Spotify Unveils First Ad Campaign

Seth Fiegerman2013-03-25 16:32:30 UTC

Spotify is launching its first-ever advertising campaign in an effort to broaden its reach in the U.S.

The first spot, which you can watch below, will debut Monday night during NBC's "The Voice" and shows one music listener crowd surfing in slow motion while a narrator touts the emotional power of music.

"Because we were all conceived to a 4x4 beat. Because music can't be stopped, can't be contained," the narrator says. "Because music is worth fighting for. Why? Because it's music."

Spotify will air two other videos as part of the campaign — all of which were developed by Droga5 — including one called Her Song, which shows a man listening to music on his headphones and being reminded of someone, and another called "Getting Weird," which shows a man letting loose while dancing at an apartment party on a Tuesday night.

A rep for Spotify told Mashable that the ad campaign is intended to "introduce Spotify to a mass audience in the US" and highlight the "wide-reaching, emotional power of music."

The ad campaign comes at a time when Spotify may face increased competition from big companies like Apple, Google and Amazon, all of whom are rumored to be launching music streaming services of their own in the coming months.

Image courtesy of YouTube, Spotify

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3D Ear Canal Scanner Depicts the Inside of the Skull

for PSFK 2013-03-25 17:50:00 UTC

Lantos Technologies has introduced the first FDA-approved 3D ear canal scanner, which will enable audiologists to measure their patients' ears for better-fitting hearing aids. The 3D ear scanning system can quickly and accurately map out the inside of the ear, streamlining the process of obtaining ear topology measurements for custom-fit in-ear devices.

It is composed of a portable handheld scanner with a video otoscope for visualization and navigation of the ear canal. Images are captured and a 3D scan of the ear is generated using state-of-the-art optics and stitching algorithms in under a minute.

This technology would replace the current time-consuming process, whereby audiologists generate an impression of the patient's ear using a resin-based substance. This messy substance is injected into the ear canal where it solidifies. The removal of the mold can be uncomfortable and may also cause distortion of the impression's shape.

The 3D ear scanning system, which will be commercially available later this year, was developed and tested in collaboration with audiologists and hearing device manufacturers. It is expected to drive innovation in the hearing aid, consumer audio, industrial noise protection, military, and communication markets. You can check it out in the video below:

Lantos Technologies

Image via iStockphoto, arnitorfason

This article originally published at PSFK here

Topics: 3D modeling, Gadgets, Health & Fitness, Hearing Impaired, medical technology, Tech PSFK is a Mashable publishing partner that reports on ideas and trends in creative business, design, gadgets, and technology. This article is reprinted with the publisher's permission.

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Developers Help Decide 'What's for Dinner' With Campbell's Soup App

Camille Bautista2013-03-25 18:59:49 UTC

It's the age-old, universal question, forever debated in homes every day: What's for dinner? Developers across the U.S. found answers in Campbell's "Hack the Kitchen," a contest to create web or mobile apps for mealtime solutions.

The winning app, FoodMood, approaches dinner choices by tapping into user's emotions. By simply asking, "What's your mood?" the app suggests recipes based on your food preference and current feeling. Certain foods can trigger certain emotions, creator Levi Patterson says, and the application addresses the common factor in everyone's decisions.

"We wanted to make it more about the individual reward," Patterson tells Mashable. "No matter what your skill set is, it's about how you’re feeling in real time."

Campbell Soup Company will work with the winning team, Pollinate Inc., to develop and improve the app. The 12-member group will receive a $25,000 cash prize and a $25,000 contract to bring their idea to the market.

Narrowed down from nearly 150 entries, finalists presented their ideas to judges in New York City on March 22. The company's only requirements for the competition were that developers addressed "What's for dinner?" and implemented Campbell's API.

FoodMood can solve the issue at hand by changing the way dinner planners approach the problem, says judge and LockerGnome founder Chris Pirillo.

"The more applications that can tap into our world around us, solving problems, making our lives easier, the more transformative those things can be," Pirillo says. "Instead of asking 'What do you want to eat?' and going back and forth, it removes a hurdle or barrier and asks 'How do you feel?' That’s what’s going to lead people to take it and use it indefinitely."

Do you use any apps to help plan meals? What kind of features do you think would be helpful? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Image via iStockphoto, kone

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How to Host a Successful Reddit AMA

Ryan Holiday2013-03-25 19:27:16 UTC

Ryan Holiday is the bestselling author of Trust Me I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator, and a PR strategist for brands and writers. He gives monthly book recommendations at RyanHoliday.net.

What was once a fascinating yet relatively obscure subsection on a fledgling social news site is now one of the most coveted interview spots in our media world. Properly done, the Reddit AMA (short for "Ask Me Anything") can generate hundreds of thousands of impressions and drive fans into a frenzy. It can reinvigorate an established persona or hoist a completely obscure or unusual person into the Internet spotlight.

What is an AMA? It's a thread of questions within Reddit, hosted by an interesting person who declares "I Am [Person X], Ask Me Anything." The Reddit community responds with the type of honest, earnest and provoking questions that would rarely show up in your typical media interview. Anyone can participate, from the host to the casual Reddit user to the fans who simply upvote questions.

People from all kinds of backgrounds are trying their hands at AMAs. In the last several months alone President Obama, Bill Gates, Al Gore, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Snoop Lion, Tony Hawk, Dan Rather, astronauts currently in orbit, Playboy models, Iranian presidential candidates and Dwight from The Office have all taken turns in the AMA spotlight.

After Gerard Butler’s AMA on March 18, the actor was so moved by the experience, he uploaded a video thanking Reddit for the opportunity, calling the process “one of the most fun, inspiring interviews he ever did.” (And that video consequently made it to the No. 1 spot on the Reddit homepage, and earned more than 674,000 YouTube views.)

The AMA has quickly become a powerful and appealing tool for a host of A-list figures — chiefly because it's unlike any other form of media.

The AMA has quickly become a powerful and appealing tool for a host of A-list figures — chiefly because it's unlike any other form of media.

But how does the Reddit AMA really work? What makes it successful? And what is it like to host one?

Now that I have actually completed an AMA of my own and advised several clients and friends on theirs, I feel qualified to share insight about the unique Reddit experience. Perhaps most importantly, I can also advise your brand how to share in the experience (and access the massive audience).

Let’s explore this new medium and what makes it tick — why some AMAs are fascinating, organic conversations that spike book sales, promote movies, help political causes and spread messages. And why others, well, flop.

First off, the Reddit AMA suffers from the classic Wikipedia problem: Even though Reddit may seem simple for Internet natives, for others, it can appear pretty intimidating. To wit, I doubt that Larry King did his AMA without significant help (a few years ago he didn't know how to use the Internet). But in reality, Reddit is actually quite simple.

So, how does one actually go about getting an AMA? Technically, anyone can post — just start a thread on the forum and see if Redditors care to learn more. But the best way is to plan ahead and talk to the people in charge.

Pick a time and date and schedule your AMA with Reddit’s moderators in advance (all it takes is a private message). You can get placed on Reddit's “upcoming AMA” sidebar, which is seen by almost 3 million subscribers. In other words, don't make an amateur mistake and “surprise” Reddit with your AMA. Get maximum exposure by planning ahead.

Of course, the most compelling part of an AMA is the headline. This is how celebs (and interesting weirdos) let Reddit know who they are, what they do and why users should be interested. But you have to be concise: 30 words or less.

Don’t these examples make you want to click?

I am Astronaut Chris Hadfield, currently orbiting planet Earth.

I am Wayne Brady, Emmy winner and Grammy nominated actor and singer – AMA.

I am Peter Moore, the longest held hostage in Iraq, kept captive for over 2.5 years. AMA.

I am Benjaman Kyle, an amnesiac who woke up with no memories in 2004. AMA.

We are two men who spent 42 years in prison for crimes we did not commit. AMA.

I spent 17 months in a 3rd world country jail because of a YouTube video I made. AMA.

I am Stoya, adult performer and generally naked lady. AMA.

I am Daryl Davis, "Black Man Who Befriended KKK Members" AMA.

I am South Korean Singer, Rapper, Composer, Dancer and Creator of Gangnam Style PSY. AMA.

The best AMAs put equal consideration into the body of the post, too. Rightfully, the hosts never assume Reddit knows anything about who they are or what they do. Therefore, hint at topics you're qualified to talk about, and detail what you want to talk about. Links to your work can generate higher quantity and quality of questions.

Be sure to prepare. When I did my AMA, I tried to anticipate the most frequently asked questions and generated a few replies ahead of time. Keep in mind that the first few questions you answer are likely to be the the most upvoted, and therefore, seen by the most number of people. (This isn’t cheating; it’s thinking ahead.)

Once that’s done, all that’s left is to step into the ring. When I first posted the link, questions piled up fast, about one every minute. After the AMA hit the front page, that number jumped to 3-5 per minute.

Don't feel that you have to answer every single question. However, you’ll get in trouble if you’re dodgy, as Rachel Maddow discovered, when she declined to answer most of the more political questions on her AMA.

All the attention from an AMA feels flattering, if not addictive, even to the most jaded celebrities and public figures. Media interviews can be inherently gratifying — after all, a journalist has researched a subject and wants his or her thoughts. But multiply that by the power of 1.6 million listeners, factor in a completely open and safe environment, and you have the Reddit AMA.

Strict promotion is never the reason to do an AMA — Woody Harrelson experienced backlash when he pushed his movie too hard. But coordinating your Reddit appearance with a launch or a release is clearly the strategy behind many AMAs. A book release, a new product, a business launch or an announcement can actually help prompt people to think of questions.

But keep in mind, this isn’t The Tonight Show. It’s far better to view the AMA as a chance to participate in a vibrant community, rather than a sales pitch. Prepare yourself for all types of questions, the operative word being “anything.” As Neil deGrasse Tyson told me, Reddit is “a raging community of people with boundless curiosity.”

By all means, link to your product. Answer questions about it. Talk about it. But be prepared for that boundless curiosity and don’t fight it. Reddit loves to explore tangents and unexpected directions. You, as the interviewee, are powerless to control the direction of these tangents. Often that means the conversation will steer away from what you're promoting. And attempts to fight that usually don’t go well.

One of the most popular questions during my AMA asked how much American Apparel pays its models. That has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with my book, and in my opinion, is pretty boring. But the community wanted to talk about it, so they did.

Finally, Reddit AMA participants should heed this tip from Reddit CEO Yishan Wong: “Ask people what other famous/awesome/cool person you know that they would like to see an AMA from, take a top-voted couple answers and convince that person to do an AMA, too.”

You’d think an AMA hosted by the president of the United States would be the pinnacle for the medium. But I’m not sure that it is. The Reddit AMA is still very much a trend on its ascendency. Many people still have no idea that this rich tool and gratifying experience even exists.

But when you look at the Reddit AMA leaderboard, the quality and quantity of upcoming names is getting better every day.

In the words of Gerard Butler, the Reddit AMA “made me think about my own life and where I am at and where I came from.”

Image composit via iStockphoto, tumpikuja

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Google Shows Its Zany Side With 15-Second Chrome Ads

Todd Wasserman2013-03-25 20:45:50 UTC

Google gives three solid reasons for using Chrome and one nonsensical one in this new batch of ads for its Chrome browser.

As Business Insider speculates, this may be the first campaign from 72andSunny, the hot ad agency behind Samsung's and Carl's Jr.'s latest ads. 72andSunny won the account last month. Reps from the agency could not be reached for comment.

Though the ads will probably convince a few holdouts to try the browser, it also appears to be a nice branding exercise for Google, which gets to let its hair down a little.

What do you think of the latest ads? Let us know in the comments.

Images, video courtesy of YouTube, Google Chrome

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Golfer Climbs Tree, Hits One-Handed Backward Shot

Neha Prakash2013-03-25 16:51:46 -0400

Sergio Garcia is going above and beyond to get the perfect golf shot — 12 feet above, that is.

At Sunday's Arnold Palmer Invitational, the golfer was faced with quite the conundrum when he found his golf ball up a tree. But that didn't stop the Spaniard from completing the hole. Garcia simply shimmied up a tree to make his 10th-hole shot.

And while most golfers prefer their game to be on the green, Garcia was perfectly at home among the branches, where he not only swung backwards, he did it all one-handed.

Hey caddy, grab the iron that works best on bark, will ya?

Video courtesy of YouTube, pgatour. Image via iStockphoto, Alija.

Topics: Entertainment, Golf, Share as Post, Sports, Videos, viral video, YouTube Video Lead if(window.pageChanged) window.omni({"channel":"entertainment","content_type":"article","top_channel":"entertainment","content_source_type":"Internal","content_source_name":"Internal","author_name":"Neha Prakash","age":"0","pub_day":25,"pub_month":3,"pub_year":2013,"pub_date":"03/25/2013","isPostView":true,"post_lead_type":"YouTube Video Lead"}); metaData = {"link":[["canonical","http://mashable.com/2013/03/25/golfer-tree-shot/"],["image_src","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzAzLzI1L2M2L2dvbGYuMDM5ZTcuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNzIweDcyMCMKZQlqcGc/9aa14dd9/cc6/golf.jpg"]],"meta_property":[["og:url","http://mashable.com/2013/03/25/golfer-tree-shot/"],["og:title","Golfer Climbs Tree, Hits One-Handed Backwards Shot [VIDEO] "],["og:type","article"],["og:site_name","Mashable"],["og:image","http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzAzLzI1L2M2L2dvbGYuMDM5ZTcuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNzIweDcyMCMKZQlqcGc/9aa14dd9/cc6/golf.jpg"],["og:article:published_time","2013-03-25T16:51:46-04:00"],["og:article:modified_time","2013-03-25T16:53:41-04:00"]],"meta_name":[["description","Sergio Garcia shimmed up a tree at the Arnold Palmer Invitational to land his 10th-hole shot. "],["keywords",["viral-videos","golf","uncategorized","entertainment","share-as-post","videos","sports","youtube-video-lead"]],["twitter:title","Golfer Climbs Tree, Hits One-Handed Backward Shot"],["twitter:description","Sergio Garcia is going above and beyond to get the perfect golf shot -- 12 feet above, that is. At Sunday's Arnold Palmer Invitational, the golfer was faced with quite the conundrum when he found his ..."],["twitter:image","http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzAzLzI1L2M2L2dvbGYuMDM5ZTcuanBnCnAJdGh1bWIJNTYweDc1MAplCWpwZw/4dc3f360/cc6/golf.jpg"],["twitter:site","@mashable"],["twitter:url","http://mashable.com/2013/03/25/golfer-tree-shot/"],["twitter:creator","@mashable"],["twitter:card","player"],["twitter:player","https://www.youtube.com/embed/10jORLiU7Ak"],["twitter:player:width","435"],["twitter:player:height","245"]]};

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Facebook Finally Adds 'Reply' Option to Comments

Samantha Murphy2013-03-25 18:55:59 UTC

Facebook announced on Monday it is rolling out a new feature so users can reply directly to comments left on their page. Finally.

Followings months of testing, the social network aims to make navigating through conversation threads easier with the new Replies feature. This means that, instead of having to leave a response to a friend's comment way after new ones have been added, you will be able to address each individual comment. Responses will be posted under the original comment too.

The site is also prioritizing comments based on engagement — the most active and popular ones will surface to the top of your posts. This will be especially helpful for pages with thousands of followers.

"You and your readers will have the ability to reply directly to comments left on your Page content and start conversation threads, which will make it easier for you to interact directly with individual readers and keep relevant conversations connected," said Vadim Lavrusik, Facebook's journalism program manager, in an official blog post. "Also, the most active and engaging conversations among your readers will be surfaced at the top of your posts ensuring that people who visit your Page will see the best conversations."

For now, threaded replies will be automatically applied to profiles with more than 10,000 followers and opt in for brand Pages until July 10, 2013. To opt in, visit the Replies option through the Page admin panel.

"At launch, this feature will only be available on desktop and we plan to make it available in the Graph API and mobile in the future," Lavrusik added.

Mashable composite, Images via iStockphoto, crossroadscreative, and logo courtesy of Facebook

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Google+ Rolls Out iOS, Android App Update With Photo Editing

Samantha Murphy2013-03-25 13:25:01 -0400

Google has pushed out a new update to its iOS and Android apps, with photo editing and filters, as well as a beautiful new design that looks similar to its desktop layout.

The company has ushered in a few minor changes, and they're certainly pretty to look at. Among the biggest additions is the inclusion of filters and photo edits from within the app. Thanks to photo enhancements from Snapseed, users can now rotate and crop pictures and add filters such as Drama and Retrolux. It's also possible to adjust saturation, contrast and other levels.

The Android update includes a nice refresh in its content stream too. For example, posts include more text and image previews are rarely cropped. Actions such as re-sharing, commenting and +1 now get more real estate in each post. Users can also swipe through photos inline, allowing users to spend more time sifting through pictures and less time clicking.

The app lets you share your current location with specific circles too. You can also decide who you want to see your whereabouts — only those with permission can see a list of your most recent locations under your profile name.

There's a lot more flexibility within the apps. Users can adjust the volume of community posts in your Home screen, search for members and moderate content, and re-share news with a community. Even small touches like refreshing the page reveal Google's signature colors. We appreciate the details.

The apps will be available for download via Google Play and the Apple App Store later today.

The company also announced it is bundling the complete set of Nik photo plug-ins as the Nik Collection by Google for professional and amateur photographers. The plug-ins for Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture costs $149 (down from $499), with features such as HDR imaging and image sharpening.

Screenshots courtesy of Christina Warren, and thumbnail courtesy of Google

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