Happy Social Media Day! 

Mashable launched Social Media Day in 2010 as a way to recognize and celebrate social media's impact on global communication. While every day is essentially Social Media Day, June 30, 2015 marks the sixth-annual official global celebration.

In past years, meet-ups happened all over the world. celebrating Social Media Day, including those in Egypt, Spain, and San Diego. In fact, every year we have celebrated in Detroit with a rocking event. This year was no different!

Hosted by Social Media Association of Michigan (SMAMi) at MotorCity Casino & Hotel's SoundBoard, Social Media Day Detroit was held on Friday, June 26. The event kicked off with a great panel discussion about Detroit and technology and social media.



The panel was originally supposed to be focused on new ways to use technology to solve some of Detroit's problems, but it evolved into a deeper discussion about what those specific problems are and how they impact people’s lives. The esteemed panel included:

• David Anderson, CoFounder at Bamboo Detroit
• Piper Carter, CoFounder at Detroit Digital Justice Coalition
• Jake Cohen, Managing Partner at Detroit Venture Partners
• Michael Evans, Senior Developer at Loveland Technologies
• Edi Demaj, CoFounder at Rocket Fiber
• Jill Ford, Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the City of Detroit
• Niles Heron, CoFounder at Michigan Funders
• Alicia Jones, CEO at Harmony Point ITC

Wish you could have attended last week's Social Media Day Detroit panel discussion? You're in luck! Our friends over at IT in the D recorded the discussion. Click on the button below to start streaming the panel discussion.


After the panel discussion we had a great time celebrating and networking with each other.

Let's get this party started! #SMDayDet pic.twitter.com/aCIxF4lXoS

— MotorCity Casino (@MotorCityCasino) June 26, 2015

@SMAMiorg Hashtag Mitten, get it? #SMDayDet #SocialMitten #✋ pic.twitter.com/dXHBZ8wwDa

— Jenna B (@brown169) June 27, 2015

Great talking to the ladies at @yelpdetroit ! #smdaydet pic.twitter.com/pTyyjfRZLS

— Jenna B (@brown169) June 26, 2015

Enjoying #SMDayDet with @SMitchellMarket #SMDay #Detroit pic.twitter.com/FzsHPWuSsR

— Sara Nickleberry (@socialwithsara) June 26, 2015

Now broadcasting at Soundboard #Smdaydet pic.twitter.com/FK31jSN4xe

— IT in the D (@ITintheD) June 26, 2015

EPIC TWEETS #SMDayDet #SMDay #SMCD pic.twitter.com/np23emDNfk

— Joel Heckaman (@JHeckaman) June 27, 2015

As an added bonus, Governor, Rick Synder, has officially proclaimed June 30 as Social Media Day as a day of recognition in the State of Michigan.

The proclamation states we will celebrate June 30 as Social Media Day...

• WHEREAS, social media platforms have created a vibrant community for citizens to communicate with each other, universities, organizations and municipalities throughout the world; and,
• WHEREAS, state of Michigan leadership, departments, and programs have established a standard of excellence in social media communications, providing unprecedented customer service and transparency to constituents; and,
• WHEREAS, usage of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to provide interactive and effective means of messaging has evolved into real time event coverage, ideation, user generated content and a more participatory government; and,
• WHEREAS, Social Media Day, a globally recognized event, allows individuals to gather physically and virtually to celebrate the advancements of technology, information and interaction; and,
• WHEREAS, on this day, we recognize Michigan's social media users and we raise awareness of the important service these channels provide in government, business and education;
• NOW, THEREFORE, I, Rick Snyder, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim June 30, 2015 as Michigan Social Media Day.

Happy Social Media Day!
aka June 30th

By now you may or may not have heard about Mashable's sanctioned Social Media Day "holiday," which has been celebrated annual for six years running.

Mashable launched Social Media Day in 2010 as a way to recognize and celebrate social media's impact on global communication.

Attend a Social Media Day Meetup
There are hundreds of Social Media Day events happening around the world including those in Egypt, Spain, Las Vegas and San Diego so changes are there is a meetup taking place close to you. Use Mashable's tools to find local events. These are great places to meet and network with like-minded people and ultimately nerd-out over social media.

Thow a Social Media Day Party
If there isn't an event in your area, plan one! It might be too late now but you could always start planning for next year's event! Use the Mashable Meetup Organizers group for guidance.

But if you're like us in Detroit, we celebrated Social Media Day early so there isn't any organized event taking place on June 30. Here are some other options:

The Hashtag
Use the hashtag #SMday on Twitter to follow along with everything that is happening before and on June 30, Social Media Day. You can also follow @MashableEvents for a sneak speak of what's happening.


Collaborate
Join Mashable's Meetup Coordinators group on Facebook to learn more about all of the meetups that are taking place as well as initiatives for this year. You can network here too! If you are the one planning an event, this is also a great place for ideas.


Toolkit
Mashable has been nice enough to provide a toolkit for marketers or anyone working on anything Social Media Day related. This free, digital toolkit if full of logos and other goodies you may need.


Have any other great ideas for how to spend this year's Social Media Day? Leave them in the comments below.

I'm thrilled to celebrate Mashable's fifth annual Social Media Day again in Detroit!

Mashable launched this event in 2010 as a way to recognize the digital revolution happening right before our eyes. Each year, thousands of people organize hundreds of meetups across the globe. From Australia to the Philippines, all the way to Sri Lanka and Morocco, countries come together every June to participate in this global movement.

This year's Detroit even is being hosted on Friday, June 27 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. by the Social Media Association of Michigan at Tech Town, an urban research and technology business park in midtown Detroit that defines itself as a community of entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, service providers and corporate partners creating an internationally recognized entrepreneurial village in the city of Detroit.

Detroit's fifth annual Social Media Day event will begin with an educational panel discussion on Social Media 3.0 and taking social media to the next level, followed networking, entertainment, and fun giveaways!

The event is FREE however registration is required, click here to register.

If you're planning on celebrating in Detroit hit me up on Twitter (@katelynshelby) and we can hang out!

Happy Holiday, my fellow tech savvy friends! It's Social Media Day!

Us social media obsessed people are happy to celebrate the fourth annual Social Media Day, originated by Mashable! Social Media Day was launched in 2010 as a way to recognize the digital revolution happening right before our eyes. To celebrate social media enthusiasts across the country attend (or host) a Social Media Day Meetup (for a full list of local meetups, click here).

In Detroit, the place to be on Social Media Day is MotorCity Casino for their annual bash, where I have been partaking in the festivities in 2011 and 2012.  In previous years, I broadcasted live with my co-host Joe Carioti on Social Media Meltdown however this year we've decided to actually enjoy ourselves and mingle with the other attendees.


Here's what Detroit has going on tonight:


Event Panel with Twitter, Google and Mashable
We sat back and thought: "what would be a kick ass add-on for all the Social Media Personalities out there?"  How about a panel with 3 of the biggest names in Social moderated by MLIVE?  Confirmed speakers:
Twitter's Greg Myrick
Google's Zafar Razzacki
Mashable's Neha Shah
Moderator: MLive's Jen Eyer

Livio (@livioradio) and MotorCity Casino Hotel (@motorcitycasino) will once again be your hosts for the event! (Hashtags #SMDay #Det)

Other stufff you need to know:

1. Theme - "Generation D"The theme for 2013 is, "Generation D," in celebration of the new, entrepreneurial spirit and personal sense of responsibility Detroiters have taken on. The renewed spirit in Detroit has resulted in a cool infusion of technology, job opportunities and an exciting future ahead for the city.  
2. Tickets, Age Limit - 21+
3. Start-Up DetroitThis section was such a hit in 2012, we're bringing it back this year.  We're going to have an area just for local start-ups so you can get to know these folks before they're famous.  Some might even be hiring so don't be shy about introducing yourself.
4. Day of (more details to be added shortly)Doors open at 6p.m. and things are planned to wrap up around 10. We're likely going to have an afterparty - stay tuned for updates! 
5. Bring Your Gadgets.There's free Wi-Fi and given all the great photo, posting and blogging opportunities, the security frisking will be well worth it :-) Plus a constant stream on trending topics is a nice way to brag to all your friends that you were at the party of the summer. 
6. SponsorsWe're proud to announce MLive as the Official Media Sponsor and Live Nation as the Official Music Sponsor of Social Media Day Detroit 2013.We've planned another awesome night thanks to our incredible sponsors: Autobike, Chevrolet, Core Detroit, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, ePrize, Fathead, Gleaner's Community Food Bank, Lava.io, Little Caesars Pizza, Livio, Live Nation, Lush Yummies, MLive, MotorCity Casino Hotel, Quicken Loans/Opportunity Detroit, Twitter, U-Haul, Upto and Yelp!

  Are you planning on attending tonight festivities? If you're celebrating in Detroit hit me up on Twitter and we can hang out! @katelynshelby

Image: Mashable

Yesterday was, what was known as, the iPhone 5 Keynote at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. However, in addition to the iPhone 5, Apple also unveiled new iPods, a revamped iTunes and brand-new earphones, called EarPods that will ship with every Apple portable product.

I could write this lenghty piece about everything that happened yesterday, however Mashable did a fantastic job of live-blogging the entire day--complete with quotes, pictures, polls, and more--so why reinvent the wheel! It was great to follow along with yesterday while I was at work but if you're not trying to watch the extremely long keynote then scrolling through the live blog would be a great resource.

But if you want to spend a few hours watching it then more power to you! Apple posted a recording of the September 2012 Keynote, it can be viewed in its entirety here.

What did you think about the announcements? Did the event live up to the hype? I was expecting more of a wow factor with the iPhone 5 but I was pleasantly surprised with the updates to the iPods. I'm curious what everyone else thought!

Live in or around the city of Detroit and interested in attending? Pick up your free tickets here. 

To find a Social Media Day event near you, click here.

If you're attending and are interested in being part of the show, please contact me via a comment, Facebook, Twitter, or by email!

Launched in 2010, Mashable's Social Media Day was a way to recognize the digital revolution happening right before our eyes. Whether its reporting about new online networks on Mashable or listening to inspiring stories from our readers, we’ve seen how this increasingly connected world is quickly changing lives across the globe — and our community agrees.

 In 2010, there were more than 600 Meetups in 90 countries. That more than doubled in 2011 when there were more than 1,400 Meetups with thousands of attendees worldwide. Nine cities and one U.S. state have declared Social Media Day an official holiday.

Last year I attended Detroit's Social Media Day and did a live broadcast on social media with Girly Nerdy Goodness. This year Joe and I plan on going all out for an awesome live broadcast of Social Media Meltdown!

Detroit has yet to announce their official event plans so ours are still up in the air. Stay tuned for more details.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was this week in Las Vegas and companies pulled out all the stops to make sure this was an event to remember!

Most of the world is far too busy to keep up with CES. It's like a full-time job trying to keep up with who unveiled what and what is about to become the next big thing in technology! The news pours out faster than the technology becoming outdated. There's also a large chuck of people that don't care about CES because some very important, life-changing companies are not present at the event... like Apple (everything else is just a cheap knock off in comparison).

But there is more to CES then the competing superpowers, Microsoft and (the absent) Apple. Some of the coolest, strangest gadgets make their way into the mainstream by way of CES. So after asleepless night, I have compiled all the main highlights of CES.

Microsoft's flop.  Microsoft's keynote speech, which has been the opening CES spectacle since 1998, was entertaining but lacked the substance that the techies need to survive. Recently, Microsoft disclosed that they would not be a part of CES 2013, so this would be their last opening keynote.

From the host Ryan Seacrest to an on-stage choir singing tweets, Microsoft's show was incredibly entertaining... but none of it was technology news! This dog and pony show did nothing for the company's position in the marketplace and it definitely doesn't help to sell their products.

Microsoft pulling out of CES comes as no surprise to many. Apple doesn't participate in CES since they hold their own earth-shattering keynotes and events. Perhaps Microsoft will follow.

Justin Bieber likes robots.  It's safe to say that JB has had an awesome year. And what better way to start a new year then to endorse some robots...? Wait. What does Justin Bieber have to do with robots? No one knows. No one, including this Mashable reporter who just really wanted to see the robots but had to deal with the Biebers of CES.

I understand that the Biebs got his start through social media and technology (he was "discovered" on YouTube) but that doesn't really cross over to robots. However, someone thought that just because this robot dances, it's one in the same as JB.

And dance is all it does. The Tosy mRobo robot dances to the music that you upload to it. Lame. I want one that makes me a sandwich and does my laundry.

Waterproofing Tech Toys.  Liquipel debuted its revolutionary waterproofing process for your smart phones. This thin covering, which they claim "you'd need a powerful microscope to detect," protects your phone from spills and from being completely emerged without the need of a case. At this point, I'm sold! But some of you probably want to know what the price point is... the prices range (for the iPhone) from $59.99 to $79.99 depending on the type of skin. Not too bad! The only catch is that you have to cut ties with your device and send it to them. After they've received it, they'll have the job completed in about 3 days. Can you sacrifice these few days for a worry-free life where your phone and water can coexist in close proximity?

High Tech Baby Stroller. Not that I'm interested in stroller shopping but 4Moms has debuted the most sophisticated stroller on the market, the Origami. Origami is a power folding stroller in which the back wheels, when rotating, power a battery that can be used to charge and run plethora of gadgets. This high tech stroller comes with running lights, MP3 hookup, a LCD screen with tripometer, and, of course, a power folder. Perfect for the tech mom on the go.

iSpy the iPad 3 at CES.  According to iLounge, you may have been seen the iPad 3 at CES and not even have known it. That's right. According to their report, the next-generation tablet is almost unrecognizable unless it is compared side-by-side with the iPad 2. iLounge notes differences in:

• Body thickness - approximately 1mm increase
• Rear camera - larger than predecessor, silver ringed and similar to the iPhone 4s (minus the LED flash)
• Screen - rumors have suggested a smaller screen, however, nothing of the short was spotted at CES but it can still be expected

With these small of changes, I almost expect for this to be an iPad 2S. I feel as though we are in for another iPhone 5 deboggle where our expectations get so high then we are just left with a disappointing iPhone 4S at the unveiling.

However, the expected "unveiling" of the new iPad is between now and mid-2012 and a lot can change, pre-production wide. So who knows what the finished product will be!

What else did I miss? Did some of you have more time to follow the releases more closely than I did? I'd love to hear what excited you!