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"Klout has had a busy few weeks, unleashing an iPhone app, brand pages and a new API. But more changes are on deck. \nKlout CEO Joe Fernandez hinted at those developments on stage and backstage at Mashable Connect in Orlando.\nThe San Francisco-based startup will announce this month four more partners for its version of brand pages \u2014 Brand Squads. The feature launched in April with Red Bull. \nFernandez also says users should anticipate a redesigned website this year, possibly rolling out this summer.\nKlout's February acquisition of BlockBoard, an app that gives people a way to communicate with neighbors, will eventually spawn a new local feature on Klout. Fernandez was sparse on details but says ideas are still in \"white board\" phase. \n\"We're going to be an incredible tool to help people; right now we're just a benchmark,\" Fernandez said in an onstage interview with Mashable's Lance Ulanoff.\n\u201CThere's no way to get around the fact that we put a number next to your face and it's tied to your ego.\"\nFernandez, aware of some of the negative feedback people dish about Klout, asserts that the good and bad buzz is a \"huge victory.\"\n\"There's no way to get around the fact that we put a number next to your face and it's tied to your ego,\" he says. \"I think the controversy and conversation around what we're doing is ultimately good. The world is changing and we're doing something completely new.\"\nThe still-in-beta Klout measures influence on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Foursquare to assign Klout users scores from 0 to 100, but its algorithm is hush-hush so people don't game the system. \n\nTo watch Joe Fernandez's \"The Truth About Online Reputation\" session in full, click here\nProdded by Ulanoff to disclose more details about the algorithm, Fernandez discussed Klout's evolution of tracking influence, saying calculations began on an Excel spreadsheet before becoming too \"dynamic\" for that as more social networks were integrated onto Klout. \n\"We generally look at Twitter, Facebook and Google+,\" he says. But \"there's definitely a weighting system.\"\nHe also reminded the audience that the algorithm measures each user's top social network first \u2014 primarily Twitter or Facebook \u2014 and the others are additive, meaning adding more networks would never lower a person's Klout score.\n\"I don't think we've really built the real Klout product yet \u2014 what you see now on Klout is just a thin layer of what the data is,\" Fernandez says. \"It's something we're excited to move beyond.\"\nBONUS: What Else Does Klout Have in Store for 2012?\nLooking ahead, Klout is still building scoring models for seven more services (YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Blogger, WordPress.com, Last.fm and Flickr) that have already been integrated onto Klout users\u2019 dashboards. Klout also plans to add Quora, Yelp, Posterous, Livefyre, Disqus, bit.ly and BranchOut.\n\nSEE ALSO: The Remarkable Story of How Klout Got Started [VIDEO]\nKlout likely will continue improving its Topics feature (see screenshots below) and Klout Perks platform. The Topics feature, which rolled out in September and lets you gain insights on top influencers and +K recipients for specific content areas, got a visual update in December with a \"sashes\" and an \"Add a Topic\" button. \nAnother feature on the horizon is an \"oAuth2-based authentication system\" that will soon let users give +Ks to people from outside of Klout.com. For example, a person might give someone else a +K while browsing Tumblr. \n\n\nKlout Topics\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClickable Topics on Your Dashboard\n\nOn your Klout dashboard, you can click on a topic to open its Topic Page.\nIn December 2011, Klout rolled out sashes and an \"Add a Topic\" button. A blue sash goes to users with the most +Ks for any topic, while a gold sash is given to influencers based on Klout's algorithm. People who fall into both categories receive a blue-and-gold sash. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSocial Media Topic Page\nFor example, here's the social media Topic Page, which displays top influencers and top +K recipients.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJournalism Topic Page\nHere's the journalism Topic page.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTop +K Recipients\nYou can click on \"Top +K Recipients\" to get a closer look at which users are snagging the most +Ks.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBest Content Stream\nThe \"Best Content\" tab will show you popular content from the past 90 days.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMashable Connect 2012: Day 2\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLeslie Berland\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLeslie Berland\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Crowd Interacts\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHow Hiscox Made the \u2018Leap\u2019 Into Branded Entertainment\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlexander Ljung\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFriday Morning Speakers\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLawrence Lessig\nLawrence Lessig, Roy L. Furman Professor of Law &amp; Leadership for Harvard Law School, talked about SOPA and PIPA's aftermath.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLawrence Lessig\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEngagement\nThe crowd is encouraged to ask questions to the panelists.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJune Cohen\nTED Executive Producer June Cohen talks about TED's content strategy at Mashable Connect.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPeter Weijmarshausen\nPeter Weijmarshausen, CEO of Shapeways, talked about, \"The Future of Stuff: The Rise of Creative Commerce\".\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Evolution of the Second Screen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Evolution of the Second Screen\nThis panel features Randy Shiozaki, Co-founder of TVplus, Miguel Monteverde, Vice President of Digital Media for Discovery Communications, Scott Rosenberg, CEO and co-founder of Umami, and was moderated by Mashable Entertainment Editor Christina Warren.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJeff Ragovin\nJeff Ragovin, the co-founder and CSO of Buddy Media, talked about social media impacts shareholder value.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJeff Ragovin\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDermot McCormack\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDermot McCormack\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDermot McCormack\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDermot McCormack\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreakout Sessions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreakout Sessions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreakout Sessions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreakout Sessions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreakout Sessions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreakout Sessions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreakout Sessions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreakout Sessions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBreakout Sessions\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMashable Connect Sponsors\n\n\nBuddy Media is the social enterprise software of choice for eight of the world's top ten global advertisers, empowering them to build and maintain relationships with their consumers in a connections-based world. The Buddy Media social marketing suite helps brands build powerful connections globally with its scalable, secure architecture and data-driven customer insights from initial point of contact through point of purchase. For more information, visit http://www.buddymedia.com.\n\n\nAT&amp;T is bringing it all together for our customers, from revolutionary smartphones to next-generation TV services and sophisticated solutions for multi-national businesses. For more than a century, we have consistently provided innovative, reliable, high-quality products and services and excellent customer care. For more, visit http://www.att.com.\n\n\nBarnes &amp; Noble College Marketing (BNCM) helps brands thrive on campus. It is a division of Barnes &amp; Noble College Booksellers, LLC., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes &amp; Noble, Inc. that operates more than 640 college bookstores across the country, serving more than 4.7 million students and faculty members. BNCM has the on-campus access and student understanding to deliver superior marketing programs for its brand partners. BNCM\u2019s capabilities include: experiential and event marketing; product sampling, sweepstakes and promotions; digital marketing (social, email, web); on-campus advertising and postering; and programs targeting freshmen, graduates, alumni and athletic event fans. Visit www.bncollegemarketing.com. \n\n\nHiscox specializes in tailored insurance coverage for a range of professional services firms in industries like IT, marketing, consulting and more. Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. has been protecting clients for over 100 years and is rated 'A' (Excellent) for financial strength by A.M. Best.\nWe offer professional liability insurance, general liability insurance and other policies direct, either online or over the phone, with customized coverage starting from just $22.50/month.\nVisit hiscoxusa.com/smallbiz for a fast, free quote now.\n\n\nWebtrends powers digital marketing success.  Webtrends is at the forefront of real-time digital marketing relevance and customer experience management through unified customer intelligence.  Our industry-leading analytics across mobile, social and web enables marketers to optimize campaigns, maximize customer lifetime value and deliver highly relevant digital brand experiences in real-time.\nWebtrends dramatically improves digital marketing results for more than 3,500 global brands including, in EMEA and internationally, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, HSBC, ASOS, Orange, T-Mobile, Microsoft, BMW, Toyota, Play.com, AllSaints, The Telegraph, and many more.\nwww.webtrends.com\n\n\nDefinition 6 is a Unified Marketing Agency that creates brand experiences that unite brands and people in motion. Through imagination, innovation and insight, we execute ideas that deliver continued value across all brand interactions. For more information, please visit http://www.definition6.com.\n\n\nThe Adobe Digital Marketing Suite is an integrated set of applications which allow businesses to gather customer insight and optimize advertising, conversion and retention efforts as well as the creation and distribution of content. For example, using the Suite, marketers can identify the most effective marketing strategies and ad placements as well as create relevant, personalized and consistent customer experiences across digital marketing channels, such as onsite, display, e-mail, social, video and mobile. The Suite enables marketers to automatically adjust to customer interactions and better maximize marketing ROI, which leads to a positive impact the bottom line.\nhttp://www.adobe.com/solutions/digital-marketing.html\n\n\nThe leading resource for human resource and business leaders to explore and discuss the latest workforce and workplace trends including social innovation\u2014providing the in-depth research and insights needed to adapt and take advantage of what\u2019s next.   \nwww.shrm.org"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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