Curated Stories June 3, 2010

Matt Warman wins the race as the first major technology writer to trash the unreleased next-generation iPhone, sight unseen.

Two months after its launch, there are no shortage of RSS readers for the iPad. But I’ve tried most of them, and still find them all lacking in some way. In fact, the one I’m still using the most is not op…

One of the toughest and yet most important questions you will be asked by savvy potential investors is “What is your sustainable competitive advantage?”
Yet many entrepreneurs, maybe in their passion for th…

This afternoon Cory Watilo found a pretty major loophole in Facebook’s invite system which results in emails of users that may never have joined the site being leaked through Google. The security glitch is a…

Big Steve pats Jobs for ‘doing best’
The race between Microsoft and Apple to dominate tablet computing is “on”, according to chief executive Steve Ballmer.…

Apples Steve Jobs gets a lot of kudos for publishing his email address publicly (and occassionally responding to strangers). Its excusable if most corporate CEOs arent ready for that, but today ATT has demonstr…

Apple CEO Steve Jobs this week rebuffed the suggestion that Apple will revolutionize TV in the same way it has reshaped the music industry, mobile phones and tablet computers.Jobs is bluffing.The time is right…

Dear Mark,
First off, my congratulations. The company–and team–you have created are very likely to be remembered as the most important–and successful–new company of this decade.
You have taken Facebook fro…

ATT is essentially apologizing after one of its employees threatened a customer with a cease-and-desist letter for the UNBELIEVABLE CRIME of emailing ATT CEO Randall Stephenson — in the spirit that Apple custo…

Leroy Stick authors the brilliant BPGlobalPR Twitter account. If you’re not following it, you should, because it’s another good window on how social media acts on environment, and it’s one of the most…

It actually offends me how difficult it is to build a Twitter audience by using Twitter. Ridiculous.
Here’s a great example from this morning. I found an amazing quote from a Bruce Lee book on Reddit and twe…

Today at the All Things D conference we saw a snapshot of what’s wrong with Microsoft under Steve Ballmer’s tenure.
Walt Mossberg asked Steve Ballmer and Ray Ozzie, Microsoft’s chief software architect, what th…

Last year, former Wikinomics blogger Jeff Perron interviewed Jim Stolze on the virtues of social interaction on the web, posing the rather esoteric question: Does the web make us happy? Related to this, I recen…

I’ve been writing about Google for almost a decade now–first as a freelancer, then for my own blog, and for the last three years for SAI.
Until very recently–an hour ago–the vast majority of this Google-writ…

Foursquare tweets out some stats: Closing in on 1.5 million users, 31 million page views per month, 20 million API requests per day (!!). We 3 you guys!Join the conversation about this story »

Todd Hoskins Reviews Tools for Business

Todd Hoskins chooses and uses tools and products that could belong in an entrepreneurial business toolkit. He’ll be checking out how useful they are to folks who would…

If your website is your first point of contact with many of your customers, you better make sure it’s impressive.
But, unfortunately, many small business sites seem to fall short in some key areas, as noted by…

We know that you’ve been champing at the bit ever since you heard that the EVO 4G had been successfully rooted, so we’re pleased to tell you that the gang at the XDA-developers forum has gone and posted everyt…

In the last two months, a controversy has broken out between the startup of the moment, Twitter, and its ecosystem. Some of its actions — such as acquiring Tweetie (a mobile client that has since been rebrand…

Accessing social networks is the fastest growing activity for smartphones and other Web-browsing phones, according to ComScore.

ATT will no longer offer an unlimited data plan, which is an opportunity for most ATT smartphone owners to save money.

We like the HTC EVO, which means we’re pained that it isn’t getting Android 2.2 Froyo just yet. BUT WAIT. You can manually install it, “unofficially”, if you r…

We’re just a few days away from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which means the rumor mill’s heating up again. Let’s take a look at what’s burbling an…

Picking up from my last post commenting on Hubspot’s 27 Marketing Lessons B2B Marketers Should Know, here’s another tip from Hubspot that ties directly with customer case studies:
Content is precious….

by Josh Bernoff
A Twitter account called @BPGlobalPR has been trashing and mocking BP for a while now. The new development is that hes blogging about what hes doing and why.What should BP do about this?Nothing…

The following is also my column on Forbes.com As I write this column it’s the morning after the long Memorial Day weekend and the web is brimming with activity. Google searches are spiking for Ted Koppel,…

Umpire Jim Joyce, speaking to the press on his blown call in last night’s should-be perfect game by Armando Galarraga. No hemming, no hawing, no excuses. He admits he was wrong. (Via Keith Olbermann, who’s…

I should start out by saying that I prefer Android over iPhone OS. I’ve previously picked the Nexus One and Droid Incredible over the iPhone 3GS in these pages. Also, Apple’s hosting a little developer shin…

This business card holder from Office Depot.

★

You may have heard the stories recently that Steve Jobs seems to regularly respond directly to emails from customers — often making certain points that he knows will be spread throughout the press. However, i…

Over the years, we’ve written about loads of different ways to hide and encrypt your private data from others, but if you’re really serious about protecting y…

SimplyHired.com, a job search site that aggregates job board postings and makes them searchable via one interface, is launching a new feature: Facebook integration. With the added opt-in functionality, you can…

Regular readers may recall a few years ago that I got into a short debate with Dilbert creator Scott Adams, on the issue of copyright. I usually find Adams’ musings on various subjects to be interesting and in…

(A note from Harry: Here’s a “letter to the editor” from Kevin Miller, CEO of Scotland-based RunRev. His company makes a HyperCard-like development platform; one of its investors is Mike Markkula, who fun…

In four years, Internet Protocol (IP) traffic will increase fourfold to 767 exabytes, or more than three-quarters of a zettabyte. That is equivalent to 16 billion DVDs; 21 trillion MP3′s; or 399 quadrillion tex…

Changing a company’s organizational structure is a tool executives commonly employ to improve their company’s performance. More than half of CEOs reorganize their company during their first two years on the jo…

Two days ago I had the pleasure of being interviewed by John Caddell, founder of the Mistake Bank, for a podcast focusing on mistakes I’ve made and advice that I might give about what I learned.
That made m…

Dan Schawbel, recognized as “Personal Branding Guru” by The New York Times, is the Managing Partner of Millennial Branding, LLC, the #1 international bestselling author of Me 2.0, and owner of the Persona…

There is so much rock and roll going on involving businesses running social media campaigns. However, there are not many social media rockstars. Their guitars vary. Some rock hard and some… not so h…

Reaching a zenith in 2008 and 2009, a steady stream of new Web sites to facilitate online storytelling seemed to pop up regularly. I list many of these sites here and here.

Not only am I seeing a dramatic drop…

Previously mentioned BookRenter, the new, money saving textbook renting service, announced today that since March, it has partnered with over 75 college bookst…

Since its 2008 debut, Android has grown – not only meeting all of the functionalities of the iPhone, but besting it in nearly all aspects. Here is our list of…

I decided to write a post titled, “How to write a story.” However, a quick Google search showed that Mark Twain had beaten me to it. How wonderful is that?
He has a piece titled, “How to tell a story” (…

Google Social Search allows you to see custom search results based on the people in your social circle. By connecting with customers, prospects and others in your industry on the social web, B2B companies can d…

By LISA GUALTIERI, PhD In Boston we took the availability and quality of our tap water for granted until May 1, 2010, when a major water pipe break interrupted water service to all Massachusetts Water Resources…

Facebook has launched a page devoted to U.S. politics, located at Facebook.com/USpolitics.Rolled out at the Personal Democracy Forum in New York City, the page monitors how U.S. politicians, elected officials…

Who uses Twitter? How? How much? Why? Are they worth showing ads to?
Internet marketing blog Hubspot created the “The Ultimate List: 100+ Twitter Statistics” to answer some of those questions.
We’ve collected t…

How can an agency help a client monetize their social media when they don’t have a handle on how to use it for itself? As more-and-more agencies jump on the social media band-wagon, clients are begi…

I am one of the most disorganized people in the world when it comes to housekeeping.
Just ask my husband.
The laundry doesn’t get sorted; the dishes don’t get rinsed; the beds go unmade for days. I haven�…

ATTs decision to offer cheaper tiers of mobile data subscriptions — including a $15/month entry-level plan — could be great news for Apple and other ATT smartphone vendors.
The cheaper plans will make smartph…

From Entrepreneur:
In past columns, I’ve talked about the “5 Ways”: a simple formula designed to multiply profits no matter what type of company you may want to (or currently) own.
When I talk about the “5 Ways…

Recently I have really been trying to beef up the content produced over at my blog, StayOnSearch. One of the hardest things I have noticed for me is trying to consistently keep the content of the highest quali…

Most of us are active at a number of social media sites. And I bet, we all have a blog (or several blogs). You are very likely to be eager to share what you blog about with your social media friends.
This post…

If you intend to build your business, it’s important that you keep your head well fed. I do this in a variety of ways, including reading, watching informative video podcasts, listening to audiobooks, attendi…

In case you didn’t already know, I’m the owner of an iPad. Like a lot of other people I didn’t get it when it first was announced: like everyone else, I thought it was meant to be a laptop replacement. I…

MasterCard is taking on PayPal with a new app for the iPhone and iPad users, called MoneySend. The free app allows anyone to transfer money to another account in the United States.
MoneySend, which is partly p…

Kate Imbach currently leads marketing at Skyhook Wireless, and is a co-founder and organizer for Mobile Monday Boston, Silicon Valley and Brooklyn.Location-based apps and checkin features are dominating intere…

You put up a website way back when, then started sending out an email newsletter. Now you’ve added social media. If you feel like your online marketing strategy is made up of a bunch of loose ends…

One of the biggest challenges of the next few years is going to be finding a way to take all the data we are collecting on people– both wittingly and unwittingly– and do something with it that …

So many people all around the world have great ideas, products and services. And yet some businesses do well, and some fail.
What separates the businesses that starve from the businesses who feast?
For the a…

With new pricing plans, iPhone carrier ATT is looking to lure average consumers to its smartphone data services. Can Verizon be far behind?

Marketers should not jump blindly into social media without first understanding how customers …

The messenger isn’t the message, because the conduit never addresses a
need. Celebrity endorsements may capture attention, but ultimately prove to be
empty. They’re also risky: Just think about Tiger…

Once again the power of the social media was put on show during the recent events which saw Israeli commandos board a peace activist ship in order to take …

[Note from Ed Gandia: Today’s blog post comes from Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies and SNAP Selling, which was just published last week. If you’re a freelancer, consultant...

You’d better pay attention to what’s being said about you online, because the conversation is happening whether or not you decide to show up. Sound familiar? Its the golden rule of social...

With the rise of connected devices, mobile app developers are now center stage -- but juggling all the operating systems and form factors is an increasingly difficult act to perform. The challenge is to del...

I don't know Josh Fraser, so I'm going to assume he's well-intentioned. But this tweet from him represents something all-too-common. People spin stuff to make it look like corporate-owned technology is somethin...

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- There are a lot of uncertainties about magazines on the Apple iPad -- how great is the public demand for them, can publishers make money on them? But there's an equally important logisti...

The cupcake is an art form we can all get behind. It involves baking, an art form in itself, decorating, where the sky is the limit, and photography if the results are good. The best part is that even if the de...

I moderated a CEO panel yesterday morning in New York City at the summer conference of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP). Just as in Davos when I was the panel chair on how business can re...

On May 1 this year, theMediaFlow was a year old and looking toward the next stage of development which includes building the team. I find therefore, I’m rather highly-tuned to any mention of recruitment, job-...

Twitter is testing a new feature tonight that will provide users with a widget in the profile sidebar which displays mutual follows. According to a status posted by Twitter developer Nick Kallen, 10% of users n...

Twitter is testing a new feature that helps you figure out how you know — or if you want to follow — a given account.If you catch a glimpse of this feature in the wild, you’ll see a slim strip of avatars...

I'm in Santa Clara, California this week attending (and speaking) at the Augmented Reality Event - a conference focused on the business of AR that has experts from across the world gathered to share their ideas...

Ever since the launch of his CityGrid local advertising network at the beginning of the year, Citysearch CEO Jay Herratti has been putting most of his efforts into building out CityGrid as the largest network...

In a bid to become a local advertising powerhouse, Internet conglomerate IAC is merging Citysearch, Insider Pages, and Urbanspoon into one company. It is now known as CityGrid Media.Back in January, Citysearc...

At Techcrunch Disrupt last week, ComScore announced the "Start-up, Step-up" program to make their web analytics more accessible to new and small businesses.

While ComScore formerly charged a substantial setup...

Insightful article - Step aside, brand loyalty; we’re loyal to information now - http://bit.ly/dDx7F2 (via @niemanlab)

Forget about the idea that early adopters are always first at everything. Sometimes it takes some of us a little bit longer to find utility in products or services that others get right away. Twitter was an obv...

This week at the second annual Internet of Things 2010 conference in Brussels, British service Pachube announced a partnership with Current Cost, a producer of real-time energy monitors. Current Cost is using...

It’s perhaps the hottest service on the web and it’s definitely the most popular API recently. Twitter mashups continue to grow at a rapid pace, having just passed another milestone. We now list over 400 Tw...

Brian McKenna submits: Either an axiom for unemployment statistics is being rendered obsolete or something fishy is going on at the Department of Labor. The Dallas Federal Reserve mentions an old axiom on initi...

According to the theory of the Third Disruptive Wave the next phase of innovation will be around mobile platforms, the social graph (particularly Facebook, but it could be any kind) and commerce. So if mobile a...

A newspaper asked me the following, which practically set my hair on fire:What inherent traits would make it easier for someone to becoming a linchpin? Surely not everyone can be a linchpin?Why not? How dare an...

Lean in, kiddos.
I am about to impart to you the wisdom of the ages.
The super-secret, hush-hush, “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you” secret of how I do my best creative wor...

Textbooks are an incredibly expensive investment. And the majority of the time, you only need the textbook for a short duration. College textbook rental startup BookRenter is trying to make the process of buyin...

Peer-to-peer lending network Lending Club this morning announced it passed $10 million in monthly loan fundings for May 2010. The company claims that the milestone marks the first time any U.S. peer lending com...

I wrote an article earlier this year on “30 Tips To Make Your Companies Blog Rock” and I had quite a few comments by readers and some added more tips on other keys to making a blog successful.
So I have tak...

If the numbers are any indication, publishers really like Facebook's new Like button. But should they?
For obvious reasons, Facebook is attractive to publishers, and it wants to keep it that way. It provides pu...

The iPad has been talked about as a potential saviour by publishers eager to find new ways to monetise their content, and a number have already launched apps for the device.
However, while iPhone apps are use...

Guest post by Jason Amunwa, who is a marketing consultant and designer at JaffyDesigns in San Diego, CA. He writes for marketing blog The Zest, loves talking marketing strategy and is suspicious of helicopters....

Honestly, my eyes felt a little moist while watching the ad below. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re in for a treat. Boasting of selling the first 4G phone, t…

Much of the great mobile data we analyze comes from analytics firms, among them Flurry, which entices developers to use tracking codes within mobile applications that its software captures and sends back to the…

Updated: ATT changed its mobile data plans today — effectively putting an end to the all-you-can-eat mobile broadband pricing plans for smartphones. Having watched this space for the last year I knew that giv…

ATT, the nation’s second-largest carrier and the exclusive provider of the iPhone, today introduced new pricing that eliminates unlimited broadband for its smartphones. Some people responded with praise, whil…

Jeff Weber spotted a design rarity: The market opportunity is massive, and the products out there are terrible. More »

Arts – Design – Theat…

Its 1977 and youve got a potentially world-changing semiconductor on your hands—but how do you market the thing? By trashing toasters, telephones, cars, and…

Social media has broken out of the underground and into the mainstream. And while personal social media literacy rates are rapidly rising, awareness of how to use social media tools for business and marketing…

When the iPad came out I was vehemently against the idea of getting one, for several reasons:

No multitasking
No flash video
No USB

I railed against the device online, I said similar things o…

Expect Google to deepen its efforts in social media and social networking as part of its broader push to increase its display …

A mere 24% of respondents said they’ve received sales leads from social media, with just one percent citing it as a factor for business growth. …

The latest version of Bare Bones Software’s information manager adds a feature that lets users export most types of data into portable Web page format that they can access on the iPad, iPhone, and other kinds o…

Over the past several months I’ve moderated or been on a number of panels with many of the top players in the location space. A common theme keeps recurring. When someone brings up rivalries between any of t…

Huge infographic showcasing 100+ Twitter statistics – http://bit.ly/a5SnUK (via @hubspot)

Great review of a Rotman School of Mgt. (toronto) study outlining the power of PowerPoint – http://bit.ly/cPOCIE

Aside from the pre-installed Hello Dolly plugin that comes with your WordPress blog, there are thousands of other super useful add-ons that can boost the power and presence of your blog. Because y…

It’s no surprise that companies use social media to research job candidates. A recent survey by Microsoft confirms this, showing that 70% of recruiters and hiring managers use social media to revie…

It’s the moment all you finance and stock market junkies have been waiting for: real-time, streaming, all-inclusive tracking of your portfolio drawn from whichever combination of popular brokerages you use….

Twitter Annotations are the next big feature a lot of people are excited about. With them, both users and clients will be able to add more context to tweets, which should make for a richer experience (and more…

Josh Bernoff has a good post, focused mainly on Facebook’s recent privacy PR flap, noting that most people really don’t seem to care. That isn’t to say that privacy isn’t important, and that privacy breaches…

The Google Mobile team unveiled a new type of search results today: Android and iPhone native apps. It’s a great idea, but the execution leaves much to be desired.

Try searching for terms like “Bank of Americ…