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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Fw: Mashable: Latest 7 News Updates + “Happy Birthday Twitter!”


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Subject: Mashable: Latest 7 News Updates - including "Happy Birthday Twitter!"

Mashable: Latest 7 News Updates - including "Happy Birthday Twitter!"

Link to Mashable!

Happy Birthday Twitter!

Posted: 20 Mar 2010 10:37 PM PDT

Twitter LogoSunday, March 21st (a few hours from now on the West Coast) marks Twitter's 4th birthday — exactly four years since Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey sent his first Tweet and, along with Evan Williams and Biz Stone, started a phenomenon.

Last month, Twitter hit 50 million Tweets per day, and last summer it was announced that "Twitter" would enter the Collins English Dictionary.

What birthday message do you have for Twitter? Let us know in the comments.


Jack First Tweet Image

[via The Next Web]


Reviews: Twitter

Tags: birthday, trending, twitter


4 Ways Non-Profits Can Use Google Buzz

Posted: 20 Mar 2010 06:03 PM PDT

Google Buzz IconGeoff Livingston co-founded Zoetica to focus on cause-related work, and released an award-winning book on new media Now is Gone in 2007.

Despite some initial flaws, Google Buzz continues to show promise as a social marketing platform. It has a significant (though somewhat latent) user base, with an increasing number of loyalists who swear by it.

When a green field lies before you, so does opportunity. Some non-profits stand to gain from being part of the early Buzz adopter community. Whether a cause needs to further the dialogue with a tech-savvy crowd, or is attracted to the functionality of Gmail integration, Buzz does bring some new capabilities to bear.

Here are four great uses for Buzz in cause-based activity.


1. Manage Public Conversations Better

A useful feature of Google Buzz is its public threaded conversation stream. This format has significant advantages over Twitter's disjointed @reply conversations and hashtag-based threads, as well as Facebook's often high privacy walls.

"We've been looking at using Buzz to have public conversations about Mothers Fighting for Others' work with an orphanage in Kenya," said Jeff Turner, President of Zeek Interactive. "We want to be able to facilitate a consistent thread of conversation, but we want it to be more public and open than Facebook or [Google] Wave would allow. With Buzz, we feel like we can maintain a clear stream of thought around a topic, and at the same time, do it in a public forum where someone we might not be able to envision being interested could join in."


2. E-mail Integration Means Better Workflow

Gmail Buzz ImageNon-profits could use Buzz to manage workflow across a group. This can be useful for an organization with project teams spread across multiple offices or in the field. With e-mail integration, it saves the organization from having to set up a separate account with another private conversation tool like Basecamp.

"An example would be to set up Buzz as a private group for a project team, large or small," said Shireen Mitchell, a Washington D.C.-based digital activist. "Twitter updates, blog posts, and other related content that has an RSS feed can be connected to individual [Buzz] accounts tracking topics related to the project. The team can make comments and select "like" to provide a consensus of interest on each update. This would keep the team updated on news, topics and content for any existing issue-driven social media campaign of the organization. [It's] sort of a mini crowdsourcing of the team."


3. Finally Connect to "Unsocial" Users

Another interesting aspect of Buzz's workflow and e-mail integration is the use of a system that blends 2.0 functionality with a 1.0 system. Non-profit managers can use this to intelligently blend workforce conversations between younger and older, or tech-savvy and entrenched members of their teams. Crossing the streams may enable better communications.

"Google Buzz allows users to publish private streams to specific contact groups," said John Haydon, a non-profit social media strategist. "This is a perfect way to include staff members who don't use social media in important real-time conversations, especially during news-worthy events like the earthquake in Haiti."


4. Geo-Location Adds a New Element

Location Map Image

When Google launches a social network, it brings more to bear than your average start-up. Consider the ability to integrate geo-location with Google Maps into your social network activity. People can see social activity on the fly.

"Fast forward to a cause marketing campaign like Starbucks' partnership with Product RED," said Joe Waters, author of the Selfish Giving blog. "Buzzing about the latest campaign to a really large audience with geo-location features [enabled] lets people see in real-time all the people [talking] about the campaign in their area — especially in densely packed areas in New York where [Starbucks] are practically right across the street from each other.

"In short, Buzz can potentially broadcast a cause marketing campaign to a much larger audience than say Twitter. And the geo-location feature, if it takes off, can give a program a real-time, tangible quality that can't be replicated on another [social media] platform."


More social media resources from Mashable:

- The Science of Building Trust With Social Media
- Why Sex-Ed Remains a Challenge for Social Media
- 3 Ways Educators Are Embracing Social Technology
- How Twitter in the Classroom is Boosting Student Engagement
- HOW TO: Prepare for Disasters Using Social Media


Reviews: Basecamp, Facebook, Gmail, Google Buzz, Google Maps, Twitter

Tags: collaboration, Google, google buzz, non-profits, nonprofits, social good, social media, social media marketing


Yelp for Business: 4 Steps for Success

Posted: 20 Mar 2010 03:14 PM PDT

Business Sign ImageThis post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

For local small businesses, Yelp isn't just an option — it's a necessity. People in urban centers use it to choose where to go to dinner, where to buy clothes, and where to be entertained. Users decide where and how to spend their money using Yelp, so if your business is local, you need to curate your Yelp page.

If your business has been around long, you probably already have a page; you're just not holding the reins yet. You'll want to step in and take control of it as soon as possible, because using it correctly can bring you new business and prevent any negative word of mouth from hindering your growth and success.

Claiming or creating your Yelp business page is easy; just fill out a couple of online forms and answer a quick, automated phone call. It takes less than five minutes. Once you're signed up, you'll have access to tools that will help you engage your customers and spread the word about what you're offering to the community. Here are a few basic tips for successfully leveraging the tools Yelp offers you for the benefit of your local business.


1. Fill Out Your Business Info Completely

Yelp for Businesses

Customers refer to Yelp business pages to learn about a business before going out to visit in person. If the information on the Yelp page is incomplete, they're likely to move on to a competitor that provides more details simply because they'll better know what to expect and are less likely to be surprised, be disappointed or have their time wasted.

The administration page for business owners offers a slew of fields and choices for sharing information to make it easy for users to know exactly what to expect. If you provide the information they're looking for, they're more likely to become reliable, paying customers. So fill out as much information as you can, and keep it up to date.


2. Respond Constructively to Customer Reviews

Last Spring, Yelp gave business owners the ability to respond to negative reviews, either to privately make apologies to reviewers or publicly correct misinformation. Don't skimp on using this feature because you're afraid of making things worse; it can turn a bad situation around. Dissatisfied customers will often give you a second look if you communicate to them that you value their input and are making changes to improve your business.

Yelp published an easy-to-use guide to constructive user review responses on its website. It includes examples of how not to respond to user reviews and how best to. Some of the tips are obvious, but some of them aren't. They're worth a look, as is my colleague Josh Catone's recent post, "How to Deal with Negative Feedback in Social Media."


3. Make Offers and Announcements Regularly

Yelp Image

Yelp allows you to share special offers and announcements not just with the people who visit your page, but with members of the larger community who might not even know about your business. When you create an offer or announcement on Yelp, it appears in the offers and announcements directory for your city. People who have never heard of your business will see them there. They'll even find you in search results.

The more of these offers and announcements you make, the more likely it will be that Yelp users will discover your business, so come up with creative ways to draw people in, then share the news.


4. Display Yelp Badges on Your Website or Blog

Yelp provides badges that you can embed on your business's website or blog that show that you're on Yelp and engaged with your community. They'll even tell visitors how many positive reviews you've had.

These badges give potential customers the impression that you have existing satisfied customers vouching for you, so they'll be more likely to trust you with their business. The badges also act as links between your Yelp page and your other online outreach efforts. People can click a badge to read reviews or get more information. If a satisfied customer visits your site or blog, the badge might lead that person to leave his or her own positive review.


Is Advertising on Yelp Worth it?

You may also choose to advertise on Yelp. It costs between $300 and $1,000 per month — it's kind of like a premium account — but there's a chance that you'll increase your exposure if you opt in, because you'll appear at the top of the list when users perform a search related to your business.

There are a few other benefits as well. For example, you'll be able to feature one good review of your choosing at the top of the list on your business page. You still can't edit, move or delete other reviews, though.

It's difficult to measure exactly how much these premium benefits will help you; it depends on a number of factors unique to your business and your city.


More business resources from Mashable:

- HOW TO: Make Your Small Business Geolocation-Ready
- Web Entrepreneurship: Does the City You Live in Matter?
- Google Buzz: 5 Opportunities for Small Businesses
- 4 Elements of a Successful Business Web Presence
- HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, LisaInGlasses


Reviews: Yelp, iStockphoto

Tags: business, geo-location, List, Lists, MARKETING, small business, social media, social networks, yelp


5 Brilliant iPhone Apps for Baseball Fans

Posted: 20 Mar 2010 03:11 PM PDT

Attention baseball fans, the date that is no doubt etched in your brain — the start of the 2010 Major League Baseball Season — is fast approaching. To get you ready for April 4 (when the Boston Red Sox will take on the reigning World Series champion New York Yankees at Fenway Park) we're pitching you five handpicked iPhone apps that will hit a home run with baseball fans.

If you are partial to America's national sport — and let's face it, it's almost unpatriotic not to be — then these apps are an absolute must for your iPhone or iPod touch. However, in case we've struck out and missed any of your faves, then do let us know in the comments below.


1. MLB at Bat 2010


Although criticized for its $15 price tag, MLB's official iPhone app is a great all-rounder for fans, and an even better option for fans that have a paid-up for MLB.TV because, with portable access to your MLB.TV account, you can watch live streaming games on the go. As with last season's offering, anyone can use the app to listen live to games, as well as get a virtual idea of what's happening at the park with MLB's blow-by-blow Gameday updates.

The app also offers scores and stats, as well as some in-game highlights and a video library that's searchable by both player and team. If you really can't stretch to that $15, then a free "lite" version (MLB.com At Bat Lite) offers real-time MLB scores, schedules, news and standings — but no audio or video — that will keep you informed through to the end of 2010 World Series.

Cost: $14.99


2. FanGraphs Baseball


If you're the type of fan that can rattle off ground ball to fly ball ratios and stolen base percentages like Rain Man reciting phone numbers, then quite simply you will love this app. Claiming to offer the most detailed player statistics available on an iPhone app, FanGraphs will let you look back and analyze every major player in baseball history, as well as look forward with live win probability graphs based on game data for the 2010 season.

Favorite players can be tracked with full, live box scores that link through to past stats, every play can be analyzed to see how it impacts the game, and there's even up-to-date advanced fielding metrics via FanGraph's "Ultimate Zone Ratings."

Cost: $2.99


3. Ballpark Envi


It could be argued that the stadium is as much a character in baseball as the opposing teams or the crowd. A celebration of the nation's ballparks is offered in one neat little app — Ballpark Envi — spanning baseball's geography as well as its history from Shibe Park to the new Yankee Stadium. Browsable by team, or by American and National League, every current Major League baseball stadium is detailed with stadium pics and slide shows, seating charts (super useful for booking tickets) as well as the ability to see the park's location on a map.

Whether you want to glimpse Dodger Stadium's wavy roofs on the outfield pavilions or the orange foul poles of the Mets' new Citi Field this app will give you an insider glimpse of America's amazing ballparks with all their quirks and characteristics.

Cost: $0.99


4. iScore Baseball Scorekeeper


If you consider a baseball scorebook will set you back $5 at the absolute minimum (and more if you buy it at the park) then the $10 price tag for this app does not seem quite so steep. There are a dearth of 99 cent alternatives available in the App Store, but for looks and an intuitive interface (the app works on an "interview" premise asking you for all the data it needs to build a complete picture of the game) the iScore Baseball Scorekeeper is the champ.

As well as appealing to those hardcore fans that like to sit and score every game, this is also a good option for those new to baseball scorekeeping – you don't have to learn all the abbreviations and symbols and iScore offers a full set of tutorial videos to get you using the app like a pro.

Cost: $9.99


5. Baseball FanMisery.com Index Apps


If you want to keep your favorite Major League Baseball team in your pocket then FanMisery.com offers an Index App for each and every MLB team. Working on the basis that being a fan is in fact misery (the agony of defeat and all that jazz) the apps make sure you are kept as absolutely up-to-date as possible with a comprehensive set of stats, opinions and news drawn from national and local papers, broadcast media and blogs.

One nice touch is that if a blog or news source you follow isn't currently included in the indexing, the developer (Discover Motion) will add it in for you on request — just the kind of helpful option that warms the cockles of an iPhone owner's heart.

Cost: $2.99 each


More iPhone resources from Mashable:

- 10 Essential iPhone Apps for Runners
- 10 Best iPhone Apps for Dog Lovers
- Top 10 iPhone Apps as Judged by Mashable Readers
- 10 Fun iPhone Apps for Beer Lovers
- Mashable's New iPhone App: Download Today!

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, spxChrome


Reviews: Fangraphs, iStockphoto

Tags: Baseball, iphone, iphone apps, Lists, sports


Sprint Makes Your iPhone 4G [VIDEO]

Posted: 20 Mar 2010 02:12 PM PDT

The iPhone 4G (next generation iPhone) is yet to be released, but Sprint is cleverly advertising "4G speeds" on your iPhone thanks to its Sierra Wireless Overdrive 4G WiFi hotspot.

The nifty device lets you browse the web "up to 10 times faster" by providing a WiFi hotspot that uses Sprint's 4G network. The downside: it's another device to carry with you.

What do you think: is it worth getting yet another device for super-fast speeds?

[via BGR]

Tags: iphone, iphone 4g, sprint


Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

Posted: 20 Mar 2010 12:36 PM PDT

Twitter ImageJustin Bieber remains an immutable force of Twitter trend power, taking the top slot again for the third week in a row. Tweeters also showed their love (and/or disdain) for a number of other pop singers, and celebrated a few holidays this past week.

Thanks to our friends at What The Trend, we have yet another interesting stats-eye-view of the Twitterverse. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart below.

Beyond Justin Bieber, Follow Friday, and Music Monday — the reigning trend champs — St. Patrick's Day made an appearance as people tweeted their revelry, and Lady Gaga crept up on the list with the premiere of her new video on Vevo and a tour in New Zealand.

The Jonas Brothers hung tight near the middle, while circle enthusiasts everywhere tweeted vigorously about Pi Day on March 14th, spurred on no doubt by the charming Google doodle that commemorated the occasion.

If you own a TV or computer, you probably know that March Madness is upon us, and bracket-related tweets have been flying around the web all week, landing the term at number seven.

Rounding out the chart are two more singers who made some news this week. Demi Lovato, the 17 year old actress/singer, stirred some buzz with her admission that she's dating a Jonas Brother, and Chris Brown, the career-stunted R&B singer, reached out to his fans on the web for some help on making a comeback.

Strangely, tweets about the ongoing South By Southwest (SXSW) conference — one of the most talked about topics in tech and a favorite of the Twitter community — did not reach critical mass to make this week's list. This is likely due to the lack of big announcements or product launches from the conference this year.

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


Top Twitter Trends This Week 3/13 – 3/19

Rank
Topic
Top Index This Week
Change
Description
#1
Justin Bieber
1
Justin Bieber's new album My World 2.0 comes out on March 23rd & his fans are excited. He also appeared on Z100.com, QVC, and GMTV in the UK.
#2
Follow Friday
1
Follow Friday is a tradition where people tweet people they believe are fun/interesting to follow (on Fridays).
#3
St. Patrick's Day
2
NEW
People are tweeting "Happy St. Patrick's Day" and showing their Irish spirit.
#4
Lady GaGa
2
2
Lady GaGa is currently touring in New Zealand.
#5
Music Monday
2
Music Monday is a tradition where users recommend music they appreciate every Monday.
#6
Jonas Brothers
7
Mentions of the Jonas Brothers.
#7
March Madness
1
The National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division 1 Men's Basketball tournament started this week.
#8
Happy Pi Day
2
NEW
March 14th is Happy Pi Day! Pi is, roughly, 3.14. And today is 3/14. And March 14 is also the birthday of Albert Einstein
#9
Demi Lovato
3
March 13 2010, "Jemi" is confirmed. Demi Lovato admitted to dating Joe Jonas in an interview by Billy Bush. Many people are tweeting their opinions about this new couple. Joe Jonas and Demi also recently released a new song, "Make a Wave."
#10
Chris Brown
1
NEW
Singer Chris Brown asked his fans to help revive his
career. They have been obliging with a variety of trends.


Reviews: Twitter, chris brown

Tags: justin bieber, Top Twitter Topics, trends, twitter, twitter trends, What The Trend


11 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed

Posted: 20 Mar 2010 09:26 AM PDT

Logos ImageWe know you're busy. Even with every social media, web, and RSS tool at your disposal, you can occasionally miss out on some of the week's most insightful content.

Never fear. We've taken a moment to round up the best Mashable resources from this past week and present them here for your weekend enjoyment.

From in-depth how-tos, to app lists, to valuable business guides, browse below for a veritable smorgasbord of value you may have passed over.


Social Media

FriendWheel

For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable's social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.


Mobile

Location Apps Image

For more mobile news and resources, you can follow Mashable's mobile channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.


Business

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable's business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.


Reviews: Facebook, Mashable, Twitter

Tags: business, features, Features Week In Review, List, Lists, Mobile 2.0, social media


Top 10 Modern Gadgets with Retro Styling [PICS]

Posted: 20 Mar 2010 08:49 AM PDT

If you're a gadget-lover fed up of filling your home with ice white this and brushed aluminum that, then check out this selection of totally stylin' items offering a design blast from the past.

Retro, vintage, old school or just classic, whatever your interpretation, we've dug out ten gadgets that boast classic good looks as well as bang-up-to-date functionality.


1. Olympus Pen E-P1


Olympus' Pen E-P1 is chock full of digital goodness in a design that harks back to the SLR glory days and the original Pen's release back in 1959, which made a big impact on the camera market with its small dimensions. With a 12-megapixel sensor and capable of capturing movies at 720p, the modern micro four thirds snapper offers digital SLR-standard pics in a more compact format with those vintage looks that are good enough to lick.

Cost: $799.99


2. Phonofone II


Science and Sons' Phonofone II is a wickedly old-fashioned iPod speaker, or in the words of its creator "audio console." Using no power, the gramophone-styled device utilizes passive amplification and cunning acoustics to boost the audio output of standard earphones to around 55 decibels. With an entirely ceramic construction, it's as much sculpture as it is speaker.

Cost:: Currently 240 euros – around $330


3. LG Classic TV


So far only released in Korea, LG thrilled fans of retro style when it revealed a classic CRT television, complete with bunny ears aerial and channel-changing knobs. The 14-inch set stands on chrome legs and if you're doing the back-in-time trip all the way, can display in black and white or sepia. Despite its vintage appearance it offers a digital tuner and does come with a remote control for when you get bored of fiddling with the knobs.

Cost: Sadly N/A


4. Snowball USB Mic


A professional USB mic, the Snowball from Blue Microphones claims to offer plug'n'play ease of use with both Macs and PCs but the power to capture anything from the softest vocals to the loudest garage band. Angled as ideal for podcasting, the vintage appearance of this modern peripheral may serve to remind users of the rich heritage of broadcasting and inspire them to podcast about more than the hilarious antics of their cat. That, and it will look wicked-cool on your desk.

Cost: $99.95


5. Panasonic Old School Monitor Stereo Headphones


Available in black, white, red and an outrageously retro avocado green, say goodbye to fiddly modern earbuds with these totally cool cans from Panasonic. The Panasonic Old School Monitor Stereo Headphones, to give them their full title, offer leather-cushioned listening comfort you can only dream of if you're used to in-ear audio efforts and look so darn cool you'll be tempted to wear them out — even when you're not listening to music.

Cost:: $59.99


6. Hulger P*PHONE


Sure, headsets are all well and good but there's no romance in looking like a call center phone operator. The P*PHONE from Hulger will give you the satisfying feel of a proper chunky handset in your hot little paw and turn a VoIP call into a conversation. Available in white, black, red and green, the P*PHONE is offered on its own for $50 and with a cool desktop base for $99. As well as working with certain mobiles (and certain others with adaptors) the P*PHONE offers easy USB hook-up to a PC.

Cost:: From $50


7. USB Mixtape


Back in the olden days folks would create real-life music "tapes" with playlists recorded on to them to either share with a friend or loved one or enjoy themselves ("Best Driving Songs Ever", "My Breaking Up With Dave Tape", etc). Help make sure the art of the mixtape is not lost with this USB effort that takes on the form of an old analog blank audio cassette tape (complete with sleeve that you can scrawl the track list on) but with a brand spanking new USB flash drive nestled in the middle.

Cost:: $15.99


8. Retro Calculator


Mathletes with a penchant for the past will enjoy this retro calculator's baby blue looks and oversize dimensions. Whether you're totting up the cost of your new flared jeans, or calculating how much cheese you'll need to melt to make the perfect fondue, your numerical queries will be solved in Seventies style.

Cost:: Approx $23


9. Crosley USB Turntable


You'd be forgiven for mistaking this for a vintage deck, but in fact it offers more modern tech than many music systems. Sure, there's the option to take your vinyl for a spin, but there's also playback from SD memory cards and USB storage devices as well as from iPods and other MP3 players. In addition to normal playback this turntable can record your records to your computer, which means you won't have to re-purchase all your vinyl to get it digitized, and it has an FM radio.

Cost:: $150


10. Retro NES USB Controller


While the wider world gets hyped up about Sony's Move and Microsoft's Project Natal, sit back, relax and enjoy some 8-bit gaming with the Retro NES USB Controller from ThinkGeek, described as perfect for creating old school gaming nostalgia on your laptop. With a USB connection, it's perfect for MAME and other emulators and is sooo much cooler than trying to save the princess using your keyboard.

Cost:: $29.99

Tags: gadgets, hulger, LG, Panasonic, retro, trending



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