We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget^[1] inquiry is from is from Warren, who wants to find an electrical moped within his budget. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"What's the cheapest two-wheeled electric vehicle that goes over 45mph available in the US? I looked at the Gas-powered $2,500 Sym Symba, but as far as I can tell, I'd have to spend four times that much for an electric equivalent. Am I missing something? Thank you!"

Unfortunately, you are. The biggest barrier to joining the EV parade is the price of batteries, which are often more expensive than the vehicles they're situated inside. For example, even a motorized bicycle like the Grace One^[2] is $6,000 -- but that's as far as our knowledge goes on the subject. Perhaps there is a solution out there, all it needs is for one of our friendly commenters to tell all in the river of text below.

References

1. ^{^} Ask Engadget (ask.engadget.com)
2. ^{^} Grace One (www.engadget.com)

References

1. ^{^} Mark Zuckerberg (mashable.com)
2. ^{^} taken his company public (mashable.com)
3. ^{^} $20 billion (mashable.com)
4. ^{^} married his college sweetheart (mashable.com)
5. ^{^} View As Slideshow » (mashable.com)

It’s been about eight hours since our big Disrupt Hackathon kicked off^[1], and all of our intrepid hackers have been busy letting the code (and the caffeine) fly ever since.

I managed to tear a few of them away from their work (these folks are pretty motivated, so it took a bit of doing) to tell us a little bit about themselves and what they be trying to crank out during the wee hours of the morning.

Devon Peticolas

Devon is a senior at Rutgers University (and the newly-minted president of the school’s undergrad CS club^[2]). As you might imagine, he’s no stranger to hackathons either — he can’t quite put his finger on it, but he’s probably in the “double digits” at this point.

He’ll be spending the night working on a mobile web app that allows users to find their friends in a crowd through sort of a hot-and-cold approach — if all goes well, a phone will vibrate when it’s pointing in the direction of a user’s friend, and will vibrate even stronger as the two people get closer to each other.

Peter Verrillo

Peter is the CEO of a company called EnHatch, and during the day he works on creating apps to help promote, demo, and sell medical devices for use in surgery.

He and his team specialize in creating those 3D apps for the iPad, but he’s looking to spend his time at the Hackathon bringing that 3D experience to the iPhone. The app he’s working on tonight deals with slightly less gruesome fare — instead, it aims to walk users through the process of putting together Ikea furniture.

“If Ikea had a good app, this would be it,” he told me.

Dasara Kushi

This is Dasara’s second Hackathon (her first was a photo-centric event), and this time around she and her partner Ronn have decided to spend their night building a web app that uses a computer’s built-in webcam to analyze a user’s face and suggest places for them to go in real time.

“If you look sad, it’ll tell you to go to a comedy club,” said told me.

Their project makes pretty extensive use of the faceAPI, but there’s still plenty of work to do — they’re both still looking at pulling in new data from different APIs, to make the service more robust, but thankfully the night is still young.

Jared Zoneraich

Jared is a 14-year old hacker who attends Bergen Academy, and he’s quite excited to stay up and have fun here at his very first Hackathon. His project of choice? Nothing less than an ad delivery service, of course.

“If I weren’t doing this, I’d be doing homework,” he said.

His hacker idols include Mark Zuckerberg as well as seasoned iPhone cracker George “geohot” Hotz, who just so happened to attend Bergen back in the day as well.

Pavan Krishnamurthy

Pavan and his teammates are cranking away on an iOS app that will tell you what sort of music people in different cities are listening to – a noble and clever goal. Cities that tend to listen to faster-paced music on Rdio are labelled ‘hot,’ while more laid-back cities (Chicago in their mockup) are tagged with the “chill” label.

His team’s mockups look pretty darned solid, but we’ll soon see if the finished product lives up to their ambitions. When he’s not hacking, Pavan works at Bloomberg and (like Jared) looks up to Mark Zuckerberg as his own hero hacker.

Jon Gottfried

Jon works for Twilio (during the day) and dons his hacker cape when night falls. He and his buddies are working on a system for A/B testing Amazon products tonight — not the sexiest idea the in the world sure, but that system is only part of his team’s plan.

They hope that their testing system can be used to determine consumer desires, and use that information to whip up a subscription service — Thingscription — that’s focused on delivering those goods to people on a regular basis.

Octavian Costache

The royally-named Octavian (or Vivi, as he’s also known) and his teammates are working on a second-screen app that provides users with additional context they watch Game of Thrones, which is probably one of the geekier endeavors we’ve spotted today. Need to figure out why that guy just got stabbed? Or some lesser-known facet of some clan’s convoluted family tree? Keep your eyes peeled on this guy.

Incidentally, he is totally in love with the Khalisi (because of the dragons, not the other thing) and his Twitter is Okvivi^[3].

Karina Ruzinov

Karina goes to Rutgers (there’s a pretty large contingent of Rutgers kids, it would seem) and is spending her summer interning for Refinery 29. She studies Computer Science and Math and she says the student parties are real ragers.

She and her team are working on a app that helps people come up with names for their Hackathon projects. It’s not quite ready for primetime yet, but when it is, it aims to inspire people by providing synonyms and rhymes for words that embody their particular project’s spirit.

Victoria Mo

Victoria is a Master’s Student in Computer Science at Columbia University and her tech role model is none other than Google’s Marissa Mayer.

She and her team are working feverishly on an app that helps users find the hottest clubs in town (and not the hottest clubs in Ontario, as it sounded when we first heard the pitch). They aim to accomplish that by posting images and videos of the clubs’ exteriors so people will be able to quickly determine how popular a particular venue is.

References

1. ^{^} kicked off (techcrunch.com)
2. ^{^} undergrad CS club (usacs.rutgers.edu)
3. ^{^} Okvivi (twitter.com)

If you find yourself with nothing better to do this weekend, then you might have a bit of fun playing around with Samsung's soon-to-be-released S Voice^[1] application on your rooted Android 4.0 smartphone. The APK has now made its way into the wild, and we couldn't help but take it for a spin on our Nexus S. First off, while we can't vouch for the security of the file, we can confirm that it's indeed functional. Secondly, while some of the S Voice features work just fine -- such as search or contact queries -- other requests such navigation repeatedly caused the app to crash. In other words, if you're expecting this app to behave as it should on the Galaxy S III^[2], you might be in for a disappointment. If you're merely looking to poke around with the S Voice functionality, however, the download seems quite worthwhile. At this point, we're most curious to know whether non-Samsung owners have similar luck. If you're willing to give 'er a go, let us know your experience in the comments below.

Update: We've also now tested the leaked APK on our Galaxy Nexus, and are happy to report that S Voice works quite flawlessly. As always, your mileage may vary.

References

1. ^{^} S Voice (www.engadget.com)
2. ^{^} Galaxy S III (www.engadget.com)

References

1. ^{^} Facebook IPO (mashable.com)
2. ^{^} Associated Press (www.google.com)
3. ^{^} Zuckerberg’s personal page on Facebook (www.facebook.com)
4. ^{^} Mark Zuckerberg (www.facebook.com)

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Verizon Wireless brought its LTE service to 28 new markets and expanded its reach in 11 additional areas. We also saw Straight Talk introduce the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim, and it appears that Rogers will soon offer the HTC One S. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest^[1]" for this week of May 14th, 2012.

Bluetooth SIG outs Huawei C8820 for US Cellular

All signs suggest that the Huawei Ascend II will soon be joined (if not replaced) by an unnamed phone that's currently known as the C8820. While specs remain absent for this device -- which sadly, seems to lack LTE -- its capacitive navigation buttons suggest that Ice Cream Sandwich will be in store for this one. [PhoneArena^[2]]

Rogers leak suggests HTC One S incoming

Rogers currently holds Canadian exclusivity to the HTC One X, but a leak from within suggests that the carrier may soon add the One S to its lineup. [MobileSyrup^[3]]

Verizon Wireless brings LTE connectivity to 28 new markets, expands in 11 additional areas

The odds are becomingly increasingly unlikely that you live in a city without access to Verizon LTE. Big Red announced another round of expansion this week, and has officially lit up the 4G service to 28 new areas and has expanded its LTE reach in 11 more regions. Here's an excerpt of the PR, which highlights the changes. [Verizon Wireless^[4]]

On Thursday, May 17, Verizon Wireless will introduce its 4G LTE network in Houma/Thibodaux and Lake Charles, La.; Hyannis/Mid-Cape, Mass.; Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Mich.; Biloxi/Gulfport/Pascagoula and Oxford, Miss.; Atlantic City/Toms River, N.J.; Dickinson and Williston, N.D.; Ashtabula, Bucyrus and Defiance, Ohio; Eugene/Springfield, Ore.; Lancaster, New Castle, Northern Cambria County, Oil City/Franklin, Somerset and York, Pa.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Mitchell, S.D.; Paris, Texas; Burlington/Northern, Vt.; Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg, Martinsville and Staunton/Waynesboro, Va.; and Sheridan, Wyo.

The company will also expand its 4G LTE network in Denver, Colo.; Dover, Del.; Fort Myers and Lakeland, Fla.; Hagerstown, Md.; Canton, Lima, Mansfield, Toledo and Youngstown/Warren, Ohio; and Erie, Pa.

Samsung Galaxy Proclaim now official for Straight Talk

If you're considering picking up a smartphone during your next trip to Walmart, you'll find a new selection lurking within the Straight Talk section -- the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim is now available from the MVNO for just $180. The handset offers a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch HVGA display, a 3-megapixel camera and includes Android 2.3. [PhoneArena^[5]]

Virgin Mobile entices LG Optimus Elite purchasers with Google Wallet credits

Coinciding with this week's launch of the LG Optimus Elite on Virgin Mobile, the carrier is partnering up with Google to offer all purchasers of the phone a $25 Google Wallet credit now through July 18th. As an extra enticement, Virgin Mobile is offering a $35 account credit to all those who grab the handset by May 30th. [PhoneArena^[6]]

SaskTel introduces HTC One S Roughriders Edition

SaskTel has teamed up with HTC to introduce an exclusive Roughriders Edition of the One S, which seems likely to go over well with fans of the Saskatchewan football team. Purchasers will be treated to a custom case, in addition to the Roughrider mobile app, widget, wallpaper and ringtones. Sasktel has yet to announce pricing or a release date for its unique offer. [MobileSyrup^[7]]

BlackBerry Desktop Software 7.1 hits Beta Zone

Research in Motion has unleashed version 7.1 of its BlackBerry Desktop Software into the Beta Zone. Most significantly, this update introduces support for both the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha handset and 4G PlayBooks. The software also brings enhanced media support, which includes the ability to sync by album, and manages to squash a few bugs along the way. [N4BB^[8]]

Other random tidbits

• Cricket has added six million new tracks to its Muve Music subscription service. [Phone Scoop^[9]]
• Nokia's Lumia 710 is now available through Mobilicity in Canada for $250. [WPCentral^[10]]
• The new BlackBerry Curve 9320 is now available through Vodafone in the UK for £135 ($213). [CrackBerry^[11]]
• BlackBerry 7 OS was approved for governmental use in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. [Research in Motion 1^[12], 2]
• Carphone Warehouse will begin selling the pink Samsung Galaxy Note in the UK next month. [Android Central^[13]]
• AT&T has announced the official availability of LTE service for New Orleans, La., Baton Rouge, Miss. and Naples, Fla. [Computer World^[14]]
• An internal leak suggests that Videotron will be the next Canadian carrier to pick up the Nokia Lumia 710. [MobileSyrup^[15]]
• Like getting spammed by people you don't know? Good, because LinkedIn is now available for Windows Phone. [WPCentral^[16]]
• Research in Motion has announced the Russian availability of the Bold 9900 through carriers Mobile TeleSystems and Vimpelcom. [N4BB^[17]]

References

1. ^{^} best of the rest (www.engadget.com)
2. ^{^} PhoneArena (www.phonearena.com)
3. ^{^} MobileSyrup (mobilesyrup.com)
4. ^{^} Verizon Wireless (www.prnewswire.com)
5. ^{^} PhoneArena (www.phonearena.com)
6. ^{^} PhoneArena (www.phonearena.com)
7. ^{^} MobileSyrup (mobilesyrup.com)
8. ^{^} N4BB (n4bb.com)
9. ^{^} Phone Scoop (www.phonescoop.com)
10. ^{^} WPCentral (www.wpcentral.com)
11. ^{^} CrackBerry (crackberry.com)
12. ^{^} Research in Motion 1 (press.rim.com)
13. ^{^} Android Central (www.androidcentral.com)
14. ^{^} Computer World (www.computerworld.com)
15. ^{^} MobileSyrup (mobilesyrup.com)
16. ^{^} WPCentral (www.wpcentral.com)
17. ^{^} N4BB (n4bb.com)

There’s a strong murmur in the room with random spurts of excitement. Hackers and coders have teamed up and mostly (hopefully) decided on a project. There are only 15 hours left. But night is approaching. That’s when things tend to get loopy thanks to the sudden influx of food and beer.

So far the event has been fantastic. There’s a 3:2 ratio of Macs vs PCs. Epic t-shirts are everywhere^[1]. Caffeine is flowing thanks to Red Bull^[2] and Outburst Energy Bites^[3].

The event runs until tomorrow morning. Coding a fantastic app is just part of the fun. Starting at 11:00 am tomorrow morning, teams will have one minute to present their project, hopefully winning over the judges for a shot to present at TechCrunch Disrupt. But first the participants need to make it through the night.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

References

1. ^{^} Epic t-shirts are everywhere (techcrunch.com)
2. ^{^} Red Bull (www.redbullusa.com)
3. ^{^} Outburst Energy Bites (outburstenergy.com)

Going by Microsoft's Greater China COO Michel van der Bel, the launch of Windows Phone in China^[1] is off to an auspicious start -- enough to give Apple the shakes. He claims that devices like the Nokia Lumia 800c^[2] have helped Windows Phone reach seven percent of the Chinese market, or just enough to get past the six points of the iPhone. We're waiting on hard data before we take van der Bel's word: the top smartphone makers^[3] worldwide aren't depending much or at all on Windows Phone, and the iPhone has a thriving gray market^[4] in China that masks some of its real numbers. Having said this, we've seen signs of Windows Phone enjoying a bit of a surge^[5] even in an iOS- and Android-loving Europe, so we'll be watching to see if there's an uptick in the number of buyers saying ni hao to Microsoft in the near future.

References

1. ^{^} Windows Phone in China (news.cnet.com)
2. ^{^} Nokia Lumia 800c (www.engadget.com)
3. ^{^} top smartphone makers (www.engadget.com)
4. ^{^} thriving gray market (www.engadget.com)
5. ^{^} bit of a surge (www.engadget.com)

References

1. ^{^} rocketed past (mashable.com)
2. ^{^} $5.04 billion industry (www.marketingmunch.com)
3. ^{^} HighTable (www.hightable.com)

References

1. ^{^} → Learn More (techcrunch.com)
2. ^{^} something on their heads (techcrunch.com)
3. ^{^} returns from Michael Arrington and MG Siegler (techcrunch.com)
4. ^{^} Marissa Mayer (www.crunchbase.com)
5. ^{^} Sarah Tavel (www.crunchbase.com)
6. ^{^} Fred Wilson (www.crunchbase.com)
7. ^{^} David Lee (www.crunchbase.com)
8. ^{^} on sale here (techcrunchdisruptny2012.eventbrite.com)
9. ^{^} here (techcrunch.com)
10. ^{^} Startup Alley (techcrunchdisruptny2012.eventbrite.com)
11. ^{^} here (techcrunch.com)

References

1. ^{^} Facebook IPO (mashable.com)
2. ^{^} Viddy (mashable.com)
3. ^{^} Behind the Launch (mashable.com)
4. ^{^} Android (mashable.com)
5. ^{^} Mashable Connect (mashable.com)
6. ^{^} social media channel (mashable.com)
7. ^{^} Twitter (twitter.com)
8. ^{^} Facebook (www.facebook.com)
9. ^{^} Behind the Launch: How to Court Startup Investors (mashable.com)
10. ^{^} 4 Things Your Mobile Tells Marketers About You (mashable.com)
11. ^{^} How to Use Facebook for Pseudo A/B Testing (mashable.com)
12. ^{^} These Are the Most Engaging Brands on Facebook [INFOGRAPHIC] (mashable.com)
13. ^{^} Want to Talk it Out? This Startup Puts Group Therapy Online for $9.99 (mashable.com)
14. ^{^} 6 Things You Need to Know About LinkedIn Recommendations (mashable.com)
15. ^{^} Behind the Launch: A Promising, Yet Controversial Job Candidate (mashable.com)
16. ^{^} Create a Designer Room With New Site ‘Project Decor’ (mashable.com)
17. ^{^} What’s the Right Facebook Strategy for Brands With Several Locations? (mashable.com)
18. ^{^} 65+ Events in Business, Marketing, Social Media and Startups (mashable.com)
19. ^{^} Want to Change the World? There’s a Job Board for That [VIDEO] (mashable.com)
20. ^{^} How Social Media Can Help You Score Your Next Internship [INFOGRAPHIC] (mashable.com)
21. ^{^} Facebook Timeline: 9 Best Practices for Brands (mashable.com)
22. ^{^} The Top 10 U.S. Cities With Social-Savvy Small Businesses (mashable.com)
23. ^{^} 5 Reasons QR Code Marketing Is Broken (and How to Fix It) (mashable.com)
24. ^{^} 4 Steps to Cultivating Online Trust (mashable.com)
25. ^{^} business channel (mashable.com)
26. ^{^} Twitter (twitter.com)
27. ^{^} Facebook (www.facebook.com)
28. ^{^} tech channel (mashable.com)
29. ^{^} Twitter (twitter.com)
30. ^{^} Facebook (www.facebook.com)
31. ^{^} iStockphoto (www.istockphoto.com)
32. ^{^} akinbostanci (www.istockphoto.com)

Editor’s note: Jeremy Toeman is a founder of Dijit Media^[1], a startup whose vision is to create the ultimate “hyperpersonalised social TV guide” mobile experience. Jeremy has over 11 years experience in the convergence of digital media, mobile entertainment, social entertainment, social TV and consumer technology working with companies like Sling Media, Mediabolic, Boxee, Clicker, VUDU, and more. Follow him on Twitter@jtoeman^[2].

Last time I took a look at the most over-hyped topics of the Future of TV^[3], and I thought a great follow-up would be to look at the reverse case. After all, it’s easy to sit there and critique, but what about the positive side, where’s the action happening but not being talked about as much as it could be?  Here are four things going on in the TV industry that definitely don’t get enough respect…

Open Platforms

Did you know that many cable/satellite/telephone providers have created APIs to communicate and/or control their set top boxes over either home networks and/or the Internet? That’s right, the dinosaurs who are sitting on old technology have opened access to their (formerly) closed systems. If that’s not sinking in clearly enough and I’m not saying this to pitch the company or anything, but by way of example, at Dijit we have the ability to interact with set top boxes that exist in approximately 30 million households today. Just think about it – a _insert cable company name here_ cable box is just as mashup-able as Craigslist.

AirPlay for the rest of us

First, let’s knock another topic off right here: the Apple TV isn’t about being a standalone product, it’s about being an awesome accessory to iPads (which is why it’s effectively the top selling ‘Internet streamer’ over the past 3 years). Works much better when you think of it that way, eh? The flagship feature of Apple TV? AirPlay^[4]. If you are “in” the iOS ecosystem, you know how well AirPlay works. If you don’t, you are truly missing out^[5] – and I don’t mean you need to rush out to buy one, I mean you need to see how this works: user picks up iPhone/iPad, user finds content, user hits Play, user hits AirPlay to AppleTV, user sees content playing on TV, user enjoys cool refreshing beverage while watching Internet content on TV. Win.

Compare that to any TV-based “10 foot user interface^[6]” experience, and you’ll understand the difference. But here’s where it gets interesting: there are a good half-dozen or so startups working on this, not to mention consumer electronics companies like Samsung and others who have already deployed solutions. Granted not one of them is as slick as Airplay, but the era of “fumble around terribly designed menus on your TV” is coming to end, and I for one couldn’t be happier about it. I guarantee a couple of years worth of fragmentation ahead, but either way, the future of interfaces is a bright one.

Death of the content genre

The other day I was trying to reclassify some of my music, and I realized terms like Pop, Alternative, and even Rock are poorly suited to today’s immense breadth of music offerings (and WTF is Adult Alternative anyway???). We are in the age of the micro-niche, driven much due to the growth of Indie music dating back to the 90s. I believe the same fragmentation of big, generic genres like Comedy and Drama will occur in fairly short order.

Considering the rise to 500 channels with the infusion of short and long form Internet videos, the cross-over between content formats is pretty much already here. When I look at the results of most TV recommendations engines, and by that I mean Netflix, I see an increasingly disparate view on content. Am I more interested in Witty TV Comedies (which blends King of the Hill, the Dick Van Dyke Show, Black Adder, 30 Rock, Cheers, and Archer) or Dysfunctional-Family TV Dramas (featuring Rescue Me, Weeds, and My-So-Called Life)?  And while I’m at it, why is Portlandia similar to Twin Peaks? Protip: it’s not.

Bottom line here is expect more and more filters, views, and correspondingly value placed on matching people with the micro-niche hipsteresque genres that describes them, uniquely. Second protip: stop trying to recommend shows because I like Arrested Development, it stand alone.

Who’s Going to Disrupt the TV Industry? The TV Industry

The Internet has disrupted a great many things, and we’ve seen startups emerge to tear down many sectors. Craigslist, started by one dude, disrupted newspapers. eBay owns Christie’s. Music was killed by, well, it seems like the Internet and poor business models, as opposed to startups per se. But when it comes to TV, it’s just not as simple as all that. I can name almost two dozen startups who thought they could just run on down to Hollywood, buy up some content, and start a business – all are now dead. I’ve seen almost as many think they could do the same thing by just trying to use some “trick” through the system to accomplish the same. Most are already dead.  Even Google has now twice failed in their attempt to court the content industry.

But we can see the signs that disruption could and should occur. I’d argue, however, that the real interesting thing happening is the intra-industry battles. At last year’s Cable Show, for example, multiple cable companies showed their services running as “apps” inside Smart TV ecosystems. Comcast, as another example, has OnDemand (broadcast video on demand), StreamPix (Internet video on demand), DVR, TVEverywhere, and other ways to deliver you content. What happens if they decide to bring their services outside their existing geographical boundaries? What happens when cable co’s actually leverage devices like Xboxes to deliver fully authenticated content offerings? What happens when NBC decides Hulu is a bad investment, and creates an openly accessible content feed using third party authentication? What happens when local affiliates continue to get squeezed out of the business?

We can and should expect to see cracks in the system. But I don’t think it’s about cord cutting and little startups. This is the Barzinis teaming up with the Tattaglias to take out Vito, and I hate to say it, but Silicon Valley’s no more than a Clemenza, at best. But there is war a-coming, and there will be great opportunities for startups to rise to great heights if they understand how the system works today, and what’s coming down the pipe. Pun intended, don’t forget to tip your waiter.

References

1. ^{^} Dijit Media (www.dijit.com)
2. ^{^} @jtoeman (www.twitter.com)
3. ^{^} Future of TV (techcrunch.com)
4. ^{^} AirPlay (techcrunch.com)
5. ^{^} If you don’t, you are truly missing out (bits.blogs.nytimes.com)
6. ^{^} 10 foot user interface (www.livedigitally.com)
7. ^{^} Learn more (www.crunchbase.com)

References

1. ^{^} acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion (mashable.com)
2. ^{^} 17,000 patents (mashable.com)
3. ^{^} Associated Press (www.google.com)
4. ^{^} Europeon (mashable.com)
5. ^{^} American (mashable.com)

References

1. ^{^} reports (mashable.com)
2. ^{^} the results (mashable.com)
3. ^{^} guide (mashable.com)

References

1. ^{^} public wrath (mashable.com)
2. ^{^} The New York Times (www.nytimes.com)
3. ^{^} NYU study (www.nytimes.com)
4. ^{^} Facebook Co-Founder: No, I Didn’t Leave U.S. to Dodge Taxes (mashable.com)
5. ^{^} iStockphoto (www.istockphoto.com)
6. ^{^} -Oxford- (www.istockphoto.com)

What does one do after generating billions from an initial public stock offering^[1]? Go shopping, of course. After falling short of expectations following its somewhat helter-skelter IPO debut, Facebook simply shook off the whole thing and acquired itself some good Karma. No, we're not talking about that Karma^[2]. Instead, Facebook purchased the startup responsible for the Karma social gifting app. The move was apparently made to bolster Facebook's mobile chops -- an area the company considers ripe for opportunity. Just recently, Facebook also acquired mobile stalwart Instagram^[3] and the Lightbox^[4] team, for example. As for its newest purchase, Karma will be allowed to "continue to operate in full force" despite its recent status change, according to a blog post by co-founders Lee Linden and Ben Lewis. Details weren't disclosed about how much the deal was worth but judging from celebratory nature of their post, it doesn't look like Linden and Lewis will "Unlike" the agreement any time soon.

References

1. ^{^} initial public stock offering (www.engadget.com)
2. ^{^} Karma (www.engadget.com)
3. ^{^} Instagram (www.engadget.com)
4. ^{^} Lightbox (www.engadget.com)

References

1. ^{^} blog post (blogs.msdn.com)
2. ^{^} Aero Glass (www.google.com)
3. ^{^} due in June (mashable.com)

References

1. ^{^} → Learn More (techcrunch.com)
2. ^{^} their intentions (techcrunch.com)
3. ^{^} European Commission (techcrunch.com)
4. ^{^} Wall Street Journal (online.wsj.com)
5. ^{^} Learn more (www.crunchbase.com)
6. ^{^} Learn more (www.crunchbase.com)

Aaron Shapiro^[1] is CEO of Huge, a global digital agency^[2] based in Brooklyn, and author of Users Not Customers^[3]. He has spent more than a decade as a technology entrepreneur, venture capitalist and management consultant.

Jobs in tech are stronger than ever. In 2011, Amazon^[4] hired 22,500 people^[5], bringing its workforce up to 56,200, and Google^[6] hired 8,000 people — more than ever in a single year. The technology sector is booming, and while not all of these jobs require an engineering degree, getting a gig can be harder than getting into an Ivy League school. Competition between businesses is too steep for firms to hire those who aren’t qualified, and demand for these positions is greater than the skills that exist in the marketplace.

Incredible job opportunities exist, if you know how to get them. Yet, college students are still earning educations for jobs that technology will eliminate in the next decade, and people without backgrounds in technology are stuck in unemployment or at the dead-end of a long career, hoping their field will be revived before their luck runs out. But none of these people are actually stuck.

You can transition to the tech world, if you’re willing to put in a little work. Here are six steps that will help you get there.

1. Learn How the Web Works

I’m consistently amazed at the number of businesspeople who have no concept of where a website comes from. There’s no need to be an expert coder, unless you’re an aspiring engineer, but you should know enough about technology to make informed business decisions about it.

I taught myself how to code in the mid-‘90s after leading an e-greeting card site that could have been successful but didn’t have the technology to scale with demand — I never wanted to be stuck like that again. Similarly, Instagram^[7] founder Kevin Systrom taught himself to code^[8] at night while working in marketing, possibly inspiring a new generation of business guys learning to program.

The first thing anyone should do is learn HTML and maybe even some JavaScript. Codecademy^[9] and W3Schools^[10] are two great places to start. Or pick up a newbie book from Amazon.

2. Start With a Digital Job in Your Current Company

Without any digital experience, landing a job at a tech company will be tough. Get an advantage by going after low-hanging opportunities.

Many non-tech companies, like the one you probably work for, are desperate for help building an effective presence on the web. If you can be of service, you’ll not only gain valuable experience, but you’ll also be likely to have the chance to make a real impact. This way, you can show up for your first interview at that desirable tech firm with a success story behind you.

3. Knock on the Door of a Disrupter

A friend of mine used to be a salesperson for radio, a dying industry facing myriad high-tech competitors. And, as happens in these situations, he got laid off. But rather than fighting for one of the last jobs in his native field, he went after a gig selling ads for Pandora^[11]. They liked that he knew the radio industry and hired him.

One of the easiest ways to get into tech is to go after a job at a startup that’s looking to disrupt the industry in which you’ve spent your career.

4. Position Yourself as an Innovator

The technology space is all about innovation. Working for a scrappy disruptor or the digital department of your current company will surely give you the chance to be a pioneer. But if these roles are inaccessible, you should demonstrate your inventive and courageous side within your present role by starting a new department, devising and implementing a fresh strategy or producing a cutting-edge marketing product. It’s advantageous if technology is inherent in these accomplishments, but not necessary.

5. Accept that You’re Not as Senior as You Think You Are

Just because you’re an art director for print doesn’t mean you’re qualified to be an art director in digital. Just because you’ve managed significant client relationships doesn’t mean you’re qualified to manage client services at a tech firm.

Individuals switching industries need to start with a more junior role. When I meet fairly senior people whom I’d be interested in hiring, I ask if they would start as a project manager and not a single person has ever taken me up on that offer. Invest time to learn the business and the pay cut won’t have to last long.

6. Become a Thought Leader

It takes some creativity, charm, smarts and nerve, but you can become an industry thought leader before you even have a job in the industry. JD Beebe^[12], a young copywriter, creative and entrepreneur, is a good example. He made his way into the agency world by starting a Paper.li^[13] online newspaper called Ad Agency Thought Sauce^[14] that aggregated links from ad agency tweets. Agencies saw him re-sharing their links, and this functioned as a constant series of soft introductions.

If social media acrobatics aren’t your thing, you can still build a profile for yourself as an expert by sharing your point of view on industry issues. Do it in-person, at industry events and Meetups^[15], and digitally through Facebook^[16], Twitter^[17] and comments on relevant articles — maybe even this one.

How did you transition to a job in tech? Let us know in the comments.

Social Media Job Listings

Every week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities^[18]. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, knape^[19][20]

References

1. ^{^} Aaron Shapiro (www.aaronshapiro.com)
2. ^{^} global digital agency (www.hugeinc.com)
3. ^{^} Users Not Customers (usersnotcustomers.com)
4. ^{^} Amazon (www.mashable.com)
5. ^{^} hired 22,500 people (gigaom.com)
6. ^{^} Google (www.mashable.com)
7. ^{^} Instagram (www.mashable.com)
8. ^{^} taught himself to code (www.quora.com)
9. ^{^} Codecademy (www.codecademy.com)
10. ^{^} W3Schools (www.w3schools.com)
11. ^{^} Pandora (www.mashable.com)
12. ^{^} JD Beebe (jdbeebe.com)
13. ^{^} Paper.li (paper.li)
14. ^{^} Ad Agency Thought Sauce (paper.li)
15. ^{^} Meetups (www.mashable.com)
16. ^{^} Facebook (www.mashable.com)
17. ^{^} Twitter (www.mashable.com)
18. ^{^} social media and web job opportunities (jobs.mashable.com)
19. ^{^} iStockphoto (www.istockphoto.com)
20. ^{^} knape (www.istockphoto.com)

References

1. ^{^} Happy Puppy Day! Top 10 Dogs to Follow on Social Media (mashable.com)
2. ^{^} iStockphoto (www.istockphoto.com)
3. ^{^} diane39 (www.istockphoto.com)

Aaron Shapiro^[1] is CEO of Huge, a global digital agency^[2] based in Brooklyn, and author of Users Not Customers^[3]. He has spent more than a decade as a technology entrepreneur, venture capitalist and management consultant.

Jobs in tech are stronger than ever. In 2011, Amazon^[4] hired 22,500 people^[5], bringing its workforce up to 56,200, and Google^[6] hired 8,000 people — more than ever in a single year. The technology sector is booming, and while not all of these jobs require an engineering degree, getting a gig can be harder than getting into an Ivy League school. Competition between businesses is too steep for firms to hire those who aren’t qualified, and demand for these positions is greater than the skills that exist in the marketplace.

Incredible job opportunities exist, if you know how to get them. Yet, college students are still earning educations for jobs that technology will eliminate in the next decade, and people without backgrounds in technology are stuck in unemployment or at the dead-end of a long career, hoping their field will be revived before their luck runs out. But none of these people are actually stuck.

You can transition to the tech world, if you’re willing to put in a little work. Here are six steps that will help you get there.

1. Learn How the Web Works

I’m consistently amazed at the number of businesspeople who have no concept of where a website comes from. There’s no need to be an expert coder, unless you’re an aspiring engineer, but you should know enough about technology to make informed business decisions about it.

I taught myself how to code in the mid-‘90s after leading an e-greeting card site that could have been successful but didn’t have the technology to scale with demand — I never wanted to be stuck like that again. Similarly, Instagram^[7] founder Kevin Systrom taught himself to code^[8] at night while working in marketing, possibly inspiring a new generation of business guys learning to program.

The first thing anyone should do is learn HTML and maybe even some JavaScript. Codecademy^[9] and W3Schools^[10] are two great places to start. Or pick up a newbie book from Amazon.

2. Start With a Digital Job in Your Current Company

Without any digital experience, landing a job at a tech company will be tough. Get an advantage by going after low-hanging opportunities.

Many non-tech companies, like the one you probably work for, are desperate for help building an effective presence on the web. If you can be of service, you’ll not only gain valuable experience, but you’ll also be likely to have the chance to make a real impact. This way, you can show up for your first interview at that desirable tech firm with a success story behind you.

3. Knock on the Door of a Disrupter

A friend of mine used to be a salesperson for radio, a dying industry facing myriad high-tech competitors. And, as happens in these situations, he got laid off. But rather than fighting for one of the last jobs in his native field, he went after a gig selling ads for Pandora^[11]. They liked that he knew the radio industry and hired him.

One of the easiest ways to get into tech is to go after a job at a startup that’s looking to disrupt the industry in which you’ve spent your career.

4. Position Yourself as an Innovator

The technology space is all about innovation. Working for a scrappy disruptor or the digital department of your current company will surely give you the chance to be a pioneer. But if these roles are inaccessible, you should demonstrate your inventive and courageous side within your present role by starting a new department, devising and implementing a fresh strategy or producing a cutting-edge marketing product. It’s advantageous if technology is inherent in these accomplishments, but not necessary.

5. Accept that You’re Not as Senior as You Think You Are

Just because you’re an art director for print doesn’t mean you’re qualified to be an art director in digital. Just because you’ve managed significant client relationships doesn’t mean you’re qualified to manage client services at a tech firm.

Individuals switching industries need to start with a more junior role. When I meet fairly senior people whom I’d be interested in hiring, I ask if they would start as a project manager and not a single person has ever taken me up on that offer. Invest time to learn the business and the pay cut won’t have to last long.

6. Become a Thought Leader

It takes some creativity, charm, smarts and nerve, but you can become an industry thought leader before you even have a job in the industry. JD Beebe^[12], a young copywriter, creative and entrepreneur, is a good example. He made his way into the agency world by starting a Paper.li^[13] online newspaper called Ad Agency Thought Sauce^[14] that aggregated links from ad agency tweets. Agencies saw him re-sharing their links, and this functioned as a constant series of soft introductions.

If social media acrobatics aren’t your thing, you can still build a profile for yourself as an expert by sharing your point of view on industry issues. Do it in-person, at industry events and Meetups^[15], and digitally through Facebook^[16], Twitter^[17] and comments on relevant articles — maybe even this one.

How did you transition to a job in tech? Let us know in the comments.

Social Media Job Listings

Every week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities^[18]. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, knape^[19][20]

References

1. ^{^} Aaron Shapiro (www.aaronshapiro.com)
2. ^{^} global digital agency (www.hugeinc.com)
3. ^{^} Users Not Customers (usersnotcustomers.com)
4. ^{^} Amazon (www.mashable.com)
5. ^{^} hired 22,500 people (gigaom.com)
6. ^{^} Google (www.mashable.com)
7. ^{^} Instagram (www.mashable.com)
8. ^{^} taught himself to code (www.quora.com)
9. ^{^} Codecademy (www.codecademy.com)
10. ^{^} W3Schools (www.w3schools.com)
11. ^{^} Pandora (www.mashable.com)
12. ^{^} JD Beebe (jdbeebe.com)
13. ^{^} Paper.li (paper.li)
14. ^{^} Ad Agency Thought Sauce (paper.li)
15. ^{^} Meetups (www.mashable.com)
16. ^{^} Facebook (www.mashable.com)
17. ^{^} Twitter (www.mashable.com)
18. ^{^} social media and web job opportunities (jobs.mashable.com)
19. ^{^} iStockphoto (www.istockphoto.com)
20. ^{^} knape (www.istockphoto.com)

The anticipation is palpable.

Hundreds of hackers have congregated outside Manhattan’s Pier 94, planning, strategizing, and praying to baby Jesus that their fates will be similar to those of Group.me^[1] and Docracy^[2]. We’ve seen plenty of Hackathon winners go on to do incredible things^[3], make millions of dollars, and rise to startup stardom levels, but the journey isn’t a simple one.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Let me paint a little word picture for you:

The hackers will be in a massive warehouse for the next 24 hours and beyond. They’ll have API sponsors and helpful workshops, sure, but the challenge of creating a product, or even a prototype, all comes down to them. Red Bull will be an unavoidable temptation, especially after a couple hours staring at white code on a black background.

They know they might crash, but they don’t care. They need the energy. Snacks will abound, and snacks are all they have time for anyway. A huge meal is sure to weigh down the belly and slow their pace.

After a few hours, fights are destined to break out. Maybe it’s a disagreement over which API to use, or which color the UI should be, or really anything. They’re under an insane amount of pressure, and even the slightest frustration or hindrance can cause a major break. Teams will turn against each other, and joyously reunite after a few moments of pensive reflection.

When the clock strikes midnight, that’s when things get loopy. The empty cans of Red Bull will be joined by full cans of beer, heads and shoulders will begin to slump, and the fights that have since been resolved will resurface.

Certain members of various teams will begin practicing their presentations, most certainly distracting other teams from their work, but this is, after all, a competition. The coffee pot will be refilled twice as often for the rest of the Hackathon, and bean bags, tables and even cold, hard floors will be converted into napping pads.

And alas, the sun will rise. Obstacles will be overcome. Prototypes will be completed. Presentations will be perfected.

And perhaps, just maybe, the beginning of a beautiful story will be written.

Disrupt NYC is set to be one of our biggest shows yet, with returns from Michael Arrington and MG Siegler^[4], along with a variety of big names like Marissa Mayer^[5], Sarah Tavel^[6], Fred Wilson^[7], and David Lee^[8] and more. It’s going to be huge.

If you’re interested in checking out Disrupt and/or the Hackathon yourself, tickets are still on sale here^[9] and info on the Hackathon can be found here^[10]. Companies who want to join the Battleground can apply for the last remaining spots in Startup Alley^[11]. You can find the full agenda here^[12].

References

1. ^{^} Group.me (techcrunch.com)
2. ^{^} Docracy (techcrunch.com)
3. ^{^} incredible things (techcrunch.com)
4. ^{^} returns from Michael Arrington and MG Siegler (techcrunch.com)
5. ^{^} Marissa Mayer (www.crunchbase.com)
6. ^{^} Sarah Tavel (www.crunchbase.com)
7. ^{^} Fred Wilson (www.crunchbase.com)
8. ^{^} David Lee (www.crunchbase.com)
9. ^{^} on sale here (techcrunchdisruptny2012.eventbrite.com)
10. ^{^} here (techcrunch.com)
11. ^{^} Startup Alley (techcrunchdisruptny2012.eventbrite.com)
12. ^{^} here (techcrunch.com)

The Gillmor Gang — Robert Scoble, John Taschek, Gabe Rivera, Kevin Marks, and Steve Gillmor — play toe jam football in the shadow of the Facebook IPO. Try as we might, we can’t shake the weight of Facebook’s dominance of Techmeme and maybe the fate of the global economy. Greece, move over. @gaberivera joins near the 30 minute mark.

@scobleizer tries a reverse Statue of Liberty play around the forthcoming Samsung phone and the threat to Apple (nonexistent) but our hearts aren’t in it. I fail in a weak attempt to roll up everything under push notification. Face it: our hopes and dreams are now tied to our jobs as feeders of the Facebook Empire.  Please Twitter. Save us.

@stevegillmor, @gaberivera, @scobleizer, @kevinmarks, @jtaschek

Produced and directed by Tina Chase Gillmor @tinagillmor

References

1. ^{^} Learn more (www.crunchbase.com)
2. ^{^} Learn more (www.crunchbase.com)
3. ^{^} Learn more (www.crunchbase.com)
4. ^{^} Learn more (www.crunchbase.com)
5. ^{^} Learn more (www.crunchbase.com)