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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Making Money Secrets

OH, THANK HEAVEN� BIPARTISANSHIP IS DELICIOUS: OpenSecrets.org's own Megan Wilson reports that 7-Eleven, the maker of the frozen Slurpee beverage, is cashing in on President Barack Obama�s joke that Republicans have been �sipping on Slurpees� while Democrats have been hard at work. A "Slurpee Summit" was suggested to unite the two parties at the White House, and 7-Eleven took over.

Starting in its headquarters city of Dallas, the company began a tour that eventually led them to Washington D.C.�s Union Station on Thursday -- one of the closest Metro stops to the U.S. Capitol -- where the company gave out free Slurpees and T-shirts that stated, �Party animals unite.� It features an elephant silhouette lifting a Slurpee to a donkey silhouette.

� John Boehner and Obama rescheduled their Slurpee summit, but we didn�t,� said one 7-Eleven worker handing out the free shirts as he smiled.

�D.C. OR BUST� read a sign posted on the portable Slurpee dispenser outside the popular Metro stop.

7-Eleven is a modest financial player in politics, with its political action committee usually donating around $10,000 to $20,000 to federal candidates each election cycle. However the PAC has not donated money during the 2010 election cycle. 7-Eleven spent more than $1.25 million on lobbying from 1999 to 2006 when it ended its federal lobbying presence. 7-Eleven became a subsidiary to Seven & I Holdings Co. in 2005, and since 2007 it has spent $510,000 on lobbying. In 2010, Seven & I Holdings was the 35th highest lobbying spender within the retail industry, according to the Center's research.

In the 2008 election cycle, its corporate PAC gave $9,500 to federal-level candidates -- 10 Republicans and four Democrats. It also gave $500 to Texas Republican Rep. Michael Burgess�s PAC, the Lone Star Leadership PAC. In that same cycle, 7-Eleven�s corporate PAC received a $9,000 donation from Shell Oil.

According to the company, it sells enough Slurpees each year to fill 12 Olympic-size swimming pools.

CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS IN THE NEWS: The Center's annual release of congressional members' personal finance reports was released on Wednesday and since then has been picked up by most major news organization in the nation.

Highlights include the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, CBS News, CNBC, Fox News and National Public Radio. On Wednesday, the Center for Responsive Politics was on the comedy show, The Colbert Report, as host Steven Colbert used the Center's website to show Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is "the guy who gets the most cash from the oil industry."

Have a news tip or link to pass along? We want to hear from you! E-mail us at press@crp.org.

What recession? Members of Congress collectively made 16 percent more money in 2009 than 2008. And this week's PolitiQuizz asks you to delve into the personal finances of the nation's lawmakers.

According to a new study by the Center for Responsive Politics, 261 federal lawmakers are millionaires, and members of Congress are making their money on everything from real estate to entertainment to financial investments. So, we want to know�

Who is the single wealthiest member of Congress, and how much is he or she worth?

The first person to leave the correct answers in this blog post's comments section will win a free copy of The Blue Pages: Second Edition, the new money-in-politics book for which the Center for Responsive Politics provides data and analysis.

Answers will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday. Results will be posted as part of next Monday's PolitiQuizz. (Make sure to provide your e-mail address so we may contact you if you win!)

In last week's PolitiQuizz, we asked you to track down the biggest of big-spending political action committees this election cycle. We asked:

Which PAC contributed the most to political candidates during the 2010 election cycle?

From major players like AT&T and Democratic heavyweight ActBlue to Tea Party-funder Koch Industries, there was no shortage of reader suggestions. However, one PAC out-spent them all.

The answer is� Honeywell International.

Manufacturing titan Honeywell International's PAC doled out about $3.5 million in campaign contributions during the 2010 election cycle, while giving 55 percent of their funds to Democrats, according to the Center's analysis of federal filings. The company edged out PACs for AT&T, which gave $2.7 million, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which donated $2.6 million.

Congrats, Keith Orchard -- you're this week's winner! Since you were the first to guess the correct answer, you will receive a free copy of The Blue Pages: Second Edition. To everyone else, better luck next time!

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OH, THANK HEAVEN� BIPARTISANSHIP IS DELICIOUS: OpenSecrets.org's own Megan Wilson reports that 7-Eleven, the maker of the frozen Slurpee beverage, is cashing in on President Barack Obama�s joke that Republicans have been �sipping on Slurpees� while Democrats have been hard at work. A "Slurpee Summit" was suggested to unite the two parties at the White House, and 7-Eleven took over.

Starting in its headquarters city of Dallas, the company began a tour that eventually led them to Washington D.C.�s Union Station on Thursday -- one of the closest Metro stops to the U.S. Capitol -- where the company gave out free Slurpees and T-shirts that stated, �Party animals unite.� It features an elephant silhouette lifting a Slurpee to a donkey silhouette.

� John Boehner and Obama rescheduled their Slurpee summit, but we didn�t,� said one 7-Eleven worker handing out the free shirts as he smiled.

�D.C. OR BUST� read a sign posted on the portable Slurpee dispenser outside the popular Metro stop.

7-Eleven is a modest financial player in politics, with its political action committee usually donating around $10,000 to $20,000 to federal candidates each election cycle. However the PAC has not donated money during the 2010 election cycle. 7-Eleven spent more than $1.25 million on lobbying from 1999 to 2006 when it ended its federal lobbying presence. 7-Eleven became a subsidiary to Seven & I Holdings Co. in 2005, and since 2007 it has spent $510,000 on lobbying. In 2010, Seven & I Holdings was the 35th highest lobbying spender within the retail industry, according to the Center's research.

In the 2008 election cycle, its corporate PAC gave $9,500 to federal-level candidates -- 10 Republicans and four Democrats. It also gave $500 to Texas Republican Rep. Michael Burgess�s PAC, the Lone Star Leadership PAC. In that same cycle, 7-Eleven�s corporate PAC received a $9,000 donation from Shell Oil.

According to the company, it sells enough Slurpees each year to fill 12 Olympic-size swimming pools.

CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS IN THE NEWS: The Center's annual release of congressional members' personal finance reports was released on Wednesday and since then has been picked up by most major news organization in the nation.

Highlights include the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, CBS News, CNBC, Fox News and National Public Radio. On Wednesday, the Center for Responsive Politics was on the comedy show, The Colbert Report, as host Steven Colbert used the Center's website to show Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is "the guy who gets the most cash from the oil industry."

Have a news tip or link to pass along? We want to hear from you! E-mail us at press@crp.org.

What recession? Members of Congress collectively made 16 percent more money in 2009 than 2008. And this week's PolitiQuizz asks you to delve into the personal finances of the nation's lawmakers.

According to a new study by the Center for Responsive Politics, 261 federal lawmakers are millionaires, and members of Congress are making their money on everything from real estate to entertainment to financial investments. So, we want to know�

Who is the single wealthiest member of Congress, and how much is he or she worth?

The first person to leave the correct answers in this blog post's comments section will win a free copy of The Blue Pages: Second Edition, the new money-in-politics book for which the Center for Responsive Politics provides data and analysis.

Answers will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday. Results will be posted as part of next Monday's PolitiQuizz. (Make sure to provide your e-mail address so we may contact you if you win!)

In last week's PolitiQuizz, we asked you to track down the biggest of big-spending political action committees this election cycle. We asked:

Which PAC contributed the most to political candidates during the 2010 election cycle?

From major players like AT&T and Democratic heavyweight ActBlue to Tea Party-funder Koch Industries, there was no shortage of reader suggestions. However, one PAC out-spent them all.

The answer is� Honeywell International.

Manufacturing titan Honeywell International's PAC doled out about $3.5 million in campaign contributions during the 2010 election cycle, while giving 55 percent of their funds to Democrats, according to the Center's analysis of federal filings. The company edged out PACs for AT&T, which gave $2.7 million, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which donated $2.6 million.

Congrats, Keith Orchard -- you're this week's winner! Since you were the first to guess the correct answer, you will receive a free copy of The Blue Pages: Second Edition. To everyone else, better luck next time!

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OH, THANK HEAVEN� BIPARTISANSHIP IS DELICIOUS: OpenSecrets.org's own Megan Wilson reports that 7-Eleven, the maker of the frozen Slurpee beverage, is cashing in on President Barack Obama�s joke that Republicans have been �sipping on Slurpees� while Democrats have been hard at work. A "Slurpee Summit" was suggested to unite the two parties at the White House, and 7-Eleven took over.

Starting in its headquarters city of Dallas, the company began a tour that eventually led them to Washington D.C.�s Union Station on Thursday -- one of the closest Metro stops to the U.S. Capitol -- where the company gave out free Slurpees and T-shirts that stated, �Party animals unite.� It features an elephant silhouette lifting a Slurpee to a donkey silhouette.

� John Boehner and Obama rescheduled their Slurpee summit, but we didn�t,� said one 7-Eleven worker handing out the free shirts as he smiled.

�D.C. OR BUST� read a sign posted on the portable Slurpee dispenser outside the popular Metro stop.

7-Eleven is a modest financial player in politics, with its political action committee usually donating around $10,000 to $20,000 to federal candidates each election cycle. However the PAC has not donated money during the 2010 election cycle. 7-Eleven spent more than $1.25 million on lobbying from 1999 to 2006 when it ended its federal lobbying presence. 7-Eleven became a subsidiary to Seven & I Holdings Co. in 2005, and since 2007 it has spent $510,000 on lobbying. In 2010, Seven & I Holdings was the 35th highest lobbying spender within the retail industry, according to the Center's research.

In the 2008 election cycle, its corporate PAC gave $9,500 to federal-level candidates -- 10 Republicans and four Democrats. It also gave $500 to Texas Republican Rep. Michael Burgess�s PAC, the Lone Star Leadership PAC. In that same cycle, 7-Eleven�s corporate PAC received a $9,000 donation from Shell Oil.

According to the company, it sells enough Slurpees each year to fill 12 Olympic-size swimming pools.

CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS IN THE NEWS: The Center's annual release of congressional members' personal finance reports was released on Wednesday and since then has been picked up by most major news organization in the nation.

Highlights include the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, CBS News, CNBC, Fox News and National Public Radio. On Wednesday, the Center for Responsive Politics was on the comedy show, The Colbert Report, as host Steven Colbert used the Center's website to show Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is "the guy who gets the most cash from the oil industry."

Have a news tip or link to pass along? We want to hear from you! E-mail us at press@crp.org.

What recession? Members of Congress collectively made 16 percent more money in 2009 than 2008. And this week's PolitiQuizz asks you to delve into the personal finances of the nation's lawmakers.

According to a new study by the Center for Responsive Politics, 261 federal lawmakers are millionaires, and members of Congress are making their money on everything from real estate to entertainment to financial investments. So, we want to know�

Who is the single wealthiest member of Congress, and how much is he or she worth?

The first person to leave the correct answers in this blog post's comments section will win a free copy of The Blue Pages: Second Edition, the new money-in-politics book for which the Center for Responsive Politics provides data and analysis.

Answers will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday. Results will be posted as part of next Monday's PolitiQuizz. (Make sure to provide your e-mail address so we may contact you if you win!)

In last week's PolitiQuizz, we asked you to track down the biggest of big-spending political action committees this election cycle. We asked:

Which PAC contributed the most to political candidates during the 2010 election cycle?

From major players like AT&T and Democratic heavyweight ActBlue to Tea Party-funder Koch Industries, there was no shortage of reader suggestions. However, one PAC out-spent them all.

The answer is� Honeywell International.

Manufacturing titan Honeywell International's PAC doled out about $3.5 million in campaign contributions during the 2010 election cycle, while giving 55 percent of their funds to Democrats, according to the Center's analysis of federal filings. The company edged out PACs for AT&T, which gave $2.7 million, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which donated $2.6 million.

Congrats, Keith Orchard -- you're this week's winner! Since you were the first to guess the correct answer, you will receive a free copy of The Blue Pages: Second Edition. To everyone else, better luck next time!

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Monday, December 6, 2010

Money Making Secrets

What recession? Members of Congress collectively made 16 percent more money in 2009 than 2008. And this week's PolitiQuizz asks you to delve into the personal finances of the nation's lawmakers.

According to a new study by the Center for Responsive Politics, 261 federal lawmakers are millionaires, and members of Congress are making their money on everything from real estate to entertainment to financial investments. So, we want to know�

Who is the single wealthiest member of Congress, and how much is he or she worth?

The first person to leave the correct answers in this blog post's comments section will win a free copy of The Blue Pages: Second Edition, the new money-in-politics book for which the Center for Responsive Politics provides data and analysis.

Answers will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday. Results will be posted as part of next Monday's PolitiQuizz. (Make sure to provide your e-mail address so we may contact you if you win!)

In last week's PolitiQuizz, we asked you to track down the biggest of big-spending political action committees this election cycle. We asked:

Which PAC contributed the most to political candidates during the 2010 election cycle?

From major players like AT&T and Democratic heavyweight ActBlue to Tea Party-funder Koch Industries, there was no shortage of reader suggestions. However, one PAC out-spent them all.

The answer is� Honeywell International.

Manufacturing titan Honeywell International's PAC doled out about $3.5 million in campaign contributions during the 2010 election cycle, while giving 55 percent of their funds to Democrats, according to the Center's analysis of federal filings. The company edged out PACs for AT&T, which gave $2.7 million, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which donated $2.6 million.

Congrats, Keith Orchard -- you're this week's winner! Since you were the first to guess the correct answer, you will receive a free copy of The Blue Pages: Second Edition. To everyone else, better luck next time!

OH, THANK HEAVEN� BIPARTISANSHIP IS DELICIOUS: OpenSecrets.org's own Megan Wilson reports that 7-Eleven, the maker of the frozen Slurpee beverage, is cashing in on President Barack Obama�s joke that Republicans have been �sipping on Slurpees� while Democrats have been hard at work. A "Slurpee Summit" was suggested to unite the two parties at the White House, and 7-Eleven took over.

Starting in its headquarters city of Dallas, the company began a tour that eventually led them to Washington D.C.�s Union Station on Thursday -- one of the closest Metro stops to the U.S. Capitol -- where the company gave out free Slurpees and T-shirts that stated, �Party animals unite.� It features an elephant silhouette lifting a Slurpee to a donkey silhouette.

� John Boehner and Obama rescheduled their Slurpee summit, but we didn�t,� said one 7-Eleven worker handing out the free shirts as he smiled.

�D.C. OR BUST� read a sign posted on the portable Slurpee dispenser outside the popular Metro stop.

7-Eleven is a modest financial player in politics, with its political action committee usually donating around $10,000 to $20,000 to federal candidates each election cycle. However the PAC has not donated money during the 2010 election cycle. 7-Eleven spent more than $1.25 million on lobbying from 1999 to 2006 when it ended its federal lobbying presence. 7-Eleven became a subsidiary to Seven & I Holdings Co. in 2005, and since 2007 it has spent $510,000 on lobbying. In 2010, Seven & I Holdings was the 35th highest lobbying spender within the retail industry, according to the Center's research.

In the 2008 election cycle, its corporate PAC gave $9,500 to federal-level candidates -- 10 Republicans and four Democrats. It also gave $500 to Texas Republican Rep. Michael Burgess�s PAC, the Lone Star Leadership PAC. In that same cycle, 7-Eleven�s corporate PAC received a $9,000 donation from Shell Oil.

According to the company, it sells enough Slurpees each year to fill 12 Olympic-size swimming pools.

CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS IN THE NEWS: The Center's annual release of congressional members' personal finance reports was released on Wednesday and since then has been picked up by most major news organization in the nation.

Highlights include the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, CBS News, CNBC, Fox News and National Public Radio. On Wednesday, the Center for Responsive Politics was on the comedy show, The Colbert Report, as host Steven Colbert used the Center's website to show Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is "the guy who gets the most cash from the oil industry."

Have a news tip or link to pass along? We want to hear from you! E-mail us at press@crp.org.

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The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

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Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

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The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

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Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

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What recession? Members of Congress collectively made 16 percent more money in 2009 than 2008. And this week's PolitiQuizz asks you to delve into the personal finances of the nation's lawmakers.

According to a new study by the Center for Responsive Politics, 261 federal lawmakers are millionaires, and members of Congress are making their money on everything from real estate to entertainment to financial investments. So, we want to know�

Who is the single wealthiest member of Congress, and how much is he or she worth?

The first person to leave the correct answers in this blog post's comments section will win a free copy of The Blue Pages: Second Edition, the new money-in-politics book for which the Center for Responsive Politics provides data and analysis.

Answers will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday. Results will be posted as part of next Monday's PolitiQuizz. (Make sure to provide your e-mail address so we may contact you if you win!)

In last week's PolitiQuizz, we asked you to track down the biggest of big-spending political action committees this election cycle. We asked:

Which PAC contributed the most to political candidates during the 2010 election cycle?

From major players like AT&T and Democratic heavyweight ActBlue to Tea Party-funder Koch Industries, there was no shortage of reader suggestions. However, one PAC out-spent them all.

The answer is� Honeywell International.

Manufacturing titan Honeywell International's PAC doled out about $3.5 million in campaign contributions during the 2010 election cycle, while giving 55 percent of their funds to Democrats, according to the Center's analysis of federal filings. The company edged out PACs for AT&T, which gave $2.7 million, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which donated $2.6 million.

Congrats, Keith Orchard -- you're this week's winner! Since you were the first to guess the correct answer, you will receive a free copy of The Blue Pages: Second Edition. To everyone else, better luck next time!

OH, THANK HEAVEN� BIPARTISANSHIP IS DELICIOUS: OpenSecrets.org's own Megan Wilson reports that 7-Eleven, the maker of the frozen Slurpee beverage, is cashing in on President Barack Obama�s joke that Republicans have been �sipping on Slurpees� while Democrats have been hard at work. A "Slurpee Summit" was suggested to unite the two parties at the White House, and 7-Eleven took over.

Starting in its headquarters city of Dallas, the company began a tour that eventually led them to Washington D.C.�s Union Station on Thursday -- one of the closest Metro stops to the U.S. Capitol -- where the company gave out free Slurpees and T-shirts that stated, �Party animals unite.� It features an elephant silhouette lifting a Slurpee to a donkey silhouette.

� John Boehner and Obama rescheduled their Slurpee summit, but we didn�t,� said one 7-Eleven worker handing out the free shirts as he smiled.

�D.C. OR BUST� read a sign posted on the portable Slurpee dispenser outside the popular Metro stop.

7-Eleven is a modest financial player in politics, with its political action committee usually donating around $10,000 to $20,000 to federal candidates each election cycle. However the PAC has not donated money during the 2010 election cycle. 7-Eleven spent more than $1.25 million on lobbying from 1999 to 2006 when it ended its federal lobbying presence. 7-Eleven became a subsidiary to Seven & I Holdings Co. in 2005, and since 2007 it has spent $510,000 on lobbying. In 2010, Seven & I Holdings was the 35th highest lobbying spender within the retail industry, according to the Center's research.

In the 2008 election cycle, its corporate PAC gave $9,500 to federal-level candidates -- 10 Republicans and four Democrats. It also gave $500 to Texas Republican Rep. Michael Burgess�s PAC, the Lone Star Leadership PAC. In that same cycle, 7-Eleven�s corporate PAC received a $9,000 donation from Shell Oil.

According to the company, it sells enough Slurpees each year to fill 12 Olympic-size swimming pools.

CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS IN THE NEWS: The Center's annual release of congressional members' personal finance reports was released on Wednesday and since then has been picked up by most major news organization in the nation.

Highlights include the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, CBS News, CNBC, Fox News and National Public Radio. On Wednesday, the Center for Responsive Politics was on the comedy show, The Colbert Report, as host Steven Colbert used the Center's website to show Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is "the guy who gets the most cash from the oil industry."

Have a news tip or link to pass along? We want to hear from you! E-mail us at press@crp.org.

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Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

bench craft company rip off

Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

bench craft company rip off

Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

bench craft company rip off

Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

bench craft company rip off

Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

bench craft company rip off

Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

bench craft company rip off

Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

bench craft company rip off

Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

bench craft company rip off

Light Can Generate Lift - Science News

Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects sideways.

Hulu plans its own entertainment news show, but will anyone watch?

Soap News: 'Days of Our Lives' Lands Big Fish and More

The holidays are hopping in soap opera world, with new characters moving in and familiar faces returning. Last week, we reported that CBS gave 'The.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Money Making

Just over a year ago, Rochester’s Democrat and Chronicle launched an ambitious Alternate Reality Game (ARG) called Picture the Impossible. The seven-week game was a collaboration with the Lab for Social Computing at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and it built web, print, and real-life challenges over a fictional storyline designed to connect players with with Rochester’s history. Participants were divided into three teams that competed against each other to earn money for three local charities. The players completed a scavenger hunt in a local cemetery, created recipes for a cooking contest focused on local ingredients, and earned points each week for both web-based games like jigsaw puzzles and print newspaper challenges like assembling a mystery photo. The game concluded with a Halloween costume party for the top players.

Over 2,500 people signed up for the game in all, and it attracted a highly engaged core of about 600 people, including members of the young professional demographic that the Democrat and Chronicle had been most hoping to attract. But running an ARG was also very resource-intensive. I talked with Traci Bauer, the Democrat and Chronicle’s managing editor for content and digital platforms, about what the paper learned from Picture the Impossible, and how they are building social gaming into the paper’s day-to-day operations.

Picture the Impossible emerged through a collaboration between Bauer and RIT professor Elizabeth Lane Lawley. It was funded through sweat equity from both organizations and a donation from a local charity and Microsoft Bing. (Kodak, which is based in Rochester, provided cameras and printers as weekly prizes.)

The game attracted players of all ages, including families, students brought in through RIT, and plenty of Baby Boomers. (“They’re easy,” Bauer said. “Boomers do everything.”) Two-thirds of the players were women. The most important strengths of the game were the collaborative team structure and the focus on earning money for charity. Team spirit was high on the message boards for the three different “factions,” and players strategized ways to maximize their weekly point totals. The scavenger hunts and real-life games (some powered by the text-messaging/smartphone app SCVNGR) were popular, as was the cooking competition, which brought in 104 entrants. When I spoke with Bauer and Lawley last year, they had also been very excited about the way the game used the print paper as a physical element of play.

Bauer said the newspaper had learned enough from the collaboration that the experiment would have been worthwhile even if the game flopped. It didn’t.

“The beauty of it wasn’t in the volume of players, but in the amount of time that they spent in the game,” Bauer said. “In the end we had 62 minutes on-site per unique, and that’s compared to 30-35 minutes on our core sites.”

Bauer came out of the project believing that the news industry needs to harness gaming strategies. “There’s something in there, for sure,” she said.

Her goal is for the Democrat and Chronicle to always have some kind of social gaming presence. When Picture the Impossible closed last Halloween, “I wanted to quickly get another initiative out there,” Bauer said. “I hate when you build something and it’s a success and you put it up on a shelf and don’t pay attention to it for years.”

The problem was that Picture the Impossible had taken a huge amount of time and resources. The newspaper’s collaboration with RIT had ended, and the pressures of making social gaming a normal part of newspaper operations meant figuring out a more pared-down, sustainable model.

For the Democrat and Chronicle, that has meant abandoning the Alternate Reality Game model, with its fictional storyline that united the different elements of the game and propelled it forward. As a news organization, Bauer said, creating fictional scenarios didn’t really fit with their mission. It also meant fewer real-life challenges, even though they were very popular with players. RIT had been “instrumental” in making those in-person activities work. “It’s not what we’re really good at, organizing baking contests and things like that,” Bauer said. “It wasn’t what we’re about.”

This time around, the Democrat and Chronicle’s new social gaming project, score!, is focused around one of the newspaper’s core activities: political coverage. Launched in June, score! focuses on the November elections, and consists mainly of politically-themed web games and quizzes. One new game, Headline Hopper, has players propel little politicians through a landscape of quotes, Mario Brothers-style.

As in Picture the Impossible, players accumulate points and earn money for charity, and the profiles of score! players note whether they participated in Picture the Impossible, to build continuity between the two games.

This time, Bauer said, they thought the team loyalty that had powered Picture the Impossible would be formed around political parties, the Democrats competing with the Republicans. But that team structure flopped when only four Republicans signed up. As a result, Bauer said, they’ve mostly abandoned the team focus. The in-person component of score! has also been scaled back; players can get “stalker” points for snapping photographs of politicians at local events, but Bauer said the challenge hasn’t really taken off. Part of the problem is that candidates are unpredictable, so it’s hard to get information about possible stalker events until the very last minute.

The election focus has been one of the strengths of score!, in part because it gives the game a natural theme that’s easy to build content around, and in part because the games build on the status that comes along with being well-informed about politics — and with having other people know that you are.

“In the forums they talk about how much they’ve learned about the election, and how they feel like smarter voters because of it,” Bauer said.

Players now need to log in to the game through Facebook, which has generated about a dozen complaints from people who can’t play — not enough to be a real concern. And the benefit of the Facebook platform is that it allows players to compare their scores with friends.

Like Picture the Impossible, Bauer said that the 2,300 score! players fall into three tiers: a smaller group of 250 hardcore players, a middle tier of casual players, and then the remainder — who scored a few points and then didn’t come back.

“That’s really our target, is the causal player,” Bauer said.

One of the biggest challenges of running games when you’re not a full-time gaming company is negotiating the relationship with the hardcore players versus the larger group of more casual ones. The most devoted players are also the ones who post the most complaints on forums and Facebook. “We have to keep reminding each other as a team this is an initiative that is going to be constant on our site, and we can’t wear ourselves out catering to five people,” Bauer said.

At the same time, those small number of hardcore players are responsible for a lot of the games’ energy. “That’s where the conundrum is,” Bauer said. “We owe all of our success to those kinds of people.”

When score! ends, Bauer will evaluate the game’s analytics to see which parts of it generated enough engagement to make the time invested in it worthwhile, and continue to think about how to automate parts of the game to make it more sustainable. The next game will debut sometime early in the winter, Bauer said, and it may involve competition between players in Rochester and other cities.

So far, the Democrat and Chronicle is the only Gannett paper to implement a major gaming initiative, Bauer said. She said this was disappointing, but not surprising, since the success of Picture the Impossible didn’t translate into a bump in revenue. (Unlike Picture the Impossible, score! has advertising on its site.) As much as she believes in making social gaming part of a newspaper’s toolbox, Bauer said, “it certainly doesn’t produce a lot of revenue, and until it does, it’s not going to get a lot of attention.”

The Wall Street Journal surveyed the pre-tax earnings of the CEOs of the 456 biggest American companies and discovered that, as corporate profits have once again increased, they've made 3 percent more money overall. That doesn't sound like much, but there's an upward trend: The CEOs of the 65 companies whose fiscal year ended more recently and covered more of the recovery saw their pay increase by almost 15 percent.

The best-paid exec in the country is Liberty Media's Gregory Maffei, who made $87.1 million. Ralph Lauren came in at No. 9, making $27 million. The story also comes with an interactive graphic decoding the jargon that companies use on financial statements to justify paying so much.

The Year's Top Ten Highest Paid CEOs

How To Read A Proxy Statement

Paychecks for CEOs climb

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

A food safety bill that has burned up precious days of the Senate s lame-duck session appears headed back to the chamber because Democrats violated a constitutional provision requiring that tax provisions originate in the House.

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

With the 2010 midterm elections an increasingly distant memory, the media is already seeking the breakout star of the 2012 elections, and having to look in the mirror. Given the number of potential presidential candidates accumulating ...

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

eric seiger do

Every Tweet Counts: Google News Adds "Most Shared" Section

Google News has begun experimenting with a section titled "most shared" on its home page, apparently tracking activity on outside social networks including Twitter. When people say that ...

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error : Roll Call

Dan Abrams - Fox News - 2012 Election | Mediaite

Saturday, November 27, 2010

web internet marketing

Top Stories of the Week

The iPad is Getting Its First Major Software Update: Here's What's New in iOS 4.2

RIP Ask.com: Web Search is Over at Ask

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More coverage and analysis from ReadWriteWeb

Download The Age of Exabytes: Tools & Approaches for Managing Big Data

We are experiencing a big data explosion, a result not only of increasing Internet usage by people around the world, but also the connection of billions of devices to the Internet. Eight years ago, for example, there were only around 5 exabytes of data online. Just two years ago, that amount of data passed over the Internet over the course of a single month. And recent estimates put monthly Internet data flow at around 21 exabytes of data.

Our latest report, The Age of Exabytes, explores how technologies are evolving to address the needs of managing big data, from innovations in storage at the chip and data center level, to the development of frameworks used for distributed computing, to the increasing demand for analytical tools that can glean insights from big data in near real-time. Download it for free now.

Location

The Battle for "Location," This Time with Real Armies

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More Location coverage

Real-Time Web

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The (Near) Future of Medicine: Take Two Computers and IM Me in the Morning

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Check Out The ReadWriteWeb iPhone App

As well as enabling you to read ReadWriteWeb while on the go or lying on the couch, we've made it easy to share ReadWriteWeb posts directly from your iPhone, on Twitter and Facebook using the official ReadWriteWeb iPhone app. You can also follow the RWW team on Twitter, directly from the app. We invite you to download it now from iTunes.

ReadWriteEnterprise

ReadWriteEnterprise is devoted to enterprise 2.0 and using social software inside organizations.

What Web Apps Are Employees Using at Work?

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ReadWriteStart

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Google Voice Coming to Google Apps Subscribers (Updated)

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ReadWriteMobile

ReadWriteMobile is dedicated to helping its community understand the strategic business and technical implications of developing mobile applications.

Twitter Plus iTunes Ping is a Non-Starter

New Service Brings Single Click Checkout to Android

Open Mobile Summit: 4 Ways to Monetize Apps

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Subscribe to the Weekly Wrap-up

You can subscribe to the Weekly Wrap-up by RSS or by email below.

RWW Weekly Wrap-up Email Subscription form:

It’s been another crazy week with the Web 2.0 Summit and Facebook’s big announcement about messages. With all of that excitement, it’s easy to miss one or two of the tools and resources we’ve been cranking out for you. Here’s our list from the past week or so.

In Social Media we look at how social good is become geo-aware and give you a walkthrough of the new Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook Messages. Tech & Mobile kicks off our gift guide with entries on iPads, Androidclass="blippr-nobr">Android, and some cool YouTubeclass="blippr-nobr">YouTube hacks. Business is loaded with startup tips from expert entrepreneurs and the importance of foreign languages for online businesses.

Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time.

Social Media

The Biggest Brands on Facebook /> In the past few years, big brands have started taking social media seriously, and Facebook marketing is a big part of the plan for many companies.
The New Facebook Messages: A Walkthrough /> We’ve put together a screenshot walkthrough to help you make sense of what the new Facebook Messages product is all about.
Checkins for Charity: The Rise of Geo-Social Good/> Can location-based networks bridge the gap between social media and the real world when it comes to causes that matter? Here’s a look at the promising future of the “charity checkin.”
5 Fresh Places to Find Great Online Video/> More and more sites are stepping up to help sift through the vast, expansive sea of online video. Here are five of our favorites.
How Social Media Can Make Online Shopping Less Lonely/> A recent Harris Interactive poll shows that shopping, once a highly social activity, has become a lonely experience online. That may change with the rise of social shopping platforms.
11 Essential Apps for Managing Your Real Life Social Networks/> Even if you’ve mastered online social networking, you still need to keep tabs on your real life relationships. These apps can help you connect, coordinate, and plan across different social circles.
Cats: They’re On the Internet /> We assume most felines view the web as a creative outlet, where dreams of becoming class='blippr-nobr'>Internetclass="blippr-nobr">Internet famous are within reach.
Cracking the Mainstream: Why Social Gaming Is More Than Just a Fad/> Casual media has always co-existed with its long-form counterparts. Here’s why social gaming is a perfect compliment to today’s web.

For more social media news and resources, you can follow class='blippr-nobr'>Mashable’sclass="blippr-nobr">Mashable social media channel on Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Tech & Mobile

12 Fun Hacks for Getting More Out of YouTube/> There’s no doubt YouTube can be tons of fun, but when you get bored of watching clips the traditional way, there are a ton of sites that can help enhance the experience.
5 Excellent E-Card iPhone Apps/> E-cards are an environmentally friendly way to send a greeting — especially nowadays, when you’re more likely to have your friend’s e-mail address than postal address.
10 iPhone Apps for Wine Enthusiasts/> These 10 apps will help you better understand and appreciate this refined libation.
Why You Need an iPad This Holiday Season/> The fact that you can grab an iPad today, it’s affordable and it’s just straight-up fun to use makes it one of our 10 big gadget picks for the 2010 holiday season.
10 Comfortable Lap Desks for Cozy Computing/> Who needs a big office setup when you can kick back on the couch and get stuff done with one of these stylish lap desks.
The Unprecedented Rise of Apple iOS and Other Internet Trends /> Legendary Internet analyst Mary Meeker has some statistics she thinks every Internet executive should know.
Why You Need an Android Device This Holiday Season/> Got your eye on a new smartphone for the new year? Here’s why we love our Android devices on a variety of carriers.
HOW TO: Develop a Branded iPhone App on a Budget/> Branded apps are not just for big corporations with money to burn. They are well within the reach of every small business.
Why You Need to Upgrade Your Router This Holiday Season/> Ready to make the leap from 802.11g to 802.11n? Have no idea what those numbers mean? Get the lowdown on one of our favorite feature-rich Wi-Fi routers – the Netgear RangeMax WNDR3700.
HOW TO: Create Your Own Customized Short URL/> A custom short URL is a great way to build your brand around content links, and you can do it for free with a Bit.ly Pro account. Here’s how to set it up.
5 Technologies That Are Changing the Way We Drive/> From cars that drive themselves to in-car connectivity systems that support third party apps, innovation is changing the driving experience.
Build It Yourself: 8 Fun Electronics Kits Under $100/> We’ve gathered a group of DIY electronics kits, ranging from $16 to $95, guaranteed to please the left-brained folks of any age or skill level on your holiday gift list.
Why You Need a Vizio XVT3SV Series TV This Holiday Season/> Of all the TVs that we’ve seen in 2010, none have stood out as profoundly as those from the Vizio XVT3SV series.
Troubleshooting Those Ill-Advised Texts/> Read on for tips on troubleshooting your terrible-TM woes.
Why You Need an Amazon Kindle 3 This Holiday Season/> The 8.5-ounce, 4.8 by 7.5-inch device is fast, sleek, light, and almost adorably small. Here’s why we think it should be at the top of your gadget wish list.
4 Winning Web Design Tips From Ryan Carson of Carsonified/> We had the chance to chat with Carsonified founder Ryan Carson about some best practices and his thoughts on the future of web design.
8 Experts Break Down the Pros and Cons of Coding With PHP/> class='blippr-nobr'>PHPclass="blippr-nobr">PHP is a versatile programming language, but some of its biggest strengths can also yield limitations. We spoke with 8 PHP pros to weigh the factors.

For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Business

HOW TO: Land a Business Development Job/> Mashable interviewed six experts in the business development to get their tips on what it takes to become a business development professional at technology companies and startups.
5 Invaluable Marketing Lessons from an Epic Campaign for… Cream Cheese?/> As a branded social network, The Real Women of Philadelphia has turned 30,000 unlikely participants into a vibrant community of brand ambassadors. Here’s how Kraft made it happen.
5 Ways to Promote Your Social Media Efforts Offline/> Don’t overlook the real world when marketing your online efforts.
Startup Advice: Inside Tips From Expert Entrepreneurs /> To gauge the pulse of today’s tech startup ecosystem, we spoke to a group of New York-based entrepreneurs and investors. Check out their tips for would-be entrepreneurs.
Should Your Startup Apply for the sFund?/> Esteemed venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins launched a new fund called sFund last month. Learn more about whether your startup should apply.
Are Groupon Stores and Do-It-Yourself Deals Worth the Risk?/> Groupon is rolling out a self-serve product called Groupon Stores that allows merchants to setup virtual storefronts and manage their own deals through the group buying site.
5 Signs That Coworking Might Be for You/> If these five signs describe you, it might be time to give coworking a try.
Why Your Business Must Embrace the Foreign Language Internet/> Some of the fastest-growing online demographics are non-English speakers, and there’s a huge opportunity to own the search and social space around these markets before they get too crowded.
HOW TO: Define the Role of Your Social Media Team/> A look at the basics of building a social media strategy: the goal of social media, who should be involved, and the responsibilities entailed.
Social Media Marketing: 5 Lessons From Business Leaders Who Get It/> These five business leaders outperformed their peers in both quantitative and qualitative tests of social influence. See what you can take away from their success.
How Social Media Can Make Online Shopping Less Lonely/> A recent Harris Interactive poll shows that shopping, once a highly social activity, has become a lonely experience online. That may change with the rise of social shopping platforms.

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

[Image courtesy of WebTreats]

For more Social Media coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Social Mediaclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Social Media channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

bench_craft_company

News - Jennifer Aniston, Chelsea Handler Flaunt Bikini Bods in ...

The new BFFs show off their curves while celebrating Thanksgiving abroad.

Minecraft dev explains sales transparency PC News - Page 1 ...

Read our PC news of Minecraft dev explains sales transparency.

Real Estate News: Home Mortgage Rates Stabilize - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ:

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Real Estate News: Home Mortgage Rates Stabilize - Developments - WSJ

Here is a look at real-estate news in today's WSJ:

bench_craft_company

Top Stories of the Week

The iPad is Getting Its First Major Software Update: Here's What's New in iOS 4.2

RIP Ask.com: Web Search is Over at Ask

How to Use Blekko to Rock at Your Job

Learning JavaScript Visually with Diagrams

FarmVille is Still the Most Popular Facebook App - But #2 is a Surprise

More coverage and analysis from ReadWriteWeb

Download The Age of Exabytes: Tools & Approaches for Managing Big Data

Location

The Battle for "Location," This Time with Real Armies

Magitti: The Future of Location Apps From PARC?

More Location coverage

Real-Time Web

The UN to Open Source Global Crises in Real-Time

Stop Texting Me and Download Kik Before It's Pulled from the App Store

More Real-Time Web coverage

Internet of Things

The (Near) Future of Medicine: Take Two Computers and IM Me in the Morning

Why Software is More Important Than Sensors in the Internet of Things

More Internet of Things coverage

Check Out The ReadWriteWeb iPhone App

ReadWriteEnterprise

ReadWriteEnterprise is devoted to enterprise 2.0 and using social software inside organizations.

What Web Apps Are Employees Using at Work?

3 Challenges for Enterprise 2.0 Now That It's Gone Mainstream

No More Hand Holding: Why Consultants Need to Build Apps

ReadWriteStart

ReadWriteStart, sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark, is a resource for startups and entrepreneurs.

Tips for Getting (Follow-Up) Press Coverage for Your Startup

Telling Startup Stories With Data

ReadWriteCloud

ReadWriteCloud, sponsored by VMware and Intel, is dedicated to Virtualization and Cloud Computing.

Google Voice Coming to Google Apps Subscribers (Updated)

How Google Views Cloud Security and the New Application Model

5 Ways Google TV Will Disrupt Web Analytics

ReadWriteBiz

ReadWriteBiz is a resource and guide for small to medium businesses.

How Real-Time Analytics Can Help Small Businesses Thrive

Network Roulette: Chatroulette for Professional Networking

SMB Tech Roundup: Productivity Apps, Google Announcements and Calculating Marketing ROI

ReadWriteHack

ReadWriteHack is a resource and guide for developers.

Learning JavaScript Visually with Diagrams

Could Serverside Frameworks Become Irrelevant?

Kinect Drivers Hacked - What Will YOU Build with It?

ReadWriteMobile

ReadWriteMobile is dedicated to helping its community understand the strategic business and technical implications of developing mobile applications.

Twitter Plus iTunes Ping is a Non-Starter

New Service Brings Single Click Checkout to Android

Open Mobile Summit: 4 Ways to Monetize Apps

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Subscribe to the Weekly Wrap-up

You can subscribe to the Weekly Wrap-up by RSS or by email below.

RWW Weekly Wrap-up Email Subscription form:

Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time.

Social Media

The Biggest Brands on Facebook /> In the past few years, big brands have started taking social media seriously, and Facebook marketing is a big part of the plan for many companies.
The New Facebook Messages: A Walkthrough /> We’ve put together a screenshot walkthrough to help you make sense of what the new Facebook Messages product is all about.
Checkins for Charity: The Rise of Geo-Social Good/> Can location-based networks bridge the gap between social media and the real world when it comes to causes that matter? Here’s a look at the promising future of the “charity checkin.”
5 Fresh Places to Find Great Online Video/> More and more sites are stepping up to help sift through the vast, expansive sea of online video. Here are five of our favorites.
How Social Media Can Make Online Shopping Less Lonely/> A recent Harris Interactive poll shows that shopping, once a highly social activity, has become a lonely experience online. That may change with the rise of social shopping platforms.
11 Essential Apps for Managing Your Real Life Social Networks/> Even if you’ve mastered online social networking, you still need to keep tabs on your real life relationships. These apps can help you connect, coordinate, and plan across different social circles.
Cats: They’re On the Internet /> We assume most felines view the web as a creative outlet, where dreams of becoming class='blippr-nobr'>Internetclass="blippr-nobr">Internet famous are within reach.
Cracking the Mainstream: Why Social Gaming Is More Than Just a Fad/> Casual media has always co-existed with its long-form counterparts. Here’s why social gaming is a perfect compliment to today’s web.

Tech & Mobile

12 Fun Hacks for Getting More Out of YouTube/> There’s no doubt YouTube can be tons of fun, but when you get bored of watching clips the traditional way, there are a ton of sites that can help enhance the experience.
5 Excellent E-Card iPhone Apps/> E-cards are an environmentally friendly way to send a greeting — especially nowadays, when you’re more likely to have your friend’s e-mail address than postal address.
10 iPhone Apps for Wine Enthusiasts/> These 10 apps will help you better understand and appreciate this refined libation.
Why You Need an iPad This Holiday Season/> The fact that you can grab an iPad today, it’s affordable and it’s just straight-up fun to use makes it one of our 10 big gadget picks for the 2010 holiday season.
10 Comfortable Lap Desks for Cozy Computing/> Who needs a big office setup when you can kick back on the couch and get stuff done with one of these stylish lap desks.
The Unprecedented Rise of Apple iOS and Other Internet Trends /> Legendary Internet analyst Mary Meeker has some statistics she thinks every Internet executive should know.
Why You Need an Android Device This Holiday Season/> Got your eye on a new smartphone for the new year? Here’s why we love our Android devices on a variety of carriers.
HOW TO: Develop a Branded iPhone App on a Budget/> Branded apps are not just for big corporations with money to burn. They are well within the reach of every small business.
Why You Need to Upgrade Your Router This Holiday Season/> Ready to make the leap from 802.11g to 802.11n? Have no idea what those numbers mean? Get the lowdown on one of our favorite feature-rich Wi-Fi routers – the Netgear RangeMax WNDR3700.
HOW TO: Create Your Own Customized Short URL/> A custom short URL is a great way to build your brand around content links, and you can do it for free with a Bit.ly Pro account. Here’s how to set it up.
5 Technologies That Are Changing the Way We Drive/> From cars that drive themselves to in-car connectivity systems that support third party apps, innovation is changing the driving experience.
Build It Yourself: 8 Fun Electronics Kits Under $100/> We’ve gathered a group of DIY electronics kits, ranging from $16 to $95, guaranteed to please the left-brained folks of any age or skill level on your holiday gift list.
Why You Need a Vizio XVT3SV Series TV This Holiday Season/> Of all the TVs that we’ve seen in 2010, none have stood out as profoundly as those from the Vizio XVT3SV series.
Troubleshooting Those Ill-Advised Texts/> Read on for tips on troubleshooting your terrible-TM woes.
Why You Need an Amazon Kindle 3 This Holiday Season/> The 8.5-ounce, 4.8 by 7.5-inch device is fast, sleek, light, and almost adorably small. Here’s why we think it should be at the top of your gadget wish list.
4 Winning Web Design Tips From Ryan Carson of Carsonified/> We had the chance to chat with Carsonified founder Ryan Carson about some best practices and his thoughts on the future of web design.
8 Experts Break Down the Pros and Cons of Coding With PHP/> class='blippr-nobr'>PHPclass="blippr-nobr">PHP is a versatile programming language, but some of its biggest strengths can also yield limitations. We spoke with 8 PHP pros to weigh the factors.

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Business

HOW TO: Land a Business Development Job/> Mashable interviewed six experts in the business development to get their tips on what it takes to become a business development professional at technology companies and startups.
5 Invaluable Marketing Lessons from an Epic Campaign for… Cream Cheese?/> As a branded social network, The Real Women of Philadelphia has turned 30,000 unlikely participants into a vibrant community of brand ambassadors. Here’s how Kraft made it happen.
5 Ways to Promote Your Social Media Efforts Offline/> Don’t overlook the real world when marketing your online efforts.
Startup Advice: Inside Tips From Expert Entrepreneurs /> To gauge the pulse of today’s tech startup ecosystem, we spoke to a group of New York-based entrepreneurs and investors. Check out their tips for would-be entrepreneurs.
Should Your Startup Apply for the sFund?/> Esteemed venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins launched a new fund called sFund last month. Learn more about whether your startup should apply.
Are Groupon Stores and Do-It-Yourself Deals Worth the Risk?/> Groupon is rolling out a self-serve product called Groupon Stores that allows merchants to setup virtual storefronts and manage their own deals through the group buying site.
5 Signs That Coworking Might Be for You/> If these five signs describe you, it might be time to give coworking a try.
Why Your Business Must Embrace the Foreign Language Internet/> Some of the fastest-growing online demographics are non-English speakers, and there’s a huge opportunity to own the search and social space around these markets before they get too crowded.
HOW TO: Define the Role of Your Social Media Team/> A look at the basics of building a social media strategy: the goal of social media, who should be involved, and the responsibilities entailed.
Social Media Marketing: 5 Lessons From Business Leaders Who Get It/> These five business leaders outperformed their peers in both quantitative and qualitative tests of social influence. See what you can take away from their success.
How Social Media Can Make Online Shopping Less Lonely/> A recent Harris Interactive poll shows that shopping, once a highly social activity, has become a lonely experience online. That may change with the rise of social shopping platforms.

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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