its kind. You can find an Ignite event to attend or watch online, but either way you’ll want to familiarize with the movement that is Ignite. To catch you up to speed, we’ve put together a list of reasons why Global Ignite Week (@ignite) should be on your radar. 10 Reasons to Attend or Watch Online1. Be a part of history in the makingWhile Ignite has been around since 2006, this year’s coordinated Global Ignite Week initiative is a first of its kind — with more than 12,000 people slated to attend 72 events spanning six continents — that’s bound to become the talk of the Web over the coming week, and perhaps after. 2. It’s globalWe’ve already mentioned that events are taking place in six continents, but given that that Ignite is one hundred percent volunteer organized we think it’s remarkable that this single week will encompass events happening in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and even Africa. Six out of seven is no small feat, but we hear that next year we could even see Ignite events in Antarctica. 3. No keynotesTrust us, this is a pro. Instead of putting a few special guests on a pedestal for a keynote speech or panel, Ignite events are structured such that all presenters are equal. All speakers are treated the same, alloted the same amount of time, and must follow the same set of rules. Still, some of the greatest minds from all walks of life participate and get their five minutes under the spotlight. 4. Talks are only 5 minutes (hint: you won’t get bored)Ignite is perhaps the most structured event we know of that still manages to inspire creative thinking. Each presenter is limited to five minutes and there is absolutely no wiggle room. None. Period. 5. Presentation slides auto-advanceIn order to up the challenge factor, Ignite speakers are only alloted 20 slides. The catch is that each slide auto-advances after 15 seconds, regardless of whether or not the presenter has finished their thought. This makes for an atmosphere that crackles with intensity and forces presenters to stay on topic and get their points across quickly and succinctly (or be left behind by their own slides). 6. It’s pitch-freeAs conference goers, we all always fear that conference sessions will derail into tedious and unwanted pitch fests. Fear not! Ignite is a pitch-free zone and talks are guaranteed to encompass an array of topics like the above example, How To Work a Crowd. 7. There’s boozeEvent organizers — volunteers though they may be — are still tasked to find venues that have bars. Enough said. 8. There’s science fair-like contestsAt some Ignites, organizers will opt to include a contest portion in addition to the standard five minute talks. Contests vary depending on location but they’re meant to be activity-based exercises with rules that inspire creativity and yet make winning a challenge. Contests from years past include egg slams, Popsicle-stick bridge contests, paper airplane challenges, and cupcake contests. 9. Video is live streamed to the Web (and archived)Even if you can’t make it out to the Ignite event in your neighborhood, you can tune into the Ignite events from all areas as each local event will be live streaming their talks to the web. You can turn to Ignite’s recently unveiled video site to eavesdrop on sessions happening around the world or catch up on popular talks from previous events. 10. You can unlock a Foursquare badgeThe Foursquare badge is starting to become choice du’jour for the hidden gem of any geeky event and Ignite is no different. If you’re attending an event in person and check-in on Foursquare, you’ll be welcomed with a custom Ignite Foursquare badge. As any Foursquare fanatic knows, each badge is like a trophy that highlights your adventurous nature. Disclosure: Mashable is a media partner of Global Ignite Week [Img credits: LaughingSquid, Yukon White Light, NYTVF] Reviews: Australia, Foursquare, Mashable Tags: Events, foursquare, ignite, List, Lists, live video, o'reilly
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| Upgrading to Windows Phone 7 May Not Be Possible Posted: 01 Mar 2010 07:16 AM PST 
Up until recently, it looked as though there was a chance of upgrading; as Microsoft's UK Mobile Business Group Director Alex Reeve said, it’s up to their “hardware partners to think about.” But now, news comes out that owners of HTC HD2, a new Windows Mobile 6.5 device that seems more than capable of running the new software, won’t be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 7 software. Furthermore, according to APC, Microsoft’s general manager for mobile communications business in the Asia-Pacific region, Natasha Kwan, none of the current phones have what it takes. "Because we have very specific requirements for Windows Phone 7 Series the current phones we have right now will not be upgradable," she said. This doesn’t mean that Windows Mobile 6.x owners will be left with dead-end devices, as Microsoft is supposed to continue support for them under the name Windows Phone Classic. But if you’re interested in upgrading to Windows Phone 7, you’re treading on unstable ground, no matter which Windows Mobile device you own. Tags: microsoft, windows mobile, windows phone 7
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The sharing service 
It’s time once again to pit two contestants against each other in an all-out battle for the hearts and minds of Mashable readers. In this week’s 
Google, the world’s largest search engine and the owner of the world’s largest online advertising platform, has been granted a major U.S. patent for “determining and/or using location information in an ad system.” In other words, Google now owns a key patent for location-based advertising.
This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details 
Name: 
The 
Another wave of Twitter phishing has erupted this afternoon, with a 
Mark Suster is a Partner at 
Twitter has just announced that it has opened up its full data feed of all public tweets — a.k.a. the “Firehose” — to seven new startups, and is looking to partner with more to give them access to the data.
Greetings and salutations, music fans! Please join us for 
Google has just acquired 
Professors who wish to engage students during large lectures face an uphill battle. Not only is it a logistical impossibility for 200+ students to actively participate in a 90 minute lecture, but the downward sloping cone-shape of a lecture hall induces a one-to-many conversation. This problem is compounded by the recent budget cuts that have squeezed ever more students into each room.
Avatar — the 
A viral video of a 3-year-old crying fan caught the eye of pop star Justin Bieber (and/or Jimmy Kimmel producers), who 
An analyst has been speculating that manufacturing bottlenecks may reduce the number of iPads available at launch — or delay it entirely, according to 
Update: Sony PlayStation Network has been 
It’s a brand new week, which means it’s time for Mashable's guide to upcoming social media and web events, parties, and conferences. For more upcoming event listings, check out Mashable’s 
Remember how 
Today, video-sharing site 
What was once just a Seattle event — first started by Brady Forrest of O’Reilly Media and Bre Pettis formerly of Etsy.com in 2006 — 
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