After all, with death chasing every ad-revenue-fueled startup these days, surely we must have been scrambling over the last few months! The other freemium services I spoke about on the podcast are Skype : free calls on mobile and on computer – but pay for voicemail and SMS. We look at Freemium revenue in social networks and online communities including asking that: if freemium is the business model of giving it all (or most) of the services away for free , how can you then charge for it? And what is free stuff anyway – marketing? advertising? mugs game?  Too weird. MORE >>

I scoured my Reader and fired off a few links (including some about social networks and tech companies and startups); and it seemed like a good idea to repost them here with a couple of additional ones I’ve seen since. This post on SmartBlog on Social Media is an interview with the Mgive Foundation, which helps nonprofits implement fundraising campaigns using mobile and SMS. uberShare is a startup technology company that has also set up relief efforts. There is also acurated list of links to current news articles about the earthquakeand reactor situations&#. do now!). MORE >>

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Rob also looks backs on the ’social discovery’ startups that left their mark on SXSW. billion in lost SMS revenue last year. Many startups are catching on to the business development catalyst that APIs can be, but certainly few would say that ESPN, the self-tagged “world leader in sports,” needs as much help in that department as the many startups out there just trying to get off the ground. examine a recent report from Ovum that claims social messaging applications cost mobile network operators $13.9 See companion sidebar post.). Warning! You name it. MORE >>

Geeks working on startups are notorious for not getting out much. With projects taking precedence over casual connections, it's not unsurprising some startup addicts gain a feeling of isolation. new gambit called LunchTree , targeting the Bay Area startup community, is hoping to put a dent in this, helping people meet with similar interests over one meal a week, on Tuesdays. Slaving in front of computer terminals at odd hours, the option of lunch often takes on a familiar routine - the same locations, the same people. even the meals themselves become things of habit. MORE >>