Wal-Mart Sells $197 8GB iPhone

Yahoo is reporting that Wal-Mart is now selling the 8GB iPhone 3G for $197, $98 more than the $99 we were hoping last week let alone the $99 refurb price at AT&T. Not much else to report on this one but it is interesting to see the iPhone visit the hinterlands where AT&T and Apple stores are scarce.

Festivus Losing It's Integrity Says FriendFeed

Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times....

Has Festivus become too much for the rest of us?
Fans of the faux holiday, which became famous on an episode of 'Seinfeld' 11 years ago, worry that it's becoming too commercial.
By Jessica Guynn

Reporting from San Francisco -- The merry band of entrepreneurs behind FriendFeed transformed the online service into "FestivusFeed" last year to celebrate the faux Christmastime holiday that became famous on an episode of "Seinfeld."

Instead of posting comments, FriendFeed users were invited to air grievances. So, in the spirit of the season, FriendFeed founder Paul Buchheit griped: "Festivus is being co-opted by profit-seeking corporations, and we're losing the true spirit of the holiday."

With FriendFeed exploiting Festivus to promote itself, "the comment was, of course, meant to be ironic," Buchheit said Wednesday.

But are corporate grinches really out to steal Festivus? The anti-holiday is starting to look a bit like, well, Christmas.

In the seminal Seinfeld show 11 years ago, George Costanza's father, Frank, tells Kramer he invented the holiday when he found himself battling for a doll with another Christmas shopper and coined the slogan "A Festivus for the rest of us."

It's marked each year on Dec. 23 with an aluminum pole instead of a tree, and celebrants air grievances and compete in feats of strength instead of exchanging gifts. The holiday ends when the head of the household is wrestled to the floor and pinned.

The "Seinfeld" writer who introduced Festivus to the masses was Dan O'Keefe, whose father came up with the holiday in the mid-1960s. The story line had the staying power of "yada yada yada," "not that there is anything wrong with that" and other uniquely Seinfeldian observances. It gained a loyal following on YouTube and in ritual celebrations in businesses and homes across the country because it's Spartan, secular and just plain silly.

But it also picked up a new sidekick: corporate America.

The television gag has turned into the marketing gimmick that keeps on giving for Milwaukee's Wagner Cos., which sells six-foot Festivus poles for $39 plus shipping. Journalist Allen Salkin cashed in with his book, "Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us," while O'Keefe contributed "The Real Festivus."

The Grape Ranch vineyard in Oklahoma makes Festivus wine. Other kitschy merchandise includes greeting cards, T-shirts, recipes ("Ham with Junior Mint and Snapple glaze") and songs ("Gather 'Round the Pole" and "Oh Festivus").

At least Ben & Jerry's produced only a limited edition of its "Festivus" flavor: brown sugar cinnamon ice cream loaded with gingerbread cookies and a ginger caramel swirl.

All that merchandising has some folks complaining that the true meaning of the holiest day on the Seinfeld calendar is being lost.

"When I air my grievances this year, they're all about how commercial Festivus has become," said Wil Wheaton, the actor who portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

"And don't even get me started on the new 'designer' aluminum poles," he added.

Shannon Hurst Lane, 35, who hails from Zachary, outside Baton Rouge, La., agreed.

"You would think that Festivus would be anticommercial," she said.

Lane and her fellow bloggers behind TravelingMamas.com celebrated in their own way. They threw a "13 Days of Festivus Giveaway" to give readers the chance to air their grievances about the travel industry and win products that companies had sent to the bloggers in hopes of favorable reviews.

In fielding questions from Washington Post readers, O'Keefe scoffed at the notion that Festivus has become too commercial.

"I don't know you can commercialize something so ridiculous," he said.

Merry Christmas!!

Digicrest And Paris, On The Case

Paris Hilton was robbed last week after she left her home unlocked and then went out to the clubs.  She's supposedly lost $2 million worth of jewels.  Despite all the sleep I've lost this week worried about how Paris will recover from this disaster, I'm comforted by the fact that she seems confident they will fine the perpetrators.

"You know, it's just an invasion of privacy, and it's happened to me before. It's really scary but they're doing a huge investigation on this, and we're going to catch this person.  Obviously it's devastating and disturbing that someone was in my home," Hilton said. "[But] we have three security guards there and a 24-hour guard who is always on my property. We have the alarm on, [we have] the dogs, the guards with the gun, so no one is going to be coming into my house."  Having viewed her home surveillance tapes, Paris Hilton doesn't think a stranger is responsible for burglarizing her Sherman Oaks, Calif., abode.  "I think whoever did this, definitely has been there before," the ripped-off heiress told E! News Monday while perusing the racks at the L.A. boutique Intuition. "We have some suspects that I'm thinking of.

While I'd like to make fun of Paris endlessly on this, WWTDD has already done a great job...

Oh yikes. Paris is on the case, and crime has a powerful new enemy. The same girl who left the front door open and her jewelry just lying around has a few ideas on how to crack this thing wide open. Number 1, trap the thief by putting more jewels on the center of the floor on a big red X underneath a piano held up with ropes. Another good idea is to paint a fake tunnel on the side of a cliff wall so that when the burglar tires to escape he bonks into it and curls up like an accordion. She said she saw these ideas implemented successfully on TV once. She thinks it might have been Law and Order.

Action Movies Are My Favorite

I'm watching "Armageddon" right now for a little pre- Christmas disaster fun.  And I came to the scene when the government is going to remote detonate the nuclear warhead from down on earth.  Of course Harry Stamper (bruce Willis) is having none of it and you got Truman (Billy Bob Thornton) down on earth trying to screw with team setting off the bomb.  And that's when the greatest line in the movie gets delivered.... sidekick to General Kimsey (Keith David) sees that they've lost signal and proceeds to drop this baby on us, "General. The override.  It's been overridden."

Maybe the best Christmas gift of all right there.

VC Money Is Dry, Excluding Funny Or Die

The American economy is in a recession.  Companies are struggling for cash, and venture capital dollars have almost completely dried up.  Right? Well, Will Ferrell's online video site, Funny or Die, just received a $3 million cash infusion from "a single, undisclosed investor." While a part of me is saying screw those guys for continually making funny, entertaining content and leaving the rest of us out to dry, the other part of me is remembering that innovation wins out.  So long as Pearl is getting her money on time, I suppose it doesn't really matter. 

Because I Love Hulu...

They deserve any coverage possible in my mind. Good news bad news, whatever. I haven't slept a wink in the last two months without dozing off to an old Family Guy episode or some hilarious bonus clips from The Office.

Either way, turns out Hulu took a hit in unique viewers in November compared to October according to comScore. If it's any consolation to them, I still think they are fantastic. That should tide them over while they build their traffic back up.

Nokia Really Joins The Smart Phone Race

Courtesy of CrunchGear...

The Nokia E63 has surfaced on Amazon.com for a pre-order price of $499, unlocked. You’ll remember the E63 as the tie-loosened, top-button-unbuttoned little brother to the more polished, business-oriented Nokia E71.

The E63 on Amazon is listed as the “International Version with No U.S. Warranty" while there’s an E71 being sold unlocked for $375.99 that’s listed as the “U.S. Version with Warranty.” There’s an international version of the E71 going for $454.99, which leads me to believe that if there were to be a US-specific version of the E63 offered, it’d likely cost less than the international version AND it’d have a warranty.

No word on an actual release date, but you can pre-order it if you’re interested.

Omniture Brings Real-Time Analytics To iPhone Applications

Courtesy of TechCrunch...

Omniture is extending its SiteCatalyst measurement tool to native iPhone applications, enabling developers and marketers to gain insight on how users are interacting with their iPhone apps, based on real-time information. This should allow them not only to improve the user experience based on analytics, but also make adjustement necessary to generate more revenue by enhancing ad clicks, purchasing and increasing page views.

The new offer, which is basically an extension of its existing SiteCatalyst solution, is called App Measurement for iPhone and will be generally available as from January 2009. To our knowledge this is the first analytics program specifically designed for native iPhone applications, but it’s safe to say other providers will soon follow suit with similar offerings.

In related news, Tel Aviv-based Kenshoo is taking its Search Engine Marketing campaign management solution mobile, enabling users to consult campaign statistics and reports from their iPhone browser. More information about their solution is available here, and a video demo can be viewed here.

Omnicom Set to Cut Up to 3,500 Jobs

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The industry's largest holding company, Omnicom Group, is preparing a massive layoff of nearly 5% of its global work force of 70,000, according to executives close to the situation.

The executives would not confirm which divisions or agencies would be affected by the estimated 3,500 job loss, but it is believed that BBDO, the agency for ailing Chrysler, which lost its flagship U.S. brand Pepsi business this year, would particularly feel the ax. Earlier today, Ad Age reported that Omnicom media agency PHD was laying off 30 people and closing its Atlanta office.

An Omnicom spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

Not all units affected...
The executives said not all Omnicom units will be touched. "Wherever adjustments had to be made, agencies that needed to make the adjustments made them," said an executive with knowledge of the situation. "That does not mean all companies made adjustments." And the current layoffs, to be concluded by year's end, may not be the end of it: Additional cuts could come in January across the holding company, executives said.

The depth of the layoffs is striking considering Omnicom already took measures to reduce its head count earlier this year. Just last month BBDO slashed 22% of its staff in Detroit as the office's embattled Chrysler client indicated it plans to reduce its marketing activity. Earlier this month, Ad Age reported that Chrysler, now in the midst of trying to win a government bridge loan to stay alive, is believed to owe the holding company some $80 million.

Omnicom, the parent company of agency brands such as DDB Worldwide, TBWA Worldwide and Goodby Silverstein & Partners, employed roughly 70,000 people worldwide by the end of 2007, up 6.1% from the end of 2006.

Omnicom Group in October posted $213 million in net income for the third quarter of 2008, up slightly from $202 million in the same period last year. But signs of trouble for the holding company were beginning to show in its third-quarter earnings statement: Its public-relations practice, which is made up of Fleishman Hillard, Ketchum and Porter Novelli, among others, showed negative growth for the quarter.

~ ~ ~
Contributing: Rupal Parekh, Bradley Johnson

Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid? I Think I'm Having Deja Vu

I hope I'm not the only futbol fan who wanted to shoot himself today when the Real Madrid Ronaldo drama picked up again today.  Needless to say they are talking about the summer transfer window and today is December 17, and that drives me insane.  Both teams in the title race in their respective leagues and we are talking about a summer transfer.  I hate sports media with nothing but time to fill.

I love the internet.  It is the home to my career in advertising, and it provides us unbelievable communication tools. But the amount of media outlets has created nothing but space to fill, which leads to excessive dramatization in sports, entertainment, business, and so on.  It's stories like this today that really get me going.

From Soccernet...

Madrid leak claims Ronaldo deal already done
Cristiano Ronaldo will sign for Real Madrid in the summer according to a director of the Spanish giants.

All eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo, currently in Tokyo - yet again.
Newspaper El Mundo is quoting director Pedro Trapote as saying Real already have a deal in place but cannot announce it officially.

President Ramon Calderon had stated after last summer's protracted transfer saga that Real would end their long quest to pinch the player from Manchester United so as not to make an enemy of the European champions.

Sir Alex Ferguson did little to hide his disgust at Real's conduct and is bound to be more than agitated by a resurfacing of the Ronaldo rumour-mongering.

El Mundo report that after Madrid's loss at Barcelona Trapote mentioned the news in a recorded conversation, though it is not known whether it was meant to become public knowledge.

"If you are asking me what we are going to do now then I would tell you that we have already signed the best player for the summer," Trapote is quoted as saying.

"Are you talking about Cristiano?" was the reply.

"The best of the best. It is Cristiano, there is no other. It is better that we do not say anything at the moment though.

"Why can you not say anything. It is the best time because things are going badly and people need something to excite them in the middle of all this.

Trapote replied: "No, it is best to not say anything because there are some clauses that prevent us from announcing it now."

Just Another Reason Why Second- Life Is Ridiculous

I like to think I live life in the moment, generally not considering the consequences of my actions and for the most part having a pretty damn good time.  Yet a majority of our society seems to think this life isn't fulfilling enough, so they create another life in a virtual world... these people are dorks, to use the biggest insult the third- grade ever provided.

Enjoy some drama caused by Second- Life, and lets just say the parties involved are definitely Jerry Springer candidates. Oh, and the drama's movie rights have been optioned by Gore Verbinski.

Director Gore Verbinski and Universal have bought the rights to a 2007 Wall Street Journal article about a man whose real-life wife is jealous of the woman he married in Second-Life. The interesting part isn’t so much the planned movie as the article itself:

“It’s really devastating,” says Sue Hoogestraat, 58, an export agent for a shipping company, who has been married to Ric Hoogestraat for seven months. “You try to talk to someone or bring them a drink, and they’ll be having sex with a cartoon.”

Seriously, what does he think this is, Japan? His virtual wife, by the way, goes by “Tenaj Jackalope”.

Since February, he’s been spending six hours a night and often 14 hours at a stretch on weekends as Dutch Hoorenbeek, his six-foot-nine, muscular, motorcycle-riding cyber-self.

In the virtual world, he’s a successful entrepreneur with a net worth of about $1.5 million in the site’s currency, the linden, which can be earned or purchased through Second Life’s Web site at a rate of about 250 lindens per U.S. dollar. He owns a mall, a private beach club, a dance club and a strip club. He has 25 employees, online persons operated by other players, including a security guard, a mall concierge, a manager and assistant manager, and the “exotic dancers” at his club. He designs bikinis and lingerie, and sells them through his chain store, Red Headed Lovers.

Sounds like a cool guy. But oh shit, here comes the inevitable real-world comparison. Trust me, this is good.

Before discovering Second Life, Mr. Hoogestraat had bounced between places and jobs, working as an elementary schoolteacher and a ski instructor, teaching computer graphics and spending two years on the road selling herbs and essential oils at Renaissance fairs.

Wait a second… Essential oils? Hey, you know who’d be perfect for this role? Steven Seagal! Oh, and dudes? I’m pretty sure it’s spelled “Faire”.

Will Wal-Mart Sell A $99 iPhone?

A fantastic article about how the rumors have been built around the Wal-Mart- iPhone relationship popped up last week in Fortune's CNNMoney Apple blog.

Check it out by clicking on the picture....

Creativity Online Names Crispin Porter & Bogusky Agency Of The Year

CP&B beat out the likes of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners as well as Wieden + Kennedy to secure this years top spot.

Many conversations about Crispin Porter & Bogusky in 2008 began and ended with one big mouthful of a word starting with an "M" and ending with a "soft." But other words were perhaps more significant in summing up the agency's contribution to the advertising world over the past year. Among them: Design. Utility. Freakout.

The agency was as prodigious as ever in 2008, and as innovative. It produced a few of the most important bits of brand creativity of the year, and, equally important, it continued to evolve the idea of what an ad agency can be.

In the modern age of advertising, CPB, love it or hate it (and the agency is unrivaled in the amount and intensity of antipathy it arouses) came to represent the New Ad Agency, the idea-centric, media-inclusive, integrated creative factory whose brand campaigns feed from and create popular culture. The shop has long been recognized for incorporating media into its creative thinking and solutions and for embracing digital (Crispin has twice been named digital agency of the year at Cannes, and with the acquisition of Texture Media this year becomes a more all-round-digital player, producing more of its interactive work in house). Now, as more brands are realizing the benefits of a holistic creative approach, where design and communications are as one, the agency is once again doing the work to continue to evolve as a brand creativity partner -- a full service agency in the truest sense.

Check out the full story HERE, and click below to see my favorite piece of their work, the Whopper Freakout.

Newspaper Ad Spend Continues To Sputter...Enter Digital

From the Newspaper Association of America

The Best Viral Videos Of 2008: A Retrospective

Anyone who was able to catch some of The Gummy Awards last week from VideoGum may have seen this already, but the coverage of the year's best viral vids is definitely worth a few laughs.

Bush Gets The Shoe Slap Treatment From Angry Iraqi

In the end, the Iraqi people did not bid farewell to U.S. President George W. Bush with gratitude or wreaths of victory. Instead an individual, unarmed Iraqi threw shoes at him, a traditional demonstration of anger and contempt.

Needless to say, Bush's reaction after is unbelievably funny. He compares it to getting flipped off in your car at one point.

Here's some advice for the shoe thrower from the most dazzling secret agent of all time...

Any Of These Business Sayings On Your List?

Two Minutes Of Inspiration To Change Your Day

Thanks to the creator, Matthew Belinke, and the finder, DasGriffer for this amazing video. All it takes is two minutes to change your day.

Smaller Advertisers Causing The Ad Market To Drop

Joe Mandese wrote an interesting piece for Media Post today, highlighting a new study that has shown smaller advertisers, normally spendng in the long tail, are the ones who have put the brakes on spending recently.

"If you go back one or two years, when we were seeing modest growth of 2% or 3% in ad spending, the grow was coming from the bottom of the market. Those smaller, long-tail advertisers were in the forefront of the advance. Now they are leading the retreat," explains Jon Swallen, senior vice president-research and the de facto chief economist at TNS Media Intelligence.

Mandese also provides some interesting insights into the spending habits of the big three automakers, which makes you raise an eye to the current bailout happenings.

While some big advertisers have also hit the breaks, especially two of the Big 3 domestic auto marketers - Chrysler and Ford, both down 33% year-to-date - one has actually been boosting its advertising budget in defiance of an economic downturn: General Motors.

Through the first nine months of 2008, GM boosted its advertising budget nearly 16%, more than any other top 10 marketer, a move that could raise some interesting questions on both Main Street and Capital Hill as the Big 3 automakers have called on Congress fro a multibillion bailout to stay in business.

Here's a look at the modest cutbacks that have been made by some of the biggest advertisers:

Nike Is Just Good

I'm Caught On Camera Again

Air Jordan Countdown Pack 11/12

The Air Jordan Countdown is continuing as Nike keeps chalking off the list in their last run of production on the famed line of sneakers.  The 11/12 pack was originally set to release on December 26 but it looks like Sneaker Files is now saying that Nike has changed the release to December 20.  Either way, the Jordan 11 and Jordan 12 are some of the most coveted sneaks in the collection so I'm sure the holiday market will be splashed.

Nike Production Or Not?

I love not knowing when Nike is behind a viral video or not. Historically, Nike loves putting futbol stars in their boots and has tem do off the wall tricks and whatnot, but roaming the streets of France is whole other story for these street players.

Wow, 'The Onion' Is Still Hilarious

How Can We Make The Iraq War More Handicap Accessible?

Mercurial Rosa "You Better Be Quick"

On the 22nd of November some of Europe’s most exciting players tore up the pitch in the Nike Mercurial Vapor RosaNike Mercurial Vapor Rosa – the new color for speed.

The Mercurial Vapor is all about turf-burning pace. For 10 years it’s been helping the world’s fastest players squeeze every last drop of acceleration from their game. And for the last 7 years, the Premier League’s top scorer has worn the Nike Mercurial Vapor.

Featuring a patented Vapor Traction System, the Mercurial Vapor Rosa delivers low-profile acceleration and multi-directional grip for match-winning changes of pace and direction.

Keep your eyes on this site to see all the Rosa magic as it unfolds.

Google Tells All to The World...Finally

All about Google

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: google strategy)

Kanye's 808s & Heartbreak

Since everyone is talking about Kanye's new album, I figured I'd throw my two cents into the conversation...

I like it a lot.  I think in true Kanye style, the melodies and basslines are solid.  But don't they all sound real similar?  Props to Kanye for attempting to sing and throwing an auto tuner over his voice to cover his lack of true voice talent, but the album could have used a bit of a mix-up somewhere along the way.

My main feelings about the album are this; because Kanye won't shut up recently about how he is changing the way music is made, and comparing himself to the Beatles, I question the integrity of the album.  Is Kanye taking his creativity and artistic ability to a new level, or is this album different just for the sake of being different?

Whatever the answer, check out my favorite song, "See You In My Nightmares" featuring Lil' Wayne.

CFOs Think The Governement Was Right

CFOs Give Thumbs Up to Bailouts

72% of 219 CFOs representing a diverse group of large and small, public and private companies believe that the government did the right thing by bailing out financial institutions Bear Stearns, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and AIG, but that the decision not to rescue Lehman Brothers was reasonable, according to a survey conducted by Financial Executives International and Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business.

SOURCE: Q3 CFO Outlook Study, October 30, 2008, Harvard Business Publishing.

The Simpson's Get An Apple, I Mean Mapple Store

Welcome Back To The Office

"I'll Make Pudding For You"

Today's episode of "Mayne Street" is just too funny not to re- distribute.

Of Course The Pocket Had The Meteor Video

Old Spice Wants You To Be Popular

If you feel like your Internet celebrity status is lacking, look no further than Old Spice's new minisite, "Old Spice Swagger."  The site lets you create fake news stories to be distributed around the net based on certain factors that you adjust.  I decided to vote high in the GOODLOOKINGESS toggle and GENIUSMANSHIP.  

One of my articles starts like this (thanks OldSpice):

The “eternal bachelor” simply enjoys the single life.

Many people call him a ladies’ man because of his past associations with swimsuit model Darcy Phillips.

Ryan Digicrest exposes that his casual sex associations are a result of not having enough time between filming documentary films like Powerbars and Powerbars II.

Right now, he’s happily single and living in Spain, where he can enjoy his free time and playing his snare drum.

Ryan Digicrest asserts that he isn’t a ladies’ man, just simply misunderstood.

"Guitar Hero" Releases "Bike Hero" As Viral Vid

“Bike Hero” was shot in North Hollywood by a production team called Droga 5. That team has pulled off other viral stunts like the apparent graffiti-tagging of Air Force Once for Marc Ecko’s clothing company. This time, Activision was working with them.

“We shot all through the night,” Brad Jakeman, Activision’s newly appointed chief creative officer. “We wanted it to feel gritty and of the medium.” The shoot took place about four weeks ago, and while it did involve a real bicyclist, those lights on the handlebars are the product of “some filmic magic.”

“This was always created and put out there to engage the creativity of our gamers. It didn’t take people very long, as we expected it to, for them to unlock the first of the codes, if you like,” Jakeman said. “We wanted people to first figure out that it was something in the marketing realm and then dig in and have more of the conversation that we’re having about how it was done, have people figure out where all the cutting points were, where there was potentially CGI, and engage with that. It’s not meant to be deceptive. It’s meant to be fun.” [via MTV Multiplayer]

Reebok Opens '80s Themed Store In NYC

Courtesy of NY Magazine:

Reebok launched its first-ever pop-up shop on Saturday, in a two-story, 3,000-square-foot art gallery on Bowery. In honor of next year's 20th anniversary of the Reebok Pump, the neon-splashed space is inspired by eighties New York style and stocked with vintage sneaker styles. The limited-edition designs were inspired by the men's Pump and women's Freestyle shoes, which a Reebok spokesperson called "eighties staples." Stocked with T-shirts printed with "169 Bowery," hoodies by Reebok and Rolland Berry, and waves of candy-colored footwear, the pop-up will introduce a different New York–themed item each week, from a "Bodega NYC" shoe printed with the image of an ATM machine to Coney Island–inspired men's Ventilator sneakers. Reebok also enlisted guest designers to collaborate on sneakers, like graphic artist John Maeda, Dean of the Rhode Island School of Design. Limited-edition footwear starts at $90. 

Click here for the photos.

'The Sounds' To Start Your Day

This Is Cool - Solar Powered Messenger Bag

All the wanna be hipsters carry messenger bags and it’s easy to spot the geek wannabe hipster cause he’s touting a solar charging bag. Eclipse is helping out that demo with another bag that claims to charge cell phones, MP3 player and rechargeable batteries while strolling outdoors thanks to solar cells. These bags come in either leather or canvas and are start at $129 for the non-cow skin edition.

The front flap features a light-weight, flexible, integrated solar charging module which can be utilized by using a common 12V automotive charging adapter made specifically for the brand and type of personal electronics you own. Using a cell phone as an example, you can trickle charge the cell phone battery during casual commutes to work or on campus.

Puppy Cam Continues It's Huge Success

It all started 5 weeks ago, when a SF couple decided to setup a live puppy cam on Ustream. Ever since they hit the “broadcast now” button things have been interesting around the Ustream offices. Due to the “cuteness” of the puppies, the show, to quote MSNBC news anchor and managing editor Brian Williams, “has taken the web by storm.” 4 million people worldwide checked in on 6 of the most adorable puppies we’ve ever seen. It’s been remarkable to see how 6 little puppies have gotten so “big.”

To see the puppies themselves...click HERE.

LIFE Photo Archive By Google

The Pocket has unearthed another gem of a find, and provided entry into the LIFE magazine photo archive.  The collection celebrates the worlds existence dating from Civil War times through today.  Every step of the way brings new meaning to our history and path to today.  Enjoy!

Flash and The iPhone: Keep Dreaming

Wired Blog has a great analysis of the Flash - Apple - iPhone relationship, and why we won't see it turn into anything for quite sometime. A great read, so I won't offer any spoilers save for this; Apple has it written in their Terms of Service agreement with app developers prohibiting the use of Flash.

AT&T Launching Touch Screen Phone For PCs

I agree, it is both confusing and silly that AT&T would launch a touch screen phone that is similarly priced as an iPhone ($199). But hey, what the hell do I know. The LG Incite comes loaded with Windows 6.1 operating system, 3G capabilities, GPS opportunities, WiFi (802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.0, and a 3.0″ touchscreen. It has a full multi-tasking operating system with access to your Microsoft Outlook and other mailbox contacts, calendars, and tasks. You can edit Microsoft Office documents - Mobile Word, Excel, OneNote. View PowerPoint and Adobe® PDF attachments.

I get it, its a corporate friendly touch screen, which does have value I guess. But isn't AT&T already banking on the new iPhone OS being more Microsoft product friendly? Is this a secondary option to that end?

"I'm a PC" commercial lovers eat your heart out.

Nike's Latest Environmental Effort: Air Jordan XX3

Nike is releasing the Air Jordan XX3 with a different spin than the other iterations of the classic basketball sneaker. The potentially last Jordan model to be released is being constructed using almost no adhesives at all, and is being constructed like a jigsaw puzzle. Being sewn together and not glued is part of the "Nike Considered approach," that uses environmentally-preferable materials, reduces toxic chemicals and curbs waste.

Hannah Jones, Nike's vice president of corporate responsibility, told Fortune that the Air Jordan XX3 demonstrates that environmental considerations need not require compromises in design or performance. Her hope, she said, is that the new sneakers will influence not only other Nike shoes, but the rest of the footwear industry, too. She said the Air Jordan XX3 is the equivalent of "a Tesla, not a Prius," referring to the $98,000, all-electric, luxury sports car being made by Tesla Motors.

"Too often 'green' means less of a consumer experience," Jones said. "If you sacrifice performance or style, you're doing a disservice to the consumer and to the sustainability movement."

Click here for the full article about the Jordans.

Head over to this article to find an interesting graphic describing the different recycled materials used to make different parts of the Nike Pegasus, a running shoe at the forefront of the "Nike Considered" movement.

Clicking on the top image will take you to CNN's video player to watch Hannah Jones discuss the making of the new Jordan.  (Thanks to CNN for removing their video embed option)

Blackberry Storm In 4 Days

It looks like the wait is over.... let the holiday iPhone - G1 - Storm battle begin!!

Mark Cuban Pulling A Martha Stewart?

Wild news in the world of Mark Cuban.  Wild in that another ridiculously rich bastard had some inside info and made a play to not get his ass handed to him in his financial portfolio.

The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commision) alleges in a civil action that Mr. Cuban sold his entire 6% ownership stake on June 28, 2004, after learning that Mamma.com was raising money through a private investment in a public entity, or PIPE. [Ed's note: PIPE means that the company is creating more shares and selling them at a discounted price in order to raise cash, thereby brown-holing those that already own the stock] The next day, on June 29, the company announced the PIPE financing and shares of the company dropped by more than 10%. By selling his stake, the SEC alleges, Mr. Cuban avoided more than $750,000 in losses.

Say what you will about Cuban, but I still think he is a brilliant business man.  He writes a great blog that you should check out called Blog Maverick.

In defense of the SEC charges, Mr. Cuban stated, “I am disappointed that the Commission chose to bring this case based upon its Enforcement staff’s win-at-any-cost ambitions. The staff’s process was result-oriented, facts be damned. The government’s claims are false and they will be proven to be so.”

Hulu and YouTube Battling Ad Revenue Projections

Great story from CrunchGear comparing the revenue projections of video giant YouTube and NBC/Fox internet front Hulu.  As a big Hulu fan and someone who has been bashing media buyers for buying ad space on YouTube, this article really made me happy.

Something’s wrong with YouTube, and it looks like Hulu stands to benefit. 

YouTube, as you’re all painfully aware, is primarily comprised of short videos of guys falling off their skateboards (embedded here), dudes playing video game songs on the piano and illegal Seinfeld clips. Those types of videos aren’t attractive to advertisers. That may explain why YouTube, which had 83 million unique hits in September, is only expected to generate $100 million for the year.

Compare that to Hulu, which primarily consists of professionally made NBC and Fox shows and clips—I just wasted quite a few minutes watching a few “popular” Simpsons clips, for example. That all of the content there is nice and legal makes it more appealing to advertisers, which explains why, even though with only 6 million hits in September, Hulu is expected to generate to $70m.

Both sites are expected to generate $180 million next year. Don’t think that’s because, overnight, Hulu increases its viewership 10-fold.

In other words, people (“analysts” and the like) are now wondering how, if ever, will Google will turn YouTube into a monetary success.

Don’t forget that Google paid $1.65 billion for the site two years ago—that’s a lot of skateboarding videos for which to sell ads.

Webisode #2 "Mayne Street"

Kenny meets his new 26-year-old wunderkind boss, Evan Mintz, who gives him a taste of what ESPN will be like in the future. Kenny begs to differ.

Google Speech-To-Search iPhone App

This is unbelievably cool.

Why I Love English Premier League Football

It's fans like this that make me love English Premier League football, ahem, soccer to the American's in the room. Despite the fact that I'm a Gooner and support Arsenal, this Chelsea fan is top class comedy.

Google Officially Launches Voice and Video Chat

GChat now has voice and video conferencing capabilities. I am already looking at it as a great substitue for tricky in person meetings.  Watch out iChat, watch out AIM, GChat is now a full competitor...that didn't take too long.

Build A Wireless Finger Phone

ESPN Launches "Mayne Street" Webisodes

Joining the movement towards made for Internet content, ESPN has officially launched their own online series titled "Mayne Street."  The 4:30 minute webisodes follow funny man and ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne as he shoots episodes of Sportscenter, and generally acts dry and muted. Webisodes will be posted Tuesdays and Fridays.  The opener is called "Fixes." Enjoy!

Sprint's New Widget Gives You A Taste Of "Now"

Sprint has launched their "Now" widget and it really is unbelievably cool. It provides info on just that, "Now." Little snippets of information regarding the amount of babies being born to the top Google searches going on at this moment. It's designed to live in all the major environments; iGoogle, MySpace, Facebook, or your desktop. Give it a click and see what's "Now."

Email Targeting Knows I lived In Romania

I've long been a proponent for email targeting in advertising. While it may seem invasive for Google to let me know about airline prices while I'm emailing my buddy about going to Vegas, its also unbelievably convenient. I'm on the side of offering more information to advertising companies because the Web will only develop as a personalized medium when consumers allow it to. And bottom line, anyone who has ever had a credit card has already given up more personal information than any ad targeting company will collect.

Having said all that, I was truly amazed this morning to find this email in my inbox..."Been Looking For ROMANIAN Products?" The capitalization of Romanian is a dead giveaway that my email somewhere crossed with Romania as a trigger. I have no idea who Idakoos is or who they've contracted for their emails, but this is unbelievable Out of left field I'm getting ads for t-shirts that say "Everyone Loves A Romanian." This is amazing because not only am I part Romanian, but I also lived there for 4 months last year. I hadn't emailed or spoken to anyone about this experience in months, and then this email shows up.

Well done Idakoos. However you found me, I'm damn impressed.

Ashton Kutcher Blowing It As High School Football Coach

This story has special meaning for me as I grew up walking distance from Harvard Westlake, Ashton Kutcher's now place of employment. For anyone who doesn't know, he's been on the coaching staff of their Freshman football team and apparently everyone hates him, including me.

If you thought appearing in a bunch of shitty movies and banging some waif who was barely girl-next-door hot 20 years ago would impress a group of high school freshman football players, dude, you'd be, like, totally wrong and shit! There's a fun report out from Star regarding Ashton Kutcher's latest role as an assistant football coach, and indications are that his ineptitude from TV and film transitions nicely into the world of athletics. That is to say, he seems to be loathed equally in both fields by his respective audiences.

Coach of the year? Not quite. Ashton Kutcher has been having a ball as assistant coach to North Hollywood's Harvard-Westlake School freshman footballers. But the feeling isn’t mutual.

"The kids want him gone," says an insider. "They think he doesn't know what he's talking about and can't stand his tough-guy attitude."

Out of the huddle, the kids mock their famous coach and have even given him a special nickname: "Ashton Doucher!"

DJ AM and Travis Barker Kill It

To go with the DJ AM theme of today...

Fix Your Face

McCain Is An Abba Fan

Normally I'd take this opportunity to make lots of jokes and sarcastic comments, but this one will have to speak for itself...

In South Carolina last October, McCain confided in reporters on his campaign bus and told them that if he's elected ABBA would be the background music in "elevators all over the White House."

McCain told the deejays that before big speeches he pumps himself up by listening to the Swedish quartet's 1977 hit "Take A Chance On Me."

Oh just imagine what could have been.

Click here for the full article 

Lionel Richie, DJ AM, Ashton Kutcher...Digicrest?

MySpace Music through a party at The Old Mint last night as part of the week long Web 2.0 Summit going on here in SF.  A top class event from MySpace no doubt, with a fantastic bar selection, gorgeous decor, and of course, entertainment for all.

Lionel Richie started the evening with such classics as "Hello," "Say You, Say Me," and "Three Times A Lady."  Despite his mixing the words "MySpace" in with his usual lyrics, Lionel gave a killer performance and had the place jumping.

I'm a huge DJ AM fan, and followed the plane crash and the events that followed pretty closely, and like many of the attendees last night, questioned whether or not he would show up.  I got that answer when I quite literally ran into DJ AM as I turned a corner into the room where he was to spin later on.  Happy to see him healthy and doing what he does best, I danced my ass off with everyone else as AM killed the room with his classic mixes; Red Hot Chilli Peppers into Oasis, Bob Sinclair into Bob Marley, and so on.

Oh, and Ashton Kutcher was there.  Moving on.

Grainy cell phone photos for your liking...unlike a majority of other attendees, I couldn't manage a digital camera into my outfit that wouldn't get swiped by security guards.

Meet The Designers Behind The G1, XBOX, And More

In a world where gadgets and technology are commonplace as everyday utilities, I thought it'd be interesting to take a look at the masterminds behind the aesthetics of our favorite toys.

Allow me to introduce Mike and Maaike, designers extroardinaire.  Maaike Evers is a Dutch designer, and Mike Simonian is a California soul.  Together, they have crafted some of todays most exciting electronis, as well as furniture, household items, and sports equipment.  Think T- Mobile G1, Microsoft Xbox, and so on.

iPhone As A Legit Gaming Interface

That title is absolutely up for debate.  Just because there are gaming options on a device, does that mean it classifies as a powerful gaming interface?  The answer is obviously no, but this piece of equipment is supercool no matter what.

Marware has developed a Game Grip for iPhone 3G and the iPod touch.  I have an iPhone and I play the Audi driving game.  Would I ever spend $50 on this device.  Probably not, but who the hell am I?  I'm sure this is reasonable and important to someone.  Bottom line, it looks cool and I think could lead to the development of even more iPhone apps and games.

The Election Is Over....What Do We Talk About Now?

Obviously the work for change really starts now, but the best story the press has had for a year and change is now over.  So what should we talk about now?  I don't have an answer.  Later today I'll probably pick up with my inane offerings from around the web and gadgets and all that.  But for now, I thought I'd keep it light hearted and send everyone to Daily Puppy for some fun.  Why?  Because dogs are cute and are free from all of our daily concerns that keep us tired, stressed, overworked, underpaid, under inspired and everything in between.  

Yes We Can

Congrats to Barack and to all of us. A great man not of my political party said of tonight, "Change is on the horizon." This is a country where anything is possible. I've never felt a pride like this.

"Dear Red States..."

We all deserve a laugh...Oldest Living.

Great Election Day Quote

I wish I could credit the original source, but I found it at Oldest Living:

Rosa sat so Martin could walk.
Martin walked so Barack could run.
Barack ran so our kids can fly.

Obama Supports Tech Innovation and Start Ups

John Gold and Levis= Hot and Racy Monday

I found this commercial a long time ago and was fortunate to stumble upon it again today and thought I would spice up everyone’s day.

John Gold is an amazing singer/songwriter from LA who has cult status between my friends and I, as well as anyone else who’s ever heard his music. When I first heard him on this Levis commercial, I almost lost it, thanking the advertising gods that true talent was finally being recognized. Huge props to Levis as well for making this fantastic spot.


Levis First Time - The most amazing home videos are here

iPhone Updates Coming Without Major User Issues Addressed

The latest iPhone update is on its way and is covering a variety of bugs and features within the unit.  Yet it’s missing most of the things that the consumer has seemingly been asking for.

Pleasefixtheiphone.com has been pulling together a list of the most requested features users want addressed.  Thanks to that list, and Wired getting a hold of what’s included in the coming update, the chart below shows a comparison of what’s coming what should be addressed:

I Just Watched "The Happening"

I wish I could have those two hours of my life back.

Happy Halloween!

Peter Griffin Hates The Godfather

This isn't timely or relevant to anything, but it makes me laugh every time I watch it.



Now Playing:

peter hates the godfather video

Blackberry Game Mimics Real Life Movements...Scary

Courtesy of TechCrunch Mobile:

Its been a few months since we last mentioned Mobile Dead, but this zombie-blastin’ “Mobile Multiplayer Trans-Reality” (MMTR) game has now gone live in New York City.

Like other MMTR games, you’re wandering the streets of your own city rather than some made up fantasy land. Your character and other in game objects are superimposed onto a map of your area, with your character’s position determined by your real-world location (via GPS). Move in the real world, and you move in the game.

Because everything can be made better with a dash of the undead, Mobile Dead takes the MMTR concept and throws zombies into the mix. Weapons and health items are scattered around your area, with on-screen danger lurking behind every corner. As you come across other players (zombies), you’re free to friend them, fight them - or both. According to Perk Mobile, Mobile Dead’s developers, the game will even extend past the screen, with “real world puzzles” and hidden codes placed around NYC.

We noted this briefly last time, but it still holds true: The tough part for Mobile Dead will be maintaining a critical mass of players. If there aren’t enough players in New York City, much of the game’s appeal is lost. Hell, even if there aren’t enough players in any given neighborhoodof NYC - who’s going to trek 8 blocks to try and stalk down an opponent? On the opposite end of things, too many players could spoil the fun. If they do manage to maintain that balance though, Mobile Dead could turn out to be a blast.

Something that might ensure they can at least maintain them minimum would be getting the game onto other mobile platforms. They’re working on it; while there’s no ETA yet, releases are in the works for both Android and the iPhone.

With cell tower triangulation technology growing in popularity and satellite-based GPS well on its way to becoming a fully standard feature, I’d imagine we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of these MMTR games making their way out over the coming months and years. Keep your eye on the genre - it’s easy enough to drop in and out off to be inviting to the casual gamer, while immersive enough to keep it from becoming mind-numbing after just a few minutes.

T-Mobile G1 Coming To Wal-Mart, But Not Yet

Shipping delays have left Wal-Mart shelves bare of the first Android handset, the T-Mobile G1. It was originally reported that the mega-retailer would begin selling the G1 at a discounted price of $148.88 this week, but BetaNews has learned that this is not the case.

“We’ve experienced a few shipping issues, but we’re working with T-Mobile on that,” said Wal-Mart’s Ashley Hardie.

On or around November 3, the G1 phones will be for sale for $148.88 -- approximately $31 less than T-Mobile is charging for them -- at about 550 of Wal-Mart's roughly 4,300 stores, according to Hardie.

In a quick check by BetaNews today, the anticipated G1 phones weren't yet mentioned on Wal-Mart's Web site.

"But we're working with out Web site to put up a list of the stores where the phones will be available, before we starting selling [the G1s]," Hardie told BetaNews.

Chuck Taylors and Finger Tongs

I know, sneakers and kitchen appliances have no relation. Unless of course you are surfing TheCoolhunter.net and are finding all sorts of things that are just that. I see my money and time disappearing thanks to this site.

McCain Attack Ads Get Hollwood Makeover From Woo, Smith, and Anderson

"The Pocket" has yet again searched and delivered the great content we need to break up a day and just laugh out loud...

Mother Jones magazine's Riff Blog just posted this hilarious video made by The Landline with the following premise:John McCain turns to famous Hollywood directors for help with his attack ads. Watch this video for John Woo, Kevin Smith and Wes Anderson.

‘Virgin Money’ Puts Financial Power Into The Hands Of The People

I don’t know how I missed this, but Virgin has launched a financial services company that takes all the lending power of banks and puts it in the hands of people’s friends and family. Virgin Money will act as intermediary for home mortgages, student loans, small business loans and the like. I suppose the plan is to snag back control of the financial markets from greedy bureaucrats and day traders and give the American people a chance to continue their financial lives without fear that they are behind a curtain while financial whiz kids rob them of their retirement funds.

While they timing may seem off, I’ve been saying innovation wins out, businesses need to start to reignite this economy, and education is the tool to taking our workforce to the next level. Personally, I normally shy away from mixing business with friends/family, but I think this is a time period where people are looking for someone to trust in their financial circle, and who better than their loved ones.

Bottom line, Richard Branson has the Midas touch, and I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on this venture. From his own mouth:




Hello, and welcome to Virgin Money.

When I first started out in the record business, and was struggling to get by, my Aunt Joyce was kind enough to give me a small loan. That loan kept the Virgin Records recording studio afloat. It gave me the time and resources I needed to make my business a success. And many years, and many business ventures later, I still have her to thank.

So, obviously, loans between family and friends are very close to my heart. That's why I was intrigued by the team at CircleLending and their innovative approach to finance. And why I wanted to bring them into the Virgin family and help them launch Virgin Money in the United States. Like all Virgin companies, Virgin Money believes in getting customers a better deal. With money from family and friends, you can pick your own interest rate and loan terms to fit your situation. Rather than giving interest to a bank, you can keep it in the family – often adding up to thousands of dollars of savings.

The good people at Virgin Money have managed more than $300 million in loans. So there are few better suited to help you do these loans properly. They know how to manage these loans in a smart manner so you can stay close to your loved ones. They also help you get tax savings that would be silly to pass up.

In the coming months, Virgin Money will be bringing you new products such as a student loan for college. Sometime soon, we'll also be helping you get bank loans – but with a friends-and-family twist that gives you a better deal than any other lender can offer you. We want to change the face of money – and we want you to join us. And I promise we'll have a little fun along the way too.

Cheers,

Richard Branson