We’re just about a week away from the flurry of events around ONA12 — just in time for a few updates and surprises!

NASA lands on ONA12
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leads the $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory mission, which dropped the 1-ton Curiosity rover on the Red Planet’s surface Aug. 5. The impressive social media team managed to explode the Internet, building 1.1 million Twitter followers for the mission. Join us for the Friday Night Networking Keynote with Veronica McGregor, News and Social Media Manager, and Stephanie Smith, Social Media Specialist, of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They’ll share insight on how they managed their brand across YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Ustream.tv and Google+ — plus some cool memes and videos from landing night.

The Midway @ ONA12
Looking for a chance to get your hands dirty with some new tools, dive deeper into current platforms and have your mind blown by the industry’s innovators? The Midway is jam-packed with excitement you won’t want to miss. Follow theMidway.tumblr.com for details and look for us to roll out information on all Midway happenings throughout the next week. Get updates at the conference by following #ONA12MW on Twitter. 

Get ready to get your uncon on
Maybe a session you pitched earlier wasn’t selected for the official ONA12 schedule. Maybe you’re experiencing a newsroom debacle and want to brainstorm solutions with others. Maybe you have a model that works and you absolutely need to spread the word. The Unconference sessions give you the chance (and allotted room space and schedule times) to discuss the ideas that matter to you.

Starting today, you can submit your pitches on Tumblr, on our Google form or via email. You’ll have until the end of the Opening Reception (9:30 p.m. PT on Thursday, Sept. 20) to send in your ideas. Voting will begin that evening and continue through 5 p.m. PT on Friday, Sept. 21. We’ll announce the winning sessions before the Friday night keynote at 6 p.m.

If you have questions about how the Unconference works, just let us know. Happy brainstorming!

Follow Team Unconference: Jessica, Tauhid and Gina.

Techraking II: Gaming the News
Are you a journalist, gamer, developer, or designer interested in making news games more awesome? ONA is partnering with the Center for Investigative Reporting and others to bring you TechRaking II: Gaming the News, the second conference in the TechRaking Series to explore the intersection of gaming technology and news. Join us for a full-day design sprint Sept. 19 in San Francisco. We’ll spend the morning exploring best practices in gaming the news and build together in the afternoon. Cost is $50. RSVP on Eventbrite: http://techraking2openreg.eventbrite.com/