Misbehaviour is rising.
Test scores are falling.
The superintendent needs answers now.
From an architect.
Advertising Agency: Sengeworks, Baltimore, USA
Art Director: Bill Senge
Copywriter: Scott Rasmussen
Photographer: Jason Hetherington
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
AIA (American Institute of Architects): Sick kid »»
He feels yucky.
He's frightened.
He has butterflies in his stomach.
Get an architect in here stat.
Advertising Agency: Sengeworks, Baltimore, USA
Art Director: Bill Senge
Copywriter: Scott Rasmussen
Photographer: Jason Hetherington
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
Mom's cranky.
Dad's irritable.
The kids are grouchy.
Everybody needs counseling.
With an architect.
Advertising Agency: Sengeworks, Baltimore, USA
Art Director: Bill Senge
Copywriter: Scott Rasmussen
Photographer: Jason Hetherington
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
AIA (American Institute of Architects): Inmates »»
The inmates are testy.
The guards are edgy.
Time for an intervention.
By an architect.
Advertising Agency: Sengeworks, Baltimore, USA
Art Director: Bill Senge
Copywriter: Scott Rasmussen
Photographer: Jason Hetherington
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
Nasty Data-Stealing Bug Haunts Internet Explorer 8 »»
Trailrunner7 writes "There's an unpatched vulnerability in Internet Explorer 8 that enables simple data-stealing attacks by Web-based attackers and could lead to an attacker hijacking a user's authenticated session on a third-party site. The flaw, which a researcher said may have been known since 2008, lies in the way IE8 handles CSS. The vulnerability can be exploited through an attack scenario known as cross-domain theft, and researcher Chris Evans originally brought the problem to light in a blog post in December. At the time, all of the major browsers were vulnerable to the attack, but since then, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera all have implemented a simple defense mechanism. The upshot of this is that if a victim has visited a given Web site, authenticated himself to the site, and then visits a site controlled by an attacker, the attacker would have the ability to hijack the user's session and extract supposedly confidential data. This attack works on the latest, fully patched release of IE8."
12 iPhone Apps For Exploring The Great Outdoors »»
For much of the world, the beginning of fall means that warm, comfortable hiking weather is coming to an end. In other words, it’s time to start saving up fresh air for a winter of avoiding the outdoors.
With this week’s announcement that HDR filtering was coming to iOS devices in the next revision (4.1), I thought I’d try taking a photo of my living room with True HDR:
Not bad. But, here’s the same angle as snapped by Pro HDR:
The difference is like night and day (or, indoors and outdoors). “True” gave better balance between dark and lighter areas of a scene, but “Pro” produced a substantially more vibrant photo. I needed to try it again. Again, with default settings in True HDR:
If I had a couple of bucks to spend again, I’d stick with Pro HDR. Not to say that it took perfect shots, but at least I’m given sliders to better adjust output. I honestly wish I hadn’t purchased True HDR, as even in “enhanced” mode, it continuously left images looking flat and washed out. I’m not using it incorrectly, either.
Google To Pay $8.5 Million In Buzz Privacy Settlement »»
eldavojohn writes "Google's Buzz service will cost the company $8.5 million in settling a class action lawsuit related to the privacy debacle from the days after its release. Ars reports: 'In the proposed settlement submitted to the court this week, Google agreed to make efforts to better educate Buzz users on issues of privacy and the particular privacy features that Buzz offers. Additionally, Google also agreed to pay out $8.5 million to a fund which will be disbursed as cy pres awards for organizations that focus on Internet privacy policy or education.' In other words, the victims (Buzz users) won't see any of that money, but it will be used to promote healthy Internet privacy policies." Several readers have also noted that Google has simplified its privacy policy, condensing a number of product-specific policies into one and adding a privacy tools page in an effort to make everything more easily understood.
I have been spending time on Quora answering questions around Dogpatch Labs, incubators, venture capital, etc. As I receive some questions frequently, I thought it would be worth while to re-purpose my answer for a ... Comment | Read more...
AP - Craigslist appears to have surrendered in a legal fight over erotic ads posted on its website, shutting down its adult services section Saturday and replacing it with a black bar that simply says "censored."
Craigslist.com blocks access to adult services ads
(Reuters) »»
Reuters - Craigslist.com has dropped its "adult services" listings, which have become the target of U.S. state attorneys general who say the much-visited online classified ad site is not doing enough to quash prostitution. Comment | Read more...
Craigslist’s Adult Services Replaced With “Censored” Bar »»
Craigslist’s “Adult Services” section — a digital red light district that has been the subject of many controversies — has been removed in all U.S. markets. The front page link to Adult Services has been replaced with a black bar…
Glad to see price increases for SxSW Interactive 2011 »»
I’ve just completed my registration for SxSW 2011 and was pleasantly surprised to see that the organizers have increased the price of Interactive badges by ~15% for early-bird and ~40% for the on-site price. SxSW Interactive 2010 prices were $395 (early-bird) and $550 (on-site), SxSW Interactive 2011 prices are $450 (early-bird) and a whopping $750 [...] Comment | Read more...
Simon Singh Talks With Wired About His Libel Battle »»
smellsofbikes writes "Wired has a short but pithy interview with Simon Singh about his defense against a libel suit brought by the British Chiropractic Association, in which he spent more than $200,000 and emerged victorious."
Agencies and designers are typically diligent at adding their powered by to the footer of the sites and applications they build, but I’m surprised at how many don’t utilize that opportunity to gain some search engine ranking. When I explain search engine optimization and ranking to folks, I typically explain it this way: On-page Keyword [...]
Corporate Blogging for Dummies is now available on Amazon and in book stores. Check out our new site, Corporate Blogging Tips, to find out what events that we'll be speaking at.
Got an event? Let us know that as well - we're looking forward to going on tour later this year.
If you fired up the ol’ Twitter machine on Sunday night, you probably won’t be surprised to see Jimmy Fallon’s Emmy Awards nab the number one spot on this week’s chart. Not only are award shows a boon…
Advertising Agency: TBWA, Vancouver, Canada Creative Director: Paul Little Art Director: John Williamson Copywriter: Mia Thomsett Production: Steve Coulter, Cheryl Bailey Comment | Read more...
A couple weeks ago, Facebook officially opened their new office in Seattle, WA. At the time, Facebook's Ari Steinberg (the main engineer in charge up there) wrote a post and shared a few pictures of what it looks like. But those pictures sort of made it look like a dismal, dreary version of Office Space (I know Seattle is cloudy all the time, but come on). So we've got a few better ones that show actual signs of life.
Just as when Facebook opened their new Bay Area office, and when Twitter opened their office, I think it's sort of neat to see pictures inside these offices -- to see where the sausage is made. We've been thinking about doing something like this for TechCrunch TV as well -- think: Cribs for tech startups. We'll expose ridiculous murals and raid startups' fridges. Would that interest you? Comment | Read more...
Beyond the content, there are a lot of things I like about Jason Falls’s Social Media Explorer. First, I like his very thin header bar. It gives me lots more “top of the fold” for his site. I like his choice of navigation at the top. (That’s number one.) The Top Right I like the [...] Comment | Read more...
pickens writes "The NY Times weekend magazine has a long profile, well worth reading, of self-described 'working actor' William Shatner. He began acting at age 6 and at one point in the late 1950s was mentioned in the same breath as his contemporaries Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Robert Redford — until, without explanation, his career faded before it bloomed. Shatner, now 79, pulls no punches in his memories of the Star Trek years. 'I never thought it'd become a big deal, just 13 episodes and out,' says Shatner. 'I didn't think I was hard to get along with. There were a few disaffected actors who came in once a week. I had nothing to do with them. Friendly! I was working seven days a week, learning 10 pages of dialogue a day. They had one line!' Which was the beginning of the William Shatner character. 'They said I was this William Shatner character, and I figured I had to be it. Pompous, takes himself seriously, hardheaded.' Shatner said that that character evolved slowly, until one day he realized he couldn’t change it. 'So I played it. But I didn’t see it. That character doesn’t seem like me to me. I know the real William Shatner.'"
Does Apple Value Secrecy More Than The Environment? »»
According to new research from Pew Internet, 82% of American adults own a cell phone, Blackberry, iPhone or other similar devices. And 65% of adults who own them say they have slept with their cell phones on or right next to their beds.
Yet consumers don’t know what these devices are made of exactly, and what their environmental and health impact may be. Phone manufacturers aren't required to share all the details. Some do anyway.
Not Apple, though... Comment | Read more...
White House Fingers PlayStation As Obesity Culprit »»
theodp writes "The winners of the childhood obesity infographic design contest sponsored by GOOD and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative are in, and the overall winner calls out Sony's PlayStation as a major milestone on its timeline of childhood obesity (together with Coke, Pepsi, mall food courts, fructose and high sugar tariffs, TV, McDonald's, and other fast food). Somewhat ironically, the First Lady's other anti-childhood obesity efforts include a $60,000 video game contest."
Aiptek I2 Shoots 3D Video on a Budget
(PC World) »»
PC World - Aiptek has introduced the i2, a pocket-sized twin lens camcorder that can record 3D video, at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. Comment | Read more...
New Copyright Lawsuits Go After Porn On Bittorrent »»
neoflexycurrent writes "Three adult media entertainment producers filed suit Thursday in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleging copyright infringement against hundreds of anonymous defendants accused of trading videos using Bittorrent. This kind of action resembles the much-criticized mass litigation undertaken by the US Copyright Group against hordes of unknown accused Bittorrent users trading movies like The Hurt Locker. In this case, the subject matter promises to be more provocative."
Editor's note: The following guest post is by Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, the CEO of WatchMojo, a producer and distributor of premium video content. Read his other posts here, or follow him on Twitter @ashkan
My cohort at Revision 3, CEO Jim Louderback, recently wrote an article called "Screw Viral Videos." Why? Because according to Louderback, “viral videos deliver little or no value to anyone.” Which led me to wonder: what about content farms?
The Definition of Content Farms
While no official description exists yet, a content farm is the term given to a website or media organization that
seeks to maximize content production output
while minimizing production costs
to acquire as much organic search traffic as possible
with the main intent of converting that traffic into revenue, generally from advertising.
The Ink of War: Afghanistan Air Base's Best Tattoos »»
Tattooing, an aggressive and intimidating mixture of endurance and art, is as old as warfare itself. But each generation, and each war, yields its own warrior body art. In Afghanistan, America's longest war, troop tats have matured alongside the culture's growing acceptance of ink.
Kanye West Loves Twitter, And We Love Twitter For Kanye West’s Tweets »»
You'll forgive me for sneaking in some pop culture in the mix because it's Saturday and all, right? Rapper Kanye West is having a bit of a moment on Twitter the past few hours, apologizing for the Taylor Swift incident from last year when he stormed the stage during the artist's acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards to complain that Beyonce should have won the Best Female Video award instead.
But not just that. He's also making it crystal clear, as others have before him admittedly, that Twitter has changed the way celebrities interact with their fans and anyone who's interested in what they have to say really. And slamming mainstream media in the process. Comment | Read more...
I was going to skip writing a blog post today since it's the start of the Labor Day weekend and there isn't much online activity going on. But, hey I'm still at my computer, so why not?
Kinect's Israeli partner sees a remoteless world
(AP) »»
AP - Inon Beracha envisions a world where your movements control the gadgets and devices around you. There's no remote control to lose, no buttons to push. The air conditioner senses your presence and changes the temperature to your liking. Comment | Read more...
Will Bad Grammar Reflect Your Online Brand Poorly? »»
If you're like many other social media participants, you've likely made some grammatical, spelling, or typo boo-boos in your online communication. Heck, I've been known to do that from time to time. :) BUT, what if you use bad grammar consistently? Will it reflect your online brand poorly?
RandyDownes sends word that Canonical has released the beta version of Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat). The release announcement boasts faster boot times, GNOME 2.31, and a speedier version of Evolution. In addition, "The Ubuntu Software Center has an updated look and feel, including the new 'Featured' and 'What's New' views for showcasing applications, and an improved package description view. You can now easily access your package installation history too." The release notes and download page are both available.
Take Heed, Tech Giants: Edison's Failed Plot to Hijack Hollywood »»
Take heed, tech giants of today. Some of your companies or services aren’t much older than the Edison Trust Studios was when it collapsed. How much of your current business strategy is based on offering new and original products, and how much of it is based on laws, courts, and the fact that you got there first?
Off Topic: Please Support My Walk Against Cancer »»
Sorry to interrupt my regular flow of blog posts to introduce a personal appeal. This is a picture of my sister, Susan Cutler, who was a very active and fun-loving woman. She died of cancer when she was only 38, leaving behind a husband and two children. While that was devastating for our family, the [...] Comment | Read more...
Motorola ad jabs at iPhone: Need Flash? There's a phone for that »»
The latest zinger of an ad that clearly pokes at the iPhone comes in the form of a full-page Motorola Wall Street Journal ad.
Tech Industry Managers: Little Men in Big Shoes? »»
When I was ready to transition from computer programmer to project manager, my employer, Xerox Corporation, sent me to its huge training center in Leesburg, Virginia. Over two weeks, the people there taught me some of the skills I needed in order to succeed in my new role: managing projects, motivating people, complying with employment regulations, and preparing status reports and presentations. The company also encouraged me to complete an MBA, on a part-time basis, at New York University. It gave me lots of time off and paid for the tuition.
Tech companies in the internet era offer their employees some great perks. But do you think that Facebook, Groupon, or Zynga provide budding professionals with any serious management training? Not at all. Given the way tech companies grow and the HR challenges they face, management training and career development are more important than ever. But few have the time—they are too busy surviving. Comment | Read more...
Kanye West and How Twitter Has Changed the Way We Communicate
(Mashable) »»
Mashable - If you needed any more proof that Twitter has transformed how we absorb information and communicate, look no further than Kanye West. Comment | Read more...
An anonymous reader writes "Scammers and spammers have deluged the new Ping musical social network, created by Apple and built into the new version of iTunes. Sophos researchers have found that Ping is being overrun by scams and spam messages. 'Apple seems to have anticipated a certain degree of malfeasance, as profile pictures that you upload will not appear until approved by Apple. They are likely filtering for other offensive content as well, so they probably have means in place they could use to stop the spam.' It's ironic that the most common scams on Ping right now revolve around Apple's own iPhone." The Sophos blog post adds that Apple is doing their best to clamp down on the spam, manually deleting many of the offending messages for now. Reader Tootech adds that Facebook integration was quickly disabled, possibly because of blocked API access.
This post was originally in YOUmoz, and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc.
How do I recap the SEOmoz PRO Seminar session on Uncovering a Hidden Technique for SEO? The title is so attractive that it produces Pavlonian symptoms as we salivate at the thought of uncovering a hidden SEO treasure. Ben Hendrickson of SEOmoz presented a model which appears to show how Google may assigning relevance to keyword terms based on context - topical relevance.
Is Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) that hidden jackpot?
1st - LDA is not new nor something SEOmoz invented. The Information Retrieval model has been around for 7 or 8 years, and IR geeks have talked about it before. There are a number of resources, as well as nay saying, about LDA and Google's possible use of it.
2nd - What is new is SEOmoz's LDA Topics Tool that produces a relevancy score based off a query (search term). It enables one to play with words that may increase a page's relevancy in the eyes of Google. It shows words that help Google determine how relevant the page is to a user's search query.
Game Changer?
Kyle Stone tweeted that the LDA tool is a game changer, and many retweeted.
Is SEOmoz's LDA tool a game changer? That's yet to be seen. The goal is to report Ben's research as presented at the Mozinar and how a layman (myself) interprets such. Rand is going to do a follow-up post to explain more.
Why all the hype?
The SEO Challenge
SEOs face the continual challenge of figuring out Google's hidden ranking algorithms. How do we rank higher? Which signals are the most important? We know search engines are "learning models" that attempt to understand "context” of words. Google has said for years that webmasters should concentrate most on providing good relevant (contextual) content.
There are ways to rank higher. Is it as easy as 1, 2, 3?
Create quality copy with keyword(s) on the page along with associated anchor text links.
Get good links.
What Ben talked about in this session.
LDA - Topic Modeling & Analysis
Latent Dirichlet Allocation, in layman's terms, translates to "topic modeling." In search geek terms, LDA is the following formula:
(Did you digest that? Don't worry; Mozzers groaned and laughed at the same time. PLUS: Scientist Hendrickson delivered this session after lunch!)
LDA Simplified - Here is Ben's way of explaining topic modeling:
(Okay, I was once proud that I got an A in Logic and Combinatorics - discrete math/set theory. However, that computer science class now feels like basic math compared to this formula.)
It made more sense when Rand Fishkin joined Ben on stage and when Todd Freisen moderated and deciphered during Q&A. (Manuela Sanches of Brazil was sitting next to me and said that Ben's "presentation needed subtitles!")
The objective of LDA, from my deciphering of Greek, is to understand how Google is using semantic contextual analysis combined with other signals, to define topics/concepts. It's how Google analyzes the words on a page to determine the "set" to which a word belongs - how relevant a search query is to pages in its database.
For example: How does Google assign relevance to the word "orange" on a page? They determine orange is related to the fruit set or to the color set by page context.
LDA Defined:
"Latent Dirichlet Allocation (Blei et al, 2003) is a powerful learning algorithm for automatically and jointly clustering words into "topics" and documents into mixtures of topics. It has been successfully applied to model change in scientific fields over time (Griffiths and Steyver, 2004; Hall, et al. 2008).
A topic model is, roughly, a hierarchical Bayesian model that associates with each document a probability distribution over "topics", which are in turn distributions over words."
Bayesian - ah, a term I recognize!! Bayesian spam filtering is a method used to detect spam. It draws off a database and learns the meaning of words. It's "trained" by us when we mark an email as spam. It looks at incoming emails and calculates the probability that the content of an email is contextually spammy.
I found a PowerPoint presentation about Bayesian Inference Techniques by Microsoft Research from 2004 that presents the possibility of using LDA. Go to slide 54 and read:
"Can we build a general-purpose inference engine which automates these procedures?"
Microsoft has been looking at LDA models. Do search engines use it as one of their primary methods?
Ben sampled over 8 million documents with approx. 1,000 queries. He believes Google is using LDA topic modeling to determine (learn) what words mean by their associations with, relevance to, other words on the page. (Other factors are included.) Ben called the results a "co-occurrence explanation" that use a "cosine similarity."
SEO Takeaway:
Results that are higher in Google SERPs, in general, have more topical content.
Search engines do APPEAR to apply semantic analysisÂ… when indexing a page and determining the intent of the words on the page.
Rand tweeted an explanation (in 140 x 4) as follows:
Dana's LDA Catwalk Metaphor for Topic Modeling:
Imagine the words on your page as walking down the fashion runway in Paris. Your keyword phrase is "dressed" in semantic accessories, words that correlate to and dress up your topic. Associated words bring meaning to and highlight the fashion model's outfit. Adjectives, modifiers and synonyms are like jewelry, hats, and shoes. The combination can transform your base layers (your target terms) from casual or conservative business attire into a sexy night-on-the-town ensemble.
Combinations and permutations of words on a page "dress" your skinny or curvy fashion model. Relevant words provide Google with an image of what she is wearing and the catwalk upon which she struts. LDA refers back to what Google already knows about these "accessories" (words) and their previous association with the topic terms related to fashion.
Enter Topical Ambiguity - I just broke the "rules" for context with the catwalk metaphor by referring to modeling in two contexts on this page:
I used "modeling" terms that relate to the "fashion industry" set.
The catwalk metaphor is irrelevant content that is off-topic for discussing "LDA topic modeling."
Google Algorithm Exposed?
Ben clearly said that LDA is an ATTEMPT to explain the SERPs. His scenario, a quote from his presentation slides, follows:
One of us needs to implement it so we can:
1) See how it applies to pages 2) See if it helps explain SERPs One-two-three-not-it.
LDA is not LSI.
There were some tweets claiming SEOmoz was bringing back LSI or snakeoil. Ben clarified that LDA is not LSI, which deals more with keyword density. He explained that he is NOT talking about loading keywords on a page but about the relevance of the topics within the page. He said that:
"LSI doesn’t have the same bias toward simple explanations. LSI breaks down as you try to scale up the number of topics."
The LDA tool deals with context, semantic relevancy, not density - in addition to some other random factors. Example:
If SEOmoz has a page all about "SEO" and "tools," and there is another word on the page that can be explained by a word that is more related to SEO topic, then the related word would be used. Meaning, "seo tools" doesn't have to be repeated over and over, and the related word would be interpreted by Google as being relevant.
Ben, who appears to have the brain of a search engine, noted that it "appears" LDA is what Google is heading for in the near future. He said (paraphrased):
If they are not doing it, they seem to be doing something that has the same output. They are probably already using it.
Rand deciphered:
It’s a super weird coincidence if Google is not using it.
Are On-Page Signals Stronger than Links?
Are we heading toward more emphasis of on-page topic modeling? I'm not an IR geek, but I do plan to spend more energy focusing on understanding how search engines retrieve informaton. We are dealing with a semantic Web. LDA may indicate that good old on-page optimization sends stronger signals than links.
SEOmoz's LDA tool attempts to show how relevant content is to a chosen keyword. It computes relevance of queries.
The score at the top is an indicator of how relevant the content on that page is according to LDA.
Aaron's content is 72%* relevant for the query "seo tools."
SEOmoz's tools page is 40%* relevant.
*NOTE: (I inserted the logos.) You can run the same pages and get different results. The results are similar in that SEO Book always scored as more topically relevant, but the percentage varies. Is this the random Monte Carlo algorithm at work? Ben?
Mozinar Question:
"How do we execute this for SEO?"
Ben's Answer:
"I don't actually do SEO. I write code."
That's up to us, the SEOs, to play and test in our Google playground.
Use the tool to decide if you can win with LDA to optimize your on-page signals.
Use the LDA Topics Tool to return words that could be used on a page for a query.
Then determine who is ranking for that term.
Simply write content that is highly on-topic based off the findings you observe.
If you are not performing that well in the SERPs, think about classic on-page optimization. In the example above, rather than putting another instance of "seo tools" on the page, LDA shows there are better ways to tell Google that you are about that topic. The tool provides a way to measure that.
IMPORTANT: There is a threshold at which too many related words will appear as too spammy. LDA is not something to be used to game Google.
Test the LDA Tool out for yourself, and draw your own conclusions.
*** DISCLAIMER: I'm not claiming this methodology has uncovered hidden SEO treasures. Time, testing and playing around with a new SEOmoz tool while observing the SERPs will reveal the answer. In the meantime, I'm going to dress up my pages and accessorize them with relevant terms that make them dazzle so they look good climbing the Google catwalk.
I have some great news! On Wednesday, my sister gave birth to my third niece! Now with three nieces and one nephew I have the job of spoiling them cut out for me! But don’t worry I am up to the challenge. While visiting my new niece in the hospital on Wednesday, I couldn’t help [...] Comment | Read more...
You know that venerable rumor about Apple TV sets? Well, they’re here at the IFA tech show in Berlin. Sort of. What I’m trying to say is that I came across these flatscreens in one booth. Of course, this particular Apple TV is from weirdly-shaped TV specialist Hannspree, and it’s actually one of the company’s [...] Comment | Read more...
Texas Opens Inquiry Into Google Search Rankings »»
Hugh Pickens writes "The AP reports that Texas' attorney general, Greg Abbott, has opened an anti-trust investigation against Google spurred by complaints that the company has abused its power as the Internet's dominant search engine. The review appears to be focused on whether Google is manipulating its search results to stifle competition. European regulators already have been investigating complaints alleging that Google has been favoring its own services in its results instead of rival websites and several lawsuits have also been filed in the US that have alleged Google's search formula is biased. However Google believes Abbott is the first state attorney general to open an antitrust review into the issue."
European Space Agency captures images of huge ice island »»
This August 23, 2010 NASA Earth Observatory image taken by the Advanced Land Imager on NASA's Earth Observing-1 satellite captured this natural-colour image on August 16, 2010 which shows the ice island that calved off the Petermann Glacier in northwestern Greenland on August 5, 2010, continuing its slow migration down the fjord 11 days later.
Advertising Agency: DraftFCB, Bucharest, Romania
Creative Director: Dragos Radulescu
Art Directors: George Grosescu, Ion Iepureanu
Copywriter: Andrei Zabet
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
Australia Adopts EU's Geographical Indicator System For Wine »»
onreserve writes with an excerpt from a site dedicated to laws affecting wine: "[L]ast week, Australia signed an agreement with the European Union to comply with the geographical indicator (GI) system of the EU. The new agreement replaces an agreement signed in 1994 between the two wine powers and protects eleven of the EU drink labels and 112 of the Australian GI's. Specifically, this means that many of the wine products produced in Australia that were previously labeled according to European names, such as sherry and tokay, will no longer be labeled under these names. Wine producers in Australia will have three years to 'phase out' the use of such names on labels. Australian labels that will be discontinued include amontillado, Auslese, burgundy, chablis, champagne, claret, marsala, moselle, port, and sherry."
Advertising Agency: DraftFCB, NYC, USA
Agency Producer: Michelle Carman
Creative Director: Noah Davis
Art Director: Todd Eisner
Copywriter: Greg Wikoff
Production Company: HELLO!, LA
Director: Matt Smukler
Managing Director: Line Postmyr
Exec. Producer: Carl Swan
Head of Production: Alexandra Chamberlain
Producer: Karen O’Brien
D.P.: Tami Reiker
Production Designer: Shepherd Frankel
Editorial Company: BEAST Editorial, Santa Monica, CA
Editor: Jim
Post Producer: Julia
Post-Production: Rushes Post House
Colorists: Charlie Tucker
Post Producer: Lisa Boolootian
Sound Design: Daniel Kent Sound
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
The trick is to identify the new ideas and direct them to the appropriate economic outcome, not the other way around as many companies and agencies try to do. Comment | Read more...
Advertising Agency: mcgarrybowen, NYC, USA
Executive Creative Directors: Hayden Morris, Brian McDermott
Associate Creative Director / Art Director: Craig Cimmino
Associate Creative Director / Copywriter: Bown Mendelson
Agency Producer: Drew Lippman
Production Company: Joy@HELLO!
Director: Mehdi Norowzian
Managing Director: Line Postmyr
Exec. Producer: Carl Swan
Head of Production: Alexandra Chamberlain
Producer: Rachel Curl
D.P.: Kasper Tuxen
Production Designer: Stephen Sumney
Editorial Company: Final Cut NY
Editor: Akiko Iwakawa
Post Producer: Laura Patterson
Telecine: The Mill NYC
Colorist: Fergus McCall
VFX Company: Framestore NYC
Special Effects: Adrian Hurley
Special Effects: David Hulin
VFX Exec. Producer: Jenn Dewey
VFX Producer: James RAzzall
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
Advertising Agency: mcgarrybowen, NYC, USA
Executive Creative Directors: Hayden Morris, Brian McDermott
Associate Creative Director / Art Director: Craig Cimmino
Associate Creative Director / Copywriter: Bown Mendelson
Agency Producer: Drew Lippman
Production Company: Joy@HELLO!
Director: Mehdi Norowzian
Managing Director: Line Postmyr
Exec. Producer: Carl Swan
Head of Production: Alexandra Chamberlain
Producer: Rachel Curl
D.P.: Kasper Tuxen
Production Designer: Stephen Sumney
Editorial Company: Final Cut NY
Editor: Akiko Iwakawa
Post Producer: Laura Patterson
Telecine: The Mill NYC
Colorist: Fergus McCall
VFX Company: Framestore NYC
Special Effects: Adrian Hurley
Special Effects: David Hulin
VFX Exec. Producer: Jenn Dewey
VFX Producer: James RAzzall
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
Apple iOS 4.1 Gold Master SDK for iPhone Developers is Live »»
Apple has just released iOS 4.1 which will be available to iPhone and iPod touch users in about a week. Now, they have already started to seed the iOS SDK 4.1 Gold Master to iPhone developers. Comment | Read more...
Visa wanted to educate people that pushing credit was the best way to use their Visa Debit card. To do this we created a spoof of the classic 90s hit ‘Push It’ by Salt-N-Pepa creating a rapping hand that brought to life this instruction. The campaign ran online and through the use of traditional and digital outdoor.
Advertising Agency: Whybin/TBWA Sydney, Australia
Creative Director: Matt Kemsley
Art Director: Miles Jeffreys
Copywriter: Richard Shaw
Additional credits: Sean Ashcroft, Tim Price, Mighty Nice, Luke Pavan
Aired: August 2010
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
Lanyrd – Plancast Meets Upcoming For Conferences »»
Look out Plancast and Upcoming, here comes Lanyrd. Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but if it's possible to have a SXSW "tipping point" at an event then Lanyrd just had it at dConstruct, a popular design and developer conference in the UK.
So what is it? The guys behind Lanyrd say they are not trying to build a general purpose events site but instead they are just interested in conferences and everything associated with them: speakers, attendees, venues, books, video and audio, twitter conversation, blog coverage - you name it.
Comment | Read more...
Advertising Agency: Ceft and Company New York USA
Creative Director: Uceft Hanjani
Senior Art Director: Kim Norcott
Illustrator: Kim Norcott
Photographer: Sofia + Mauro
Photo Assistant: Antoine Cadot and Matthias Gaggl
Digital Capture: D Touch NY - Jeanny Bachelin
Digital Tech: Stas Komarovski
Stylist: Heather Mary Jackson
Hair: Jimmy Paul
Make-up: Petros Petrophilos
Prop Stylist: Bradley Taylor Wilson
Published: Spring 2009
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
Advertising Agency: Ceft and Company New York USA
Creative Director: Uceft Hanjani
Senior Art Director: Kim Norcott
Illustrator: Kim Norcott
Photographer: Sofia + Mauro
Photo Assistant: Antoine Cadot and Matthias Gaggl
Digital Capture: D Touch NY - Jeanny Bachelin
Digital Tech: Stas Komarovski
Stylist: Heather Mary Jackson
Hair: Jimmy Paul
Make-up: Petros Petrophilos
Prop Stylist: Bradley Taylor Wilson
Published: Spring 2009
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
Advertising Agency: Ceft and Company New York USA
Creative Director: Uceft Hanjani
Senior Art Director: Kim Norcott
Illustrator: Kim Norcott
Photographer: Sofia + Mauro
Photo Assistant: Antoine Cadot and Matthias Gaggl
Digital Capture: D Touch NY - Jeanny Bachelin
Digital Tech: Stas Komarovski
Stylist: Heather Mary Jackson
Hair: Jimmy Paul
Make-up: Petros Petrophilos
Prop Stylist: Bradley Taylor Wilson
Published: Spring 2009
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
Advertising Agency: Mile 9, Calabasas, USA
Creative Director: Dan Dieffenbach
Art Director: Adel Jalili
Copywriter: Dan Dieffenbach
Photographer: Tristan Whitman
Editor: Ryan Bosworth
Sfx House: Fenix Collective
Aired: September 2010
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
The other day, someone told me they were a bit down because their score on a social media site was low. I was quick to point out that the number had no bearing on the outside world. It was just something a site had decided about game dynamics within a single social network. It got [...] Comment | Read more...
Advertising Agency: donatwald+haque, Santa Monica, CA, USA
Creative Director: Lucas Donat
Art Directors: Rich Pass, Marc Brugnoni, Laurenne Sala
Copywriters: Jim Real, Brian Miller
Producers: Kristen Roberts, Esther Perls, Elizabeth Espat
Director: Errol Morris
Published: August 2010
If you're a client looking for a freelancer or the other way around check out Freelance Connect. The free escrow service guarantees satisfaction and payment.
Craigslist Removes Its Controversial Adult Section »»
Cyrus writes "The online classified website Craigslist has removed its controversial Adult Services portion of its website. Technology blog TechCrunch was the first to report the section had been blacked out with the word 'Censored.'"
Geeks are everywhere. We tend to hold some of the coolest jobs on the planet. Our group has some of the most amazing (and personable!) people as core members. The gang is widely accepted socially these days – right? Sadly, this isn’t always the case. Why is it that even in the days of phenomenal technological advances we still sometimes have to hide who we are? Why are geeks ostracized in any capacity?
One teen on Lockergnome reports that his mom told him to not tell people he is a geek. Say what?! He explains further by saying: “When I call myself a geek in front of people, they don’t seem to understand what I mean. Some people misinterpret it for being the Hollywood stereotyped ‘I love school, reading books, doing homework and physically weak nerd.’”
I cannot believe that people feel as though being a geek is a bad thing. Hell, a geek isn’t necessarily even someone who is a computer lover. A geek is anyone who is passionate about something, whether that be technology, water polo or art class.
What are your thoughts? Do you feel there are still negative connotations in conjunction with the word geek?
The Funded’s Adeo Ressi Arrested After Virgin America Flight Incident »»
The Funded founder Adeo Ressi was arrested and briefly detained earlier this evening over an altercation with a flight attendant. The airline? Virgin America, which I've been holding up as virtually the only airline that doesn't suck (See Virgin Airlines Fails To Commit Atrocities On Flight VX746 and Delta Flight 1843 From JFK To Hell).
Ressi's description of the incident is below, and he has sent this to Virgin, he tells me. I've reached out to Virgin America for their position.
I can't help but note the similarities with Jet Blue flight attendant Steven Slater, who has now been rewarded for his behavior with a reality tv show. The worse the flight attendant, the better the chance for fame and glory, I guess. Comment | Read more...
Hate The iTunes 10 Icon? Think You Can Do Better? »»
Enjoyed the presentation today. But … this new iTunes logo really sucks. You’re taking 10+ years of instant product recognition and replacing it with an unknown. Let’s both cross our fingers on this….
Bad news for Craigslist users who like to peruse the Erotic Services Adult Services section of their site. It's gone, replaced by a large black and white "censored" logo.
I've reached out to Craigslist for comment and await their reply. But the choice of words is significant - the section wasn't simply removed, the censored word was used.
The site has been embattled as old press and state attorneys general use any excuse to blame sex crimes on the site. From South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster's failed crusade against them to a variety of press stories about sex and other crimes. If it's just a sex crime it isn't a story. But if a listing on Craigslist was involved, it's a big story. Comment | Read more...
In Defense of Google, Or Why Consumer Watchdog is Full of It »»
While there’s plenty of reasons to keep a critical eye focused on Google, Consumer Watchdog’s ad is a dishonest, factually inaccurate joke that shamefully got plenty of uncritical media attention. In the simplest terms possible, Consumer Watchdog is just wrong.
I have been trying to solve the Rubik’s Cube all of my life. Keep in mind this addictive puzzle was invented back in 1974.
Like many humans, I can spin the Rubik’s Cube in various directions all day long. After hours of studying the masters on YouTube, I finally figured out how to record myself solving the Rubik’s Cube:
Walk into the store and buy a new Rubik’s Cube.
Bring ‘er home and set up a video camera.
Mess ‘er up again while recording.
Bring the video into an editor and reverse playback.
Export.
Yeah, it’s pretty obvious I suck at this. Still doesn’t take away from me accidentally solving the Pyraminx back in the day (that really DID happen).
Censored! Craigslist Adult Services Blocked in U.S. »»
The “Adult Services” listing on Craiglist was removed late Friday on its U.S.-based sites and replaced with the word 'censored.' The change comes as the service faces growing pressure in the U.S. over sex services advertised on its classifieds network, as well as allegations that it abets in human sex trafficking.
Google's Internet search rankings under investigation by Texas attorney general »»
Google Inc.'s methods for recommending websites are being reviewed by Texas' attorney general in an investigation spurred by complaints that the company has abused its power as the Internet's dominant search engine.
The Metropolitan Police has defended its handling of phone-hacking allegations after former home secretary Alan Johnson suggested an independent investigation.
Google will face an antitrust investigation in Texas over charges that it manipulated search results, in what appears to a similar case to one pending in Europe.
If you’re a blogger, how easy are you making it for people to subscribe to you?
Sure, just having the standard RSS feed is fine, and a lot of blog readers use this and this alone. Yet email subscription – or the option of one – is becoming more popular and offers your readers [...] Comment | Read more...
The tablet features a 10-inch capacitive display that also accepts multi-touch gestures. It packs the usual 1024×600 pixels and runs Android 2.1 on its powerful Nvidia Tegra 2 processor that brings in 1080p video support. This tablet design is manufactured by Chinese manufacturer Malata as you can see from this Computex video filmed last June.
Inside, you’ll find 16GB of flash storage. That can be expanded with a 32GB micrSD card. It has 1GB of memory, Wi-Fi b/g and a 3900mAh battery. The battery promises 8-12 hours of running time per charge. There’s also a USB and HDMI port included, both of which the iPad lacks.
This video was filmed by Charbax of ARMdevices at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin Germany.
Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:
Appeals court rules for Eminem in royalty lawsuit
(AP) »»
AP - A federal appeals court has found Eminem's former production company is entitled to more money from downloads of the rapper's songs and ringtones. Comment | Read more...
snydeq writes "Google Wave will morph into an application bundle for real-time collaboration, according to a blog post by Google Wave engineer Alex North. 'We will expand upon the 200K lines of code we've already open sourced (detailed at waveprotocol.org) to flesh out the existing example Wave server and Web client into a more complete application or "Wave in a Box,"' North said, adding that the future of the recently flat-lined Google service will be 'defined by your contributions. We hope this project will help the Wave developer community continue to grow and evolve,' he said."
Texas Launches Antitrust Investigation of Google »»
It has been revealed that the office of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is conducting an investigation of Google over complaints of antitrust and anti-competitive behavior, and the search giant is responding.
I know what you’re thinking! Stop it! I threw up in my mouth a little when typing out the title for this post, trust me. The kid is popular… there’s no questioning that. As far as I can tell, though, he only appeals to young girls in the 2-20 range or so. I certainly don’t understand what the hype is all about. I have yet to figure out why it is pre-pubescent girls everywhere suddenly want to marry this kid. Their piercing screams of adulation can be heard for miles around every time the Beeb’s name is even mentioned.
I have figured out the answer. We grown ups need to stop seeing him the way he really is. When put into a framed shot such as this, Justin Boober is actually kind of – almost – adorable.
Okay, maybe this photo was an abomination before God and man – but there are some people my age who remember Boober, not Beiber. And, in case you were wondering, there are big differences between the two; one is green, and the other one makes you green (with either envy or motion sickness):
Many of you likely think this post is going to be a rant about people who drink too much alcohol. You couldn’t be more wrong! I’m going to off on a tangent about something entirely different: those of us who don’t drink enough alcohol. So why didn’t I have enough wine? Patience, young grasshopper! If you scroll down just a little, I’m sure the snapshot is self-explanatory.
I spilled the whole damn glass. Now THAT is alcohol abuse. That puddle represents what was left of my favorite bottle, too.
Join Louis Yagera and Win Binaural Beats Technology »»
The people who choose to read John Chow dot Com come from all corners of the Earth and from all walks of life. Many of them are very interested in the world of Internet marketing, but that doesn’t mean that their other interests and hobbies are necessarily alike. Some may like fast cars and others [...] Comment | Read more...
Texas opens inquiry into Google search rankings
(AP) »»
AP - Google Inc.'s methods for recommending websites are being reviewed by Texas' attorney general in an investigation spurred by complaints that the company has abused its power as the Internet's dominant search engine.
Fast Trains to Connect US Cities, Alleviate Highway Congestion »»
The Obama administration promised $8 billion in funding for cities and states to build high-speed, intercity rail projects back in January.
This week, the Department of Transporation issued its specifications for the manufacture of new fast trains, namely double-decker coach, dining, baggage, and business class passenger rail cars that can travel between 79 MPH and up to 220 MPH.
Bi-level rail cars not typical in the US today, would accommodate more passengers, and hopefully alleviate congested roads and some resulting air pollution... Comment | Read more...
As a longtime Apple TV owner, I'll admit a dirty little secret: I really like the device. Sure, it has been one of the rare flops for Apple in recent years. And it could be so much more with say, a Blu-ray player or a web browser. But it is really good at its core functionality: bringing iTunes content into your living room. And that's why this new version of the Apple TV makes sense -- at least for now.
When I first bought the Apple TV, there were two varieties: a 40 gigabyte version and a 160 gigabyte version. I was torn between which one to get, but I ultimately went with the 160 GB one thinking I could put most of my movies on it. Big mistake. I basically never use the hard drive on my Apple TV, so it's a 160 GB hard drive sitting there doing nothing. Instead, I stream everything to the Apple TV.
In fact, the only time I do use the hard drive on my current Apple TV is when I rent a movie on it. Currently, even when renting, you download a movie to your hard drive where it sits for up to 30 days (or 24 hours after you start playing it). But with the new iTunes rentals (both TV and movies) everything is streamed -- no hard drive is required (besides a small one for buffering purposes). Thanks to that, and undoubtedly the knowledge that most owners were using it for streaming, Apple removed the hard drive from the device, and cut it down in size and price. Comment | Read more...
Google Voice Narrowly Defeats Skype in Reader Vote »»
Last week, Google stepped onto Skype’s turf with the launch of Comment | Read more...
Google Streamlines Its Privacy Policy. Should Facebook Be Next? »»
Location-based service Echo Echo recently posted the above image to their blog in a (successful) attempt to garner some media attention as the debate around online privacy continues to rage.
As extreme as their "If Mark Zuckerburg Cared About Privacy" example is, it does call attention to the needless complexity of various web service privacy agreements, settings and policies.
In the wake of an $8.5 million lawsuit settlement today, search giant Google made a gesture of good faith in the "caring about privacy" department, assuring users that they were taking steps in order to make the minutae of online privacy easier to understand.
"For example, we’re deleting a sentence that reads, 'The affiliated sites through which our services are offered may have different privacy practices and we encourage you to read their privacy policies,' since it seems obvious that sites not owned by Google might have their own privacy policies."
Vidyo Bets On The iPad And iPhone For The Future Of Video Conferencing »»
Vidyo, a company that specializes in high-quality video conferencing technology for the enterprise, is betting big on bringing video conferencing to mobile devices, including tablets and smartphones. Similar to Skype, Vidyo offers a technology that allows people to connect with each other over the web via video conferencing. However, the company says that Vidyo system is focused more on the enterprise, providing a reliable system, allowing conferencing for many parties at once, and offering high quality video.
And Vidyo has built a big business licensing its technology to large electronics companies, such as HP, Intel and Hitachi. Vidyo’s technology is also used by Google to power video for Google Chat. Comment | Read more...
Apple is new to the social media game, but how could they possibly have missed this? Ping, the social music service has become Ping the spam comment service.
coondoggie writes "NASA today said it had picked five experiments that will ride aboard one of its most ambitious space missions to explore the Sun. The Solar Probe, a car-sized spacecraft, is scheduled to launch no later than 2018 and will fly closer to the Sun's surface than any other probe, NASA stated. Ultimately the spacecraft's goals are to help scientists understand why the sun's outer atmosphere so much hotter than the sun's visible surface and what propels the solar wind that affects Earth and our solar system, NASA said."
Want To Use Gmail Priority Inbox With IMAP? Tough Luck »»
Curious what Google's Gmail Priority Inbox means for those of us who use an IMAP or POP client like Mac Mail or the Mail function on an iPhone? Well as of yet the feature is not fully enabled on either IMAP or POP-compatible third party or mobile clients, leaving a large percentage of people who hate viewing email their email on a standard web browser out in the cold.
If you try to use the service in Mac Mail right now the emails determined by the Priority Inbox algorithm to be "Important" are sent to an "Important" folder under Gmail. In order to reach them in Mail for the iPhone you have to search for the "Important" folder under your Gmail account.
Comment | Read more...
Disk Storage Still Bouncing Back, IDC Says
(PC World) »»
PC World - The market for enterprise disk storage systems grew strongly in the second quarter, continuing to recover from a slump brought on by the economic slowdown of 2008 and 2009, research company IDC said on Friday. Comment | Read more...
Brands should tighten grip on social media by beginning to take it seriously »»
Organisations needs to spread their social media function across their business and stop thinking about it purely as a ‘task’ to be ‘managed’ by the marketing department.
Ubisoft has released a new trailer for the arcade-style flight game, Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2. The game hits stores next week on September 7. Comment | Read more...
Welcome to the Prank House: The First Reality Video Game »»
Coming soon to a computer near you, Prank House will allow reality fans to interact with the people on the other end of the camera - by shooting them with paintballs, shocking them, and more. Comment | Read more...
OMMA Magazine: Website Excellence: Entertainment Music: Blitz; John Mayer, "John Mayer AR Music Video" »»
OMMA Magazine: Website Excellence: Entertainment Music: RYAN Partnership; Mead/Five Star, "Five Star Music Insider" »»
To reach the back-to-school market and stay top-of-mind during the key shopping season, RYAN Partnership and Mead created the Five Star Music Insider hub, introducing new musical acts and igniting a key passion point for students. Comment | Read more...
OMMA Magazine: Website Excellence: Business to Business: LEVEL Studios; Marvell, Marvell.com »»
Samsung Galaxy Tab vs. Apple iPad: Specs Compared »»
See Samsung’s up-and-coming Android tablet measured up next to the reigning champ, as we compare Samsung’s Galaxy Tab vs. the Apple iPad from a specifications perspective. Comment | Read more...
Coinstar Not Necessarily Not Partnering With Apple On Something Or Nothing »»
Can someone please explain this Bloomberg Businessweek story to me? I've read it a few times and am still having a hard time understanding what is or what isn't being implied, or not implied, about a partnership between Coinstar and Apple.
First of all, the title is awful because most people likely don't know that Coinstar owns Redbox (they acquired them last year), the DVD rental kiosk company. Instead, most people know Coinstar as those machines in supermarkets where you turn in your loose change for cash or silly things, like Facebook Credits. So why on Earth would they be partnering with Apple on some online venture?
Well, again, it's about Redbox, as they sort of note in the first paragraph. But what are they going to do with Apple? Comment | Read more...
Hell freezes over: Duke Nukem Forever set to release in 2011 »»
Forever may be here, at last. The game that has become synonymous with vaporware, Duke Nukem Forever , may in fact be hitting the shelves in 2011, or rather will if you believe the Wall Street Journal article.
(At Panasonic’s IFA booth: People using 3D glasses and monitors to watch the live women in front of their faces.) If you determine the big story here at the IFA tech show here in Berlin based on raw square footage in the booths, there’s no question what it is: 3D TV is everywhere. The massive [...] Comment | Read more...
Google Settles Buzz Lawsuit With $8.5 Million Payment »»
A busy day for Google on the legal front continues with news that the company has agreed to $8.5 million in payments to settle a federal lawsuit surrounding Google Buzz and privacy.
According to AFP, court documents filed today show that seven plaintiffs will get no more than $2,500 each, lawyers that filed the case [...]
*** Read the full post by clicking on the headline above ***
Stalker who wrote blog about rape and murder jailed »»
Stalker Greg Downing appeared at Blackfriars Crown Court for sentening over hassessment and stalking Author Katharine Quarmby Photo: NATIONAL PICTURES Greg Downing detailed the imagined attack on children's author Katharine Quarmby in an online novel.
Software (and Appropriate Input Device) For a Toddler? »»
An anonymous reader writes "I have an 18-month-old who loves bright screens (TV and computer), loves loud noises, and loves to mash buttons. He targets my laptop with the button-mashing, and I sort of hate having to tell him 'no' when he wants to explore a computer. I was wondering if anyone knows of some fun (and maybe educational) age-specific PC software that also comes with an age-appropriate input device. I've seen those big-button devices in retail stores that seem to just hook up to the TV, and I've also seen some PC software that requires keyboard/mouse input, which does not seem like the right input device for a toddler."
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.
When you’re just dreaming about something fun you’d like to be doing, you may as well aim high. Why settle for picturing yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies (to name just one example suggested by some wizard-bearded bloke in his pajamas)? You could be flying to Mars in a spaceship with one hand full of cake and the other… well, the other should probably be steering the spaceship! Scratch that. Why not skip the trip, teleport directly to Mars through some futuristic beam-me-down quantum technology wormhole gate thingie, and be able to breathe the air without a helmet? Your pet chinchilla could also come, but he would have to wear a tiny astronaut helmet just because it’s so darned cute.
Wait! I know. I’m going to aim even higher. Picture yourself with an entire Hampton Hotel (well, 100 rooms of it) for two nights of a wild weekend, just you and enough of your closest friends to fill it up. What the heck? Extend a forgiving hand of reconciliation (or conciliation if you were never friends to begin with) and invite a few enemies while you’re at it — you’ll have the space!
And what would you do with a luxury hotel full of people you like (and maybe don’t dislike too much) for a whole weekend? Kick that imagination into high gear again and think of the possibilities.
Biggest? LAN? Party? Ever?
Capture the Flag?
Play “What Would Keith Moon Do?” (I’m kidding. Please don’t. We like the Hamptonites and their magnificent indoor plumbing!)
Worried that the fat cats down at the IRS are going to be drooling at how much they can sucker out of you for hosting such a lavish bash? Not to worry, because the grand prize includes $5,000 to cover those taxes.
Hey, even if you’re not lucky enough to be the grand prize winner, our generous Hampton friends are still giving away weekend stays for 100 first place winners and three of their friends, each (no, the 100 people don’t have to fight over which of their three mutual friends get to enjoy the prize with them. That would be silly, and this is dead serious).
The Chain of Friends Sweepstakes is open to everyone, not just Hilton Honors members or those who have previously stayed at a Hampton. So enter! Get your friends to enter! Get people who only moderately like you but might invite you to come if they win at the prompting of their kinder friends to enter the Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes!
If you do win either prize, though, I don’t know if you’re allowed to bring your pet chinchilla (astronaut helmet or sans astronaut helmet). You’ll have to check with the concierge.
Mobile and Online Deals Expected to Drive Holiday Sales Dollars »»
In a recent survey about holiday shopping, 64% of the people said they’ll be spending less on everyone this holiday season, so that means marketers will have to work a little harder to make sure it’s their company that gets the cash and not their competitor. The trick is paying attention to how and why [...] Comment | Read more...
Google Announces Can’t Be Missed Press Event On Search – What’s Up? »»
Google’s announced a special press event for next Wednesday on search that “you won’t want to miss.” What big news could there be? Let’s speculate — but I wouldn’t get too excited.
Here’s what the invite says:
We invite you to join us on Wednesday, September 8, to share our latest technological innovation and to get an [...]
*** Read the full post by clicking on the headline above ***
An anonymous reader writes "It looks like Brazil may be the country to watch if you're interested in much more consumer-friendly copyright laws (assuming US diplomatic pressure doesn't interfere). As that country goes through a copyright reform process, among the proposals is one that would create fines not just for infringing, but also for hindering fair use and the public domain. Also, there is a big push underway, with widespread support — even from some artists groups — to legalize file sharing in exchange for a small levy (~$1.74/month) on your broadband connection. Of course, one reason why Brazil may be doing it this way is because of the massive success the Brazilian musical genre technobrega has had by embracing file sharing as a way to promote new works, and making money (often lots of it) through other avenues, like live shows."
Marketing Daily: Timberland Focuses On Environmental Heroism »»
The Stratham, N.H.-based retailer is launching the global campaign, with the theme "Nature Needs Heroes," in conjunction with its new Earthkeepers collection. Made with materials like recycled rubber and recycled PET (one and a half plastic bottles are used in each pair of Earthkeepers boots), Earthkeepers product is one of the company's leading and fastest-growing product collections. Comment | Read more...
The status update of the airline's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Southwest was changed at 9 a.m. Sept. 3 to say: Hey Fans! To get an EXCLUSIVE look at our new fall commercials visit the "Bags Fly Free" tab above! Let us know what you think!" Comment | Read more...
Better Manage Your Small Business’s Social Media Presence [APPS] »»
This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see…
Google plans to sell music online
(Investor's Business Daily) »»
Investor's Business Daily - The search giant is in talks with music labels on plans for a download store and a digital song locker that would let its mobile phone users play songs wherever they are. Google (NMS:GOOG) hopes to launch the service by Christmas, according to sources. Google is trying to compete with Apple, which dominates via its iTunes Music Stores, accounting for 70% of all U.S. digital music sales. It rose 1.5% to 470.30. Comment | Read more...
Facebook Incorporates Liked Web Content Into Search Results »»
A little over a month ago, we reported this story "Facebook In Early Stage Search Engine Tests?" and detailed some of the changes we were noticing. Well, today, based on another tip from bloggers at All Facebook, we can confirm that Facebook is indeed displaying 'liked' news content in it's search result drop down. In fact, further to what All Facebook reported, they are also displaying content shared by your network of friends that matches the keywords you are sharing.
As rumored, 2K Games is reviving Duke Nukem Forever, the first-person shooter that was canned when original developer 3D Realms shut down last year. 2K, which says it has the publishing rights, has turned development over to Gearbox Software, best known for its recent work on Borderlands. If you don’t count the 16-month hiatus, Duke Nukem [...] Comment | Read more...
Hardcore Gamer Gone Soft: Confessions of a 'Plants vs. Zombies' Fan »»
I am a hardcore gamer. I'm attracted to your average gritty shoot-em-up. Usually I wouldn't give a game with dancing flora more than a passing glance, but something caught my attention. Said flora was slaying zombies.
MediaDailyNews: Google Has New Format For Mobile Maps Ads »»
Google has introduced a new ad format for search that appears in Google Maps for Mobile. It offers all the targeting capabilities that Maps provides, like GPS and triangulation. Comment | Read more...
On Media: Digital Titans Keep Their Business Heads In The Cloud »»
The titans who make it possible to access unlimited music, video and text on a postage stamp-sized player or a sleek iPad are rapidly shifting away from costly legacy structures and business models. They prefer to spend time in the cloud, where services, software and content are delivered via the Internet Comment | Read more...
Industry watchers typically like to use shipping times as a gauge of popularity. Under this logic, the reduction of shipping times for the iPad from several days down to less than 24 hours may lead you to believe that demand may finally be cooling. Not so fast, says Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty. Huberty is [...] Comment | Read more...
Facebook Adds Popular News Articles To Search Results »»
It’s sort of a baby step in Facebook’s efforts to improve its search results, but certainly worth noting here: Facebook is now showing news articles in its search results and ranking them by how many “likes” and “shares” the articles have received from Facebook users. The All Facebook blog says the number of friends who [...]
*** Read the full post by clicking on the headline above ***
Marketing Daily: Brand 'Warmth' Key To Loyalty, Purchase Intent »»
Memo to Burger King's new owners: Check out the "warmth" factor while strategizing about how to better differentiate BK from McDonald's. According to a new study, consumers' perceptions of a brand's warmth, in particular, along with perceptions of its competence, heavily influence both their purchase intent and loyalty. Comment | Read more...
Over the course of the past month, I’ve received a handful of iPad accessories to try out. Most of these are stands or cases, and I wanted to try them out. Be sure to email me before you buy any of these products. I will do my best to get a coupon to you. With so many great things to choose from, how will I decide which is best for me?
I’ve been using the Griffin Elan Passport for a while now, but it may just be time for a change. I liked this particular product because it protects the iPad very well and it serves as both a stand and a case. If you wish to grab one of these for yourself or ANY of the Griffin products, be sure to use coupon code pirillo886 to save yourself some money.
Griffin also sent along the new Loop for my iPad. I love this little thing. It’s simple and unobtrusive. I use it in my living room. As you can see in the video, the iPad fits in there snugly in either portrait or landscape mode. I like that the grooves (notches?) in this stand are large enough to accomodate thin cases and covers.
The next stand in this montage is the UpStand from Just-Mobile. I really like this one. In fact, it’s been used on my desk right here in my home office ever since I received it. It looks great with the aluminum finish, and matches the decor around here well. It’s lightweight yet sturdy. It works very well, even with various cases on the iPad.
Another stand of sorts is the WedgePad. It’s sort of like a bean bag for the iPad. You can even strap your device in to keep it more stable. It works pretty well, and it’s definitely something different. It has a more relaxed look and feel for your surroundings.
Something I’m not likely to use on an ongoing basis came in from Hard Candy. The iPad case is actually difficult to get on. It certainly works alright, even if I’m not a huge fan of bright orange. They’ve made all of the appropriate slots in the case to accomodate the areas for charging and such.
The JAVOedge Fiber Axis case is very professional looking. It’s a nice carrying case. If you don’t really like skins this may be the product for you.
Speck sent along the CandyShell case and the See-Thru Satin case. The See-Thru case is both a translucent case AND a stand of sorts. It will work well with a docking station, which is cool. That’s an interesting idea. It feels very well constructed. The CandyShell is a rubberized shell. This product has the same flap in the back, which is cool. It’s shiny!! I love shiny! I’m not as happy about the logo being so large on the back, though.
The case that I have decided will be my new iPad case is the Cyber Acoustics Leather case. This company is local, hailing from Vancouver, Washington! I always like to support local companies whenever I can. It’s easy this time, since this is such a great product. It looks fantastic. There’s a piece of plastic on the inside to keep the device stable. There are rubber grips to hold it in place, and none of the speakers or ports are covered up. The Griffin Elan had that issue, which is why I’m not as happy with that item. This case also makes me feel nice and secure. It just FEELS like it’s secure as heck. You can also double-back one of the flaps and fold it into a well-stitched notch. Viola! You now have a stand, as well.
Each of the cases I’ve shown you are good products in their own rights. However, not all of them meet the needs that I have. We all look for different things, so any one of these could be just what YOU are looking for.
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PC World - More people browsed the Internet last month with a device running Apple's mobile operating system, iOS, than used Linux to do so. That's a first for Apple, according to NetMarketShare, a firm that produces metrics on the market share of browsers, operating systems and search engines. Comment | Read more...
Tragedy Turns Into Inspiration as Thousands Turn to Help Slain Bishop Through Social Media »»
My heart just tears at the thought of this story as it hits really close to home – I can’t help writing this without a tear in my eye and heaviness in my heart. A man enters a Visalia, California LDS Church meetinghouse, asks to meet with the leader over the congregation, and gets referred [...] Comment | Read more...
Facebook Search Now Displaying Top “Liked” Stories from Across the Web »»
In today’s world of real-time status updates, search is evolving to account for the social nature of the web. Facebook is pushing forward in this direction with on-site search functionality that now displays search results — for Facebook…
SearchCap: The Day In Search, September 3, 2010 »»
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
From Search Engine Land:
Texas Attorney General Investigating Google & Antitrust Issues
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is conducting an investigation into Google’s business practices as they relate to search listings, in particular whether Google is manipulating its [...]
*** Read the full post by clicking on the headline above ***
MediaDailyNews: Yahoo, Vestal Bring WebTV To Europe »»
Continuing the rush by Internet companies to work themselves into future technology of television sets, Yahoo has made a deal with the Vestal Group, a large TV manufacturer with the biggest share of TV sets in Europe. The deal will build out Yahoo! Connected TV, integrating TV apps into new Internet-connected TV sets. Comment | Read more...
Chrome Browser Updated After Two Years of Growth
(NewsFactor) »»
NewsFactor - Google's Chrome browser is now two years old, and the youngster -- and its proud parent -- are celebrating its steady rise in popularity. According to Net Applications, Chrome had 7.5 percent of the browser market in August -- putting it in third place behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox, and above Apple's Safari. Comment | Read more...
NVIDIA Updates Mobile Lineup with GeForce 400M Series GPUs »»
Today, NVIDIA announced the GeForce 400M Series, a major addition to its lineup of mobile graphics processing units (GPUs).
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Video Recap of Weekly Search Buzz :: September 3, 2010 »»
This week's video is a bit longer than most, but that is okay, next week there won't be a video recap. Bing seemed to update their search ranking algorithm this week. Google may have tweaked their MayDay algorithm? Google added...
Our Favorite YouTube Videos This Week: The Secrets Edition »»
Happy Labor Day weekend, folks! I’m guessing that many of you are heading home this fine Friday to dine and drink with friends and merry relations. Well, you know what happens when you get scads of loved ones together in…
NASA Footage Sets Scene for Quantum Quest Movie »»
Footage from seven ongoing NASA space missions provide hyper-realistic scenery for the 3-D animated film, while the voices of multiple Captain Kirks and Darth Vaders play the parts of space explorers.
'Earth-like' Exoplanet Could Have a Comet's Tail »»
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Thanks to this week’s advertisers and partners for enabling us to bring you the latest social media news and resources. Mashable’s sponsors are as social media savvy as our readers!
Texas Attorney General Investigating Google & Antitrust Issues »»
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is conducting an investigation into Google’s business practices as they relate to search listings, in particular whether Google is manipulating its paid and editorial results in a way that violates antitrust laws.
We received a tip about the investigation this week, and Google confirmed today that an investigation started in July. [...]
*** Read the full post by clicking on the headline above ***
Want to build influence? Or measure it? Here are four things you need to know:
Influence is simple…
which makes it complicated.
At its most simple, influence is the ability to make things happen. But which things? For whom? Over what span of time? Some people influence ideas, some actions. Some influence big actions, some small. Some influence [...] Comment | Read more...
PC World - Now that I’ve been using the GM release for the past 24 hours, I can safely say- iOS 4.1 on iPhone (including the 3G) is the most solid, responsive iOS release to date. With some cool new features to boot. Comment | Read more...
German Court Finds YouTube Liable In Copyright Case »»
A German court has found YouTube liable for copyright damages after one of its users uploaded copyrighted music videos. A Google spokesperson tells the AP that it’s evaluating the court’s decision and will appeal.
The case stems around a YouTube user who uploaded several videos of singer Sarah Brightman. While YouTube specifically warns users not to [...]
*** Read the full post by clicking on the headline above ***
MediaDailyNews: No Cord Cutting: ESPN3.com Strictly For TWC Subscribers »»
The deal with TWC gives Disney a chance to reach TWC's huge customer base with ESPN3, propelling ad sales on the site. The bulk of the 12.7 million TWC homes with TV are now potential users. And a heavy portion of Bright House's 2.4 million customers are eligible as well. Comment | Read more...
Facebook Glitch Let Spammer Post to Walls
(PC World) »»
PC World - A clever spammer found a glitch in Facebook's photo upload system and used it to post thousands of unwanted Wall messages this week. Comment | Read more...
Marketing Daily: Mazda Seeks 'Soul Of Motion' In New Design Language »»
The new look, a more mammalian, "about to pounce" sensibility, reflects the aesthetics of new design chief Ikuo Maeda, who joined last April. Maeda has introduced his own concept to evince the "Kodo" look: the sleek Shinari four-door, four-seat sports coupe. Comment | Read more...
Marketing Daily: Electronic Arts Re-Records Songs For Sims 3 Pack »»
The songs -- from artists such as Flo Rida, Kelly Rowland, the John Butler Trio and 3oh!3 -- will appear on the Sims 3: Late Night expansion pack, which will be available on all console gaming platforms. Comment | Read more...
Swimsense: A Performance Monitoring Device For Swimmers »»
A wearable 'pedometer' will track personal metrics when swimming laps. Comment | Read more...
Digital Trends’ Top 5 Viral Videos of the Week, September 3, 2010 »»
We scoured the Internet to bring you the best five viral videos of the week! This week: motorcycle prodigies, spy cats and the most awkward three minutes and 48 seconds you'll never be able to look away from. Comment | Read more...
Hands-On With HDR Photos in the Next iPhone Update »»
A first look at iOS 4.1 Gold Master, the latest release of Apple's mobile operating system due out next week. A developer sent me a copy and I have it installed on my iPhone 4. Major new features are the HDR photo mode and Game Center.
HOW TO: Score the Best Fashion Deals on the Social Web »»
Mollie Vandor is the Product Manager for Ranker.com and Media Director for Girls in Tech LA. You can find her on Twitter and on her blog, where she writes about the web, the world…
Marketing Daily: Chevrolet Cruze Launch Will Be Factory Event »»
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Dogpatch Labs SF Gets a Remodel, Taking Applications »»
This week Dogpatch Labs San Francisco underwent a slight remodeling. In addition to new residents joining (and a handful ‘graduating’), we rearranged the layout to better accommodate teams and add some more space.
Apply to Dogpatch!
On ... Comment | Read more...
Very Few Bones to Pick With Samsung's Big, Beautiful Phone »»
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Digital Pen Gives Boring Note-Taking a Modern Kick »»
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Glint of Starlight Could Reveal Liquid Oceans on Exoplanets »»
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Unless you're majoring in spandex and minoring in too-cool-for-school at Steephill State, you may not need a road, fixed-gear or a mountain bike. Consider REI's Novara Fusion commuter. Sure this hybrid 8-speed won't get you anywhere in a mega-hurry, but you'll likely enjoy getting there.
Marketing Daily: Most Don't Know Mobile Contract Expiration Date »»
According to a recent study commissioned by Best Buy Mobile, only 40% of those consumers received a reminder notice that the contract was about to expire. The survey, conducted for Best Buy Mobile by GfK Roper, sheds light on consumers' knowledge and shopping habits around mobile plans, devices, technology and accessories. Comment | Read more...
I’ve written a lot in the last few posts about business. That was the goal: to help people better understand some of these tools and their impact on doing business. However, I should be really clear that business isn’t all work. Business, especially human business, can be relationship-minded, can be sustainable, and can even be [...] Comment | Read more...
Consumer Watchdog Uses Google Analytics to Track User Behavior…Wait, What? »»
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By no means do I encourage stalking of any kind. However, some of these communities are so amazingly good, its great for observing and learning from the sidelines and then if you feel your ready – you can jump right in and contribute to the community. Behance Network Behance is a powerhouse of some of [...] Comment | Read more...
LaCie MosKeyto Cuts USB Thumb Drives Down to Size »»
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Digital Outsider: Gasoline Fight: GSTV Sues Outcast »»
Perhaps the best measure of industry maturity is when people start suing each other. By that standard, it seems digital out-of-home video advertising has come of age. Last month brought one of the medium's first major legal slap-fights, with Gas Station TV suing rival Outcast and a former vice-president of sales at NBCU for allegedly stealing trade secrets Comment | Read more...
Royal Mail Of UK Launches The World’s First Intelligent Stamp »»
The British postal service is using image recognition technology to generate public interest in its special edition stamps. Comment | Read more...
Under New Owner, Burger King May Spend More on Marketing »»
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The $4 billion sale of Burger King to 3G Capital Management this week doesn't mean flip for McDonald's firmer-than-ever position as the No. 1 burger chain. But it does present an opportunity to steal back at least some of the share ceded in the past couple of years to the Golden Arches as well as fast-feeders like Wendy's, Subway and Domino's.
WordPress upgrades free app for blogging on the go
(Appolicious) »»
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Google Brings “Search-to-Store” to the Mobile Web »»
Google Maps for Mobile has a new feature that could help you get exactly where you want to be. Earlier this summer they introduced Expendable Map Ads that appeared in both applications and mobile web. This app provided a banner from paid advertisers that once clicked on, a user would see a map with options [...]
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Here are over 1,000 Blog & News feed entries from the top Marketing and Tech gurus around the world. These feeds are updated several times per day.
A couple weeks ago, Facebook officially opened their new office in Seattle, WA. At the time, Facebook's 
According to 
Editor's note: The following guest post is by Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, the CEO of 
You'll forgive me for sneaking in some pop culture in the mix because it's Saturday and all, right? Rapper Kanye West is having a bit of a moment 
When I was ready to transition from computer programmer to project manager, my employer, Xerox Corporation, sent me to its huge training center in Leesburg, Virginia. Over two weeks, the people there taught me some of the skills I needed in order to succeed in my new role: managing projects, motivating people, complying with employment regulations, and preparing status reports and presentations. The company also encouraged me to complete an MBA, on a part-time basis, at New York University. It gave me lots of time off and paid for the tuition.
Tech companies in the internet era offer their employees some great perks. But do you think that Facebook, Groupon, or Zynga provide budding professionals with any serious management training? Not at all. Given the way tech companies grow and the HR challenges they face, management training and career development are more important than ever. But few have the time—they are too busy surviving.
Look out Plancast and Upcoming, here comes 
Apple CEO 
Bad news for 
The Obama administration promised $8 billion in funding for cities and states to build 
As a longtime Apple TV owner, I'll admit a dirty little secret: I really like the device. Sure, it has been one of the rare flops for Apple in recent years. And it could be so much more with say, a Blu-ray player or a web browser. But it is really good at its core functionality: bringing iTunes content into your living room. And that's why this new version of the Apple TV makes sense -- at least for now.
When I first bought the Apple TV, there were two varieties: a 40 gigabyte version and a 160 gigabyte version. I was torn between which one to get, but I ultimately went with the 160 GB one thinking I could put most of my movies on it. Big mistake. I basically never use the hard drive on my Apple TV, so it's a 160 GB hard drive sitting there doing nothing. Instead, I stream everything to the Apple TV.
In fact, the only time I do use the hard drive on my current Apple TV is when I rent a movie on it. Currently, even when renting, you download a movie to your hard drive where it sits for up to 30 days (or 24 hours after you start playing it). But with the new iTunes rentals (both TV and movies) everything is streamed -- no hard drive is required (besides a small one for buffering purposes). Thanks to that, and undoubtedly the knowledge that most owners were using it for streaming, Apple removed the hard drive from the device, and cut it down in size and price.
Location-based service 
Curious what Google's 
Can someone please explain 
