This 50½-acre property includes a 12-bedroom Victorian, French-renaissance mansion, 4,000 feet of water frontage on Long Island Sound and two offshore islands, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The listing marks the latest test of the ultra-high-end property market, which has seen several record-setting sales in recent years. Pricing in this stratosphere is an imprecise science, however, and it can be difficult for sellers to predict whether a nine-figure listing will lead to a nine-figure sale.
A video is never guaranteed to go viral, but a few factors make it significantly more likely.
In the first few months of 2013, viral videos covered all kinds of topics: a serious look at female self-esteem, a silly competition between two Star Trek actors, and more. But according to Brian Shin, CEO of video analytics service Visible Measures, these and most other viral videos share at least two things in common: “discussability” and “relatability.”
For a video to be “discussable,” it usually features something shocking or surprising, which compels viewers to share it with others. Likewise, if a video contains something deeply human to which we can relate — even if it’s cuddling cats — we’re more likely to share it out. The two factors often go together.
We chatted with a couple viral video experts to learn what made these clips the biggest hits of the year, so far.
Dove Experiment
Dove’s “Real Beauty Sketches” video is by far the most popular video of 2013 to date, with nearly 54 million views on YouTube and about 68 million views across the web, according to data from Visible Measures. That’s more impressive considering the video was released only a month ago.
Shin believes a few factors played into this video’s success. It’s deeply human, it sparked multiple spin-offs and it shares an incredibly powerful and positive message about the way women see their bodies, which people felt compelled to share.
“The message is something you really can’t be against,” he says. “That’s something everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon and feel good about. It’s a message that can’t be not shared.”
Jeff Gordon Prank
Pepsi and others have pulled pranks in their ads, but this video was in a league of its own. Jeff Gordon dresses in disguise to take a car salesman for a wild ride.
“‘Prankverts,’ in which brands create their own stunts involving supposedly innocent members of the public, have been a really hot trend this year,” says David Waterhouse, global head of content and PR at Unruly Media, a video marketing company. “And the most successful of these new wave of commercials is Pepsi ‘Test Drive.'”
The secret sauce behind the video’s success, according to Waterhouse, is that it elicited so many different emotional reactions for viewers. “For most ‘prankverts’, the most common emotional responses are ‘hilarity’ and ‘surprise,'” he says. “However, when we tested ‘Test Drive,’ we found that it went one step further by adding ‘exhilaration’ into the mix. That meant, even if you didn’t find it funny or particularly surprising, you could still be exhilarated by the intense action and the awesome driving skills.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Waterhouse notes there was also a debate about whether the car salesman in the video was aware of the prank or not. That increased the number of people talking about and watching the video.
Harlem Shake
For a few weeks, the “Harlem Shake” was almost inescapable. Waterhouse says 40,000 “Harlem Shake” videos released in the first 11 days after the meme exploded; people viewed them 175 million times, collectively.
The reason for this success, according to Waterhouse, is because it was “so easy to replicate. It’s short, has a very easy structure to follow and a catchy song intro that makes it instantly recognizable,” he says. “Its simplicity is the cornerstone of its success.”
The Maker version of the “Harlem Shake,” seen above, was the most popular take on the meme early on, according to data from YouTube. Shin suggests this was a combination of good timing — it was one of the earlier videos in the meme — and the fact that it served as an inspiration for many of the videos that came after.
It has been another busy week as summer approaches, and everyone gets restless for the warm weather. If you’ve been too preoccupied soaking up some rays to check out the news, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered.
We at Mashable have rounded up the most important updates in tech and social media to keep you informed. So read below for tons of digital media resources, including everything you need to know about the Google I/O keynote and a great roundup of apps to help you get around your city.
5 Security Tips for Facebook Mobile You could be doing a lot more to protect your public and private Facebook information, especially if you’re a frequent mobile user. Find out how.
25 Startups in Unlikely Places Around the Globe The world’s cities are all trying to emulate Silicon Valley’s example and become the next global hub. We’ve rounded up 25 startups — from Russia to New Zealand, Lagos to the Himalayas and Krakow to Uruguay — to show that innovation is not about being in the right place, it’s about doing the right thing.
10 Best Users to Follow on Vine We highlight of some of Vine’s best accounts, which feature creative uses of stop-motion, videos of beautiful drawings and more.
11 Tips and Tricks for Spotify Power Users Learn how to become a Spotify power user, including how to discover new music, interact with friends and followers, and add a bevy of useful apps.
8 Hot Gadgets to Supercharge Your Summer Whether your M.O is to head to the nearest pool, venture out to the local lake or just bicycle around town, take some gadgets along for the ride.
5 Services That Will Sequence Your DNA If you’re looking to learn more about your genes, there are several options you can pursue that will ship directly to you.
Whether you’re in search of something fun to do with the kids or you have a babysitter and are planning a night out, look no further because Patch editors have picked a variety of events taking place to help you make the most of your weekend. Click on the headline for more information of each event that’s listed alphabetically by town.
Where: The parade starts on Babbitt Road and North Street in Bedford Hills and ends in the train station commuter lots.
When: Saturday, May 18 at 4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Description: The Bedford Hills Fire Department hosts its 110th anniversary parade and invites the community and neighboring towns to watch and celebrate.
Description: The Friends of John Jay Homestead will host an Opening Night Party to preview the Carriage Barn Education and Visitor Center. Proceeds from the event will go towards completing the Center’s interactive exhibits. ELSEWHERE IN WESTCHESTER:
Where: MacEachron Waterfront Park – River Street, Hastings-on-Hudson
When: Saturday, May 18, noon to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Description: An environmentally friendly festival featuring live solar powered music, as well as exhibits on local solutions for environmental sustainability.
Description: Breaking down barriers, EF Culture Fair is a day when students from over 40 countries around the world show off their cultures to friends, local host families, school children and community members. Each country has its own room, which will be decorated with exhibits from the students’ home countries – some nationalities will also put on performances and others will prepare samples of their favorite food from home. Somers: Annual Plant Sale and Veteran’s Memorial Re-Dedication
Description: A bronze eagle monument set amid a new granite courtyard will beckon visitors to the re-dedication of the Westchester County Veterans Museum at Lasdon Park in Somers. While at the park, visitors are invited to shop the annual Friends of Lasdon Plant Sale, which will also be held at the park that day, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All proceeds from the plant sale and shop benefit programs at the arboretum.
Yorktown: ‘Paws for the Cause’
Where: 99 Moseman Rd, Yorktown Heights When: Sunday, May 19 at 10 a.m.
Cost: Free
Description: “Paws for the Cause” is taking place on the Grange Fair Grounds in Yorktown with vendors – both pet related and non pet related, animal rescue groups, dog demonstrations, children’s entertainment, food, contests and more. All proceeds will go to benefit pups in high kill shelters that would be euthanized if it were not for rescue groups pulling them and transporting them up to NY.
Where: Briarcliff Manor Recreation Building (48 Macy Rd).
When: Sunday, May 19 at 1 p.m. (and May 22 at 6 p.m.)
Cost: Tuition is $450
Description: The Summercliff Players, a youth theatre group not limited to Briarcliff Manor and Ossining residents, is gearing up for its summer production of Seussical. Rehearsals begin on June 24. Email summercliffplayers@gmail.com to set up an audition time.
CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. – Looking for something to do around Chappaqua this weekend will not be a problem—but choosing what you do might be. Several exciting events are slated to take place this weekend, along with a favorable weather forecast. You can also visit our Events page for more options in the area.
Friday, May 17
Free Ice Cream for Middle Schoolers: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. For Bell Middle School and Seven Bridges Middle School students, free ice cream will be served at “Local” compliments of Chappaqua Pediatrics. 75 South Greeley Avenue
Lecture: Screenwriter Mark Bomback: 7:30 p.m. Screenwriting and Mark’s film Unstoppable, starring Denzel Washington, will be the subject of the talk. A short clip of the film will be shown. Mark is also the screenwriter for Live free or Die Hard, Race to Witch Mountain and Total Recoil. Free and open to the public. Chappaqua Public Library, 195 South Greeley Avenue, Chappaqua.
Saturday, May 18
Chappaqua Farmers Market Outdoor Season: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Chappaqua Farmers Market will welcome shoppers for their third season with new offerings. The market’s spring/summer season will now take place outdoors at the Chappaqua train station.
Family Fun Day at Wagon Road Camp: Noon to 4 p.m. Experience “a day in the life” of summer camp at Wagon Road Day Camp. Experience the amazing adventure ropes course and imagination playground, take a pony ride, visit our petting zoo, enjoy the bouncy castle, get your face painted, and enjoy a free lunch from our Summer Camp menu. Kids can participate in our scavenger hunt and win a prize! Free for all Chappaqua families. 431 Quaker Road, Chappaqua.
Relay For Life of Chappaqua: 7 p.m. The journey to end cancer starts with a single step. The American Cancer Society invites you to take that step with us by joining the global Relay For Life movement. When you walk to end cancer at a Relay event, it’s your opportunity to not only honor cancer survivors and remember loved ones lost, but also to raise awareness about what we can do to stay well from cancer and raise money to help fuel the world’s largest walk to end cancer. Held in the Horace Greelye High School, 70 Roaring Brook Road.
Sunday, May 19
New Castle 10K Road Race: 8:10 a.m. Sponsored by New Castle Physical Therapy and Personal Training, the 26th annual New Castle 10K Road Race is slated to begin outside of Town Hall. If you did not already register, it costs $25 to do so on the day of the race. 200 South Greeley Avenue, Chappaqua.
Tails to Trails: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce will hold Millwood’s first annual “Tails to Trails” this Sunday in the parking lot of the Millwood Animal Hospital. The event is a combination of a pet fair and a walk along the North County Trailway. The fair will include free hot dogs, water and a raffle with items such as an iPod, pet exams and Frontline products.
Free Family Concert: 3 p.m. The Pleasantville Fire Department Band will include music of Benny Goodman, Rimsky Korsakov, as well as marches by John Phillip Sousa. Featured will be solos by the flute and drum. Free and open to the public. Chappaqua Public Library, 195 South Greeley Avenue.
Newlyweds Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris may need to set a price limit for exchanging gifts. Shortly after Harris made her husband a homemade gift for his 87th birthday, the Playboy magazine founder dropped $4.995 million on a Hollywood Hills mansion for the 27-year-old Playmate.
The couple finally tied the knot in January. They’d been engaged for awhile, but Harris called off the wedding in 2011. Now the newlyweds have sealed the deal with their first real estate purchase. According toTMZ, Harris is a co-owner of the property.
The modern manse is constructed in a decidedly different style than the traditional and Tudor-esque architecture of the Playboy Mansion. The 5,917-square-foot home was built in 2011 with several modern amenities, as well as a view of the city lights. A gated entrance leads into a contemporary kitchen and up a floating wood staircase into a luxurious master bedroom and bath. Outside, a white-glass infinity pool and deck provide secluded relaxation while sliding doors out front provide open-air living space.
Hefner has lived in the famous Playboy Mansion for several years, but it may come as a surprise that the millionare doesn’t own it. According to details of the lease, filed with the SEC as an appendix to his employment agreement, Hefner pays rent for the 29-room house.
With the Playboy Bunny House (across the street from Hefner’s not-so-humble abode) recently listed for $11 million, time will tell whether Hefner decides to make the Hollywood Hills home is primary residence.
There’s a lot $50,000 can buy — from a new car to a college education — but rarely does a new home top the list.
Before you rule out being a homeowner for less than six figures, check out these houses on the market for around $50,000. You might find a diamond in the rough.
If you can picture yourself sipping tea in this 1946 Cape Cod-style home, Trenton may be the place for you. Known for its annual Teapot Festival, the town has lots of character and affordable homes. For $57,500, you can get 5 bedrooms and 3 baths on more than half an acre.
Less than 30 miles from Marshfield, this 3-bed, 2-bath home includes an updated main bath, hardwood floors, new carpeting and built-in storage. While it’s currently being rented, the 1960 construction is in good condition, priced well below the Neillsville median list price of $99,900.
Built in 1941, the previous owners of this home have maintained its architectural charm. Step inside and find beautiful hardwood floors, an original fireplace and an updated kitchen. The 3-bedroom, 2-bath home also backs up to the Guyandotte River, a tributary of the Ohio River.
This $57,000 home has curb appeal with flower beds and a recent coat of paint, indicating the interior is in good condition. Located in Oak Grove adjacent to the Fort Campbell Army base, the house has 5 bedrooms and 2 baths measuring 1,217 square feet.
Groundcovers done right can help protect the soil from the sun’s heat, reduce evaporation, replace turf grass in shady locations, prevent wind and water erosion, and help control weeds. The wide variety of low-growing groundcover plants available can add interest to your landscape thanks to unexpected texture, color or form.
Groundcovers are a great addition to a garden, when done right.
But groundcovers gone wrong can smother out other garden plants, jump fences and invade natural habitats. In fact, the very traits that make some plants popular ground covers – the ability to spread quickly and grow anywhere – are the same ones that have earned them reputations as menaces, Even worse, once groundcovers reach the problematic stage, many are incredibly difficult to get rid of. Groundcovers such as lippia, and English ivy can be pulled out, but any bit of root or stem that you leave behind will sprout again, meaning eradication must be an ongoing process.
Because established groundcover is so tough to remove permanently, you don’t want to think of it as a temporary landscape decoration. These tips should help you maintain a healthy relationship with your groundcover – allowing it to grow where it should, do what it should, and not stray from its intended spot.
Groundcover is a great addition to this walkway.
1. Research, then plant. Read gardening books specific to your region and talk with the pros at your local nursery. Plants that are labeled “spreads rapidly” and “grows anywhere” may be clues that the plant could become a problem.
2. Anticipate the spread. When buying a groundcover, read the label – specifically the section concerning mature height and width. Plant according to these guidelines, understanding that your plants’ growth could exceed prescribed dimensions.
3. Consider your site. If you just have some gaps in an already-prepared garden bed, use annuals and tender perennials to fill in. Save ground covers for tough sites where you have trouble getting other plants to grow, such as spaces under trees or on steep slopes. Select groundcovers, according to your yard’s conditions: Sun or shade? Clay soil or sand? Moist or dry? Select groundcovers that will thrive under your conditions rather than require heroic measures to keep them alive.
4. Steer clear of invasive ground covers. Invasive plants out-compete other species for water, nutrients, sunlight, and space. As a result, invasive species can displace native species, reduce plant diversity, alter ecosystem processes, and hybridize with native plants. Most state agriculture departments and county extension offices work to educate people about local invasive plants. Talk to them and ask if there are groundcover plants you should avoid altogether. The lists will vary from region to region. In the Portland, Oregon, area, for instance, Lesser celandine, Italian arum, Yellow archangel, Lamium, Creeping Jenny and Vinca are all considered invasive groundcovers. In the San Francisco Bay area invasive groundcovers include Iceplant or Hottentot fig, Licorice plant, Vinca and English ivy or Algerian ivy.
5. Be prepared. Once you select your groundcover, control existing weeds and test the soil for pH and fertilizer recommendations before planting. Till the soil to a depth of 8 to 12 inches incorporating any fertilizer and lime needed, as well as, a 2- to 4-inch layer of organic matter such as pine bark mulch or compost. If the site is on a steep slope, you may need to apply netting to help reduce soil erosion. Groundcovers are capable of providing long-lasting beauty and function, but their performance is only as good as the effort one puts into soil preparation.
New York City’s unemployment rate last month dropped to the lowest level in four years, led by gains in employment and health services, the state Department of Labor said in a monthly report Thursday. If you need to file for unemployment you can visit the unemployment office.
The jobless rate fell to 8.4% in April, compared with 8.9% the previous month, reaching the lowest level since March 2009, the labor department’s seasonally-adjusted figures showed. The city added 16,400 jobs last month, according to seasonally-adjusted numbers provided by Barbara Byrne Denham, chief economist for real estate investment firm Eastern Consolidated.
“It certainly looks like strong private-sector job growth,” said James Parrott, chief economist of the Fiscal Policy Institute. “That’s very positive, and clear.”
About 4,500 new jobs were created in the employment services sector, a sign that job gains will continue in the near future, Ms. Denham said. Employment services includes temporary hiring, which usually lead to permanent positions at the companies where workers are assigned, she said. Employment in the industry has grown 8.6% this year, the most of any sector.
An additional 3,100 jobs were added in health and social services, and the securities industry gained 1,000 positions. All growth took place in the private sector, as the federal and local governments shed 1,700 employees combined.
Use these platforms to manage, measure, and analyze your social media marketing initiatives.
To succeed in today’s connected world, you need to build a community around your company, brand, and products. Over the last decade, social media monitoring has become a primary form of business intelligence, used to identify, predict, and respond to consumer behavior. Listening to what your customers, competitors, critics, and supporters are saying about you is key to getting great results from your social media campaigns. There are countless tools out there, offering many ways to analyze, measure, display, and create reports about your engagement efforts.
These 50 tools distill data in ways that are relevant to your social media marketing plan, enabling you to figure out how to succeed with your audience.
Determining which tools are right for you requires a clear definition of your objectives. Some are real-time, highly customized dashboards that enable you to manage multiple accounts, use shared work spaces, and respond on multiple social networks with one click. Others are simple, effective, and lightweight, and provide the right amount of functionality.
Alterian/SDL ($) | Alterian is now SDL, an integrated platform that blends the marketing analytics, campaign management, and social media capabilities from Alterian with those of SDL.
Argyle Social ($) | Identify and engage with more prospects, qualify and quantify better leads, and build and maintain stronger relationships by linking social media actions to the marketing platforms you’re already using.
BackTweets (Free) | Track how many people are talking about you, who’s talking, and what they’re saying. You can search through a tweet archive for URLs sent via Twitter, including results for full URL links, shortened URLs, and URLs without the “www” prefix.
BlitzMetrics ($) | Social media dashboards for your brand that monitor content across Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, and more. It helps you benchmark against your competitors, learn which demographics are the most active, and track content performance so you can improve your reach and engagement.
Bottlenose ($) | A tool that provides live social intelligence by analyzing activity across all the major social networks. Use it to search, monitor, analyze, target, and engage in real time, all from one place.
Brandwatch ($) |This service reads through and summarizes what’s being said on the Web about brands, people, and products. Define keywords to track (brands, topics, people names, products) and get access to mentions, trend and campaign analysis, and competitive info.
Buffer (Free and $) | An app that manages multiple Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts, with the ability to set a tweeting or updating schedule unique to each. Includes detailed analytics for all your posts.
Buzz Equity ($) | Listen to social media conversations in real time from various social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, news, forums, reviews, and video websites.
CARMA ($) | Evaluate your overall social media image, brand recognition, message penetration, competitive positioning, and areas of strength and weakness, and use the data to develop a strategically sound and effective communication strategy.
Collective Intellect ($) | This Oracle platform captures millions of conversations a day across multiple social networks, including Facebook and Twitter. It extracts sentiments, preferences, and intentions from those sources and displays the information in real time.
Crimson Hexagon ($) | Tap into social media conversations with listening tools that help you understand how the most engaged consumers think and feel about your brand, why consumers are choosing other brands over yours, and how your ads/marketing are really perceived by your audience.
Curalate ($) | This tool applies advanced image analytics to social media conversations to give you detailed insights for your initiatives on Instagram and Pinterest.
CustomScoop ($) | Track media coverage, listen to social conversations, monitor your competition, measure PR and marketing effectiveness, and get automated daily reports.
CyberAlert ($) | Monitor 100,000+ consumer-generated media sites for word of mouth, including Twitter, blogs, Usenet (there’s a blast from the past :), and video sites.
Facebook Insights (Free) | Facebook’s built-in tool provides Facebook Page owners with metrics around their content. Helps you understand and analyze trends within user growth and demographics.
Fliptop ($) | A customer intelligence platform that uses publicly available information, including social data, to score leads so you can prioritize your pipeline, better target your audience, and know more about your customers.
Google Alerts (Free) | Get email updates of the latest relevant Google results (Web, news, etc.) based on your queries.
Gorkana ($) | This tool searches through and filters conversations to provides insights into the most relevant conversations about your brand. Offers audits and reports plus daily social media alerts.
HootSuite (Free and $) | A social media management system that enables teams to collaboratively execute campaigns across multiple social networks from one dashboard. Includes audience identification tools, the ability to streamline workflow, and custom reports. I use HootSuite to manage my company’s Twitter account.
Icerocket (Free) | A free resource for brand monitoring, it taps the Web, blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, and delivers easy-to-read results in one page.
Klout (Free) | A tool that finds the influencers in your audience so you can target and empower them to become advocates for your brand.
MarketMeSuite ($) | A dashboard similar to Hootsuite and TweetDeck, it can be used to manage and market on multiple social profiles, schedule messages, use geotargeting, and more.
MediaMiser ($) | Web app that collects and analyzes relevant content about your brand from social, traditional, and digital media. Spots trends in media coverage, including sentiment, share of voice, and top regions.
MediaVantage ($) | Pulls traditional media coverage and social media mentions into a database that helps you monitor your reputation, align your teams and messaging, and measure results.
Meltwater ($) | Combines social media monitoring and analytics with social engagement tools to help you create targeted marketing campaigns and build brand relationships.
Mention (Free to $) | An iPhone and Android app that lets you create alerts for your company, its keywords, your brand, and your competitors. Updates in real time.
NetBase ($)| A social intelligence platform that enables you to monitor, understand, react, engage, and publish through both owned and earned channels.
Netvibes (Free and $) | A platform that tracks clients, customers, competitors, and your reputation across media sources, analyzes live results with 3rd party reporting tools, and provides media monitoring dashboards for brand clients.
To succeed in today’s connected world, you need to build a community around your company, brand, and products. Over the last decade, social media monitoring has become a primary form of business intelligence, used to identify, predict, and respond to consumer behavior. Listening to what your customers, competitors, critics, and supporters are saying about you is key to getting great results from your social media campaigns. There are countless tools out there, offering many ways to analyze, measure, display, and create reports about your engagement efforts.