Find Out What the World is Buzzing About via Twitter Location App

It’s Friday and raining in Los Angeles. Therefore, the entire city shut down and collective intelligence dwindled to only comprehending catchy phrases and pretty colors.

No better time than to discuss one of my new obsessions – Twitter’s Location Trending app. The app lets you quickly see the top ten or so trending topics, based by location. London. Seattle. New York City. Or via countries like the UK, Brazil and Mexico – even worldwide.

Sure. It’s got a ways to go (looks like only Western countries/cities at the moment) but a nifty tool considering it lets you get tap HIVEMINDS around the world in just a few clicks.

A quick glance today show’s most folks have gone mad for iPad and John Terry while other, but other intriguing topics are trending, depending on market including Juarez (Mexico), Friedrich Nietzche (Sao Paolo) and Black History Month (Los Angeles). Then there’s the adoption of weird conversations across different markets. #hospitalsongs. WTF?

Some may intrigue, while others may bring a smile. Either way, get into the habit of using this free tool to get a bead on trending topics in your core markets. Don’t be afraid to go beyond your own borders too. News doesn’t always start in your own backyard.

#FINALLY Foursquare for BlackBerry

Last week, the long awaited Foursquare mobile app was made available to BlackBerry users.

Must we take it seriously? Hell, yes. Just look at the numbers.

In North America, for example, the iPhone accounts for 65% of mobile usage, while the DROID and BlackBerry are at 8% and rising. In Europe, the iPhone accounts for 46% of mobile usage, while the DROID and BlackBerry are at 3% and rising. Source: Quantcast Mobile Report

At first blush, it may seem too small a number to consider when looking at Big Daddy iPhone, but we’re talking about potentially reaching tens of millions, not forgetting Asia and Oceania where BlackBerry usage is even greater. Also consider London, LA and NYC were some of the biggest users of Foursquare even before the BlackBerry app.

Think about the typical BlackBerry user. We either own our own device out of necessity or have it assigned to us for work purposes. Why? To remain “plugged-in” while on-the-go. Will the urge to “check-in” from our favorite lunch meeting spot be too hard to resist? Only time will tell.

For now, I recommend signing up and trying out the Beta. It may not be perfect for all of your clients, but certainly something you’ll want to bring to the next board meeting.

Social Media Out-Flanks “Slacktivism,” Tech Barriers

As an addendum to yesterday’s post, a great article today from CNN about how social media usurps typical tech barriers leading to “slactivism.”

“Thank God For Facebook.” Social Media Unites, Raises Millions For Haiti Relief

Earthquake Haiti on Facebook

It’s been a grueling couple of days since the 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti.

At this moment millions are quite literally missing and families all over the world are grappling at any form of communication to possibly get word in or out.

Perhaps if there’s anything remarkable to report on, it’s how social media, be it Twitter or Facebook or Text messages have become a primary source for information and fund-raising that’s down right record-breaking.

As cell phones and landlines quickly became obsolete, throngs in and out of the country turned to social media. Within hours, fund-raising portals were set up at the American Red Cross, the Clinton Foundation and countless others, including celebrity organizations like Wyclef Jean’s YELE.

Reports are early, but according to Mashable, the American Red Cross has already raised $5,000,000 via text messages. Then tonight on Twitter, “@Anncurry: As of 7 pm total donations for Haiti relief through the SMS campaign (texting 90999) is $5.9 Million.” Amazing.

Facebook and Twitter have become gathering areas for loved ones, journalists, iReporters and everyone in between as they try to pluck reliable real-time feedback or simply show their support.

For those of us who’ve been fighting to convince others of the power of social media, but perhaps focusing too much on $$$$ or brand equity, take a step back and look at the past 72 hours. Without social media, the fate of my best friend and her family would still remain unknown. Monies would not have been so easily freed with the click of an iPhone. Now, multiply that by millions.

Virgin America Saves Endangered Pups. Or, I Heart Richard Branson Part Deux

My love for Sir Ricky B continues…

I’m a huge fan of Virgin America and their latest animal-rescue program, Operation Chihuahua.

They’ve brilliantly partnered with local and national animal rescue organizations like the ASPCA to help safely fly pups from California to their new homes on the East Coast, including NYC.

For us PR/MarComs, the jokes always been to try to include babies or puppies. It’s nice to see a PR program doing so in a completely authentic way.

I’m a cat person, but I can’t deny checking every Facebook update about “Maximus,” a lil’ guy who just arrived in NYC. I may have had a tear in the eye when VA posted a video of “Maximus” on his flight as a thank you.

VA have a top-notch social networking team, brilliantly leveraging FB and Twitter to promote the program beyond just pet enthusiasts. Their page launched last year and they’ve already garnered 50,000 loyal fans. Keep in mind this is completely different from Virgin Atlantic enthusiasts.

Americans typically travel more so domestically than internationally and it’s a rarity when we’re able to feel we’re getting a flight of passport quality. Jet Blue used to deliver warm and fuzzy back in the 2000’s, but with the economy and embarrassing cut backs in the entire flight experience, many of us can’t name an airline we don’t hate, let along friend on Facebook. Virgin America is schooling the competition and other North American carriers better pay attention.

Diary of a London Man. History 3.0

The city of Westminster is digitizing the saucy diary of a 19 year old wharf clerk, circa 1846. This happy marriage of history and the Interwebs takes you through nearly a year of his life as a bachelor, working man and Londoner.

It tickles me when we’re able to experience bits of otherwise forgotten history halfway across the globe thanks to some brilliant folks in tweedy coats with an idea and a computer.

The City of Westminster (for those of you who don’t know, it’s central London and home to some of the biggest Landmarks in the world including Buckingham Palace and Parks Hyde, Regent’s and St. James) has a nifty Web site, complete with interactive map and sticky RSS. Subscribe? Yes, please.

Courtesy of my other love, Londonist.

Here’s a hint. It rhymes with “mobile.”

Okay, I really need to use Foursquare a lot more. And be nicer to people. It seems customer relationships, mobile social networks and community platforms are three topics soothsayer and Web strategist Jeremiah Owyang’s readers would most like to hear more about in the new year.

So if marketing/PR, gadget heads and journos clamor for info about the next big thing…does that necessarily make it the next big thing? Facebook and Twitter are two examples of “big things” that didn’t get the red carpet rolled out for them on arrival. Know why? Because consumers drove the success while we were still trying to navigate MySpace.

Now should a significant number of average consumers participated in this survey, we should be all ears.

Wicked graph here.

Top News Sites of 2009 via Wordle.net

Reading a NewsKnife piece on the top Google ranked news sites of 2009, I was curious how their content would compare via Wordle. Pulling the RSS feeds for each of their “Top News” pages, take a look at how they subtly differ.

Out of these, can you guess which is which?

Social Media & Higher Education: 2

Browsing around Apple’s homepage, I stumbled upon this nice ditty about the University of Washington’s campus-wide Wi-Fi. On-campus Internet access isn’t new, but the stats attached to them (iPhone OS accounts for 90% of UofW’s Wi-Fi use) made me think more about social media and education.

If you’re looking for a hotbed of social media innovation, take a walk around your nearest college or university. Buzz about in the student union and if you’re brave enough, try to chat up a few students about their likes/dislikes. You may hear words like free, on-demand, mobile-friendly and multi-lingual mentioned. Aside from them being your current or future consumer, they are part of the future global workforce which frankly demand Web ubiquity.

Share some Cheetos, take some notes and consider leveraging this during your next pitch or Shareholders do. Targeting college/young entrepreneurs? Hiring? Re-inventing your brand? You might not find another plugged-in group that will work for a few bucks — or free Starbucks.

You WILL feel old, but not in the boardroom.

Why I Heart Richard Branson

Today via Reuters, Richard Branson challenges Lotus F1’s Tony Fernandes to a chummy duel where the loser must dress like stewardess. Branson and Fernandes used to work together at Virgin Music.

More importantly he’s a PR dream. Getting the media to cover Branson isn’t difficult these days. The man’s got cheek which, combined with legitimate, ground-breaking innovation in business, equates to one massively interesting bloke. Makes me wonder if this guy borrowed the title, “Most Interesting Man.”

Meanwhile. Business exec in drag…Can we say Twitpic?