Doctors at UCLA Health in Southern California documented a brain surgery on Thursday by using Instagram and Vine, showing yet another ground-breaking use of social media in the hospital setting.

We’ve already witnessed the world’s first live-tweeted open-heart surgery from Houston, as well as a live-tweet of a brain surgery. But what was noteworthy about Thursday’s live surgery from Los Angeles was the use of newbie social platform Vine, as the Los Angeles Times reported. Check out a sampling of the Vine video posts below.

The UCLA Health System (@UCLAHealth) used the hashtag, #UCLAORLive, to chronicle Thursday’s operation. This was the UCLA deep brain stimulation team’s 500th patient for which they implanted a brain pacemaker, according to the #UCLAORLive event page on Facebook. A brain pacemaker can help “cease Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor,” they said. Read more…

12:46 am  •  25 May 2013

Are the images in your Pinterest feed not quite manly enough for you? If you think the virtual pinboard site is a little too feminine, you’re not alone

In a recent Pew study of social media users, 25% of women said they used Pinterest, compared to a meager 5% of men.

Since Pinterest’s creation, a number of similar websites have popped up that offer pins in what they consider manlier topics. While the men who use these sites abandoned Pinterest because of what they saw as a lack of subjects they could relate to, a number of Pinterest’s power users are actually men.

If you look hard enough, you can find everything from power tools to men’s fashion on Pinterest. Some of the site’s most popular categories, like food and drink, also have broad appeal across genders. Read more…

12:46 am  •  25 May 2013

This movie rules. #airplane

(Source: nodoubtem, via onlylolgifs)

12:45 am  •  25 May 2013  •  7,153 notes

Chicken and waffles for breakfast, Seth Rogan and Katherine Heigl as a couple in Knocked Up, Snoop Lion and Miley Cyrus teaming up for a reggae song: some things shouldn’t work — yet, they totally do. For our vine challenge, we want you to create a vine that captures an unexpected pair.

Vine users are really pushing the creative envelope with their creations. Now, it’s your turn!

Think of two things that you wouldn’t normally associate, yet somehow work together — such as unusual animal friendships or Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett singing a duet. Your pair could be anything from household items to an unexpected love story. Read more…

4:40 pm  •  23 May 2013

Since its launch in 2006, Twitter has evolved from SMS-based status updates to one of the most popular social networks out there. The platform has well over 200 million active users, and odds are you’re one of them — but are you using it to its fullest potential? How can you get the most out of your Twitter experience?

We put together 14 tips and tricks for the social network you thought you knew — how to tailor your trends and suggestions, how to add a Pocket button for easy saving, and even how to gain more followers. You’ll be a Twitter pro before you know it. Read more…

4:40 pm  •  23 May 2013

A New York City cab driver has created his own perfect blend of PR, marketing, and social media—all by offering free candy to his passengers.

Known as the Candy Cab, Mansoor Khalid wanted to give New Yorkers a little slice of happiness as a way to help him recover from the loss of his 18-month-old son to a congenital heart condition. By making a cab ride a little bit sweeter, he’s developed a following of happy passengers and created positive buzz in the streets of New York.

In addition to munching on every sort of candy imaginable while weaving through the street of Manhattan, passengers can also plug into Khalid’s sub-woofer system, enjoying their own tunes and a techno light show.

Without the resources of a national brand, the Candy Cab’s experiment in happiness has become a microcosm of successful integrated marketing.

What lessons can we take away from this sweet ride on wheels?

Know your customer: New Yorkers can be a tough crowd, but they do have one thing in common: Finding a vacant cab can be frustrating. By creating an oasis of fun in the confines of his taxi, he makes sure even the most jaded citizens of the Big Apple leave with a smile at the end of the ride.

Believe in your mission: Working in PR, social media, or marketing, we are often faced with a situation that needs to be turned around. In Khalid’s case, he felt he could derive happiness by making others happy. As professionals, if we don’t believe in the mission, we will never sell it to the end user—a customer, a client, or upper management. The Candy Cab’s passion is infectious; his success rate in creating a positive experience is probably high.

Allow for personalization: There’s no magic in transporting a passenger from Point A to Point B, but you can always make a simple product better. Witness the Candy Cabbie’s personalized sound system; simply plug in your device with your own play list, and you’re listening to the music of your choosing. The lesson? Never keep the product experience so rigid that your customer can’t make it their own. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Tumblr do this well.

Quality, not quantity: We’ve all seen Twitter and Instagram profiles with thousands of followers. But how many people can any one person personally connect with to create a meaningful experience? As he builds his brand, Khalid takes candy requests from his 3,000-plus Twitter followers and regularly posts Instagram photos to the delight of the 1,500 people who follow him. His Facebook page is filled with fans sharing their cab ride videos or heartfelt messages on his wall. Creating meaningful connections as a fan base grows is key to any brand’s ongoing success.

Invest in the product: We often counsel clients or colleagues for the need to create room in the budget to leverage the promotion of a property. In the Candy Cabbie’s case, he invested in a light and sound system, as well as $300 worth of candy each month, to enhance his passengers’ experience. Hopefully, the ROI shows up in great tips.

Experiential marketing: With any product, providing a memorable experience for the customer is one of the key goals. If the Candy Cabbie’s customers have a positive experience, you hear about it firsthand, as they create a memory on their personal handheld device and share it—the ultimate compliment. The positive buzz also results in third-party media opportunities. When a strategy fires on all pistons, it can pay off in mass acceptance of a brand.

(Image via)

via RSSSocialMedia http://bit.ly/188F9A3

4:39 pm  •  23 May 2013

I just unlocked the Modern Family: Goodnight Gracie sticker on GetGlue

3881 others have also unlocked the Modern Family: Goodnight Gracie sticker on GetGlue.com

What happens when the Pritchett clan travels to Florida? Thanks for watching the season 4 finale of Modern Family tonight! Share this one proudly. It’s from our friends at ABC.

9:28 pm  •  22 May 2013

I just unlocked the I Can’t Stop Watching sticker on GetGlue

35495 others have also unlocked the I Can’t Stop Watching sticker on GetGlue.com

This was the most culturally significant event in history ever this week. Thank you for tuning in! Visit YouTube.com/ComedyWeek to catch up on the best comedy videos. Share this one proudly. It’s from our friends at YouTube.

9:28 pm  •  22 May 2013

fastcompany:

fastcodesign:

A Beautiful Cheat Sheet For Two Dozen Espresso-Based Drinks

Ugh. Just when you kinda sorta started to get a handle on the wide world of wine, along comes another new liquid metric for how cosmopolitan you really are (or aren’t): coffee. 

Love this one! Here’s another.

8:58 am  •  22 May 2013  •  504 notes

Is Social Media Anxiety Disorder, known as SMAD, the newest affliction resulting from our love affair with Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites? Researchers have stopped short of actually classifying SMAD as a disorder, but it’s no doubt a problem.

Sure, you could quit using your social sites altogether — but then you’d be, well, bored and lonely. Science may someday shed more light on social media stress, but in the meantime, we’ve gathered the most common problems associated with popular social networks so that you know what to watch out for.

Creative Flop

Are you one of the thousands of women suffering from Mason Jar Envy, the creeping sense of self-loathing that comes from feeling you’re just not as crafty as the other women on Pinterest? The “Today” show recently surveyed 7,000 American mothers and found that 42% worry they’re not crafty or creative enough. Some stayed up all night pouring through Pinterest photos, unable to stop the negative comparisons. Read more…

8:56 am  •  22 May 2013  •  1 note