NEW IDEAS AND TRENDS (old)

Social Media Showdown Saves 500 Doomed Chinese Dogs

by China.new

China may not get the best press when it comes to animals – endangered or otherwise – but a dramatic highway showdown organized through social media will surely help change an unpleasant stereotype.

Fukushima Farmers' Online Sales Booming Thanks to Public Support

by Steve Levenstein

Though wholesale prices of fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products grown in Japan's Fukushima Prefecture are heavily discounted, online sales are so strong farmers can barely cope with the demand.

Obama Booked Face Time With Facebook

by Ron Callari

In a first-time-ever town hall meeting at Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and his team were given the honor of a visit by the leader of the free world. Yes, the number one social network in the land met with America's top dog, allowing Zuckerberg's staff the opportunity to field questions and solicit answers in a forum setting.

Peking Opera Gold and Silver Coins Won't Make You Yuan

by China.new

The People's Bank of China is putting their peddle to the metal with this strikingly beautiful Chinese Peking Opera Facial Mask series of gold and silver commemorative coins.

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Tina Fey Not Puttin' All Her Eggs In A Twitter Basket - Fears Heroin Addiction

by Ron Callari

Tina Fey, one of today's most prolific writers and comediennes will not becoming a resident of Twitterville any time soon. Even though she is actively engaged at present on a book tour for her latest retrospective titled, "Bossypants," Fey doesn't quite see the benefit of promoting her brand via the microblogging platform.

Coffee Joulies Temper Your Scorching Morning Brew

by Kim Patterson

Keeping your coffee at the right temperature can be so difficult! If it is too hot you burn your mouth and once it cools right down it just doesn’t taste the same. It’s a juggling act, especially if you are busy doing something else while you are trying to drink your coffee. This is where Coffee Joulies come in.

Earthquake Early Warning App for iPhone Will Rock Your World

by Steve Levenstein

Is that your iPhone vibrating or is it just another earthquake? Find out one way or another with Yurekuru Call for iPhone, a push notification app that just might save your life.

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Twitter Seeks Uber Users For A Song From UberMedia's Tweetdeck

Twitter Seeks Uber Users From UberMedia's Tweetdeck For A Song

by Ron Callari

Just last month when I posted, "No More Tweetdeck, TwitPic, Twitter Apps Doing Their Own Shtick?" - it was becoming quite clear that Twitter wanted reestablish control of its own destiny. While Internet giants like Google and Facebook continue to grow with a lot of help from their friends (3rd party clients), Twitter halted APIs from integrating with their platform. This of course included Tweetdeck -which by most reports was one of the most successful.

Does Google's -1 Make Google's +1 Equal Zero?

by Ron Callari

With Google trying to go social and Larry Page displacing Eric Schmidt in the role of CEO, many inside and outside the Googleplex feel that the search giant is once again trying to cast its dominating shadow across the Internet. However the Big G's first quarterly returns coming in lower than forecasted might indicate otherwise.

This News Is Good News - Fellowships For Innovators In Journalism

Knight-Mozilla News Technology Partnership

by Jamie Reygle

The Knight Foundation and Mozilla Foundation are offering paid fellowships to journalism's future innovators.

Uniqlo 'UV Cut' Hooded Shirts Say 'Hands Off' to Ultraviolet Rays

by Steve Levenstein

Uniqlo's "UV Cut" line of casual summer clothing is designed to filter 90% of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays but the Japanese clothing giant has gone one step further: hooded shirts and cardigans styled with extended sleeves that protect the backs of the wearer's hands.

Too "Bizzy" To Check It Out Yourself? Thank Goodness For Bizzy!

by Gadgetry Inc

Life gets too busy sometimes. We lead very hectic and "bizzy" schedules (I couldn't resist this pun, even though I've already used it in the title), that's why it's probably a good idea to get Bizzy so we don't stay out of the loop of good places that are worth a visit.

US Tourism Mission Takes Social Media To China

by Ron Callari

In an era when Americans can learn a lot from the Chinese pertaining to various business practices, the Chinese also are welcoming new ideas from the West. A Tourism Mission scheduled for April 22- 29, 2011 will bring together educators and tourism professionals who are travel industry veterans. In addition to topics such as green energy, cost containment and management systems for the travel industry, the itinerary for this mission will also include the new field of social media.

Geolocation App Rethinks Check-Ins Making It Less Hat & More Cattle

Geo-Locaton App Rethinks Check-Ins Making It Less Hat & More Cattle!

by Ron Callari

Since geo-locaton apps - also known as location-based social networks - became part of our cultural zeitgeist, there are many who have chosen not to join their rank and file. Still considered part of the Wild West fringe of the social media landscape, the schadenfreude descriptor of "all hat, no cattle" comes to mind in calling out apps that are more playful than serious.

Kick To Pick App Gives Fetuses A Chance To Select A Moniker

by Kim Patterson

If you are about to have a baby and feel that your unborn child deserves to throw his/her two cents in during the naming process then there is an iPhone app you should check out. Kick to Pick gives fetuses a voice of sorts when it comes to choosing their names.

Since "4 Squared" Is 16, "Foursquare Day" Must Be 4/16

by Ron Callari

While Silicon Valley has more techie start-ups than you can shake a stick at, NYC always seems to have to work a little bit harder to earn its geek cred. However, on April 16, that will change, when Foursquare, one of New York's standout home-based LBSs receives a special honor. On that symbolic date, Mayor Bloomberg has declared it "Foursquare Day."

Bicycle Mini DV Camera Records Your Ride

by Steve Levenstein

Put the pedals to the metal and keep your hands on the handlebars! The Bicycle Mini DV Camera 400-CAM003 from Japan's Sanwa Supply lets you snap still images and up to 4 hours of video footage while you ride.

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First Regulated Cordyceps (Caterpillar Fungus) Market to Open in Lhasa, Tibet

by China.new

Cordyceps, a bizarre fungus that grows out of the top of a Ghost Moth caterpillar's head, is worth its weight in gold. The opening of a regulated market in Lhasa will offer customers more reliable service and improved quality control.

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Location-Based Social Networks Need Sheriffs, Not Mayors

by Ron Callari

Foursquare has been known to hand-out Mayoralships as an incentive for followers to increase their check-ins activity. Since those mayors aren't doing anything to quash crime in our cities, perhaps Foursquare should think about appointing "Sheriffs" instead - to keep a little law and order in the location-based Wild West.

21 Drops Trios Modernize and Simplify Aromatherapy

by Kim Patterson

For many aromatherapy-curious people the practice seems a little too complicated. 21 Drops aims to take the frustration and guesswork out of aromatherapy. They have created easy to use and tote rollerball vials of pre-blended oils to treat a wide range of issues.

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