I've always been a proponent of smart workplaces driven by smart rewards. From an entire year of HR and Management study, my takeaway was that you have to trust employees. They usually want to work, they want to meet goals, they want the company to be successful, but as a manager, you have to realize that throwing a load of money in their face does nothing but distract them. Watch the video below and see what happens when you expect A and reward B with some really entertaining drawing.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
How to report a problem and receive a refund for iPhone or iPad app.
Have you ever purchased an iPhone app that you regret about? Sometimes it is an accidental purchase, or bad quality. Would you like to return it and get your money back? Apple has a way to report the problem with an app and receive a refund. However, it is hidden deep in your iTunes account.
First, open iTunes and click on iTunes Store on the left panel.
Then, sign in to your iTunes account: click on “sign in” button on your top right corner of your screen.
Enter your iTunes ID and password.
After you log in, find a quick links menu on the right side of the screen and click on “Account”
The next page will show your Apple account information. Find and click on “Purchase History” button.
The following page will show all your purchase history from Apple. Find the order you have a problem with and click on the arrow next to it.
On the purchase history page click “Report a problem”
Now you will see a “report a problem” link next to the app title. Click on it and message window will pop up.
Choose an appropriate problem from the drop down list and explain why you are requesting the refund. Apple customer service usually relies within several days. One thing to remember: try not to abuse the system, because you may hurt the developers.
Dry Bulk Bullion
Dry Bulk may be the next big thing in the market!
You might be thinking Dry Bulk? That's the bins full of granola and trail mix at the store right? Wrong!!
Dry Bulk is the large capacity shipping of ores and material across the oceans. Dry Bulk shipping is an extremely depressed sector due to the current sluggish trade. Whereas most market sectors have recovered quite a bit since the recession began near two years ago dry bulk has made sparing recovery. These depressed stocks are mostly trading at 10 percent of their previous values.
If looking at the past is any indication of future performance investing now in these beleaguered stocks could yield an unprecedented amount once the economy regains the fevered pitch present only three years ago.
You might be thinking Dry Bulk? That's the bins full of granola and trail mix at the store right? Wrong!!
Dry Bulk is the large capacity shipping of ores and material across the oceans. Dry Bulk shipping is an extremely depressed sector due to the current sluggish trade. Whereas most market sectors have recovered quite a bit since the recession began near two years ago dry bulk has made sparing recovery. These depressed stocks are mostly trading at 10 percent of their previous values.
If looking at the past is any indication of future performance investing now in these beleaguered stocks could yield an unprecedented amount once the economy regains the fevered pitch present only three years ago.
One Laptop Per child making $100 tablet
Running on Google Android's OS, it's expected to cost only $100 when releashed. OLPC’s Chairman Nicholas Negropante says the tablet will be part laptop, iPad and Kindle. He also hopes that the company will be able to produce 100% plastic devices by 2012, reduce the cost to $75 and include a dual mode display so that the tablet will work both in the sunlight and at night.
Greyson Chance
So last Thursday we discussed the latest viral video that is Greyson Chance playing the Lady Gaga song. Apparently, he won Ellen's web talent contest which awarded him $10,000, a new piano and on top of all that that he is now the first artist on Ellen's new record label Eleven Eleven. So I guess there's the answer to how he can elongate his viral video success. Now all he has to do is stay focused because Ellen has all the other bases covered.
Human infected by computer virus
Scientist of the University of Reading, Dr. Mark Gasson, highlighted the dangers of implantable electronics with an experiment. He purposely corrupted a small chip with a virus and proceeded to insert it into his hand. With the common use of RFID that is able to send and receive information, Dr. Gasson was able to go as far as gain access through security doors.
The public has always been wary of the heightened danger of technological devices malfunctioning when placed inside the human body, but what about the danger of when someone can hack that pacemaker? Or even someone with the purpose of breaching security to find valuable information as demonstrated with Dr. Gasson's experiment.
The public has always been wary of the heightened danger of technological devices malfunctioning when placed inside the human body, but what about the danger of when someone can hack that pacemaker? Or even someone with the purpose of breaching security to find valuable information as demonstrated with Dr. Gasson's experiment.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The MPAA just doesn't get it...
The MPAA has finally decided that its usual way of doing business is now out-of-date. So, the organization now wants to cut the time between releasing movies on the theater screen and your own TV screen to 30 days (down from 4 months). The catch? It will cost you $20 to $30 a pop! And that's a video on demand rental...
Here is a question for you - would you pay that much to see a movie earlier? I think you would be better off seeing it on the big screen, if you can't wait for the DVD. Either way, it would probably run you cheaper...
Via Engadget
Here is a question for you - would you pay that much to see a movie earlier? I think you would be better off seeing it on the big screen, if you can't wait for the DVD. Either way, it would probably run you cheaper...
Via Engadget
Audi to one up Ford in connectivity
Remember those Ford commercials about that famous SYNC option in a lot of its vehicles?
SYNC is an easy-to-use in-car connectivity system, standard on all 2010 Lincoln models and available on select 2010 Ford and Mercury models. SYNC allows you to operate most popular MP3 players, Bluetooth®-enabled phones and USB drives with simple voice commands.It basically enables you to connect a select set of gadgets to your car and its devices. Connect your phone with the car, connect your music player, connect ...
Well, Audi thinks it can do better: a factory-installed UMTS model (much like the one in your 3G cellphone) will connect all the devices in your car, and those in your pocket, to a 7.2MB internet connection. How's that for internet ubiquity?
Via Engadget
Carrie Bradshaw a PC user now!?
Sorry guys - I may not be dragging my boyfriend to accompany me to the Sex and the City 2 release but I am still looking forward to the next installment of the story.
Lead character, Carrie Bradshaw, was often shown with her Mac, typing up her news columns. Yes, the tech-illiterate is a Mac, not a PC. She doesn't know how to use an iPhone, and found out the hard way the importance to backing up your work when her laptop crashed.
The new movie allegedly has HP product placement instead of Apple now. Carrie will still be loyal to her brand, but the other ladies have changed. HP is definitely becoming more aggressive in its advertising, but is also changing its branding. It is still working towards attracting the fashion conscious buyer, partnering with specific designers to create special netbook clutches.
Lead character, Carrie Bradshaw, was often shown with her Mac, typing up her news columns. Yes, the tech-illiterate is a Mac, not a PC. She doesn't know how to use an iPhone, and found out the hard way the importance to backing up your work when her laptop crashed.
The new movie allegedly has HP product placement instead of Apple now. Carrie will still be loyal to her brand, but the other ladies have changed. HP is definitely becoming more aggressive in its advertising, but is also changing its branding. It is still working towards attracting the fashion conscious buyer, partnering with specific designers to create special netbook clutches.
Some Android Stats
As a fellow Android user, anxiously awaiting when my phone will ask me to upgrade to Android 2.0, here are some interesting stats about the overtaking handheld device and its upcoming Android 2.2 - Froyo.
- there are more than 60 compatiable devices with 59 carriers over 48 countries
- over 100,000 new activations a day, growing faster than any other smartphone maker (with the exception of blackberry's RIM)
- over 50,000 applications available on the market
- ability to send a message through Google's cloud servers
- Flash!
- applications being stored on the SD card (!!!) freeing up memory
- entire iTunes library can be streamed to your phone
With so much more potential, I can wait for my contract to be up and upgrade to the newest Android toy.
- there are more than 60 compatiable devices with 59 carriers over 48 countries
- over 100,000 new activations a day, growing faster than any other smartphone maker (with the exception of blackberry's RIM)
- over 50,000 applications available on the market
- ability to send a message through Google's cloud servers
- Flash!
- applications being stored on the SD card (!!!) freeing up memory
- entire iTunes library can be streamed to your phone
With so much more potential, I can wait for my contract to be up and upgrade to the newest Android toy.
Unlock Farmville items by buying a Slurpee!
I found this hilarious.
The partnership with Zynga and 7-11 has grown from the simple agreement to sell Farmville, Mafia Wars, and Yoville playing cards in the stores. Soon, a new campaign will be launched. When you buy a slurpee, ice cream, or promotional products for these games, you'll be directed to perform a certain task on the game to unlock 7-11 specific products.
7-11 is smart with jumping on Zynga's back to get some help in social media. I'm sure they will both be profitable with this campaign, especially considering the kid in the UK who spent over $1400 on his mom's credit card just for "stuff he wanted" on Farmville.
The partnership with Zynga and 7-11 has grown from the simple agreement to sell Farmville, Mafia Wars, and Yoville playing cards in the stores. Soon, a new campaign will be launched. When you buy a slurpee, ice cream, or promotional products for these games, you'll be directed to perform a certain task on the game to unlock 7-11 specific products.
7-11 is smart with jumping on Zynga's back to get some help in social media. I'm sure they will both be profitable with this campaign, especially considering the kid in the UK who spent over $1400 on his mom's credit card just for "stuff he wanted" on Farmville.
Hospitality and Social Media
To be honest, as grateful as I was for the presentations by Micros' Dan Jacobs, I was still left with the confusion on how there company was utilizing social media. It felt like more of an explanation of how a POS system worked. As he said he was working with more of a hospitality aspect (in which I have experience in, and while at the same time, try to forget about....), I thought of maybe some more research would be helpful.
Of course we are aware that practically any business needs to embrace social media to help survive. Twitter serves as a platform to announce special promotions and rates. (And therefore, creating brand loyalty.) But, the channel works both ways. As the businesses speak, they also have the position of listening directly to their consumers, and hospitality is all about customer service.
Various ways social media is being utilized in this industry consists of more than responding to complaints and thanking them for the visit, but bettering the experience to the destination. Foursquare works with telling various background history depending on where the user is. The small, neighborhood coffee shop, CoffeGroundz, is the first to take to go orders and reservations via Twitter. Disney and Royal Caribbean Cruises have attracted the 42 million women online looking for advice and recommendations through the mom bloggers. They invite them to participate in their attractions as a way for the household's decision maker to spread the word. How much more reliable is a review when it comes from a mom? Some companies are also encouraging their employees to tweet during their shift to expand that network.
Of course we are aware that practically any business needs to embrace social media to help survive. Twitter serves as a platform to announce special promotions and rates. (And therefore, creating brand loyalty.) But, the channel works both ways. As the businesses speak, they also have the position of listening directly to their consumers, and hospitality is all about customer service.
Various ways social media is being utilized in this industry consists of more than responding to complaints and thanking them for the visit, but bettering the experience to the destination. Foursquare works with telling various background history depending on where the user is. The small, neighborhood coffee shop, CoffeGroundz, is the first to take to go orders and reservations via Twitter. Disney and Royal Caribbean Cruises have attracted the 42 million women online looking for advice and recommendations through the mom bloggers. They invite them to participate in their attractions as a way for the household's decision maker to spread the word. How much more reliable is a review when it comes from a mom? Some companies are also encouraging their employees to tweet during their shift to expand that network.
iPhones for less than $100!
The iPhone 3GS has beganits discounting phase with the prospect of the 'iPhone 4' to be officially released in the near future. Walmart is among the first to lower the 2 year contract price to $97. As Apple trends have been before, they will lower the price of the iPhone 3GS when the next iPhone is released. Walmart is just having a head start on dropping its inventory.
Will this method work? The common consumer of Apple products is someone who enjoys being ahead of the trend and owning the newest technology. Won't most people just wait?
Will this method work? The common consumer of Apple products is someone who enjoys being ahead of the trend and owning the newest technology. Won't most people just wait?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Celebrities and Technology
Lindsey Lohan has been ordered by the courts to wear an ankle bracelet that has breathalyzer technology built in. She is not the only one, courts are using these now for DUI criminals.
HP on Top in Server Market
Hewlett-Packard knocked IBM from the top spot in worldwide server revenue during the first quarter, as the market for x86 systems picked up but sales of Unix and mainframe systems continued to decline, Gartner said on Tuesday.
Worldwide server revenue climbed 6 percent from a year earlier, to US$10.8 billion. Unit shipments climbed 23 percent to 2.1 million, meaning selling prices were generally lower.
McAfee buying Trust Digital
Reported to planning to end deals by June 30th, McAfee is planning on purchasing Trust Digital. Can end up being a great aquisition for McAfee, as trust digital provides similar services to companies.
TiVo losing more ground
U.S. digital video recording technology company TiVo Inc reported its fifth consecutive quarterly loss as the pace at which it added subscribers slowed, and said it remains confident it will prevail in a patent battle with Dish Network.
Chief Executive Tom Rogers said TiVo had been "running very dry" on its old set-top boxes and inventory was running low, which affected subscriptions in the first two months of the first quarter.
Reason for it's downturn? Me-too products that have come along
Chief Executive Tom Rogers said TiVo had been "running very dry" on its old set-top boxes and inventory was running low, which affected subscriptions in the first two months of the first quarter.
Reason for it's downturn? Me-too products that have come along
New York Trying to pull tech entrepreneurs out of silicon valley in to New York
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a message for computer geeks everywhere: Forget sunny Silicon Valley and launch your company here.
Bloomberg made his pitch Tuesday at a gathering of technology entrepreneurs, announcing the creation of a city-sponsored $22 million venture fund that will invest in promising tech companies headquartered in New York.
Jeff Bezos says color kindle coming soon
Color kindle is being announced to be soon released. My question is where are all the kindles? They're website advertises kindle as their best selling product, but I havent seen a single one.
Diaspora - Taking advantage of facebook's privacy problems.
http://www.joindiaspora.com/ - new social networking site being developed by 4 nerds with $29000 funding. They're taking the "facebook has privacy problems, use our site" approach.
Geek Day
This is hilarious
May 25th is International Geek Pride Day. It's the high holiday for the geeks and nerds to celebrate all that we are ...and are not. It falls on the sacred anniversary of the original release of Star Wars. Naturally.
The Geek Pride Manifesto states:
It is our right to
~ not leave the house
~ to be out of style, overweight or have poor eyesight
~ to dislike sports
It is a our responsibility to
~ seek world domination
~ befriend anyone who looks like a sci-fi character
~ to attend opening nights or geeky movies in costume
Just to name a few.
SweetonGeeks is on a mission to spread the Geek Pride!
Hug the nearest geek to you and thank them for inventing....well...everything.
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-448620
Youtube's 5th birthday, 2 bilion views/day
On youtube's 5th birthday they announced they are getting 2 billion views/day. That’s nearly double the prime-time audience of all three major U.S. television networks combined,” the YouTube team wrote in a blog post Sunday. “We certainly can’t imagine what the future will look like. But we do know there’s a lot more to be done ... We’re just getting started.”
Thats insane when you think about there are only 6-7 billion people in the world.
Thats insane when you think about there are only 6-7 billion people in the world.
AT&T making progress on city-wide Wi-Fi
With data congestion increasing on wireless data networks, AT&T is launching a citywide Wi-Fi network that all AT&T customers can use. AT&T's Wi-Fi network is set up on the north side of Times Square on Seventh Avenue between 45th and 47th Streets. This is making progress in what many believe to the be future: citywide WiFi in every city.
Facebook taking action
There has been recent backlash over Facebook's privacy issues. Facebook CEO stated that tomorrow there will be new, simpler user controls rolled out. He is making good on a earlier promise:
"There needs to be a simpler way to control your information," he wrote in an op-ed piece published Monday in the Washington Post. "In the coming weeks, we will add privacy controls that are much simpler to use. We will also give you an easy way to turn off all third-party services."
http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/25/facebook-to-simplify-privacy-controls-wednesday/
"There needs to be a simpler way to control your information," he wrote in an op-ed piece published Monday in the Washington Post. "In the coming weeks, we will add privacy controls that are much simpler to use. We will also give you an easy way to turn off all third-party services."
http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/25/facebook-to-simplify-privacy-controls-wednesday/
#Goodbye @OldNewsMedia
This morning I had the dawning realization that news media is absolutely clueless and that social networks are the new way of finding out information on events as they happen. I woke up at 5:21am to what I thought was 1) an explosion, 2) an earthquake, or 3) a weird dream.
I ran to the TV, simultaneously taking my laptop with me, turned both on, tuned into the first morning news show, and got onto Twitter.
It took about 2 minutes to see other people posting about an earthquake in my area. Five to 7 minutes later, after reporting on a cat stuck in a tree and seeing 15 commercials, KIRO fumbled around some papers and reported a sentence or two about how there might have been a quake.
In 10 minutes, Twitter provided links to the USGS with detailed ACCURATE information, tweets from automated services came in, and several tweeters reported what they felt.
At about 15 minutes, KIRO was fumbling phone lines with ridiculous callers saying the earthquake lasted between 11-15 MINUTES. In their defence, they had someone call in from the USGS after that and report stuff you could find on the USGS website.
The point: twitter is faster, more accurate (in short periods), and has less commercials than local news. And they say social media is a fad...
I ran to the TV, simultaneously taking my laptop with me, turned both on, tuned into the first morning news show, and got onto Twitter.
It took about 2 minutes to see other people posting about an earthquake in my area. Five to 7 minutes later, after reporting on a cat stuck in a tree and seeing 15 commercials, KIRO fumbled around some papers and reported a sentence or two about how there might have been a quake.
In 10 minutes, Twitter provided links to the USGS with detailed ACCURATE information, tweets from automated services came in, and several tweeters reported what they felt.
At about 15 minutes, KIRO was fumbling phone lines with ridiculous callers saying the earthquake lasted between 11-15 MINUTES. In their defence, they had someone call in from the USGS after that and report stuff you could find on the USGS website.
The point: twitter is faster, more accurate (in short periods), and has less commercials than local news. And they say social media is a fad...
Wheaton College Commencement
So what is the deal with all these horrible commencement speeches going on this year? I'm going to be graduating here in 19 days or so (not walking) but I really hope those that attend don't get stuck with some mumbo jumbo speaker that wants to spout off their ideals. I cannot remember what the first commencement speeches I heard about were, but the latest and greatest from Ann Cury (oops Curry, got her Lesley!) wasn't about her ideals, beliefs or some other potentially radical thought brewing, it was a case of mistaken identity of sorts. As she was naming off old Alum from Wheaton College, whom were all relatively well known, she failed to identify which went to the actual Wheaton College she was speaking at as there is another in Illinois which all but one of the named Alum attended. Oops.
None of the official video or transcript content from the commencement can be found on the internet as it has been whipped from the college's website. The college felt they didn't want to air misinformation as the speech as a whole was great aside from the mistake(s). Unofficial on the other hand.... not on the first two pages of Youtube, but I'm sure someone somewhere recorded the event.
None of the official video or transcript content from the commencement can be found on the internet as it has been whipped from the college's website. The college felt they didn't want to air misinformation as the speech as a whole was great aside from the mistake(s). Unofficial on the other hand.... not on the first two pages of Youtube, but I'm sure someone somewhere recorded the event.
Google's Pacman Logo
I dont know if anyone else played pacman when they went to google.com early, but I myself played a few rounds. Apparently, The blog for time management tool RescueTime did the math and determined that Google Pac-Man consumed 4,819,352 hours of time, or $120,483,800 in productivity. This isn't too accurate, it assumed the average wage of google users is $25, but is still an interesting stat.
http://mashable.com/2010/05/25/google-pac-man/
http://mashable.com/2010/05/25/google-pac-man/
Zuckerberg Apologizes for Violating Privacy and Ethical Norms
No. I'm just kidding.
Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, did release an Op-Ed piece through the Washington Post mentioning how Facebook is about being open, connected, and listening to feedback. I'm not sure whether those statements are laughable or not.
The truth is that this is a magnificent move in damage control and a great case study on understanding how to re-contextualize a problem: "Facebook is sharing information that users didn't want shared" turned into "users couldn't adequately use Facebook settings to their liking." Thanks for the fix, Mark!
The article promises upcoming improvements that will "add privacy controls that are much simpler to use." I'm not sure that's what people wanted, but I have to see what comes out before I make a final judgment on it.
How to do bad Social Marketing
When you are a large retailing business and decide to put together a sale, make sure your advertised sales prices are not higher than regular.
Best Buy learned this the hard way when a Consumerist post spread to Gizmodo spread to Engadget spread to every where else via the mode of social networking tools. With so much bad publicity and high prices, it is no wonder Amazon and Newegg get so much business!
Note: in all fairness, Best Buy has not advertised these as actual "sales." Nonetheless, the format and presentation of the ads make them appear as such. And as my global business instructor said, "Your reality is not how you perceive it, but how others do." After all, it is the buyers who vote which business succeeds with their wallets.
Via Engadget
Pacman Mania
Google's Pacman logo last week in honor to celebrate its 30th anniversary grabbed unbelievable attention. It used up over $120 million of productivity, consuming over 4 million hours of play time on the site. This was determined based on the statistic that the homepage had an average time of 48 seconds spent on the page compared to the average of 11 seconds. This is then multiplied by the +500 million visitors per day.
What is even more interesting about the changing Google homepage for this particular day was that it was able to relate to a large percentage of the population, creating a nostalgic feeling, and was for the first time, interactive.
What is even more interesting about the changing Google homepage for this particular day was that it was able to relate to a large percentage of the population, creating a nostalgic feeling, and was for the first time, interactive.
Monday, May 24, 2010
My Addiction to Coke
Coca Cola, not the stuff that comes out of Columbia. Last Sunday, I bought 2 12 packs of Coca Cola from Sam's Club and went through that by myself in less than a week, because I finished all 2 packs yesterday morning. Yes folks, that is an average of 4 cans of coke a day. When I go out to eat, that free glass of water isn't going to suffice in the total enjoyment of my meal. I find it offensive if they don't ask me if I would like something extra to drink. Sure, water is healthy and all that good stuff, but the refreshing drink compliments any meal so well.
Funny thing is that, I hate sugary food items. Cake? Usually too sweet. Chocolate and candy? Too sweet. No, I don't find any satisfaction in those other sugar laden objects. I don't remember the first time I tasted coke, but I usually always had some with a meal ever since I was little. My mom tried to prevent me from drinking it around middle school and throughout high school because she heard of all the negative health benefits accompanied with the drink. However, that didn't stop me from drinking it.
I'm writing this blog so that I can somehow stop drinking this delicious drink. I'm actually drinking one right now, so this will be my last drop of coke for a while. Going to go cold turkey. Wish me luck.
Funny thing is that, I hate sugary food items. Cake? Usually too sweet. Chocolate and candy? Too sweet. No, I don't find any satisfaction in those other sugar laden objects. I don't remember the first time I tasted coke, but I usually always had some with a meal ever since I was little. My mom tried to prevent me from drinking it around middle school and throughout high school because she heard of all the negative health benefits accompanied with the drink. However, that didn't stop me from drinking it.
I'm writing this blog so that I can somehow stop drinking this delicious drink. I'm actually drinking one right now, so this will be my last drop of coke for a while. Going to go cold turkey. Wish me luck.
Big Brother is Watchin'
Engadget just brought to my attention that DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is working on a project called SMITE (Suspected Malicious Insider Threat Elimination)... Alphabet soup, anyone? Anyways, here is a quick summary of what it is:
"...essentially the idea is to create a database of actions that correspond to "malicious" behavior; for instance, espionage. It's hoped that behaviors can be detected before they lead to an actual crime, which leads to all sorts of ethical and philosophic questions that we quite frankly don't have the energy to ponder on a Friday afternoon. Luckily for all of us, this is DARPA we're talking about -- so chances are this won't go anywhere. But if it does? As The Register kindly points out, the 'e' in SMITE stands for 'elimination.' Nice."Kind of brings up this movie, doesn't it?
Via Engadget
The economy this week
After the dismal showing of the economy last week (aside from the upturn on Friday) the US markets are looking a little bruised. Over 900 points were lost on the Dow Jones industrial last week as woes over the European Union overshadowed the recovery spirit of US investors. This week brings great opportunity in cheaper stocks, when others are faltering and selling it may be time to buy. Most stocks can still be purchased at extreme discounts, bringing of course great profits to those willing to take a risk. The Dow Jones et al are still trending up, most likely last weeks poor showing was a correction that was simply shaking off a few of the more fearful investors.
The largest question right now is will the EU dissolve and further degrade the global economy on the eve of recovery?
I believe not likely, the US is up to its neck in debt, but still blissfully plows deeper, why shouldn't the EU.
Similar to previous generations the burden is being passed on to the next, why not profit from it.
The largest question right now is will the EU dissolve and further degrade the global economy on the eve of recovery?
I believe not likely, the US is up to its neck in debt, but still blissfully plows deeper, why shouldn't the EU.
Similar to previous generations the burden is being passed on to the next, why not profit from it.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
10 things we cant live without
1)Portable computers
2)Internet(high speed)
3)smart phones
4)Education(though not for some)
5)Movies
6)TV
7)Music downloads
8)Pets
9)Booze
10)Coffee
As of the trend, an eleventh would be social media. Like Andre mentioned a couple weeks ago, he would encounter a severe backlash if he left facebook. People have put social networking on a pedestal much like everything else on the list that I can't see it being tipped over any time soon. If this list was in order ( which i don't believe it is) social networking would surpass education by a long shot, especially among today's youth. There was a study done recently among college students where their computers, tv, and telephones were taken away for just 24 hours I believe, and many cheated and some even had withdrawls
2)Internet(high speed)
3)smart phones
4)Education(though not for some)
5)Movies
6)TV
7)Music downloads
8)Pets
9)Booze
10)Coffee
As of the trend, an eleventh would be social media. Like Andre mentioned a couple weeks ago, he would encounter a severe backlash if he left facebook. People have put social networking on a pedestal much like everything else on the list that I can't see it being tipped over any time soon. If this list was in order ( which i don't believe it is) social networking would surpass education by a long shot, especially among today's youth. There was a study done recently among college students where their computers, tv, and telephones were taken away for just 24 hours I believe, and many cheated and some even had withdrawls
Twitter Reuniting Strangers
Social media has now even changed the way private investigation came be done. Two guys, unbeknown half-brothers, originally met on a web forum and randomly kept in touch through instant messenging and skype. At some time later, with information told that their dad had other children, one brother went on the inquiry to look for his sibling. After already being acquaintances and living 10 minutes a part from each other, they came to find out their true relation. The power of social media....
Having Wireless Problems?
I have heard quite a bit of complaints about the wireless connection in our room. If you are having wireless problems, I would encourage you to send an email to Joe Shelley. Joe Shelley is the Assistant Director of IT Services.
To: Joe Shelley (JShelley@uwb.edu)
Subject: I am having wireless problems, could you help me?
Message:
Hello,
I am a student at UW Bothell and cannot connect to the wireless network. When I click on connect to University of Washington, I either get a failed to connect message or it connects but does not allow me to access the internet (connected with problems). In either case, neither a web browser or ping will connect to the internet.
This happens for my UWB 489 class at UW1-020 during 8:00PM-10:05PM. Could you help me?
To: Joe Shelley (JShelley@uwb.edu)
Subject: I am having wireless problems, could you help me?
Message:
Hello,
I am a student at UW Bothell and cannot connect to the wireless network. When I click on connect to University of Washington, I either get a failed to connect message or it connects but does not allow me to access the internet (connected with problems). In either case, neither a web browser or ping will connect to the internet.
This happens for my UWB 489 class at UW1-020 during 8:00PM-10:05PM. Could you help me?
Crazy Deer Attacks Man
So, I saw this video called "Crazy Deer Attacks Fat Man" on Q13 news while I was at the gym today, and I thought it was so funny I had to share it:
When I went on-line to look it up, it was in the "It's Viral" section of the website. I know... surprise, surprise, right?
If I hadn't taken this class, I wold have probably missed the connection. But now, I have gained a keen sense of how social media is penetrating all aspects of our lives. The people have spoken and social media is here to stay. That is why companies all over the place are scrambling to integrate that little piece into themselves: from Twitter on CNN to viral videos on the local news channels.
On a side note, I also see the YouTube effect: I'm just going to watch and tape you getting mauled by a deer, so I can pose it on YouTube. Let's see if I can get another guy to do it with a bear next time...!
via KCPQ
When I went on-line to look it up, it was in the "It's Viral" section of the website. I know... surprise, surprise, right?
If I hadn't taken this class, I wold have probably missed the connection. But now, I have gained a keen sense of how social media is penetrating all aspects of our lives. The people have spoken and social media is here to stay. That is why companies all over the place are scrambling to integrate that little piece into themselves: from Twitter on CNN to viral videos on the local news channels.
On a side note, I also see the YouTube effect: I'm just going to watch and tape you getting mauled by a deer, so I can pose it on YouTube. Let's see if I can get another guy to do it with a bear next time...!
via KCPQ
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Myspace vs. Facebook
So, is the battle against myspace and facebook over? We thought so when Facebook appeared to be on top with over 400 million users over myspace's 114 million. But, myspace is not making an effort to reposition itself in the world of social networking. Myspace is attempting to create an advantage to all of the negative news about facebook's privacy situation. They are changing their privacy settings to have three different options about who can see profiles: friends, public, or public to those 18 and older. It is an upgrade to their prior simple private/public option, but doesn't see too different from facebook's privacy settings. What is different though is the default is set to friends only while facebook is set to everybody.
But, wasn't there a reason why users left myspace? Personally, myspace got too spammy while facebook revolutionized social media itself.
But, wasn't there a reason why users left myspace? Personally, myspace got too spammy while facebook revolutionized social media itself.
Life Coaching
Doing some research on an unrelated subject, I came across a fascinating individual. His name - Randy Pausch. His job - professor of engineering. He was known in the speaking circuit for his talk on Time Management.
The fascinating part is the fact that he gives the talk below knowing that he has 3 to 6 months to live. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The second presentation is about achieving your dreams. That, too, given after he found out is running our of time. While lengthy, both presentations are worth watching; if for nothing else, than for putting life into a different perspective.
The fascinating part is the fact that he gives the talk below knowing that he has 3 to 6 months to live. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The second presentation is about achieving your dreams. That, too, given after he found out is running our of time. While lengthy, both presentations are worth watching; if for nothing else, than for putting life into a different perspective.
10 Ways You're Getting Ripped Off
1) Airline Club Memberships
2) Fitness Shoes (specifically the new rocking chair shoes)
3) College Textbooks -HEY!? Well no $4!+
4) Travel Insurance
5) Ready-to-Drink Baby Formula
6) Credit Card Gift Cards
7) Prepackaged Deli Meat
8) "Germ-Fighting" Supplements
9) Title Insurance
10) Cable Television
To Sum up my biggest pet peeves of this list, I'm graduating this year so McGraw-Hill can go $%@# themselves (I'm not down with being charged an extra $40-60 so they can add a new picture or paragraph), and Communistcast cable may get the boot for netflix and hulu.
2) Fitness Shoes (specifically the new rocking chair shoes)
3) College Textbooks -HEY!? Well no $4!+
4) Travel Insurance
5) Ready-to-Drink Baby Formula
6) Credit Card Gift Cards
7) Prepackaged Deli Meat
8) "Germ-Fighting" Supplements
9) Title Insurance
10) Cable Television
To Sum up my biggest pet peeves of this list, I'm graduating this year so McGraw-Hill can go $%@# themselves (I'm not down with being charged an extra $40-60 so they can add a new picture or paragraph), and Communistcast cable may get the boot for netflix and hulu.
Internet Ubiquity
We have had wireless internet in many US cities - Kirkland, Bellevue, Seattle to name a few around my area - but nothing quite what London is planning. According to Boris Johnson, the UK capital will need to install a wireless router or repeat on every lamppost and every bus stop in order to blanked the whole city for the unveiling of the 2012 Olympics.
While this is plain cool in itself because you can have a non-stop internet connection for all that email and mobile web goodiness, it will also lay an infrastructure for mashing the internet with real life in the future. Think of a bioengineered tree that can receive internet signals that tell it to glow only at night or during special occasions (celebrations or a person carrying a proper tag comes nearby). It kind of reminds me of the Avatar nature network, but you won't have to stick your tail in the grass.
Monday, May 17, 2010
5 Years of YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/FiveYear
So, I just discovered this channel a few minutes ago. It basically shows a small portion of the big youtube celebrities in the past five years and their story. And one of the recurring themes that I saw about each video was how they put a random video up not expecting many views but then later on saw that they were on the first few pages of youtube.
Watching those videos make me feel sort of nostalgic. Not because of the youtube personalities, but because of how the youtube layout changed for more profit. I remember when it was arranged by "most viewed today" by default. Now it is "Most Popular." What does that even mean? Yeah, of course I could manually go filter the videos I want, but it's such a huge hassle. Half of the videos on the first page are from big companies, rarely do I ever see an independent video by myself, I would have to go through blogs and social media sites for such things.
I feel this is what is happening to Google's search site now.
I hope 5 years from now, I don't start reminiscing about the old Google.
So, I just discovered this channel a few minutes ago. It basically shows a small portion of the big youtube celebrities in the past five years and their story. And one of the recurring themes that I saw about each video was how they put a random video up not expecting many views but then later on saw that they were on the first few pages of youtube.
Watching those videos make me feel sort of nostalgic. Not because of the youtube personalities, but because of how the youtube layout changed for more profit. I remember when it was arranged by "most viewed today" by default. Now it is "Most Popular." What does that even mean? Yeah, of course I could manually go filter the videos I want, but it's such a huge hassle. Half of the videos on the first page are from big companies, rarely do I ever see an independent video by myself, I would have to go through blogs and social media sites for such things.
I feel this is what is happening to Google's search site now.
I hope 5 years from now, I don't start reminiscing about the old Google.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Racist Autobots Exiled from Transformers 3
Are you kidding me? The only thing racist here is Movie Line (website responsible for all the controversy) for pointing this out. Seriously, just because these two robots (Skid and Mudflap) “jive-talk” and one happens to have a gold tooth, doesn’t make them “black” robots. That statement is completely ignorant and clearly shows that Movie Line knows nothing about the youth in today’s society. Black, white, Asian, Hispanic or whatever. If they are in their teens to young adults and listen to today’s retarded hip-hop music, then more than likely they “jive-talk.” Or as I say, “act like wannabe gangstas.” So, how can Movie Line single out blacks? If anything, we should be thanking Michael Bay for having these two robots and highlighting the stupidity in some of today’s society, especially the youth. I say this because we have to remember based on the Transformer movies, the robots get their information and personalities from accessing Earth’s internet and media. Who’s to say these two robots didn’t stumble on a clip of Eminem, or Kevin Federline, OR (my best example) Riff Raff from MTV’s G’s to Gents Season 2. All of which are “jive-talking” white boys.
See what I mean? Can we really blame Michael Bay or the robots? *shakes head*
Here’s something else to think about. If people are having problems with these two so called “black jive-talking” robots, then what about cartoon characters on the “whiter” side of things. Example: Mater, from Pixar’s Cars. Yup, a dirty buck-toothed tow truck that seems to be depicted as a hillbilly, trailer trash, and dumb “white” car. Yet, still there doesn’t seem to be half the controversy amongst bloggers or review sites about Mater compared to Skid and Mudflap. Hmm...
See what I mean? Can we really blame Michael Bay or the robots? *shakes head*
Here’s something else to think about. If people are having problems with these two so called “black jive-talking” robots, then what about cartoon characters on the “whiter” side of things. Example: Mater, from Pixar’s Cars. Yup, a dirty buck-toothed tow truck that seems to be depicted as a hillbilly, trailer trash, and dumb “white” car. Yet, still there doesn’t seem to be half the controversy amongst bloggers or review sites about Mater compared to Skid and Mudflap. Hmm...
Lebron-Tracker
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/feature/index?page=LeBron-Tracker
A few weeks back we saw a commercial of Lebron and Kobe puppets. Well recently, Lebron's team, the Cleveland Cavaliers have just lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs (there are 4 total) when they were expected to win the NBA championships. The reason this is such a big deal is because Lebron will become a free agent in about 47 days. What that means is that he will be allowed to sign with any of the other NBA teams that either pay him the most or where he will feel that he will win a championship with. There are only a handful of teams that have enough money to sign him due to the salary cap restrictions each team has that limits how many super stars you can have on a team. Usually there will be 2 players getting 20 million a year, while the rest get 1-7 million a year. Lebron will probably have the biggest contract yet, maybe reaching 30 million a year just in the basketball contract alone, not including all his endorsements.
Anyways, due to taking so many business classes I thought of this from a economic point of view. Cleveland already is in a bad economic situation due to their decline of their heavy manufacturing industry. Just take a look at this promotional video for Cleveland from their travel promotions!
"our economy is based on Lebron James"
The playoff loss has potential to create a major chain reaction for many cities, including Cleveland. For example, he could go to the New Jersey Nets, which will be moving to the New York burrough of Brooklyn. If Lebron actually goes there, the city will create a new basketball arena just for him! This will create thousands of jobs, and create millions of dollars income for the city.
Another is example is of him going to the New York Knicks and play at Madison Square Garden, the biggest basketball stage in the world. Cleveland was a very small basketball team in terms of commercial success before Lebron came. If he moves to New York, every game of his will be broadcasted world wide, which will lead to more sales of Nike apparel.
Now that Tiger Woods have destroyed his endorsement career, Lebron James will be the single most economic impacting sports figure in the world. Billions will be made through his name, and billions will be lost for people that he does not want to be associated with. Good luck to Cleveland.
A few weeks back we saw a commercial of Lebron and Kobe puppets. Well recently, Lebron's team, the Cleveland Cavaliers have just lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs (there are 4 total) when they were expected to win the NBA championships. The reason this is such a big deal is because Lebron will become a free agent in about 47 days. What that means is that he will be allowed to sign with any of the other NBA teams that either pay him the most or where he will feel that he will win a championship with. There are only a handful of teams that have enough money to sign him due to the salary cap restrictions each team has that limits how many super stars you can have on a team. Usually there will be 2 players getting 20 million a year, while the rest get 1-7 million a year. Lebron will probably have the biggest contract yet, maybe reaching 30 million a year just in the basketball contract alone, not including all his endorsements.
Anyways, due to taking so many business classes I thought of this from a economic point of view. Cleveland already is in a bad economic situation due to their decline of their heavy manufacturing industry. Just take a look at this promotional video for Cleveland from their travel promotions!
"our economy is based on Lebron James"
The playoff loss has potential to create a major chain reaction for many cities, including Cleveland. For example, he could go to the New Jersey Nets, which will be moving to the New York burrough of Brooklyn. If Lebron actually goes there, the city will create a new basketball arena just for him! This will create thousands of jobs, and create millions of dollars income for the city.
Another is example is of him going to the New York Knicks and play at Madison Square Garden, the biggest basketball stage in the world. Cleveland was a very small basketball team in terms of commercial success before Lebron came. If he moves to New York, every game of his will be broadcasted world wide, which will lead to more sales of Nike apparel.
Now that Tiger Woods have destroyed his endorsement career, Lebron James will be the single most economic impacting sports figure in the world. Billions will be made through his name, and billions will be lost for people that he does not want to be associated with. Good luck to Cleveland.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Investing 202: Market Sectors
Choosing a distinct sector to invest in is often a difficult proposition, on the surface the most attention is given to tech stocks, pharmaceuticals and banking. Diving a little deeper there are so many other market sectors that offer more sustainable and less problematic stocks. The problem lies within the hoopla behind the afore mentioned three, they are comprised of stocks that overnight can double or triple based upon investor perception upon future earnings, although of course they can also be reduced by the same magnitude.
On the converse are other sectors which offer some stability and are driven by real numbers not a perceived future value that may or may not come to fruition based upon the acceptance of a new lupus combating drug or advanced OS.
In essence look beyond the ubiquitous news about this or that tech stock that may be the next Google, chances are they aren't! Volatile stocks often fall even faster than they rise, when investing for the future invest in something with a little risk, but with a solid foundation.
On the converse are other sectors which offer some stability and are driven by real numbers not a perceived future value that may or may not come to fruition based upon the acceptance of a new lupus combating drug or advanced OS.
In essence look beyond the ubiquitous news about this or that tech stock that may be the next Google, chances are they aren't! Volatile stocks often fall even faster than they rise, when investing for the future invest in something with a little risk, but with a solid foundation.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Google Chrome OS on Acer?
News out that Acer will be shipping with Google Chrome OS soon.
http://mashable.com/2010/05/13/chrome-os-acer-launch/
http://mashable.com/2010/05/13/chrome-os-acer-launch/
Traffic in Bellevue
Bellevue's highly advanced traffic light system is not so advanced in the year 2010. The system was installed back in the 1970's and is now starting to show its age 30+yrs later with the ever growing population. A proposed project that will eventually put into effect is now on the to-do list. Its essentially called a smart traffic system. It will learn on the fly and fluctuate controls on the fly. To many times have we sat at a red light waiting for even one car to pass through the intersection just because its rush hour and most of the traffic is coming from that direction. Well this system will solve issues light that and will reduce light waiting times immensely, over time....We will see
Live Mesh
It is rare that I praise Microsoft for doing something right, but they have really hit the spot with Live Mesh. I am surprised that not many people know what that is...
In a nutshell, Live Mesh is a synchronization tool that can "intelligently" and automatically maintain current versions of files on computers, smart phones, and the web. If you are connected to the internet, it will propagate the changes as soon as you close a file. If not, it will make the changes when you regain a connection. It makes life a lot easier as you acquire more and more techno gadgets!
Look for Live Mesh to go on one of the following iterations of Live/Azure services and software.
In a nutshell, Live Mesh is a synchronization tool that can "intelligently" and automatically maintain current versions of files on computers, smart phones, and the web. If you are connected to the internet, it will propagate the changes as soon as you close a file. If not, it will make the changes when you regain a connection. It makes life a lot easier as you acquire more and more techno gadgets!
Look for Live Mesh to go on one of the following iterations of Live/Azure services and software.
The Anti-Facebook
Four students from NYU are working towards building a new social networking site, Diaspora, “an open source personal web service that will put individuals in control of their data”. Should sharing information while maintaining privacy be such a problem to solve? Their network is aimed to allow someone with their own web server within a large network, being fully controlled and owned by the user. Seems like the key word to this is own.
Their original goal was to raise $10,000 in one month by June 1st; this was done in half its time. Even more, the team reached $100,000 with 2,300 supporters. This definitely raises question on how much do people really dislike Facebook. And if, they do, why are they still on the platform?
Their original goal was to raise $10,000 in one month by June 1st; this was done in half its time. Even more, the team reached $100,000 with 2,300 supporters. This definitely raises question on how much do people really dislike Facebook. And if, they do, why are they still on the platform?
Star Wars + TomTom
Yay! Another viral video! I felt compelled to share this, just because I find it so funny and entertaining. Enjoy :)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Damn You, Matthew Guiste
So, after Matthew Guiste's passionate presentation in class yesterday, I left with the partial feeling he was working Starbuck's unconscious hand of selling their new campaigns. Well, it worked.
Today, I needed a frappuccino (which is a hard word to spell!). I decided to trade in my daily grande, extra hot, no whip, no foam, white chocolate mocha for a good-ol' java chip frapp. The frappuccino website shown, www.frappuccino.com, appeared so captivating - changing the way we connect with coffee. I checked out the website, went through the "most popular" creations, but felt satisfied and confident enough with Starbucks to trust what they created and just go for the "short and simple" standard. It is amazing how much Starbucks has developed a culture around this simple use.
(Sadly, after over two years of not having a frapp, I was disappointed in my local Starbucks on messing up my drink but still satisfied for indulging in my high-calorie, soon-to-be-summer celebration dessert.)
Today, I needed a frappuccino (which is a hard word to spell!). I decided to trade in my daily grande, extra hot, no whip, no foam, white chocolate mocha for a good-ol' java chip frapp. The frappuccino website shown, www.frappuccino.com, appeared so captivating - changing the way we connect with coffee. I checked out the website, went through the "most popular" creations, but felt satisfied and confident enough with Starbucks to trust what they created and just go for the "short and simple" standard. It is amazing how much Starbucks has developed a culture around this simple use.
(Sadly, after over two years of not having a frapp, I was disappointed in my local Starbucks on messing up my drink but still satisfied for indulging in my high-calorie, soon-to-be-summer celebration dessert.)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Thanks for the Spam, Microsoft
If you've ever had to buy a computer, you know the hassle of the "bonus" software that comes on there. You get trial software, OEM tools (like HP's Action Center, Dell's top-of-screen dock), icons on your desktop, and other fun stuff. It amounts to clutter, slow boot and shut down times, and inconsistency in the user experience. But the computer manufacturers love it because they bask in the glory of deals, exclusivity, all leading to maybe a couple of bucks of margin per unit sold. Apple wins because you get a computer, with an OS and some useful tools and you're amazed that it "just works." The PC is killing (or has killed) itself with features.
Microsoft is now either making things worse or creating an experience that we can deal with. Apart form offering OEMs Office Starter 2010 (a fresh replacement for MS Works) for $5, but they're willing to slash that price to $2 for the installation of Live Essentials and Bing search bar. The influence will be dependent on how much people will like the new roll out of that software. It will either be ugly or it will finally create some consistency among PCs.
Microsoft is now either making things worse or creating an experience that we can deal with. Apart form offering OEMs Office Starter 2010 (a fresh replacement for MS Works) for $5, but they're willing to slash that price to $2 for the installation of Live Essentials and Bing search bar. The influence will be dependent on how much people will like the new roll out of that software. It will either be ugly or it will finally create some consistency among PCs.
d2jsp, Wallstreet of Internet Gaming
So, I was looking for something to write about when I was with some friends, and one of them said that they were still playing an old Blizzard game from 2000, "Diablo II". I was wondering why he was playing such an old game when there were so many new and updated games. His reason was that he wanted to "build up forum gold" for other games that he is playing now and games that will come out earlier. I was confused at first, but then he explained it.
Basically, d2jsp is a site where many gaming communities congregate to trade economic gaming goods and currency across different games. For instance you can get items/currency from a game in Diablo II, trade that with another member from d2jsp for "forum gold" and then go on to buy items/currency in another game that you aren't as established in.
It might not mean much to most people, but it spans such a huge variety of video games. The list of games on consoles range from PS3, Nintendo Wii, Xbox360, PC, etc. The thing that made my jaw drop was when I went to the "other" section of the forum. People were trading "forum gold" for people to do requests of graphic design and programming. Another thing that was shocking was how you could actually buy "forum gold" with real life currency with an exchange rate of $100 to 3000 "forum gold".
There are so many little things about the forum that I might be missing, but there is also a code of conduct when using the forum. One of them is that if you're an older member from say... 2002, you have more respect and trust. That will help you out when you're trading with someone newer, it is similar to the eBay feedback system.
I'm just learning the basics of the forum, so I will continually update about this community.
Basically, d2jsp is a site where many gaming communities congregate to trade economic gaming goods and currency across different games. For instance you can get items/currency from a game in Diablo II, trade that with another member from d2jsp for "forum gold" and then go on to buy items/currency in another game that you aren't as established in.
It might not mean much to most people, but it spans such a huge variety of video games. The list of games on consoles range from PS3, Nintendo Wii, Xbox360, PC, etc. The thing that made my jaw drop was when I went to the "other" section of the forum. People were trading "forum gold" for people to do requests of graphic design and programming. Another thing that was shocking was how you could actually buy "forum gold" with real life currency with an exchange rate of $100 to 3000 "forum gold".
There are so many little things about the forum that I might be missing, but there is also a code of conduct when using the forum. One of them is that if you're an older member from say... 2002, you have more respect and trust. That will help you out when you're trading with someone newer, it is similar to the eBay feedback system.
I'm just learning the basics of the forum, so I will continually update about this community.
+35 Demographic Hear Bad News on Facebook
Facebook is increasing its awareness among the older generation of age 35 and older. YouGov BrandIndex scores on if someone has heard of a brand within the past two weeks, and if that news was in a positive or negative light. In 2008, the older demographic viewed Facebook very negatively and made a rebound since then. Currently, the ratings showed that the negative news around Facebook are even made aware to the demographic with ages 35 and older, with scores dropping. This shows how Facebook are making an impact on various demographics. Social media isn't for only the technological savvy.
A black hole that is not a black hole is what?
Well its a window; a region within a dense gas cloud where jets from the formation of new stars have opened the way. NGC 1999 a cloud of gases in the night sky has a hole; originally thought to be a region of very dense gases. The Hershel Infrared Space telescope was pointed in the direction of this cloud of gas to view nearby young stars, the area of the gas cloud was still black. Infrared telescopes are able to see beyond dense clouds of gas which they thought this region was. Speculation was that the region was just immensely dense; this is not the case. The importance to this discovery is that it will provide us a window into a cloud of gas to watch new stars form as we don't really know what goes on out there to create a star.
Another One Bites the Dust
As soon as LinkedIn's servers were down for a reboot, Mashable reported it on its front page. LinkedIn, a popular social networking site for professionals, was unaccessible for less than five hours - a period of time so short that most individuals would not even know what happened. However, thanks to Mashable and its interconnectedness with other social networks, LinkedIn's downtime was immortalized in Internet history with 625 tweets, 35 facebook shares, 12 likes, and 12 comments.
Popular websites can learn from this - any gaff that you make can spread through social networks and mar your public image or reputation.
via Mashable
Popular websites can learn from this - any gaff that you make can spread through social networks and mar your public image or reputation.
via Mashable
Businesses and Social Media Marketing At Budget Time
Marketing Sherpa came out with an interesting chart about how businesses perceive social media at budget time. 49% believe that social media is a promising strategy and eventually will provide ROI but budget should be allocated conservatively. For next 27% social media is an unknown medium; for them it worth investing but only extra resources. 17% think social media is free and want to keep it this way (meaning no budget). And for only 7% social media is producing a measurable ROI, these organizations are willing to continue investing in it.
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Ones Who Can't Spot Change
It is sad to see, at least from my personal observations, the large amount of businesses who are failing to see how social marketing is changing their environment. The old way of marketing, or mass advertising, does not cut it any more. Instead, consumers expect companies to do the right thing: protect the environment, excel in ethics, hold their promises, interact with the customers, and be transparent and accountable of their actions. The ones that fail get blasted on the Internet, which happens even faster and easier with the help of social networking websites. The ones that do get the brownie points.
Of course, this post would not be complete without some examples:
When nVidia had a snafu with their graphics chips, they denied to comment and did not admit to having a problem. That was despite countless blogs and forums leaking internal documentation of the problem, physical evidence of poor materials being used, and a financial statements showing some extra 20 million reserved for warranty work. The result was that ATI took over as the graphics supplier for the majority of the dedicated graphics laptop market. The end consumers had spoken, though the retailers were not thrilled with nVidia's response to them either.
An [unnamed] company stated that it wanted to increase the amount of voice about its product and wished to be transparent. However, it also aimed to prevent people from finding out where it sells its products at discount prices (as well as some other facts about it). That is counterproductive to their goal, because as soon as people start talking about a product or company, this stuff is bound to come out. Furthermore, it goes against the company's wish for transparency. With mass media advertising, they probably could have gotten away with this. However, today's blogs and Facebook make secrets impossible.
I was reminded of this idea when viewing the meerkat exhibit at the Woodland Park Zoo...
In the wild, meerkats always post a guard to look for threats - eagles, snakes, the like. However, this zoo mob had not noticed that their environment had changed. So, this guard was still needlessly sitting on the top of the rock and scanning the painted sky for deadly predators. Though if he knew, he could have been doing something more productive with this time...
Companies have a choice: they can either adapt to the new environment or stay the same like these guys. Unfortunately for the companies, unlike the meerkats which are meer-cute, there are no zookeepers which will feed and support them.
Of course, this post would not be complete without some examples:
When nVidia had a snafu with their graphics chips, they denied to comment and did not admit to having a problem. That was despite countless blogs and forums leaking internal documentation of the problem, physical evidence of poor materials being used, and a financial statements showing some extra 20 million reserved for warranty work. The result was that ATI took over as the graphics supplier for the majority of the dedicated graphics laptop market. The end consumers had spoken, though the retailers were not thrilled with nVidia's response to them either.
An [unnamed] company stated that it wanted to increase the amount of voice about its product and wished to be transparent. However, it also aimed to prevent people from finding out where it sells its products at discount prices (as well as some other facts about it). That is counterproductive to their goal, because as soon as people start talking about a product or company, this stuff is bound to come out. Furthermore, it goes against the company's wish for transparency. With mass media advertising, they probably could have gotten away with this. However, today's blogs and Facebook make secrets impossible.
I was reminded of this idea when viewing the meerkat exhibit at the Woodland Park Zoo...
In the wild, meerkats always post a guard to look for threats - eagles, snakes, the like. However, this zoo mob had not noticed that their environment had changed. So, this guard was still needlessly sitting on the top of the rock and scanning the painted sky for deadly predators. Though if he knew, he could have been doing something more productive with this time...
Companies have a choice: they can either adapt to the new environment or stay the same like these guys. Unfortunately for the companies, unlike the meerkats which are meer-cute, there are no zookeepers which will feed and support them.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Tool is as Effective as the User
Social networking tools have been praised across marketing for their effectiveness. And so, I have seen a lot of companies on Twitter, Facebook, and many others. Some are effective while others fail miserably. The cause? Well, social networking tools are only as effective as how you use them.
This is not a new realization or anything, but it just stood out in my mind as I read my brother's status update:
What this goes to say is that tools are only as effective as the people using them. By themselves, they are useless. So, if you are thinking about social networking tools for your business, you should spend the time to learn how to use them appropriately. Otherwise, you may fail and become ridiculed by others, like that STi that crashed on a tire chicony because a little Jetta was following it too closely.
This is not a new realization or anything, but it just stood out in my mind as I read my brother's status update:
SCCA Club Trial Results: 1:10.469; Oleg: 1:12.901. That's 1 second slower than an STI. Not bad for bone stock Rabbit!In racing terms, this is analogous to saying the car is only as fast as the driver. On paper, an STi is leagues ahead of a Volkswagen Rabbit or Jetta. On the track, though, it is only a second faster (other STi's and Porche's have proven even slower).
What this goes to say is that tools are only as effective as the people using them. By themselves, they are useless. So, if you are thinking about social networking tools for your business, you should spend the time to learn how to use them appropriately. Otherwise, you may fail and become ridiculed by others, like that STi that crashed on a tire chicony because a little Jetta was following it too closely.
Viral Videos 101 by Google
Three days ago, Google released the marketing videos for its Chrome browser. Already, one of them has gathered 728,264 views and the other 365,616.
How did they do it?
The answer is a simple combination of seduction and gaze. Instead of simply saying how fast Chrome is, they are illustrating it by comparing the browser's speed with that of potato guns and lighting strikes.
The moment you hear this, you'll most likely ask yourself something like this: Well, how in the world is a potato related to the Internet? The moment that happens, you are already seduced into watching the videos.
Gaze is achieved by having content that demands to be seen until the end. In the videos, you see the potato moving through the tubes as it is ready to be shot and the generator spin up to create lightning, and you just can't stop watching until you see whether Chrome will load faster than them. In this case, gaze is the result of amazement and curiosity.
If you do not agree with this, try watching this one yourself:
How did they do it?
The answer is a simple combination of seduction and gaze. Instead of simply saying how fast Chrome is, they are illustrating it by comparing the browser's speed with that of potato guns and lighting strikes.
The moment you hear this, you'll most likely ask yourself something like this: Well, how in the world is a potato related to the Internet? The moment that happens, you are already seduced into watching the videos.
Gaze is achieved by having content that demands to be seen until the end. In the videos, you see the potato moving through the tubes as it is ready to be shot and the generator spin up to create lightning, and you just can't stop watching until you see whether Chrome will load faster than them. In this case, gaze is the result of amazement and curiosity.
If you do not agree with this, try watching this one yourself:
Hackers Hacking Hackers
A recent article from ArsTechnica caught my attention with its title - "Almost all Fortune 500 companies show Zeus botnet activity." For those of you who don't know, a botnet is a network of comprised computers that do whatever a master computer orders them to do. In addition, the Zeus trojan logs the keystrokes in an attempt to steal bank, social networking, and email accounts.
The scary part is that so many companies are affected by this 2007 trojan, which technologically-speaking is dated. Consumers should be especially concerned, because their information could be stored and therefore stolen from those company computers.
Now for the funny part... the owners of the Zeus control servers get paid quite a bit for their services, which range from data mining to dos attacks on corporate rivals' servers. That has made them prime targets for other hackers, who want to get in on the money. Ironic... isn't it?
Via ArsTechnica
The scary part is that so many companies are affected by this 2007 trojan, which technologically-speaking is dated. Consumers should be especially concerned, because their information could be stored and therefore stolen from those company computers.
Now for the funny part... the owners of the Zeus control servers get paid quite a bit for their services, which range from data mining to dos attacks on corporate rivals' servers. That has made them prime targets for other hackers, who want to get in on the money. Ironic... isn't it?
Via ArsTechnica
Investing 201: Fear
After looking at today's crash a clear and present fear resides in many investors hearts. The problem is the fear shouldn't be in the heart, but instead in the mind, letting emotions drive your investing is a sure way to lose your money. Pouring gas on the fire in terms of following the mass hysteria of sell-offs will surely end in despair, or very little reward. This is not to say that going against the grain of pertinent information is wise, but instead look at the information and make an informed opinion.
If like most of us, you have little understanding or knowledge of beta's, P/E ratios, and the ubiquitous use of financial earnings data, you shouldn't just look at CNN, do more research. Read recent events in the company and the larger sector of which the stock resides, so much easily understandable information can be gleaned by simply reading about the sector in general.
Fear is healthy when putting your future, in terms of money, into a company that you do not know, do not understand, and only invest in based upon a loud mouth on a stock report. Do your homework, be vigilant, and know where your putting your money!
If like most of us, you have little understanding or knowledge of beta's, P/E ratios, and the ubiquitous use of financial earnings data, you shouldn't just look at CNN, do more research. Read recent events in the company and the larger sector of which the stock resides, so much easily understandable information can be gleaned by simply reading about the sector in general.
Fear is healthy when putting your future, in terms of money, into a company that you do not know, do not understand, and only invest in based upon a loud mouth on a stock report. Do your homework, be vigilant, and know where your putting your money!
Real, Usable Smartphones
Ever since I've first used a smartphone, the biggest pain was having to 1) sparsely use apps or the internet to save battery or 2) carry around a charger. As of right now, I have a charger at home, at work, in the car, and a USB charger for extra juice to steal from my laptop. Ironically, that laptop, has more battery life browsing the web than my phone. A new move by Intel might change this.
The upcoming Atom Z series codenamed "Moorestown" will not only run at 1.5 Ghz, bolster 1080p video, but it will have a 10-day standby time and over 2-days of music playback. Maybe we can finally browse the internet to our liking, watch an entire movie without plugging in, or actually have the curage to leave WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth radios on. How convenient...
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/32892/intel-atom-z-series-10-day-battery
The upcoming Atom Z series codenamed "Moorestown" will not only run at 1.5 Ghz, bolster 1080p video, but it will have a 10-day standby time and over 2-days of music playback. Maybe we can finally browse the internet to our liking, watch an entire movie without plugging in, or actually have the curage to leave WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth radios on. How convenient...
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/32892/intel-atom-z-series-10-day-battery
Starcraft FTW!
Blizzard Entertainment released the first Starcraft (SC) series in 1998. Since then, SC has become known to all computer gamers and industry journalists as one of the most, if not the most, popular real-time strategy games of all time. In addition, SC has been praised many times as the game that set the standards for development of real-time strategy games. So, what makes this game so popular?
I have not played SC for a few years now, but during my teenage years I was a very big fan of the game (VERY BIG). In my personal opinion what made SC more successful compared to other real-time strategy games were the three unique races that players could choose from being Terran, Protoss, or Zerg (ZERG FTW!). PLUS between each race there was a very well tuned and refined ***GAME PLAY BALANCE*** that existed amongst these races. Through this formula Blizzard Entertainments was able to create a very dynamic gaming environment for players while also ensuring that no race was too overpowered or underpowered. The idea is that players can become very good at the game but because of the gaming dynamics, Starcraft remains "unmasterable". As a bonus, the overall story that revolves around the three races individually and as a group has been praised by many as being one of the most compelling for a real-time strategy game. I mean, what other real-time strategy game can you think of that has not been updated for about 10 years and is still being played by thousands of people? In fact, there are still huge SC gaming events and competitions held in South Korea, which are also broadcasted to television (LUCKY)! Starcraft to Koreans is like football to us Americans.
Now after 12 years, Blizzard Entertainment has finally announced that Starcraft 2 (SC2) will be released worldwide on July 27th 2010!!! (ABOUT DANG TIME!) SC2 will feature the same three races with many new units, as well as, a few familiar oldies. The graphics have been pumped up and look absolutely amazing (as it should, being that SC graphics were untouched for 12 years haha). After watching a few game play demos, SC2 looks to be promising and ready to take over where SC left off. However, the true test to its success will come after the release and after I get my hands on it! =)
For more info on SC2 check out: http://us.starcraft2.com/index.xml
(and definitely check out the movies section)
I have not played SC for a few years now, but during my teenage years I was a very big fan of the game (VERY BIG). In my personal opinion what made SC more successful compared to other real-time strategy games were the three unique races that players could choose from being Terran, Protoss, or Zerg (ZERG FTW!). PLUS between each race there was a very well tuned and refined ***GAME PLAY BALANCE*** that existed amongst these races. Through this formula Blizzard Entertainments was able to create a very dynamic gaming environment for players while also ensuring that no race was too overpowered or underpowered. The idea is that players can become very good at the game but because of the gaming dynamics, Starcraft remains "unmasterable". As a bonus, the overall story that revolves around the three races individually and as a group has been praised by many as being one of the most compelling for a real-time strategy game. I mean, what other real-time strategy game can you think of that has not been updated for about 10 years and is still being played by thousands of people? In fact, there are still huge SC gaming events and competitions held in South Korea, which are also broadcasted to television (LUCKY)! Starcraft to Koreans is like football to us Americans.
Now after 12 years, Blizzard Entertainment has finally announced that Starcraft 2 (SC2) will be released worldwide on July 27th 2010!!! (ABOUT DANG TIME!) SC2 will feature the same three races with many new units, as well as, a few familiar oldies. The graphics have been pumped up and look absolutely amazing (as it should, being that SC graphics were untouched for 12 years haha). After watching a few game play demos, SC2 looks to be promising and ready to take over where SC left off. However, the true test to its success will come after the release and after I get my hands on it! =)
For more info on SC2 check out: http://us.starcraft2.com/index.xml
(and definitely check out the movies section)
Bloggers turned Journalists. Now, Anybody can be an Editor?
Wikipedia now has a feature that allows you to go through the articles, and build your own book. Based around the way users build the website's content, there are no restrictions that content is being illegally stolen. Centered around the demographic that is feeling like a zombie to their smartphones and appreciates the value of hard print versus the glaring light staring back at you, Wikipedia utilizes their user-trusted content to create books around your liking. Though the site consists of nonfiction subjects, they feel the way that pages are linked to related topics makes the process easy to customize your book. PediaPress, the publisher for Wikipedia then estimates how long the book will be to generate a price. You can even customize your own cover page with picture and color, and have it shipped to your address within two business days. E-books, kindles, nooks seem to be the new trend, but is Wikipedia's target audience large/strong enough?
Glee Much?
With the slight intrigue of what is the hype behind Glee, bad or good, I watched Babelgum's "Glee Explained in 60 Seconds"
Here are my initial reactions:
Slight disgusted
Is this a cult?
Making fun of themselves, or taking themselves too seriously?
I guess there's some humor behind this after you get past all the perfect smiles, but I'm still not convinced.
Here are my initial reactions:
Slight disgusted
Is this a cult?
Making fun of themselves, or taking themselves too seriously?
I guess there's some humor behind this after you get past all the perfect smiles, but I'm still not convinced.
Customizing Just About Anything
More than changing your Gmail background according to your mood or adding widgets to your blog, have you noticed you can even customize the physical objects you use in real life? Companies are leveraging the low costs needed for an e-business start up, and reallocating it into another resource or value. The internet has definitely transformed the buyer's power in the market, now even controlling what their purchase will consist of. A few common items that have been heard of are the customizable M&M that can display any message you want, but the next step for a company was to make your own candy bar of chocolate type, nuts, fruits, confections all for less than $20. Build-your-own-dress-shirt, with thread, fit, style, collar type, fabric, lining to your liking makes shopping even easier (and was co-founded by a 19-year-old.) Customizable athletic shoes, handbags, and jewelry have been heard of, but jerky and dog food are new.
What Makes a Viral Video?
This post was one that I definitely looked forward to writing about ;) This is going to be a simple look at some of the weekly videos that the social media expert, Mashable, finds a notable watch.
http://mashable.com/2010/04/30/youtube-mashable-staff-picks/
My first thought of the "Cupcake Cannon" was 'who in the world takes the time to plan, coordinate, and film this?!?' And, all for the purpose of pure amusement of people being hit in the face with colorful frosted cupcakes. Nor did I ever think someone would take the energy to produce a video like this, but I never would have thought I would be watching it either.
A recent video passing through the networks is the U.S. soldier's remake to Lady GaGa's Telephone song. Once again, would I have thought that I would see these tough, rugged, expressionless men dressed in their army combat uniforms breaking it down to Lady GaGa with so much enthusiasm. This wasn't done with the intent of making something go viral, but done without thought and interest to share with their friends what they find is fun and silly. The internet is informal, unprofessional, shouldn't be taken so seriously, and no one cares what people think about themselves.
With the easy access to movie producing programs, simply anybody can make a short 2-3 minute tribute to what they enjoy. And, more than likely, someone else will have that same commonality and so it spreads.
http://mashable.com/2010/04/30/youtube-mashable-staff-picks/
My first thought of the "Cupcake Cannon" was 'who in the world takes the time to plan, coordinate, and film this?!?' And, all for the purpose of pure amusement of people being hit in the face with colorful frosted cupcakes. Nor did I ever think someone would take the energy to produce a video like this, but I never would have thought I would be watching it either.
A recent video passing through the networks is the U.S. soldier's remake to Lady GaGa's Telephone song. Once again, would I have thought that I would see these tough, rugged, expressionless men dressed in their army combat uniforms breaking it down to Lady GaGa with so much enthusiasm. This wasn't done with the intent of making something go viral, but done without thought and interest to share with their friends what they find is fun and silly. The internet is informal, unprofessional, shouldn't be taken so seriously, and no one cares what people think about themselves.
With the easy access to movie producing programs, simply anybody can make a short 2-3 minute tribute to what they enjoy. And, more than likely, someone else will have that same commonality and so it spreads.
Are you aware about privacy settings on your social network?
There is a serious privacy concern for Facebook users. People tend to post their personal information on Facebook and MySpace and do not even bother to adjust privacy control settings. According to Consumer Reports blog 52% of "adult users of social networks such as Facebook and MySpace have posted risky personal information online, according to the 2010 Consumer Reports State of the Net survey". 25% are not even aware of those privacy setting. 38% posted their street address and birth date that along with full name are often used for security checks to access bank accounts and other financial information. Considering the fact that millions of Americans become targets for identity theft, this should raise question of educating the public about identity safety on social networks.
Do you have any identity sensitive information posted on you social network?
This Goes Out to Local Shell Gas Stations
The reason I will never go to your gas stations here in the Seattle area is because of Jacksons. I do not know who owns Jacksons but they are swooping up Shell gas stations like wild fire. The reasons I do not like Jacksons are: Every Jacksons Ive been to STINKS; I believe in buying American and at the least, your store fronts do not tell me I'm buying American; Your employee incompetency level makes Forest Gump look like Stephen Hawking; Finally, when I ask an employee if they have any black licorice, they shouldn't respond with "What is this?" Shouldn't a business train their employees to know what products they sell or even what something as simple as black licorice is? That's my rant and I'm sticking to it. I hope Jacksons and, well mainly Shell reads this because they are losing business, at least throughout my network. I know a bundle of people that are on the same wavelength as I.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Biggest dodgeball game ever
Samsung trying to get the biggest dodgeball game on May 12th in time square.
http://mashable.com/2010/05/03/samsung-dodgeball/
http://mashable.com/2010/05/03/samsung-dodgeball/
Top Ten Reasons You Should Quit Facebook
There are plenty of reasons to quit Facebook: the privacy issues, the time wasted, the awkward moments, and so on. But for every reason to just say "no", there's an opposite force keeping you on. How would you stay in touch with that high school friend you used to talk to? How could you [reasonably] find out what's been going on in everyone's lives. But most importantly, staying on Facebook means existing. That is, being relevant in a world that is still moving into the digital world.
http://digg.com/d31Q3jP?t
http://digg.com/d31Q3jP?t
iPad Use Cases
The Oprah Effect: Oprah has an EVO 4G and you don't
Reading this story reminded me of the project for this class. We had this thought that whatever product makes it on Oprah, everyone would want. Needless to say, she was recently spotted holding teasing a new 4G phone in her hand and it is making headlines everywhere!
Engadget has already recorded 153 comments in less than 4 hours, while news outlets around the world are still publishing the story. People everywhere are excited about this gadget, even I am.
There is no argument - the Oprah effect is definitely something we would love to grace our products or services!
The H.264 Codec, a Legal Tale of Licensing Terms
We all know how Apple's Steve Jobs constantly promotes HTML5 and the H.264 video codec over flash, but I'll tell you why that's not such a good idea.
- You have to pay for it. People who make the software that encodes raw video files to the H.264 format have to pay in order to distribute their software. People who also distribute content (for a fee) also have to pay for it.
- Free content (only until 2015). Per MPEG-LA's licensing terms, people who distribute free content will not have to pay anything. That is, until 2015... when the terms can be changed. There is no better way to hook everyone up on free stuff then make them pay once they're addicted (changing video formats costs considerable time and money)!
- Blocks free formats. MPEG-LA and its members have successfully blocked Ogg Theora, an open and also free codec, from becoming standard on HTML5. Why would they want people using a free alternative? Regardless, the web browser giant, Mozilla, has decided to support Ogg natively.
- It's the death of the video art and culture. At least OSNews thinks so.
Google Search Tips and Tricks
Everybody knows how to “google” things and most likely does it several times a day. What could be simpler than to type your search query into Google’s search box? Well, depending on your query may get what you looking for. Otherwise you will google it again and again trying to come up with a relevant query. When you have a hard time coming up with new search ideas, Google has a few tools that will help you in a search process. These are:
- Wonder Wheel
- Related Searched
- Timeline
Wonder Wheel
Wonder wheel is my favorite one. When chosen, it presents relevant search keywords in form of wonder wheel. When you click on those keywords it takes you to another wonder wheel with another set of relevant keywords. At the same time you get new search results. This tool helps to visualize search and find relevant terms. When you need to go back in search results, you just click on the previous wonder wheel.
Related Searches
Related searches is another search suggestion tool. This option offers related search terms on top of the page helping to find information more quickly.
Timeline
While Google learnt to deliver search results almost in real time it also allows to look back into specific time period in the past. When this option is chosen you will see a timeline graph with bars indicating volume of the relevant data available for that period. By clicking on the graph you can drill down into narrower time period.
Not many people are aware of these very simple tools that easy and fun to use. For me personally they help to improve relevance of search queries and find information I look much faster.
When is it time?
Coming home from class last night i was listening to a gentleman named Frank something. He went on about how he and his wife made the decision not to allow their daughter screen time until she could at the very least read. This means tv and the computer. His daughter is 7 and a half and telling the librarian she cannot participate in certain activities due to this constraint. Now that she can read and such, she now gets up to i believe one hour a day. The daughter doesn't really care to get on the computer or watch tv because she would much rather be outside, with her father or neighborhood friends.
Isn't that how its supposed to be? Why are parents so quick these days to sit them in front of a screen? At what age do you think parents should allow their kids to surf the web aimlessly? Being a kid is about getting dirty playing outside, not preparing yourself to need glasses by staring intently on a screen.
Isn't that how its supposed to be? Why are parents so quick these days to sit them in front of a screen? At what age do you think parents should allow their kids to surf the web aimlessly? Being a kid is about getting dirty playing outside, not preparing yourself to need glasses by staring intently on a screen.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Explanation on Lebron/Nike Viral Video
It seemed as though on Thursday that people had a blank expression on their face when watching the Nike puppet video of Lebron and Kobe. To me as a basketball fan and sports fan in general, it really caught my attention when I first saw it. I don't even play basketball, but I wanted to go out and buy both Lebron and Kobe's signature shoes (which btw are $125 each pair). The reason it caught my eye and many others is that because it is sort of an inside joke among sports fan. It is some what of a long story so I'll try to explain it in parts.
First of all, Lebron's chalk throwing thing is what most basketball players do... multiplied by a thousand. Most basketball players usually just dust their hands with the chalk for grip on the ball, however before the game Lebron created a ritual for himself to help him play better and get the crowd involved and hyped up. He would pour a lot of chalk onto his hands and throw it up. Better yet, let us have Lebron explain it!
So that explains why Lebron does the chalk thing. Now onto the Kobe/Lebron thing. At the time of the commercial, Lebron and Kobe were the best players in the league, and still are, but most would argue that Lebron is the best hands down now that he has won 2 league MVP awards in a row. So it is a very funny situation (to me at least) to see two of the best players living as roommates. But anyways, the ad has had several episodes that connected to each other, so it was sort of a 1 minute sitcom that aired throughout the playoffs. There must have been at least 10+ commercials involving the Kobe/Lebron puppets. But for a more artistic and soulful feeling, I think this portrays Lebron's chalk ritual better.
First of all, Lebron's chalk throwing thing is what most basketball players do... multiplied by a thousand. Most basketball players usually just dust their hands with the chalk for grip on the ball, however before the game Lebron created a ritual for himself to help him play better and get the crowd involved and hyped up. He would pour a lot of chalk onto his hands and throw it up. Better yet, let us have Lebron explain it!
So that explains why Lebron does the chalk thing. Now onto the Kobe/Lebron thing. At the time of the commercial, Lebron and Kobe were the best players in the league, and still are, but most would argue that Lebron is the best hands down now that he has won 2 league MVP awards in a row. So it is a very funny situation (to me at least) to see two of the best players living as roommates. But anyways, the ad has had several episodes that connected to each other, so it was sort of a 1 minute sitcom that aired throughout the playoffs. There must have been at least 10+ commercials involving the Kobe/Lebron puppets. But for a more artistic and soulful feeling, I think this portrays Lebron's chalk ritual better.
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