Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Doggie Tales...
snow. Scratch scratch scratch. Adorable.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Location-Based Mobile Advertising Platform AdLocal Enters America, Wants To Win With Japan Know-How
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):
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
10 Best iPhone Apps for Dog Lovers
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 iPhoneImage courtesy of iStockphotoiStockphoto
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Video: The $300 Robot Death Film That Landed a $30 Million Deal - Video
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."
Friday, December 18, 2009
Type n Walk App Lets You See Where You're Going While Texting - Type n walk
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
Bwahahahahaha! This dude must be IMPORTANT.
via Jalopnik.com
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
All I want for Xmas - Cloud Hosting with the Power of Cloud Computing
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
$100/mo. to host unlimited websites!
Life-size boat model kit
"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://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/life-size_boat_model_kit_sprue.htmlTuesday, December 15, 2009
would not recommend Tako Octopus chips...
Monday, December 14, 2009
Pantone's color pick for 2010
“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.”
Friday, December 11, 2009
I just tried out Ustream for the Iphone. Wow! Very Cool.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
10 Brands That Will Disappear In 2010
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Update: How to activate the new Google Search interface
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Stop-Motion-Lego-Matrix Awesomeness
I'm always amazed at the patience it must take to do stop-motion animation...
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Your bracelet says "Take a break".
"...high-tech mood ring. The aim is to help traders avoid rash decisions."
Monday, November 23, 2009
Hot Doug's - The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium
