Mashable

• Train-Hopping Cat Reunited With Owner Via Twitter
• Hands-On: Netflix for the iPhone Brings Big Movies to the Small Screen

TechCrunch

• Check (In) Yo’ Self Before You Wreck Yo’ Self: Why Foursquare Users Check In “Off The Grid”

SocialMediaExaminer.com

• How Big Brands Employ Social Media Marketing

BrianSolis.com

I’m a PR girl and have a soft spot for anything the involves social media. In terms of an integrated campaign, this is a great example of taking the character developed for the brand, from television commercials, into the digital realm. The “Old Spice Guy” posts response videos to tweets of pretty high profile folks on Twitter that are clever and entertaining. I think I’ve already watched six of them and the evening is just getting started. This is by far one of the most interesting integrate approaches I’ve seen in quite some time, now it’s a matter of watching to see if this grows into something truly viral.

Social media blog, Mashable, recently announced a partnership with the location based social gaming site, Foursquare, to share tips and recommendations based on where users check in. The Mashable reporters and editors that you enjoy reading on the blog will now provide insider information based on the places they’ve been.

The partnership will focus on social media venues, tech gatherings and startup headquarters but will also provide personal recommendations for places to eat and hang out.

Foursquare is approach one million check ins and although primarily seen as a game, is starting to become a resource for folks that check in at various locations. In addition to the partnership with Mashable, Foursquare is known for working with businesses across the country to provide deals to customers that check in. For example, Starbuck’s is currently offering free beverages to the “mayor” of the various locations in San Francisco.

To learn more about the partnership, click here.

As you may have notice, I haven’t been updating my blog lately and part of that has to do with the awesome changes happening in my life over the past few weeks.

My first big changes is that I recently left my position at FutureWorks for a new (and awesome) position with Allison & Partners. Although I love my time at FutureWorks, it was time for a change and I’m so excited to be the latest addition to the Technology team there. I will still be rocking the public relations world, just at a slightly different location. The best part is being able to work in downtown San Francisco and work with a group of amazing people who are dedicated to being great PR people. I’ve been there a weeks now so the past month or so has been dedicated to interviewing, transitioning and now working at my new job. I am so excited!

The other big thing going on is that I’m trying with all my might to learn to cook, even just a few good dishes. I am not a great cook and it’s so important to be able to create healthy and delicious food which keeps you away from all the junky food that it’s so easy to be drawn to. It’s been a challenge and I’ve been relying heavily on the new Jamie Oliver cookbook, Food Revolution. My favorite is the homemade granola but I wanted to include a few photos of what I’ve created over the past few weeks.

That’s it for now, will do my best to share tech related news in the very near future.

Fashionistas around the globe have probably already stumbled across the wonder that is Moxsie.com. I’m a casual shopper and frequent online deal finder but a fashionista, I am not. Imagine my excitement when I stumbled across an ad on PerezHilton for a bag that I instantly fell in love with (yes, I just admitted my guilty pleasures, bags and celebrity gossip).

The ad directed me to Moxsie.com, a Palo Alto based shopping site that helps visitors discover independent fashion designers. The products available are well priced, well made and most are wearable. I selected my bag and quickly purchased it and I learned something even more exciting than the opportunity to find unique products. I discovered that with each purchase, a portion of the proceeds are donated to a charity that the shopper can select from a preset list. There is no additional cost to the consumer and the charities are close the the heart of the designers and Moxsie team. What a great way to enjoy your shopping and give back at the same time.

If you click through the ad on Perezhilton, you get 15% off your purchase instantly. Happy Shopping!

Have you ever finished a long work week and want to go to happy hour but don’t want to go to the same old place? Check out SFWeekly’s Happy Hours App available on the iPhone and Android.

The application is free to download and leverages built in GPS technology on your phone to find the happy hours closest to where you are. It quickly calculates your location then creates a list of places that have happy hour going on right now and will tell you the specials (including prices), the distance and the time happy hour ends. It you find a happy hour that looks attractive to you, simply click the name of the place and you’ll open up a new page where you can rate that event if you attend, send the details to a friend, see how other people rate it and even get connected to City Wide Taxi. You can also get the phone number if you have a question to ask the staff and the address will auto load to Google Maps.

The app is simple, convenient and will help you find your next favorite spot in the city. If you’re in more of a planning mode you can also search for other days, times and locations or specific specials and cuisines. The app is truly awesome

Check out this video demo:

Curious which restaurant on your block has the highest rating on Yelp? You could pull out your phone, open up your Yelp app, type in a restaurant name, hope you spelled it right, scroll through the results and repeat for each restaurant on the block. You could also switch the Yelp app to “Monocle” mode and point your phone at the various restaurants as you walk and have instant access to the ratings, public reviews and a quick link to the more details page of each all while seeing the visual of the restaurant through your iPhone’s camera lens.

The app, available on the iPhone, was the first augmented reality application available to the public. It uses the GPS signal from your phone to identify the businesses in your area and embeds Yelp profiles into your view, making comparing restaurants and other businesses easy and fun. The application will work anywhere in the US where you have service and can be an invaluable travel companion and helpful decision maker for the foodie in every one of us. The application is free and can be downloaded directly from the iTunes store.

For a quick video demo on how this app works, check out this video from thetrendwatch.com

Foursquare is a free mobile application that allows you to virtually “check in” at restaurants, bars, stores and other locations in the Bay Area and beyond. As you check in, you compete with other application users for the mayor title (most check ins in a set period of time) and attempt to earn badges for over sharing, being a fashionista or other recognitions based on where, when and how often you check in. Like most social tools, it’s fun and ultimately about connecting with other people in your area. Although headquartered in New York, San Francisco has quickly become one of the cities using the application the most, leading to some serious competition amongst friends and foes alike.

The application is great for sharing your location with friends and colleagues but has also received some attention because sharing where you are also shares where you are not, leading to a handful of break-ins and questions about the security of using the application. This even resulted in a spin off site called Please Rob Me highlighting the possible risks of over sharing. Social tools like this are supposed to be fun but it’s also important to be careful. So while you’re trying to secure the a the Mayor position at your favorite late night eatery, follow a few easy tips to ensure you are being careful with the information you’re publishing.

Here are five tips for getting the most out of Foursquare without giving too much information away:

1. Make sure your Foursquare friends are actually your friends: Since you’re sharing information about your location, make sure you actually know the people you’re connecting with. This is a network you want to be a bit more mindful of than other networks when accepting random requests for friendship. Think about the information you share and if you want strangers to see it.
2. Only Sync with Twitter or Facebook if you’re comfortable with the whole world knowing where you are: Foursquare is a social network in itself and you can connect with the people you are comfortable sharing your location with but once you publish to Twitter and Facebook, your information is instantly public and search-able. You’re already sharing your information with your Foursquare friends so there is very little need to share beyond that.
3. Don’t check in at home or at your home office: Yes, you’ll be mayor but anyone can find your address and find out when you are not at home. It’s a burglars dream come true and easily avoidable by just not checking in there.
4. Change it up: Foursquare is about having fun and finding connections so go to different restaurants and stores throughout San Francisco and the bay are. When you check in, Foursquare will notify you of any specials that are available nearby. This may be a discount on a purchase or a free drink for checking in. It’s great for forcing you out of your routine and to check out new places.
5. Check out who else is checked in: It’s good to be wary of connecting with random people but this is an opportunity to meet new people with similar interests so when you check in, take a look at who else is hanging out where you are. It’s a great chance the meet someone new and strike up a conversation.

The application is available on most mobile devices so please check your mobile applications store for download instructions or visit http://foursquare.com/

Follow me on Twitter: @schlegelsteph

Apple’s iPad offers a few great features including a book and newspaper reader (seems a step up from the Kindle), document editing, picture sharing, etc. There are certain perks, like the ability to edit documents, that aren’t available on the iPhone based on sheer size. I’m looking forward to hearing from the people who do pick up the first version of the iPad and their thoughts about it’s use. With an iPhone and MacBook with me at most times, I don’t really see the need for another gadget and what void it is filling. It’s pricey, required using AT&T (an incredibly unreliable network) and appears to be an overgrown iPhone.

Then there’s the video from Gizmodo showing the prototype of the Microsoft Courier and I am truly in love. I can see myself using this product everyday in both my personal and work life. If you haven’t watched the video, check it out here:

What makes Zoetica different than other news aggregators is that Beth Kanter, Social Media and Nonprofit expert, hand selects the blog feeds that are ultimately aggregated into the app, ensuring the user will receive the most relevant information in the space. The app was created through a partnership with AppMakr and is in itself an example of the possible use of such a tool for nonprofits. The service makes app development possible for groups with limited budgets and limited tech skills, something many nonprofits can use. AppMakr offers different price points that allow for almost any marketing budget to include an app in the plan.

For more information about the application as well as possible uses for nonprofits, please visit Beth Kanter’s blog