Expert Lancer - Gadgets,Phones,Tech News,Cameras » networking

3 More Reasons to Attend the Mashable Media Summit

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:22:30 +0000

The second annual Mashable Media Summit will bring to life the biggest changes occurring in media. Held on Nov. 4 at the TimesCenter in New York City, the one-day conference will examine how technology is transforming journalism, advertising and media business models. Industry professionals who have recently joined our dynamic lineup of speakers include: Alex Iskold , CEO and founder of GetGlue Tor Mhyren , CEO and founder of Grey New York , and Jesse Redniss , vice president of digital, USA Network These leaders and many more across the media landscape will convene on stage to break news, engage in in-depth interviews, deliver inspiring presentations and participate in thought provoking panel discussions about the latest innovations in the space. Tickets include a full day of discussion with thought leaders on stage, intimate networking sessions as well as breakfast, lunch and a wine and cheese reception. Get your tickets now before they sell out. To get a taste of what’s to come, here are a sample of topics that will be covered at the Mashable Media Summit 2011. Mashable Media Summit Topics Robyn Peterson , Mashable’s senior vice president of product, will be joined by Google’s Andrew Nash , Facebook’s Andy Mitchell and Paul Berry of Huffington Post Media Group at AOL , for a discussion about identity on the web. Meghan Peters , community manager at Mashable, will lead a conversation on the evolving role of social media in news organizations. Joining her will be Drake Marinet from AllThingsD and Anthony DeRosa from Reuters . Eli Pariser , author of The Filter Bubble , will explain how news organizations and journalists can influence the way in which we consume information online. Josh Koppel , co-founder and chief creative officer at ScrollMotion , will demonstrate how emerging digital technologies are creating new opportunities for publishers. Tor Mhyren , CEO and founder of Grey New York, will speak about the power of creativity. Alexis Maybank , founder and president of Gilt Groupe , will talk about a new model of e-commerce. Tony Haile , general manager of Chartbeat will discuss how real-time analytics is changing publishing and will provide insights into new measurements. Sponsorship Opportunities A limited number of sponsor opportunities are available for the Mashable Media Summit . This is an excellent opportunity to get in front of Mashable’s audience of more than 18 million influential monthly unique visitors and our engaged community across social networks. Contact sponsorship@mashable.com for opportunities. A Look Back at Last Year’s Mashable Media Summit Mashable Media Summit Times Center Sponsors Tables Sponsor Tables In The Times Center CNN Tech Unveils New Redesigned Section Adam Hirsch, Mashable COO Shira Lazar, Host Shira Lazar Ricky Van Veen Ricky Van Veen, CEO, CollegeHumor / Notional More Tips from Ricky Van Veen CEO and Co-Founder of Notional and College Humor Ricky Van Veen presents his Ten Web Content Urban Legends — which were outlined by Mashable’s Brenna Ehrlich — and is interviewed by Peter Kafka, Senior Editor, All Things Digital. Peter Kafka interviews Ricky Van Veen CEO and Co-Founder of Notional and College Humor Ricky Van Veen presents his Ten Web Content Urban Legends — which were outlined by Mashable’s Brenna Ehrlich — and is interviewed by Peter Kafka, Senior Editor, All Things Digital. Peter Kafka Senior Editor of AllThingsD Len Berman, Sportscaster / Author Len Berman, an Emmy Award-winning sportscaster and New York Times bestselling author, talks about the transition from old media to new media. Brian Simpson, Director Social Hospitality at Roger Smith Hotel Brian Simpson, director of social hospitality at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York, talks about how the hotel uses social media to engage their customers by sharing their stories through social platforms, video and more. Backstage interviews Duncan Watts, Yahoo! Duncan Watts, the principal research scientist at Yahoo, shares his research about social connections and the dynamics of groups. Duncan Watts on Social Media Science Duncan Watts, the principal research scientist at Yahoo, shares his research about social connections and the dynamics of groups. Vadim Lavrusik on Community Vadim Lavrusik, Mashable’s community manager, talks about how the newsgathering process works at Mashable and its connection to online and offline communities. He also announced June 30 as Social Media Day, a new fellowship program that Mashable has launched with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, as well as Mashable’s new Foursquare page. Vadim Lavrusik on Web Content Vadim Lavrusik, Mashable’s community manager, talks about how the newsgathering process works at Mashable and its connection to online and offline communities. He also announced June 30 as Social Media Day, a new fellowship program that Mashable has launched with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, as well as Mashable’s new Foursquare page. Vadim Lavrusik announces Social Media Day Vadim Lavrusik, Mashable’s community manager, talks about how the newsgathering process works at Mashable and its connection to online and offline communities. He also announced June 30 as Social Media Day, a new fellowship program that Mashable has launched with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, as well as Mashable’s new Foursquare page. Adam Ostrow interviews Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley Mashable Editor-in-Chief Adam Ostrow interviews Dennis Crowley about Foursquare’s recent growth and partnerships, and talks about how the company is looking to add more value to badges. Adam Ostrow and Dennis Crowley On Stage Ostrow and Crowley Mashable Editor-in-Chief Adam Ostrow interviews Dennis Crowley about Foursquare’s recent growth and partnerships, and talks about how the company is looking to add more value to badges. Crowley Announces new Foursquare features Mashable Editor-in-Chief Adam Ostrow interviews Dennis Crowley about Foursquare’s recent growth and partnerships, and talks about how the company is looking to add more value to badges. Christy Wyatt Presents on Motorola Mobile Devices Christy Wyatt, Corporate VP of Software & Services Product Management, Motorola Mobile Devices, talks about Motorola’s evolution and making connections easier using its devices. She also announced each attendee would be getting a free Motorola phone. Christy Wyatt on Mobile Strategies Christy Wyatt, Corporate VP of Software & Services Product Management, Motorola Mobile Devices, talks about Motorola’s evolution and making connections easier using its devices. She also announced each attendee would be getting a free Motorola phone. Christy Wyatt Announces Mobile Phone Giveaway Christy Wyatt, Corporate VP of Software & Services Product Management, Motorola Mobile Devices, talks about Motorola’s evolution and making connections easier using its devices. She also announced each attendee would be getting a free Motorola phone. Crowd Christy Wyatt Giving Away Free Phones Christy Wyatt, Corporate VP of Software & Services Product Management, Motorola Mobile Devices, talks about Motorola’s evolution and making connections easier using its devices. She also announced each attendee would be getting a free Motorola phone. Spotlight on Music and Social Media with Singer Josh Charles Singer, songwriter and pianist Josh Charles talks about how social media is changing the music industry and the way artists interact with their fans. He also performed for the audience. Singer Josh Charles Performs Singer, songwriter and pianist Josh Charles talks about how social media is changing the music industry and the way artists interact with their fans. He also performed for the audience. Adam Hirsch Announces Lunchtimes! Mashable’s Tamar Weinberg and Lauren Rubin Attendees Line up to Receive Free Phones Attendee Shows-off His New Phone Dennis Crowley and a New Phone Lunch Mashable Staff Attendees Take a Break Networking at Lunch Attendees Talk Social Media More Social Media Talk Afternoon Networking Enjoying the Show More Networking Attendees Mingle Enjoying the Media Summit In the Foyer Attendees Gather Networking Time! Outside the Hall CNN and Mashable Staff Taking Action for Social Good with Wendy Harman (Red Cross) Wendy Harman, social media manager at the Red Cross, talks about how the organization used social media to share information, gather user-generated content and create dialogue around disasters. Dan Rollman, the president and founder of Universal Record Database. Universal Record Database Crew Adam Hirsch and Shira Lazar Present Chris Bruzzo on How Starbucks Uses Social Media Chris Bruzzo, VP of Brand, Content & Online at Starbucks Coffee Company, talks about how the company uses “brand journalism” to tell stories, engage its customers, and how it got 1 million customers in stores in one day. Chris Bruzzo Presentation Chris Bruzzo, VP of Brand, Content & Online at Starbucks Coffee Company, talks about how the company uses “brand journalism” to tell stories, engage its customers, and how it got 1 million customers in stores in one day. The Afternoon Keynote Conversation with Dr. Sanjay Gupta (CNN), KC Estenson (CNN) and Pete Cashmore (Mashable) Mashable Founder and CEO Pete Cashmore is interviewed by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, renowned neurosurgeon and CNN’s general medical correspondent. Both were joined by CNN.com general manager KC Estenson to chat about journalism and the shifts in traditional and digital media. Sanjay Gupta on Stage Dr. Sanjay Gupta, KC Estenson and Pete Cashmore Gupta, Estenson and Cashmore Mashable Founder and CEO Pete Cashmore is interviewed by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, renowned neurosurgeon and CNN’s general medical correspondent. Both were joined by CNN.com general manager KC Estenson to chat about journalism and the shifts in traditional and digital media. Audience During the Keynote Conversation Causing a Scene by Charlie Todd (Improv Everywhere) Charlie Todd, the founder of Improv Everywhere, reveals that the group was behind the tourist lane stunt in New York City and explains how the stunt went viral. Baratunde Thurston, The Onion A Brief Moment in Time with Baratunde Thurston (The Onion) Baratunde Thurston, the Web editor of The Onion, gives an entertaining presentation on the future of the business and announces Future: News From 2137. A Product Launch from The Onion Baratunde Thurston, the Web editor of The Onion, gives an entertaining presentation on the future of the business and announces Future: News From 2137. A Chat with Scott Belsky of Behance Scott Belsky, founder and CEO of Behance, talks about the growth of Behance and the site’s new overhaul and features. Scott Belsky of Behance Scott Belsky of Behance on Usability Scott Belsky, founder and CEO of Behance, talks about the growth of Behance and the site’s new overhaul and features. Actor Edward Norton Presents DIY Fundraising Site Crowdrise Award-winning actor Edward Norton presents his latest venture, Crowdrise, a social good website that allows individuals and organizations to fundraise for grass roots activism campaigns. Ed Norton on Philanthropy Award-winning actor Edward Norton presents his latest venture, Crowdrise, a social good website that allows individuals and organizations to fundraise for grass roots activism campaigns. Edward Norton on His Social Media Efforts Award-winning actor Edward Norton presents his latest venture, Crowdrise, a social good website that allows individuals and organizations to fundraise for grass roots activism campaigns. Closing Keynote with Alec Ross Alec Ross talks about how social media is disrupting foreign policy, including some telling examples. Pete Cashmore Gives Closing Remarks Mashable Summit Networking Backstage Edward Norton Interviewing With Mashable A Packed Times Center Adam Hirsch, Robert Skinner, Edward Norton Adam Ostrow, Edward Norton, Brett Petersel Brett Petersel, Shira Lazar and Pete Cashmore Networking After the Summit Matt Silverman, Mashable Baratunde Thurston and Eric Kuhn At The Wine and Cheese Hour Relaxing After a Successful Event Attendees Gather At the Wine Hour After-Event Networking Enjoying the Wine and Conversation Pete Cashmore at After-Event Networking Wine and Cheese Hour Networking DYN Representatives Motorola Booth After-Hours Networking Close of Day Closing out the Conference End of the Mashable Media Summit More About: Advertising , Business , Conference , event , internet , journalism , Marketing , media summit , News , web For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad

See the original post:
3 More Reasons to Attend the Mashable Media Summit

World’s Cheapest Tablet Released in India

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:08:34 +0000

If you thought Amazon’s $200 Kindle Fire was a steal, wait until you get a load of this: The Indian government has released a new tablet computer, Aakash, dubbed “the world’s cheapest.” Aakash costs $35 with government subsidies for students or $60 in stores. The government is giving away 100,000 for free during its launch period. The first 500 tablets released received a mixed response, as some complained that they are slow. The government hopes the device will bridge the gap between the rich and poor. “The rich have access to the digital world, the poor and ordinary have been excluded. Aakash will end that digital divide,” says Kapil Sibal, the communications and education minister. If you’re wondering what a tablet that costs as much as a pair of sneakers can possibly do, here’s a bit more about its specs: Aakash runs Android 2.2 Froyo , has a 7-inch touchscreen, weighs 350 grams, and has 32 GB of internal memory, 256 MB of RAM and two USB ports. The 2100mAh battery should last for two to three hours. Although it comes pre-loaded with some apps, it does not access the Android Marketplace. It has been tested in 118 degree Fahrenheit conditions to replicate northern India’s summer. Datawind, a small British company, developed the tablet with the Indian Institute of Technology. The tablet is being produced in India and should be available in stores next month. The government plans to start selling them at the subsidized price to students next year. What do you think of this tablet? Is it worth compromising speed to bring access to millions who otherwise could not afford a tablet computer or any computer at all? Let us know what you think in the comments. [via The Times of India ] More About: developing countries , Social Good , Tablet , World

Excerpt from:
World’s Cheapest Tablet Released in India

Commonred Launches VIP Contests To Let Entrepreneurs Pitch Top VCs, Angels (And Win A Meeting)

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:18:44 +0000

In July, we covered the launch of a new Vaporware Labs (a software company that makes social, mobile, and web apps, like Steve Young Football for the iPad and iPhone, and MEETorDIE) service, called Commonred , which is attempting to take the “cold call/email/approach out of the networking process” . Commonred was essentially launched to not only help startup founders — but anyone in need of some professional networking — to more easily find shared points of interest between themselves and those they want to meet, network, or learn from. (Without the awkwardness.) To beef up its offerings for entrepreneurs and founders out there looking to have their ideas heard by people who matter, Commonred has launched a series of VIP meetings contests in which founders and entrepreneurs now have the opportunity to pitch VCs, journalists, Angels, and tech big wigs in an effort to push their businesses forward. The pitch with the most votes then wins a meeting with the person of interest, and, hopefully, the rest is history. Traditionally, for those founders and entrepreneurs who may not necessarily have access to VCs or angels, or may not have had success with AngelList, accelerators, or pitching their ideas to media outlets, the road to victory can be a tough one. Which is what makes Commonred’s contests appealing to aspiring entrepreneurs out there. What’s more, the startups has already run contests for people like Tony Conrad, the founder of About.me and True Ventures, Ryan Spoon of Polaris Ventures and Dogpatch Labs, and Nick Efstratis, Managing Director of Epic Ventures. TechCrunch’s own MG Siegler was even a participator ; you can see his contest here, which led to a meeting for the winning startup, GetComparisons (and to TC coverage last week ). Commonred is currently running contests to get meetings with notables like David Bradford, the Chairman of publicly traded Fusion-io, who also has advisory and team roles with companies like Omniture, Novell, SCP Worldwide, as well as product designer, angel investor, TechCrunch contributor, and former CEO of Ustream, Chris Yeh. Generally speaking, Vaporware and Commonred Founder Derek Andersen told us, it takes between 10 and 100 votes to win constests, and once an idea is chosen, the founder receives a meeting of up to one hour in duration with the VC, angel, or journalist hosting the contest. For VCs and journalists, this is a great way to meet an awesome new entrepreneur without clogging their inbox with pitches, and for VCs et al to give back to the community — with the process allowing the best founders and ideas to rise to the top. The contests are ongoing, with five contests usually running at any given time. This week in particular, Commonred will have eight to ten running simultaneously. As to how entrepreneurs and their ideas might stand out amidst the onslaught of pitches from eager founders? Anderson said that submitting parties should find common threads with the person reviewing pitches: “If the VIP went to MIT, mention that you did too. If they invested in a company like yours 10-yrs ago, mention the link. Show that you care enough to do some homework”. And, again, with winners receiving coverage from tech publications and beyond (Anderson told me that one winner received a referral and interview for 500 Startups’ program), this can potentially be a game changer for startups looking for a jump start. For more, check out Commonred’s VIP Contests here . Crunchbase COMMONRED Company: Commonred Website: commonred.com Commonred is a project incubated VaporwareLabs in Mountain View CA. Vaporware Labs creates fun, useful applications in the social and mobile space. We’re comprised of young entrepreneurs, game developers, designers, and marketing experts. Learn more

Aperture: A Triumph of Science Is A 21 Minute Look Into The Labs Behind The Portal Testing Chambers

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:58:34 +0000

Cue Yanni intro music. Enter Aperture Laboratories documentary. Proceed to lose the next 21 minutes of your life. Sorry. Aperture: A Triumph of Science isn’t your fanboy look at Portal. Hells no. This is mildly entertaining, mildly informative look into the facility best known from the Portal games. There’s a bit of Easter eggs, a few Black Mesa references and a healthy dose of Aperture Science stickers (available from ThinkGeek, btw) But the video is as long and fictional as a History Channel documentary so clear your schedule and mind accordingly. [via Kotaku ]

More here:
Aperture: A Triumph of Science Is A 21 Minute Look Into The Labs Behind The Portal Testing Chambers

3 Ways to Find Top Talent for Your Startup

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 21:46:47 +0000

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum , where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. While the latest unemployment numbers are unnerving, there are still many companies struggling to find the right employees for their organizations — especially when it comes to startups. While there’s no such thing as a typical startup — which is why the startup environment is an adventure — one thing is certain: The traditional route of placing an employment ad, accepting resumes, conducting interviews and making an offer isn’t the norm. As evidence, here are the success stories of several startups and how they found the top talent they were looking for. 1. Attend Networking Events Aaron Harris, co-founder and CEO of Tutorspree , a marketplace for local tutors, discovered that going to specific technical meetups and hangouts can bring success in finding top talent. “That’s not to say we didn’t try a lot of other things that failed rather badly. Most of the general purpose tech gatherings are pretty crummy, filled with people looking for engineers or who are just generally curious about startups.” Harris says, “The upshot of our experience is we found Paul deGrandis who is, without a doubt, a superstar. He’s an incredible engineer — among other things, he’s a contributor to PyPy, which Quora just adopted — and a great guy.” When you’re at a networking event and meet that perfect candidate, remember to have your pitch ready. Harris explains: “We realized that developing a profile of the person we wanted and building the right pitch to excite them was critical. You’re always competing against the bigger tech companies for the best engineers. They have deeper pockets and some unbelievable technology. Startups have to sell the dream of what they’re building and the ownership that goes along with it. When you figure out the right way to sell that, then you’re ready to close the candidates when you find them. At every stage, you need to convince the candidate as much as they need to convince you.” And if you can’t find an event to attend, don’t be afraid to create your own. That’s what I Love Rewards , an SaaS-based employee recognition solution, is doing to fill positions for their San Francisco office. Razor Suleman , founder and CEO, says the company was hosting bi-weekly cocktail parties and happy hours at the swanky W Hotel in downtown San Francisco so job seekers could meet with current employees and executives and get a feel for company culture and expectations. Suleman cited the nerve-racking interview-like scenarios as the reason for the event. “With recruiting happy hours, we alleviate the pressure for the talent and provide them with a fun and positive experience. Candidates can network and mingle in a great atmosphere and that way, if their takeaway isn’t a career opportunity at I Love Rewards , they still have a positive experience with the company and opportunity to network with other people.” But all this fun doesn’t come without a downside — time. Suleman explains, “I Love Rewards’ recruiting and interview process is extremely diligent to ensure that we can find true A-players who will drive our business success and contribute to our unique company culture. Because of this, our interview process is longer than most organizations, taking nearly double the time to hire one person as it does for most other organizations. Although we have a rigorous process, it’s a price we are happy to pay to find the right person; after all one A-player is more effective than five B-players.” 2. Work Your Personal Network Profitably CEO and founder Adam Neary says all of their recruiting comes from doing it the hard way — networking like crazy. “We’ve had zero luck with websites, zero luck with networking events and zero luck with social media.” Neary tells the story of when Profitably , a New York based startup that helps small businesses free themselves of Excel when it comes to planning, managing and executing their business, was looking for an engineer. “When I was getting started, every other entrepreneur I knew was spending every conversation talking about their idea. I felt and still feel like ideas are cheap, and so I asked every engineer I knew who was the smartest engineer they knew. Half of the people said without hesitating, ‘I am.’ Interpret that as you will. But the other half said, ‘Francis Hwang.’ And those who said ‘I am,’ named Francis second. It was statistically improbable how many people held Francis in that regard. So, tactically, I had six different engineers introduce me to him, and he took the meeting. I courted him for three months before he quit his job. Now’s he’s our CTO and he rocks.” That personal networking philosophy extends beyond the recruitment process. Neary explains, “We make it really tough to get into Profitably, but once you’re in, you’re family. We pay 100% of employees’ health insurance. We let them buy whatever hardware they like. But the ‘family’ component comes from working well together, not just being smart. By tapping people’s networks, we have much earlier and much more qualified sense of what that looks like, and by making sure everyone in the team is involved with every hire, we continue to cement our culture as we grow.” While often times startups have to work their connections to find talent, sometimes the talent is right in front of them. Such was the case at Thumbtack.com , an online marketplace for local services like home contractors, wedding photographers, SAT tutors, etc. Sander Daniels, co-founder of Thumbtack.com tells the story of how he found his lead engineer. “Two years ago, one of our CEO’s friends introduced us to an engineer from a big tech company. We didn’t think much of it — he was happy with his job, and we weren’t looking to hire anyone at the time. However, he started coming to our offices on Friday nights to hang out with the team. We provided the drinks and the fun conversation. He saw over time how we talked about our company — how excited we were about our progress, how rapidly we improved our product, how big our dreams were. Although neither of us intended it, he soon caught the startup bug. Skip ahead two years to today — he’s now our lead engineer. And he also recruited his roommate — another big tech firm engineer — to our team.” It’s tough to persuade superstar talent to leave their safe jobs at big tech companies for the big risk of a startup. “We’ve found this can only be done in a social setting — the more they hang out with your team, the more they see your excitement,” Daniels says. “Soon they’ll catch the bug too.” When it comes to personal networks, Adrian Salamunovic, co-founder of DNA11 , the original creator of DNA Art, believes the key is staying connected with remarkable people even when you don’t have an opening. That’s how he found their public relations manager. “We met at a 40 Under 40 awards gala over a year ago. I knew she was a superstar, and we stayed in touch via emails, Twitter and Facebook. I eventually convinced her to come in for an interview, and she joined the company a few months ago.” 3. Make Your Company a Great Target Finding talent doesn’t always have to be about companies making the first move. Creating an environment that entices candidates to come work for you is a very sound strategy (and great perks help). Jason Henrichs , chief operating officer of PerkStreet Financial , a firm changing the banking business by giving customers rewards and tools for spending responsibility, says superstars find them versus the other way around. “Our head of community development was a customer first and then sent us a passionate letter about why she wanted to work at PerkStreet. Those who weren’t customers have come to us through our network that evangelizes the PerkStreet mission to fix banking for the average American — over half our team was recruited this way.” Henrichs attributes this to creating a culture with a high emphasis on value, not just doing things. “Recruiting based on a specific job description puts the emphasis on the task an individual will perform, versus our approach which requires a joint prioritization about where this new team member can drive the biggest return. The stars on our team have helped define the roles they fill.” Another way to effectively bring talent to your doorstep is with an employee referral program . Ryan Howard, chief executive officer at Practice Fusion , a fast-growing electronic medical records community in the U.S., says their “intellectual athletes” (a.k.a. employees) are well-versed in the company’s core values, which include “be scrappy,” “give to your community” and “exhibit integrity with no compromise.” To thank employees for candidate referrals, Practice Fusion offers monetary rewards ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, depending upon the position. Practice Fusion is adding more than 10 employees a month. Even with their rapid growth, it places a tremendous emphasis on finding talent that is a great cultural fit and who will continue to grow with the company. Howard has a goal for zero attrition, ensuring that each person at Practice Fusion has a career path, a voice and a true passion for the company. In addition to their career path, employees at Practice Fusion participate in an internal mentorship program connecting executives with younger colleagues to shape future career growth. A monthly “Phenomenal Friday” event is dedicated to independent projects, presentations and shared meals. Their kitchen is stocked with healthy food and the latest newspapers. Lunch and dinner are catered. Employees have health stock option plans. Dogs are welcome at the office, and cubicles are banned. According to Howard, “All of these pieces not only help find talent but keep it.” No matter what kind of startup you are, the rules to finding talent come down to one thing — who you know. It’s about getting out and meeting people, staying connected and spreading the word about what a terrific organization you are. In fact, as your organization grows, you’ll find this really doesn’t change. It’s all about meeting top talent, finding a couple of chairs and saying “Let’s talk.” Image courtesy of iStockphoto , P_Wei, Burton More About: features , mashable , Recruiting , Startups For more Business coverage: Follow Mashable Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad

Go here to see the original:
3 Ways to Find Top Talent for Your Startup

Google Improves iOS App for Google+

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:40:54 +0000

Google is on a roll, not sitting idly by while Facebook has its moment in the media spotlight. After opening its Google+ social network to the public — gaining an additional 10 million users in its first two days — now the search giant follows Tuesday’s Android update of Google+ with a similar refresh to its iOS version, now available free on the App Store [iTunes link]. What’s new? Like its Android cousin, the iOS version of the Google+ mobile app now supports Hangouts , letting groups communicate with each other using front-facing cameras on the iPhone 4 and iPod touch. In addition to Hangouts, the app offers better control of its various notifications, and a renamed Messenger (formerly Huddle) that now lets users attach photos to chat threads. Other niceties include the ability to +1 in comments, improved +mention support, a map view in Profile for places you’ve lived, and various reliability improvements. Macstories ‘ Federico Viticci had a chance to try out the new features in Hangouts — take a look at his experience here . [via Macstories ] More About: Google , iOS apps , iphone 4

See the original post here:
Google Improves iOS App for Google+

8 Current Technologies That Will Shape Our Future

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:17:26 +0000

Rick Chin is the director of product innovation at SolidWorks , where he develops new products and researches how technology will make us smarter, simplify daily tasks and seamlessly fit into our everyday lives. In 20 years our technology will reach a level of personalization to the extent that it will enhance every moment of our lives. We’ll be more physically comfortable with the furniture we sit on and the products we hold; only the most relevant and personalized information from friends and family will reach us; and our movement in the digital world will be near telepathic. I foresee several of today’s technologies as relevant to this particular vision of the future. They will evolve to not only be more powerful, but also more integrated with one other. 1. Smartphones Smartphones, like today’s iPhone, are as much a computer as they are a communication device. Besides having a great multi-touch interface and fast CPU, they contain sensors like cameras, gyros, accelerometers, GPS and compasses. They allow us to calculate and communicate anytime, anywhere. In the future, they’ll evolve into personal mobile computers (PMC). Assuming that Moore’s law holds true, mobile CPUs with near super-computing speeds will be entirely possible. The number, accuracy and performance of sensors will grow, the combination of which will give the user a very powerful sense of her surroundings. Your PMC will move to your wrist and take the place of your watch. (Microsoft had this vision with SPOT , but the technology came too early and was too limited.) The device’s display will not need to be your primary user interface (UI), so the PMC can be a small, diverse fashion statement like today’s watches. The primary UI will become personal peripherals, like information glasses and headsets. You’ll be able to interact naturally in a visual and audible way. Your PMC and personal peripherals will become your interface to every other computer, device and machine you interact with. The only UI you will ever need to know is that of your PMC. Not only will your personal peripherals allow you to explicitly interact with the digital (and physical) worlds, but they’ll also provide subtle cues to your subconscious. While looking through your information glasses , a restaurant might emit a subtle, warm blue tint because it was reviewed positively by patrons. It will feel like a good place to eat. Are your spidey senses tingling? 2. 3G and 4G Wireless Broadband “How many bars do I have?” We’re frequently checking smartphone signal strength when wirelessly browsing the Internet and retrieving our email. Today’s 3G and 4G networks provide acceptable but intermittent connections and okay speed. This must change. The deployment of today’s cell towers is a slow, deliberate and costly affair. In the future, deployment will be faster and more organic. Wireless providers will likely credit homeowners’ monthly bills for having devices like AT&T’s 3G MicroCell at home. With enough of these devices in place, even remote neighborhoods and towns will enjoy solid wireless access to the cloud. So in the future, personal mobile computers (PMCs) won’t even have signal strength indicators; wireless access to the cloud will be pervasive and ultra-fast at all times. 3. Cloud Computing There is certainly a lot of hype around cloud computing, but few technology providers have done a good job explaining or providing services that are relevant to the average person. The two most notable exceptions are Google and Apple. Google Docs is arguably the first cloud-based app that gained mainstream traction. Apple’s iCloud looks like it has the potential to cross the chasm and move the early majority into the cloud. With tomorrow’s cloud computing, all of our personal information and the applications will be available to us at any time. Whether you’re editing a text document while riding a train, or adjusting a sales proposal at a client’s office, you’ll never be without the information needed to complete a task. 4. Eye-Tracking / Voice Commands Today’s eye-tracking technology from companies like Tobii is used heavily in usability research. Where are people looking on a webpage, and how do their eyes move around it? Voice recognition products like Dragon from Nuance are used extensively when transcribing voice to text. In the future, this technology will be combined with augmented reality (AR) to create a near-invisible and natural user interface for your PMC. We’ll call these information glasses. The object you’re viewing and the words you speak will be transmitted to your PMC, which will interpret your intent, find and compute and then transmit the results back to you visually and/or verbally. Look at a restaurant and say, “Do they have good salads there?” A moment later, you will hear the highest-rated salads, communicated via your information glasses either by visual display or audible voice, depending on what you are doing at that moment, like driving. 5. Augmented Reality Today’s augmented reality (AR) will add floating text, symbols and 3D virtual images to a camera’s video feed to make it more informative or entertaining. Numerous iPhone apps like Layar provide local information. Tissot watches and Olympus cameras have webpages that let you experience virtual products. And Lego has a great point of sale display that lets kids virtually play with the toy inside the box they’re holding. You can even use AR glasses to experience this technology in a slightly more immersive, first-person point of view. In the future, AR glasses will project images onto the lenses using components that are barely noticeable. Your PMC will display information on your glasses much like a heads-up display (HUD), for instance, with symbols projected along the periphery. Look at a symbol and say something, and your PMC will act on the broadcasted message. Your PMC will also do a great job of minimizing the information displayed, limiting it to just what you need to know now. 6. Social Networking Social networking as it exists today on Facebook and Twitter requires users to do extra work to extract value. We must diligently manage our community of friends and followers, and weed through all the tweets and posts for those that pique our interest. In the future, the management of our network will be dynamic and automated; the system will make and break connections to ensure maximum value. As updates are posted, for example, only those relevant to you at the present moment will make it through the filter to your PMC. Social networking may also become more integrated with other components of our digital lives, like our calendars, address books and GPS. When going to a scheduled meeting with someone, you may be presented with recent and relevant posts that person made on Facebook to help prepare for small talk. Image courtesy of Flickr , escapedtowisconsin 7. CAD, 3D Printing & Custom Products Computer-aided design (CAD) products are popular among engineers, designers and students for creating 3D product designs. But the software is often too advanced for the average consumer to design his or her own products. In the future, however, CAD will allow the average consumer to design his own custom products that are both manufacturable and affordable. Consumers will be able to use simple software to combine predefined, configured product features. They’ll be able to personalize further by adding their own color palate, pictures, shapes and even personalized sizing. 3D Printing (3DP), like that from Dimension , is another amazing technology that will take a 3D CAD model and “print” layers of material, one on top of the previous, to produce a real physical model. It can create almost any shape, even those that can’t be made by traditional manufacturing. The downside today is that the process is slow, costly, and often doesn’t produce parts strong enough for real world use. The technology in this industry is always advancing, and in the future, it will be able to produce robust parts quickly and cheaply. 3D Printing in an industrial setting is often referred to as “additive manufacturing.” As products are ordered online, versatile manufacturing stations controlled by robots will quickly and affordably crank out custom-manufactured products. The robots will be controlled by process software that will be integrated with future CAD. Online custom products are slowly gaining popularity. You can go to NIKEiD and design your own customized Nike shoes. The downside is that they are pricey and will take several weeks to get to you. Other websites such as ShapeWays and Ponoko are useful for many DIYers. The mass market appeal of sites like these will grow in the future (when combined with the simpler CAD described above) with fast, flexible and inexpensive manufacturing. 8. Autonomous Cars Today’s cars are packed with a variety of driver assistance aids. You can get most any car today with GPS, but luxury car makers such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volvo provide a whole lot more. Options now include active cruise control, lane departure warning/intervention, traffic info and blind spot warning. These cars can even break on their own to avoid hitting an obstacle or pedestrian in front of the vehicle. A few years ago, DARPA ran its Grand Challenge , in which teams competed to race fully autonomous cars that drove themselves. They were tested in off-road, highway and urban settings. Some of these competitors later went to work for Google’s autonomous vehicle efforts. In the future, we will have autonomous cars, where driver control will be optional. Even though the thought might seem scary, the cars will be safer than any car you’d pilot yourself. They will constantly evaluate their current environment with multiple sensors — and they’ll never get distracted by text messages. Will they be complex to operate? Not at all. Your PMC will act as a user interface to any device, including your autonomous car. It will know your schedule and address book, so when you get into your car one hour before an appointment, the car’s GPS will instantly display the destination address and arrival time. All you have to do is say, “Let’s go!” Image courtesy of iStockphoto , tlnors More About: future , Gadgets , technology

Read the original here:
8 Current Technologies That Will Shape Our Future

App Tells You Which LinkedIn Connections Are in the Room

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:30:49 +0000

Sonar , a new app that tells you which of your Foursquare , Twitter and Facebook friends are in a room, is treading into the professional world Wednesday as it adds data from LinkedIn . The iPhone app [iTunes link], which first launched in May, shows you who is checked in to the same place as you on Foursquare or Facebook Places and who are your mutual Facebook friends, Twitter followers and now LinkedIn contacts. You can tweet at anybody on the list directly through the app. Since Sonar’s launch, users have tweeted through the app about 60,000 times. The addition of LinkedIn could make that number skyrocket as professionals use the app to ease introductions at awkward corporate events and conferences. Whether it will be useful to your professional networking, however, is largely dependent on how tech savvy the folks in your industry tend to be. While your connections don’t need to be using Sonar, they must check in with either Foursquare or Facebook Places, which limits the app’s scope. One recent study found that only up to 17% of the mobile population uses checkin services. If your industry happens to be made up of that 17%, Sonar can help you spot that guy who you met at a conference three years ago or give you a reason to introduce yourself to a key contact. And as anyone who has ever hovered nervously over the cheese plate at a networking event knows, this information can be an invaluable crutch for professional mingling. Image courtesy of iStockphoto , gehringj More About: iphone apps , networking , Sonar

See the rest here:
App Tells You Which LinkedIn Connections Are in the Room

App Tells You Which LinkedIn Connections Are in the Room

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:30:49 +0000

Go here to see the original:
App Tells You Which LinkedIn Connections Are in the Room

5 Small Business Tips for an Uncertain Economic Climate

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:23:56 +0000

Jeff Stibel is CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp . He was previously president and CEO of Web.com and general manager of web services at United Online . He currently serves on the board of directors for The Search Agency , EdgeCast and Autobytel , as well as on academic boards for Tufts University and Brown University. When looking at the U.S. economy, the only thing that can be said with certainty is that we are in a period of extreme un certainty. Consumer confidence hit a 30-year low as consumer spending hit a record high for the year. Wall Street is announcing record corporate profits while main street is suffering. And corporate CEOs are receiving massive incomes at a time when the country has unacceptably high unemployment rates. We have entered the Bermuda Triangle of economic indicators, where our economic compass has gone haywire. The U.S. stock market has entered a period of extreme volatility. Stock indexes lost over 5% of their value the day after S&P’s debt downgrade, only to fully bounce back a few days later. Eventually, these extreme market fluctuations will subside. Until that occurs, however, the market’s volatility will ripple through the economy with very real, albeit uneven, force. These wild fluctuations in the stock market are causing consumers to tighten their spending, thus causing increased pressure on small businesses. While large companies can weather the storm by dipping into cash reserves or discounting prices, the neighborhood business has no such buffer. Small businesses, already squeezed for operating capital by vendors and lenders, will need to adopt methods to bring stability to an otherwise unstable and uncertain landscape. Here are five such tips for doing so. 1. Request Better Payment Terms Although banks are hesitant to provide small businesses with access to capital, there is an alternative form of financing available — trade credit. By asking for longer payment terms such as 60, 90 or even 120 days, a small business can turn their receivables into a form of operating capital. 2. Social Networking Facebook and Twitter are not just for fun; they are also immensely powerful business tools for marketing and customer outreach. Even better, they are free. Chances are, your customers are already on these networks, which is why you need to be there too. Heed Seth Godin’s comment that “five thousand people who want to hear your message are more valuable than five million who don’t.” Rather than cast a wide and perhaps ineffective marketing net, employ Facebook and Twitter to target your audience directly and inexpensively. 3. Improve Customer Service Economic uncertainty often compels companies to reduce all expenses, but some cuts will prove more expensive in the long run. For example, as a cost savings, your competitors may be skimming on customer service. You should resist the impulse to do the same. Remember, it’s generally more expensive to acquire new customers than to keep existing ones. Furthermore, when others are cutting the quality of customer care, improvements to your service will get your company noticed. 4. Use Online Directories In order increase traffic to your business (both online and off), seek out web directories that are free or where registration is relatively inexpensive. Google Places offers a free and useful directory of businesses. Bing , CityGrid and other business directories offer similar services through which consumers can learn about your company. 5. Separate Your Personal from Your Business Credit Apply for a credit card under the name of your business as opposed to your own name. Building a business credit history distinct from your personal credit will enable your business to qualify for better payment terms, credit lines, loans and other forms of capital. Keep in mind that banks and other lenders will not loan to a business if lacks sufficient credit history, so if you haven’t established credit card and checking accounts under your business’ name, now is the time. Over time, the switch will provide the double benefit of building up your business credit while protecting you from having to give personal guarantees. Image courtesy of Flickr , mikeleeorg More About: business , economy , finance For more Business & Marketing coverage: Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad

Go here to read the rest:
5 Small Business Tips for an Uncertain Economic Climate