MySpace Releases DIY Advertisment Service
MySpace has just released a new, highly innovative service meant to allow just about anyone the ability to create and place their own advertisements on the site. The repetitively titled, Self-Serve Ad Service gives users an option of whether to pick from pre-existing templates or make their own ad completely from scratch.
One of the best features of Self-Serve Ad Service is undoubtedly the built-in demographic targeting feature. Once you’ve gone through templates and designed your ad spot, the MySpace off-shoot allows you to direct where it will be displayed throughout the network. Gender, age, geographical location and interests are all available. This is particularly useful for ads by artists hoping to grab some attention from people who are most likely to actually follow the link.
There are a myriad of different price options so just about anyone can get into Self-Serve Ad Service, regardless of what their budget may be. It’s definitely worth a look for anyone with something in need of solid promotion.
Twitter Redesign Goes Live
Twitter has just unveiled a redesign of their popular service today to general acclaim. The new functions include several changes to the interface and a slightly different aesthetic which should help to breathe new life into the website.
Updates included in the redesign include an updated tabbing function (which enlarges the size of tabs and places them onto the right sidebar for greater visibility) and a broader design customization for users to take advantage of. Ajax has also been added to the back-end of Twitter so that reloads now refresh only the interface’s necessary information rather than the entire page.
For Twitter fans the redesign should help make their general experience more pleasant. Many should be excited for the Ajax programming especially as bandwidth usage by those who check their page daily will lower significantly.
Swiss Developers Launch Amazee Social Network
Switzerland’s Amazee has just launched and hopes to attract attention from being a social network which stresses contributing to causes rather than just chatting with friends. The site is attempting to target the demographic drawn by Facebook’s Causes add-on and turn them on to the possibility of a full blown charity, awareness and aid center for grass-roots efforts.
Amazee is designed to accomodate more than adding friends, posting photos and discussing events, instead choosing to host more specific functions such as a file center, discussion forums, workflow calendars and more.
The entire idea is an impressive one that will have to adopt a significant user base before any real judgements can be made. If nothing else, Amazee is at least attempting to harness the immense popularity for social networking and turn it into a positive, international force.
Brian Solis Debunks Viral Marketing
From a panel at the Web 2.0 Expo this morning, noted new-media publicist and blogger, Brian Solis provided a thorough criticism of supposed ‘viral marketing’. Solis discussed how web marketers now need to acknowledge that viral ad campaigns only succeed due to the rapid word-of-mouth provided by the internet and how the popular terminology needs to change.
To facilitate success, Solis suggested that online marketers forget about viral marketing and instead hone their approach toward social networking as the basis of web relations. He advocated pure advertisement instead of attempts at getting ads to go viral, seeing the necessity of using instantaneous marketing as part of a social whole.
It’s an interesting notion to be sure and one that makes a great deal of sense for those willing to think about it. Solis’ succinct criticism could very well lead to a new manner by which the internet is perceived if enough of his listeners follow through with the ideas.
DIY Drinking Strawz for When Normal Straws are Too Boring
ThinkGeek is sick of you drinking out of normal cups or using boring, straight straws. The release of DIY Drinking Strawz takes getting liquid from the glass to your mouth to a whole new level of . . . something. DIY Drinking Strawz break down into dishwasher safe pieces and are available at different costs for different packs (although you probably want to just go for broke and buy the most expensive so you can have a glass of water from the kitchen while in your living room).
These are pretty neat but perhaps a little bit too expensive unless you’re really committed to combining architecture and drinking. The promise of spicing up recreational liquid consumption (or creating a mind-altering drinking game) with friends is probably where the real potential lies with this product and if that’s enough for you then this is probably the only place to buy it..
- 44 dishwasher safe pieces in all.
- 20 flexible rubber connectors.
- 16 translucent straw pieces (12 - 5-inch straws and 12 - 2.875-inch straws).
- 1-pack: $7.99, 2-pack: $14.99 or 3-pack: 19.99
- Check it out: http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/9470/.
Gamers unite over Super Mario
Even Mario wouldn’t play all of his games in a row.
Our hats here go off to Brian Brinegar, Dan May and John Groth who raised over $11,000 for the Child’s Play Charity by trucking through a plethora of Super Mario games. Dubbed the “Super Mario Marathon,” the three gamers started with the original Super Mario Bros. and worked their way through Super Mario Galaxy.
This is the type of story I hope to hear more of in the future: Gamers helping children. Could it be any more poetic?
Good karma for you guys. Now get off those couches, bed sores hurt.
Twenty percent of Canadian men game nude, better go put some pants on
Who needs clothes to play video games? They’re way to restrictive in my opinion.
A Microsoft report, highlighted by Kotaku, reveals one in five Canadian men game in the nude. Yes, there was lots of pun intended there. The twenty-percent mark for men is clearly overshadowing the nine-percent of Canadian women who also play games in the nude. Some other points of the report include:
- 30% of those surveyed game at work.
- 27% game in the bedroom.
- 7% game in the bathroom.
- 19% game in public.
While I’m not above anyone who has done any of these things - I definitely do not game in my birthday suit. I would imagine it would cause a big time problem with controller sharing at parties, perhaps being sticky or, even worse, not sticky enough. And you thought we Canadians were too friendly, we’re just a bunch of perverts.
Bill Gates kinda looks like Paul Gigliotti, what?
They’re definitely brothers from different mothers - or maybe they’re really brothers?
If you look real close at this picture here, you’ll notice a striking resemblance between multi-billionaire Bill Gates and wanna be Canadian musician Paul Gigliotti. For those of you who don’t know, Paul used to be in the Canadian band Wave, which had hits such as: Sleepless, Think it Over, That’s How it Feels and, who could forget, California.
Am I blind or just one with a keen eye? I think we have a winner.
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