What the buzz, Google?
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I woke up this morning to find out something was different with my Gmail. Overnight it seems as if Google and Facebook have fornicated their technological impulses and created the newest love child of the social networking world: Google Buzz. Though Twitter might demand a paternity test from Google, this “buzzing” community is the latest of social networks trying to innovate fast-track communication.
Google Buzz, channeled through Google's popular Gmail service, allows users to micro-blog and upload pictures as well as link to other users and websites. And like one of its predecessors, Twitter, it lets you “follow” other members and blog about, well, whatever you want. However, it definitely has Facebook’s eyes, allowing you to comment on updates directly without all the weird @, #, etc. symbols that I still don’t understand with “tweets”. It also has the highly coveted “like” feature that Facebookers obnoxiously seem to enjoy. (Hmm maybe Google Buzz will get a dislike option that Facebook has yet to cave to – could be interesting.)
However, unlike the launch of other social networks, Google Buzz has already taken the initiative for current Gmail account holders. Before I even heard the buzzing, I apparently was following a couple dozen of my closest Gmail contacts and a handful were following me. I also had a link to the “Buzz” conveniently placed under my Inbox link, equipped with a Simon Says-esque color wheel, just in case I missed it.
Healthcare Group Elves
Andy Cuykendall, aka Peppy Mistletoe
Favorite Holiday Movie? It's a Wonderful Life
Favorite Holiday Treat? Pizelle Italian Cookies
Favorite Holiday Tradition? Decorating the tree to Frank Sinatra
How do you Trim your Tree? Lights and ornaments - No tinsel or garland
Favorite Reindeer? Blitzen
Bill Purdy, aka Peppermiz Bingaling
Favorite Holiday Movie? A Christmas Story
Favorite Holiday Treat? Bourbon Eggnog
Favorite Holiday Tradition? Fondue on Christmas Eve
How do you Trim your Tree? Generations of hand-made ornaments. NO TINSEL!
Favorite Reindeer? Vixen
Marketing Elves
Ninh Nguyen, aka Bijou Mistletoe
Favorite Holiday Movie? Home Alone
Favorite Holiday Treat? Pumpkin Pie
Favorite Holiday Tradition? Ice skating outside at the uptown rink
How do you Trim your Tree? I'm eco friendly -- I have a plastic one
Favorite Reindeer? Dancer-- since I like the show "So you think you can dance"
Brooke Sanders, aka Nipper Tum-Tums
Favorite Holiday Movie? Elf
Favorite Holiday Treat? Chocolate Peanut Squares, Breakfast Casserole
Favorite Holiday Tradition? Sitting in front of the fire, reading a book, and drinking hot chocolate with the Christmas tree lit up and Christmas music playing in the background
How do you Trim your Tree? Christmas ornaments that my mom has bought me--one every year since I was born
Favorite Reindeer? Rudolph
Verbal Branding Elves
Ashley Hollingsworth, aka Zippy Angel-Pants
Favorite Movie: Elf
Favorite Treat: Chocolate covered cherries…sometimes I think I might be the only one that feels this way.
How do you trim your tree? Balls, lights, a big giant star and strings of little red beads.
Favorite Tradition: Baking cookies for Santa
Favorite Reindeer: Comet
Maghan Cook, aka Batty Bing-a-Ling
Favorite Movie: A Very Brady Christmas
Favorite Treat: Chocolate Covered Pretzels
How do you trim your tree? Colored lights (LED, of course), and a flimsy, too-small, slightly crooked star on top because it makes me laugh
Favorite Tradition: Cinnamon rolls first thing Christmas morning
Favorite Reindeer: Donner and Blitzen (because, NERD ALERT, I learned recently mean Thunder and Lightning in German)
Jenna Wise, aka Bouncy Candy-Lips
Favorite Movie: A Christmas Story
Favorite Treat: Moms Fruit Cocktail / Dream Whip Salad
Favorite Tradition: 24 hours of A Christmas Story on TNT, I watch the movie once on Christmas Eve and NO LESS than four times on Christmas Day (what?)
What do you trim your tree with? Colors for the last few years have been silver, dark blue and teal plus the introduction of a new ornament every year.
Favorite Reindeer: Vixen, duh. And Dancer. It's too hard to choose!
Joanne Lee, aka Cheerful Tum-Tums
Favorite Movie: The Year Without Santa Claus
Favorite Treat: White Trash
Favorite Tradition: Egg hunt! ... no, that's not right... Fireworks! ... no, no, doesn't sound right either ... Drinking green beer! Yes, that's it.
What do you trim your tree with? Hedge Clippers :)
Favorite Reindeer: Blitzen-- cuz he must drink lots of eggnog (and green beer) with a nickname like that.
Paula Weigel, aka Dingy Twinkle-Toes
Favorite Movie: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Favorite Treat: Philly Cheese Balls & Brie Bites (no way I can pick just one)
Favorite Tradition: Decorating the day after Thanksgiving.
What do you trim your tree with? Hand-made ornaments from my childhood
Favorite Reindeer: Donner ... or Donder ... whatever his name is, I like it!
Visual Branding Manager Elf
Kristin Everidge, aka Beaker Twinkle-Toes
Favorite Holiday Movie? Elf
Favorite Holiday Treat? Ham Delights
Favorite Holiday Tradition? Drinking wassail (hot spiced punch) at my grandmothers on Christmas Eve. I only get to have it once a year
What do you trim your tree with? Ornaments collected over the years.
Favorite Reindeer? Rudolph!
Need a “Mentally Stimulating Diversion”?
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Have I got JUST the thing for you. Put down your crossword puzzles, forget the Sudoku, and don’t even think about wasting time with Solitaire or Mindsweeper. All you need to know to give your mind a creative jumpstart is this one little word, Read more
New Ways to Give Back and Get Involved!
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Google and Yahoo compete for our questions and curiosities. Now they both lend their powerful search engines to help us give back and get involved in our communities.
Read more
23andMe: Genomenclature
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The surge of data from the Human Genome and HapMap Projects has catalyzed amazing advancements in genetics, something we have witnessed first-hand with the rapid growth of the biotech industry. But now you don’t have to be a doctor or a scientist to tap into the wonderful world of DNA. 23andMe, recently named Time magazine’s Best Invention of 2008, is available to the public.
Named for the 23 pairs of chromosomes found in humans, 23andMe “combines genotyping with a set of tools and features that depict each customer's personal data within the context of environmental and other factors that contribute to variation in human traits and conditions.”
Good Guide
One of our most influential tools in a capitalist society is our power as consumers. When you choose to buy something, you are not only supporting the brand, but the production of that product, and the company as a whole.
Guides such as Consumer Reports have long existed to provide consumers with detailed information and reviews on product performance. GoodGuide takes that notion a step further, according to their website, providing “the world's largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products in your home.”
With a visit to GoodGuide, you can browse items ranked in three categories: Health Performance (which includes adverse health effects and safety), Environmental Performance (which includes energy and climate impact, as well as use of hazardous materials), and Social Performance (which measures company philanthropy, labor and human rights, and customer satisfaction).
So the next time you are debating which brand of makeup or detergent to buy, take a quick look online—what you read may just make the decision for you.
Contributed by: Maghan Cook
House Party
Which would have more influence on your decision to purchase a new product- advertisements or a recommendation by one of your friends? If you’re like most people, you would probably trust your friend’s recommendation more than you would an advertisement. After all, the advertiser is getting paid to sell the product, but your friend isn’t. But what inspired your friend to try the new product in the first place? Perhaps it was one of the increasingly popular House Parties.