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| 20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week [CHART] | | 12:04:31 AM | Stephanie Buck |
|  We know that social media users had a strong reaction to Snooki's rumored pregnancy, and it looks like Jersey Shore fans did too. The bun-in-the-oven buzz on top of Thursday's episode earned Jersey Shore the top social TV spot in this week's cable rankings. But the Daytona 500 on Feb. 27 took the top slot with 1.3 million social media mentions. NASCAR's most prestigious racing event hosts some of the world's most talented drivers, who speed 200 laps around Florida's Daytona International Speedway, the equivalent of 500 miles. The data below is compliments of our friends at Trendrr, who measure specific TV show activity (mentions, likes, checkins) across Twitter, Facebook, GetGlue and Miso. To see daily rankings, check out Trendrr.TV. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, narvikk |
| Your Facebook 'Like' Can Fund Seeing Eye Dogs | | Monday, March 05, 2012 8:21 PM | Zoe Fox |
|  Explore.org's social media community Dog Bless You is running a Facebook campaign that converts "Likes" into donated seeing eye dogs. For every 5,000 new Likes Dog Bless You receives during the month of March, it will donate the funding required to train and gift a guide dog for the blind, as part of the Angel Eyes campaign. Dog Bless You, a 1-year-old network, hopes to hit 300,000 Likes as quickly as possible, which it's very close to accomplishing. "The hope is that the campaign will shine a light on the incredible bond between guide dogs and their owners, as well as create better awareness to help streamline the dog donation process and better serve the blind," an Explore.org representative wrote Mashable. Previous Dog Bless You campaigns have paired service dogs with military veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, brought search and rescue dogs to Japan after the earthquake and supported dogs belonging to people who are homeless. improve the human experience in amazing ways," Charlie Weingarten, founder and community curator of Dog Bless You says. "Seeing eye dogs are among the most dramatic examples of that." The Dog Bless You campaign hopes it can both connect more visually impaired Americans with seeing eye dogs and build a stronger network of supporters through this campaign, as centers that train guide dogs are sparse. Do you think building a Facebook community is a worthy investment for Explore.org? Do you engage with animal loving communities on the social web? Let us know what you think in the comments. BONUS: Cats as Fonts Image courtesy of iStockphoto, johnnyscriv |
| SXSW Through Your Eyes: Show Us Your Photos and Videos | | Monday, March 05, 2012 6:30 PM | Todd Olmstead |
|  Starting March 9, Austin, TX once again becomes the center of the media universe. South by Southwest invites tech, music, and film lovers to the capital of the Lone Star State for 10 days of panels, presentations, and parties. If you've never been, the conference and festival is split up into three parts -- SXSW Interactive, SXSW Film, and SXSW Music. Each event attracts a certain audience, but there is plenty of overlap, and one thing that unites participants is a need to be connected. With so much going on, SXSW is one place that you don't want your phone to die. Mashable will officially be there for SXSW Interactive, but we know that throughout the entire conference, people will be taking photos and videos of all their experiences: people you meet, things you see, stuff you eat. Together with CNN iReport, we want to see SXSW through your eyes. You can help us show your experience. All you have to do to get involved is upload your photos and videos through the widget below. You can also tweet them directly at Mashable using the hashtag #MashSXSW. Some of the best will be featured on Mashable and CNN iReport, and a select few will be on display at the CNN iReport booth at the SXSW Trade Show. We're looking forward to seeing your South by Southwest! |
| 12 Essential Pinterest Boards for SXSW 2012 | | Monday, March 05, 2012 6:12 PM | Stephanie Buck |
|  Pinterest continues to present opportunities for inspiration, engagement and organization. But who would have thought it could act as an event calendar, too? When you're traipsing around SXSW this March 9-18, pull up a few Pinterest boards for event happenings and Austin, TX attractions. We've collected 12 comprehensive Pinterest boards that'll have you navigating like a local. What would you add to these boards? Do you have any SXSW or Austin, TX favorites on Pinterest? Let us know in the comments below. |
| Basketball Coach's Halftime Tweets a New Take on Mid-Game Interviews | | Monday, March 05, 2012 4:42 PM | Sam Laird |
|  Is the sideline TV sports reporter destined for extinction? Colorado State basketball coach Tim Miles recently took a big step toward eliminating the quick mid-game Q-and-A that's a staple of hoops broadcasts. During halftime of a game against UNLV, Miles sent a public halftime Twitter update on his thoughts about the contest. With his Rams down by 16 points at the break to nationally ranked UNLV, Miles posted this message: We just allowed them to get into way too much of a rhythm.You can't allow UNLV to hit 7 threes in a half!— Tim Miles (@CoachMiles) March 1, 2012 Miles is no stranger to social media, though. He has more than 5,000 Twitter followers despite coaching at a relatively under-the-radar school. He tweets frequently, and the school recently produced a series of videos that riff on his social media savviness. In one video, Miles jokingly rips his players for posting weak tweets. And maybe his tech emphasis is working beyond just marketing and public relations -- after Miles's halftime tweet against UNLV, Colorado State came back to win the game 66-59 and keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. He's also made halftime tweets during previous games this season. Mashable doesn't know of any other notable pro or college coaches who have posted halftime Twitter updates, let alone made a habit of doing so. Two years ago, Louisiana State University football coach Les Miles said he planned to make a habit of tweeting mid-game, but he never followed through on that. So credit goes to Colorado State's Tim Miles for making great use of social media in the often tradition-bound coaching world. The history of athletes posting Twitter updates during competition, however, is entertaining. NBA player Charlie Villanueva tweeted during halftime of a game in 2009 but was then banned from doing so by his coach. Last week, NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski tweeted on-track from inside his car during a hazard delay in the Daytona 500. He gained more than 100,000 followers in just a couple of hours and NASCAR publicly applauded his use of social media. What are the most visceral examples of sports and social media colliding mid-competition that you know of? Let us know in the comments. BONUS: March Madness Must-Follows Colorado State is poised for a possible berth in college basketball's annual March Madness tournament this year. Here's who you need to follow to keep up with all the action this month: Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, melhi |
| Power Pinterest User Chosen to 'Live Pin' Event for Fashion Label | | Monday, March 05, 2012 3:55 PM | Brian Anthony Hernandez |
|  Fashion blogger Christine Martinez, the fourth most-followed Pinterest user in the world, has been busy packing for an island adventure and documenting on a Pinboard what she's stuffing into her travel bags. But Martinez isn't pinning to any of the 41 Pinboards on her profile, which nearly 1 million users follow. She's posting on a board created on fashion label Calypso St. Barth's page. Calypso is flying Martinez from California to St. Barth, a french island in the Caribbean, this week to "live pin" a photo shoot for the label's 2012 summer look book. Pinterest can drive significant traffic to retailers' websites, and Calypso looks to capitalize on that behavior by piggybacking on Martinez's success on the social network to attract more attention to its boards and website. Martinez, known as Chrisem on Pinterest, blogs about fashion, dogs and fashion for dogs on her Miles to Style site. She has established her personality on Pinterest as feminine and bright. Her boards, compared to other most-followed users' boards, are noticeably more infused with pink. "The reason this program is primed for success is because Christine is an actual Calypso shopper and her boards embody the Calypso aesthetic," ICED Media's Leslie Hall, president of the digital marketing agency representing Calypso, told Mashable on Monday. "Everything is measured so we can track referrers, traffic, and sales. It's an example of efficient and qualified targeting at scale." Hall devised the Pinterest initiative for Calypso after discovering increases in traffic and revenue referrals from Pinterest in the past six months. SEE ALSO: 8 Strategies for Launching a Brand Presence on Pinterest | Pinterest's User Engagement/a> Martinez will spend March 7-8 in St. Barth, pinning items to Calypso's "Packing for St. Barth" board and creating new Pinboards on her own profile. She says the opportunity fits well with her love for color and beautiful things. Other fashion brands on Pinterest include Ann Taylor, Bergdorf Goodman, Club Monaco, Kate Spade New York, Rent the Runway and Warby Parker, among others. However, Calypso appears to be the first brand to leverage a power user on Pinterest in a "live pin" manner. BONUS: Mashable Readers Hack Their Pinterest Boards Last month, one clever Pinterest user helped us show Mashable readers how to hack a Pinboard to build a creative display. Many readers gave the hack a shot and submitted these gems. |
| AOL's Pulling Rush Limbaugh Ad Support | | Monday, March 05, 2012 3:39 PM | Samantha Murphy |
|  AOL is the latest company to pull ads for the Rush Limbaugh Show following the shock-jock's recent controversial comments, which referred to a college student as a "slut" and "prostitute" for advocating contraception. Limbaugh came under fire last week for using derogatory comments toward third-year Georgetown Law student Susan Fluke after she argued for health care coverage for contraception during a Capitol Hill hearing. News surrounding Limbaugh's comments has been widely criticized on Twitter, as members put big pressure on advertisers to yank their money. AOL responded on Monday to the events surrounding the incident and noted in a series of tweets that Limbaugh's "comments are not in line with our values." At AOL one of our core values is that we act with integrity. (1/3)— AOL (@AOL) March 5, 2012 We have monitored the unfolding events and have determined that Mr. Limbaugh's comments are not in line with our values.(2/3)— AOL (@AOL) March 5, 2012 As a result we have made the decision to suspend advertising on The Rush Limbaugh Radio show. (3/3)— AOL (@AOL) March 5, 2012 AOL is the eighth company to suspend ads associated with Limbaugh. Others include Sleep Train, Quicken Loans and Pro Flowers. Although some people on social media sites have stepped forward to support Limbaugh, an overwhelming amount of the chatter has been against him. The news has also brought attention to an anti-Limbaugh movement on be removed from use by Limbaugh. Fluke had argued that employers should cover contraption as a part of health care coverage. "Without health care coverage, contraception -- as you know -- can cost over $3,000 during law school for a lot of students like me that are on public interest scholarships," Fluke said. "That's practically an entire summer's salary." Limbaugh responded by saying he doesn't want to pay for "her to have sex." "What does it say about the college co-ed Susan Fluke who goes before congressional committee that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make it? It makes her a slut. It makes her a prostitute," he said on the radio. "What does that make us? We're the pimps." Limbaugh said on his site he sincerely apologizes for his comments and noted that they were "uncalled for." He also addressed the many advertisers that have pulled ads in light of the controversy. "Advertisers who have split the scene have done very well due to their access to you, my audience, from this program," Limbaugh said. "To offer their products and services to you through this venue is the best opportunity that they have ever had to advertise their wares. Now they've chosen to deny themselves that access, and that's a business decision, and it's theirs alone to make. They've decided they don't want you or your business anymore. So be it." Image via RushLimbaugh.com |
| Register Now for Mashable's SXSWi House 2012 | | Monday, March 05, 2012 3:27 PM | Jennifer Diamond |
| 
With only a few days before SXSW, one of the most memorable festivals in tech, now's the time to populate your calendar with every event, panel and party you want to attend while visting Austin, TX. By popular demand, Mashable is bringing back one of the biggest parties in Austin: the Mashable SXSWi House, plus a few other fun surprises that we'll be announcing soon. Join Mashable and our sponsors Dice.com, 3M and Nature Valley on Sunday, March 11 from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. for an exciting evening of music and networking, with an open bar. Joining us will be San Francisco-based DJ duo A Plus D of Bootie, who will be spinning their world famous mashups at the Mashable SXSWi House. Think Lady Gaga meets Bob Marley or Will Smith meets Daft Punk, mixed together under one roof. A Plus D, creators of Bootie, the biggest mashup bootleg party in the world, will rock the party with their musical concoctions and creative song combinations. A Plus D will be taking requests via Twitter at the Mashable SXSWi House. Follow @Bootiemashup so you can request your favorite mashups live, or tweet your favorite artists or songs, and Bootie's A Plus D will mash it up whenever possible. This week we'll be announcing special surprises we've planned for the SXSWi community, and we'll share where to find Mashable and its editorial team in Austin, so stay tuned! Details Date: Sunday, March 11, 2012 Time: 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. Location: Buffalo Billiards, 201 6th Street, Austin, TX Socialize: Follow #MashSXSW on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Plancast and Instagram RSVP Policy The event is open to all 21+ SXSWi badge holders. Please RSVP on Eventbrite.
Photo highlights from last year's Mashable SXSWi House Presenting Sponsors |
| Google+ Hangouts Get Furry: Now You Can Chat With Cat and Dog Masks [VIDEO] | | Monday, March 05, 2012 3:11 PM | Joann Pan |
|  Remember that time President Obama met Keyboard Cat during the first White House-hosted Google+ chat? That conversation may have been a spoof courtesy of Conan O'Brien -- but cat-based hangouts are coming to Google+ anyway. Amit Fulay, Google Product Manager, announced in a public post that in addition to other fun chat effects already available -- mustache, reindeer antlers, halo and devilish horns -- Google's fledgling social network is adding feline and canine mask options. The designers warn you won't see the new masks straight away. "The effects are being rolled out, so if you don't see it at first, give it a try in a few minutes," Fulay said. These new changes come a couple days after Google+ was called a virtual "ghost town" by The Wall Street Journal by comparing the network's activity stats with that of Facebook and Twitter. ComScore Inc. released a report that said Google+ may have garnered 90 million users, but these users haven't done much after that initial setup. Critics of the network slam features like "Hangouts" for not offering anything different enough to lure users away from other sites. Are the masks for Hangouts enough? What do you think of Google+ Hangouts in general? Tell us in the comments. |
| Social Media Challenge Leads to Surprise Visit From NBA Star [VIDEO] | | Monday, March 05, 2012 2:38 PM | Sam Laird |
|  It's hard to imagine anything cooler for a 14-year-old hoops nut than a surprise visit and pizza party with an NBA star. But that's exactly what happened last week for young Jeff Lorenz of Pennington, N.J. -- thanks to an unexpected twist ending to a Facebook and Twitter contest by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. "You could tell they were excited and enjoying it," Curry told Mashable of Jeff and his buddies after the visit. In January, Curry held his monthly #SC30 promotion, in which he presents a challenge to fans on social media for a special prize. This iteration had people submit their best trick shots for the chance to have Curry record an outgoing voicemail for their phone. Fans submitted shots to Curry via Twitter, then he picked five finalists for a public vote on his Facebook Page. Lorenz's shot, a long heave from a raised deck behind a hoop in his parents' back yard, won the fan vote. Curry recorded an outgoing voice message telling callers "my man Jeff" is unavailable. But then Jeff and his buddies cooked up another plan: On March 2, the Warriors would play in Philadelphia, about 45 minutes away from Pennington. So why not challenge Curry to come by and try to make the shot for himself? "I was just kind of throwing it out there," Jeff says. "I wasn't expecting anyone as big as him to actually come to my house." But, says Curry, "I thought about it and it actually made sense." So the day before the Warriors played in Philadelphia, Curry drove out to New Jersey to take on the challenge of Jeff's deck shot. Jeff invited more than a dozen friends over ("we were all pumped," he says) and he and his parents laid out pizza and other party supplies. After hanging out for a bit, Curry sunk the trick shot on his ninth try . "Jeff said when he filmed it, it took him 10 times, so I beat him by one," Curry said. "He beat me at ping pong though. He's nice at ping pong." Curry stuck around for a while to shoot around some more with Jeff and his friends, answer questions about his life in NBA and sign some autographs. Fittingly, after Curry left, Jeff showed his appreciation with a tweet: Thanks so much to @StephenCurry30. We all had a great time!#greatestdayofmylife— jeff lorenz (@jhousebro) March 1, 2012 |
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