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.
A Bad Case of App Envy
I have bone to pick about apps. With the launch of the iPhone and now the iPad, apps have become big business and many large brands have created apps to enhance engagement with its products. The world has gone app crazy – or so it appears.
Here’s my problem. In North America, approximately 9 million Americans have an iPhone while Blackberry has nearly 15 million users. So, WHY are apps for the iPhone significantly outnumber the number for BlackBerry. Us BlackBerry users still want to be able access Rolling Stone’s concert vault, hold up fake lighters, look at maps of foreign countries and anything else that apps can help me do.
Come on developers. Don’t forget about the BlackBerry users. We need fancy apps to pass the time in line and at stop lights too.
Old Medium, New Mix
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If you’re a magazine reader, get ready to see something different. On September 18th, CBS and Pepsi will launch their newest marketing experiment: video advertisements in a print magazine.
That’s right. Selected Entertainment Weekly subscribers in NYC and LA will receive magazine copies embedded with wafer-thin screens running clips of CBS’s upcoming shows. Additionally, there will be a screen with an ad for Pepsi’s new drink, Pepsi Max.
According to experts, a roughly two-inch screen starts playing automatically as the page flips open. A speaker is embedded below it. Additionally, viewers have the option to start or stop the video by pressing on the screen (an essential feature considering the runtime can be up to 40 hours). The new technology was developed by LA based company, Americhip, and is considered similar to that used by Amazon’s Kindle.
The CBS Corp., PepsiCo, and Entertainment Weekly are touting the video ads as the first ever to appear in a print magazine. CBS would not disclose pricing information for the inserts or the screens, however, experts estimate the cost to be somewhere between $8-15 per copy.
While CBS and Pepsi certainly have the first mover’s advantage on this one, I’m still not convinced that the over a million dollar investment will be worth it. What do you guys think?
By Kelley Blakewood
Mommy, Mommy!
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Recently entering the world of children’s toys is a new doll that can walk the walk and talk the talk. Fisher-Price recently introduced Little Mommy: Walk & Giggle Doll. Equipped with the latest technology, this amazing doll can talk, walk, and stand up all by herself. According to a Senior Engineer at Mattel, the technology used to power this little play toy machine is similar to the resources used to power the Apple IIe.
Your little girl comes prepared to say up to 60 different phrases including “I’m tired,” or “help me, momma.” You can love your own Little Mommy: Walk & Giggle Doll for between Read more
Vanity Fair Discusses Personal Branding
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A recent article in Vanity Fair Magazine by contributing author, James Walcott, titled, What’s a Culture Snob to Do?, discusses the current dilemma facing Culture Snobs caused by the pervasive effects of technology. In our society today, many people personally brand themselves by the material possessions they own. The book you read proudly while riding on the bus; the CD collection waiting to be perused by the next passenger that hops into your car; and the DVD collection that is displayed on the shelves in your home waiting to be fawned over by the next house guest, are all outwards displays of your inner being. Whether or not you would like to admit it, our society is quick to make snap judgments about a person’s character based upon the book titles seen in the arms of their readers. This judgment serves as a bit of a Read more
Technology Brands Help Edge Out the Competition
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Addison Whitney has two new names and logos to add to its portfolio in the running world: StabilicoreTM, which is a technology brand for New Balance shoes, and Aceba, a Dry Lubricant used in Asics Chafe FreeTM products.
For those who think that Nike is supreme when it comes to athletic footwear, runners will tell you a different story. Runners are very loyal to brands that work, and Asics and New Balance have emerged as trusted names for those who hit the pavement every day.
A quick poll of AW’s running group, “Brand, Sweat and Tears”, revealed the following insights about running brands:
- “I am more loyal to technologies than I am to master brands”
- “I don’t care if it’s popular- I care if it has got the specifics that I need! (e.g. high-arch support)”
- “If I find a technology that works for me, I am more likely to buy other items from that brand (the shoes fit, why not buy the matching shorts and tank!)”
Adios Analog
The time has finally come. On Friday, June 12th, 2009 we witnessed history in the making. On this day, a federal law required all television broadcast stations to officially make the switch from the analog format to the digital format. The conversion is taking place for a number of reasons. Some of these motives include; the fact that digital is a more efficient transmission technology, opportunity for improved pictures and sound quality, increased options in programming, and the freeing up of many frequencies to be used in more efficient ways.
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and the Government are working hand-in-hand to ensure that everyone is aware of the conversion, and knows how to handle it. Numerous information sites have been created in order to ease the transition for all consumers.
The originial date for the analog to digital conversion was set for February 17 or 18, 2009. However, the House of Representatives voted and President Obama signed the bill to postpone to switch on the basis that millions of consumers were unprepared. Prepared or not, the switch took place on Friday and we saying Adios to Analog!
To read more information about the switch and other news from the Federal Communications Commission, please visit their website! http://www.fcc.gov/
Contributed by Carrie Friedrich
Palm says no to "O"
Just when you thought you had the latest and greatest Smart Phone on the market, along came the new >Palm pre. Available exclusively to Sprint customers (for now), the pre is Palm’s answer to the iphone. The phone rocks a 3.1 inch touch screen, WiFi and 3G connectivity, web browsing, Microsoft Outlook access, GPS, camera, and a QWERTY keyboard that slides beneath the screen—optimal for serious texters looking to avoid the error filled messages spit out by the combination of big fingers and small touch screens. Former iphone owners say the best thing about the pre is the ability to run multiple applications at one time.
But most unique to the pre, perhaps, is the name itself. Palm’s current handset lineup includes the centro, treo and treo pro. The “-o” on the end of each name seems to be an intentional nomenclature strategy. So did Palm ditch the “-o” for good? Probably not. My guess is they went with a standout name for a standout model. The meaning of the word “pre” offers a lot of creative potential in terms of concepts that are relatively transparent. Whereas preo sounds more like a car, and maybe does not differentiate the new phone quite as effectively from its predecessors. So no hard feelings, "O", I'm sure it's only temporary.
Contributed by Laine Beyerl
Naming the Mars Rover
WALL-E and NASA have joined forces to find a kid-friendly name for the new Mars Rover. The naming contest , open to students ages 5-18, will reward finalists with visits to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the winner with a place in the history of space exploration. This month, 9 of the name candidates will be revealed as finalists, and the public will have a chance to vote on their favorite.
Twin intrepid rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been on Mars since 2004, making many discoveries and relaying more than a quarter million pictures back to Earth. When the new Mars Rover visits the red planet in 2011, it will bring with it a more sophisticated set of instruments and capabilities, and endless possibilities.
Because the new rover will launch the most exciting robotic mission to date, it is understandable that Read more
Netbooks: A cure for Internet Addiction
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I thought I had uncovered the mother of all typos when I was recently perusing the computer section of the Best Buy website and eyed a heading for “Netbooks”. Silly Best Buy web editor, I thought, it’s Notebooks not Netbooks!
Wrong. Netbooks do exist.
Read more