Tech News - TechCrunch Disrupt coming to San Francisco

Michael Arrington and Carol Bartz

In tech news, readers to this space will recall the very successful TechCrunch Disrupt, New York City held in May at what was a giant Merrill Lynch call center in Chelsea.

That event drew 1,000 people from the Bay Area alone, and about 1,200 people overall. Now, TechCrunch Disrupt comes to San Francisco September 27-29 at the San Francisco Design Center Concourse.

What to expect? Well, a great startup competition, as well as the always interesting interviews given by TechCrunch Co-Founder Michael Arrington. Here's a hilarious wrap-up video we did at TechCrunch Disrupt New York City:



On the serious side, the winner of the Startup Battlefield was a firm called Soluto, which offers an online, social networked-based system for help with computers and PCs. In fact, it's so popular now, the firm had to disable some of its website services until its planned new version is launched.

Speakers? Carol Bartz?

As of this writing I don't know who will speak at TechCrunch Disrupt SF. For all I know, Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz may return. Here's the famous interview between Arrington and Bartz at TechCrunch Disrupt New York City:



Stay tuned.

The Expendables kicks Scott Pilgrim's tail at box office

Stallone kicks Scott Pilgrim's ass at box office 

For all of the hype and super-cool, "movie-of-the-century" jazz that came with the buzz about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, the movie is failing at the box office.

Even with it's still current (as of this writing) number-one Twitter Top Trend ranking over The Expendables, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is tanking at the box office. The only movie to lack a single black character's not pulling in the theater money to cover its $60 million to $70 million budget.

Scott Pilgrim's getting it's tail kicked by The Expendables at the movie box office.

According to Dealine.com's Nikke Finke, The Expendables, starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, Terry Crews, Bruce Willis and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, earned $13.5 million for an estimated weekend gross of $34 million from 3,270 theaters.

By contrast, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World made just $4.7 million from 2,818 theaters. So even thought it opened in fewer movie houses, it was just over 200 fewer. The bottom line is people weren't going to see Scott Pilgrim vs. The World other than a small, loyal fan base.

Sylvester Stallone a cultural icon...still

Sylvester Stallone's career success is based on what he described as "epistemological taxonomy," or basically that his movies have become cultural artifacts of sorts, in my video from the red carpet at Comic Con 2010:



Whatever the case, Stallone still means something to the American public, and his appeal is across age, race, and sex. Even Julia Roberts Eat, Pray Love, couldn't beat Stallone and The Expendables at the box office. The romantic escape chick flick (which this blogger plans to see) took in $9 million. The guys beat the girls.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Social Media

The failure of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World at the box office is because the demographic it was aimed at, teens and 20-somethings, don't have the bucks of the past to spend at movies. Social media buzz can't make parents cough up money they don't have in at a time of 9 percent and 10 percent unemployment rates.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is tanking at the box office as of this writing. Nikke Finke predicts complete failure. We shall see.

The Expendables vs. Scott Pilgrim on Twitter - Update

Stallone's pop culture battle is one to watch

After what was a spirited battle against an a largely organically-establised Twitter following for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The Expendables, the action movie starring Sylvester Stallone, has fallen from fifth position on Twitter Top Trends, to the last position overnight.

The reason for this, as stated in the last blog, is that The Expendables marketing outreach, which innovatively took it directly into the pop culture Mecca called Comic Con 2010 San Diego, was to create buzz from a demographic not known for supporting heavy, non-video-game-based action movies.

Then, Lionsgate worked to boost The Expendables Twitter exposure by using staff and actors as part of a Herculean effort that almost worked to catch up to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on Twitter.

Still, it's early in the game. But Scott Pilgrim sits atop Teitter.

Obama supports Mosque by WTC site by Suzannah B. Troy

President Obama made waves yesterday by supporting the plans to build a Mosque by the WTC site.


President Obama said:

"Let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country," the President said to applause from the 90 guests at a White House dinner Room celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.





If only it was that simple.  Yes, we are all agreed we believe in religious freedom.

I wrote this previously in response to a New York Post editorial on their piece about Mayor Bloomberg telling New Yorker to shut up on the Mosque debate.

No Mike Bloomberg people are not going to shut up because the wounds are still open and very raw. Yes we believe in religious freedom but please explain how the WTC is still an open wound. Many can remember the smoke that would melt rescue workers' shoes. If the smallest piece of DNA was found people finally had the most minute something of a loved one. 

How excruciating is that Mike to have to hope for the most infinitesimal DNA to find a love one and they are still finding remains so no Mike, people won't shut up. I do not  know why a Muslim group would be so insensitive and if they wanted to help heal and bring people together why not ask for suggestions and feedback. It doesn't sound like rocket science to reach out to a community post 9-11 but it seems this group wants to cause more pain. Do they have right to build yes but does it seem like they want to cause more pain? Yes.

Getting back to President Obama and I know he has a sense of humor so I would loved to have asked him for his thoughts about the gay bar that will be coming to the building next door to the proposed site of the Mosque.  Here is The New York Post article "Erecting a gay bar next door".  Will the members of the Mosque welcome their gay neighbors?

Scott Pilgrim vs the World vs The Expendables on Twitter

Stallone's ready for pop culture battle

Friday the 13th produced not an unlucky day for Lionsgate. It's new film, The Expendables with Sylvester Stallone, finds itself in the totally improbable position of battling Scott Pilgrim vs The World for Twitter supremacy.

And you know what? While Scott Pilgrim's been ahead of The Expendables for the last two days, The Expendables is gaining on it in Top Twitter Trends as of 11:10 PM PST , Friday. The Expendables is five spots down from the number-one-ranked Scott Pilgrim. But that means Scott Pilgrim can only go one way: down. Let's take a sample of the tweets from both films:

Scott Pilgrim vs the World on Twitter:

God_Damn_Batman
Scott Pilgrim vs The World is 113 minutes long. Scott Pilgrim vs The Batman? 1.84 seconds. That includes the credits.
about 12 hours ago via web
Top Tweet 100+ Retweets

AnnaKendrick47
Alright kids, Scott Pilgrim is in theaters TODAY. If this movie doesn't blow your mind, you are dead inside.
about 15 hours ago via mobile web
Top Tweet 100+ Retweets

radiomaru
THIS IS AMAZING! Scott Pilgrim movie trailer recreated with panels from the original comics! http://youtu.be/KIR2XYGDxCo
12:59 PM Aug 10th via TweetDeck
Top Tweet 100+ Retweets

ericpowerup
just got back from scott pilgrim.. thought it was great. Makes me wanna play No More Heroes again!
half a minute ago via web

volneydouglas
Scott Pilgrim was a really great movie. Why is it so hard to make a story new and unique? Take more creative risk like THIS Hollywood!
half a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone

The Expendables On Twitter

lionsgatemovies
THE #EXPENDABLES is now playing in theaters! Get showtimes and buy tickets now! http://bit.ly/cigwr8
about 13 hours ago via web
Promoted by Lionsgate Movies 26 Retweets

Mickey__Rourke
The Expendables opens this weekend. It kinda went way over budget. Likely because I kept stealing all their helicopters, but who's to say.
about 16 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
Top Tweet 100+ Retweets

michaelianblack
"The Expendables" is going to be the best movie I ever watch eight months from now on an airplane going someplace like Ohio.
about 17 hours ago via web
Top Tweet 100+ Retweets

ToryStarBabyyy
Do 1st Page!!!! http://www.projectpayday.com/go/2712583, Scott Pilgrim, Expendables, #fridaythe13th, #ismilewhen, DONA DELMA, SS3, Inception
half a minute ago via web

DJ_ASAD_MM
#expendables was one of the best action movies eva!!!!!!!!!
half a minute ago via HTC Peep

WSFStone
The Expendables with my boys: the first thing worth tweeting in a long time. Thanks sylvester
half a minute ago via txt

The main difference between Scott Pilgrim vs the World and The Expendables may not be obvious to you, so I'll help out. The Expendables tweet parade seems to have been started and helped along by Lionsgate, whereas Scott Pilgrim vs the World's tweet parade was established by geeks.

That means Scott Pilgrim vs the World will have greater staying power, or legs, whereas The Expendables will fall from Twitter and at the box office after two weeks of glory.

Black characters or no, and that's a sticking point in this corner, Scott Pilgrim vs the World has the makings of a pop-culture classic, just looking at the reactions all over the Internet. Still, the bet here is The Expendables niche as a bang-bang shoot-em up will sustain it through 2010.

Next week's box office stats will be interesting. Stay tuned.

Jersey Shore episode 3 season 2 by Nikky Raney

Jersey Shore's third episode of the second season aired Thursday, August 12 at 10 p.m. The episode focused mainly on the relationship between Ronnie and Sammi; there was also some reconciliation between the housemates and Angelina.

Ronnie announced to Sammi that she was his girlfriend while they were at work at the gelato shop. Later on we see Ronnie choosing to go out clubbing with the guys instead of staying home with Sammi. While he is out he dances with a few girls and ends up making out. Snooki and JWoww debate what to do about the fact that they both know and haven't told Sammi. They know it makes them look like bad friends, and they try to think of a plan.

At a club Snooki talks to Angelina and tells her if she confesses to all the bad things she has said about the other housemates that she will be forgiven and given a second chance. She admits to the all the bad things she said, and she is given a second chance.

MVP night stands for Mike, Vinnie, and Pauly. Angelina tried to get in on the action, but when Angelina had her back turned the boys sprinted out of the house.

The guys end up bringing home grenades and one of the girl's fake plastic breast falls out into the hot tub. At that point the guys decided that the girls needed to leave.

Snooki is on the phone with her boyfriend as she lays in the bean bad with Vinnie. She ends up getting in bed with Vinnie and they are both drunk. Snooki says, "Wanna F***?" Vinnie says, "Sure." There is never any proof that anything sexual happened between the two of them, but they woke up in the morning and Vinnie answered the phone when Snooki's boyfriend called.

There aren't many customers at the gelato shop so The Situation stands outside of the store shirtless trying to attract customers. It fails.

Next episode previews shows the truth coming out to Sammi about Ronnie. This season is better than the last one. Come back next week for the blog on episode 4.

All photos courtesy of MTV.com

Social Media, Social Networking, and Zennie62: a talk with Tonya Hall

Tonya Hall 

A Saturday morning talk on Social Media and Social Networking between Tonya Hall which is she @Barzhini and Zennie Abraham, uh, that's me here @zennie62.

And it's in the morning at 10 AM EDT, 7 AM PDT at (click here) TonyaHall.net (radio tab, listen live). Yep, the morning talk show at its best!  Pour some coffee!

Tonya Hall's show is called The Tonya Hall Show - Embracing the POWER of Social Media!, and she's had people like 140 Character Conference Founder Jeff Pulver, and Foursquare Founder Dennis Crowley as guests, so I'm in good company. But what are we going to talk about?

Well...

With the slow death of traditional media, and the increasing knowledge gap between established New Media players and the enormous number of new players entering the market, what should you do to not only become a competent user of New Media tool, but to stay relevant in a sea of constant change? That's one of the questions and issues Tonya and I will tackle.

I'm going to leave the rest of the conversation for you to consume, but keep in mind I've been in this space since the 1990s when I was in AOL chatrooms learning how to place links in my responses, to 2006, when I discovered something called video-blogging via a convention called "Vloggercon."

Here's a video preview of where our talk might go:

Using New Media At The DNC Convention - How Zennie62 Does It



What do you get out of SXSW other than Mark Cuban?



Stabbing at Comic Con 2010 - Man stabbed in face with pen at Resident Evil panel

Why this one? Because the video was created in response to a disturbance as it happened, and in total the news that something was happening at Comic Con traveled around the convention within what one observer estimated to be just 20 minutes. The video captures the chaos of the moment as I was standing in line to see the Marvel Entertainment Panel for The Avengers.



Check it out!