Ever wonder how the President of the United States uses Twitter? You can find out in the video above, shot during a Twitter Q&A that President Obama held after a campaign rally in Newton, Iowa earlier this year. “I’m the master tweeter,” exclaimed the President after typing the following tweet composed of exactly 140 characters — even though a shorter tweet is easier for others to retweet and is therefore considered preferable. His team celebrated the 140-character tweet as a “twoosh.” .@jwarner180 bio fuels, wind , solarall getting cheaper each year & oil getting more expensive. Why we need all-of-the-above strategy. -bo — The White House (@whitehouse) May 24, 2012 The tweets were sent from the official White House account — which just hit 3 million followers — and not any of the Obama campaign’s accounts. Obama used the Twitter town hall to answer questions on energy and other topics from a MacBook Pro. How should politicians use Twitter to engage with citizens? Who’s your favorite politician on Twitter? Share your ideas in the comments. window._msla=window.loadScriptAsync||function(src,id){if(document.getElementById(id))return;var js=document.createElement(‘script’);js.id=id;js.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0].parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}; _msla(“//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js”,”twitter_jssdk”); Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/06/obama-twitter-video/
Say what you will, Taylor Swift is just going to shake it off. Swift debuted debuted her new music video on Monday via Yahoo Live Stream. The pop star announced an upcoming pop album, titled 1989, and then further surprised fans with a full music video of one of her new songs, “Shake It Off.” While the video was not about a breakup, it did feature twerking, ballerinas dancing, cheerleaders flinging Swift in the air, and striking similarities to those musical Gap commercial. The song is basically about not caring what people say, because she’s Taylor Swift and she does what she wants. Still, haters gonna hate (hate, hate, hate, hate) — on Twitter at least. Taylor Swift Reactions As if today’s news couldn’t get worse, now Taylor Swift REALLY wants to get in on the appropriation game — Sama’an Ashrawi (@SamaanAshrawi) August 18, 2014 ICYMI: Taylor Swift unveiled a new Taylor Swift product in her keynote address at the biannual Taylor Swift Conference — Adam Markovitz (@amrkvtz) August 18, 2014 My Black Swan nightmares have been fully realized. #TaylorSwift http://t.co/mv9W0Z0eGy — Andrea Romano (@theandrearomano) August 18, 2014 o u h8? pic.twitter.com/AfIEJxeMrT — Jeff Petriello (¬‿¬) (@thebeff) August 18, 2014 Theory: Taylor Swift is a very elaborate performance artist. — Kari Paul (@kari_paul) August 18, 2014 Oh @taylorswift13, you shouldn’t have: https://t.co/zwQzGP6exC — SHAKE SHACK (@shakeshack) August 18, 2014 wait taylor swift i thought you weren’t a cheerleader wtf is with these conflicting narratives — pilot?????? (@pilotbacon) August 18, 2014 Taylor Swift needs to relax her eyebrows. — Marvelous Sugar Baby (@DiovanniFrazier) August 18, 2014 The Taylor Swift-Skrillex hybrid is going to kill us all one bad song at a time. http://t.co/yIcoJGvdNQ — Annie Colbert (@anniecolbert) August 18, 2014 I like how you learn everything you need to know about Taylor swift from her album titles ahah — baby donut (@ALEXTVRNR) August 18, 2014 So, according to Taylor Swift’s new music video, she’s going through a mid-life crisis and has no grasp of country anymore. — Rob Ciambra (@RobTheFreshman) August 18, 2014 that Taylor Swift video is a few pairs of khakis away from a Gap commercial. — Jesse David Fox (@JesseDavidFox) August 18, 2014 Taylor Swift is the Frozen of whatever category Taylor Swift falls into. — Michael O’Connell (@mikeylikestv) August 18, 2014 What if Beyonce dropped a new album in the middle of Taylor Swift’s livestream? — Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) August 18, 2014 I will, along with the rest of Twitter, now tweet my feelings on Taylor Swift’s new song — Greg Seals (@GregSeals) August 18, 2014 What many don’t realize is that Taylor Swift makes a cameo in the Nine Inch Nails “Closer” video as a Madagascar roach flailing on its back. — Christian (@csweda) August 18, 2014 Pretty crazy that Taylor Swift dropped a Weird Al style parody video today — Mark Popham (@markpopham) August 18, 2014 I love Taylor Swift’s new version of Happy. — Barb (@BarberaLoyd) August 18, 2014 Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/08/18/taylor-swift-musc-video-twitter-reactions/
Kids are amazing, tough and inspirational right? In another emotive spot for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Procter & Gamble show us what children are capable of. At the end of the newly-launched film called “Kids,” you’ll want to get up, clap and cheer for these young Olympians. The video is gaining speed on YouTube with 416,000+ views in just two days. The “Best Job” film, a part of P&G’s social “Thank You, Mom” campaign, has received more than 5 million views since mid-April and has been shared around the world. Thursday marks the opening of the Olympic Village where 17,000 athletes are expected to reside during the games. The Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics will start on July 27. Have you been moved by the P&G commercials? Tell us in the comments below. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/12/procter-gamble-kids/
Justin has made real Bielebers of the Twitterverse. On Thursday, the movers and shakers of social media couldn’t resist, well, moving and shaking to the Bieber’s hit song “Baby.” Twitter employees flashmobbed their crowded cafeteria, showcasing a popping and locking male lead and a female employee who could rap the entire Ludacris section (we didn’t even think those were real words). Twitter has said it was to celebrate #hackweek, but it was great timing — Bieber is poised to hit the 25 million Twitter followers milestone today. It would make him the second most followed person on Twitter, trailing only Lady Gaga’s more than 27 million followers. Hackweek is a good excuse, but maybe all of Twitter-land just couldn’t contain their Bieber-fever any longer. What’s your favorite flashmob YouTube video? Share with us in the comments. BONUS: Check out our top 5 viral videos of the week: This Week’s Hot Viral Videos ‘Simon’s Cat’ Partakes in the Animal Olympics A new “Simon’s Cat” video hit the web Saturday, and this one gets into the competitive spirit of the Olympics … with a snail race. Will Ferrell Lashes Out at Kristen ‘Trampire’ Stewart Someone give Will Ferrell a box of tissues and pint of Ben & Jerry’s because the funnyman needs help healing his broken heart. Ferrell sat down with Conan O’Brien and let his emotions spill out as he discussed the recent breakup of Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson (or “Patterson,” as Ferrell referred to him). A Real Dad Won’t Save You if You’re ‘Taken’ The 2008 thriller Taken, about an American girl kidnapped by human traffickers in Paris, raised anxiety levels for many worrywort parents. The film isn’t based on a true story, but that didn’t stop moms and dads from wondering what they would do in a similar situation. 90-Year-Old Pole Vaulter Will Make You Feel Lazy Meet Dr. William Bell, a 90-year-old fitness nut who holds a pole vault world record for his age group. Pfft, as if a bunch of buff 20-something Olympic swimmers prancing their six-packs around the pool didn’t already make us all feel like a bunch of unaccomplished cubicle potatoes this week. Envy aside, Dr. Bell could provide a helpful dose of pick-me-up to any of us feeling a bit lapsed in the physical fitness department Choo-Choo-Choose to Watch Excited Train Guy Maybe it’s the rumble of the engine or the sound of the horn, but something has this train enthusiast yelling with excitement. The railfan — yes, that’s a real thing — squeals behind the camera as a rare 1953 EA Heritage Train engine rolls through a New York station. As one YouTuber put it, “Double Trainbow!” Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/13/bieber-twitter-flash-mob/
Organic foods and beverage maker Clif Bar is launching what it claims is the first geo-location Twitter campaign. The company wants you to send a geo-tagged tweet to @CLIFMojoGo the next time you’re in a park, at the beach or on a trail. Once the company has verified you are indeed outdoors, it will send you instructions to claim a free trail mix bar. You’ll also be entered to win a Garmin GPS watch and other prizes. Twitter does allow advertisers to target users in 210 U.S. regions, but doesn’t allow them to target users in specific locations — for example, in parks or at the mall. Clif Bar’s strategy, though labor intensive — they’ll have to verify the location of the tweets manually — is a clever workaround. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/30/clif-bar-geo-targeted-twitter-campaign/
Tension was high Monday night as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg addressed Hurricane Sandy and its approach into the East Coast. For most viewers, though, it wasn’t the mayor’s speech that was most captivating — it was his sign language interpreter. The woman, later identified as Lydia Callis, was an instant hit across the web for her dramatic expressions and theatrical gestures during the speech. A flurry of tweets and a GIF-filled Tumblr quickly went viral as a result of the now pseudo-infamous interpretation. At first, Callis was mistakenly attributed as Lydia “Calas” — a Twitter handle and Tumblr page went up with the incorrect spelling — but a correction was soon brought public. Viewers across social media applauded her not only for her outstanding interpretations, but for giving everyone a reason to smile during a grim, stressful time. Hurricane Sandy will go down as one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history, with estimates close to $20 billion. Here’s a bit of what the Twitterverse had to say: My mother-in-law, who is an ASL interpreter says @mikebloomberg‘s signer Lydia Callis is “amazing” and “crystral clear”. Animation helps. — Daniel Bentley (@DJBentley) October 31, 2012 No making fun of Bloomberg’s sign-language translator. Seriously. Only love. She’s doing her job both very well, and with STYLE. — Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) October 29, 2012 I really want Lydia Callis (Bloomberg’s sign language interpreter) next to Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA. Can someone make this happen? — Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) October 31, 2012 Shush, everyone, Lydia Callis is signing. (Also, that Bloomberg guy is talking.) twitter.com/ditzkoff/statu… — Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) October 30, 2012 Callis even passed the ultimate threshold for solidified Internet fame by getting a parody video dedicated to her shared on YouTube. Watch the video up top and try not to grin, at least a little bit. Did you see Callis in action? Tell us what you thought. More Coverage of Hurricane Sandy The Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Breezy Point, Queens “Destruction after fire in Breezy Point, Queens.” Via Official New York City Fire Department Breezy Point, Queens “Destruction after fire in Breezy Point, Queens.”Via Official New York City Fire Department Guantanamo Bay, Cuba “Damage being repaired on the roof of the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Arts and Crafts Center after Hurricane Sandy made landfall.” Via Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs/Sgt. Brett Perkins North Carolina Via North Carolina Department of Public Transportation Manhattan “No traffic on the FDR today. This was all under water the night before. It’s amazing how a storm like Sandy can completely shut down an entire city.” Via WanderingtheWorld South Ferry Station, Manhattan A submerged escalator at the South Ferry subway station in Lower Manhattan. Via MTA East Village, Manhattan People bail water from a basement of an East Village business. Via Brennan Cavanaugh West Village, Manhattan “Bleeker Street Pizza: OPEN- The electricity was still out, but they were making pizza anyway, with the help of their gas-fired oven and a few spelunker head […]
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire want to hear what you’ve got to say. The two stars unveiled a campaign on Monday called Vote4Stuff. It urges voters to use social media to talk about what issues are most critical to them in the upcoming election. A public service announcement went online Monday, asking: “What stuff is important to you?” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jonah Hill, Zac Efron, Edward Norton and Ellen Degeneres — among others — also appear in the video. Anyone interested can submit their own 30-second video about their biggest concerns going into the election. Then, selected videos — in addition to tweets, photos or posts directed at Vote4Stuff — will be incorporated into the campaign later in the month. The PSA mentions several potential issues to talk about, including jobs, marriage equality, foreign policy, immigration and education. But DiCaprio and the team are encouraging people to be creative. “Hey, knock us out and we’ll put (the video) in,” Norton says in the announcement. What issues matter most to you in this election? Let us know in the comments. Image courtesy of Flickr, Tostie14. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/01/dicaprio-maguire-want-you/
