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Sunday, April 01, 2012
TRENDING STORIES IN BUSINESS & MARKETING Shoptiques Lets You Shop Boutiques Like a Local How to Enchant Your Audience With Social Media [VIDEO] Keith Olbermann Takes to Twitter After CurrentTV Departure ALL STORIES IN BUSINESS & MARKETING Conan O'Brien Buys Mashable, Ousts Pete Cashmore as CEO 1:00:05 AM Conan O'Brien Hello, fellow Mashables. It's Conan O'Brien, and I've got big news. Two hours ago, I purchased Mashable.com. I've taken it over. Why did I take it over? Very simple reason. I'm sick and tired of scanning the Internet looking for any news about technology: Devices, gadgets, what's coming up, maybe even a rating system for gadgets that are out there. It doesn't exist on the web and it's high time it did. I go to the Mashable see the atrocious job they're doing. So I decided it's time for me to take it over. That's why, several hours ago, I called Pete Cashmore and I told him, "You're out! Get out! You're through Cashmore! Through! Get out!" Of course, keep in mind, I was screaming "Get out" from a phone call and he was speaking at home.So it wasn't clear what I was throwing him out of. We straightened that out. He said, "You'll have to buy me out." I said, "Buy you out? How about thirty-five hundred smackeroos?" He didn't know what smackeroos were, but we talked again. There's going to be a lot of changes around here. So stay tuned, cause I'm in charge now. I'm going to be sending out a lot of tweets! 39 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed Saturday, March 31, 2012 5:22 PM Matt Petronzio Did you spend this week buying lottery tickets and following the Mega Millions jackpot? Well, now that you know you didn't win, it's time to throw away your tickets and catch up on the new digital media resources you missed on Mashable. This week we have the most-followed men on Pinterest, tips for how to be more genuinely engaging online, and 15 sessions you can't miss at Mashable Connect 2012. We've also covered the evolution of Anonymous, cities that are benefiting from mobile apps, and cases that will make your white iPhone pop. We even have photos from an office tour of GetGlue's fun-filled space. Here are the best of this week's social media, business and technology resources. Editor's Picks The Evolution of Anonymous The evolution of Anonymous, a notorious group of hackers that has acquired a worldwide following. Plus, the group's top 10 defining hacks. Stickers Galore: Check Out GetGlue's Fun-Filled Office/a> GetGlue's New York City headquarters are full of stickers, pop culture and fun. The 10 Most-Followed Men on Pinterest Men are influential on Pinterest, too. Find out the top 10 male users on the social network. How do their numbers stack up to the gals? Behind the Scenes of the World's First Live-Tweeted Open-Heart Surgery Doctors and digital pros from the hospital that pulled off the world's first live-tweeted open-heart surgery give their inside story. 10 Tips for Raising Money on Kickstarter The lessons one Kickstarter participant learned are worth knowing. If you're looking to get funded on Kickstarter, here are ten tips to help you succeed. Social Media 9 Free Tumblr Themes That Look Like Pinterest Looking to turn your Tumblr into a Pinterest board? Several themes can help make that happen. How to Make Images Stand Out on Pinterest/a> With more than 12 million users on Pinterest it's important to make your images stand out. Here's how to optimize your pins. 20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week/a> Which TV shows generate the most buzz on social networks? Find out each week from our social TV chart. Mashable Connect Agenda: 15 Exciting Sessions to Learn From We're excited to announce the Mashable Connect 2012 agenda. This year's lineup covers a wide range of topics on the state and future of digital. 20 Over-The-Top Tweets About the Mega Millions Jackpot The mind-boggling $540 million Mega Millions jackpot spawned multitudes of entertaining Twitter messages about the lottery. The Evolution of Facebook for Brands Facebook Timeline for businesses is officially here. A look back at the major Facebook milestones that lead to this. For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable's social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Business & Marketing 5 Key Talents of Successful Startup Founders Some qualities are essential to becoming a successful startup founder. These five talents, in particular, are vital for entrepreneurs. 4 Tips For Authentic Online Engagement When you think about authenticity as it relates to your brand's social media efforts, a key factor is what you stand for and what's meaningful to you. Attention Marketers: Back-to-School Season Has Already Started/a> Research from Gen Y-focused marketing agency Mr. Youth shows that conversations about the upcoming school year are already happening. How American Express Grows Its Massive Social Media Presence The credit card company is innovating for both customers and merchants on their social media platforms. Check out how AmEx has gone digital. 6 Ways to Acquire New Customers via Social Media Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are great for building your brand -- but how do you find new customers? 10 Ways to Humanize Your Brand On Social Media Humanizing a brand is just that: the attempt to interact with each customer on a personal level. Here are 10 ways companies can work to create a more human brand via social media. Shoptiques Lets You Shop Boutiques Like a Local Shop local boutiques online, city by city. For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable's business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Tech & Mobile 5 Exciting Innovations That Will Change Computing in 2012 Technical innovations are on the way that promise to bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds like never before. 6 Must-Have Apps for the Samsung Galaxy Note Here are six apps that no Samsung Galaxy Note user should be without. Your Profile Pic Has Nothing on These Guys/a> Think your vacation album is sweet? Think again. These guys take scrapbooking to a whole new level. 4 Hot Apps for Microvideo Blogging With microvideo blogging apps, you can record short video clips and share them instantly over social platforms. Here are our four faves. 18 Amazing Photos of NASA's 'Five Rockets in Five Minutes' Launch NASA launched five rockets, each 80 seconds apart, into the skies over Virginia early on Tuesday. Will This Adorable Robot Rabbit Be Your Next Digital Media Hub? The Karotz is a little rabbit robot with a big personality. Check out how its creators hope to revolutionize the personalized robotics industry. 10 Ice-Cool White iPhone Cases We've found 10 cases that work brilliantly with the white iPhone. 10 Fun Notepads to Geek Up Your Desk From "social" sticky notes to LEGO notebooks to Google Doodle notecards, we think you'll find something tempting in our selection. How to Avoid the Common Pitfalls of Mobile App Development We asked several leaders in mobile development to share the common issues that come when creating a new app. Here's what they had to say. The Future of Funny: How Old and New Media Collaborate on Comedy How old and new media work together in pursuit of comedy. A History of Hacktivism/a> Learn how hacktivism evolved to become a powerful virtual weapon in today's digital age. 10 Classic Gadgets Upcycled Into Fashion Accessories We've collected 10 fashion accessories upcycled from the gadgets of your youth. These 10 Hilarious Podcasts Will Make You LOL If you're looking for some of the funniest podcasts, we've rounded up 10 channels. Plug in your headphones and get ready to LOL in public. 5 Cities Benefiting From Mobile Apps Check out how a handful of cities across the U.S. takes advantage of mobile to improve their communities and government efficiency. 3 Reasons Facebook Brand Pages Are Good for Businesses Not everyone is cheering about Facebook Timeline for businesses. The reality is, the new layout will present many great opportunities for companies using it to merchandise their products. Here are three reasons why Facebook's new brand pages will benefit sellers and social commerce as a whole. 8 Easy PC Pranks to Trick Your Friends With April Fools' Day on the horizon, it's the perfect time to play some epic pranks on your PC-using co-workers, friends, family and frenemies. 10 Excellent PC Games for Less Than $10 Need a gaming fix on the cheap? Check out these 10 winning PC games, all for less than $10. How to Respond to Any Situation With an Animated GIF There's an animated GIF for every occasion! The blog #WhatShouldWeCallMe brilliantly responds to classic situations. 8 Crazy Gadgets to Buy If You Win Mega Millions What would you buy if you won Friday's world-record $640 million Mega Millions jackpot? You can purchase plenty of things with the half-a-billion dollar prize, including these eight gems. Tools to Generate Your Random Mega Millions Numbers Can these random number generators help you win the record-high Mega Millions jackpot? Probably not, but it might be worth a try. Top 10 iPhone Word Games Go pick up a dictionary and fortify the ol' lexicon -- these iPhone word games demand clever wordplay in order to succeed. For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable's tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, akinbostanci. 39 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed Saturday, March 31, 2012 5:22 PM Matt Petronzio Did you spend this week buying lottery tickets and following the Mega Millions jackpot? Well, now that you know you didn't win, it's time to throw away your tickets and catch up on the new digital media resources you missed on Mashable. This week we have the most-followed men on Pinterest, tips for how to be more genuinely engaging online, and 15 sessions you can't miss at Mashable Connect 2012. We've also covered the evolution of Anonymous, cities that are benefiting from mobile apps, and cases that will make your white iPhone pop. We even have photos from an office tour of GetGlue's fun-filled space. Here are the best of this week's social media, business and technology resources. Editor's Picks The Evolution of Anonymous The evolution of Anonymous, a notorious group of hackers that has acquired a worldwide following. Plus, the group's top 10 defining hacks. Stickers Galore: Check Out GetGlue's Fun-Filled Office/a> GetGlue's New York City headquarters are full of stickers, pop culture and fun. The 10 Most-Followed Men on Pinterest Men are influential on Pinterest, too. Find out the top 10 male users on the social network. How do their numbers stack up to the gals? Behind the Scenes of the World's First Live-Tweeted Open-Heart Surgery Doctors and digital pros from the hospital that pulled off the world's first live-tweeted open-heart surgery give their inside story. 10 Tips for Raising Money on Kickstarter The lessons one Kickstarter participant learned are worth knowing. If you're looking to get funded on Kickstarter, here are ten tips to help you succeed. Social Media 9 Free Tumblr Themes That Look Like Pinterest Looking to turn your Tumblr into a Pinterest board? Several themes can help make that happen. How to Make Images Stand Out on Pinterest/a> With more than 12 million users on Pinterest it's important to make your images stand out. Here's how to optimize your pins. 20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week/a> Which TV shows generate the most buzz on social networks? Find out each week from our social TV chart. Mashable Connect Agenda: 15 Exciting Sessions to Learn From We're excited to announce the Mashable Connect 2012 agenda. This year's lineup covers a wide range of topics on the state and future of digital. 20 Over-The-Top Tweets About the Mega Millions Jackpot The mind-boggling $540 million Mega Millions jackpot spawned multitudes of entertaining Twitter messages about the lottery. The Evolution of Facebook for Brands Facebook Timeline for businesses is officially here. A look back at the major Facebook milestones that lead to this. For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable's social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Business & Marketing 5 Key Talents of Successful Startup Founders Some qualities are essential to becoming a successful startup founder. These five talents, in particular, are vital for entrepreneurs. 4 Tips For Authentic Online Engagement When you think about authenticity as it relates to your brand's social media efforts, a key factor is what you stand for and what's meaningful to you. Attention Marketers: Back-to-School Season Has Already Started/a> Research from Gen Y-focused marketing agency Mr. Youth shows that conversations about the upcoming school year are already happening. How American Express Grows Its Massive Social Media Presence The credit card company is innovating for both customers and merchants on their social media platforms. Check out how AmEx has gone digital. 6 Ways to Acquire New Customers via Social Media Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are great for building your brand -- but how do you find new customers? 10 Ways to Humanize Your Brand On Social Media Humanizing a brand is just that: the attempt to interact with each customer on a personal level. Here are 10 ways companies can work to create a more human brand via social media. Shoptiques Lets You Shop Boutiques Like a Local Shop local boutiques online, city by city. For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable's business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Tech & Mobile 5 Exciting Innovations That Will Change Computing in 2012 Technical innovations are on the way that promise to bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds like never before. 6 Must-Have Apps for the Samsung Galaxy Note Here are six apps that no Samsung Galaxy Note user should be without. Your Profile Pic Has Nothing on These Guys/a> Think your vacation album is sweet? Think again. These guys take scrapbooking to a whole new level. 4 Hot Apps for Microvideo Blogging With microvideo blogging apps, you can record short video clips and share them instantly over social platforms. Here are our four faves. 18 Amazing Photos of NASA's 'Five Rockets in Five Minutes' Launch NASA launched five rockets, each 80 seconds apart, into the skies over Virginia early on Tuesday. Will This Adorable Robot Rabbit Be Your Next Digital Media Hub? The Karotz is a little rabbit robot with a big personality. Check out how its creators hope to revolutionize the personalized robotics industry. 10 Ice-Cool White iPhone Cases We've found 10 cases that work brilliantly with the white iPhone. 10 Fun Notepads to Geek Up Your Desk From "social" sticky notes to LEGO notebooks to Google Doodle notecards, we think you'll find something tempting in our selection. How to Avoid the Common Pitfalls of Mobile App Development We asked several leaders in mobile development to share the common issues that come when creating a new app. Here's what they had to say. The Future of Funny: How Old and New Media Collaborate on Comedy How old and new media work together in pursuit of comedy. A History of Hacktivism/a> Learn how hacktivism evolved to become a powerful virtual weapon in today's digital age. 10 Classic Gadgets Upcycled Into Fashion Accessories We've collected 10 fashion accessories upcycled from the gadgets of your youth. These 10 Hilarious Podcasts Will Make You LOL If you're looking for some of the funniest podcasts, we've rounded up 10 channels. Plug in your headphones and get ready to LOL in public. 5 Cities Benefiting From Mobile Apps Check out how a handful of cities across the U.S. takes advantage of mobile to improve their communities and government efficiency. 3 Reasons Facebook Brand Pages Are Good for Businesses Not everyone is cheering about Facebook Timeline for businesses. The reality is, the new layout will present many great opportunities for companies using it to merchandise their products. Here are three reasons why Facebook's new brand pages will benefit sellers and social commerce as a whole. 8 Easy PC Pranks to Trick Your Friends With April Fools' Day on the horizon, it's the perfect time to play some epic pranks on your PC-using co-workers, friends, family and frenemies. 10 Excellent PC Games for Less Than $10 Need a gaming fix on the cheap? Check out these 10 winning PC games, all for less than $10. How to Respond to Any Situation With an Animated GIF There's an animated GIF for every occasion! The blog #WhatShouldWeCallMe brilliantly responds to classic situations. 8 Crazy Gadgets to Buy If You Win Mega Millions What would you buy if you won Friday's world-record $640 million Mega Millions jackpot? You can purchase plenty of things with the half-a-billion dollar prize, including these eight gems. Tools to Generate Your Random Mega Millions Numbers Can these random number generators help you win the record-high Mega Millions jackpot? Probably not, but it might be worth a try. Top 10 iPhone Word Games Go pick up a dictionary and fortify the ol' lexicon -- these iPhone word games demand clever wordplay in order to succeed. For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable's tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, akinbostanci. Mobile Jobseeking is Going Mainstream [INFOGRAPHIC] Saturday, March 31, 2012 4:13 PM Lauren Hockenson Have you checked your company's mobile job offerings recently? While there are many people already using mobile to find their dream jobs, don't be misunderstood -- using a smartphone to check out job boards isn't just for early adopters or technophiles. In fact, it's quickly becoming a mainstream method of finding a lasting career. According to this infographic by mobile job search and recruiting company JIBE -- based on research done by marketing research company Kelton Research -- more than 4 out of 5 of surveyed smartphone users would use an iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Windows phone to search for jobs. Of those, nearly half would actually apply to a job right from a smartphone. Given the number of American who own smartphones has surpassed 100 million mark, the level of jobseekers looking to potentially score a job right on their phones can be staggering. So what does it all mean? Plain and simple: if your company doesn't have a mobile-friendly job board, it's time to begin building one as soon as possible. More and more jobseekers are turning to the convenience, simplicity and speed of mobile to access jobs on the fly. If your mobile application isn't optimized to suit the needs of potential employees, there's an opportunity to miss out on quality talent. Take a look at the infographic below to learn more about how mobile is changing the way people are looking for jobs. Would you use mobile to find your new job, or integrate mobile into your company's recruiting strategy? Let us know in the comments. Infographic provided by JIBE. Social Media Job Listings Every week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we've selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting! Senior Product Developer at MTV Networks in New York City Interactive Designer at Connections Media in Washington, D.C. Website Programmer, Digital Media at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, CA Tax Day On the Way: The 4 Ways You Can Tax Your LLC Saturday, March 31, 2012 12:19 PM Nellie Akalp This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. The Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a hot business structure for startups right now -- and for good reason. It offers all the personal liability protection without the red tape, paperwork and formalities that can be burdensome for a young startup, digital agency, small business or solo entrepreneur. But after settling on the LLC for the legal structure, many small business owners are surprised to learn there's still one more decision to make: how to be taxed. Certainly this is a big decision, as taxes are probably what drove you to select a legal structure in the first place. Because the LLC is an entity created by state statute (and not the federal government), it offers flexibility when it comes to federal tax treatment. A single-member LLC can choose to be taxed as a sole proprietorship or a corporation (either C Corporation or S Corporation). Likewise, a multi-member LLC can choose to be taxed as a partnership or a corporation (either C Corporation or S Corporation). Flexibility is always a good thing -- you just need to know which option is right for you. Read on to learn more about the four different federal tax classifications available for the LLC. 1. Single-Member LLC as a 'Disregarded Entity' A single-member LLC is essentially taxed as a sole proprietor. As the name implies, you need to be the sole owner of the LLC. This classification falls into the "pass-through" taxation category" -- the business itself doesn't file any tax forms. As the owner of the LLC, you report business income or loss on your personal tax forms (Schedule C). In addition, you will need to pay self-employment taxes if you're engaged in active trade or business, for example, if you provide a service like copywriting or sell a product. If you formed an LLC for a passive activity such as a real estate investment, then you don't need to pay self-employment tax on the profits (rather, you'd report your passive profits on Schedule E). For example, let's say Jonathan is a freelance UI designer who formed an LLC for his business. Through this work, he earned $75,000 in profit in 2011. He will report this income on his personal tax form and pay income taxes on the $75,000 at his individual tax rate, as well as pay self-employment taxes. 2. Multiple-Member LLC as a Partnership For federal tax purposes, if an LLC has two or more members, it will be taxed as a partnership unless it makes an election to be taxed as an S Corp or C Corp (see below). In the case of a multi-member LLC taxed as a partnership, the LLC reports its business income on a separate 1065 partnership tax return. Then, each partner pays self-employment taxes on his share of the partnership profit on the Schedule SE tax form. As with the single-member LLC, self-employment taxes only need to paid if the LLC engages in an active trade or business. 3. LLC as a C Corporation An LLC can elect to be treated as a corporation for tax purposes by filing Form 8832 with the IRS. In this case, the LLC files a corporate tax return 1120 and pays taxes on its profits at its corporate tax rate. If LLC profits are distributed to LLC owners in the form of dividends, those dividends are taxed again at the qualifying dividend rate (this is what's known as double taxation). The LLC profits are not subject to self-employment taxes, but an LLC treated as a C Corporation is responsible for payroll taxes on any wages paid to LLC members who work for the business. If you prefer to keep profits in the company (as opposed to distributing any end-of-the-year profits to owners), a C Corporation would work. In this case, only the company is taxed on the profits; individual owners are not responsible for paying taxes on whatever money stays in the business. For example, Judy owns a consulting company that earned $100,000 in profit. As an LLC treated as a C Corporation, the business would pay $34,000 in taxes on this income (assuming a 34% tax rate). If Judy then takes home that profit as a dividend, she would also owe taxes (at the 15% qualifying dividend rate) on the dividend payment. But if she decides to keep that money in the business (perhaps to expand her marketing budget next year), then she personally does not owe any taxes on the profit. 4. LLC as an S Corporation In this last scenario, the LLC elects to be treated as an S Corporation. The S Corp files an 1120S tax return, but the company's profits are not subject to corporate income tax like they are in the C Corporation. Instead, individual LLC owners are taxed on their respective shares of the company's profits (and profits are not subject to self-employment tax). If an LLC owner works in the business, he must be paid a reasonable wage for his activities, and the LLC must pay payroll taxes on these wages. Let's say three friends start a social intranet company, and each owns one-third of the business. They form an LLC and elect to be taxed as an S Corporation. In the first year, the business earns $90,000 in profit. The LLC does not pay income tax on the profit. Instead, each owner includes his or her share of the profit ($30,000) in their taxable income on their individual tax return. And if the business lost $60,000 in the first year, each owner would include a $20,000 loss in his or her individual taxable income. Do Your Homework Choosing the right tax entity for your LLC is a complicated issue and will ultimately depend on all the unique aspects of your particular business needs, vision and circumstances. Investigate your options and stay on top of changing tax developments on both the federal and state levels that could affect your taxes. And since the decision can have significant financial implications, you won't go wrong by discussing your particular situation with a tax adviser or CPA. More Small Business Resources From OPEN Forum: - Should Small Businesses Follow Everyone Back on Twitter? - Are You Falling into the Pricing Trap? - How to Innovate for Top Social Media Sites Image courtesy of Image courtesy of iStockphoto, catenarymedia , Flickr, thinkpanama		TOP STORIES TODAY Conan O'Brien Buys Mashable, Ousts Pete Cashmore as CEO 39 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed 39 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed Mobile Jobseeking is Going Mainstream [INFOGRAPHIC] Tax Day On the Way: The 4 Ways You Can Tax Your LLC TOP TOPICS Trending 5,231 followers Social Media 65,484 followers Business 33,350 followers Mobile 4,551 followers Apps And Software 815 followers Twitter 52,215 followers Facebook 78,950 followers US 745 followers Gadgets 7,470 followers Marketing 8,434 followers
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