Blogging

#BeatCancer, a charitable campaign that launched at the BlogWorld & New Media Expo, started making its way around the social Web last week. The goal was to set a new Guinness World Record for the most social mentions in a 24-hour period while raising cash for cancer organizations. Users were asked to include the #BeatCancer hash tag in tweets, Facebook status updates, and blog posts.

According to Everywhere, the social-media communications firm behind the charitable event, 209,771 social messages were sent during the 24-hour period ending 9 a.m. PDT on October 18. The campaign tallied more than 100 million impressions. Both figures set new Guinness World Records.

Most importantly, the organization was able to raise more than $70,000 from sponsors eBay/PayPal and MillerCoors Brewing Company. The companies donated one cent for each tweet, status update, or blog post that featured #BeatCancer. There have been more than 620,000 mentions of #BeatCancer as of this writing.

The idea for #BeatCancer came from Everywhere’s managing partner and cancer survivor Tamara Knechtel. She said in a statement that her company wanted to use “social media for social good.” It looks like she succeeded.

If you’re interested in getting in on the #BeatCancer donations, you still can. Everywhere said that it plans to keep the program running. Like before, any tweet, blog-post mention, or Facebook status update containing the #BeatCancer hash tag will send one cent to cancer organizations.

Original post:
Online cancer-fighting inititive sets Guinness record

If you’re a frequent iTunes user, you’re probably looking for some helpful tools that will allow you to get more out of the software. If so, you might want to check out Yahoo Widgets. They’re simple, fast applications that run on your desktop to provide a little more functionality than you’ll find in iTunes itself.

To save you from doing all the footwork yourself, I’ve compiled a list of some really neat Yahoo widgets that extend the functionality of iTunes. Let’s check them out.

Music time

iPhones: If you’re wondering what the top songs are on iTunes at any time, iPhones is for you.

iPhones is designed like an iPhone. It displays the top 10 albums and songs, as well as new releases, featured content, and more. When you click on one of those options, you’ll be brought to the song’s individual listing page in iTunes. There’s not much more to the app than that.

iPhones shows off all the top content on iTunes.

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Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

iTunes Alarm Clock: If you want to personalize alarms and reminders with your favorite songs, try out the iTunes Alarm Clock widget.

iTunes Alarm Clock is what you might expect: an alarm clock that uses your music to wake you up or alert you to an event. In the app’s preferences, you can set the alarm, choose any song you want from your catalog, and have it play at a specified volume. It’s an extremely simple app, but I found it useful.

iTunes Alarm Clock is what you might expect.

(Credit:
Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

iTunes Bar: iTunes Bar is simple: it adds a taskbar to your desktop, allowing you to control iTunes without opening the application.

When you start using iTunes Bar, the app will display a particular track’s artwork. Above that, you’ll find a bar that displays the track’s singer and name. You can turn the volume up or down, change songs, shuffle tunes, access your playlists, and more. It’s like having all the most often used features of iTunes with you when it isn’t up. It’s highly useful.

iTunes Bar gives you control over your favorite songs.

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Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

iTunes Companion: Unless you purchased a track in iTunes, finding the album art for all those other songs can be time-consuming. But with the help of iTunes Companion, all those headaches go away.

iTunes Companion analyzes the song you’re playing and automatically finds its album art on Amazon.com. If it can’t find the album art, you can search for it yourself and drag-and-drop the image into the widget. That drag-and-drop option worked beautifully, in my experience. The app also features song lyrics. All that content can be quickly downloaded into your iTunes library, making the art and lyrics available anywhere you listen to the song. It’s a great app.

iTunes Companion is a really helpful app.

(Credit:
Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

iTunes Remote: If you’re having trouble controlling the songs in your iTunes library, iTunes Remote is the tool to use.

Once downloaded, the widget displays a remote that lets you play or pause songs, skip through tracks, or shuffle tunes. There isn’t much to it, but thanks to the ability to place it over any window on your computer, you can quickly play the songs you want without much trouble.

iTunes Remote helps you sift through songs.

(Credit:
Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

SongWidget: SongWidget is easily one of the most capable widgets in this roundup. It allows you to do much more than simply control iTunes.

SongWidget recognizes all the tracks you’re playing in iTunes. It gives you the option of playing or pausing songs, and skipping to find the song you want. But where SongWidget shines is in all the extras. The app provides a direct link to the track’s Amazon MP3 page, customer reviews, and (my favorite feature) YouTube videos of the songs you’re listening to. When you click on that option, the video is automatically played in your browser. If you like a particular track, you can even search for the artist on Google. I really liked SongWidget.

SongWidget displays all kinds of useful information.

(Credit:
Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

My top three

1. SongWidget: With so many neat features, SongWidget is a must-see.

2. iTunes Companion: iTunes Companion makes finding album art and lyrics much easier.

3. iTunes Alarm Clock: iTunes Alarm Clock is simple and easy to use. I like it a lot.

See more here:
Yahoo widgets for the iTunes fanatic

If you’re expecting to get updates from celebrities on all their latest movies, you might be disappointed: Hollywood is trying to curb celebrity use of social networks.

It is believed that Cameron Diaz and Mike Myers are among the first celebrities to be affected by a reportedly new anti-social-media clause included in talent contracts from major studios, according to entertainment news reports.

But just how far those measures have gone is unknown. Some entertainment blogs are reporting that studios are requesting an outright ban of social-networking use by celebrities. Others say that studios are simply trying to curb their use. At this point, it’s not so clear–and the film studios aren’t talking.

A Hollywood Reporter blog post recently reported that “there’s a growing number of studio deals with new language aimed specifically at curbing usage of social-media outlets by actors, execs and other creatives.” The studios hope confidential information about the films they’re producing won’t leak out on major social networks.

The Hollywood Reporter, Esq. blog reports that both Disney and DreamWorks have already added clauses to their talent contracts. A clause from Disney says that the actor should not make information available “via ‘interactive media such as Facebook, Twitter, or any other interactive social network or personal blog.’”

That said, neither DreamWorks nor Disney has confirmed that such a clause exists. Diaz and Myers have also been mum on their use of social networks. Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. DreamWorks said, “It’s our policy not to discuss talent agreements.”

In the end, it’s not all that surprising that the film industry is targeting social media. Earlier this year, the National Football League made its social-media policy public. That policy banned tweeting prior, during, and after a game for all players, coaches, referees, and media on-hand.

But whether targeting social networks is really the right move is up for debate. The Hollywood Reporter said that the new clauses might have been a reaction to leaks by celebrities tweeting information before it was supposed to come out. Paula Abdul, the publication said, announced her decision on Twitter to leave “American Idol,” surprising Fox executives. Hollywood is trying to limit such leaks going forward.

It’s understandable. And Hollywood has always limited what the talent can say about films. But is social media really the best target? Is it not a fine promotional tool? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Movie studios curbing actors’ use of social media

If you’re a frequent Amazon shopper, you might be looking out for tools to help enhance the experience of buying products on the site. There are services on the Web to help you get more out of Amazon than simply picking up a few products from the company’s pages.

Let’s take a look.

Get your Amazon on

AmaDig If you’re looking for a different way to search Amazon, AmaDig will provide it.

When you get to the site, you can pick which Amazon category you want to sift through. From there, the site lists images of different products offered in that category. When you click on a respective product, you can view its specs, pricing, and reviews. You can also view the listing on Amazon or add it to your shopping cart from the site. It’s a neat tool, but beware that the interface is a little clunky.

AmaDig has a unique way of displaying items.

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Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Amazon Mobile If you’re ready to buy a product at the store, you might want to consider using the Amazon app on your iPhone before you plunk down the cash.

Amazon Mobile not only lets you search for products and pricing, you can also take a picture of a product and have the app search Amazon’s database to get its pricing. You can add items to your cart and use Amazon’s 1-click payment system to place an order. (Read our full review here).

Amazon Mobile in action.

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CBS Interactive)

Amazon Widgets If you own a Web site, one of the best ways to get a little more out of Amazon is to add some of the company’s widgets to your page.

Amazon’s apps range from search widgets to your favorite products. You can even add a widget to your site showing off your recommended products. In any of those cases, you can earn cash by referring your readers to Amazon’s product page. You can collect when those visitors buy a product on Amazon.com. It’s not a bad deal. And it’s a great way to raise some cash the next time you want to buy something from Amazon.com.

Create your own Amazon Widgets to make some cash.

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Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

BooksPrice If you’re wondering whether or not Amazon has the best price on a book or movie, BooksPrice is the place to go.

When you get to BooksPrice, you have the option of searching for a book, CD, or DVD. In any case, the site will sift through listings on Amazon, eBay, and other sites across the Web to help you find the site that has the best price. More often than not, eBay and Amazon lead the way. If you’re looking to find out how Amazon compares to the rest of the Web, BooksPrice is the way to go.

BooksPrice will help you find the best deals.

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Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Price Tracker If you’re an iPhone owner, you might want to try out Price Tracker. The app allows you to enter a particular product’s name. From there, the app finds the product on Amazon.com and tracks its price. Whenever that item’s price changes, Price Tracker alerts you to it. It’s an extremely simple app, but since it’s free, it’s worth trying out.

Price Tracker lets you track Amazon pricing from your iPhone.

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Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Spendfish If you’re only looking for deals on products Amazon sells, Spendfish is a great resource to check out.

The site lists all the top deals on Amazon in several categories, ranging from electronics to books. When you click on one of the deals, you’ll be brought to the product’s individual listing page. Aside from that, Spendfish lists how much you’re saving on Amazon’s pricing. It also has a search box to help you find other Amazon deals.

Spendfish helps you find the hot deals on Amazon.

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Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

My top 3

1. Spendfish: If you’re looking for the best deals, Spendfish is the place to do it.

2. Amazon Mobile: There’s nothing quite like buying from Amazon when you’re at Best Buy.

3. Amazon Widgets: Why not get a little help from friends when buying Amazon products?

See the rest here:
Get more out of your Amazon shopping experience

Amazon.com on Thursday announced that customers looking to get their packages sooner will have a couple new options available to them.

Amazon customers placing deliveries within the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, Baltimore, Las Vegas, and Seattle, as well as “some surrounding areas,” will now be able to receive shipments on the same day they place an order. The service will be coming to Chicago, Indianapolis, and Phoenix “in the coming months.”

Amazon said “thousands of items” are available now to customers living in those cities. The new option, called Local Express Delivery, will have varied pricing that depends on the type of product purchased. Amazon Prime members–customers who pay $79 per year to receive unlimited two-day shipping from the online retailer–will need to pay $5.99 per item for the service.

In order to get an item on the same day it’s ordered, customers will need to buy products prior to their city’s cutoff time. For example, New York customers will need to order a product by 10 a.m. ET, while Seattle customers can purchase products by 1 p.m. PT. The other cities’ cutoff times vary within that range. According to Amazon, it will list the cutoff times on each eligible product’s detail page.

Amazon's Local Express Delivery charges.

(Credit:
Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Saturday delivery added to the mix

Amazon also expanded its Saturday Delivery options. Orders placed before a city’s cutoff time will be delivered on Saturday when the customer chooses the Two-Day Shipping option. Amazon Prime customers will be able to receive shipments on Saturday for no additional charge. All other customers will need to pay the shipping rates applicable at the time of purchase.

Amazon will also offer customers the opportunity for Saturday delivery on overnight shipping. Once again, orders need to be placed before the site’s cutoff time. Non-Prime customers will need to pay $3 on top of standard overnight shipping rates, while Prime members will be charged $6.99 to have items they order on a Friday delivered the next day.

Unlike Local Express Delivery, which is available only in select cities, Amazon’s Saturday delivery is now available anywhere. Prior to this announcement, an Amazon representative told me in a phone conversation, Saturday delivery is available to Amazon Prime customers for the same $6.99 rate. Other customers need to wait until Monday.

Amazon’s shipping upgrade might not be great for all its customers. In fact, JPMorgan Chase analyst Imran Khan wrote that the company’s new Local Express Delivery option might benefit Prime members most.

“Amazon Prime subscribers can get same-day delivery for $6 per item,” Khan wrote in a note to clients. “Purchasers who are not Prime subscribers will be charged $15+ per shipment (depending on category), making the service less economical.”

That said, Khan did say that it could help Amazon increase order frequency: “When Amazon introduced Prime, it raised the order frequency for Prime shoppers–and we think the new delivery option could be one more lever for increasing order frequency.”

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Amazon offers same-day delivery to select cities