Connected

Samsung and Digitas launched a social technology program called Hunch that enables movie fans to interact on a microsite as a social movie experience. The catch is that you have to have a Samsung television with the program called The Smart Living Room. The program invites movie viewers to learn more about their friends’ movie interest as well as own, and ultimately create a customized, social movie watching event. The Hunch program is equipped with search, web browser and over 400 apps. That’s a lot of apps for movie watching.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.

Helmbrecht bases Splashlife on her college experience when she faced her own uncertainty as a student at American University. She often stood outside the Eastern Market Metro Station in Washington, D.C., begging people for spare change in order to finish her college education. I must admit it is hard for me to imagine such a dynamic individual begging for money at a Metro Station.

Mitch Gelman, vice president of quality for local content network Examiner.com, released a white paper Tuesday, Identifying Quality Content Online — Efficiently and Effectively, with the goal of answering the question: How is it possible to identify and promote the best news, information, and advice pieces on sites that empower the general public to contribute?

A recent article in The Globe and Mail reports that Canadians are about to find out whether or not 140 characters can make or break a political campaign. Globe columnist Bill Curry writes that by mid afternoon on Sunday, “more than 14,000 tweets had been sent out during the first day-and-a-half of the campaign.” Canadians will vote on May 2nd to elect their new government representatives. “If there was ever a question before, it’s clear now” Curry writes, “Canada’s first social media election is under way.”

The Associated Press announced four changes to its AP Stylebook, which officially take effect at 3 a.m. Saturday:

• cellphone replaces cell phone;

• email is now acceptable for all references to electronic mail, replacing e-mail;

• smartphone is now acceptable for advanced cellphones with capabilities including Web browsing, email, and downloadable apps, replacing smart phone; and

• Kolkata is now the style for the city in India formerly known as Calcutta.

The Ides of March will be a big day for Petfinder.com, as the online database of pets available for adoption will celebrate its 15^th birthday with Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet Day, trying to place its 320,000 pets seeking homes on as many Web sites as possible.

Sites that have already signed on to the cause include PEOPLE Pets, Paw Nation, PetSugar, Dogster, Catster, and I Can Has Cheezburger?, with the latter creating a Petfinder tab on its LOL Builder for users to add captions to pet photos from the Adopt the Internet All-Stars.

Petfinder.com is also encouraging users to donate their Facebook or Twitter status updates to the cause, with the hopes of raising awareness.

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Late on Friday night, former MSNBC host and soon-to-be Current TV host Keith Olbermann launched his new website, FOK News Channel.

As we reported last week, the site is accessible at FOKNewsChannel.com

The site features three sections: “The First Guess,” which features Olbermann’s thoughts on the news of the day. “Snappy Answers to Stupid Headlines,” which has Olbermann snarking to headlines from various news outlets and “Worst Persons of the Day.” which is the online version of his popular TV show segment.

News of the site’s launch has already left the blogosphere and made the mainstream media, with ABC News and The Washington Post.

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PBS NewsHour redesigned its World Page, adding the following new features: the Global Dispatch weekly email alert; reports from correspondents Margaret Warner and Ray Suarez in their Reporter’s Notebook blogs; Trip Tracker collections of content from trips abroad to destinations including Egypt, South Korea, and Cuba; Editor’s Choice editor-curated best-of content; and an updated stream of the top 15 international Twitter feeds.

Previously existing features remain on the page, including NewsHour video; education materials for teachers; background resources including key players, timelines, charts, and maps; and breaking news and analysis.

NewsHour digital correspondent Hari Sreenivasan prepared a guided video preview of the revised World Page:

Former MSNBC 8 PM host Keith Olbermann has already announced his plans to join Current TV, but it seems he also has some digital ideas in the works.

Olbermann tweeted through his @FOKNewsChannel account:

“Proud to announce: Coming very very soon – your FOKNewsChannel website…”

So where will it be? The early signs point to FOKNewsChannel.com, which was registered the same day as Olbermann created the @FOKNewsChannel Twitter account.

The site was registered anonymously, using the same registrar that purchased TheKeithOlbrmannShow.com a few days before Olbermann announced his departure from MSNBC.

Still, Olbermann’s tweet raises questions:

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Students from Northeastern University and Emerson College will contribute neighborhood news to Your Town, Boston.com‘s network of hyperlocal news sites, under terms of separate agreements with both universities.

There are currently 50 Your Town sites up and running, covering neighborhoods or towns in and around Boston.

The Boston Globe regional editor David Dahl said:

We’re delighted with this collaboration. It provides Your Town readers with even more local coverage and enriches the educational experience of Emerson and Northeastern students.

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