The Best Ad For MySpace Is A Diss On Friendster?

Rarely do I venture on Friendster or MySpace these days, but I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit after reading this profile excerpt on a Friendster page:

“I need to put new pics up…. I just joined MYSPACE and i love it! Add me if you’re on it!!!”

To read more about how you too can use Friendster to promote MySpace, click here.

Widget Ads Are Trendy & Cool!

In the news today, Ford is launching a host of widget ads to promote their new Microsoft-powered affiliation, the highly touted voice command device for mobile and digital music, Sync. For those of you who haven’t yet visited the site, the Sync My Ride slogan is rather catchy for a domain even if the commercial campaign for the Ford Focus which cross-advertises the Sync doesn’t quite convey the message as readily. Both campaigns are in line with a Net-Gen/MTVu-generation demographic which makes sense given the pricetag of the Focus and the interactive-heavy, rich design feature set of Sync.

Ford’s widget ads, which can be seen on AOL sites starting this week, will boast portable API-friendly code to embed the widget on other sites. While I understand what Ford and Microsoft have to gain in the process of building a community of MySpace and Facebook users flaunting their products, I’m not sure what users get in return. To this point, if there isn’t an existing community of users and advocates for a product (like Sync), how does a campaign like this get wheels. Does it have all the ingredients? Or is a bit like putting a cart before a horse?

Google’s Gmail ad campaign stemmed from a preexisting fan base of avid and enthusiastic users to build a more cohesive community through the power of user-generated video and the simplicity of its message: Just how does a single email navigate from point A to point B? In other words, what’s its path? (Google’s satellite feature to map out user video locations is a nice add-on to the video visual) Google’s success with this ad, much like many of their initiatives, stems from a keen understanding of the precise intersect between timing and innovation. Had Google launched a campaign like this before Gmail branded itself as synonymous with “email” and asked users the very same question, it would have sunk.

Widget ads do appear to be the wave of the now with major industries (entertainment, automotive, romance) piggy-backing on the new trend, but again, I’m brought back to the same burning question. What’s in it for me? As the consumer? As the Facebook member? As the occasional MySpace voyeur? What do I have to gain from posting a widget from the film August Rush with trailers from the film and local show times unless I’m a publicity agent at a PR firm or an industry-related site owner that gets some sort of monetary pay-per-click/pay-per-impression incentive? (assuming there is a performance model in place) Companies like ClearSpring, PointRoll, and Interpolls, who is hosting the Sync product, are already fast-track on the way to creating systems for tracking and monetizing traffic based on widget ad revenue. As an aside, Yahoo is currently working on sprucing up their widget platform, most likely to accommodate for this growing trend.

I get that advertising models these days are shifting with the times to incorporate ways of involving the everyday person in opportunities to have a “voice” in their public campaigns and that truly successful campaigns empower individuals by giving them ownership and a sense of tangible pride in their brand, but whether the widget ad model can support this model remains to be seen.

Do Not Buy.com

I know that we don’t normally write about consumer issues in this blog. But I am so angry at this lousy web site, that I’ve decided to write my story.

I placed an order with Buy.com, it was a 3 user any- virus software for a very low price, when some time had passed and I still didn’t get the package, I tracked it on the UPS website and was surprised to find that it was already shipped. then I tried to contact Buy.com customer service, and I hate to say it, but sometimes you get what you pay for…The worst customer service ever. Shipped to the wrong address (I spoke to UPS and confirmed it) and then denied my claim saying that it was shipped to the right address. They don’t advertise their phone no. online, and when I finally managed to get a No. I waited over 30 minutes only to speak to someone who couldn’t give me any information regarding their claim department. She couldn’t even transfer me to the supervisor, because “She is too busy…”
So please be careful next time you want to buy from this site, they will take your money alright, but then you are all alone.

Parts of this post were also published on Yelp.

Stuck Inside Due To Inclement Weather? Starting Bobbing!

In the interest of bringing you a quirky newsbit of the week, I scoured Youtube for fake Apple/Mac ads. The premise behind this: Everyone wants to be Apple (er, Google) or at the very least, win a chance to work for them. Plenty of parodies exist on the theme of the the Mac/PC guy. Some more memorable than others, but the best Apple ad of all time (and a REAL one, at that) remains the Orwellian commercial that came out around this time of season way back before Apple was Macintosh. In the interest of keeping with the 80s theme here: There’s something about growing up in the Max Headroom-inflicted era of the 80s and hearing, Music is my boyfriend [and girlfriend] alongside an electronica beat that I can’t help but swoon over.

As this clip, which integrates Mr. Bean, the Spice Girls, an iPod, iTunes, and Mac/PC illustrates, the tragic flaw of majority of the pseudo Mac ads is their lack of simplicity - the core ingredient to Apple’s success in advertising. Witnessing a few of these ads in succession makes one even more nostalgic and appreciative for the type of vision, clarity, and intent with which Apple creates their ads. So as a final follow up, the best fake Apple ad of the season is indeed the Wired toted disco Christmas ad with the Mac computer displays. But there is a hope for novice hacks out there: Companies that are able to capitalize on the success of Apple ads by piggybacking on those infamous light bulb Mac ideas and leveraging this popularity, have the best chance at creating memorable ads this holiday season.

So start creating and uploading to YouTube. Just keep the Muppets, Michael Jackson, and Columbine out of it.

The Search For The Wii Continues?

It was early Sunday morning, Seven o’clock to be precise. The Northeastern storm that started during the previous night was at it’s pick. A mix of snow and ice was slamming against the faces of about one hundred and some brave people, myself included, who were waiting in a perfect line outside the store, only to have a slim chance to be among the few, the brave, the Wii owners. I was there, I am a witness. I drove in six inches of snow, and walked from the parking lot to that line and waited for the voucher that confirmed my eligibilty to be the proud recipient of a brand spanking new Wii. But all was worth it, because hey, we have a Wii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In Search of (The) Wii: Week 1

After a week of holding out hope of buying a Wii anytime in the near future, I’m spent. I know from my quest that I am not alone. Hell, I’ve run into a lot of the same moms desperately hoping to appease their whiny kids by waking up at ungodly hours and schlepping out to the nearest Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Circuit City and any other promised mecca just to secure within their tiny, tight grips a new Nintendo Wii bundle for a mere $250. Having wasted my Sunday morning high-tailing it to every electronics/technology superstore around and being met with the same bemused reaction ad infinitum from every salesperson, I’ve started to catch a bit of the anti-Wii. There’s only so much flaunting and teasing one company and one product, for that matter, should be allowed. With the new Playstation 3 valued anywhere from $400-$500 and XBox 360 at $350, game consoles are the hottest ticket around this holiday season and they don’t come cheap.

But not coming at all?

Conspiracy theorists and other people with way too much time on their hands aside, I’m not of the mindset that Nintendo is holding out on us, more that they simply haven’t manufactured enough Wiis to fill the supply end of their high demand. The fact that the search for the Wii has borne the brunt of every late night talk show (if there wasn’t a writer’s strike) and DJ’s AM joke doesn’t discourage me. If anything, it compels me to push on in my search. The reality being no one relishes healthy competition more than myself. I get that glazed, demonic look in my eyes and march to the possessed beat of a win-at-all-cost drum. But there is no winning with the Wii.

I’m self-defeated at the moment. Angry at Wii, at Bill Gates for his damn Xbox 360 (completely unrelated). Incapable to discerning if I even want the Wii so much anymore, or I just can’t stand to not finish something once I set my mind to it. I may be feeling anti-Wiiish at present, but much like the initial hurdle of running from mile 7 to mile 8 when training for a marathon, this might be more of a mental obstacle than anything else. I might wake up tomorrow with renewed hope, but for now I’ll stick with the odds of the Patriots beating the Steelers this evening. Those are odds which will more likely play out in my favor.

50 F#$%ing Years!

It’s The Mary Poppins Forecast

Sometimes you hear about a new invention, that has a cool idea behind it although you know that you are never going to use it, one of those things that will make Jay Leno ask his How lazy are we getting question. Ambient Devices, a US company that combines Internet information and everyday products, came up with an umbrella that forecasts the weather. The umbrella is equipped with a radio receiver, that gets weather info using a wireless network. Company spokesman Mark Prince said: “You can put this umbrella by the door, in an umbrella stand, and on your way out it’ll be telling you if this is the day when you are going to need an umbrella.”

Bosom Buddies

I’m all for stem cell research and making advances in medicine, but when I read this item in the BBC, I nearly projectile vomited by Kit-Kat all over my D-cups. Turns out scientists can create a mixture known as Celution which would combine both tummy fat and stem cells to grow breast tissue. I support this method being applied to women with mastectomies (as with the case studies going on Japan right now), but when I hear that, if licensed, it very well may rival silicone for those seeing bigger breasts, I can’t help but think that for the asking price (steep, to say the least), it’s going to be largely consumed by celebrities. So remind me why stem cell research is indirectly helping to fund yet another season of Dr 90210?

Ilana Donna: iPhone Of The Sexes

Ilana Donna is back in a new video. What is the big deal about the iPhone? Was it really worth waiting in line for? Find out how both sexes feel the iPhone will change their lives in Amaldo.com vlogger Ilana Donna’s latest video.

How Much Would You Pay For A Piece Of Steve Jobs?

Apple’s new iPhone is set to be released on Friday, June 29th, but that hasn’t stopped people from starting to stake out their place in line outside Apple stores. Or at the very least get their business and financial matters out of the way in time to reserve a person for an all-day wait on Friday. In NYC, people are getting paid on average $250 for an all-day wait (from 8 AM). In California, human resource commodity prices are as high as $300-400. Even considering that iPhones will be the next XBox/Playstation craze in eBay sales going forward, $250 is a hefty price tag to add to a $600 phone with a $60-100/mo. Cingular plan.

iWant

Here he comes, after a very long maybe to long wait, the iPhone is almost here. Introduced to the world in February, the anticipated gadget soon-to-be a must is expected to be in stores by June 29. It will only be available to Cingular\AT&T customers and the price will range from $500 for the 4GB model, to $600 for the 6GB model. Meanwhile, Apple came with a series of cool TV commercials about the iPhone’s features.

The Prince Of Verizon

Once upon a time, if you wanted to promote your new album, you would go on a tour, kiss the radio station’s decision maker’s ass, and maybe if you were lucky you would find yourself on stage in a late night talk show. Today, there are so many other channels of communications that artists try their best to look as up-to-date as possible and to cover all bases in an attempt to reach their crowd.

What better way for an aging rockstar to do this than thru the use of mobile technology and a cup of Jo? David Bowie operating as Nokia’s Music Godfather, and Paul McCartney releasing a new album with Starbucks are only 2 examples. And now, according to Reuters, Prince, who is trying desperately to avoid being called Alter Kaker is giving away his new single “Guitar” to Verizon users, V Cast song ID feature, which identifies songs for listeners who hold their phone next to a speaker.
Once upon a time you could get away with decent PR and great music. Today I guess you just need stellar PR, the rest will follow.

A Brief History Of A Weightless Flight

Apart from the very simple explanation of a Black Hole me and most of the world wouldn’t really understand what it is.  But still, the world of science would not have been the same without Stephen Hawking. A couple of days ago, after 40 years of being in a wheelchair due to ALS, and speaking only with the assistance of a computer, Hawking, for a short while, was in zero gravity. The 65-year-old was the first person with a disability to experience the flight by Zero Gravity Corp. Shortly after the flight the Professor said: “It was amazing. The zero-g bit was wonderful…I could have gone on and on. Space, here I come.”  Where I come from they say that the shoemaker always walk barefoot, but not in this case.

Blog Web 2.0 Style/We Love Beta!

I’ve been wanting to get this blog to its proper Web 2.0 beta social community interactive state for a while now. After all, what’s the point in having so much fun content, if you can’t share it with others! So this weekend, I worked pretty hard (I’d say my “arse off” but that might be a stretch, cause my heinie is still in full view.) I not only wanted to find a new Wordpress theme, but one that was widget friendly and/or allowed for sidebar widgets so I could make my blog more user-friendly and interactive. Luckily Wordpress is pretty great at explaining every little thing when it comes to themes.

Primarily, this post is for giving praise where a lot of kudos is due since I had the help of a very special tech blogger friend who guided me step-by-step in the process: From finding an ftp client to learning how to transfer files (hey, it was all Greek to me!) to emailing me the right widgets to use for my applications, to fielding my ad nauseum questions on why files weren’t uploading properly in the right directories, to keeping patient and explaining things in detail but also in plain English so I could understand, I’m indebted to Kirk. Not surprisingly for such an awesome dude, Kirk just also happens to have a kick-ass blog I think everyone needs to check out. It’s super well-written and informative.

I also happen to think Kirk should charge for his consulting services with myself being the exception of course. Never discount the important of free publicity. And of course, thanks to my husband who is so awesome and lovable and loving, how could you not just want to gag as you’re reading that I wrote this?

Getting Your Twitter On

I didn’t really get what the big deal about Twitter was when it first came out this month. It’s like another method of indirect socializing under the umbrella of Web 2.0 social networking beta. And then I understood why this new site (which I’ve also added to the sidebar to help you keep tabs on me) is taking off and why its “coolness” evades me.

Simply put, I’m not cool anymore. I’m not the crowd that computer techies in Silicon Valley are pandering to. In short, I’ve passed my prime.

My prime was Friendster and even that (maybe because it was too much before its time) was lame. It didn’t have the kind of social communication application tools and wikis that were necessary to make it be interactive enough for people and yet Friendster had a following. All my college friends (this was way before Facebook, mind you) rallied behind it. By the time MySpace came into the fold, I was too cynical about social networking. That, and social networking for me equated with dating and now I’m married so I use these sites less and less. Still, MySpace’s appeal is that they managed to carve out a niche in the music industry. Every indie acoustic singer/songwriter (lesser known and famous) uses this site as a grassroots promotional tool. I’m a music junkie so I frequent MySpace.

Twitter, however, is more on par with the next age bracket post-Neopets. It’s the tween crowd (and my rich buddies in Silicon Valley) who are dying to know “What [You’re] Doing Now!” and has time in their day to a) bother texting this to their friends and b) pretend to care that anyone thinks they’re cool. FOXNews had an interesting write-up on Twitter.

The truth is I’m jealous. I wish I had that many friends that actually cared to know what I was doing every ten minutes of the day and thought highly enough of me to share the details of what they were doing every ten minutes. In the end though, I just wish I had the patience to figure out how to embed a Twitter badge that uploaded the most current “What I’m Doing Now” instead of reflecting the one I wrote like an hour ago. Don’t they know I’ve updated it like at least ten times by then? GEEZ!

Mid-life crisis anyone? Oh yea, that’s not for a least another 15-20 years or so…Phew!

So I’m Loving AOL, So Shoot Me!

 

Have You Gone Over Your Minutes Again?

Palore is a free browser add-on that helps you find reviews about services in your area. It’s very simple, you look for a restaurant on Google or Yahoo, you also get reviews. But Palore does more than that, it recognizes phone numbers on the page, and allows you to call the place from your computer for free.I myself have been using Palore for a few months now, and other then the fact that it saves me money on calls from my cell, I don’t look for it all the time, and don’t need to dial… How lazy have I become? Did I mention you can call anyone in the country? You get 15 minuets a day, For free.