PR and Social InkLings for the Week of September 5

Facebook Jams, Toyota "Diggs" Itself Out, Remembering 9/11, The 10 Commandments...of Steve Jobs, Yahoo Fires CEO and Google Buys Zagat

Facebook to Launch Music Platform

Will Facebook soon be dominating the online music service scene? It’s possible. The site intends to launch its music service next month with Spotify, MOG and Rdio as three of the company’s partners. The new platform will most likely be announced at Facebook’s developer conference on September 22, and will allow Facebookers to listen to music from within the site. Of the new venture’s predicted success, Mashable’s Pete Cashmore said, “Why wouldn’t everyone in the world want to listen to and share free music with friends? This is the web equivalent of giving away free ice cream.” By providing free music to millions of people, Facebook is encouraging users to stay on the site longer and is expanding to become a platform for media content the same way it did for applications and games. It seems like a guaranteed success to me…because seriously, who doesn’t like free ice cream?

How Toyota Used Social Media to “Digg” Itself Out of a PR Nightmare

We all remember when Toyota recalled over two million vehicles due to faulty accelerator pedals, and, as a result, their previously pristine reputation took a huge hit. When customers flocked to Twitter and other social media sites to voice their concerns, Toyota’s digital team, which was only a few months old at the time, knew it had to join the conversation. Enter Digg, and a video interview with Jim Lentz, Toyota’s president of North American sales. Lentz fielded questions during a 28-minute interview and within a week the video had reached over one million people. This study shows how Toyota has been able bounce back, and how the Digg video played a huge role in giving Toyota “the appearance of achieving social media branding nirvana: Transparency.”

9/11 iPad App Documents 10 Years at Ground Zero

The tenth anniversary of 9/11 is this Sunday, and people will be taking time to think about those who lost their lives and reflect on where they were on that tragic day. This year, New York-based documentary producer Steve Rosenbaum is sharing a selection from his collection of more than 22,000 images and videos with the public via an iPad app. The app provides facts about the Twin Towers’ construction, details about the day of the attack and information about the National 9/11 Museum’s creation. Rosenbaum says the iPad app was designed so people could skip around to the parts they wanted to see. The app is free for the first eleven days -- find out more here.

Infographic: The 10 Commandments of Steve Jobs

Recently, Apple CEO, technology icon and all-around “magic man” Steve Jobs resigned. After battling pancreatic cancer for the past few years, the announcement didn’t come as much as a shock. Jobs will remain involved in the company as elected chairman of the board and Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook has been named acting CEO. From the first Apple computer, to iTunes, iPad and the iCloud, Jobs encouraged an entire generation to think about things in a new, innovative way. Check out this infographic that highlights some of his words of wisdom.

Carol Bartz Rips Yahoo Board

This week, after only two years, Carol Bartz was “dismissed” from her CEO position at Yahoo. The real reason behind this decision is debatable, but some believe it was Bartz’s gruff personality and frequent public cursing. Bartz believes the Yahoo board was simply flexing its muscles, trying to disprove its reputation of being inactive and inept… and she’s not keeping quiet about it either. Get the bleep button ready and read on here.

Google Buys Zagat

Google recently announced that it has acquired seasoned restaurant rater Zagat for an undisclosed amount. Probably prompted by the desire to compete directly with Yelp, the acquisition will allow Google to add to its daily deals service Google Offers. In the past, in addition to Yelp, Google failed to acquire another well-known daily deal site, Groupon. Find out more about what the collaboration will bring here. Rumors are already swirling about Google starting its own restaurant reservation service, leveraging its existing relationships with restaurants that advertise on it. Congrats, Google – now you can tell me who has the best tiramisu AND show me how to get there. I give you a 26.5 rating.