Mashable: Latest 23 News Updates - including “Salesforce Acquires Buddy Media for $689 Million” |
- Salesforce Acquires Buddy Media for $689 Million
- Mashable Weekend Recap: 52 Stories You Might Have Missed
- TwitchTV Announces First Game with Built-In Live Streaming
- Meet Miiverse, Nintendo’s New In-Game Social Network
- Nintendo Shows Off Controller, Social Functions of Wii U [PICS]
- 7 Travel Tools for Planning Your Family Adventure
- 5 Fascinating Things We Learned From Reddit This Week
- AnyTouch Turns Any Surface Into a Touchscreen [VIDEO]
- Top 5 Mashable Comments and Conversations This Week
- Top 10 Tech This Week [PICS]
- 5 Ways Social Media Is Revolutionizing Talent Acquisition
- Umbrella Makes 8-Bit Sounds When Rained On [VIDEO]
- The Beginner’s Guide to Tumblr
- 12 Top Tumblrs for Gamers
- 50 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed
- Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week
- ‘Game of Thrones’ Parodied to the Tune of Maroon 5 [VIDEO]
- Internet Users React to Potential ‘Zombie Apocalypse’
- Foursquare App Getting a Face-Lift This Week [PICS]
- Magnetic Phone Mount Could Make Your Life Easier [VIDEO]
- How to Use Social Media for Employee Referrals
- Katie Couric Creates Spotify Playlist for Diamond Jubilee [AUDIO]
- 10 Tools for Planning Great Meals
- 5 Startups Infusing Social Good with Innovation
| Salesforce Acquires Buddy Media for $689 Million Posted: 04 Jun 2012 04:39 AM PDT      Salesforce has entered an agreement to acquire social media marketing platform Buddy Media for approximately $689 million, the company has announced. The price is lower than the recently reported $800 million figure, but still a formidable investment from the enterprise software giant, which is on a seemingly never-ending acquisition spree. Salesforce had acquired collaboration tool company Stypi in May 2012, as well as social media monitoring platform Radian6 in March 2011. Buddy Media currently works with “nearly 1,000 of the world's largest companies,” including brands such as Virgin Mobile, HP, Matte and L'Oreal. “The idea behind the deal is simple. By combining Buddy Media with the rest of salesforce.com's products, including Salesforce Radian6, the leading social media listening platform, we will be able to deliver the first comprehensive Marketing Cloud that will allow customers to listen, engage, gain insight, publish, advertise and measure social marketing programs,” wrote Buddy Media founder and CEO Michael Lazerow in a post commenting the acquisition. It’s an interesting time for social media management platforms. Just last month, Salesforce’s rival Oracle snapped up Vitrue for $300 million. Like Buddy Media, Vitrue focuses on helping brands manage their social media presence using CRM-like tools and dashboards. Under the terms of the agreement, Salesforce will buy Buddy Media for approximately $467 million in cash, $184 million in Salesforce common stock and $38 million in vested salesforce.com options and restricted stock units. The transaction is expected to be completed during salesforce.com’s fiscal third quarter ending October 31, 2012, subject to customary closing conditions. More About: acquisitions, Buddy Media, salesforce.com For more Business coverage:
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| Mashable Weekend Recap: 52 Stories You Might Have Missed Posted: 04 Jun 2012 03:34 AM PDT   As we kicked off the first weekend of the summer season here at Mashable, our posts stayed focused on the hottest social media, technology, viral videos and fascinating finds from the world over. And find we did, with a boatload of new apps arriving, summer sports pumping up the social media, hilarious YouTube clips and tech from the near and far future. No need to worry about missing anything — we’ve gathered every morsel in one handy place for you. So here it is, our revamped Weekend Recap, complete with a new section, “Editor’s Picks,” where I chose the posts that not only garnered the most traffic, but that I thought were the weekend’s best. So have at it, and go out there and make a great week! Editor’s Picks
News & Opinion Essentials
SEE ALSO: All the Weekend Recaps Ever Published Weekend Leisure
Helpful Resources
Here’s last week’s Weekend Recap. More About: Weekend recap
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| TwitchTV Announces First Game with Built-In Live Streaming Posted: 04 Jun 2012 01:10 AM PDT   TwitchTV announced Monday the first game with built-in livestreaming, circumventing the difficult systems players would normally have to use to broadcast their games live. TwitchTV will integrate streaming into The Showdown Effect, a PC game published by Paradox Interactive. A simple button on the game’s dashboard will allow players to begin streaming their gameplay to TwitchTV viewers. The partnership represents lowering the barrier of entry to live streaming, according to Matthew DiPietro, Vice President of Marketing for Twitch TV. “We realize it’s not easy for all gamers to share their games, but we’re working on changing that,” DiPietro said, confirming that TwitchTV is working on additional integration partnerships to be announced at a later date. The Showdown Effect is a shooter that attempts to simulate the over-the-top nature of action movies. According to the Paradox website, gamers will be able to use an arsenal of ridiculous weapons, including grenades, lightsabers and frying pans. Lead producer Shams Jorjani said elements like this will result in a satisfying game to watch and play. “The game is made to be fun to play but also fun to watch — the two core components that make a game streamworthy. The game has a fair amount of depth, meaning that players will be able to string together outrageous moves and combos — prompting viewers to wonder, ‘how did you do that?!,’” Jorjani said. “Game rounds are short and sweet and the rich customization options give players the ability to craft a visual feast for viewers.” Jorjani said the partnership with TwitchTV was a natural fit after learning how both Paradox and TwitchTV had similar ideas for fan engagement, and this new development would only increase engagement. The Showdown Effect will be released later this year. Are you excited about advancements in technology that make game streaming easier? Let us know in the comments. More About: streaming, twitchtv For more Entertainment coverage:
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| Meet Miiverse, Nintendo’s New In-Game Social Network Posted: 03 Jun 2012 05:59 PM PDT   Nintendo’s E3 press conference might not be until Tuesday morning, but that didn’t stop the company from releasing a few details about what it has in store for the gaming show a few days early including Miiverse. Designed for Miis around the world to meet, Nintendo showed off the network and a redesigned Wii plaza during a pre-E3 livestream Sunday afternoon along with more details about the highly-anticipated Wii U. A social network of sorts, Miiverse lets you communicate with other players in real-time using the Wii U Game Pad. Miis will congregate in the plaza around icons representing different titles, letting you see quickly what games are popular at the moment — including titles you don’t own — and find friends who might be interested in the same title you are. “It’s as native to Wii U as the Wii U Gamepad,” Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said during the presentation.  Miis will be able to communicate with both players they know, and simply other players who are in the plaza at the time who speak the same language as they do. Players can send text messages as well as drawing and images. Players will also have the opportunity to share screenshots from a game on a wall within Miiverse. In addition to real-time communication, Miiverse will also allow for in-game posting, so you can leave messages and tips for friends who might play a game later. A spoiler checkbox in the messaging system can help prevent you from finding out more than you want to know about a game while you play. Both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS will support Miiverse, although it will not be available when the Wii U launches later this year. The network will also be accessible through your PC or smartphone via a Miiverse web app. Nintendo has not revealed whether the Wii will support the network. What do you think of Miiverse? Does it make you more excited for the Wii U’s upcoming launch? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Controller Improvements A shot of how the prototype controller has been modified for the Wii U. Click here to view this gallery. More About: Mii, Miiverse, Nintendo, Wii U
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| Nintendo Shows Off Controller, Social Functions of Wii U [PICS] Posted: 03 Jun 2012 04:40 PM PDT
In it, they showed off a fully completed Wii U controller that has a large tablet in the center. While the controller was made public at last year’s E3, Nintendo’s presentation demonstrated what seems to be a fully completed version. It will function as an extension for games through the touchscreen, but additionally will act as a tablet device that works as a companion for your television. Some of the tablet’s features displayed during the video include the ability to use it as a full-featured universal remote. It can also function as a portal to Nintendo’s own social network, Miiverse, which will also be accesible online. There were video chat features demonstrated where players could call each other across Nintendo’s network. In addition, Nintendo announced a full-featured Wii U Pro Controller, which looks similar to an Xbox 360 controller, for gamers who prefer that style of play. There were no mention of new games for the Wii U during the 30-minute streaming presentation, which had about 87,000 concurrent viewers at its peak. It instead focused on the idea of “alone together” that Nintendo believes gamers face, and how the Wii U aims to bridge that gap. More information will probably be made available during Nintendo’s presentation on Tuesday morning at E3. Check out some screenshots from the presentation below, and let us know what you think in the comments. Controller ImprovementsA shot of how the prototype controller has been modified for the Wii U. Click here to view this gallery. More About: e3, Nintendo, Wii U For more Entertainment coverage:
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| 7 Travel Tools for Planning Your Family Adventure Posted: 03 Jun 2012 03:41 PM PDT 1. Trippy As you can tell by the screenshot, Trippy looks very similar to Pinterest. At first, that's almost precisely how Trippy functioned, too. Recently, Trippy incorporated vacation planning into its otherwise simple "pinboard" functionality. Trippy's new map tool locates all the photos you've posted to your boards and pins them to a world map, so you can localize your travel wish list. Furthermore, Trippy has added Facebook Timeline integration, so consider connecting the social network to share your travel plans with friends. Click here to view this gallery. When it comes to planning an inexpensive, convenient vacation, you can never have enough travel tools in your arsenal. Whether you’re simply in the wish-list phase or well past the hotel-booking stage, digital and online resources can help. We’ve collected seven of our favorite travel tools that will inspire you, as well as help you organize and share your next holiday. Learn more about Thailand from user-curated sites like Wanderfly, or set up travel deal notifications on sites like TripTwit. What tools do you find most helpful for planning vacations? Share advice for fellow travelers in the comments below. More About: apps, features, lifestyle, Social Media, travel
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| 5 Fascinating Things We Learned From Reddit This Week Posted: 03 Jun 2012 02:59 PM PDT 1. The White House Makes Beer NPR interviewed Michelle Obama this week about gardening, but Reddit users were more interested in the mention of the White House's home-brewed beer. White House Honey Ale is the first homemade beer to have been made in the White House. As one commenter mentioned, there are now two additional styles being brewed: White House Honey Blonde Ale and White House Honey Porter. Click here to view this gallery. Some of the most interesting things on Reddit are also the most unexpected. For instance, a post that’s just supposed to make people laugh might leave users learning something new. Or maybe an interesting interview with a celebrity includes a moment that’s fascinating, but has nothing to do with the original topic of discussion. Those are some of the most valuable moments on Reddit. For example, this week users got a biology lesson in the comments of a funny bird photo. They also learned that the White House makes beer, which came up when Michelle Obama told NPR about gardening. Ironically, the book that’s famous for making you look really hard for something small, “Where’s Waldo?” is also part of this week’s interesting facts. Seeking more odd facts? Check out last week’s roundup here. More About: fact, features, reddit
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| AnyTouch Turns Any Surface Into a Touchscreen [VIDEO] Posted: 03 Jun 2012 02:34 PM PDT Startup Ayotle and advertising agency Digitas want to turn everything — even a piece of paper — into an interactive surface. The two companies have partnered to develop AnyTouch, a prototype that transforms objects into touchscreens. How? With special software, a 3D camera and sensors (see video). AnyTouch’s concept resembles other surface computing products such as the 40-inch Microsoft Surface 2.0 and the Draqie interactive table, which has a touchscreen with a menu on it. Touchscreen technology has seen several interesting uses this year. New Yorkers began seeing phone booths with 32-inch touchscreen devices in them this year. The Minebea Cool Leaf Keyboard, a touchscreen typing device, came out in May. And Toshiba released an all-in-one PC with a touchscreen display in April. More About: Gadgets, mashable video, touchscreen, trending
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| Top 5 Mashable Comments and Conversations This Week Posted: 03 Jun 2012 02:29 PM PDT   Online comments are a powerful tool. While it may seem that a tweet or comment simply vanishes into the Internet once you hit Enter, that is not necessarily the case. What you say online does have power. This week we posted a story about an Olympics-bound swimmer who felt she needed to quit Twitter because of hurtful and offensive tweets she was receiving. Here at Mashable we are always on the lookout for thoughtful and insightful comments from our readers. We value what you have to say, and we even find story ideas in our comments section. In the top comments this week, we’ve featured your responses to the Olympics Twitter story as well as stories about Siri, Facebook, music and more. We started our weekly top Mashable comments feature to showcase some of the best conversations from our community. We pay close attention to your reaction on the site as well as on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and GetGlue. This upcoming week, we encourage you to join in on the conversation. Simply leave a comment in our comments section or respond to any story on Facebook or GetGlue. Mashable Facebook Page An Olympics-bound swimmer quit Twitter over some really nasty tweets directed at her. Click here to view this gallery. Image courtesy of flickr, Potatojunkie More About: community, top comments For more Social Media coverage:
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| Posted: 03 Jun 2012 01:57 PM PDT
1. Black 'n' Blue Computer Is it a time machine? Is it a replicator from Star Trek? No, it's a custom-built PC created by Danish master computer builder Mads Bendtsen (aka DluXe), made of Plexiglas, stainless steel, nylon, and other lovely components. I'm hoping Mads figures out how to make thousands of these liquid-cooled behemoths packed with state-of-the-art components, gracing the gaming world with their ominous presence. [via MNPC Tech] Click here to view this gallery. Looking for thrills? This week we’ve unleashed a torrent of tech the likes of which you’ve never seen. We found screens both scintillating and secret, super transportation ideas and even a crazy thing or two that you might never have expected. We found an even wilder PC design than the one we showed you last week, an unusually useful iPhone accessory, a fresh space triumph and a palm-sized cube that cranks out so much sound it seemed like a magic trick. So come along for the ride — and enjoy this fresh batch of Top 10 Tech This Week. Here’s last week’s Top 10 Tech. Series presented by Chivas  Top 10 Tech is presented by Chivas. Access a world of exclusive insider benefits – private tastings, special events and the chance to win a trip for you and three friends to the Cannes Film Festival. Join the Brotherhood. More About: features, mashable, Tech, Top 10 Tech, trending
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| 5 Ways Social Media Is Revolutionizing Talent Acquisition Posted: 03 Jun 2012 01:27 PM PDT  
The way we communicate with each other has evolved rapidly over the last decade. Social media has further intensified the departure from traditional communication methods to redefine how people and businesses interact with each other. In fact, more than half of companies on social media fail to have a social media strategy and in doing so, risk ignoring an increasingly dynamic and expanding audience. Recent social media stats show that more than 60% of adults are connected to one or more social networks, while 23% of online time is spent entirely on social networking activities. While social media has seen rapid growth at the consumer level, the gap between consumer and corporate adoption is widening. Businesses are continuing to figure out optimal ways to harness the reach of social media and translate its usefulness into results. One area where the benefits are already beginning to outshine older methods is talent acquisition and recruiting. The sheer number of active users on sites such as Facebook have made social recruiting extremely advantageous. With so many people using social media, especially for employment opportunities, companies are expected to use social media to recruit for more than 80% of job openings in 2012. So just how does social media benefit the environment of talent acquisition? Here are five shifts that are taking place now. 1. It's PersonalHiring has always been concerned with people, and the relationships formed through social media between candidates and employers are even more imperative. While candidates can reach out to key recruiters, companies form entire networks or talent communities to connect and engage with candidates. Social media is a tool that caters to sharing interests and engaging in conversation, making it easier to find a suitable candidate early on. After all, we do it so much everyday that it becomes a natural process. 2. It's TransparentSocial media users tend to be self-aware of their brand because of how visible their activity and interests can be. Because of this, we must always anticipate some sort of reaction or feedback. No longer are your strategies and tactics a secret from those outside the company — they are fair game for criticism, even by the candidates themselves. Though your recruiting activities can open a Pandora's box of negative comments, it's still a good way to find new perspective on what you may be doing wrong and how it can be better. 3. It's No Longer Just For HRSocial media talent acquisition allows for entrepreneurs and CEOs alike to find candidates directly, quickly and with a reduced cost-per-hire — especially for startups that lack traditional HR personnel or funds for a recruiter. However, social recruiting is not to be taken lightly; just because you can find candidates on Facebook doesn't mean you should throw away the rule book. 4. It's MarketingA solid plan, a target audience, metrics and data are all required for effective social recruiting. With the introduction of Brand Pages on Facebook, your organization isn't any different from those selling a product — instead, you’re advertising a place of work. Through brand management, content creation and engagement, candidates and employers alike see the value of social interaction for talent acquisition. It's instantly measurable and targeted to something that older processes simply can't match. 5. It's Being SharedEmployees on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook are contributing to the efforts of recruiting through their own posts and tweets. Not only are open positions getting distributed as pieces of content to vast networks of people, but it's also facilitating the use of social referrals — one of the best sources of quality candidates. Job seekers are finding ways to take advantage of social referrals by keeping in contact and engaging with key members of companies. ConclusionSocial media doesn't need to be the absolute center of your recruitment strategy, but it would be ill-advised to ignore the trend completely. These five factors are changing and advancing the ways we approach finding the best talent and taking it to a more personal, open and collaborative experience. What do you think? Does using social media mean less work for recruiting, or just more effective implementation of traditional ideas? Social Media Job ListingsEvery week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, chris_lemmens, alengo More About: features, job recruiting, job search series, mashable, online recruiting For more Business coverage:
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| Umbrella Makes 8-Bit Sounds When Rained On [VIDEO] Posted: 03 Jun 2012 01:19 PM PDT An umbrella isn’t the most exciting accessory ever devised, but two women recently equipped one with a few bells and whistles, turning it into a more entertaining 8-bit music machine that reacts to raindrops. During the Music Hack Day festival in Amsterdam, Alice Zappe and Julia Läger used 12 sensors, two speakers and an arduino microcontroller to give the umbrella sound, which changes with the intensity of the rain. The umbrella reminds us of the YouTube video “It’s Raining 8-Bit Men.” Other people have had fun bringing 8-bit nostalgia back into current times, too. The new Nyan Cat soundtrack, for example, pays homage to iconic 8-bit music. And an adorable T-shirt features half pixelated hearts that will light up completely if the person wearing it gets close to another person wearing the same shirt. But one of the biggest 8-bit projects arrived a few months ago when Google transformed its Maps feature into an 8-bit gamer’s paradise for April Fools’ Day (see gallery below). Would you use an umbrella that played music? Let us know in the comments below. 1. Google Headquarters   Click here to view this gallery. Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, walrusmail More About: Gadgets, hackathon, mashable video, Tech, Weather
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| The Beginner’s Guide to Tumblr Posted: 03 Jun 2012 01:11 PM PDT   Tumblr is a micro-blogging platform that churns out more than 64 million posts daily. There are 57.5 million blogs on Tumblr, which might seem intimidating to anyone not already using it. Tumblr could be useful to you for many reasons, depending on what you’re looking to get out of it, for example, inspiration, scrapbooking, communication or a portfolio. The site is a mix of bloggers, brands and tastemakers. But to keep it simple, there are essentially two types of bloggers on Tumblr: those who create original content and those who curate, or re-blog posts. Depending on how you want to utilize the platform, this guide will help you move from a Tumblr novice to power blogger. 1. Getting StartedTumblr registration is simple: You only need an email address, password and username. However, considering there are 57.5 million blogs on Tumblr, it’s possible that you won’t get your first choice of username. With Tumblr, you can change your URL later, so if you absolutely hate it down the road, that can be fixed — but keep in mind that change will affect SEO. Be sure to upload a default image, too, to complete your profile. 2. What Do I Do With This?Once you have an account, there are a number of following options, depending on how you want to utilize the site. Some use Tumblr to write and create original content, for example, to document lifestyle, travels, milestones or to showcase work. Tumblr hosts some hilarious parody and nostalgia blogs that cater to specific persons, places or things. If you’re not creating your own content, Tumblr is also great for curating. Many users browse the web for the best and most interesting things they can find. It’s up to you to decide what that is: hilarious videos, inspiring quotes, breathtaking photos? Whether you like animals, fashion, art, music, film or just a random assortment of interesting finds, decide what you want to blog about before going further. Here are a few examples of what others are doing on Tumblr:
3. Customizing1. Quadro From the font to the layout, the Quadro theme is a close tie with the Pinterest pinboard. Click here to view this gallery. Aside from suiting your blog to your personality, one of the most fun things about Tumblr is the ability to customize themes. Tumblr themes offer the ability to customize the look, feel and functionality of your blog. Try to avoid the default theme, simply because there are hundreds more to choose from, and many talented designers have put a lot of effort into them. Some themes are free, but if you really want your blog to stand out, consider paying for a premium theme that offers more personalized options. Once you’ve selected a theme, you can customize further by editing HTML, changing colors or font type, adding a background image or adding pages. Here are a few of our favorite themes:
4. The Dashboard Tumblr’s dashboard is really user-friendly, no matter the format of content you want to post. If you’re not ready to publish a post, or want to come back to it later, you can either save as a draft or schedule it in the queue. Both options are on the right side of the dashboard. At the top of the dashboard, next you your profile picture, you’ll see a series of colorful icons labeled by format: text, photo, video, etc. Depending on what you’re trying to share, the options in each individual post box are really easy to figure out. For added convenience, you can place the Tumblr bookmarklet at the top of your web browser. There are a number of other useful tips here. The tabs at the top of the dashboard allow you to filter between views: either just your posts or those from people you follow. (We’ll talk more about your followers later.) If you want to see your posts in the back-end, click on your tab. To view it as your chosen theme, click on your profile picture. Each post in the dashboard has a series of buttons at the top-right, which let you engage with others by re-blogging and liking their posts. (This is where the distinction between original content creator vs. curator is most prominent.) Most original content bloggers don’t re-blog very often because they are publishing to a certain style or subject. However, the more followers you have, the more quickly their posts move on your dashboard — remember, there are millions of posts each day. If you want to keep all of your favorite posts in one place, the little heart at the right corner of each post is your friend. You can then click the heart tab on the far-right to access all of the things you’ve liked in one place. 5. NavigationBy now, you should be set up and ready to “tumble.” But half the fun is discovering what other people are posting, especially if you’re using the platform to curate, or re-blog. So, how do you find other interesting people and blogs? Tumblr has a series of tags, which you can view in Explore, that separate individual posts by different interests — for example art, humor, music, fashion, television, etc. A select group of people manage each tag and hand-pick posts best-suited for the category. Additionally, Spotlight is a Tumblr feature that showcases various noteworthy blogs within each tag. You can read more about some of the tags and their editors here:
6. Connecting With People Tumblr is not just for self-engagment. There are a number of ways to connect with people you know and reach out to new people. First of all, by authorizing Gmail, Twitter and Facebook, you can see which of your friends are already using the platform. If you’d like to reach out to someone privately, see the envelope icon at the top-right, where you can send a message. The feature offers different styles of paper-themed backgrounds and fonts, which makes each message seem more personal. Some users have also enabled the “Ask Me Anything” feature. Keep in mind the user can post any question on his site, but you can always opt to ask anonymously. 7. MobileOnce you’ve successfully navigated the basics of Tumblr, take your blogging on-the-go with the platform’s free mobile app — available for iOS and Android. The mobile app’s features are pretty similar to the website, except that the dashboard appears slightly more minimal. Otherwise, all of the things explained above are available on mobile — you can still post all the same formats of multimedia, and even customize your blog. Tumblr is as vast as it’s never-ending dashboard — there’s a lot more to the site, but this overview should give you a good head start. What tips do you have for someone testing out Tumblr for the first time? Share your advice in the comments. Image courtesy of Tumblr, silas216 More About: blogging, features, microblog, Social Media, trending, tumblr, tumblr themes For more Social Media coverage:
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| Posted: 03 Jun 2012 12:46 PM PDT 1. Insanely Gaming Mallory, a curator of Tumblr's "gaming" tag, has her own blog devoted to game culture. She finds the best memes, pics and art from around the geekosystem. Artwork by ikaszans. Click here to view this gallery. The only thing better than playing video games is looking at funny pictures about video games. If you’ve got a hankering for memes, fan art and gaming news, the Tumblr ecosystem is a good place to hitch your wagon. Above, we’ve gathered some of the best Tumblr destinations for gaming culture. Fill up your dashboard with these gems, and let us know in the comments what you’re currently playing. More About: Entertainment, features, Gaming, trending, tumblr For more Entertainment coverage:
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| 50 Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed Posted: 03 Jun 2012 12:05 PM PDT   Maybe you were busy this week scheduling all of your Facebook posts with the new scheduling feature, or maybe you were just trying to figure out how the heck it works. For whatever reason you couldn't keep up with everything on Mashable, check out our features roundup for the best social media, business and tech resources. This week we have a rundown of bad etiquette to avoid at work, a beginner’s guide to Instagram and tools for increasing your productivity. We’ve also covered the summer blockbusters with the most social buzz, content marketing lessons from President Obama and how recent graduates should consider their social media profiles when applying to jobs. And make sure you don’t miss the latest episodes of our video series, Behind the Launch! Editor’s Picks
Social Media
For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable‘s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Business & Marketing
For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable‘s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Tech & Mobile
For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable‘s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, RapidEye. More About: Business, COMMUNICATIONS, Features Week In Review, Social Media, Tech
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| Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week Posted: 03 Jun 2012 11:35 AM PDT 1. Houlah Massacre   On the night of May 25, more than 100 people, including 34 women and 49 children, were massacred in Houla, Syria. This horrible, gruesome news was one of the most-discussed topics on Twitter this week. This picture, posted to Twitter by @LamaSabri, allegedly displays some of the children who were senselessly murdered that night. (disturbing images!) #houlahmassacre Click here to view this gallery. Smartphone cameras have been busier than ever this week — there were more than 56 million photos posted on Twitter, a new record. It was a stellar group of pics this week, showing quite a different bunch of shots from those we saw last week. Last week’s most popular pictures were mostly cheerful and funny, with summer being the main theme in the top 10. This week’s conversation on Twitter, however, was ruled by two disruptive events: The massacre in Houla and the earthquake in Northern Italy. Our hearts go out to the victims. SEE MORE: Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week On a lighter note, our roundup also features a healthy dollop of fun, including images from celebrities, the beauty of the earth, fashion, gadgetry and more. These are all curated and captioned by our inimitable colleague at Skylines, writer and analyst Julie Donders (@IkbenJulie), working with her powerful and unique algorithm that separates the good and important from the bad and ugly. So revel in this eclectic group of photos — an emotional whirlpool that mixes the bitter with the sweet — compiled just for you in the latest Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week. And please let us know which one is your favorite in the comments below. Bonus: Here’s last week’s Top 10 Twitter Pics. 1. Eclipse Last Sunday, the moon passed between the sun and our planet, causing an awe-inspiring solar #eclipse. This special phenomenon was captured by thousands of people around the globe. This picture, posted to Twitter by aerospace engineer @wikkit (1000+ followers), was tweeted along with the text: "I'm sorry to inform you that Earth is about to be been eaten by a fire demon." Click here to view this gallery. More About: katy-perry, Syria, Top 10 Twitter Pics, trending, Twitter
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| ‘Game of Thrones’ Parodied to the Tune of Maroon 5 [VIDEO] Posted: 03 Jun 2012 11:12 AM PDT Getting ready for tonight’s Game of Thrones season finale? If you haven’t left the couch all weekend because you’re catching up on TiVo-ed episodes of Season 2, this video is for you. The folks at YouTube comedy site Barely Political have created a parody of HBO’s medieval series that’s sung as Maroon 5′s “Payphone.” The video features a fake Adam Levine claiming that he has quit the band because he can’t stop watching Game of Thrones. But the real question is would Levine play a better Tywin or Tyrion Lannister? More About: game of thrones, hbo, humor, parody, trending, viral, viral videos
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| Internet Users React to Potential ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ Posted: 03 Jun 2012 10:45 AM PDT Several reports of alleged cannibalism circulated throughout the news this week, leading to online chatter about a “zombie apocalypse.” The buzz carried from Twitter to YouTube — pranksters VitalyzedTV dressed a guy in full zombie makeup and filmed him roaming the streets of Miami. Watch above as the public reacts in real life to a “zombie attack.” The Center for Disease Control came out with a zombie preparedness guide in January, which was originally a light-hearted way to prepare for natural disasters. “If you are generally well equipped to deal with a zombie apocalypse you will be prepared for a hurricane, pandemic, earthquake, or terrorist attack,” notes Dr. Ali Khan CDC’s director for the office of public health preparedness and response. After Twitter users quickly pointed to the guide this week, which fueled more buzz about an apocaplypse, the CDC officially claimed that zombies do not exist. Here’s what Twitter users had to say about a potential zombie apocalypse. Many incorporate cultural references such as video games, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Shaun of the Dead and The Walking Dead. Why do you think these concurring reports of alleged cannibalism have led to a zombie apocalypse scare on Twitter? 1. Time   Time, which recently received a lot of buzz for its controversial cover, suggested a zombie apocalypse in a headline about the Baltimore man who admitted to killing and consuming parts of his housemate. Click here to view this gallery. Image courtesy of Flickr, Mark Lobo More About: trending, Twitter, viral, YouTube, zombies
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| Foursquare App Getting a Face-Lift This Week [PICS] Posted: 03 Jun 2012 10:33 AM PDT   Location-based service Foursquare will get a major revision in the coming days, donning a personalized Maps tool and other discovery features. The new elements look as though they’ll supplement the app’s Explore tab, leveraging users’ check-ins to recommend places to go and offer nearby deals. Explore launched in mobile apps in March 2011 and made its way to desktops this January. The redesigned app reportedly will allow merchants to buy placement for their promotions. "We'll essentially be offering promoted placement of specials within our redesigned app, targeted using the same technology that powers Explore, and some other premium features," a Foursquare spokesperson told Mashable. Foursquare hinted at the redesign on Twitter in a series of tweets over the past few days. Each tweet included a link to an image teasing the “#AllNew4sq.” The above screenshot was accompanied by two sentences: “Maps. There are many others like it, but this one is yours. The #allnew4sq is coming soon!” Foursquare also gave users notice of forthcoming changes in three other tweets, and Saturday’s tweet was the first mention of an exact time span for the app updates:
   BONUS: Check in at Foursquare's Swanky New HQReception The elevator at 568 Broadway opens on the 10th floor, inviting you into the airy and bright workspace. Click here to view this gallery. More About: apps, Business, foursquare, location based social networks, mobile apps, trending
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| Magnetic Phone Mount Could Make Your Life Easier [VIDEO] Posted: 03 Jun 2012 10:08 AM PDT Smartphones continue to get smaller and more beautiful, and the accessories paired with them should be no exception — the creators of Wallee M are aware of that. The designers at StudioProper have created a magnetic mount whose impressive minimalist design will hold phones with style and efficiency. The Wallee M is part of a Kickstarter campaign that’s coming to its final hours. If fully funded, it will be available for the iPhone 4s and Galaxy Nexus — and the designers have promised an iPhone 5 case in the future for anyone holding out. Would you purchase the Wallee M? Let us know what you think of the product in the comments. More About: Gadgets, galaxy nexus, iOS, iphone, kickstarter, samsung, Tech, trending
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| How to Use Social Media for Employee Referrals Posted: 03 Jun 2012 09:23 AM PDT   Kes Thygesen is the Co-Founder and Head of Product at RolePoint, a tool that allows recruitment managers to socially power their hiring to increase the volume and quality of employee referrals. Connect with him and RolePoint on LinkedIn and Twitter. The war for talent is more competitive than ever. Every company wants the best and the brightest on its team, but traditional candidate sourcing methods may not cut it anymore. As companies, we have to be bold, we have to put ourselves on the line and, most importantly, we have to sell our culture harder than in the past. That's where you, the already-employed professional, come in. More than ever, recruiters and hiring managers are looking to their internal network to help them find the right fit. After all, the real cost of a hire can be around $100,000, when you factor in the non-direct costs, such as training and the productivity lost in finding a new employee and bringing him up to speed. Many workers are passive candidates, meaning that they are silently looking or waiting for an attractive offer. And, there's a large chance your friends are lumped into this group. Pair that with the explosion of social networking and we have a recipe for talent acquisition success. Apart from a status update here and there, you can use social media to help your friends find jobs and earn anywhere between $1,000 to $15,000 as a referral bonus from your company. Check out these tips to get the most out of your friend circle. 1. Look Beyond Your First Degree of ConnectionsNo matter what industry you're in, you probably have tons of connections through your social networks. However, it may be in your company's best interest to go past the base-level when you're trying to help your friends find jobs. The right fit may lie beyond your direct connections, but you'd never know this if you just skim the surface. Many social networks allow you to see beyond your primary network. For example, Facebook "suggests" friends while LinkedIn not only shows second and third degrees, but it also may bring you to the right candidate based on their employment history. This tactic allows you to reach thousands of potential candidates, which is probably a lot more efficient than scouring your friends or contacts list. 2. Find a Perfectly Catered Match Do you think that all you need to do is tweet out a job listing to your friends? There's actually more to it. Social media also comes with access to deeper technology and analytical insights, so take advantage of it. You can easily search for the right connections on your social networks by looking for specific keywords. For instance, say your company is looking for a candidate with an extensive design background who knows Photoshop and is located in San Francisco. You can search for these job-specific keywords on your social networks to find a more catered match. Once you've found these matches, you can then, of course, check out their profiles and job history to ensure they are the perfect candidate to be your new co-worker. Show Off Your Company CultureYou know your workplace better than anyone else. So, use social media to show why your organization and company culture is inviting and forward-thinking and how it helped progress the careers of its employees. For instance many companies are using video testimonials to give a better insight into the journey a candidate takes within the company. This video could then, in turn, be posted on your social networks and blog. The aim here is to bring the organization down to a "human" level, free of typical corporate jargon. It makes it easier for your contacts to realize what your company is all about, and why they should consider the particular position. In a similar vein, recruitment videos, such as the one Twitter recently made, have been extremely successful in reaching potential candidates and giving them a better idea of what it's like to work at a company. Share the BonusesMost companies have a significant referral bonus if the contacts you suggest get hired, and the best way to reach beyond your direct contacts could be to pay it forward. If there's a $5,000 referral bonus at your company, pick some of your well connected contacts and offer them half the bonus if they know anyone that might be a good fit — you'll be surprised how many people are connected to talented people looking for new opportunities. In addition, you can make the process easier and help your friends out by using job matching platforms. Many of these actually allow you to analyze what kind of worker someone may be based on their social network value and work experience. By using these platforms, you gain something that keyword searching can't give you: thorough insight and background information based on the networks your friends are using on an everyday basis. After all, you can learn a lot about a person by what they're saying on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If it matches what your company is saying, you may be on your way to finding the perfect colleague. ConclusionThe combination of all of these gives your organization access to the highly sought-after professionals who'll likely stick around for the long haul. Plus, you have the opportunity to help a friend who may be able to bring real value to your company, which is the ultimate goal for anyone looking to fill a coveted spot. It's a win-win. What do you think? What are some other ways you can use social media to help your friends get jobs? Social Media Job ListingsEvery week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!
Image courtesy wilhei, Flickr. More About: features, hiring, job search series, Recruiting, social networking For more Business coverage:
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| Katie Couric Creates Spotify Playlist for Diamond Jubilee [AUDIO] Posted: 03 Jun 2012 09:09 AM PDT Television journalist Katie Couric is helping her Twitter followers get into the spirit of Sunday’s Diamond Jubilee festivities by sharing a Spotify playlist filled with Britain’s most-famous new and veteran artists. Dubbed Diamond Jubilee Jams, the playlist features most of the artists who will be performing to honor Queen Elizabeth II during Sunday’s Diamond Jubilee concert. Listeners will find classics such as Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever,” Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” and Paul McCartney’s “Let It Be.” Sprinkled throughout are modern tunes such as Jessie J’s “Domino,” Ed Sheeran’s “Give Me Love” and JLS’s “One Shot.” Couric, who is in England Sunday, shared the playlist with her more than 443,000 followers:
The Diamond Jubilee celebrates Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne. More About: celebrities, England, Entertainment, katie couric, Music, World For more Entertainment coverage:
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| 10 Tools for Planning Great Meals Posted: 03 Jun 2012 08:52 AM PDT 1. FreshDirect Grocery shopping becomes easy and managable with online grocer Fresh Direct. The site offers next-day delivery to people in the New York City metropolitan area. Users order online from an extensive list of produce, food and household items. The site processes thousands of orders every night. Click here to view this gallery. When you’re constantly on the go, it becomes easy to neglect the kitchen or grocery store and head straight for whatever is easiest. Put down that fast-food burger — there are plenty of mobile apps and web services that will make meal planning easy, educational and maybe even fun. Browsing recipe websites for inspiration is a great place to start, but just like an old cookbook stuffed with magazine clippings, keeping track of a zillion bookmarks can feel cluttered. Now, there are tons of apps that keep your recipes all in one place — you can pretty much carry your entire cookbook to the grocery store. We’ve gathered 10 useful tools to help you plan and enjoy any meal. How do you manage meal-planning? Share your tips in the comments. Image courtesy of Flickr, simpologist More About: apps, features, Food, Foodily, GoJee, health, lifestyle, nutrition, trending
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| 5 Startups Infusing Social Good with Innovation Posted: 03 Jun 2012 08:04 AM PDT   In our social entrepreneurship series, The World at Work, Mashable interviews the faces behind the startups and projects that are working to make a global impact. These companies are devoted to helping those in need — whether it’s those suffering from chronic illness or fledgling writers looking for their big break — and are using innovative technologies to do so. While the companies are diverse, they are all on a mission to change our lives for the better and improve society. Here’s a roundup of featured projects from the past week, including exclusive video interviews with the founders of these innovative startups. To read more and watch the videos, click through to the full story, and follow the series to learn about more breakthrough companies. 1. WILL Interactive
Why It’s Working: With more than 70 games on topics including the military, financial decision-making and youth education, WILL Interactive has developed a new form of educational and therapeutic media. 2. Meddik
Why It’s Working: The level of anecdotal information and resources found on Meddik means that those suffering from illness or prolonged conditions can benefit from a wealth of helpful, crowdsourced advice. Read the full story and see the video here. 3. CauseCart
Why It’s Working: CauseCart seeks to revolutionize the culture of donation by enabling shoppers to give money to a charity of their choosing for free. All donations are handled between CauseCart and the ecommerce platform. 4. Pubslush
Why It’s Working: Traditional publishing has a lot of overhead costs and bureaucracy that make it hard for potentially popular books to get published; with it’s pledging model, Pubslush guarantees an audience before putting ink to paper. Plus, one book is donated for each one that’s purchased. Read the full story and see the video here. 5. Benelab
Why It’s Working: By transforming an everyday task — web search — into a vehicle for good, Kim and his team of fellow students are proving that Internet technology and a little scrappiness can empower anyone to become an entrepreneur and make a difference. What do you think of the efforts of these startups and foundations? Let us know in the comments below. More About: features, mashable, roundup, trending, World at Work For more Business coverage:
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