January 2012
1 post
How Google Got its Groove Back - Sash! →
A spot-on insight by Sash. Including Google+ circle results in search makes Google a great place to look for answers and insights from the people you trust. It’s an amazing transformation for Google.
December 2011
1 post
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November 2011
2 posts
Google Pages for Brands Gets Mixed Reviews |... →
Not FTA but still, my quote about G+ Pages in a nutshell: “It’s a baby step but a step in the right direction. I think well see quickly that the integration of Pages with Google Search can make for a powerful combination… one that will bring users into the network. But the real question is, even if the users are there - what does G+ have that will make them stay?”
September 2011
1 post
A twist in Google's algorithm: 'standout' stories →
The new “Standout” metadata tag is intended to describe articles that are important to a publisher and to help Google News discern the credible sources of a piece of work. Hopefully will help strengthens the curation of content into the aggregator service.
August 2011
3 posts
Did Google just turn Motorola into the new... →
Said it before and I’ll say it again. The future is integrated content distribution verticals… and the demise of open content.
July 2011
3 posts
Evernote prepares for phase 2: become a... →
I’m a big fan of Evernote - it’s a great product that will continue to be extremely successful.
5 tags
http://www.gojee.com →
Gojee is another example of the personalized information model we’re moving towards… Less hunt and peck more ask and discover.
3 tags
Word to the wise - make an export of your social...
Wherever you keep your contact list - you should export your friends and contacts now, before (pick) your service disables or hampers the capability. The social platform wars are just beginning… and it’s going to be a wild ride.
June 2011
11 posts
5 tags
Why a Great Individual Is Better Than a Good Team... →
I like ninjas.
I have to say I agree with this article and Zuckerberg’s comment about the value of a great engineer. You can accomplish a lot from a good team… but you always need a great contributor to bring a team to the next level. This person is a catalyst in a group scenario, and a ninja in an individual scenario. You’ll always know when you have one - and you should...
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Canvas continues innovative use of game mechanics...
Canvas released a shop of sorts to its users yesterday - but not one designed to make money (at least not yet). It’s designed to foster user activity:
canvasshop.png on Aviary.
The meme-generation activity on Canvas revolves around the posting of image “remixes” and giving stickers to other remixes. Stickers are a form of upvote and decide which posts make it to the front...
12 tags
iOS5 split keyboard in use
iOS5 has a new keyboard that can be split for easier thumb-typing. It’s a breeze to use, but presents some new app design considerations. Take a look at this screencap from one of my new favorite apps, Business Model Toolbox:
This is how the app works in standard mode - when the app requires keyboard input, the screen divides nicely allowing a full sized keyboard with the screen above...
Exposed: Facebook’s Secret iPhone Photo Sharing... →
I’ve been hearing lots of talk among friends and colleagues about Facebook fatigue - and a general uneasiness about their service. Apps like this won’t help their PR concerns, but certainly have the potential to reinvigorate and redefine Facebook in the eyes of the public as less a site and more a service.
3 tags
Big data and the semantic web →
The larger the information domain, the harder the task of semantic understanding, and the more important big data is to that understanding.
2 tags
“The future is that what we’re now calling video games will cease to be a...”
– The 6 Most Ominous Trends in Video Games | Cracked.com
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FCC says news outlets could make money from online... →
Interesting to see the FCC weigh in on this one. It’s important that policymakers don’t stifle innovation with broad definitions of tracking or personal data. With the myriad ways information is shared these days, I hope we all understand it’s more about fair usage of data than privacy.
February 2011
3 posts
9 tags
Building Brand Empathy - A Scorecard
While having a conversation about the possibilities of the semantic web with my creative colleagues Heath and Reid, Heath started talking about the idea of a web of empathy. Reid framed it up further - empathy decodes what users seek; the connections we strive to foster. I believe it shows us how advertising will progress.
Below you’ll find a scorecard I put together with the intention...
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1 tag
December 2010
2 posts
3 tags
4 tags
Search and Serendipity
If I were in charge of an advertising holding company, I would buy up as many content production houses as I could. I would organize the content creation activities into systems that foster serendipitous discovery of new content, products, and services (read: the opposite of Google search). This would include the embracing of new content standards, creation of new and enhanced consumption...
November 2010
2 posts
3 tags
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A Madlib for Startups →
Love this - a simple madlib for startups. It also works as a fun exercise for your own job or company. Can you describe what you or your company does in these terms?
“My company, __(insert name of company)__, is developing __(a defined offering)__ to help __(a defined audience)__ __(solve a problem)__ with __(secret sauce)__.”
October 2010
2 posts
14 tags
Google Will Eat Your TV
Convergence - we’ve been talking about it for so long, I almost hesitate to bring it up again. Here’s the story in a nutshell - Without your TV, convergence amounts to a hill of beans. Apple has been on the cusp of creating a compelling version of convergence - and there have been glimmers of hope with Microsoft’s Xbox. But the latest Apple TV has fallen short and...
5 tags
Digg vs Stumbleupon vs Reddit
Thought I’d revisit my post from a few months ago - but this time let’s look at visits instead of uniques as I think it tells a more striking story of Digg’s redesign. The Digg redesign launched in August and has lead to a mass traffic exodus from the crowdsourced news site. Stumbleupon traffic has remained largely flat but interestingly Reddit traffic has gained...
September 2010
3 posts
Localwashing is the new black
Wow, Ping is such a fail. Right now my feed is filled with links people are trying to share… except the links aren’t selectable and are unclickable.
August 2010
1 post
July 2010
3 posts
7 tags
Using Facebook – Publishing to Connected Users
With Facebook’s announcement of the ability to publish updates to connected users – that is, users who click on your Like Button – I thought I’d post a walkthrough of just how easy it is to implement and utilize.
You can easily grab the code for a Like Button at http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like. Use their configurator, and place the code on your site or blog. You...
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New Flickr design looks great
But actually this is a post about their tour of the new design… it’s a great example of how to introduce users to new features. Essentially, the tour consists of panels overlaying a functional preview. When you click on a tour button, different informational call-outs appear above the functional preview. Take a look - click on the images for larger views:
June 2010
2 posts
6 tags
May 2010
1 post
April 2010
1 post
March 2010
3 posts
When you can't target... don't ask.
I received the following screen before watching a Lateshow with David Letterman clip on CBS.com:
What’s the real or imaginary value prop to me the consumer when I have no idea what either of these ads are for much less the brands they represent? Why even give me the option to choose? From a brand perspective does this constitute an impression?
Just target the ad to me… and if you...
February 2010
2 posts
December 2009
1 post
If you want to create something truly useful, make a “system” not an “app”
November 2009
2 posts
Really, Amazon? →
“Gifts for someone who has everything”
