Now, this concept has gained a whole new meaning in the aftermath of the loss of Michael Jackson. The King of Pop has vaulted from a mere 80,000 fans prior to his passing to nearly 6.7 million as of this evening. In turn, that makes Jackson’s fan page the most popular on the entire site, surpassing Diesel and President Obama.

While the growth will probably start to slow after tomorrow’s massive memorial for Jackson, the huge following leaves the singer’s heirs (and his record label) with a massive network to communicate with fans and continue the massive resurgence of interest in Jackson’s music we’ve seen over the past week and a half; as of July 1st, there had already been 2.6 million downloads of the aritst’s music, and Jackson still currently owns the top two albums on iTunes, as well as three of the top 10 singles.

On the Facebook Page, there’s currently a simple music player with a number of Jackson’s hits and an option to buy them through Amazon. It’s also served as an enormous online memorial, with the Page still seeing dozens of new comments from fans every few minutes. In any event, if we needed yet another metric to measure the massive impact of Jackson’s passing, his Facebook page is it.

Tags: facebook, facebook pages, michael jackson

Name: Mapspread

Quick Pitch: Mapspread lets users create interactive mapping applications and allows them to manage their geo-data.

Genius Idea: Say you have a brick-and-mortar business and you want to map out all of your customers to see where to target next. Or maybe you’re collaborating with a thousand other people on planning a worldwide event. There are thousands of possible applications for smart geo-data and interactive maps, but not a lot of great applications for actually mapping your data.

That’s where Mapspread really comes in handy. It allows you to import or manually add data such as addresses into an interactive map (powered by Google Maps). This map can be used for everything from store locators to real-time collaboration. You simply add information in layers and customize it to your needs. Take a look at this video, which demonstrates how to use Mapspread:

The interface itself is very clean and overall, it’s simple to learn how to use it. You can edit the names, colors, text, the map size, and even upload images (so you can have your logo). Once you’re doing making your map, you can then embed it, which is great for a company website. One issue, though – if you get disconnected from the server, the entire thing becomes impossible to use because of a big “reconnecting” message. This can be a big turn-off to the product and another method for editing data when disconnected (or a less intrusive warning) is needed.

Overall, Mapspread provides an addition and superb layer of functionality to Google Maps. It makes for a very professional application that is very customizable. The killer features are its importing abilities (spreadsheets, Google MyMaps, KML, MapInfo TAB files, and more are supported), the ability to create locator apps, and its simple management interface.

Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark

BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines).”

Tags: bizspark, Google Maps, mapspread

In fact, as we reported last Friday, Michael Jackson’s memorial may very well be the biggest single web event in history, if you consider the staggering response of the web when he died. Facebook/CNN, MySpace, Hulu/Fox News, Ustream/CBS News, and others will all carry a live video feed from the event. Here are the details on each:

1. Ustream/CBS News

Last month, CBS and live-streaming service Ustream initiated a partnership where Ustream would provide full streams of major events, press conferences, and keynotes via CBS News. Tomorrow, the CBS News Ustream channel will provide a stream of the Jackson memorial.

In fact, the CBS News Ustream feed is already providing a feed of the Staples Center, where the memorial will take place. You can also discuss Jackson’s memorial via Ustream’s Twitter social stream feature.

2. Hulu/Fox News

The popular premium content video website Hulu will be carrying a feed of the event, starting at 9:30 AM PST. This stream will be provided via the Fox News Channel.

We’ll update this post with the embed and the link when it becomes available.

3. Facebook/CNN

Facebook and CNN have partnered a few times to provide live streams of major events, the most notable being Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration. Once again, CNN and Facebook will partner to allow people to not only watch the memorial, but to comment on it via their Facebook status.

In order to watch this live stream, you should RSVP with CNN for updates (though you don’t have to), and check out CNN.com/Live starting at 12:00 PM ET/9:00 AM PT.

4. MySpace

MySpace user will have a feed of the memorial as well. The feed, which will be available at MySpace.com/MichaelJacksonMemorial, is being provided by AEG starting at 10 AM PT. On top of the live feed, the site is also featuring music videos from the King of Pop that you can watch.

Tags: cbs, cnn, facebook, hulu, live video, michael jackson, michael jackson memorial, myspace, ustream, video

However, the people over at the conversational search engine BackType believe that Tweetmeme’s offering is lacking, and that they could do better. Thus, BackType has released a new widget and WordPress plugin, Tweetcount, that distinguishes itself from Tweetmeme with customization options and clickstream data. Will this put a damper on Tweetmeme, which is launching upgrades of its own this week?

The new Tweetcount button and widget does the same job as the Tweetmeme button: it counts retweets of your articles on Twitter and displays them as a counter. In addition, you can retweet the article directly from the page. This is all powered by their BackType Connect engine, which can find all the comments associated with a specific post. In look and style, it’s very similar to the Tweetmeme button. If it weren’t for the customization options, you probably wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference.

And that’s Tweetcount’s strongest selling point: you can change the color, the leading text of the tweet, and even the URL shortener (if you use Awe.sm). By allowing the website owner to adjust border and background colors, the button can be made to match their website’s design, which is very important to a lot of users. There will also be analytics, based on the ones provided by Awe.sm. And finally, unlike Tweetmeme, you don’t have to be stuck with the “via @BackType” text in your tweets, because that’s customizable as well.

All of that said, Tweetcount is going to face an uphill battle facing the current market leader. Tweetmeme not only dominates this space, but it is releasing its own analytics package, new image-based buttons, and retweet chicklets as well. On top of that, users don’t have to leave the page to retweet if they’re logged into Tweetmeme via OAuth. It’s good to have competition though, and we’re fans of BackType’s customization options.

Retweeting Resources from Mashable

1. HOW TO: Retweet on Twitter

2. The Science of ReTweets

3. Repeets Tracks Twitter’s Hottest Retweets

4. DailyRT Ranks Twitter Retweets

5. DMfail Fails, Reborn as Re-Twit’d

6. The Retweeting Movement Adds Some Powerful New Tools

7. Retweet iPhone App for Twitter

8. Facebook Needs Its Own Version of the Twitter Retweet

Tags: BackType, tweetmeme, twitter

The U.S. Department of Justice may not be happy with this and other exclusivity arrangements, though, and has opened a review of AT&T, Verizon, and some of the other major telecoms. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, this “initial review” will explore issues like anti-competitive practices, the sheer market share of AT&T and Verizon (60% of wireless customers), and the practice of locking up phones via exclusivity agreements. Could the government end the AT&T-Apple partnership?

The review, being led by Obama’s Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Christine Varney, may be a prelude to the use of the Sherman Act as a case against telecom industry giants. Here’s what could be reviewed, according to WSJ:

“Among the areas the Justice Department could explore is whether wireless carriers are hurting smaller competitors by locking up popular phones through exclusive agreements with handset makers, according to the people. In recent weeks lawmakers and regulators have raised questions about deals such as AT&T’s exclusive right to provide service for Apple Inc.’s popular iPhone in the U.S.

The Justice Department may also review whether telecom carriers are unduly restricting the types of services other companies can offer on their networks, one person familiar with the situation said.”

If this review turns into a DOJ probe and lawsuit, it could force Apple to break its agreement with AT&T to only sell iPhones through the AT&T network. However, as the WSJ article intelligently points out, this possibility may be a longshot:

“It would be a very hard case to make,” said Donald Russell, a Washington attorney who reviewed a number of major telecom mergers as a DOJ antitrust lawyer in the Clinton Administration. “You don’t have any firm that’s in a dominant position. Usually, you need to show a firm has real market power.”

While preventing the formation of monopolies is important, we think calling Apple and AT&T’s exclusivity deal a violation of the Sherman Act would be a stretch. But this could put the heat on Apple to make their popular smartphone available on Verizon or other carriers when their current deal with AT&T is up.

What do you think? Should the government get involved in the AT&T-Apple partnership? Are Verizon and AT&T breaking antitrust laws? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

Tags: apple, att, DOJ, iphone

We want you to create an entertaining 12 second clip to help raise awareness for the Summer of Social Good charity campaign. All you need to do is visit the #12forGood Week page on 12seconds.tv and submit a 12 second video that shows you doing something entertaining for Social Good. To help you out, we’ve made some suggestions on the 12 seconds page – you can also come up with your own ideas. The winning videos will be chosen at random.

We look forward to watching your videos, and don’t forget to show your support by donating and spreading the word!

Thanks to our Summer of Social Good Sponsors

Thanks to Zappos and MailChimp for sponsoring the Summer of Social Good. Their generous sponsorship covers the campaign and event costs, so that 100% of your donations and ticket sales go to the fund.

“Visit Zappos.com and outfit your life with a new head-to-toe wardrobe for men, women, and kids! Step into all the clothes, bags, shoes and more from all your favorite brand names! Plus, enjoy our 365-day return policy, fast & free shipping, free return shipping & 24-hour customer service!”

“MailChimp is a powerful, easy-to-use email marketing service. You design, me deliver.

We make it easy to send email newsletters to your customers, manage your subscriber lists, and track campaign performance. Unlike some of our competitors, we don’t ‘dumb things down.’ We take extremely powerful tools that sophisticated marketers use (like segmentation, a/b testing, and ROI tracking), and we make them accessible to anyone.”

Thanks to our Summer of Social Good Partners

Thanks to the following partners for lending their generous support to the Summer of Social Good.

Tags: 12seconds, contest, social good

Sometimes, the startup becomes so successful that it even enters the dictionary, and that’s exactly what Twitter has done today, as we’ve learned that it will be added to the next edition of the Collins English Dictionary.

According to The Telegraph, Twitter the noun will be defined as “a website where people can post short messages about their current activities” while the verb’s definition will be “to write short messages on the Twitter website.” Interestingly, the term “tweet” doesn’t appear to be included (as it now is in the AP Stylebook), but Twitterati and Twitterverse will be.

Rival dictionary Merriam-Webster, for what it’s worth, still defines Twitter the verb as “to utter successive chirping noises” and the noun as “a small tremulous intermittent sound.” Perhaps the company is saving Twitter for “word of the year” status, as the word “blog” was back in 2004.

Tags: Dictionary, twitter

Additionally, Andreessen told Reuters that Facebook will have revenue of more than $500 million for 2009, and that he expects the company to be doing billions of dollars in sales within the next five years. The Netscape and Ning founder (who also just launched a new venture capital firm) also seems to share the Facebook philosophy that for now, adding users is more important than rapidly increasing ad sales.

And considering that it’s been only three months since Facebook passed the 200 million member milestone, Andreessen’s report makes it safe to say that the social network is still adding hundreds of thousands of new users daily.

With what appears to remain incredibly robust growth at Facebook, it’s a bit surprising to see the company continue to push such dramatic changes to the core of its service; in other words, some would say, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it (See: Facebook’s Twitterification: Is it the Right Move?).

Nonetheless, risk taking and constant innovation seem to be what’s put the company at the top of the social networking heap. And while users might openly oppose changes with their comments, groups, and status updates, the numbers show they certainly aren’t yet abandoning Facebook for someplace else because of them.

Tags: facebook, marc andreessen

With iPhone 3.0 OS upon us, we’ve finally seen the delivery of much-needed push notifications from Apple. Applications that take advantage of this new feature continue to trickle in, and though the selection is slim right now, there are a handful of apps (some on their way) that should allow you to become more productive throughout your day.

With push notifications, you can now stop checking news for breaking stories, or forget opening your IM app to see if someone is looking for you – rather, you can get instantly notified instead. Let’s take a look at a handful of useful apps that can get you the information you crave even more quickly.

iPhone Apps with push notification

Chat and Instant Message Apps

BeejiveIM: Web – iTunes: By far, my favorite instant messaging app for the iPhone, BeejiveIM ($9.99) combines Google Talk, Yahoo!, MSN, AIM and more all under one program for your iPhone. Now you’ll receive IM notifications even when you have the app closed.

YoFrog: Web - iTunes: YoFrog ($.99) is a mobile group chat application that allows you to chat with all your friends or business associates (who also need YoFrog) at once. No more SMS mayhem! With version 1.1 (sent to the App Store last week and waiting for approval), you’ll now be instantly notified when your contacts are trying to chat with you. They also have a free, Lite version.

Textfree Unlimited: Web – iTunes: Textfree ($5.99) allows for unlimited text messages (for one year) to any other US mobile phone. You’ll need to set up a username for people to text you directly, so it’s not ideal for your contacts – but probably not a bad deal for anyone who sends a ton of text messages and doesn’t want to upgrade to their carrier’s unlimited plan. Push notifications for Textfree will now notify users as soon as a new message comes in (imagine that!). They also have a Lite version that limits you to 15 messages per day and is ad-supported.

IM+ with Push: Web – iTunes: A popular instant messaging app, IM+ ($9.99) can now update you in real time when you receive an IM. You can manage IM with all of your contacts from any of the instant messaging platforms, including Skype.

To-do List Apps

RememberTheMilk: Web – iTunes: One of the most popular web-based to do list managers (and my go-to web app), RTM will now instantly notify you when you have a list item that’s due. The RTM iPhone App is free, but requires a Pro account with Remember The Milk for $25 per year.

ToodleDo: Web – iTunes: Another solid to do list manager, you can purchase their iPhone app ($2.99) to use with your free or paid subscription to Toodledo. Push notifications will let you know when an item with a due-date is coming up.

ReQall: Web – iTunes: ReQall (Free) is a unique information manager for to do items and other reminders. If you haven’t used it, I’d suggest trying it for a week to see if it makes sense for you. Open the app, speak, and let their system convert your speech into a to do item. The app now supports push notifications to instantly notify you of upcoming events.

Reminder Apps

BillMinder: Web – iTunes: ($.99 on sale) The next update of this bill reminder application promises push notifications. Just set your due dates and make sure notifications are turned on. Now you’ll never forget to pay a bill again… accidentally, at least.

NotifyMe: Web: Not to be confused with Notify.me, the IM notifier app, NotifyMe (price unkown) is yet to be approved by the app store, but promises notification for anything you can think of. Set it to notify you when your favorite TV show is about to start, when you are supposed to call back a client, or when you need to change the cat box! You’ll need to set up each alert, but the developer promises you can set up a new alert in as little as two taps. The free version (with some limitations) is in iTunes now.

Occasions: Web – iTunes: Occasions ($.99 on sale) notifies you of the birthdays and anniversaries of your iPhone contacts. You can also add more information about each contact or add reminders for people not on your phone’s contact list. For me, this is great. I manage all of my contacts in GMail and they’re synced to my phone automatically, so now I can get notified of the events in their lives, without having to do much extra work.

Other Apps with Push

AP Mobile: Web – iTunes: The popular free news app now supports push notifications of breaking news. However, it seems like it might not be working properly (serious lag time and not all notifications coming through). If this gets fixed, it could be very useful for those of us who can’t stand missing the latest North Korean missile launch.

AreMySitesUp: Web – iTunes: While push notifications are not yet available for this app, they promise that it’s coming. For an app that is built to “notify” you when your web site goes down – push would be ideal, of course. Their app is a free companion to the Premium membership on their site (starts at $25 per year). There is also a Lite version of the app that works with their free plan.

Zillow Real Estate: Web – iTunes: If you’re looking for a home, it doesn’t get much better than Zillow (Free). While you could always find houses for sale near your location (no need to enter an address), you can now get push-notified of new listings that match any of your saved searches.

E*Trade Mobile Pro: Web – iTunes: For the investors out there, you probably know you can already manage your E*Trade account with their iPhone App (Free), but now they’ve introduced push notifications. You’ll get stock and account alerts pushed directly to your phone’s screen. Next time you miss that big opportunity, it won’t be E*Trade’s fault!

Will Innovators Rise to Push?

While the apps that currently use push notifications are handy, I hope that developers will take this opportunity to do some things above and beyond your typical “message waiting” notifiers. E*Trade, Zillow and a few others get the idea. I’m waiting for the app that allows me to get notified of anything I decide I need to be notified about. With all the open APIs out there today, it’s bound to come along.

Things I want pushed:

1. Allow me to be notified when my car or house alarm goes off.

2. Google, let me be notified of a new Google Alert I have set up.

3. How about instead of giving me a big vibrating brick of plastic at the restaurant while I wait for a table, let my phone connect to your system and you can ping me instead.

4. I’d also like to know immediately when Albert Pujols hits another grand slam – or when any other sporting event I’m interested in occurs.

5. What about when I need two days of rain-free weather, within specific degrees, in order to paint a fence or deck. Should I really have to check the weather forecast every day? I’d rather have an app that did the work for me.

Sooner or later, push notification of almost anything will be a reality, making our digital lives even more real-time. What type of alerts would you like pushed to your iPhone?

Elliott Kosmicki is a web developer and marketing specialist for an Internet Retailer Hot 100 company in Madison, WI. When he’s not absorbing marketing strategy and personal development material, you can find him writing for Good Plum – a productivity and personal development blog focused on the thoughts of home business owners, freelancers, and dreamers. You can also find Elliott on his personal summary page, and on Twitter.

More iPhone resources from Mashable:

- A Guide to Better Web Working From Your iPhone
- 29 Twitter Apps for the iPhone Compared
- 11 Essential iPhone Apps for a Road Trip
- 15 iPhone Apps to Tame the Kids
- Data Visualizations: 5 Amazing iPhone Visualization Videos

Tags: App, iphone, Lists, productivity, push notification

It’s a sign of the things to come, as this real estate search seems as good (or better) as any you’ve seen on various real estate sites out there. Go to Google.com.au and type in a search query such as real estate Sydney. You’ll get all of the properties in the area, with options to further refine your search to include properties that are for rent or for sale, set a price range, the desired number of bedrooms and bathrooms and so forth.

Of course, other nifty Google Maps features can help you decide. For example, with Street View you can look at most properties up close and Google Transit can show you public transportation to and from the property. Putting all of that together makes for a very powerful real estate search engine, and it shows how much untapped potential Google Maps have.

Check out an introductory video below:

Tags: Google Maps, real estate, Search

Other ABC shows will start arriving on the site “over the next two weeks” according to the company, who is currently providing a list of what’s new every day on their “Days of Summer” calendar. Once the rollout is completed, Hulu will be home to ABC, FOX, and NBC shows, with the lone holdout of the major networks remaining CBS.

However, CBS continues to make its show available on CBS.com, as well as on TV.com, which actually aggregates some content from the other networks and links out to their websites as well (for example, see Heroes on TV.com). It will be interesting to see if the company continues along with this strategy or decides to shift course and make a deal to bring its content to Hulu in light of the other three networks now being live on the site.

As for our international readers who continue wonder when all of this content will be made available to them – sorry, nothing new to report at this time.

Tags: abc, cbs, hulu

Is this a morbid joke or a serious application? The latter seems to be the case. Wayne Perry, president of GSC Products, the company that created the app, says he’s gotten over a thousand requests for the app after posting a video of his memorial for Michael Jackson on YouTube. Perry also explains how he’d gotten the idea to create the application:

“I was thinking of my grandparents and other deceased relatives buried in different cemeteries around the country. I also thought of pets I’ve lost over the years. I thought how I’d like to visit their graves on a regular basis, but it’s simply impossible. That’s when the idea hit me. If I could carry the memories of departed loved ones on my iPhone, I could pay my respects whenever I feel like it. Even though they’re buried in different places and some have even been cremated, I wanted to find a way to bring them all together.”

Check out an introductory video below, and/or purchase the application for $2.99 in the Apple App Store.

Tags: death, iphone, memorial, Pocket cemetery

Is your event not on this list? Contact us and let’s establish a media partnership.

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

July 8, 2009, New York City: A special TEDx event entitled “The Media Earthquake” will explore how technology is reshaping the way we consume and produce media. TEDxNWC and TEDxPARIS will convene both in physical locations in New York City and Paris, and simulcast live talks. Lunch will be served at 12.30pm ($45 per person, incl. tax and gratuity). The price includes a 3 course meal, stage & A/V rental and semi-private area. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized. This independent TEDx event is operated under license from TED.

July 8-9, 2009, online: Event for eCommerce and Affiliate Marketers: eComXpo is the leading virtual show for e-commerce and affiliate marketers that addresses the latest trends and issues in affiliate and search marketing for retailers, affiliates and networks. Benefit from expert insights on latest affiliate marketing tactics shared at the eComXpo July 2009 Show.

July 13, 2009, Minneapolis, MN: PR 2.0: New Tools of the Trade will explore the most cutting edge and innovative thinking on how to navigate this rapidly changing industry. The conference will feature keynote presenter, Jason Kintzler, founder of PitchEgine and breakout sessions that will demystify the applications that are quickly becoming the new tools of the trade. Mashable readers receive a $50 discount when they register with code, MASH.

July 16, 2009, online: This summit will feature live webcast presentations by marketing experts, offering best practice advice, case studies and actionable tips on important social media marketing tools for your small business. Topics and speakers include: “42 Rules of Social Media for Small Business” – Jennifer Jacobson, Author, 42 Rules of Social Media for Small Business; “How to Build an Online Community for your Small Business” – Katie Moore, Founder, Business Start Up Community; “How to Effectively Combine Offline & Online Networking” – Dave Clarke, CEO, NRG Networks. Mashable readers can view the full program and sign up for free at: brighttalk.com/summit/smallbizmarketing

July 21, 2009, Knoxville, TN: Social Media Club Knoxville is a personal and professional networking organization for the champions of social media and those seeking to learn. The group will host its official Launch Party, featuring speaker Trey Pennington, the founder of SMC Greenville and an influential social media practitioner. The event is free, and all are encouraged to attend.

July 23, 2009, New York City: When social media emerged, many thought it was a fad or simply a communication technology for young people. It’s now clear that social media will continue to make a significant impact on how consumers and organizations communicate and operate. The Social Communications and Healthcare event will showcase the best examples and case studies on how leading healthcare organizations achieve marketing and communications objectives through the strategic use of social media. Get a discount when registering with promo code MASH.

July 24-26, 2009, Napa and Sonoma, CA: Did you know blogging is changing the wine industry as we know it? Love wine? Love blogging? Join as fellow wine bloggers, new media innovators in the wine industry, and wine industry leaders converge on California wine country on July 24-26 for the premier conference for new media and the wine industry. This three day symposium brings you a unique opportunity to learn about and discuss the intersection of wine with the world of new media including blogging, social media, and more. We hope to see you there – it’s going to be a fantastic wine country experience! Get a discount by entering MASH when you register!

July 26, 2009, Oxford, UK: BarCamp Transparency brings together technologists, experts, campaigners and commentators for the UK’s first event on open government, social media ethics and cyberactivism. With some big names on the guest list and an open agenda that any attendee can contribute to, the organizers aim for tough talking and innovative thinking about some of the integral social issues of our day. Attendance is free; all you need to bring is a willingness to share your ideas and opinions.

July 27, 2009, Seattle, WA: Cool Twitter Conferences will be holding its third event and provides an environment for developers, people in business, and enthusiasts from multiple disciplines, who seek to understand and maximize the power of Twitter, the chance to contribute to the discussion and tap into this real-time use of the web. This forum is ideal for advertising, marketing professionals and business owners looking to increase visibility and improve customer experience. Use the code: mashable to save 25% on registration.

July 31, 2009, Los Angeles, CA: Cool Twitter Conferences will be holding its fourth event. The Cool Twitter Conference provides an environment for developers, people in business, and enthusiasts from multiple disciplines, who seek to understand and maximize the power of Twitter, the chance to contribute to the discussion and tap into this real-time use of the web. This forum is ideal for advertising, marketing professionals and business owners looking to increase visibility and improve customer experience. Use the code: mashable to save 25% on registration.

August 3-6, 2009, Chicago, IL: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute’s 26th forum on Internal Branding: How To Use Strategic Communications To Drive Employee Engagement, Build Your Brand, & Impact Your Organization’s Bottom Line, to learn how to create brand champions and advance your organizational goals. Hear how to build bigger and better brands and drive bottom-line results through practical solutions from top branding experts at: Hyatt Corporation; AAA Northern CA, NV & UT; American Express Canada; Benetton USA; Pitney Bowes; Group Health Cooperative; DLA Piper; Illinois Tool Works (ITW) – Redhead; U.S. Department of the Interior; Booz Allen Hamilton, and many others. Mention mashable for a $200 discount.

August 10-14, San Jose, CA: Explore the strategies and tactics behind SEM (SEO & PPC) at the Search Engine Strategies San Jose Conference & Expo, August 10-14. From local search to universal search to social media, learn the SEM techniques that will improve your website and boost conversions. Designed for both beginners and veterans to search, SES San Jose offers the educational environment, hands on experience, and individual feedback on improving brand exposure as well as website usability. SAVE $200 now through July 24. SAVE an additional 15% when you enter SJ15MA.

August 11, 2009, San Jose, CA: This forum, brought to you by the teams at ClickZ, YouTube & Google, will explore the successes and failures companies, celebrities, and politicians have had in the social sphere online and will deliver actionable tactics and strategies so that you can prosper from them. This one-day event is taking place in conjunction with the Search Engine Strategies San Jose Conference & Expo.

August 12, 2009, New York City: What does the future hold for Appvertising? Find out at digiday:APPS, which will bring together the leading executives from top agencies, blue-chip brands, app developers, mobile/social advertising networks, and content owners to discuss the explosive Mobile and Social “Appvertising” market. Attendees will learn and gain key insights on the innovative brands, the killer apps, dynamic integrated content and offers, video, storytelling, and the rich functionality of online and offline apps. Use code DAMH08 to get a discount, and be sure to hit “Apply” to ensure the lower rate!

August 24, 2009, Charlotte, NC: Social Fresh is a 1 day Social Media Conference in the Southeast. Speakers range the spectrum of Fortune 500, e-commerce, advertising/marketing, major media and more. Social Fresh content is focused on two things, the future of social media technology and tangible social media examples of how businesses are using the social web successfully. Get 15% off by using code Mashable.

September 14-17, 2009, Chicago, IL: Attend the Advanced Learning Institute’s 11th Forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results to learn how to capture the power of social media in your organization, along with helpful tools, tips and techniques to get started. Hear from leading experts at Transportation Security Administration; Salt Lake Valley Health Department; U.S. Department of State; Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; Court Services & Offender Supervision Agency; University of Wisconsin – Madison; Houston Public Library; San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, and more, on how to engage your employees and citizens by using social media. Mention Mashable when registering to save $200.

September 21-23, 2009, Portland, OR: LinuxCon is a technical conference providing an unmatched collaboration and education space covering all matters Linux. The best and brightest in the community will come together for top notch speaking talent, innovative content, and an array of networking opportunities. Speakers include: Linux creator, Linus Torvalds, Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth, Bob Sutor of IBM, Joe Brockmeier of OpenSuse and many more industry experts and top technical talent. Get 20% off if you register with code LCOR20.

September 22-23, 2009, Singapore: The Social Networking World Forum Asia is a two day conference dedicated to social networking and social media, featuring key speakers from social networking publishers, advertising agencies, industry analysts, software developers and equipment manufacturers, pay-TV and network service providers, mobile operators, plus many more. There will be a joint exhibition combining social networking and mobile social networking formats and an evening networking reception. Mention you are a Mashable reader to receive 15% discount.

September 24, 2009, online: With customers and professionals around the world rushing into online communities and social networks, companies are trying to follow their customers and join the conversation. This summit will feature social media marketing experts who will present live and interactive webcasts throughout the day to debate the value of social media in the marketing mix. They will discuss the best methods for companies to create a social media presence and uncover the paths to leverage social media for a strong ROI. Mashable readers can view the full program and sign up for free at: brighttalk.com/summit/socialmediamarketing2

September 28-29, 2009, London: At the Social TV Forum, learn from broadcasters, content providers, social networks, brands, advertisers and analysts. Understand the key trends driving social TV, the challenges being faced and what the future outlook is for social television. Take advantage of the Evening Networking Reception and Network immediately with our first-class pre-show online meeting planner. Mention you are a Mashable reader to receive 15% discount.

October 5-8, 2009, Ottawa, Canada: For 16 years, GTEC is recognized as Canada’s most significant forum on the use of technology to improve government services and operations. The event features an annual Distinction Awards program and gala, a comprehensive Professional Development Forum, and the GTEC Exhibition. The conference program and trade show are attended annually by an estimated 7,000 professionals. $100 off for Mashable readers can be had using discount code MASHUP09.

October 7-8, 2009, Boston, MA: The Inbound Marketing Summit is where the online marketing community gathers to solve today’s marketing and business communications challenges. This fast-paced and information-packed event is your check-up on your existing business communications strategies, and your prescription for the coming months. The Inbound Marketing Summit is organized by thought-leaders Chris Brogan and Justin Levy of New Marketing Labs. This event brings together experts in the field of new media marketing to share the latest strategies, tools, and best practices to utilize new marketing methods to grow your business. Speakers include: Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Brogan, Jason Falls, Brian Solis, Tim Street and many more. Use the code MASH200 to get $200 off!

October 9-11, 2009, Atlanta, GA: In its inaugural year, BLOGALICIOUS 2009 will provide women bloggers of color an amazing opportunity to come together to celebrate their diversity and their love for blogging. If you’re interested in meeting, learning about, and interacting with women bloggers of color, this conference is for you. In addition to igniting a sense of unity within our community, BLOGALICIOUS 2009 will educate marketers on the importance of our demographic in today’s marketplace, all while allowing bloggers to network and achieve the ultimate success for their blogs. It’s an event not to be missed!

October 13-14, 2009, London, UK: a4uexpo London is Europe’s largest Affiliate Marketing Conference and Exhibition. The two-day event will feature top industry experts from across the UK & international Online Marketing sector, as well as a range of specific Workshop sessions, which together provide delegates with a professional environment in which to hear about & debate the key issues currently facing the £3bn channel. The accompanying Exhibition will feature a specially-selected group of UK & European exhibitors, whilst there will also be Networking Parties after each day’s formal program. Mashable users can save 10% by using code Mash09.

October 15-16, 2009, New York City: The Social Media Seminars will explore innovative strategies of Fortune 500 companies and other early adopters and provide practical guidance on tools and technologies to help you develop, implement, refine and measure outcomes of social media strategies. Day one will be in a roundtable format where you’ll hear from market leaders including: American Express OPEN Forum, IBM Corporation and Symantec. Clara Shih, author of The Facebook Era (Prentice Hall 2009) will share insights from her book which is used as a text at The Harvard Business School. Day two will provide a hands on working session, where experiential learning will help you figure out the best social media strategies and tactics for your own business. Use Code CL1 for $300 off.

October 28-30, 2009, Amsterdam: The Emerging Communications (eComm) Conference & Awards was created to promote and accelerate communications innovation across Telecom, Mobile & Internet Communications. Telecom is in the process of being re-written. You either stand on the side to be written into the past or instead join with the growing community to write the future. Opportunities to profit from the radical restructuring and in accelerating the development of how humanity connects, communicates and collaborates have never been so great. Use the code Mashable when registering to save 20% (can only be applied for new registrations).

November 4-5, 2009, Raleigh, NC: Internet Summit 09 will feature over 75 speakers including major internet brands such as Twitter, Pandora, Google, Salesforce.com, Digg, Technorati, CBS Interactive, Huffington Post, Blogger, Meebo and more. Join over 1200 entrepreneurs, senior marketers and executives in the conversation about the future of the industry and how to capitalize on the shifting dynamics of the internet and tap into its unlimited business potential. Use registration code MASH for 20% off.

November 5-6, 2009, Berlin, Germany: The European Venture Market is a platform for investors, service providers and entrepreneurs to meet, network and further develop business ideas and projects, in a relaxed yet professional atmosphere. During the event the participating entrepreneurs will be able to pitch their business projects for around 5 minutes to a crowd of interested investors and service providers. The two conference days will also feature keynote speeches, specific industry presentations, coffee and lunch breaks, a large dinner reception on the Thursday night and, finally, a themed club party on the Friday night. Get 10% off by using code evm_mashable

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

Eventbrite is an online events marketplace where tens of thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations of all sizes manage, promote and sell tickets to their events. Make your event a success on Eventbrite.

Tags: conferences, Events, mashable

The attack now seems to be under control, as that particular hashtag is no longer visible in Twitter trends, but coupled with the recent problem with the suspension of several real accounts — which might have been partly due to the 4chan attack — it once again shows that Twitter is going to have a hard time controlling spammers, pranksters and hackers whose number will inevitably increase with the rise of Twitter’s popularity.

On a side note, CNET blogger Harrison Hoffman has linked to the Insurgency Wiki, which is an “offense” in the eyes of the 4chan crowd, and therefore the page that previously explained the details about the attack on Twitter is now making fun of him. It’s an interesting tactic: by stifling attempts to link to the site, it reduces its relevance in Google’s index, therefore making the site harder to find.

The instructions for the attack, dubbed “Operation Shitter,” were as follows:

1. Create Twitter accounts
2. Post messaged including the #gorillapenis hashtag
3. Make #gorillapenis a Trending Topic on Twitter
4. ????
5. PROFIT

It’s a problem for Twitter. It’s not that hard to defend against attacks aimed at gaming trending topics. After all, there are only a couple of them at any given time, and when the Twitter admins see a topic that’s obviously spammy or fake, they can just remove it manually. But stifling the creation of fake accounts is harder. If the trending topics and account creation turn into a never-ending rat race between spammers and Twitter admins who have to constantly remove them, there will always be some degree of spam permeating Twitter; hopefully it’ll never get so high to render Twitter unusable.

Tags: 4chan, spam, spammers, twitter

—

There seems to be a wave of suspensions going around Twitter today, and it’s turning quickly into an echo chamber of confusion and frustration. We’ve received several tips (the first one being from Mashable guest writer Matt Singley) that a range of users are being taken down, including some with large followings such as @marismith and the LA Times Top of the Ticket account. A quick look at Twitter chatter is another indication that something’s amiss.

What if you’ve been suspended? The best thing to do is to inform Twitter through either their Twitter Spam account or by sending a request through their Customer support system. We’ve sent a note to members of the Twitter team for clarification on this situation. We think it’s safe to say that if there is an issue with Twitter suspensions and their algorithm, that Twitter will act upon it quickly. We will update this post when we learn more about the the suspensions.

In the meantime, if you have been suspended or know someone who has been suspended in error, please let us know in the comments.

Update 1: Twitter has responded to our inquiry. They’re aware of the situation and will be making an announcement shortly.

Update 2: The following is an update from Twitter’s status tumblelog:

Earlier today, we accidentally suspended a number of accounts.

We regret the human error that led to these mistaken suspensions and we are working to restore the affected accounts—we expect this to be completed in the next several hours.

One additional note: some the accounts suspended were using the third-party site Tweetlater. However, Tweetlater is not to blame for these suspensions nor is it in violation of our Terms.

Tags: twitter

Here are 12 amazing videos for design inspiration that are a must see for creatives and non-creatives alike:

1. Galactic Center of Milky Way

This breathtaking film is a timelapse captured film of the Milky Way moving over Texas. It’s amazing to see the many ways a filmmaker can use time lapse to create gorgeous videos.

2. Muto

An animation by an artist known as Blu, the film features a wall painted animation filmed in Buenos Aires and in Baden.

3. Short Love Story in Stop Motion

A beautiful stop motion animation film that takes you on a rollercoaster of a love story from childhood to the end. It is filled with breathtaking imagery and seamless design. You can learn more about how the artist, Carlos Lascano, used stop motion and 2d animation to create this video on his site.

4. Big Ideas (don’t get any)

For his final project, art student James Houston created an amazing retro remix to Radiohead’s “Nude.” The project was originally created for the contest the band held for their album “In Rainbows.”

5. Light-paint Piano Player

Light painting can be a fascinating thing to watch. This animated light paintings video of a little piano player performing against the night landscape of San Diego is a must-see.

6. What Else Is There?

As with every one of Royksopp’s music videos, this one is just odd and magical to watch. “What Else Is There?” is a haunting song, followed by an equally haunting video depicting the dream-state travel of the subject across strange landscapes.

7. Autumn Story

This music video, directed by Lucinda Schreiber and Yanni Kronenberg, was designed from the stills of a chalk drawing. It’s absolutely beautiful and inspiring.

8. Helpless

As with all of Keith Loutit’s videography, this piece was designed from thousands of stills that were later edited together and put into stop motion film. The way in which the artist edits these creates an appearance that you are watching a small miniature world of people. It’s amazing to watch.

9. Irregular Flow

The artist created an illusion using compositing of the young woman creating an almost musical pattern of ink drops moving across the wall. I absolutely love how the wind moves her and creates an illusion that the ink is flowing because of that.

10. Steel Life

Steel life is the master thesis film of Mathieu Gerard. Gerard creates beautiful imagery including landscapes, textures, and movement by utilizing digital design.

11. Surface

Directed by TU+//Varathit Uthaisri, the film is an exploration of human actions and movement from below the surface.

12. Scintillation

Xavier Chassaing creates a magical film from 35,000 photographs and a combination of live projection mapping techniques. This is by far my favorite video. It’s absolutely amazing.

Additional video resources from Mashable

- Top 7 Twitter Tutorials on YouTube
- Top 20 YouTube and Video Memes of All Time
- Iran Election Crisis: 10 Incredible YouTube Videos
- Social Media Break: 5 Places to Find Funny Videos Online

Tags: design inspiration, video, Vimeo

But we must ask the big question again: is this the right direction for Facebook? Will this increase Facebook usage and help promote its incredible growth even further? Or could this path lead to stagnation and another round of user revolts (like the news feed and redesign revolts before it)? We’ve been laying out the key points on the matter, but it’s your opinion that we want most.

For Twitterification: Facebook becomes far more useful

Facebook is all about sharing experiences, memories, and events. When Facebook first started, it was built on closed networks – specifically universities. Today though, it is a global platform that isn’t built on the network model, so why should its privacy settings be bound by the past?

Facebook is magnitudes bigger than Twitter. It grows by hundreds of thousands of users every day. Yet Twitter is getting all the buzz and all the growth. It’s because Twitter is currently the source for real-time information and news. People go to Twitter, not Facebook, to chat about world events. With the new changes, you will be able to do the same on the world’s largest social network. Not only that, but the content will be enhanced with images, video, and multimedia that only Facebook contains.

These changes will open up Facebook’s usefulness beyond the social graph, into a platform that can and should be used for discussing real-world events and making connections with new friends, rather than the gated community it has been for years.

Against Twitterification: Not what the users want

Here’s the thing, though: Facebook is not Twitter. A lot of users have voiced their opinion that attempting to be something completely different will alienate Facebook’s core demographic. Facebook’s trying to phase in these changes slowly, but it will still create upset users. They fell in love with Facebook because it helped them better connect with friends, not with strangers. These changes are a complete about-face, and not everyone’s ready for it.

Is it smart for Facebook to position itself against Twitter? Facebook may have scale, but Twitter has velocity and the reputation for being the web’s real-time open platform. If Facebook fails to beat Twitter at its own game, the results could be disastrous. At the very least, millions in resources and manpower will have been wasted.

Is this what the users want? It’s tough to tell. Facebook’s been able to predict user desires in the past, even before users knew it. But this a completely different affair. For the first time, it feels as if Facebook is really worried that their dominant market position is in jeopardy. Worry and fear sometimes leads to bad decisions.

Is this the right direction?

There are a lot more issues and complexities beyond the for and against arguments provided here on Facebook’s “Twitterification.” In the end though, it’s about us, the users. So we want to gauge your reaction to Facebook’s steady march towards the open platform. Is it in Facebook’s best interest? Do you think it will make you want to use Facebook more? Or does this fly in the face of how people have come to know Facebook? Let us know, then add your thoughts on the debate in the comments:

Tags: facebook, twitter

Specific details revealed, according to the BBC, included the location of the London flat where Sawers lives with his wife, plus the location of their children and John’s parents. The page’s privacy settings were not turned on, meaning that anyone in Facebook’s London network had access. Vacation photos, friendships and other details were also available on Shelley Sawers’ Facebook page, which has since been removed. The story originally broke in the Mail on Sunday. Sawers is currently the UK Ambassador to the United Nations and is due to take up his role as the head of MI6 in November.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband played down the issue today, saying on a morning talk show: “You know he wears Speedo…I mean, that’s not a state secret”.

Incidentally, the error comes just as Facebook attempts a transition from a private social network to being a more public, Twitter-like broadcast channel.

See also: FACEBOOK FAIL: How to Use Facebook Privacy Settings and Avoid Disaster

Andrew Conn, a 26 year old designer and developer based in Seattle, claims the game took 60 hours to create. He writes:

Die Fail Whale is a first person shooter that integrates Twitter. The game is only 25 seconds long, and the goal is to kill as many Fail Whales as you can in that time. When the game is over, players are prompted to enter their Twitter username to save and tweet scores. Additionally, on the scores page people can see how they rank against friends… and are encouraged to congratulate/shame people with high/low scores on Twitter.

Could this be the cure for whale rage?

Tags: twitter

There were also some insightful and useful resources that got people’s attention this week. If you’re interested in gorgeous Twitter visualizations or how to get retweeted on Twitter, social media provided the answer. Here are this week’s top 11 social media stories:

1. 6 Gorgeous Twitter Visualizations – Stan Schroeder takes a close look at six of the most beautiful Twitter visualization apps around.

2. Sneak Peek: What’s On Tap for Firefox in 2010 – While Firefox 3.5 may have come out this week, Mozilla’s already hard at work on version 3.6. Josh Catone explores what’s coming for the popular browser.

3. The Pirate Bay Sold For $7.8 Million – Global Gaming Factory X AB shocked the technology world this week when it announced its acquisition of The Pirate Bay. Why did they sell? And what’s next for the controversial peer-to-peer website?

4. Unknown Lifeform in North Carolina Sewer: A Monstrous YouTube Hit – It’s the breakout YouTube hit of the week, and nobody’s quite sure what it is. What is this thing that has piqued the web’s curiosity?

5. Twitter Promotion Done Right: #moonfruit – There’s a new hashtag-based marketing campaign making buzz on Twitter. Learn how they got right what #squarespace got wrong.

6. HOW TO: Get Retweeted on Twitter – Pete Cashmore explores some interesting data on retweets, and how that can apply to getting retweeted more often.

7. Top 5 Killer Features in Firefox 3.5 – Firefox 3.5 is a huge upgrade over its predecessor. Find out what sets this new version apart as a browser.

8. Facebook Page Frenzy Due Today: URLs Available to All – While Facebook opened up vanity URLs for profiles earlier this month, it left smaller Facebook fan pages to wait until this week to claim their usernames. Pete Cashmore explains the details.

9. Twitter Increases API Limit – Twitter has upped the API call limit by 50% this week, making your favorite Twitter apps a lot more useful. Learn why this is important.

10. 10 Ways to Find People on Twitter – Josh Catone discusses 10 different ways to find new friends and people on Twitter.

11. Michael Jackson Died in 2007, Says Google – With the world turning to Google and the web for information on Michael Jackson, some information was a bit…off.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, AndrewJohnson

Tags: social media

(A warning: the video, posted by TheLandlineTV in March contains strong language and may not be to everyone’s taste.)

Tags: cops, parody, twitter, video

Below is a list of 15 games that are good ways to keep kids busy in the car, on the plane, or while waiting for a table at the restaurant. Many are free or have free versions, and none cost more than $2.99. We’ve broken the list up into 3 sections based on your child’s age, and linked to the free version when available. There are hundreds of iPhone apps that are great for kids, so please feel free to share your children’s favorites in the comments!

Toddlers

Where’s Gumbo (Free/$1.99) – Where’s Gumbo is an interactive storybook that resembles the “lift the flap” board books. The object for toddlers is to explore various scenes and peek behind objects in their quest to locate Gumbo, a lost dog. Gumbo and other animals are randomly placed behind each flap, so the experience is never quite the same each time your child plays.

Memory Match (Free/$0.99) – A simple memory game suitable for kids, Memory Match features fun, kid-friendly animal pictures and is great for toddlers to develop image recognition and motor skills. The free version is ad supported.

Peekaboo Barn (Free/$0.99) – In this educational app, children are asked to guess which barnyard animal is hiding behind the barn doors based solely on the sound the animal makes.

Balloonimals (Free/$1.99) – This is an app that absolutely delights little kids. Children blow into the iPhones microphone to inflate their balloon and shake the phone to assemble an animal, then they can interact with it by petting it and making it do tricks. The free version comes with T-Rex.

Colorama ($0.99) – There are a bunch of coloring book apps to try on the iPhone, but Colorama, which comes with 53 drawings for kids to color in countless ways, is one of the best. Finished colored-in illustrations can be saved to your iPhone’s camera roll so they can be emailed.

Younger Kids

Dizzybee (Free/$2.99) – Dizzybee is a fun and unique accelerometer game in which players are challenged to help Dizzybee solve puzzles and overcome obstacles in order to save his fruit friends.

Brain Toot (Free/$0.99) – This is a fun brain training app, filled with educational mini-games designed to exercise your neurons. Brain Toot, because it has some math games, is probably only suitable for children who have reached a certain point in their schooling.

Topple (Free/$0.99) – Topple is a stacking game. The goal is to stack pieces as high as you can before the time runs out. The higher you go, the more precarious your stack gets, and the pieces have funny facial expressions that give you clues as to how you’re doing. Topple is free, but the second version (Topple 2) is 99 cents.

Scoops ($1.99) – Another stacking game, Scoops differs from Topple in that it uses the accelerometer and has tilt-based controls. Try to keep your stack of ice cream scoops growing, but remember to avoid the falling onions!

PopMath ($0.99) – PopMath is a great educational math game in which players are presented with both problem and answer bubbles. The object is to pop bubbles by touching first the math problem, then the correct answer. Popping bubbles narrows your choices for the remaining problems. The game supports addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems.

Older Kids

Word Scramble (Free) – Scramble is a great free game from Zynga, which if their menu screen stats are accurate, has over 1.5 million players. The game is a simple word search — race against the clock to find as many words (of at least 3 letters) as you can. Longer words score more points. The game has a “play and pass” mode, so two or three kids could share a single iPhone and play against one another.

Sudoku (Free) – I never could get into the Sudoku craze, but many of my friends spend hours a week solving them. I’m told that the free Sudoku app from Mighty Mighty Good Games is one of the best.

Bejeweled 2 ($2.99) – The beloved classic gem-swapping puzzle game Bejeweled is even more fun on the iPhone. Something about clicking the jewels with your fingers and actually swapping them with a swipe motion gives the game a visceral feel that it previously lacked. The graphics are also great.

Flight Control ($0.99) – Flight Control is a really fun little puzzle game in which players are challenged to direct air traffic and land planes while avoiding crashes.

Pandora (Free) – Unlimited custom radio stations. Need we say more? The Pandora iPhone app + headphones = hours of silent bliss during long car rides (just stay out of 3G deadzones!).

What other applications do your kids enjoy? Let us know in the comments.

Tags: bejeweled, games, iphone, iphone apps, iphone list, Kids, pandora

While Google frequently changes its logo to mark specific events – both in the US and internationally – the Independence Day celebration was also marked by custom logos from web goliaths AOL and Yahoo. MSN changed its entire header to include the Stars and Stripes plus a fireworks display, while Ask.com was in the rare position of being able to customize its entire site design; a piece of July 4th artwork was chosen.

Other sites getting in on the custom logo trend were gaming site iWon and the social network for moms, CafeMom.

Did you spot any Independence Day logos around the web? Let us know in the comments.

Google, Yahoo and AOL

MSN

iWon and CafeMom

Ask.com

Tags: independence day, logos

The press appears somewhat frustrated by the decision, with the AP producing a full-length article today discussing the governor’s most recent Tweets, including: “Lots of celebration of Independence & Alaska’s 50th Anniversary of Statehood.” It was only thanks to Twitter that the media knows where Palin was today, the Associated Press adds – she was at the Juneau Fourth of July parade. Her spokesman wasn’t aware of her plans, say reports.

Another Tweet republished by the AP reads: “Most special July 4 shout-out to you! Spouses, kids, parents, families of troops – THANKS for supporting our true heroes.” The press, it seems, has little to go on.

Statement on Facebook, Critical of Mainstream Media

But Palin is speaking to her Facebook fans at least: what appears to be her first statement since the announcement was posted on Palin’s official Facebook page. With little more to go on in the Palin story, the Washington Post posted the statement in full. Interestingly, Palin uses the platform to express her frustration at mainstream media’s approach, perhaps offering some insight into why she might take matters into her own hands:

The response in the main stream media has been most predictable, ironic, and as always, detached from the lives of ordinary Americans who are sick of the “politics of personal destruction”. How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it’s about country. And though it’s honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make. But every American understands what it takes to make a decision because it’s right for all, including your family.

I shared with you yesterday my heartfelt and candid reasons for this change; I’ve never thought I needed a title before one’s name to forge progress in America. I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint. I hope you will join me. Now is the time to rebuild and help our nation achieve greatness!

The statement gives us little insight into Palin’s future direction, but the strategy is remarkable: with no press release on Palin’s site, a Facebook statement and some Tweets are all the press has to go on. A sign of the times, perhaps?

Tags: facebook, twitter

Abroad though, the story has been more difficult to decipher. In an April piece, Wired’s Brian Chen stated that the Japanese hated the iPhone, which sparked a big debate over the iPhone’s appeal (and the piece’s accuracy). Now though, a new survey paints a drastically different story: the iPhone is now the #1 and #2 best selling smartphone in Japan.

According to CNN Money and TG Daily, a recent survey of 2,300 Japanese retailers by BCN reveals that while phone sales have plummeted due to the recession, the top selling phone in the Japanese market is none other than the 8GB iPhone 3G, followed by the 16 GB model. Other phones on the top 10 list include the NTT DoCoMo Aquos SH-04A (#3) and the BlackBerry Bold (#6).

While one survey isn’t a definitive answer to whether or not the iPhone has international appeal, the eye-popping sales of iPhones internationally is not something that can be ignored. Oh, and since this survey was conducted before the iPhone 3G S’s release, it means the iPhone is likely doing even better than these numbers as of today.

One thing is for certain: the iPhone’s growth isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Which nation will Apple’s mobile phone take over next?

Tags: apple, iphone

But that was the campaign. Since then, he has promised to be one of the most transparent and accessible presidents in history, and social media was going to be central to achieving that goal. Now that it’s been a few months since his inauguration, we revisited his social media credentials. Not only that, but we put a letter grade on his usage of social tools.

So how does the President’s social media usage rank since he took office? Does the leader of the free world earn a passing grade?

Twitter

During the campaign: President Obama was a prolific user of Twitter on the campaign trail. He joined Twitter all the way back in April 2007 and, up until the election, updated it about once a day with news, information, and videos.

Post-inauguration: From November 4th to January 15th, the @BarackObama account was dormant. Now though, his Twitter use has picked up, with a tweet about every other day or so. He (or his campaign) also know how to use their hashtags. It would be nice if maybe he’d @reply a person or two though.

Another note: the Obama team has been tweeting from @WhiteHouse, which is far more active than even Obama’s Twitter account.

Conclusion: Despite the two month lull, his Twitter use is solid.

Grade: A-

Facebook, MySpace, and social networking

During the campaign: Barack Obama made history with his Facebook usage. He used his Facebook Page and his MySpace Page to reach out to constituents. He started it early and used it often.

Post-inauguration: While MySpace has fallen a bit by the wayside, his Facebook usage has been nothing but phenomenal. Not only has there been a nonstop news feed of videos, links, and pictures, but he is the #1 page on Facebook, beating out the likes of Vin Diesel and Michael Jackson (for now). The millions of users who watched Obama’s Inauguration on Facebook/CNN Live prove he’s a social networking rock star.

Conclusion: This is one place where he upped his game. You can’t argue with being #1.

Grade: A+

YouTube and Video

During the campaign: YouTube addresses, touching stories, and looks behind the scenes were common during the campaign. His YouTube profile was very active.

Post-inauguration: While he still uses his old YouTube account, really, you can find him over at The White House’s channel. Obama and his team post videos almost every day, with the most important one being his weekly video address, which is much more effective than a simple radio address.

He’s also stepped up his social media video presence with multiple live video press conferences and town halls.

Conclusion: How many other public figures are so accessible via video?

Grade: A

Blogging

During the campaign: Both Barack Obama and John McCain had strong blogging presences. Barack also had My.BarackObama, which provided a lot of user-generated blog content, while John McCain was fortunate to have a prolific campaign blogger in his daughter, Meghan McCain.

Post-inauguaration: Obama has two primary blogs, his Organizing for America blog and, yes, The White House Blog. Both are updated very frequently by his team – and are transparent in who is posting and when.

Still, it’d be nice to see a post from Obama himself maybe once every month or two, but we understand that he has bigger fish to fry.

Conclusion: Great blogging presence, but would love to see his name as the author just a tad more often.

Grade: B+

Overall

During the campaign: Social media and social networking were such a huge aspect of his campaign. It was central to his grassroots movement, and his my.barackobama initiative was a stunning success. Clearly the best use of the web in a political campaign (Ron Paul doesn’t count – he still lost).

Post-inauguration: Let’s remember, this man is the leader of the free world. He has to worry about rogue states, nuclear missiles, CIA intelligence, broken economies, budget deficits, re-election, and probably things we don’t want to know about. Yet he has made reaching out and keeping constituents informed via social media a priority. It’s tough to argue that Obama isn’t the most accessible president in history, no matter your party affiliation.

Conclusion: Obama has gone beyond the call of duty.

Grade: A

Tags: barack obama, facebook, myspace, obama, social media, twitter

But if you can’t wait for the fireworks spectacular, or if you just love fireworks and aren’t from the U.S., then lucky for you, there’s everybody’s favorite social media video website, YouTube, to help fill in the gaps. Partially because it’s a holiday weekend but mostly because we’re attracted to sparklers and pretty lights, we’ve gathered seven of our favorite July 4th YouTube fireworks videos. Enjoy!

1. Walt Disney World, Florida, 2005

Disneyworld and Disneyland have great fireworks, but they go over-the-top for the 4th of July.

2. New York City, 2008

The video news and Internet culture vlog Rocketboom put up this popular fireworks display from the 2008 NYC festivities. They claim it’s the largest fireworks display in America, and from what we see, it’s tough to argue.

3. Cabazon, CA, 2007

According to the video, this is the last 24 inch Fireworks shell to ever be launched int he U.S. If you think that’s big, take a look at this 48 inch shell explosion.

4. Boston, 2006

Why does the east coast seem to have the best fireworks?

5. Port Richey, Florida, 2007

Lesson: Don’t leave all of your fireworks in one tent. Even if it is really, really, really awesome to behold.

6. World of Warcraft, 2006

Is it real? No. Is it unique? Yes. Is it nerdy? Absolutely.

7. Disneyland, California, 2007

We started with Disney, so it’s only appropriate we end with the same. The iconic castle reminds me of every classic Disney movie I’ve ever seen. The music and voiceovers are bonuses.

Tags: fireworks, youtube

Twitter is such a powerful tool for sharing media, in fact, that the former market leaders are racing to keep up. News sharing site Digg recently added short URLs and attempted to append a toolbar to those short URL clicks (Diggbar was later scaled back), while serendipitous sharing site StumbleUpon also got into the short URL game.

Both are under attack by new services like Tweetmeme, which provides blog buttons to help users retweet stories and provides a hub of the most shared content on Twitter. Earlier today the company announced a number of new features, all of which launch next week. The feature additions include:

- New image-based button: Use the retweet button in your RSS feeds, emails or on blog platforms that don’t support javascript (eg. WordPress.com)

- Retweet chicklets: Want to show off how many retweets you got this week? The new retweet chicklet will help you do just that, and post the numbers to your blog.

- Analytics package: Tweetmeme aims to launch more advanced analytics next week to help content providers understand their metrics better. It’s a development that might one day lead to a business model for Tweetmeme…if Twitter doesn’t get there first.

Tweetmeme has some tough competition: not only does it have multiple rivals, but bit.ly, the default short URL service on Twitter, has long been expected to launch something similar. In the meantime, you can catch up on everything retweet-related using the resources below.

Retweeting Resources from Mashable

1. HOW TO: Retweet on Twitter

2. The Science of ReTweets

3. Repeets Tracks Twitter’s Hottest Retweets

4. DailyRT Ranks Twitter Retweets

5. DMfail Fails, Reborn as Re-Twit’d

6. The Retweeting Movement Adds Some Powerful New Tools

7. Retweet iPhone App for Twitter

8. Facebook Needs Its Own Version of the Twitter Retweet

Since then, Task.fm has been busy adding new features to its app, culminating in the release of Task.fm 1.0 earlier today. Now not only is the interface much more elegant, but you can set and receive reminders via Twitter, SMS, and email.

The big feature in this release is Twitter integration. You can direct message @taskfm with your task and you can then set the reminder. This is on top of the recent additions of setting reminders via SMS and email.

In addition to Twitter integration, Task.fm sports a sleeker, curved design (look at their previous blocky design to see the difference), offers new pro accounts that replace the old credits system, and adds more natural language support. Task.fm 1.0 also improves its To-Do list functionality.

Three months ago, Task.fm was unique for its language parsing ability, but didn’t have the tools necessary to be truly useful. Today, the story is different – with the ability to set and receive reminders nearly everywhere, it can compete with the likes of RememberTheMilk, although there’s still plenty it can do.

Tags: task.fm

With the 4th of July weekend just hours away, it’s time to wish our US readers a Happy Independence Day!

Hopefully you’ll be spending at least some of your weekend away from your computer and enjoying the festivities, but for those who have difficulty leaving the laptop at home, here’s a quick list of resources to help you spend less time online while getting more done.

1. A Guide to Better Web-Working From Your iPhone – One way to spend less time in front of a computer screen is to get more efficient at working from your phone. Elliott Kosmicki looks at applications to do more work on your phone, so you can do less when you get home.

2. HOW TO: Live Inside Twitter and Still Stay Productive – Addicted to Twitter? While the service is often thought of as a timewaster, this post explains numerous ways to get more done while you Tweet.

3. HOW TO: Make Firefox Your Productivity Machine – Firefox users have access to a wealth of add-ons that help you get more done during your time online. This article recommends the best picks.

4. 7 Productivity Tips, Plus Tools for Freelancers and Web Workers – So you want to get more work done on the web? You’ve come to the right place! This post provides top tips for freelancers and those who have made the web their workplace.

5. Top 30 iPhone Apps for Organization and Productivity – In this one-stop shop for iPhone productivity, Jennifer Van Grove tests 30 of the top iPhone apps to help you get more done on the go.

6. 9 Must-Try Adobe AIR Apps for Better Productivity – Adobe Air is known for running some of the most visually appealing apps on your desktop, but did you know some of these apps can make you more productive? We look into the unlikely candidates.

Have a great weekend!

[Image from Bitstrips via CenterNetworks]