By Cynthia Herbert :: 6:06 AM
NASA is providing 70 of its social media followers with an insider’s look at the space program and an opportunity to see a launch in-person. The event, called NASA Social, is scheduled for Jan. 28-29 to coincide with the launch of the space agency’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-K (TDRS-K), and will be held at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A NASA Social event is an in-person meeting with people who engage and follow the agency through its social media properties on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other networks.
The launch of TDRS-K is targeted for at 8:52 p.m. EST Jan. 29 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
Interested parties must register for a slot to participate. Registration for the NASA Social opens at 3 p.m. today, and closes at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec.19. Participants will be selected from online registrations. Because portions of the NASA event may take place in restricted areas, registration is limited to U.S. citizens only.
Participants in the NASA Social will have unique behind the scenes experiences with the agency, which they are encouraged to share with others through their favorite social networks. Guests will watch the launch, tour facilities at Kennedy, speak with representatives from NASA and the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Office, visit the Atlas V launch pad, and meet fellow enthusiasts who are active on social media, as well as members of NASA’s social media team.
For more information on the NASA Social and to register, visit:Â http://www.nasa.gov/social
By Gilbert Falso :: 8:54 PM
iOS6 users, your wait is finally over. It looks like tonight is the night that Google will make their maps app available for iOS.
According to a report by AllThingsD, the search giant will release their version of Google Maps for Apple’s iPhone – a move that many users have been looking forward to, since the map app that comes standard with iOS6 has been riddled with flaws and misdirections.
Neither the Apple camp nor the Google camp appear to have released any sort of public comment yet, and AllThingsD’s report is based on an unnamed source, but according to other rumblings in the tech world, it looks like this news is indeed legitimate.
With the release of Google Maps for iOS, many holdouts who had been reluctant to upgrade from iOS5 to iOS6, for fear of losing their reliable mapping system, may likely upgrade their handsets.
As the story develops, we will post updates.
By Cynthia Herbert :: 6:21 AM
Scoop.it, one of the fastest growing social media platforms used by professionals to develop and manage their presence online through topic-centric content curation, announced yesterday an all-new version of its platform with a key new feature that highlights a user’s “Insight.”
“Two years ago, we started a journey to help the marketers, the consultants, the small business owners who don’t have four hours a day to blog,” explained Guillaume Decugis, co-founder and CEO of Scoop.it. “There are six million small or mid-sized businesses in the U.S. We want to give them and professionals a voice to share important ideas with the right audience because that’s the meaningful and impactful way to increase their visibility online.”
The new “Insight” feature allows a user to quickly enrich and personalize any article, video or image they post to their networks with personal commentary. The feature was designed specifically to draw attention to the Scoop.it user’s point of view. Instead of simply being able to comment on a piece of content, the Scoop.it user’s Insight is highlighted and is customizable using a WYSIWYG-style editor – allowing users to add/edit images, edit its layout and give meaningful context to the content they curate.
Scoop.it’s new functionality comes on the heels of new integrations with SlideShare, Hootsuite and Buffer, which allow users to optimize their social media publishing as part of a content marketing strategy or for their own professional development. Scoop.it has exceeded five million unique visitors per month in the one year since their launch in November, 2011 and is averaging 1,500 new signups per day.
By Gilbert Falso :: 1:22 AM
Shifts in how technology impacts relationships were measured in a new study from marketing agency Performics, which released the newest iteration of its ongoing Life on Demand study yesterday. They surveyed nearly 2,000 Americans about how social media are impacting aspects of their behavior with regards to relationships.
Social media presence is ubiquitous as nearly 93% of all respondents have a Facebook account. With so much information about individuals, their friends and their activities available on social profiles and easily accessible, these trends are impacting other areas of participants’ lives, such as their relationships.
For example, the study found that 20% of respondents used social networks to keep tabs on partner, with young males being the most “suspicious†of their partners. 30% of individuals reported that they hid certain friends on Facebook to avoid problems with their spouse or partner, and 32% of people un-friended people to placate their partners.
In addition to social media trends, the study also examined changes in mobile technology and adoption.
As people are increasingly connected and life happens “on demand,†they expect faster response times to their text messages. The majority of individuals expect a response within 15 minutes.
The study also delved into device dependence and social engagement levels with brands. Dependence on mobile devices is pervasive, with 20% of respondents saying they use their mobile phone within five minutes of waking up.
Approximately two thirds of respondents say that they are extremely dependent on their mobile phone, compared to 57%Â saying the same about their desktop computer and 42% about their laptop. This is especially true for women and younger respondents, who rely heavily on the ability to text and browse the web.
“Participants are active on social via their mobile device, so brands have an opportunity to create a lasting impression through their purchase experience, whether it be in a physical location or by phone, tablet or another device,†said Daina Middleton, Global CEO, Performics and author of the recently released book, Marketing in the Participation Age. “In fact, our study found that over one third of people take more post-purchase action now than they did one year ago.”
More: [Life on Demand Study]
Special to The Social Zoo
Leading gadget case maker iGearUnlimited.com asked customers for the features they look for in a “perfect†iPad case
- Protect the iPad from all angles — front, back, all sides, and all corners
- Auto wake/sleep using Apple’s smart cover design
- Lightweight, thin profile, durable protection without adding bulk
- Full access to all ports, buttons, and controls
- Multiple viewing angles: completely flat on the table, slightly tilted for typing, and at least three vertical angles for movie watching
- Customizable design – let users put their favorite images on the case for a completely customized experience
While some cases on the market have some of these features, finding a customized iPad case generally means giving up front protection, since almost all customizable cases only are available as a one-piece clip-on style for the back of the iPad. While a magnet-attached smart cover can be added, many users are thinking twice about this combination because of the horror stories of users grabbing onto the cover while the iPad itself does a free fall.
The new Custom iPad Case from iGearUnlimited.com delivers on all points. The case is engineered to great precision and the iPad fits snugly. The lightweight hard shell case is made with polycarbonate, one of most durable materials around, protecting the iPad from daily use and abuse. The iPad is completely enclosed from all sides, with the precise cutouts for all ports and buttons. The Custom iPad Case comes with two sets of magnets – one set to activate the iPad’s auto wake/sleep feature, and another to keep the case closed when not in use. Using three strategically positioned hinges, the iPad can be positioned at five different viewing angles, from completely flat to vertically tilted for use in any situation.
Most importantly, the customization feature on iGear’s iPad case is unmatched by any other similar product on the market. Customers can upload their own photo artwork to the ordering website, scale and crop the image, add text, and approve the design immediately online. The design tool with built-in Facebook integration makes the process super-easy, even for novice users, and the HTML5-based customization engine means it can be used on virtually all mobile devices, including the very iPad the case for which is being designed.
“Quite possibly, this is the world’s most perfect iPad case,†says Jimmy Sun, president of iGearUnlimited.com. “The case delivers all the features our customers are looking in an iPad case – good protection, light and slim profile, full-customization – this is truly a home-run product.â€
Users can upload their own photo artwork for personal use or give as gifts, and businesses can send in high-resolution vector logo artwork for branding their company. For classic fine art lovers, the company offers a stock photo library with close to 8,000 high-resolution fine art images from the world’s most famous artists, including Van Gogh, Monet, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Cezanne, and more.
The Photo iPad Case is available from iGearUnlimited.com, and is priced at $89.99.
This article was received from a press release distribution service, and was not written by Social Zoo staffers. It may have been edited for length or clarity.