You can almost feel the excitement building in the air as we come one day closer to the grand reveal of the new and improved SocialVibe.com. As promised, we've got another sneak peek at one of the exciting new features you'll be able to enjoy come October 5.
Today we'd like to highlight the seamless way you'll be able to complete brand activities and share on your networks to help your friends earn you even more points.
This screen you're seeing is a sample of a brand engagement, in this case, COFFEE-MATE.
After you complete the activity and earn your 100 points (amount of points varies on activity), you'll have the opportunity to share this with your friends on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and more (the "more" is not shown in this image, this is a work in progress, remember).
Each time your friends completes your activity, they'll earn you an additional 100 points (or whatever the activity is worth). This will also be a great time for them to sign up for SocialVibe, thus earning even more money for charity!
Earn more points by tweeting your sponsor activity!
So, what do you think?
With all these new changes we're revealing, you're probably wondering, "What's going to stay the same?!" The good news is, plenty. We're building this site with your feedback taken into account every step of the way. After all, SocialVibe is nothing without our members. Later this week, we'll dedicate an entire post to things that WON'T be changing.
Based on your comments thus far, we know a few of you aren't loving the new color scheme. Fear not, my friends, the entire site isn't going to be gray and green, your profiles will still be blue and black for example, and OF COURSE the Pink Ball is staying Pink.
Oh, and for the record, a black website doesn't always mean it is more energy efficient. Actually, it some cases it can consume MORE energy. For instance, if you're using an LED monitor, the thin lights behind the screen that are always on will have to expend energy to block light for darker pixels. Energy reduction based on pixel color depends on many factors, one of which is the type of monitor you are using.
Attention coffee addicts (and non-addicts alike!) COFFEE-MATE is giving you a way to Make Every Cup Count, only on SocialVibe. They're donating a generous $50,000 to Dress for Success, an organization that assists disadvantaged women by providing clothes, support and career skills to help them reach their goals. It gets better. With your help, they’ll donate another $100,000!
How can you help? Choose COFFEE-MATE as your Sponsor on SocialVibe, or complete their activity on our Facebook app. Each time you send a note of encouragement with their engagement, you'll be raising an additional $.50 for Dress for Success.
Plus, by publishing the feed on Facebook, you'll raise ANOTHER $.50!
We have an opportunity to help women in need by sending a simple note of encouragement, resulting in a possible $150,000 donation. The program ends December 31, 2009, so get started today!
Dress for Success' mission is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
Along with all the other fabulous and exciting changes coming to SocialVibe on Oct 5, we'll also be giving our Perks system a little rejuvenation. In the meantime, we're still giving prizes away the old fashioned way. Here are this week's lucky winners!
Michelle Obama has directed her sights to something that she feels will greatly benefit the American people, especially the children: bringing the 2016 Olympics to Chicago.
The First Lady to President Barack Obama, former Illinois Senator, is currently in Copenhagen campaigning to all who will listen, namely the International Olympic Committee (IOC). She has planned an extensive tour over the next few days sharing why she feels Chicago is the best possible choice for the Summer Games.
Obama says, "the Olympics have the power to transform the lives of children in Chicago and around the country, inspiring them to be the next David Robinson, Nadia Comaneci."
She believes that hosting the games would leave behind more than just memories, but facilities for children and the inspiration to show kids from all backgrounds that they can be so much more.
Chicago has tough competition from other cities who are currently bidding for the slot, among them Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.
Where would you like to see the 2016 Olympic Summer Games held?
Have you missed the last 5 or so years of YouTube clips? No worries, this quick 4 minute video will catch you up on the 100 Greatest Hits of YouTube. It's definitely not the same as watching the full videos, but it is pretty entertaining nonetheless.
Now would be a perfect time to ask you all a very important/heavy question.... What is your all-time favorite viral video?
Of all the things you can craft out of recycled plastic bottles, who knew tee shirts was one of them? Playback Clothing is putting good use to the over-abundance of those yucky bottles used, sorted and tossed by millions of Americans, they've turned them into a line of adorable tees.
The unisex shirts are made from 65% recycled PET bottles and 35% recycled cotton, and contain no chemical dyes, so they still retain the color of the original bottle. The shirts are named appropriately, a la, Beer Bottle Brown or Soda Bottle Green.
So just how much bottle goes into each shirt? About 8.5 bottles go into each of these, which you can buy here. They're also giving 20% off on all internet orders through 10/31/09! You know you love a good discount.
Maybe you can't afford to buy a recycled plastic bottle t-shirt. At the very least, these scary plastic bottle facts should shock you into buying an aluminum or steel re-usable bottle for chugging water!
- Americans throw away 2 million plastic bottles every ten minutes.
- 1 million recycled plastic bottles saves 3.8 barrels of oil.
- 1 million recycled plastic bottles eliminates 180 metric tons of C02.
- 10% of all US oil or 2 is used to make plastics.
Yikes. If that doesn't spook you into changing your plastic-bottle-toting ways, we just don't know what will.
One positive to the mind-numbing economic recession we're currently struggling through? It could be good for our health! A recent study shows that despite higher unemployment and a great reduction in moolah, we could actually benefit from a recession in terms of overall health.
The study analyzed mortality rates from years of economic downturn, such as the Great Depression from 1920 - 1940, and found that annual death rates actually declined, and increased in years of expansion, aka, when the money is flowing.
"For most age groups, mortality tended to peak during years of strong economic expansion," the authors wrote in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "In contrast, the recessions of 1921, 1930-1933 ad 1938 coincided with declines in mortality and gains in life expectancy."
Though researchers aren't quite sure why this could be, speculation lies in the increased work hours, which brings more stress and a higher number of traffic and industrial accidents, all of which are more common during positive economic times. People also tend to smoke and drink more when money isn't as big a concern.
The research team monitored the six largest causes of death: cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis, cancer, flu and pneumonia, motor vehicle deaths and suicide. The only one that increased was suicide, but overall, this accounted for less than 2% of all mortality, so overall, death rates decreased.
"It is increasingly known that over time, stress in the work place can increase the risk of things like heart attacks," said Tapia Granados of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
"There are other possibilities which are speculative," he added. "Many people believe that the Depression was a period of social support. When you are at risk of losing your job, you get much more connected with members of your community." Social support seems to improve health, he said.
Another possibility to lower mortality rates could be less pollution as a result of less cars on the road and less industrial building and manufacturing.
The study's findings are average at best, and researchers are not jumping to conclusions just yet.
"Clearly the health of some people will suffer -- think of the unemployed -- while the health of others will benefit. As it seems from the data I and others have analyzed, the beneficial aspects seem to outweigh the detrimental aspects," says Eric Neumayer of the London School of Economics, who found similar effects for economic recessions in Germany.
Not all agree with the findings, and suggest that although mortality may temporarily decrease during a recession, death rates will boomerang and come back higher when the economy bounces back. Harvey Brenner of the University of North Texas Health Science Center and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore says,
"It is true that there is a very short-term decline in mortality during the period of recession itself coupled with a large increase in damaging mental health effects." He continues, "Unemployment remains high, and companies overwork their remaining employees as business picks back up. In the medium- to longer-term, the effect of recession is to increase mortality substantially."
What do you think - could lower mortality rates be the silver lining to a cloudy recession, or is this just a bunch of bologna? It seems it is too early to tell, either way.
It is widely known that Disney World is the "happiest place on Earth." Starting in 2010, you could earn yourself a free ticket into the land of endless fun, just by doing a little good.
The Walt Disney Co. confirmed that beginning January 1, they will be handing out a free 1-day pass to any theme park at Disneyland or Walt Disney Resort to individuals who volunteer with the HandsOn Network.
The campaign, called "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" rewards people for offering their time to helping others and saves them the $70 they would have spent on a day pass to the park.
This is very smart on Disney's part, not only because they will be effectively getting people who wouldn't otherwise volunteer to do so, but they'll be getting people inside the parks, full of restaurants, gift shops, and other places to spend their money.
Want in? Visit their website to find volunteer opportunities available. Better act fast, because they're only giving out 1 million passes!
Actually, it some cases it can consume MORE energy. For instance, if you're using an LED monitor, the thin lights behind the screen that are always on will have to expend energy to block light for darker pixels. Energy reduction based on pixel color depends on many factors, one of which is the type of monitor you are using.
It is widely known that Disney World is the "happiest place on Earth." Starting in 2010, you could 
