Business

Social Media Games Win Awards, While Zynga Lacks Skin In The Game?

by Ron Callari

Do you remember last year this time, when you were inundated with requests on Facebook by your friends to either help farm a field or join a Mafia family? Zynga and Facebook were not only adding virtual goods to the social media mix, they were taking home hard cash in the millions. The popularity of social media games reached such heights, the "Game Developers Choice Awards" added the category of ...

Blekko vs Google: Search Engine Mouse Teaches Search Engine Lion New Trick

by Ron Callari

There is significant change brewing in the search engine world that has gone unnoticed by many. The search giant known as Google has ruled its kingdom for so long, we only seem to pay attention when their algorithm makes a radical change. This past month, we came to learn more about "Content Farms" because Google announced they were cleansing their SERPs ...

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Google's Algo Overlords Plow Through Content Farms

Google's Algo Farmers Plow Through Content Farms!

by Ron Callari

Sounds like a game out Zynga's Farmville, but unfortunately it's much more serious for publishing sites that have been labeled "Content Farms" by the search giant. Content Farms as defined by Wikipedia is used to describe news aggregators that employ a large staff of freelance writers to generate content that is designed to "satisfy algorithms" resulting in higher rankings on Google SERPs (search engine result pages).

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Nudge Nudge Link Link - Get Your Emails When You Need Them

by Jamie Reygle

Emails getting buried? NudgeMail puts them where you need them, when you need them.

Powder Vibration Chamber Used In Materials Analysis Wins NASA's Invention Of The Year

by Myra Per-Lee

NASA has recognized inXitu, Inc. with its 2010 Invention of the Year Award for inXitu's invention of the powder vibration chamber The chamber is used in inXitu's portable X-ray scattering device (XRD) and represents such a 'leap forward' in materials analysis technology that it has been chosen to launch on the Mars Science Laboratory later this year.

Social Media Circling Back To Google, Whether You Like It Or Not

by Ron Callari

You could get dizzy. Google, long known for "valiant-attempts-but-no-cigar" has nevertheless circled over the social media terrain for quite some time now. Dating as far back as 2004, when developer Orkut Büyükkökten was commissioned to work on a product that would compete with Friendster, the social network Orkut has stumbled along trying to find a social media foothold in the States, only to be able to scale in countries like Brazil, India and Estonia of all places.

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That Blasted Roof! - Capturing Wind Energy On Your Roof

by Jamie Reygle

A cheap, unimposing wind turbine that attaches to the roof of your house could be on many horizons in the not-too-distant future.

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SXSW Known For Social Media & Music, Also A Film Festival - Part III: Detention

by Ron Callari

While the multitudes in the tens of thousands flock to Austin every March, and the event is a big hit amongst the digerati, social networkers and musicians and fans - this gathering is known more for its focus on interactive technology and music and less for its film festival. Even though in 2009, the Academy Award winning film, "The Hurt Locker" premiered at SXSW.

SXSW Known For Social Media & Music, Also A Film Festival - Part II: Bag of Hammers

by Ron Callari

SXSW Known For Social Media & Music, Also A Film Festival - Part I: Charlie Casanova

by Ron Callari

No More Tweetdeck, TwitPic, Twitter Apps Doing Their Own Shtick?

No More Tweetdeck, TwitPic, Twitter Apps Doing Their Own Schtick?

by Ron Callari

While it's not a certainty, but the life expectancy of most of Twitter's 3rd party clients may be short-lived, based on Twitter's recent moratorium on new API builds by developers. Ryan Sarver, director of platform published an official decree stating that when "developers ask us if they should build client apps that mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer experience. The answer is no."

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Who Says Social Media Execs Don't Make Money - When Six Are The Richest On The Planet!

by Ron Callari

There are naysayers to this day, that say you can't make money from social media. "It's a passing fad that will go the way of the dot.com bubble," has been echoed by many. With the 2011 Forbes' List of World Billionaires just released on March 9, a good many of those folks are now, either eating crow or continuing to live under a rock. This year's list of the wealthiest of the wealthiest, which tallies over 1210 billionaires with a combined net worth of $4.5 trillion includes six of Facebook's original founders and investors.

Massachusetts Ski Resort Drops Off The Grid

by Chris Weiss

A small ski resort in Massachusetts has become the world's first ski resort to provide for 100 percent of its own power needs.

Japan's Vending Machines Dispense Drinks for People, Juice for Cars

by Steve Levenstein

Juicing up on the road is about to get a lot more convenient, because a consortium of 10 Japanese companies wants to quench your thirst and recharge your car... at the same time and place!

If Groupon Cashes In At The Register, Can Credit Cards Be Far Behind?

by Ron Callari

Groupon, the social buying site with over 60 million subscribers and a valuation of $15 million (at last count) wants to take its successful monetization model and incorporate it into cash registers. According to a Business Week report, VeriFone Systems is in talks with Groupon's president Rob Solomon about adding a "Groupon Button" to their cash registers. Wouldn't it be wiser for the social networks just to issue "Groupon" credit cards?

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Social Media Intern Wanted Before Overexposed Star Stops Trending

by Ron Callari

Only a week into social networking and TeamSheen needs to recruit an intern to help him do some of the heavy 'social media' lifting. Scaling past 2.3 million followers on Twitter in less than ten days, the ex-Two and Half Men star is not only drunk on the drug called "Charlie Sheen," he's also realized that he's a social media rock star. Or is he? Has the "winning" megalomaniac peaked, or are prospective interns going to be queuing up faster than fanboys at an "Apple iPad2" launch day?

Well Armed - A Mechanical Arm That Keeps Yours Steady

by Jamie Reygle

An exoskeletal arm support that enables a precise, fatigue-free work environment.

Social Media Tracking & Crowdsourcing Provides Al Jazeera With 'CNN Moment'

Al Jazeera Tracks Social Networks In Middle East!

by Ron Callari

Trusted in the Middle East as an unbiased and uncensored source of international news, those living and traveling throughout the area rely on Al Jazeera as a voice of reason. As a result, it is probably the most watched news network in the region and bases a large portion of their success on having access to social media.

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In 300 Words Creative Greenies Can Win Vacation to an Eco-Resort

by Gloria Campos

Even the eco-friendly need a vacation. Why not win a trip to an eco-resort like Chaa Creek? Chaa Creek in Belize, has been promoting responsible and eco-friendly tourism since 1981. This year in a continuous effort to promote green travel Chaa Creek is hosting a contest for an all expense paid trip to Chaa Creek.

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The Social Media Check-In You Can't Leave Home Without

Foursquare & American Express partnership!

by Ron Callari

For as long as I have been reporting on Foursquare, I like others have been impressed by their partnership deals with TV shows, newspapers, venues and brands. Their check-in model was emulated by competitors as small as one-off app developers and as large as Facebook Places. However, in all that time, Foursquare's use cases have been unsuccessful in showing significant ROIs for the merchants and brands they are aligned with...

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