Holiday Update

July 6, 2010 | Written by Dave Cannon

America may have taken an extra day off this weekend, but social media never rests. Here are some updates:

Lionsgate and foursquare

Foursquare has seen a steady rise in popularity of late, and it appears to be maintaining the momentum. Mashable reports that film studio Lionsgate is catching the wave with a foursquare-based promotion for its summer action flick “The Expendables,” scheduled for release on August 13. 

In 11 U.S. cities, foursquare users can find special deals and tips about local places that align with the film’s rough and edgy image, such as bars and tattoo parlors. At a bar in Santa Monica, telling the bartender “Sly sent me,” an allusion to Sylvester Stallone, will score you a $2 draft beer. Just hope the bartender is in the loop.

Lionsgate isn’t the first brand to sign onto foursquare, but we’re definitely beginning to see a trend.

Government 2.0: More Social, More Mobile

BBC News reported that the British government has put significant investment toward the development of iPhone applications. Uses range from job searches to driving safety, and although these apps are designed to help the public, the news has been met with substantial disapproval by critics who see the investment as a waste of money in a time of crisis.

Regardless of public sentiment, this story hints at a larger trend catching on in the U.S: the government is becoming more open to mobile and social media. A timely and compelling article by Steve Radick, communications consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, explains how social media is promoting transparency, facilitating collaboration and peeling back excessive bureaucratic red tape. For example, the GSA is already experimenting with Twitter and a public wiki to communicate more easily with those interested in public issues.

Blogger Stats

Google’s blog hosting platform Blogger is getting an upgrade in the form of Blogger Stats, a pre-configured, easy to use feature that will be automatically available to all Blogger users. For those who already use Google Analytics to monitor their blogs, this announcement doesn’t mean much; Analytics already does everything Blogger Stats does, and much more. But Blogger Stats offers a simple, user-friendly interface that doesn’t confuse or overburden bloggers who just want a quick and dirty summary of stats like blog traffic.

Extra Bits

• MTV is looking for a TJ. What’s a TJ, you ask? Why, a Twitter Jockey, of course. Tweeting has never been more lucrative.
• Facebook is using face recognition software to automatically tag pictures of your friends. Twins may present a problem.
• Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore released a thoughtful article on CNN about Google’s upcoming Facebook competitor.
• Staples is launching a philanthropic back-to-school campaign using digital media and teen music icons.

Keep an eye out for Thursday’s post.

More from RFI Studios

• Munchies Go Mobile – Left Brain
• Google Life – Left Brain
• Print obsolete? – Left Brain
• ROI Modeling – Left Brain
• Twitter hacked – Left Brain