Robert Alan Anderson

Untitled

2010-03-14T19:57:00.001-07:00

Nice 'Stache Honey

2010-03-13T19:26:00.001-08:00

Makes sense to me...Why DRM Doesn't Work via LifeHacker

2010-03-05T09:57:00.001-08:00

16 Facebook Applications to Boost Popularity of Facebook Fan Page

2010-03-04T15:23:00.001-08:00

Do you know there are over 20 million people join as fans of Facebook Fan Pages daily? Forget about restricting Facebook as a private network. If you can get 5% of those people to land and join your fan page, the impact will be significant. Time to boost popularity of your fan page with the right Facebook applications.

I setup a fan page for Social @ Blogging Tracker 5 months ago. Since then I witnessed the wonders it did to my blog traffic, proven it’s one heck of a networking site to promote our blogs and online presence. If a Ms. Nobody like me can gain some from it, you definitely can too!

Facebook Applications to Boost Fan Page Popularity

Quit feeling comfortable with the basic fan page layout. You are gathering supporters to form a community. Make your fans proud with a decent fan page and give first-timers something to talk about. Get your coffee ready for we’re going on a Facebook app expedition. Check out what you can do to your Facebook fan page tabs and boxes with:

Media to Enhance Fan’s Participation & Engagement

1. SlideShare

One of the must have applications if you’re into slide presentations. Don’t limit your slides on SlideShare , integrate your account into fan page (limitation of one account per fan page). Import existing or selected presentations based on relevancy and you fans will love you for it.

Suggested Read : How to Design Effective Slides

2. NutshellMail

NutshellMail is originally a management tool to sum up your social network activities and have them sent to you via email. Its integration allows the page owner to update status, reply to comments easily from within the email:

But that’s not all.

NetshellMail has recently provided Facebook Fan Page admin the efficiency to create automated email newsletter for fans to subscribe! Now fans can decide what and when can they receive emails highlighting latest updates based on delivery preferences. A wonderful feature to assist busy fans to follow up and comment on wall posts through email directly. (Note: Does not support Discussion Board updates)

3. Reviews

Reviews are similar to testimonials. Now you can request your fans to review your blog, service or product to build credibility. Give new visitors some ideas about your branding. However, placing the ‘reviews’ tab meaning you are open to all positive and negative comments, kindly be aware of that. Here is an example of the review I did for my blogger friend, Luci on her fan page:

4. Poll

A fun and non-stressful way for all fans to participate. Insert a customized poll and have your fans select their choice of answer(s). Send an update to them about the poll will double the effect (be moderate with messages, not TOO frequent). Tweet about it, anything to get the message out. Fantastic way to collect data and monitor responses. Notify your fans the final results and request opinions. Here’s an example:

5. YouTube Video Box

Video sharing can never be easier in Facebook fan pages. Say if you’re a blogger, showcasing self-made YouTube tutorial videos on Wordpress customizations can both be helpful to your fans and own reputation. Or, import your favorite videos to share with fans depending on your page niche. Even humor can be an effective ice-breaker sometimes.

Tip: If you intend to upload videos from other video hosting sites, you can copy and paste the given video URL using the Link application. Alternatively, you can record and upload own video straight to Facebook using the Video application.

6. RSS Graffiti

When we talked about autopost from blogs to Facebook Fan Page, integration tools and NetworkedBlogs are among the favorites. Thanks to Hartley’s recommendation, I tried and fell in love with RSS Graffiti immediately – the updating is almost instantaneous! You can even configure a prefix to your latest blog post to be shown with the thumbnail image and post excerpt.

7. Static FBML

Here comes my favorite part of this article. For all bloggers you should be familiar with HTML codes for blog customizations and such. Well, now you can fix up a desired tab in your fan page according to your likings with Static FBML (Facebook Markup Language). This advanced feature allows page admins to modify or add extra info to their fan pages using the HTML or FBML, for example setup a landing page, displaying social media profiles etc.

When you’re in my fan page, clearly you can see some added tabs above the Wall posts. These are just some of the examples you can get out of Static FBML:

i) Landing Page

ii) Member of the Month 2010!

The reason I setup this tab is to Give Back. Our fan page has started Weekly Post fr Member since launch, but now we will be featuring some really cool members monthly (starting March, 2010) based on their participations in the fan page. I do encourage fellow visitors/ readers to head right over and see how you can take part as well. A free promo tab been setup just for YOU !

Important Note to Embed YouTube Video:

To copy & paste the embedding code straight from YouTube video won’t work in Static FBML. Kindly follow the general FBML coding as shown below with minor adjustments (free to adjust the color, border size at will ; width and height can refer to the dimension for that particular video’s embedded code):

For example, If the Video link :

abcdef (width=”425” ; height=”344“)

The FBML coding for the video will be:

<fb:swf swfbgcolor="000000" imgstyle="border-width:3px; border-color:white;" swfsrc='http://www.youtube.com/v/abcdef' imgsrc=http://img.youtube.com/vi/abcdef/2.jpg;" width='425' height='344' />

8. Extended Info

Ever felt like never been given enough space for your personal, company, service details in fan page? Extended Info solves your problem by providing a wide range of selections you can choose for insertion: videos, images, tags, categories, FBML block, with or without links. Position them in tabs, boxes or even info section to spice up your fan page.

Remark: Extended Info vs. Static FBML

a) Extended Info

Able to customize both personal account and Facebook Fan Page;

A wide range of info styles to choose from;

Unable to rename ‘Extended Info’ tab.

b) Static FBML

Only works in Facebook Fan Page;

Flexibility to rename your tab or boxes.

9. More Extended Info

No catch here. It works exactly as #8, enables you to add a clone or an extra Info tab whenever necessary.

Extra Tip: Profile HTML

This application is not grouped within fan page applications, but since we’re here talking about added info, I’m going to encourage you to include Profile HTML to your personal account. Make it a call to action: a sign up box, a display of your popular blog posts etc. For me, I publicize my fan page so friends can join if they like to:

10. Memorable Web Address

Ever came across this notice when you’re navigate within Facebook?

We do not know when will this happen, as I am currently using an awful lot of box tabs on my fan page, setup a memorable web address seems like a smart thing to do. Why regret later? Don’t forget to make your web address easy to find and memorable. Inform your fans about the new assigned URL for extra info.

11. Discussion Board

Discussion Board is normally ready on your tab when you setup Facebook Fan Page. Discussion Board is a mini forum for you and fans to hang out and help one another. Remind them about this tab frequently, encourage active discussions to build engaging relationship among the fans.

12. Notes

Another well known Facebook application that already placed on your tab when signed in. Most people use Notes to import their blog posts while at the same time using NetworkedBlogs or Social RSS for the same purpose. Actually we can diverse the use of Notes for special announcements instead. Notes has a ’share’ button that can be used to get the message viral. Don’t limit the good news within your fan page. Encourage your fans to share the note if they find it useful.

Applications to Display Social Media Profiles

Information that will help boost your online profile is a must:

13. My Account (is @ Twitter)

Showcase your Twitter account on fan page, at the same time you will able to find out who else on Facebook is currently using this application. Connect him or her to extend the network further in Twitter. Create a Twitter list and monitor them from time to time.

Another bonus given by this application is a Twitter badge for your sidebar:

Social Media Profile on Admin’s Facebook Account

I was feeling puzzled earlier why these applications allowing ‘Add to my Page’ but showing the customized tabs on admin’s personal account? Then it struck me that admin is also an important factor for a page’s popularity. If we can master the communication and community management, our networks will reap from the benefits:

14. LinkedIn profile

LikedIn profile offers you badges with multiple size range. You never know who you might meet and chances are, somebody who appreciate your talent is dying to cooperate with you professionally. Why throw away that chance to get acquainted? You may gain more supporters in your fan page out of a successful collaboration.

15. Skype Me

If you’re into real time conversations, Skype Me is a good option. This application puts a tab on your personal page that allows you to be contacted easily. Talk to your fans or setup a group chat on your network.

16. Web Profiles

If you have more social media profiles to be included, don’t limit yourself. Web profiles app amazes me with hundreds of embedding buttons, all we need to do is type in the username and voila! A link is placed for each social button chosen.

You don’t have to use all 16 but pick the suitable ones that will help instead of burdening your page with distractions. Review and improvise your fan page accordingly, request opinions from your existing fans on what they hope to gain from your fan page. Never stop Promoting your Facebook Fan Page outside the network. Apply Fan Box Widget on your website and make it visible to all visitors.

Now Is Your Turn…

What other Facebook applications you would suggest to be added to the list? How is your experience with Facebook Fan Page so far? If you have yet to start a fan page, what has hindered you from trying? Share your thoughts in the comments, love to hear them!

Related posts:
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3 Easy Ways to Share Selective Tweets on Facebook Pages submit_url = "http://www.wchingya.com/2009/10/share-selective-tweets-facebook-pages.html"; Having trouble separating social lives between...

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via wchingya.com

Skin

2010-03-04T15:14:00.001-08:00

Skinput

March 3, 2010 at 4:03 pm

“Researchers have developed a way for people to use their own skin as a keypad or pull down menu to control MP3 devices, make phone calls or play games.

It’s called Skinput, and here’s how it works: The use wears an armband, which contains a very small projector that projects a menu or keypad onto a person’s hand or forearm. The armband also contains an acoustic sensor. Why? Because when you tap different parts of your body, it makes unique sounds based on the area’s bone density, soft tissue, joints and other factors.” — A.M.

via blog.segd.org

Happy Birthday Chicago: Celebrating 173 Years

2010-03-04T14:43:00.001-08:00

On March 4, 1837, the town of Chicago became a city. Among the 11,000-plus images in our Flickr photostream are hundreds of stunning photos of our city taken by Michael Kardas. Celebrate 173 years by revisiting the city through his lens.

via yochicago.com

@CherriB taking her first shot at homemade lasagna. I will be the designated taste tester.

2010-02-28T17:45:00.001-08:00

Found this painting (actual painting) sitting on the recycle garbage pile today.

2010-02-28T16:43:00.001-08:00

I recognize the artist but can't remember the name or find anything online. I'm sure it's someone's reproduction but really cool! Anyone have any ideas?

Incredible microscopic origami art

2010-02-27T13:12:00.001-08:00

Mui-Ling Teh has become a very known paper craft artist for creating tiny origami art. People love her work even if it is only millimeters big and Mui-Ling Teh says that regular paper craft is difficult so she suggests to new beginners to try folding origami with paper that is not smaller than a centimeter. Teh says that she creates these small creatures to calm down and relax, but most people would believe that the opposite will happen.

The origami is the traditional Japanese art of paper craft. This kind of art does not require any kind of gluing or paper cutting and preferably with only one piece of paper. These tiny origami looks very simple and beautiful but are also very difficult to create.

This kind of paper craft can help you to create many of origami such as crane, stars, birds, toys, dragon, rose, cat, flowers and many others .Patience is the virtue in this kind of art because it can take up to a week to create such a tiny creature. Every origami book teaches the basic origami techniques which are enough to construct those creatures in category of basic or intermediate.

Take a look at artist profile and if you liked this images, check out evolution of mankind seen through origami.

Tags: japan, origami, photography

via thisblogrules.com

The Tiny Origami of Mui-Ling Teh

2010-02-27T13:09:00.001-08:00

Tiny things often confuse me. The work of Mui-Ling Teh is no exception. I mean, how does one fold a crane the size of ones fingernail? I think people who work in this scale are insane, uh, in a good way, but still. Many more photos over at This Blog Rules.

via dudecraft.com

I've always had a fascination with paper arts. This is absolutely amazing. I can't even begin to imagine the time it took to do these.

I want this: Big Screw Bottle Opener

2010-02-24T09:12:00.001-08:00

via thinkgeek.com

A Perfect Birthday

2010-02-17T22:01:00.001-08:00

Spirit Airlines remains classy with latest ad

2010-02-02T18:11:00.001-08:00

Spirit Airlines remains classy with latest ad

Spirit Airlines sure likes its risque house ads. Following up on on its Tiger Woods sale, the low-rent airline's copywriter has some juvenile fun with a winter promotion to diving-friendly destinations. Via @ischafer.
—Posted by Brian Morrissey

via adweek.blogs.com

Beavis & Butthead are laughing...

Dear Zales, Please reconsider your keyword targeting strategy because this sh!t makes me cringe...

2010-01-31T19:19:00.001-08:00

Funny Kayak.com easter egg (LOST Fans)

2010-01-28T10:51:00.001-08:00

via boingboing.net

Telling A Story With Fantasy Interfaces - Advertising Lab: future of advertising and advertising technology

2010-01-26T13:02:00.001-08:00

via adverlab.blogspot.com

Have you ever wondered who creates all the cool UIs for movies? Meet Mark Coleran.

The Best Sounds for Getting Work Done - Music - Lifehacker

2010-01-25T16:46:00.001-08:00

The Best Sounds for Getting Work Done

The right kind of sound can relax your mind, hone your focus, drown out distractions, or get you pumped to kill your to-do list. We've assembled some research and free resources to help you create your own best workspace soundtrack.

Photo by Sara Björk.

Does music really make you more productive?

The answer falls somewhere between "Listening to Mozart makes you a genius" and "Just be quiet and work."

The most often cited study into the question of music's effect on the mind involves the so-called Mozart effect, which suggests that listening to certain kinds of music—Amadeus Wolfgang's classical works, in particular—impacts and boosts one's spatial-temporal reasoning, or the ability to think out long-term, more abstract solutions to logical problems that arise. The Mozart effect has been overblown and over-promised, and even outright refuted as having "bupkiss" effect, but that doesn't mean a great mind-juicing playlist can't be created.

The Workplace Doctors site details both sides of the question. In one study, University of Illinois researchers found that listening to music in "all types of work" increased work output 6.3% over a control group. In another study (dissected at MetaFilter), 56 employees working on basic computer tasks were found to be more productive when there was no music playing over the same period tested with music.

So the real answer turns out to be, unfortunately, "it depends." It depends on whether your office or workspace is noisy enough that a good kind of noise or music is preferable to the natural cacophony. It depends on your personal attention span, and how likely you are to fiddle with controls versus letting a music stream trickle past your ears. Though many of the final answers to studies of music at work conflict, the general consensus seems to be that people can be boosted at work by music, if they're willing to be.

If that sounds like you, here's a few suggestions on where to find music that others have found helpful in their own workspaces.

The classical route

How it works: The ornate instrumentation and composition of Baroque classical music gets a lot of attention for its possible mind-boosting effects. Eight radiologists were asked to go about their day while listening to Baroque-period tunes. They mostly self-reported better mood and productivity, except for one worker who said the music had a negative effect on his concentration.

Followers of Getting Things Done and productivity writer David Allen note in forum posts that the man himself seems to dig Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3, and other Baroque tunes as mood-setters for tackling tasks like a weekly review. A key suggestion from a David Allen forum poster—look for tracks paced at about 60 beats per minute:

It's the beats-per-minute required to get the brain up to optimal revs. David has a segment about it on GTD Fast – I also came across it at a speed-reading class. It seems to cause a "bright and breezy" frame of mind where thinking and creativity are easier. I find it works.

Where to get it: Being often hundreds of years old and a niche interest these days, classical music is relatively easy to find online. Wikipedia has hundreds of freely-licensed files, and public domain search sites like Musopen offers a lot of good stuff, too.

If the Baroque sound doesn't quite do it for you, Lifehacker commenter Catalyst suggests the Vitamin String Quartet, which covers pop tunes in string quartet/chamber music style. It's not the same kind of down-deep arrangement as traditional classical work, but the Quartet's work takes away distracting lyrics and soothes out pop music's more annoying edges. Here's a sample:

The ambient/techno route

How it works: The label "ambient" has been applied far too broadly to be of much help to anyone but record store owners. Still, at its core, all ambient music is designed not to jump in your face, but still keep your brain engaged at a lower, subconscious level. Pioneers like Brian Eno developed ambient music as an experiment in composition, allowing algorithms, randomness, synthesizers, and whatever sounded neat to replace the standard components of pop music.

A modern variant, chillout, and its categorical cousins downtempo, ambient house, and certain varieties of IDM, or Intelligent Dance Music, grew out of a need for dancers and partiers at techno clubs to take a break, relax, and recover from their efforts, along with whatever else they needed recovering from. Like the original ambient music, much of it is designed to relax the mind and allow it to roam, while providing just enough stimulation to register as inspiration.

Where to get it: Both Gina and Brian Ashcraft at our gaming-focused sibling blog Kotaku find Eno's Music for Airports to be superior music for deep tasks and serious studying. It was designed, after all, for actual airports, to put passengers at ease in an often stressful situation, right before getting on a tube that some consider their worst fear.

Gina and many, many commenters dig the Groove Salad stream and other stations, like Drone Zone and Secret Agent, provided by Soma.fm. Half as many recommend the ambient offerings at Digitally Imported, and often flip between it and Soma.fm for fresh streams. Both sites provide free audio to most any music player that can tune in web playlists or radio.

If you're a fan of streaming recommendation site Pandora, or like the minimalist, "glitch," or seriously ambient side of techno, commenter maczter recommends a playlist created by a Pandora employee, Ovals, that he describes as "minimalist elemental glitch." I tried it out for an afternoon writing session, and found five out of six tracks to be unexpectedly calming and helpful in the task—with the exception of one rather jarring, high-pitched interloper.

The noise route

How it works: If music is too distracting for your tastes, but your chatty co-workers, office machinery, and general clamor are even more distracting, colored noise might be a worthy addition to your audio repertoire.

Noise generators, usually grouped into groups of white, pink, or brown/red, cover a range of your ear's audible spectrum with generic sound to mask or lessen the distractions of other sounds. Wikipedia's entry on sound masking puts it best:

Imagine a dark room where someone is turning a flashlight on and off. The light is very obvious and distracting. Now imagine that the room lights are turned on. The flashlight is still being turned on and off, but is no longer noticeable because it has been "masked". Sound masking is a similar process of covering a distracting sound with a more soothing or less intrusive sound.

Where to get it: If you can install desktop software where you work, we've previously recommended Noise for Mac OS X and Chatterblocker for Windows as great apps for covering up sounds. Noise creates more straight-up sound waves, while Chatterblocker can recreate office environment noise to fill in notable gaps or introduce other ambient-type sounds, like guitar chords and nature, into your mix.

On the web, we're also partial to Zendesk's Buddha Machine Wall, which randomizes and loops relaxing sounds that you choose from among random buttons and speakers. For a more pure white/pink/brown noise generator, try SimplyNoise.

Lost in a sea of random speaker crackle? Editor's tests have found that pink noise generally simulates a waterfall effect, while setting the brown/red noise in SimplyNoise to a low volume, while allowing the volume to fall up and down, or oscillate, provides a soundscape similar to waves hitting the shore off in the distance.

Other routes

We asked our readers to share the music that helps them get things done, and they showered us with responses. There are a lot of specific artists, albums, and genres listed in the comments of that post that might inspire you to re-seed your own playlist, but a few had some unique ideas on what helped them listen while stay productive.

four12 wrote that listening to radio stations in foreign languages "effectively drowns out the office noise, but because I really don't understand what is being said (though I am learning), my brain tunes even that out." In his case, France Info radio provides the news-but-not-really-news he needs.

wowser808, on the other hand, goes with a more traditional, and heart-warmingly geeky, pic: the Blade Runner soundtrack." He notes that Vangelis' ethereal tunes "got me through every single essay at university."
We are still more than open to your suggestions of what music, noise, random sounds, or audio hackery makes for the most productive environment. Tell us your picks in the comments.

Send an email to Kevin Purdy, the author of this post, at kevin@lifehacker.com.

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Barts 09/23/09

I love Secrets of Zen - Japanese Chillout Vol. 1 - it really does help me to put a calm ambient wall of sound between me and the rest of the herd in my company open space:
[www.gomusicnow.com] Reply

Alex Gemmell 09/23/09

I am a programmer and I love listening to trance/progressive dance music that either I make or from other, popular DJs. Not too fast but a good pace of music which goes on interesting journeys - kind of like ambient but with more of a beat!
It helps me focus on my coding and keeps my pace of work going, I can sometimes code solidly from morning to lunch barely realising the time :)
If anyone is interested they can download my mixes for free here:
[soundcloud.com]
I hope you enjoy them! Reply

Barts approved this comment

Barts 09/23/09

@Alex Gemmell: Wow, some of these mixes are really good.
Thanks for making them publicly available in reasonable bitrate. Reply

pz 09/23/09

@Alex Gemmell: There's some kind of connection between Trance and programming -- I've been doing this same thing since 2001, really helps your productivity. Reply

Barts promoted this comment

Diamond_Sutra 09/23/09

I subscribe to the Hearts of Space website (www.hos.com): Their radio channel has proven really productive for me: Space music is awesome, provides ambient unfocused noise (not many dramatic music swells like in the Moby/String Quartet clip above), plus really great tunes. I usually listen to the radio channel at work (or pick out my "favorite episodes" and play those over and over), but admittedly I have to skip over the programs that have chamber music (western/eastern monks chanting) or singing/chanting stuff (some of the native american-themed programs) as they are distracting to my workflow. However, due to HOS, I was able to find and get into some awesome artists, like Lisa Gerrard, Steve Roach, and Mercan Dede: [www.youtube.com] Reply

AncaS 09/23/09

The work environment is a very important and powerful factor that influence productivity. Do your best to create a pleasant work environment and the chances of increasing productivity will be much higher. Me for example, sometimes I do not stand any music, I simply cannot focus on my work, for me, in these moments the music is a productivity killer Reply

Barts promoted this comment

SwatLax 09/22/09

I can't recommend Explosions In The Sky highly enough. Their music has a seemingly epic feel to it that makes you feel like someone has written an epic soundtrack to accompany the menial task that you are accomplishing at your desk, while the lack of lyrics helps you stay on task.
For some variety, I've found that an Explosions station on Pandora has exposed me to some other non- electric guitar based bands that I've grown to enjoy.
On the band's website, you can download a free album: [www.explosionsinthesky.com]
It's not their best stuff, but it'll give you an idea of what to expect. A couple of the songs do have a few voiceovers, but this is highly unusual for them.
FWIW, "The Earth Is Not A Cold, Dead Place" is my favorite album of theirs to study to. Reply

UnderLoK 09/22/09

Where is the METAL?!
Actually, listening to metal might explain my tons in half of my comments... haha Reply

Edited by UnderLoK at 09/22/09 11:52 AM

UnderLoK 09/23/09

@UnderLoK: "tone"
Was preoccupied with Roto Rooter telling me they have to jet my sewer for $520... bastards Reply

Torley 09/22/09

Kevin & Lifehacker, I'm lovin' these sonic posts! I'm a big believer in using the right sounds to accomplish in pounds!
Let me just say that the Halo and Metal Gear Solid themes make email a lot more epic!
On the minimal glitch tip, if you love pianos with subtle electronics, Ryuichi Sakamoto + Alva Noto's collaborations are a MUST. Full of beauty and space.
As a composer, I've also found it invaluable — when I can't find anything else that fits my mood — I make my own music, including relaxing piano which helps me unwind both by playing and listening to it. Ah, resourcefulness! Reply

Edited by Torley at 09/22/09 10:00 AM

bilk 09/22/09

I agree with the Vitamin String Quartet. Every now and then, you can pick up the song subconsciously, but it provides a nice background playlist when you're really busy.
Plus, they cover some already instrumental-heavy bands, such as Radiohead and the Mars Volta. Reply

Torley promoted this comment

Torley 09/22/09

@bilk: VSQ are INCREDIBLY prolific. So many tribute albums. I wish they applied more creative processing at times, like Apocalyptica does with Metallica. But I giggled with glee upon VSQ's cover of Fall Out Boy's "Thanks For The Memories!" Reply

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Just came across this old post from Lifehacker about Ambient sound and Productivity. One of my favorite online radio stations is mentioned...

48 Unusually Brilliant Business Card Designs

2010-01-21T17:51:00.001-08:00

via quicksprout.com

Yes.

2010-01-19T21:54:00.001-08:00

Apple Follow-up Email

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Skype Inks Deals With Panasonic, LG, For Video Chat On The Big Screen

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The Jackson 5 - Rockin' Robin 1972 RARE

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Doggie Tales...

2009-12-29T20:37:00.001-08:00

Our dog LOVES ice cubes. Tonight she figure out that there's ice under
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family guy - spiderman

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Book Spine Scorpion

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Download Digital Books for your Kindle from Chicago Public Library

2009-12-29T15:00:00.001-08:00

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Cool! I haven't tried it yet but it seems easy enough...

Location-Based Mobile Advertising Platform AdLocal Enters America, Wants To Win With Japan Know-How

2009-12-28T02:00:00.001-08:00

Mobile advertising is poised to become a huge growth area, with research firm Kelsey Group seeing the market grow from just $160 million in 2008 to $3.1 billion in 2013. eMarketer projects mobile advertising spending in the US will balloon from $648 million in 2008 to over $3.3 billion in 2013.

While some believe search will account for the biggest chunk of the market, others expect geo-aware advertising, another way of bringing “relevant” ads to users, to have a bright future, too. This is where AdLocal, a location-based, self-service mobile ad platform that (re-)launched yesterday, comes in.

Offered by Sunnyvale-based Cirius Technologies USA, the platform has been around in Japan since 2006, currently commanding the largest share of location-based advertising in Japan’s $1 billion [PDF] mobile ad space. And now Cirius is ready to utilize the years of experience the company gained in the world’s most competitive mobile market in the US (AdLocal isn’t available outside America and Japan at this point).

AdLocal allows advertisers to manage their campaigns and publishers to add their mobile sites or applications by themselves through a Web-based dashboard. By locating a mobile user’s physical location via GPS, cell identification and other methods, the mobile ad network can tell when a consumer is close to a specific business address and then serves up tailor-made ads for that business in real-time.

Screenshot: AdLocal ad radius view in San Francisco

Publishers can put advertisements into their iPhone and Android apps through the so-called AdLocal Delivery API and the AdLocal SDK (which is currently Beta for Android). SDKs for other platforms are currently in the works. Advertisers can create ads themselves by using a wizard and then specifying the desired locations, budgets and dates to display their ads (deals, promotions, coupons etc.).

And boosting relevance this way seems to work, at least in Japan. Cirius Technologies claims mobile advertisers using AdLocal saw CTRs growing by 395% after switching from non-local to local ads on a year-on-year basis. Publishers apparently saw their average CPMs jumping 826%. The company is expecting similar results for advertisers in the US. (If you’re one of those, you might want to give AdLocal a spin before their special $50 trial campaign is over.)

There are quite a few companies ready for the location-based advertising gold rush. Startups operating in this space include Acuity Mobile (recently acquired by geo giant NAVTEQ), AppLoop for the iPhone (deadpooled earlier this year), Placecast (which raised $5 million last month for its opt-in solution), AdInfuse (with adInMotion) and Yowza (which is a popular geo-aware iPhone app for coupons).

The following screenshots show a typical AdLocal campaign view and a summary (click to enlarge):

get widget minimize
CrunchBase Information

Cirius Technologies USA

Website: ciri.us

Location: Sunnyvale, California, United States

Founded: 2008

Cirius Technologies is a mobile advertising company that was founded in Tokyo, Japan, in 2004. Cirius USA was established in Sunnyvale, California, in 2008.

The company’s flagship product is called AdLocal, which is a location-based mobile… Learn More

Information provided by CrunchBase

via techcrunch.com

10 Best iPhone Apps for Dog Lovers

2009-12-28T01:31:00.001-08:00

Man’s best friend is well catered for on the App Store with a pack of apps angled at the dog owner, ranging from functional to fun. But there’s such a broad choice you could go barking mad trying to narrow them down.

That’s where we step in with the following ten that are top dog as far as canine-themed apps go, but as always, be sure to let us know of any we might have missed in the comments.

1. Off Leash

As dog owners will know, the most fun your furry friend can have, aside from sniffing other dog’s butts, is to be let off the leash to run riot in a dog park, in which case the former may well happen. In order to help you locate such places – regardless of your zip code – pet food maker Eukanuba’s “Off Leash” app locates the five nearest to your location and provides driving directions to get there. Walkies!

Cost: Free

2. Cesar Says

Those that subscribe to Cesar “exercise, discipline, affection” Millan’s school of dog training can carry Cesar around in their pocket – and we’re not referencing his diminutive stature. The “Cesar Says” Dog Whisperer app offers sound bites from the famous pack leader, while a tap or shake of the phone will generate Millan’s trademark “tsst!” warning noise.

Cost: Free

3. Dog Park by Dogster.com

Think Facebook for Fido. This app from the social networking site for dog owners – Dogster – helps users to meet other local dog owners and set up doggie play dates. The app also takes care of the social side between humans with free messaging and the less useful ability to send “virtual gifts” and such.

Cost: Free

4. Dog First Aid

Should you have a canine crisis, this app will help you with what to do until you can get some proper veterinary help. Offering fast and clear advice for the most common dog emergencies, we hope you never, ever have to use this, but if you do, the $1.99 cost will be more than worth it.

Cost: $1.99

5. PetMinder

Make no bones about it — managing the needs of a dog requires organization. If you’re not naturally gifted with the o-skill, then try PetMinder which schedules reminders for events related to your pet, such as vaccinations, grooming, training sessions, play dates and more, with e-mail reminders available to give you the timely nudge you might need.

Cost: Free

6. Dog-A-Log

If you’d like to know the difference between a bearded and border collie (“collie” comes from the Scottish word for a sheep-herding dog rather than suggesting one particular breed) then this reference app, that draws from WikipediaWikipedia
info, will offer you just that, right in your hot little paw.

Cost: $0.99

7. Pet Services Finder

Perhaps more of use to those with a first dog, or new to an area, the Pet Services Finder will help you find all things mutt, such as dog walkers, sitters, groomers, vets and even pet-friendly hotels with the ability to search via zip codes and see reviews of the services from other users.

Cost: Free

8. DogiDuty

DogiDuty offers a specially tailored approach sending time-stamped e-mail reports after each walk, or dog sitting session, to let owners know if the little woof did a pee or poo, was fed, and other notes of interest. It looks like it could be an invaluable app for those in the dog-walking/sitting business, and a good aide to busy professional dog owners trying to keep track of Fido’s “movements.”

Cost: $0.99

9. Dog Tricks – Best of 101 Dog Tricks

Dog training is one of those activities best done little and often, so having an app right on your phone with a dog log of training activity means if you have a spare 10 minutes you can fire it up, see the photo and video walk-throughs and give your pooch the chance to practice, whether it be simple tricks such as sitting, or circus-level dog skills like the hoop jump.

Cost: $2.99

10. Fail Dogs

If you own a dog, chances are you have a sense of humor. We’ve saved the last slot for the very funny iPhone app from the Fail Dogs blog, promising chortles galore as you browse the galleries of dogs that fail so very badly at being just that. Whether you’re looking for spaniels getting pwned by cats, or Frisbees getting the better of fox terriers, this app has it all — and more. Enjoy!

Cost: $0.99

More iPhone resources from Mashable:

- 10 iPhone Apps to Avoid Work Disasters
- 10 Essential iPhone Apps to Avoid Dating Disasters
- iPhone TV: Top iPhone Apps for Live Streaming Television
- Top 10 iPhone Apps as Judged by Mashable Readers
- 7 iPhone Apps That Can Save Lives
- 5 Must-Have iPhone Apps for Wine Lovers
- 20 Creative Apps For Your iPhone

Image courtesy of iStockphotoiStockphoto
, toddtaulman

via mashable.com

Advertising: More Firing Than Hiring at Ad Agencies

2009-12-28T01:11:00.001-08:00

via adage.com

Love this pic...

2009-12-23T22:41:00.001-08:00

Sushi anyone?

Bacon C-C-C-C-Cups!?!?!?

2009-12-22T14:29:00.001-08:00

Make Drool-Worthy Bacon Cups for Your Holiday Party - Holidays

Too much coffee...man.

2009-12-21T11:29:00.001-08:00

http://www.tmcm.com/

Video: The $300 Robot Death Film That Landed a $30 Million Deal - Video

2009-12-19T13:09:00.001-08:00

via gizmodo.com

Unbelievably cool video from a very talented a Fede Alvarez.

"$300 video on youtube and a boatload of talent can score you a job in Spidey's house."

Top 10 Essential Tools for Your Wallet, Keychain, or Pocket - Wallet

2009-12-19T12:50:00.001-08:00

I want I want.

Type n Walk App Lets You See Where You're Going While Texting - Type n walk

2009-12-18T17:15:00.001-08:00

via gizmodo.com

Aptly named for the Illinois-ians (http://ow.ly/NzH6)...known in other states as "Type N Drive". ;)

Ham Cramwich: $25,000 Of Communications Gear In A $500 Car - Gadgets

2009-12-18T13:57:00.001-08:00

Bwahahahahaha! This dude must be IMPORTANT.

via Jalopnik.com

Creative Advertising on Stairs

2009-12-17T16:42:00.001-08:00

via toxel.com

See what happens when companies use stairs to advertise their products...

All I want for Xmas - Cloud Hosting with the Power of Cloud Computing

2009-12-16T11:18:00.001-08:00

About Rackspace Cloud Sites

The Perfect Platform For Websites

Host Unlimited Websites

Use Linux, Windows, or both

Auto-scales across multiple servers

How Cloud Sites Works

1. Upload Your Site to the Cloud

You can create a new Rackspace Cloud powered site—and even add some email accounts—in less than five minutes. Load–Balancing, clustering, and redundant storage are all inherited by your application automatically, without any effort.

2. SCALING HAPPENS AUTOMATICALLY

Right from the second you upload your Websites to Rackspace Cloud Sites, your sites are hosted on advanced clustered cloud–computing technology designed for high–traffic and high–performance. When your site grows bigger than what's included, you pay inexpensive scale pricing for exactly what you use on the cloud and nothing more.

Cloud Computing Built on Industry Standards

Many of the new cloud hosting platforms require that you use custom–code and architecture before your applications are able to tap into the power of cloud computing. Rackspace Cloud Sites is different because it is designed to run your applications with very little (if any) modification. Cloud Sites is a powerful hosting platform that is built on existing web standards and powered by the proven technology that you know, trust, and use regularly. This means that you get the benefits of a scalable cloud platform – for free – spending zero time coding towards custom APIs or data schemas.

The Many Great Benefits of Cloud Sites

Powerful Clustering: Scale to millions of hits

Online Control Panel: Easily create & manage sites

Automatic backup: File–by–file restore capabilities

24x7 Live Fanatical Support®: Live Chat, Phone, or Email

Enterprise Email: POP, IMAP, & Webmail

SSL Support: For secure commerce

via rackspacecloud.com

$100/mo. to host unlimited websites!

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/life-size_boat_model_kit_sprue.html

Life-size boat model kit

2009-12-16T09:35:00.001-08:00

"Swedish artist Michael Johansson made this life-size dinghy "model kit" from a real boat and related equipment. The pieces of "TOYS'R'US," as it's called, are fastened together by a welded tubular frame and painted a uniform gray. Michael has done several of these 1:1 "model" kits made from life-size original objects. [via Dude Craft]"

http://www.taquitos.net/snacks.php?snack_code=951

would not recommend Tako Octopus chips...

2009-12-15T11:55:00.001-08:00

...unless of course you appreciate the lingering taste of fish for the rest of the day. BLUCK!

Time Travel and Underwater tours via Google...

2009-12-14T18:41:00.001-08:00

How do they keep amazing everyone!?!?!?

Pantone's color pick for 2010

2009-12-14T16:30:00.001-08:00

via theloop.colum.edu

“In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute® in a recent online Pantone press release. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”

I just tried out Ustream for the Iphone. Wow! Very Cool.

2009-12-11T12:22:00.001-08:00

Broadcast live online on your iPhone!

http://www.ustream.tv/

Two SUPER hot Aston Martin convertibles at the car wash!

2009-12-10T13:11:00.001-08:00

Paper Dragons

2009-12-08T13:07:00.001-08:00

Very cool optical illusion created in paper...

I REALLY like the tables over at UrbanHardwoods.com

2009-12-07T15:22:00.001-08:00

via urbanhardwoods.com

chinese elm dining table

More Zero 7 from Chicago

2009-12-07T10:00:00.001-08:00

More Zero 7 from Chicago...

Zero 7 - Metro

2009-12-04T21:48:00.001-08:00

(4472 KB)
Watch on posterous

Incredible lakes around the world

2009-12-04T12:35:00.001-08:00

via simonseeks.com

Amazing!

http://www.businessinsider.com/brands-that-will-disappear-in-2010-2009-12?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Falleyinsider%2Fsilicon_alley_insider+%28Silicon+Alley+Insider%29&utm_content=Google+Reader#

10 Brands That Will Disappear In 2010

2009-12-04T07:49:00.001-08:00

It's always startling to think that large brands you've spent your entire life with may disappear.

How To Make Any Pair Of Gloves Work With a Touchscreen

2009-11-30T12:36:00.001-08:00

via gizmodo.com

Just in time for winter...

http://gizmodo.com/5412801/how-to-try-the-new-google-search

Update: How to activate the new Google Search interface

2009-11-26T01:10:00.001-08:00

Confirmed. The rumors about Google's redesign are true, and you can try it for yourself with a very simple method.

Stop-Motion-Lego-Matrix Awesomeness

2009-11-25T16:48:00.001-08:00

via chicagoist.com

I'm always amazed at the patience it must take to do stop-motion animation...

Your bracelet says "Take a break".

2009-11-24T12:57:00.001-08:00

via boingboing.net

"...high-tech mood ring. The aim is to help traders avoid rash decisions."

Very powerful video by ad agency Mother

2009-11-23T15:59:00.001-08:00

via www.motherlondon.com/

AdFreak: 10 best celebrity computer ads of the 1980s

2009-11-23T15:46:00.001-08:00

via adweek.blogs.com

Hot Doug's - The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium

2009-11-23T13:52:00.001-08:00

Our first ever pilgrimage to the legendary Hot Doug's...and yes it was GOOD.

http://www.hotdougs.com/

Toy Overload

2009-11-21T01:02:00.001-08:00

Maggie-roo decided to consolidate her toy collection this evening.

Cool video of artist Chris Piascik...

2009-11-19T15:27:00.001-08:00

Check out the tattoo!

<p>Chris Piascik from Quarter Productions on Vimeo.</p>

Another link for your inner child : Crayon rings

2009-11-19T14:29:00.001-08:00

via blog.makezine.com

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/40808

loves these apple laptop stickers...

2009-11-19T10:20:00.001-08:00

Dictionary word of the year: 'Unfriend'

2009-11-18T12:56:00.001-08:00

Check it out here on cnn.com

15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee

2009-11-12T10:25:00.001-08:00

via theoatmeal.com

Facebook Facial-Recognition Tagger Goes Live | Andrew LaVallee | Voices | AllThingsD

2009-11-11T10:18:00.001-08:00

Facebook Facial-Recognition Tagger Goes Live

November 11, 2009
by Andrew LaVallee
Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

Face.com is opening its photo-tagging system, based on facial-recognition technology, to Facebook members Wednesday.

Photo Tagger, which launched to a limited group of users in July, scans a user’s photo albums on the social-networking site, then lets him tag faces it identifies. It groups multiple shots of each person, making it easy to tag large albums, and users can also adjust or remove incorrectly tagged pictures.

Once a member has been identified, the app prompts him or her to approve the tag–a crucial privacy step, since he or she may not want to be labeled in a photo. It also works with a member’s current photo-privacy settings on Facebook.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

via voices.allthingsd.com

Remember those pictures you begged your friend not to tag you in?

Posted via web from Robert Alan

Human Shaped Root

2009-11-09T11:46:00.001-08:00

via file.shanghaidaily.com

Zheng Dexun, a farmer in southwest China's Sichuan Province, recently found this anthropomorphic root. It's the tonic herb He Shou Wu, Chinese knotweed.
Human-shaped He Shou Wu (Shanghai Daily, via Fortean Times)

Posted via web from Robert Alan

Garfield Conservatory Says: "Don't pick your nose...or our fruit"

2009-11-06T10:00:00.001-08:00

Open a Bottle of Wine with Your Shoe [MacGyver Tip]

2009-11-03T15:11:00.001-08:00

Open a Bottle of Wine with Your Shoe [MacGyver Tip]

Got a bottle of wine on hand but no corkscrew to get it open? You can argue all you want about whether or not the guy in this video really needs more wine, but you can't argue with the results.

[via Boing Boing and Lifehacker by Adam Pash on 11/3/09]

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Happy Halloween from Timberwolf "Juno", Cherri and I

2009-10-31T16:13:00.001-07:00

Fish @ Garfield Conservatory

2009-10-31T14:40:00.001-07:00

Download now or watch on posterous

IMG_0735.MOV (950 KB)

is thinking about pizza.

2009-10-30T16:13:00.001-07:00

Knit hat stabs you in the head if you don't smile

2009-10-29T14:48:00.001-07:00

This on is almost too bizarre...

Knit hat stabs you in the head if you don't smile

via Boing Boing by Lisa Katayama on 10/29/09

Interactive designer Lauren McCarthy used Arduino to make a wooly torture device hat that she calls the Happiness Hat — it has sensors that detect when you're smiling — when you're not smiling, it sticks a metal spike into your head. Here's a short description from her web site:

An enclosed bend sensor attaches to the cheek and measures smile size, a servo motor moves a metal spike into the head inversely proportional to the degree of smile. Through repeated use of this conditioning device you can train your brain to smile all the time.

Happiness Hat web page via Core77

Guitar Hero vs. Football

2009-10-27T16:52:00.001-07:00

> Move Over Guitar Hero -- Football Hero Looks Way More Fun
> http://www.businessinsider.com/move-over-guitar-hero-football-hero-looks-way-more-fun-2009-10

Posted via email from RobertAlan's posterous

is learning how to make REAL chili and it smells SO GOOD.

2009-10-24T17:54:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from RobertAlan's posterous

just had a dream that he took a Google taxi cab with "you are here" technology to Japan. Yup. Japan.

2009-10-18T23:15:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from RobertAlan's posterous

just saw a Stella Artois Rickshaw

2009-10-13T16:09:00.001-07:00

watched the movie 'Year One' last night. 97 minutes I'll never get back.

2009-10-13T07:55:00.001-07:00

Just keep your hands where I can see 'em guys

2009-10-12T15:30:00.001-07:00

Trouble.

2009-10-12T15:24:00.001-07:00

I think I may have slept through Fall. What happened!?!?

2009-10-12T13:14:00.001-07:00

Hangin with a family of Brazilian Raccoons in the Yucatan

2009-10-10T15:19:00.001-07:00

Whoa!

2009-10-10T14:42:00.001-07:00

--------------------
Binny's Beverage Depot to buy rival liquor retailer Sam's Wines and Spirits
--------------------

By Sandra M. Jones
Tribune reporter

October 9 2009

What had been shaping up as a battle between two Chicago family-owned liquor chains came to a quiet end Thursday when Binny's Beverage Depot agreed to buy rival liquor retailer Sam's Wines and Spirits for an undisclosed sum, the Chicago Tribune has learned.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri-binnys-sams-oct09,0,6774577.story

Visit chicagotribune.com at http://www.chicagotribune.com

is testing Posterous

2009-10-10T11:02:00.001-07:00

Untitled

2009-10-10T10:53:00.001-07:00

is testing out Posterous.