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2013: The Year The Network Pays Off… For the Network!
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 01:20 PM PST
| 2013: The Year The Network Pays Off… For the Network! Posted: 25 Dec 2012 04:43 PM PST I’m writing this on Christmas night, December 25th, 2012. Four years ago, tomorrow, December 26th, 2008, I did something awesome for the first time. 2008 was the year that HARO started coming into its own. I was still writing the HARO emails, three times a day from my apartment, by myself, and the HARO had to go out on 12/26, normally a day off for the majority of the world. I came up with an idea to hold a trivia contest on Twitter for those who also had to work on 12/26, and within 24 hours of my posting the idea, it blew up, and we had companies and brands from around the world emailing me to offer their products as prizes. The end result was an amazing full day of Twitter trivia, giving away tons and tons of prizes to a lot of people! We did it again a few times in 2009, as well as 2010 and 2011. All good times. Exhausting as hell, but tons of fun, and in total, hundreds of people wound up with prizes from Olive Oil to all-expense-paid ski weekends in Park City. This year, earlier this month, in fact, I did something different – Instead of a contest, I used my network to send four worthy people home for the holidays for free. Yet again, as soon as I announced that I was doing it, I was contacted by at least a dozen people asking to help, as well, all out of the goodness of their hearts. With hardly any time to put it together, I didn’t get to use all the help that was offered, but that it was offered in the first place was awesome in itself. I want to do more of that. I asked myself today, what’s the point of having a huge network if you can’t use it for good on a regular basis? Think about it – If it’s trivia-type contests, everyone wins – The people who get the right answers get prizes, and the donors of said prizes get their brand and products in front of a few hundred thousand active, engaged people, the majority of whom are tastemakers in their own networks. If it’s to help people, like the miles giveaway was, then it’s awesome Karma, and a chance for some companies to step up and help as well, if planned far enough in advance. So I’m going to focus on doing more of this in 2013. More contests, more giveaways, more ways to make people happy. And just like when I started HARO, I’m not doing it to make money. I’m doing it because it’s a good, helpful thing to do. In my opinion, that’s why anyone should start anything. So stay tuned. Hopefully, I’ll have some good stuff to offer up to you over the course of 2013. And I promise to do it without ever becoming annoying or overbearing. BTW: Are you a company? Want to get your stuff in front of what I believe to be the best, coolest, and most savvy and connected audience on the web today? (And no, like I said above, I’m not charging you to do so…) Click on the contact tab above and shoot me an email. Four years ago today, we gave away a ton of prizes, took Twitter down four times, and were the #1, 2, and 3 trending topics for the day. I say, let’s do it again. And again, and again. :) Happy holidays, my friends, and, as always, once again, thank you for being here.
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Midday Open Thread - Best Movies of 2012
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 01:16 PM PST
| Midday Open Thread - Best Movies of 2012 Posted: 26 Dec 2012 12:30 PM PST Moonrise Kingdom is one of those rare films that, while released before the summer, still ends up on a great many "best of" lists for the year. What was your favorite movie of 2012? Open thread below... | | Newtown, Firefighter, Aurora Shooters Used Same Model Gun Posted: 26 Dec 2012 11:00 AM PST
You too can fire bullets fast enough to feel like a master of the universe! I was looking on YouTube, and there are a lot of instruction videos on how to fire this and other semi-automatic weapons as a full-on automatic -- what they call "bump firing." I don't see much difference between this and a machine gun --which probably has a lot to do with their popularity, and possibly made this model more lethal in these recent mass killings: There's something about this Bushmaster AR-15: Both Adam Lanza and William Spangler, the two gunmen in the Newtown and firefighter shootings, respectively, got their hands on the same make of semi-automatic, the .223 caliber rifle, pictured right. This popular sporting gun seems to be the weapon of choice for many a mass murderer. It's also the same gun used by James Holmes, of the Aurora theater shootings last summer, as well as Jacob Tyler Roberts, the mall shooter from a few weeks back. What is it about this Bushmaster that makes it so available and desirable for these gunmen? For one, there are a lot of Bushmaster AR-15s out there. It's one of the most popular sporting guns, noted Time's Madison Grey. Lanza didn't purchase his at a store, but rather, his mother, a "gun enthusiast," had owned the guns, which is reportedly how Lanza got his hands on them. It is still not clear where Spangler got his Bushmaster. As a felon, it was illegal for Spangler to possess a firearm. So he must've gotten his hands on one already purchased. Between 2000 and 2010, the company sold over 2 million of the Bushmaster make. 1.5 million AR-15s have been sold in the last five years alone, according to Guns and Ammo. Also a testament to their wide popularity, the guns started flying off shelves after Newtown. Some say that the rise in popularity has to do with more homeowners keeping them for protection, according to another Guns and Ammo article. Or, maybe it's the idea of owning something so powerful, as Joseph Olson a professor and NRA board member explained to TPM's Eric Lach. "It's all cosmetics and it's all marketing," Olson said, adding, a bit later: "It's the American consumer getting what they want." Guess that Man Card marketing campaign has really worked. Besides the wide availability, the gun's lethality might give some insight into why these types of shooters seek to get their hands on one. Though the Bushmaster describes itself as a semi-automatic, dispensing only one bullet at a time, the civilian make of an M-16 can shoot lots of bullets very quickly. YouTube even has some tricks for turning a "semi-auto into a full-auto machine using a household rubberband!"
 | | Wingnuts in Disarray: Dick Armey Leads FreedomWorks Coup, Gets Bought Off Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:00 AM PST Have a little Schadenfreude with your holiday eggnog. FreedomWorks just underwent a short coup, which was cured by the application of large sums of money paid for by the owner of the for-profit-and-no-we-don't-take-Medicare Cancer Centers of America. Via the Washington Post, Act I, The Coup: The day after Labor Day, just as campaign season was entering its final frenzy, FreedomWorks, the Washington-based tea party organization, went into free fall. Richard K. Armey, the group's chairman and a former House majority leader, walked into the group's Capitol Hill offices with his wife, Susan, and an aide holstering a handgun at his waist. The aim was to seize control of the group and expel Armey's enemies: The gun-wielding assistant escorted FreedomWorks' top two employees off the premises, while Armey suspended several others who broke down in sobs at the news. The coup lasted all of six days. By Sept. 10, Armey was gone — with a promise of $8 million — and the five ousted employees were back. The force behind their return was Richard J. Stephenson, a reclusive Illinois millionaire who has exerted increasing control over one of Washington's most influential conservative grass-roots organizations.
I'm imagining how bizarre that must have been. Dick Armey riding in on his high horse, with deputies at his side, yanking mutton-chopped Matt Kibbe and his sidekicks off their higher horses, only to have them remount and send him back to Texas with an $8 million stipend to soothe his ruffled feathers. The crux of the conflict, it seems, is that Dick Armey understood that candidates must actually be electable, wingnut or otherwise. Kibbe, on the other hand, is a slave to purity and believed they should simply support the wingnut candidates against the more moderate Republicans no matter what the outcome. Mother Jones has more of the details, as the feud got uglier, even post-Dick Armey buyout: On December 12, James Burnley IV and C. Boyden Gray, two FreedomWorks board members (and allies of Armey), sent Kibbe a letter informing him that they had received "allegations of wrongdoing by the organization or its employees." They notified Kibbe that the group's board of trustees had retained two attorneys, Alfred Regnery and David Martin, to conduct an independent investigation of the allegations. Burnley and Gray ordered Kibbe to cooperate with the lawyers, to make sure no records were "destroyed, deleted, modified or otherwise tampered with," and to send Regnery a check for $25,000 to cover his initial fees.
This is clearly a battle between the New Republican Purity Trolls and the Old Guard. Burnley, Gray and Regnery are old-timers from the Reagan days. Regnery is the publisher that churns out wingnut books by the bushel for any old winger that bothers to write one. Gray goes back to the George HW Bush regime and plays a role in the Dubya presidency too. Burnley was Secretary of Transportation during Reagan's second term. For his part, Kibbe put together a lengthy timeline of events leading up to the split, claiming that Armey had sold out the Tea Party for traditional party politics. Here's a little snippet: On May 17th, 2012, FreedomWorks PAC endorses freshman Representative David Schweikert in his primary challenge against fellow freshman Quayle. Quayle had been a reliable vote for the Republican leadership, while Schweikert had been willing to stand on principle even under tremendous pressure from top brass. Over the course of this closely watched primary fight, FreedomWorks for America spent $18,500 on grassroots Get Out The Vote for Schweikert. C. Boyden Gray reached out to Matt Kibbe, President and CEO of FreedomWorks, in several phone calls that summer, wondering why we were engaged in this primary fight.
The Washington Post article explains a lot about why FreedomWorks has led the charge against Obamacare: According to public records, FreedomWorks received more than $12 millionbefore the election from two corporations based in Knoxville, Tenn.: Specialty Investments Group and Kingston Pike Development. The firms were established within a day of each other by William S. Rose III, a local bankruptcy lawyer. Rose, who could not be reached for comment, has said publicly he would not answer questions about the donations. But according to three current and former FreedomWorks employees with knowledge of the donations, the money originated with Stephenson and his family, who arranged for the contributions from the Tennessee firms to the super PAC. Brandon, FreedomWorks' executive vice president, told colleagues starting in August that Stephenson would be giving between $10 million and $12 million, these sources said. Brandon also met repeatedly with members of Stephenson's family who were involved in arranging the donations, the sources said. Stephenson attended a FreedomWorks retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyo., in August at which a budget was being prepared in anticipation of a large influx of money, according to several employees who attended the retreat. At the retreat, Stephenson dictated some of the terms of how the money would be spent, the employees said.
"There is no doubt that Dick Stephenson arranged for that money to come to the super PAC," said one person who attended the retreat. "I can assure you that everyone around the office knew about it."
I was just in the process of working through this huge donation along with some others that flowed in through Americans for Prosperity and others when this article broke. Stephenson has every reason in the world to fight Obamacare: As more people are covered by health insurance, he will make less money with his for-profit cancer treatment centers. As for candidates, Stephenson wanted Deadbeat Dad Joe Walsh to be the beneficiary of FreedomWorks' astroturf and his money. Sad for Stephenson, Joe Walsh lost anyway. Awww. As things stand today, Matt Kibbe and Dick Armey hate each other; Kibbe retains control of the organization and Armey goes back to Texas with some megabucks rolling in for the next couple of years. A coup turned to a buyout. How corporate of a "grass-roots group." More significantly, it would appear that the purists won the battle, which means the country will be held hostage to more wingnuttery, more extremism, more astroturf battles, and more stalemates than we already have. Whatever you think of Dick Armey, he was at least pragmatic enough to figure out that these candidates would not be elected, and for that pragmatism, he was put out to pasture, albeit a very rich pasture. Who said politicians can't be bought? This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | | No Truce In Fox News’ War On Christmas! Posted: 26 Dec 2012 08:00 AM PST  Click here to view this media Even on Christmas, in the middle of celebrating Jesus and Christianity, Fox News made time for swatting at those with a different perspective. In a segment about a "singing Christmas tree" at a church in Memphis, Fox host Ainsley Earhardt introduced what was supposed to be a feel good piece with a sneering, "While some people are busy trying to erase Christmas from our culture, one church in the south is keeping Christmas alive." Well, maybe that's what makes Fox News Christians feel good. Despite the swipe, the piece was really a PR hype about the church's Christmas production. Fox's Christian crusader, Todd Starnes narrated the report. He noted that this is "not your old school church production" and that the only "major difference" between this and a "major Broadway show" is the religion. We saw b-roll footage of (presumably) parishioners praying and he concluded the segment with blatant evangelizing from the church's pastor: "It really is about telling people the good news of Jesus Christ and that they would be different… if they remember the name of Jesus Christ and accept him into their life and let him change their life, families will be different, lives will be different. And that's our real hope." Apparently, that's the hope of Fox News, too. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or whatever, everybody! | | CNBC Anchor Bartiromo Attacks Sen. Cardin Over 'Fiscal Cliff' Negotiations Posted: 26 Dec 2012 06:30 AM PST  Click here to view this media I don't make a habit of watching CBNC, and this disgusting display by one of their anchors, corporate CEO suck-up Maria Bartiromo is one of the reasons why. Mediaite posted this segment, and apparently the author over there didn't find anything wrong with Bartiromo's behavior and just quoted the fact that she decided to go off on Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin for not making a deal yet with Republicans during these so-called "fiscal cliff" negotiations and had the Wall Street traders cheering for her once she was done. Roxpert over at Daily KOS had a, shall we say, slightly different reaction to this interview, which I share: WATCH!: CNBC's Maria Bartiromo attacks Ben Cardin...: This is an example of why conservative corporate media is stoking the flames raging in America that causes some people to become unhinged. She interviewed Senator Ben Cardin this afternoon, and hardly let him speak as you'll see after the squiggle... Maria's behavior toward Senator Cardin was over the top. CNBC has a slogan called "Rise Above" to try to be an activist network and get a compromise fiscal cliff agreement. Of course, to corporatist conservatives like Bartiromo, the DEMS are the ones in the way of any agreement and she hates, HATES, that senators actually would like to raise taxes on the rich as this video clip shows clearly... How many times did Maria interrupt Senator Cardin, mid-sentence? How could she get away with asking him to step down if we can't get an agreement? How does she get off questioning his competence? The people of Maryland may have a different idea.
As they noted, she really owes the Senator an apology for her behavior, but I don't expect we'll get one any time soon. Bartiromo and her ilk care about protecting one thing and that's the ultra-wealthy in our society and it's a shame Cardin didn't do a better job at pushing back at her, but when you're interrupted and cut off at every turn, that's not too easy to do. He did about as well as anyone might hope for given how hostile her questioning was toward him and with how much he was even allowed to speak. I'm also sick and tired of any of these talking heads like Bartiromo pretending that Republicans have actually put tax loopholes on the table, when they've refused to specify a single one that they would vote for. Bartiromo is being paid pretty well to make sure the interests of the 1 percent in this country are protected, and she's got that feigned outrage down pat just like a ton of Republicans we sadly get treated to on the air these days. If anyone isn't sure what a hissy fit looks like about the fact that it's possible their taxes might go up, all you have to do is watch the clip above. Bartiromo is being paid a salary of $1 million a year and has a net worth of about $22 million. It's a shame that information isn't run in the chyron under her name on the air every time she opens her mouth so the viewers would be made aware of her conflict of interest with her so-called "reporting" every time she starts carping about taxes on the rich going up. It's her own taxes she's complaining about. You can watch the whole interview at CNBC's site here if you've got the stomach for it. | | Mike's Blog Round Up Posted: 26 Dec 2012 05:00 AM PST The War on the Day After Christmas begins and ends today. Let's try and make an effort this year. Freakout Nation: The Tea Party never met a cliff they didn't want the United States to drop over. Whisky Fire: Smutty limericks and socialism? Two great tastes that taste great together. Oxy Mora: There's no doubt Obama's second term won't be easy. Luckily, Republicans will keep punching themselves. Bad Astronomy: A Holiday gift from the universe. Bonus: Let's face it: Your Christmas gifts sucked this year. You know it, I know it. So, as a way to treat yourself, go buy Congressman Jack Kimble's new Kindle e-book, "Profiles in Courageousness." See why Kimble is known as the "Conservative Kennedy," and learn more about the most inspiring man in the history of America. (and purchasing at the link below helps out C&L, too). Round-up by Bill Wolfrum of William K. Wolfrum Chronicles. Send tips to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com. | | Christmas Open Thread feat. The Ramones Posted: 25 Dec 2012 08:30 PM PST h/t Susie Madrak. Hope your day was grand! Open thread below.... | | C&L's Late Night Music Club With The Beach Boys Posted: 25 Dec 2012 08:00 PM PST Title: Merry Christmas, Baby Merry Christmas! | | Merry Christmas From Michigan Posted: 25 Dec 2012 07:45 PM PST 
My family and I wish everyone at Crooks and Liars a very happy holiday season. We adopted a new kitty recently from our local shelter, and this is her first Christmas. Ziggy Stardust is so tiny, that she doesn't hurt a thing when she climbs in the tree. Next year will no doubt be a different story! Peace, joy, and a Merry Christmas to all. | | Muppets Christmas: It Feels Like Christmas Posted: 25 Dec 2012 07:00 PM PST What do you mean, the Muppets aren't real? I never heard of anything so ridiculous! Miss Piggy isn't real? Kermit isn't real? Don't be silly. | You are subscribed to email updates from Crooks and Liars
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Your company in my autobiography?
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 01:12 PM PST
| Your company in my autobiography? Posted: 26 Dec 2012 10:06 AM PST 
You only get one shot at launching your Autobiography right? I started thinking last week about how we could raise a bunch of money for charity and get some publicity for the book. Then it hit me. - Each company or website that makes a $2500 donation will get their logo and url to their site in the book. It will be in the back pages explaining what it’s for. There will be 4 pages total with 5 companies per page (20).
- Each company will also be mentioned in a press release we will be putting out with links to their websites.
- Each company will also have their logo and link on the book homepage – http://www.shoemoneybook.com (coming very soon)
- Each company will be featured in the print and electronic versions of the book.
So that is it! Here is the link to donate ==> http://shmny.me/12FoYWB I reached out to some friends in the industry and here are the companies already onboard! As you can see we only have a couple spots left as of right now. Looking at the list above you will be in great company! - Avon Breast Cancer Research
- Lincoln People’s City Mission
- Matt Talbots Kitchen
- Wounded Warrior Project
Here is the link to donate ==> http://shmny.me/12FoYWB I just want to thank everyone who donated! This book is a huge deal for me and I really appreciate it! Trying to increase your Google rank that is like no other? |
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Timeline of the far future
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 01:07 PM PST
| Timeline of the far future Posted: 26 Dec 2012 12:32 PM PST The timeline of the far future artice is far from the longest page on Wikipedia, but it might take you several hours to get through because it contains so many enticing detours. What's Pangaea Ultima? Oooh, Roche limit! The Degenerate Era, Poincaré recurrence time, the Big Rip scenario, the cosmic light horizon, the list goes on and on. And the article itself is a trove of fascinating facts and eye-popping phrases. Here are a few of my favorites. (Keep in mind that the universe is only 13.75 billion years old. Unless we're living in a computer simulation.) 50,000 years: "Niagara Falls erodes away the remaining 32 km to Lake Erie and ceases to exist." 1 million years: "Highest estimated time until the red supergiant star Betelgeuse explodes in a supernova. The explosion is expected to be easily visible in daylight." 1.4 million years: "The star Gliese 710 passes as close as 1.1 light years to the Sun before moving away. This may gravitationally perturb members of the Oort cloud; a halo of icy bodies orbiting at the edge of the Solar System. As a consequence, the likelihood of a cometary impact in the inner Solar System will increase." 230 million years: "Beyond this time, the orbits of the planets become impossible to predict." 
800 million years: "Carbon dioxide levels fall to the point at which C4 photosynthesis is no longer possible. Multicellular life dies out." 4 billion years: "Median point by which the Andromeda Galaxy will have collided with the Milky Way, which will thereafter merge to form a galaxy dubbed 'Milkomeda'." 7.9 billion years: "The Sun reaches the tip of the red giant branch, achieving its maximum radius of 256 times the present day value. In the process, Mercury, Venus and possibly Earth are destroyed. During these times, it is possible that Saturn's moon Titan could achieve surface temperatures necessary to support life." 100 billion years: "The Universe's expansion causes all galaxies beyond the Milky Way's Local Group to disappear beyond the cosmic light horizon, removing them from the observable universe." 1 trillion years: "The universe's expansion, assuming a constant dark energy density, multiplies the wavelength of the cosmic microwave background by 10^29, exceeding the scale of the cosmic light horizon and rendering its evidence of the Big Bang undetectable." 1 quadrillion years: "Estimated time until stellar close encounters detach all planets in the Solar System from their orbits. By this point, the Sun will have cooled to five degrees above absolute zero." 10^65 years: "Assuming that protons do not decay, estimated time for rigid objects like rocks to rearrange their atoms and molecules via quantum tunneling. On this timescale all matter is liquid." 10^10^56 years: "Estimated time for random quantum fluctuations to generate a new Big Bang, according to Caroll and Chen." Read the whole thing, it's worth the effort. (via @daveg) Note: Illustration by Chris Piascik...prints & more are available. Tags: physics science space timelines Wikipedia | | Tyler Cowen is a cheap date Posted: 26 Dec 2012 10:53 AM PST For the Financial Times' Lunch with the FT series, editor John McDermott sits down with Tyler Cowen at an inexpensive Ethiopian restaurant located in a strip mall. Lots of interesting little tidbits throughout. Cowen is walking-talking-tweeting evidence for his theory. Why, then, apart from an early surge in the 1990s, hasn't the internet led to more measurable economic gains? "My view of the internet is that it is way overrated in what it's done to date but considerably underrated in what it will do." He notes that it took decades for earlier major inventions to have institutions built around them, such as roads for cars and grids for electricity. "If you're an optimist about what has come before, you tend to be a pessimist about what's on the way."
Tags: food Tyler Cowen | | Eminem is a skilled Donkey Kong player Posted: 26 Dec 2012 10:01 AM PST | You are subscribed to email updates from kottke.org
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Poll: When Are You More Likely To Negotiate Salary?
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 01:06 PM PST
| Poll: When Are You More Likely To Negotiate Salary? Posted: 25 Dec 2012 11:45 PM PST  So, here’s a crazy question: When would you try to negotiate salary from an employer?
Everyone wants to make as much money as they can at a job, but are there situations that you would shy away from asking for a increased salary? According to The Atlantic, women are more likely to negotiate their salary if the employer gives them the option. As for men, they appear to be the exact opposite: men are more likely to negotiate when an employer does NOT state wages are negotiable. What do you think? When would you try to negotiate salary? Please take our poll, and tell us what you think in the comment section below! Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post Poll: When Are You More Likely To Negotiate Salary? appeared first on CAREEREALISM. | | How To Leverage Your Alumni Network To Get A Job Posted: 25 Dec 2012 11:30 PM PST  Everyone knows that your alma mater's alumni network can help you find a job. But just how, exactly, does that work?
What if you've lost touch with the alumni you once knew, or they all ended up working in fields other than your own? Is beginning the process while you're still in school jumping the gun? Is it too late when you've been laid off? As a Syracuse University Alumni, as well as by working for the University of Southern California's online MSW degree program, I have first hand seen the value of this kind of network. Participate In Alumni Association Your first stop for alumni networking should be the local chapter of your alma mater's alumni association or, if you are still a student, your school's on-campus alumni center. Regularly attending events or even volunteering at one is a great career move because it allows you to connect personally with a large number of alumni. When talking to alumni, try to build connections through shared experiences, like living in the same building on campus, participating in the same club or even drinking at the same bar. And when you meet someone whose professional interests align with yours, make sure to follow up! Connect With Alumni On Social Networks It may seem obvious these days that Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn should be among your first stops in alumni networking. But really taking advantage of these resources takes work. Just joining the alumni group or friending/following grads is not enough. Research potential contacts and reach out to those who share your interests in a concerted manner. Introduce yourself, try to establish a rapport and if possible, set up a face-to-face meeting. Use social networking as one of many tools that help to leverage your alumni network. Become A Mentor/Mentee Everyone knows that finding the perfect mentor, unusual as that experience may be, can change your life — but many people underestimate the value of acting as a mentor. Any productive mentor/mentee relationship adds value for both parties by creating a vital social and professional relationship. It can also open doors by opening another person's professional network to you. And while your mentee might not have the experience you do, some young professionals have astounding networking skills even before they achieve great success in their careers. Start Early If you wait until you desperately need a job to begin reaching out to alumni, you risk rubbing people the wrong way. You are more likely to make initial connections by reaching out to others in a spirit of generosity than you are by reaching out to ask for favors. But if you have some degree of recognition among alumni when your job search begins, you will find the network to be a valuable resource. And if you do begin leveraging your alumni network at the last minute, try to do so in a manner that is relaxed, friendly and genuine. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post How To Leverage Your Alumni Network To Get A Job appeared first on CAREEREALISM. | | Have A Productive Day: Achieve More At Work Posted: 25 Dec 2012 11:15 PM PST  Most of us want to achieve more at work. How do you then get more done at work on a daily basis? Do you sometimes feel you’re not as productive? You seem to have wasted a lot of time. Your list of things just gets longer, not shorter.
Do not feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that sits on your table. Here’s what you can do. 1. Lowest Hanging Fruit The first trick to achieve more at work is to go for the lowest hanging fruit. What are the easy things to do first? Get them out of the way. Is it a simple e-mail asking for a off-the-shelf quotation? Then get that off the list. Sometimes people have a tendency to delay on simple tasks like that which eventually just piles up. 2. Most Productive Action What is the most productive action for the day you can do? Something that will help you in the biggest project you have at hand. The reason for this is because, big projects takes time. So, logically you need daily effort to see it through to complete. Dedicate a slot of your time each day to this action and see how smalls steps like this help complete a big task. 3. Easiest On The List Another way to achieve more at work is doing the easiest on the list. This is somewhat related to the earlier technique of "Lowest Hanging Fruit." The only difference is this is related to your big project. Do what is easiest on the big project to-do-list besides doing a most productive daily action on the big project. 4. Break Things Into Small Chunks This is a common technique – break your workload into small chunks. If it’s a paper you’re writing, tackle a section at a time. If it’s a long section, then sub-section it. That way you will not be overwhelmed. Sometimes, when you’re overwhelmed there is a tendency to procrastinate. Write down a completion date for each section. When you keep yourself in check, you can achieve more. 5. Who Has Done This Before? Getting help isn't a bad thing; it doesn’t mean you do not know how to do your work. It's just a smart move. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. You will also save precious time from not making mistakes that has been made before. You may be surprised how people would like to help. It helps position them as the "go to person." Besides, you’re also opening the door to someone coming to you for help in the future. 6. Your Hate To-Do List Personally, I have the biggest problem with this. If you want to achieve more, learn to like tackling your ‘hate to-do’ list. I am sure all of us have a few items on our to-do list that we just drag our feet with. But there in lies the biggest point of achieving more at work. If you can tackle a part of your "hate to-do list" each day, imagine how much work would have been done? I am starting to be at peace with this list now. Meaning I can look at it and say, "It needs to be done, might as well not cook up any excuse." To achieve more at work is easy. You just have to open your eyes and be frank with yourself – why are you not doing the things you need to do when we need to do it? Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post Have A Productive Day: Achieve More At Work appeared first on CAREEREALISM. | | Are You Making The Top 3 LinkedIn Profile Errors? Posted: 25 Dec 2012 11:00 PM PST  As a job tool, you just can't beat the power of LinkedIn. With numerous ways to display your skills and core competencies, the site allows you to be found by hiring managers and recruiters, with little effort on your part.
However, using it incorrectly can actually reduce your chances of being hired. Here are three common pitfalls to avoid when setting up and using a LinkedIn profile for your job search: 1. Failing To Use All The Space Provided You're guilty of this if your summary is comprised of just a few sentences, your work history only includes titles, or you skipped sections like Interests or Specialties. These are valuable pieces of data that not only educate readers on your career, but also serve to boost your search-ability. In addition, you'll receive a not-so-gentle reminder from the site that says your profile is not 100% complete—which tells you that LinkedIn needs this data for keyword purposes. 2. Mistaking A Resume Summary For A LinkedIn Summary The LinkedIn summary area was designed primarily to present a snapshot of your brand and value proposition. However, many people mistake this area for the resume summary of qualifications, and insert that same, long-winded paragraph in this section. However, LinkedIn profiles aren't meant to be scanned like documents! In order to get the best results from your profile, you'll need to apply Web copywriting principles, writing a more personalized, bullet-point account of your background and qualifications. Break up the text visually so employers can quickly scan through for key words, and consider adding decorative bullet symbols for easier readability. 3. Presenting Data Inconsistent With Your Traditional Resume There's no way around it – employers will be trolling the Web for information about you, even if you've already sent your resume to them to review. The problem arises when your job history, education, or achievements appear differently online than on paper. Here's how to spot discrepancies: print out both your resume and your LinkedIn profile, reviewing the facts you've listed (such as job dates, education, job titles, employer names, etc.) side-by-side. If you omitted an older job or unrelated degree from your resume, for example, then make the same change to your profile. Reviewing your profile this way also allows you to see if it delivers the same value proposition message as your resume. If you missed mentioning highlights of your career (such as metrics on revenue generated or cost savings), you can incorporate this data back into the profile so it aligns with your brand. In summary, getting hired today requires a strong online identity. If you haven't spent much time on your LinkedIn profile, it's a good idea to revisit it and improve your web presence by confirming you’re not making any of the above LinkedIn profile errors. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post Are You Making The Top 3 LinkedIn Profile Errors? appeared first on CAREEREALISM. | | 9 Ways To Be Happy With A Job You Don’t Like Posted: 25 Dec 2012 10:30 PM PST  For most of us, work is a requirement. Until we uncover or create the opportunity that allows us to work our passion, we may be in a job that's just, well… a job.
Accepting your 9-5 is just a job works fine until you finally start listening to your passion and purpose. Once you begin to acknowledge your purpose and feed your passion, your "day job" may begin to feel like a burden. How To Be Happy At A Job You Hate So, how do you make it through the 40+ hours a week without feeling like you are serving time for a crime you didn't commit? Here are nine tips on how to be happy with your job: 1. Stay out of drama. Keep away from contentious people. 2. Initiate a new project. Tie it to a new skill you want to learn or practice. 3. Choose a better perspective. Look for opportunities and wins instead of shortcomings and faults. 4. Find a buddy. Research shows people that have friends at work have a higher rate of career satisfaction. 5. Learn something new. Read a book, read an article, take an on-line course. Find a way to get new information and let it inspire you. 6. Practice gratitude. Be grateful for what you do have and what you have the potential to create. 7. Stop talking about how bad things are. Lift the weight of your environment by speaking positively about your work, your co-workers, and your company. 8. Keep working towards your passion. Whether it is five hours or five minutes, find a way to incorporate what you are passionate about into your routine. 9. Get a life. If you are pouring all of yourself into work that's not satisfying, create a better balance by adding more "extra-curricular" activities. Bottom line: You don't have to be miserable even if you are in a miserable job. Taking responsibility for creating your own happiness at work puts you back in the driver's seat of your career where you belong. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post 9 Ways To Be Happy With A Job You Don't Like appeared first on CAREEREALISM. | | How To Dress For A Government Job Interview Posted: 25 Dec 2012 10:15 PM PST  Pursuing a career in government is not for everyone. Certain attributes and personality traits are common among those who seek to serve the public good through their vocation. It would stand to reason that successful job candidates would be able to communicate these attributes through job interview wardrobe choices.
5 Outfit Tips For A Government Job Interview In any job interview situation, care must be taken to match the expectations of the industry. It's a safe bet to assume that a governmental agency will tend to be more conservative than the private sector — meaning that if you are in doubt as to whether you're outfit choice is too "out there," it probably is. Here are a few more suggestions that will help you dress for the job you want: 1. Your Clothes Should Enhance, Not Detract From, Your Overall Presence Clean lines and uncomplicated silhouettes are best. When you are sitting across the desk from an interviewer, your goal is for them to concentrate on what you are saying, not what you are wearing. Any articles of clothing that scream "Look at me!" should thus be avoided. 2. Choose Classic Colors That Connote Responsibility And Engender Respect Whether or not we are aware of it or not, humans are wired to respond to various colors in different ways. The psychology of color plays a factor in our reactions in different situations. Therefore, it's a safe bet to stick to a conservative palette of black, white, dark blue, and grey. That being said, if your favorite color is red and it bolsters your confidence, incorporate it in a small way into your outfit. 3. Muted Accessories And Makeup Are Options Again, your goal is for the interviewer to remember how impressive you are — not how loud your tie was or the fevered pitch of your eye shadow. Jewelry should also be subdued. Gauged ears or body piercings are not acceptable. Body art has become more prolific than it has been in the past, but it's still a safe bet to cover it up during an interview. Enhance and complement your features, but think of accessories as spice in chili: Too much cayenne pepper, and all you'll remember is the heartburn! 4. Fragrance Should Compel, Not Repel If your cologne or perfume precedes your entrance to a room, you're wearing too much. Aside from the force-field nature of too much fragrance, asthma, migraines and allergies can be very real issues when interacting with others. Be mindful of how much fragrance you use. 5. Be You Now that you've stripped away all sense of individuality in the preceding suggestions, don't forget to be you! People like to work with people, not robots, and your interviewer will wish to get a sense of who you are. Incorporate small signature elements of your personality in your outfit and include things that will make you feel happy and confident during your government job interview. But, again, don't go over the top. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post How To Dress For A Government Job Interview appeared first on CAREEREALISM. | | What Makes An Interviewable Resume? Posted: 25 Dec 2012 10:00 PM PST  Many job seekers have the misconception that creating a great resume will help them score a job. But this is actually not the case. The great resume actually scores the interview—and if the interview is great, then you may score the job.
In other words, if you want a company to call you in for an interview, you need to create a resume that encourages a hiring manager to do so. But why not take it one step further by not only writing a resume that prompts a callback but one that shapes the course of the interview? This type of resume is known as an interviewable resume. Understanding The Interviewable Resume The interviewable resume is unique in that it does more than make a hiring manager interested enough to want to learn more about you in an interview; it actually provides such intriguing information that it sculpts the interview questions. For instance, if you write in your resume that your responsibilities include filing documents, the interviewer may feel the need to come up with his or her own questions to learn whether you can develop your own filing system. But if you write in your resume that you "coordinated efforts with company president to innovate a companywide standardized filing system," the interviewer may want to know what steps you took to develop the system—and even how you were able to coordinate efforts with the company's president to make it happen. See the difference? Creating Your Own Interviewable Resume So how can you develop a resume that effectively intrigues hiring managers? Here are a few steps to consider: 1. Think in terms of employer needs: Keep in mind that a resume is always about what you can do for the company, not what the company can do for you. So when you create the interviewable resume, your first step is to write examples of what you've done for previous companies based on what you know the prospective employer wants from the person who wins the job. 2. Deliver a consistent message: A great way to get an employer to ask more about what you've written in your resume is to deliver a consistent message that tells the story of how you plan to transform the position based on your previous experience. If you deliver this message in your resume, the employer will certainly want to learn more in an interview. 3. Make use of action words: Also, as noted in the previous section, you want to make use of action words like "correlated" or "developed" to show you were not just handed responsibilities but actually initiated your own projects. This proves you're a leader with great ideas to share in an interview. The more you present yourself as an active leader with innovate ideas, the more you'll pique the interest of an employer. So as you write your resume, make sure the information you provide is so impressive that the interviewer can't wait to learn more. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post What Makes An Interviewable Resume? appeared first on CAREEREALISM. | | Are Your Listening Skills Your Job Search Problem? Posted: 25 Dec 2012 09:45 PM PST  Every once in a while, I run across what seems to be a good candidate on paper and he or she is just struggling to land a job. They might have master's degrees and everything that would suggest they are highly competitive. Then it happens. You're in a conversation with the person for 10 minutes and you’ve nailed his job search problem – THEY DON'T LISTEN.
Communication skills are vital in business. The business world would come to a complete stand still if we couldn’t actively communicate with our customers and with our work team. Seems simple enough but some people truly can't communicate well. They might talk a mile-a-minute, but that doesn’t mean they can communicate. Communication, however, is a two-way process. One person speaks, the other person listens. If the person listening can't, or doesn’t fully understand what the other person is attempting to communicate, they repeat back what they hear, acknowledge what they heard or ask questions. That process is called "active listening." It is taking an equal role in communication. Imagine what it’s like to have the person blow past what you're saying with almost no acknowledgement that you even said something. Now try to imagine asking a question 10 minutes ago and, if you got an answer in all of that, you’re probably having a tough time figuring it out. Hiring managers or managers in general start developing a fairly short attention span because they have so much on their plate and need to focus on the most high pay-back things. They will simply write you off if they think you aren't listening – especially to them. The assumption they make is that if you can't listen or focus on what they need to hear, then you most likely can't do a very effective job. It's tough to train someone to listen when they don't already possess that capability. Communication, especially listening, is a big part of the "likeability" factors of: Know – Like – Trust. They might get to know you because you've talked so much but they may not like you too much because you aren’t focusing on their needs. They also can't trust you because they don't think you'll take the right action when it is the most critical because you aren’t really paying attention. Let me suggest a few things you can do if you are concerned, or even if you want to improve your communication. Any time you are speaking (unless you are instructing) limit each verbal input to two minutes or less. I suggest you work with someone who will ask you questions and then keep track of how long your responses are. You need to get a feel for how long two minutes is by being kept in that window. You need to practice this until you nail it every time. Practice "active" listening. Active listening is when you participate with what the other person is saying before devising any response. Active listening can take a few forms. It may mean you repeat back what they say in your own words, to ensure you understand. Look for their acknowledgement that you understand. Ask a question of understanding like "So in other words, you are saying/asking…" People want to have the other person pay attention to them. This is how you do that. - Pause for a few seconds before responding. During this pause, you can do the next step plus it will clear out any preconceived responses. It will give the impression that you are really giving the question real thought.
- Repeat back questions you are being asked, even if it’s in your head. You need to make sure you grasp the question first before responding.
- When you are complete, ask if you answered the question to their satisfaction.
- Self examine. If you're talking excessively, you might be nervous. If you are, look for relaxation techniques to help you calm down and be present with the other person.
You can be the most brilliant person on the planet. If you can't deliver and receive well (speak and listen), all that brilliance will do you no good. Make sure you aren’t undermining your own career and job search by failing to listen well. This is a job search problem you don’t want to have. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post Are Your Listening Skills Your Job Search Problem? appeared first on CAREEREALISM. | | 5 Great Alternatives To Job Boards Posted: 25 Dec 2012 09:30 PM PST  I wonder if most job seekers believe that all job listings are only on job boards. I hear from job seekers all the time who are searching for jobs only on Monster, CareerBuilder, or some other big name job board—and they're wondering why it's taking them so long to find a job.
Or they’re getting extremely frustrated because they're applying to countless jobs and not getting very many responses. I hate to bust your bubble, but if you believe that Monster, CareerBuilder, and Insert Name of Job Board You Are Using is the only place to find a job, you’re wrong. Believe it or not, there are alternatives to job boards. It may seem as though all the jobs are only on the job boards, but this isn't the case. And if you're searching only on job boards (no offense to the job boards—because they can be a great resource—I'm not trying to knock anyone), then you're missing out… on a lot of opportunities. When you're in a job search it is essential that you diversify your search to get the best results. Applying to positions on job boards is a numbers game… and the odds aren't in your favor… simply because you're competing against a lot more people. Alternatives To Job Boards So, to get you started, here is a simple list of some alternative places where you can be investing your time searching for a job: 1. LinkedIn Join job search groups, professional groups, and make connections with recruiters who make placements in your area of expertise. Networking online is a great way to find out about opportunities that never make it to the job boards. It's also a way to be discovered. 2. Facebook 'Like' companies that you want to work for, and search their pages often for openings. Many companies will list open positions on Facebook that you'll never hear about anywhere else. 3. Twitter Oh yes, you can find a job on Twitter. Use hash tags to find open jobs, find and follow recruiters, hiring managers, companies you want to work for, and career professionals. You never know when it might give you a great lead. 4. In-Person Networking Events Toastmasters, local association meetings, professional group meetings. Get connected with other people face-to-face. Hand out copies of your resume, networking cards, and have your elevator speech ready when it's your 30 seconds to shine. You never know who might help you out. 5. Targeting Employers Send your resume and cover letter on professional paper stock (Resume paper, people! Get some!) in an envelope … with the name and address of the person to whom you are sending it—and be sure that it's hand-written. Using fancy labels and printing directly onto the envelope (while this does look nice) it nevertheless looks like junk mail and it will probably get tossed rather than opened. However, who doesn't want to open a hand-addressed envelope to see what's inside? Curiosity will get them every time. Target companies within a certain radius of your house (however far you're willing to commute), and send them copies of your resume and cover letter. They may have a great opening you're perfect for—but they haven't advertised it, and you would never know it's available. Many other ways exist to find a job these days, and these are just a few ideas to get you off the job boards every second of the day and hopefully spare you some frustration. The important thing is to remember to diversify your search and not spend all day in one place – whether it's job boards or somewhere else. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post 5 Great Alternatives To Job Boards appeared first on CAREEREALISM. | | Annual Career Check-Up: Your Year In Review Posted: 25 Dec 2012 09:15 PM PST  The New Year is just days away now. For many of us, that means our thoughts are turning to the goals we want to achieve in 2013. Whether you're motivated by New Year's resolutions or just enjoy end-of-the-year planning, these last few weeks of 2012 are a great time to review the overall health of your career before you begin strategizing for 2013.
With pen and paper or your favorite word processing program at hand, jot down these career check-up categories. Work your way through the suggested exercises to help you capture key insights and learning from the year now winding down (for a companion process to improve your job search in 2013, try conducting this SWOT analysis): Relationships List the most critical relationships in your work life. These might include direct reports, indirect reports, your boss, key clients, or vendors. They also might include your mentor(s), your coach, select peers, colleagues, or industry association members. Next to each name, jot down a number between 1 and 10 which reflects the quality of that relationship (where 1 is disastrously poor and 10 is spectacularly fantastic). Goals Make a list of the 2012 goals you aimed to achieve. Next to each goal, make a note of how well you performed. Be sure to give yourself credit for partial achievements – they count! Do you wish to carry forward any of your 2012 goals into 2013? If so, mark those goals with an asterisk, as you will use them in my upcoming article, "Annual Career Check-Up: Your New Year in View." Career Trajectory Based on the events in your work life in 2012, what direction do you think your career is heading in? Are you satisfied with your current title and scope of position? Are you satisfied with your current employer, type of organization, and industry? What lessons, if any, have you learned about your preferences in 2012? Personal Brand What fresh insights have you developed into your personal brand in 2012? Have you repeated any signature successes or further strengthened any of your key skills? Have you added any capabilities to your brand? What testimonials, performance evaluations, and assessment results did you gain in 2012 that can help you to document your brand in your career communications tools (resume, letters, bio, LinkedIn profile, etc.)? Career Values What are your Top three career values? Review them now and note any changes to your Top three or their ranking. Remember that your values represent those elements of your career that you treasure the most. These are often make-it-or-break-it intangibles that drive your decision to stay in or leave your current role. Career Passions What are your Top three career passions? Review these and capture any changes in the content or ranking of your Top three. Your career passions are those things that motivate you or fuel your career performance. While in some cases these may have to do with elements of your job (outperforming the competition, professional growth), they will often encompass non-work areas such as personal growth, making a contribution to society, and doing the right thing. Career Gifts What are your Top two career gifts and what did you do in 2012 to develop them further? Gifts are skills on steroids. These are things you do significantly better than others while having invested less time in developing them than others do. Quite often gifts are things that come naturally to you or which you learned rapidly with little instruction. Industry Trends What is the state of your industry? What were the defining events of 2012 in your industry? What is the economic state of your industry? - Are the numbers of jobs shrinking or growing? In which sub-sectors?
- Did any new product, service, or technology developments occur this year?
- Is your market growing or declining? What kind of growth is forecasted for 2013?
- How did sales trend throughout 2012? What volume of sales is predicted for 2013?
Personal And Professional Development What new personal or work-related skills did you develop this year? What formal or informal training did you complete? Be sure to add any completed formal training to the master version of your resume. Achievements What difference did you make to your employer this year? - What challenges and problems did you resolve?
- What impacts did you have on cost containment, profitability, sales, or market positioning?
- What innovations did you conceive and implement?
- What corporate goals did you help attain?
When you complete this category-by-category review, go back over your results and highlight those that are most critical to keep in mind as you prepare your plans and goals for 2013. Then, stop back next week for the next step in the annual career check-up process. And, in the meantime, take a look at 7 Career & Job Search Habits to make your New Year a great one. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post Annual Career Check-Up: Your Year In Review appeared first on CAREEREALISM. | You are subscribed to email updates from CAREEREALISM
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Want To Speak @ SMX West? Here’s How
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 01:03 PM PST
| Want To Speak @ SMX West? Here’s How Posted: 26 Dec 2012 10:37 AM PST The agenda is live, and we're now accepting submissions to speak at Search Marketing Expo – SMX West, March 11-13, 2013, at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.. To increase the odds of being selected, be sure to read the agenda. Understand what the sessions are about. Ensure that your pitch is... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.  | | Only 5% Of News Publishers Use The Google News Keywords Meta Tag Posted: 26 Dec 2012 10:32 AM PST Just over three months ago, Google launched the news keyword meta tag designed to let news publishers have a better chance of ranking for words they might not have included in their headlines. Adoption rate so far? Only about 5% of the sources within Google News use the tag, according to new data... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.  | | Would You Pass The End Of Year Digital Marketing Quiz? Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:39 AM PST 2012 has been another big year for digital. And in such a fast changing industry, how do we really expect everyone to keep up? Being ahead of the game on the topics that matter will put you head and shoulders above the competition, so take the quiz below and see how you would fare. Then [...] Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.  | | Five Linking Myths That Need To Go Away In 2013 Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:01 AM PST Goodbye 2012, hello 2013. For my last column of the year, I’m selecting five link building myths that I hope go away completely in 2013, and giving my rationale as to why they should be gone. The only reason I’m picking five is because it’s the day after Christmas, and if I had... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.  | | SEOMoz + GetListed: Let The SMB Toolset Death March Begin Posted: 26 Dec 2012 08:43 AM PST SEOMoz’s recent acquisition of GetListed has got me thinking — there’s a dangerous trend going on in the SEO Tools market. I call it the SMB Death March. SEO Tool Market The SEO Tool market has exploded over the past couple of years, and with good reason. These days, it seems like... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.  | | International Search Predictions For 2013 – Perhaps More Accurate Than The Mayans? Posted: 26 Dec 2012 08:12 AM PST As I write this piece, the Mayan calendar is about to end bringing about the demise of everything. So, if you’re reading this, we survived and the predictions were wrong. Predicting the future is always tricky, but I’m going to have a go at predicting 2013 in the confidence that more of... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.  | | Google Tests “Quick View” Button In Mobile Search Results Posted: 26 Dec 2012 06:46 AM PST Google seems to be testing a new feature named “Quick View” in their smart phone enabled search results. The feature lets you load a page from the source web site in a quicker method, instead of loading the full page, which might require longer download time. Here is a picture of... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.  |
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What “word of mouth marketing” means to me
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 11:49 AM PST
| What “word of mouth marketing” means to me Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:00 AM PST 1. The secret to marketing: Earn the respect and recommendation of your customers. They will do the rest. Happy customers are your best advertisers. Thrill them, earn their trust, and they will tell their friends. 2. Honest companies make more money. Companies that don’t earn respect will never get sustainable positive word of mouth. Instead, they have to advertise to replace a leaky bucket of fleeing customers. Those that earn great word of mouth get new customers for free. In the long run, good companies will be more profitable, and those that treat us badly will go broke. 3. This has always been true, but in slow motion. Now that consumers have massive power to publish opinions about companies, it’s accelerated to the point where it really makes a difference. |
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Finally, the Right Wing Wants to Prosecute Someone for Violating Gun Laws
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 11:48 AM PST
| Finally, the Right Wing Wants to Prosecute Someone for Violating Gun Laws Posted: 26 Dec 2012 10:53 AM PST There are so many levels of moronic absurdity in this story it beggars the imagination, as the right wing screams in unison (they always scream in unison) for Meet the Press host David Gregory to be prosecuted and sent to jail for using an AR-15 magazine as a prop in his interview with NRA chief Wayne LaPierre: What if David Gregory Went to Jail Over His Gun Prop? They've screamed loud enough that Washington DC police are investigating the incident, and David Gregory -- who is actually one of the best friends the wingnuts have on mainstream TV, often giving his right wing guests incredibly easy treatment -- may end up going to jail. The sense of weird, twisted glee in the right wing blogosphere is palpable; Gregory dared to criticize the insane policies of the NRA, and for that he must be destroyed. Of course, these are the same bloggers and pundits who want no restrictions at all on ownership of these lethal magazines by people with real guns that kill. It's a first: the very first time right wingers have actually called for gun laws to be enforced. The mean-spirited, irrational wingnut GOTCHA! mentality writ large.  | | Dropkick Murphys - "The Season's Upon Us" (Video) Posted: 25 Dec 2012 02:44 PM PST (h/t: Bong_Crodny.)  | | Christmas Swing: Caravan Palace - Rock It for Me Posted: 25 Dec 2012 12:11 PM PST | You are subscribed to email updates from Little Green Footballs
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YouTube Tells You Which Videos You Have Watched
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 11:44 AM PST
| YouTube Tells You Which Videos You Have Watched Posted: 26 Dec 2012 11:25 AM PST 
I know some people who happen to love YouTube and swear by watching its curated videos by users rather than television any day and although I cannot say that I am that dedicated, I do enjoy watching videos on YouTube from time to time, especially if it is a series of families or entertaining regular non-celebrity people, but sometimes I lose my spot to where I left off, YouTube has a solution for that problem. If you like watching videos but often forget which video you watched last and have to sometimes spend time rewatching videos until your memory kicks in it can become a time suck and does not make watching YouTube videos all that fun for those who are not as dedicated of course. It can also be unfriendly to those who like to use the custom YouTube feature and perhaps use the same themed logo or static image, this in itself can cause confusion to your viewers although your efforts are to try and be unique.
YouTube has fixed the issue of you having to keep track or waste time in trying to remain on-top of what the last video it was that you viewed on YouTube. Now, they have added a "Watched" tab on top or beside the videos you have watched. This of course sounds like a small change and perhaps it is, but to those who love certain YouTube personas or want to take advantage of the customized thumbnail can do so without missing an episode or losing viewers. Small steps like this is what helps keep a social site like YouTube alive and well by always catering to its users and viewers so the site does not lose its value but instead increases it by continuously making its site user friendly. 
[YouTube Television via DigitalTrends & YouTube screenshot of Gone to the Dogs YouTube channel]] | | Adapting to the Second Screen: Engaging with Mobile Devices through TV Ads Posted: 26 Dec 2012 02:11 AM PST 
In 2013, there will continue to be a growing number of people who have their smartphones and tablets handy while watching television. People are multitasking more often now than ever before while enjoying their television time. They are Tweeting, posting to Facebook, and visiting websites all from the comfort of their living room. Many of us have done it before. We’ll be watching the game or our favorite show and talk about what we’re watching through our mobile devices on social media. We will see something that catches our eye and do a search for it to get more information. Television shows are taking advantage of this, but it’s rare to see advertisers do the same. This is perplexing as there has never been a time when a television ad asking people to “act now” can actually get them to do just that. Those who use television ads can get immediate responses and interactions by crafting it into their television ads. It’s better than telling people to “call now” or “come on down” because they’re not in that mode. They’re passive. They’re safe. When they’re watching television, they don’t want to get on the phone with a salesperson or stop watching the game to head down to a store. What they will do is visit a website, a social media account, or otherwise contact a store that advertises properly. Think about it. Many car dealers use television advertising to get their brands out there, to talk about their low prices, and to highlight a sale that’s going on right now. There are people in the market for a vehicle who are currently watching television. They may even be watching your television ad right now. Why don’t you ask them to engage while it’s at the top of their mind. It could be as simple as setting up a campaign. You can post an event on Facebook and pin it to the top of your page. The event can be to highlight the big sale this weekend. You may be giving away a free gift such as sunglasses to anyone who clicks that they might attend the event. Then, it’s a matter of putting it in the television ad. Talk about the sale. At the end, say something like this: “Go to our Facebook page and like our sales event. Everyone who does gets a free gift just for attending – no purchase required!” When they click that they’ll attend, it will show as such to their friends and family. More importantly, you’ll have the ability to engage with them before and after the event. It’s a soft lead, but you have to assume that people who actually show up aren’t there just for the free sunglasses. They are there to test drive a vehicle. The rest is up to you. It doesn’t have to be so blatant. It could be as simple as “Send us a Tweet or post a comment on Facebook about what you think the score will be this weekend. The closest guess gets a free oil change!” You could always go for the direct approach. “Go to our website right now. We’ve posted our no-nonsense best price on all of our new and certified pre-owned Altimas, so if you’re in the market today, grab your tablet or smartphone and head to abcmotors.com.” This is where creativity comes in. People have their smartphones close by and their tablets within reach when they’re watching your television ads. Take advantage of it. Adapting to the second screen will help your television advertising and mobile marketing work together to bring better results to both. Related articles | | Social Media: The Year in Review Posted: 25 Dec 2012 12:56 PM PST 
Every year, we select the “best year ever” recipient. It’s the social website that made the best gains, contributed the most to social media as a whole, and demonstrated trends that meant they were going to continue moving forward in the coming year. winners in the past included: Those years, it was pretty obvious. The winner-selection was a no-brainer. Even in 2008 when there was a split decision, it was a matter of the two giants in their field making the right moves. Twitter was reaching for new heights and Digg was near its peak. 2012 has proven to be the toughest year yet. There’s Pinterest, a company that exploded in the beginning of the year and still shows signs of greatness. There’s Instagram, though recent actions may preclude them from being considered. There’s Tumblr, a site that may be at its peak. Facebook won in 2007 for showing promise and in 2009 for jumping out ahead, but they may be a winner again in 2012 because of their utter domination. We still have time to decide. In the meantime, check out the newsmakers of 2012: 
The State of Social Media 2012 by The SEO Company
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Nacidas antes de los 80 (VII): Irem
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 11:33 AM PST
| Nacidas antes de los 80 (VII): Irem Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:13 AM PST 
Aunque en Navidad apetezca más el descanso y juntarse con nuestros seres queridos, no podemos dejar de lado la serie de artículos que iniciamos hace un mes. Hoy toca conocer la historia de Irem.
Llamándose este especial nacidas antes de los 80 no extraña que Irem se fundase en 1974 en Japón. Llama la atención (para los que no vivimos esa época) que su nombre inicial no fuese Irem, sino IPM, cuyas siglas se correspondían con International Playing Machine. Inicialmente se centró en temas de hardware relacionados con las recreativas de la época, llegando sus primeros videojuegos entre 1978 y 1979, siendo uno de ellos el ‘IPM Invader’. Ya en el segundo año cambió su nombre por el más conocido Irem Corporation. Lo que no lo es tanto es el hecho de que el nombre de Irem también es un acrónimo de “International Rental Electronics Machines”, aunque a mediados de los ochenta dichas siglas se han asociado finalmente a “Innovations in Recreational Electronic Media”. Ya es rizar el rizo. Año 1982, llega su primer éxito internacional: ‘Moon Patrol’ 
Tras haber creado varios videojuegos en estos años su primer gran éxito, no solamente por Japón, sino a nivel internacional, le llegó con ‘Moon Patrol’, título que se distribuyó en los Estados Unidos gracias a Williams. En él, tal y como su nombre hace entrever, nos las veíamos patrullando la Luna, y lo hacíamos con un vehículo lunar todoterreno con capacidad para saltar y disparar. Es el futuro… ‘Moon Patrol’ se convertía no solamente en un shoot’em up de scroll lateral, sino también en una carrera de obstáculos para sortear socavones o rocas que bloquean nuestro camino. Hoy en día lo cierto es que no nos dice nada, pero en su momento pegó lo suyo y se versionó a un montón de plataformas tras su paso por los salones recreativos. Lo que no sabía Irem es que había puesto la primera piedra que cinco años después daría sus frutos dentro del género, situando a la compañía nipona como una de las mejores representantes de los shumps. Pero ya llegaremos a eso luego. Be water, my friend. ‘Kung-Fu Master’ pega en 1984 
Dos son los géneros que más le han aportado a Irem. Uno es, sin lugar a dudas, “el de las navecitas”, y otro es el de la acción desde el suelo, sea con maestros de kung-fu, ninjas o soldados. ‘Kung-Fu Master’ vino a demostrar lo segundo, siendo otro éxito para la compañía con bastante repercusión y que aún hoy en día se recuerda al hablar de los primeros títulos de tollinas virtuales de scroll lateral. Su premisa era bastante simple, aún así. Al protagonista de la historia le capturan a su novia, y tenemos que rescatarla. Para ello nos valdremos de nuestros puños y de nuestras patadas. Los enemigos nos vendrán de cualquier lado, pudiendo agarrarnos, obligándonos a forcejear con ellos para que nos suelten y que nuestra barra de vida no se resienta más de lo debido. Dominarlo costaba lo suyo. La pena es que, a día de hoy, no se puede decir que haya aguantado bien el paso del tiempo. Ni siquiera ‘Vigilante’ (1988), también de Irem, considerado spin-off de ‘Kung-Fu Master’. Hasta en la historia se parece. Y, por supuesto, en el estilo de juego. Aunque aquí su protagonista es un poco más ágil y el acabado gráfico es superior. Cosa lógica, por otra parte. Son cuatro años de diferencia. 1985, toca explorar. Llega a los salones arcade ‘Spelunker’ 
Si bien el ‘Spelunker’ nació dos años antes en la serie de consolas de Atari de 8-bits y Commodore 64 a cargo de MicroGraphicImage y Brøderbund, Irem se encargó de su adaptación a recreativas, al igual que para sus posteriores entregas. Difícil y frustrante como pocos, ‘Spelunker’ nos metía de lleno en la exploración de cuevas, afrontando mil y una trampas y enemigos con muy mala fe. A pesar del tiempo transcurrido hay que destacar que el original aún se conserva bien a día de hoy. Obviando su apartado gráfico, demasiado pobre a estas alturas, supone todo un reto completarlo al alcance de muy pocos. Aparte que ha influenciado a múltiples títulos, como por ejemplo el reciente ‘Spelunky’ de Derek Yu, también con una dificultad de lo más elevada. Además el original ha gozado hasta de un remake que salió hace unos años en Japón (a Europa nos llegó a finales de 2011) para PS3 vía Playstation Network bajo el nombre de ‘Spelunker HD’. Conserva toda la grandeza del original, pero con un nuevo lavado de cara, más aniñado y recargado. Ah, y un multijugador local y online a cuatro bandas. Suerte que tenemos la opción de dejarlo tal y como la obra de los ochenta. Eso sí, es difícil de cojones, hablando en plata. Sé que algún día lo terminaré. No sé cuándo, pero lo sé. 1987, nace uno de los reyes de los shoot’em ups: ‘R-Type’ 
Siempre que pensamos en Irem pensamos en ‘R-Type’. Esto es así. Es impepinable, y por algo será. El mayor pelotazo en su historia vino de parte de esta saga de shoot’em ups, considerada además una de las que dio comienzo, se podría decir, a la nueva generación de juegos de naves, después de que Taito Corporation hiciese lo propio a finales de los ochenta con su archiconocido ‘Space Invaders’. Si bien Konami o la propia Taito habían golpeado primero, ¡y de qué manera!, con sus respectivos ‘Gradius’ y ‘Darius’, ‘R-Type’ supuso todo un cambio en el género, principalmente por el uso de la fuerza. No, no en plan Luke Skywalker, sino esa bola que se podía acoplar a nuestra nave y que era invencible. Aparte de cubrirnos, bien en la parte frontal de la nave o en la retaguardia, disparaba, con lo que se convertía en el complemento perfecto. Pero a pesar de su uso ‘R-Type’, y por extensión toda la saga, siempre ha sido un hueso duro de roer. Vamos, que se ha caracterizado por una alta dificultad. A lo largo de su historia ‘R-Type’ ha recibido varias iteraciones y para múltiples plataformas (Amiga 500, Super Nintendo, Playstation, etc), destacando en lo personal el ‘R-Type Delta’ de la primera Playstation por lo flipados que eran sus efectos para la época (amén de conservar esa esencia tan grande a nivel jugable), el homenaje a toda la saga con ‘R-Type Final’ para PS2, y el cambio drástico de planteamiento que han supuesto los ‘R-Type Tactics’ de PSP. Del shoot’em up se pasó a la estrategia por casillas. Gozó de dos entregas (la segunda no salió en Europa), y a la postre ha significado el final de la saga. Una pena. Aunque al menos su recuerdo sigue vivo entre nosotros. Los noventa, llega el pequeño pero matón ‘Hammerin’ Harry’ 
‘Hammerin’ Harry’ es otro de esos títulos que se recuerdan con cierto cariño al hablar de Irem. Los que más lo recuerdan, probablemente, sean los usuarios de la NES de Nintendo, versión que a Europa nos llegó en 1992, con dos años de diferencia respecto al original de recreativas, entre otras versiones. No ha sido una saga muy prolífica, en parte por haberse prodigado más por su país de origen que por Europa, por ejemplo. En Japón se le conoce como ‘Daiku no Gen-san’, y en 2008 recibió la que fue su última entrega, un spin-off para PSP titulado ‘Hammerin’ Hero’. Ojo, nos llegó a Europa en 2010. El ‘Hammerin’ Harry’ original nos metía en la piel de un chico que llevaba un martillo casi tan grande como él y que podía utilizar de múltiples formas: golpear a los enemigos, golpear objetos para que impacten con los enemigos, o golpear el suelo para atudir a los enemigos. Un título que nos volvía a dejar claro que otra de las grandes pasiones de Irem eran los títulos de acción de scroll lateral con seres humanos de por medio. Y sí, es lo que estáis pensando. No era muy fácil. Let’s get busy! 1991, nace el germen de ‘Metal Slug’, nace ‘GunForce’ 
¿Cómo es posible esta sentencia si ‘Metal Slug’ es obra de Nazca Corporation? Porque varios miembros de Irem se largaron de la compañía para fundar precisamente Nazca Corporation, maravillando a todo el mundo con sus trabajos para recreativas y SNK. Si tuviésemos que remontarnos a su origen sin duda lo tendríamos en la corta saga ‘GunForce’ de Irem. Iniciado en 1991, no fue hasta la llegada de su secuela, en 1994, conocida tanto como ‘GunForce 2’ como ‘Geo Storm’, dependiendo del territorio, cuando esta realidad se hizo palpable. Los diseños, la mecánica, e incluso hasta muchos sonidos son muy similares, por no decir un calco, de los de ‘Metal Slug’. No contaba, eso sí, con el gran sentido del humor de Nazca Corporation, pero había distintos tipos de armas, explosiones de lo más espectaculares para la época (a nivel gráfico sigue siendo una maravilla a día de hoy), varios vehículos a manejar, e incluso supervivientes a rescatar (en vez de presos de guerra había que salvar a chicas de buen ver), todo ello con una dificultad, a mi juicio, más elevada. En parte por un control a veces torpe por culpa del sistema de agachado. Para que sepáis mejor de todo lo que comentamos, nada mejor que un completo vídeo gracias a MrMaskaman. Este toque ‘Metal Slug’ también lo vimos bajo otra perspectiva, en este caso submarina, en el recomendable ‘In the Hunt’ (1993), también de Irem. Éste, aparte de en recreativas, lo vimos en Saturn y Playstation, con unas buenas conversiones. En especial para la consola de SEGA, que se manejaba mejor con los píxeles. Algún día tocará hablar en profundidad (ejem) de él, que se lo merece. ‘Irem Arcade Hits’, una buena forma de revivir sus clásicos 
Varios de los clásicos que hemos tratado en estas líneas podemos encontrarlos en la colección ‘Irem Arcade Hits’. La anunciamos en su momento, hace dos años ya, por medio del servicio DotEmu, y lo cierto es que se trata de uno de los mejores recopilatorios que podemos encontrar en la actualidad. Títulos preparados para funcionar sin problemas en Mac y Windows, pudiendo configurar controles (hasta con mando, no solamente teclado), y distintas opciones gráficas. En él tenemos hasta los ‘Legend of Hero: Tonma’ y ‘Undercover Cops’. Hay grandes ausencias, pero aún así se trata de un buen repaso a una compañía que nos ha brindado momentos de gloria… y dificultad a raudales. 2011, Irem abandona los juegos y retorna a sus raíces
Quién nos lo iba a decir… En abril de 2011 la compañía Irem puso final al desarrollo de videojuegos para centrarse en las máquinas tragaperras y de pachinko, tal y como hizo en sus inicios. Muchos de sus miembros fundaron otro estudio (Granzella) para seguir con los videojuegos. Desde aquí sirvan estas líneas para homenajear a Irem por su labor en este mundillo. ¡Gracias y hasta siempre! Pero ojo, que este repaso a las compañías nacidas antes de los 80 aún no se ha acabado. El próximo miércoles, ya en 2013, continuaremos con otra, y una de las grandes. En cierto modo ya la hemos nombrado en este especial. ¿Sabéis de cuál se trata? Pronto lo desvelaremos. ¡No cambiéis de canal! Más en Vidaextra Sitio oficial | Irem    | | VX en corto: las ventas de 'Black Ops II', la conexión a internet permanente de 'SimCity' y el parche de 'Far Cry 3' para PC Posted: 26 Dec 2012 08:39 AM PST 
Un día más abordamos nuestra dosis de noticias breves pero igualmente destacables de la mano de VX en corto. Un fugaz repaso a la actualidad que podéis disfrutar justo a continuación. Mañana más.    | | Alex Kidd sale de su tumba para integrarse entre los corredores de 'Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed' Posted: 26 Dec 2012 04:05 AM PST 
A Alex Kidd ya se lo estaban comiendo los gusanos cuando la tapa de su ataúd se abrió. Una luz dorada iluminó sus mejillas antaño rosadas mientras el pelo de sus patillas recobraba el color y la vida que tuvo antes. Una fuerza superior reclamaba la resurrección de Alex Kidd y la antigua mascota de Sega volvía a respirar. Y es que alguien en Sega debió pensar que esta Navidad el mejor regalo posible consistía en resucitar al pequeño orejón e integrarlo en el plantel de corredores de ‘Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed’ de manera gratuita. Pero claro, llevar todo tipo de vehículos veloces no es una novedad para el resucitado Alex Kidd ya que en sus antiguas aventuras en la época de los 8 bits ya nos deleitó con una moto e incluso un helicóptero. El caso es que se integra entre los corredores y se quedará ya como un personaje más. Desde luego un buen regalillo de Sega para sus fans más acérrimos. Vía | Sega Facebook    | | David Cage se muere de ganas de que salga 'The Last Guardian' Posted: 26 Dec 2012 03:49 AM PST 
David Cage tiene que molar más que todos nosotros, claro. Lo digo ya que el director de ‘Heavy Rain’ ya ha podido echarle el guante a lo nuevo de Fumito Ueda, ‘The Last Guardian’. Y el tío encima presume de haberlo hecho. ¡No sabes la envidia que te tenemos David Cage! Y es que el juego del Team ICO está teniendo un desarrollo infernal y muchos son los que ya apuestan por que ni acabará viendo la luz. Una situación impensable hace tan sólo dos años cuando se anunció por todo lo alto. “Me encanta el trabajo de Fumito Ueda, creo que es uno de los desarrolladores más creativos. Hay incluso cierto sentido de la poesía en su trabajo, una habilidad para contar historias sencillas pero poderosas que admiro mucho. He tenido la suerte de poder echarle un vistazo a su próximo juego y ¡no puedo esperar a jugarlo más!” Mientras en Sony y el Team ICO deciden si al final se lanza ‘The Last Guardian’ o no en Quantic Dreams no están ni mucho menos de brazos cruzados. Recordad que el equipo de Cage tiene pendiente el lanzamiento de uno de los juegos más esperados del próximo año, ‘Beyond: Two Souls’. Vía | Examiner
Más en VidaExtra | ‘Beyond: Two Souls’, Quantic Dream muestra de forma generosa su nuevo proyecto en la conferencia de Sony [E3 2012], Shuhei Yoshida habla sobre el lanzamiento de ‘The Last Guardian’, pero para decir que aún no hay nada que enseñar    | | 'Tank! Tank! Tank!' no despega en Japón y probará suerte pasándose a un free-to-play bastante restrictivo Posted: 25 Dec 2012 10:01 PM PST 
‘Tank! Tank! Tank!’ será el primer título de Nintendo Wii U en contar con versión free-to-play. El juego arcade de Namco estará disponible en la versión completa que se ofrecía hasta ahora y otra gratuita con micropagos. ‘Tank! Tank! Tank!’ no parece haber cuajado entre el público nipón, y vistas las reacciones sobre el mismo durante la conferencia de Nintendo en el E3, no sería de extrañar que corriese la misma suerte en occidente. Pese a ello, la adopción del modelo free-to-play sólo está confirmada para Japón. Para probar suerte e intentar ganarse al público, Namco publicará en la eShop japonesa de Nintendo una versión gratuita del juego que incluirá un mapa y tres modos de juego: todos contra todos, duelo por equipos y lucha contra el monstruo. Lo curioso es que dicha versión estará restringida a tres partidas por día, eliminándose esa restricción si pagamos por alguna descarga de contenido para el juego. Un free-to-play un tanto curioso, aunque no único en su especie. La suma de todos los contenidos adicionales, como por ejemplo la campaña del juego por unos 20 euros o un modo que permita controlar a un mono gigante desde el GamePad por 9 euros, estará disponible en un pack en la eShop nipona a partir del 21 de febrero. ¿Su precio? 5.040 yenes (unos 45 euros al cambio actual). ¿Gratuito o de pago? el riesgo de los extremos Sinceramente, no sé con certeza si el cambio de estrategia servirá de algo, si de esa forma el público japonés se acercará con otras expectativas al juego o si las restricciones no le van a hacer más mal que bien, pero puestos a poner la mano en el fuego y acostumbrado como estoy a probar varios juegos free-to-play a la semana (principalmente por los lanzamientos para smartphones y tablets), no creo que un modelo tan restrictivo sea el adecuado. Es cierto que el riesgo es enorme y no son precisamente pocos los títulos y estudios que se han pegado el batacazo de sus vidas por acercarse a estos modelos de pago siendo demasiado benévolos, pero con ‘Tank! Tank! Tank!’ el daño ya parece estar hecho, y además se encuentra en una carrera contrarreloj, siendo un título que puede colar como juego de lanzamiento, pero no cuando el catálogo de Wii U empiece a inflarse y la competencia sea más agresiva. Sin esa restricción de tres partidas al día aquellos que acabasen enganchándose al juego muy probablemente habrían optado por adquirir más mapas, y ahí sí que los packs de oferta y los precios inflados podrían convertirse en un buen negocio, pero no puedes cortarle las alas al jugador justo cuando está empezando a disfrutar del juego, ya que lo más probable es que te diga: adiós, muy buenas. Vía | Siliconera    | | Seis coches nuevos para 'Forza Horizon' en enero con el Pack Recaro Posted: 25 Dec 2012 09:01 PM PST 
Ya sabéis de qué va esto. ¿Nuevo ‘Forza’ en el mercado? Pues preparad vuestras carteras para recibir packs de coches cada poco tiempo. En el caso de ‘Forza Horizon’ no iban a ser menos y ya se anuncia el pack Recaro para este mismo enero. Veamos qué contiene. Seis cochazos que como de costumbre van desde clásicos de los ochenta hasta títulos más modernos. Podrá ser vuestro por 400 puntos Microsoft este mismo 1 de enero aunque si tenéis el pase de temporada os saldrá gratis y además con un Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster de 2009 como regalo. Estos son los coches: - 2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV
- 1983 GMC Vandura G-1500,
- 2012 Lotus Exige S
- 2012 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition
- 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR
- 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra R
Hace poco recibimos un pack muy interesante que añadía coches de Rally y nuevas zonas de conducción especialmente pensadas para ello. Eso sí, el ‘Forza Horizon Rally’ se disparaba hasta los 1.600 Puntos Microsoft. Vía | Joystiq    | | 'Metro: Last Light': llegan nuevas imágenes mientras su futuro puede estar en el aire Posted: 25 Dec 2012 12:53 PM PST 
Quedan sólo unos meses para que el esperado ‘Metro: Last Light’ vea la luz en nuestro país con esa edición limitada que tan buena pinta tiene y en 4A Games siguen enseñando imágenes del prometedor shooter. Hoy toca ver cómo ha quedado Rusia tras el apocalípsis nuclear. La desolación, la bruma que lo envuelve todo, esos tonos de color que casi emanan radioactividad… el entorno que han conseguido moldear en el estudio de desarrollo le viene como anillo el dedo a esta secuela de ‘Metro 2033’. Galería de fotos (Haz click en una imagen para ampliarla) En Marzo, si todo va bien, lo tendremos por estos lares. La parte mala es que ese “si todo va bien” tiene varias piedras en el camino que tendrá que superar. La primera y más importante es que THQ es el publisher que firmó el juego y la situación de la compañía ahora mismo es crítica. Su cierre es casi inmediato y se especula con que Ubisoft acabará comprando su armario de propiedades intelectuales (entre las que se incluiría este ‘Metro: Last Light’) para dar salida a los juegos que tiene en desarrollo. Veremos que pasa. Vía | Gamingbolt
Más en VidaExtra | ‘Metro: Last Light’: excelente teaser trailer y galería de imágenes    | | Los Wii U GamePad también tienen bloqueo regional (actualizado) Posted: 25 Dec 2012 11:22 AM PST 
Sabíamos que Nintendo había decidido bloquear los juegos por regiones, pero parece que no será el único elemento de Wii U al que no podremos acceder mediante la importación. El Wii U GamePad también tiene bloqueo regional. A día de hoy no podemos comprar un Wii U GamePad en las tiendas, de hecho si se nos rompe el que tenemos para conseguir uno nuevo debemos hacerlo a través del servicio de atención al cliente de Nintendo, que nos enviará otro previo pago. No es algo que deba preocuparnos por ahora ya que el uso de Wii U sigue limitado a un único GamePad por consola, pero el día de mañana cuando Nintendo amplíe esa posibilidad, tocará acceder a una copia del mismo sin poder optar a rebajas internacionales, que de una forma u otra, ya sea vía Reino Unido o norteamérica, seguro acaban suponiendo un ahorro considerable. ACTUALIZACIÓN 26/12/2012: salen a la luz nuevos datos sobre ese bloqueo para los mandos de Wii U. Al parecer el sistema no admitiría los mandos a la hora de actualizar la consola, ya que la distinción en el código por regiones causaría un conflicto directo con la máquina, pero no ocurriría lo mismo a la hora de jugar. En resumen, como posible mando adicional sí, como recambio del que se te ha roto no. Vía | Destructoid
En VidaExtra | Nintendo promete mejorar Wii U para aligerar los tiempos de carga entre aplicaciones    | | Poned a descargar el primer episodio de 'The Walking Dead' en Xbox Live, que es gratis por tiempo limitado. Avisados estáis Posted: 25 Dec 2012 10:47 AM PST 
Según la filtración de hace semanas, no contábamos con la promoción del videojuego de ‘The Walking Dead’ en Xbox Live hasta el 28 de diciembre. Si bien toda la serie no está oficialmente de oferta todavía, el primer episodio ya lo podemos descargar gratuitamente. Tal y como suena. Aparentemente no hace falta ser usuario Gold para descargarlo, y al contrario de lo que sucede con Playstation Plus, aquí si lo descargamos será nuestro para siempre. Incluso sin renovar nuestra suscripción Gold. Así que ya estáis tardando en poner a descargar el primer episodio “A new day”. De este modo nos ahorraremos los 400 MS (5 euros) que cuesta habitualmente. Una buena forma de saber si el resto de la serie nos gustará. Que no es lo mismo probarlo en una demo que con el juego completo. Bueno, un capítulo entero, se sobreentiende. Aunque si según vosotros ha ganado los premios a mejor aventura gráfica y mejor juego descargable de 2012, todo parece indicar que no defraudará y que el paso lógico será comprar después el resto de capítulos en oferta en unos días. En Xbox Live | The Walking Dead    | You are subscribed to email updates from Vidaextra
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Katherine Jenkins Sings The Christmas Song on GMA
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 11:23 AM PST
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Sales Boxing Day
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST
| Sales Boxing Day Posted: 26 Dec 2012 12:33 AM PST 
There numerous histories and origins attributed to Boxing Day, so it’s only proper that we add to tradition from a sales point of view. While I normally encourage sales professionals to think out of the box, in this post I will suggest you take some specific things and put them in a box so you can store them and get them out of your way to being more productive in the coming year. While it is true that sale cycles tend to transcend numbers on a calendar page, people do have a habit of marking time, change and commitment to specific dates, especially the new year. A time when we make it a goal to do, stop doing and other resolutions that we hope will make the new year better than the one that just passed; although on reflection 2012 was pretty good. But in order to make room for new habits, we must first discard some old habits, habits that have kept us from realizing full potential. These will differ for most of us, but the process of deciding – or avoiding – what needs to go in the Box, to make room for the new is not that different. Take a look at your performance for the year, did you get to you desired results? Here I don't just mean did you hit quota, but your own personal targets, as they relate to you as a sales person, not those in your personal life. Did you develop that skill you committed to hone 12 months ago; did you stop doing things that were detrimental to your success. One way to maximize this effort is to look at your sales in 2012, all that you started, look at the ones you won, lost or that ended with no definitive decision. Take a look and see if there are any elements that are common to each of the three, or some that are common to two or all three. For example are there actions that you failed to take in both losses and those sales without outcome, clearly something worth changing. There could be things you were doing that are sabotaging your success, if so, clearly something worth putting in the Box. As an example one thing I need to improve right across the board is generating more referrals, even from prospects who chose to go with something other than Renbor program. As discussed in the past, wholesale change is not a realistic goal, but neither is marshaling on without an honest look at what can improve; just pick one thing and take the step to change it. Now is a good time for sales people put the old in a Box, and make room for new things outside the box. What's in Your Pipeline?
Tibor Shanto       
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Wes Anderson Confirms Tilda Swinton and Harvey Keitel for ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 11:17 AM PST
| Wes Anderson Confirms Tilda Swinton and Harvey Keitel for ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ Posted: 26 Dec 2012 10:38 AM PST 
It’s been a fine year for Wes Anderson, as his film Moonrise Kingdom did well commercially, and has landed on many year-end top ten lists, and stands as a big awards contender. As the promotion for Moonrise Kingdom winds down, Anderson is looking forward to his “Euro movie” The Grand Budapest Hotel, which stars Ralph Fiennes as the composed concierge of the titular hotel, and also features Anderson regulars such as Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman. While the film lost Johnny Depp as a lead (replaced by Fiennes), there have been rumors that some of the Moonrise Kingdom supporting cast that wasn’t previously part of Anderson’s informal stock company would take part in the next picture. Now Anderson has confirmed several of them, and revealed the participation of a few other actors, such as Quantum of Solace villain Mathieu Amalric. THR has a fine career-spanning interview with Anderson, in which the director discusses his early filmmaking days, including the way that the surprise opportunity to make Bottle Rocket as a feature came about, and how his company of regular collaborators developed. At the end of the interview Anderson is asked about his next film, and in talking about the cast he confirms a few names that have been rumored for the film, and mentions a few new ones. Specifically, he says, Well, yes, it's Grand Budapest Hotel. It's a Euro movie. It's a period picture. I can tell you the cast—maybe you already know the cast, but I can tell you properly who it is: We have Ralph Fiennes, and we have Tilda Swinton and Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, we have F. Murray Abraham and Jude Law, and we've got Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, and Mathieu Amalric. And I think Owen is gonna have a little part, too. Oh, Saoirse Ronan has quite a big part. I'm thinking if I've forgotten anybody. Yeah, we have a good group.
 | | ‘Star Wars’ Bits: J.J. Abrams Turned Down ‘Episode VII,’ Plus Disney Acquisition is Official, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson and More Posted: 26 Dec 2012 08:02 AM PST 
Christmas is over and that means it’s time to get back to the biggest news story of 2012: Star Wars. Lots of little things are going on in the world of Disney, Lucasfilm and a Galaxy Far, Far Away and we’ve rounded it all up for you in this edition of Star Wars Bits. After the jump read about the following: - J.J. Abrams comments on being offered and turning down Star Wars Episode VII.
- Star Trek star Chris Pine suggests he’d be open to appearing in both worlds.
- Disney‘s acquisition of LucasFilm is now complete.
- George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy talk to Star Wars Insider about the franchise’s future.
- Create and grade your own Star Wars Episode VII with a new, funny flash game.
- Watch Ewan McGregor talk about first hearing about the new Star Wars films.
- What is the game Star Wars: Trench Run and how can you see it?
- Samuel L. Jackson is still campaigning to appear in Episode VII.
- Katie McGrath, a star on BBC’s Merlin, wants in.
The second biggest news in the world of Star Wars right now is a quote from Empire Magazine from director J.J. Abrams. Abrams confirms he was asked about participating early on, but turned it down. There were the very early conversations and I quickly said that because of my loyalty to Star Trek, and also just being a fan, I wouldn’t even want to be involved in the next version of those things. I declined any involvement very early on. I’d rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them.
Here is a screenshot of the iPad version of the article (in two parts) so you can read the full context, as well as Chris Pine offhandedly suggesting he doesn’t want to comment too much on Star Wars, thereby making it sound (almost?) like he could be a part of Star Wars.   If that’s the second biggest piece of news what’s the biggest? Well, something official of course. The acquisition of LucasFilm by Disney has now been made official. Here’s the press release from Deadline. Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) announced today that Disney has completed its acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC. "We're thrilled to welcome Lucasfilm to the Disney family," said Iger. "Star Wars is one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time and this transaction combines that world class content with Disney's unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets, which we believe will generate growth as well as significant long-term value." Under the terms of the merger agreement, at closing Disney issued 37,076,679 shares and made a cash payment of $2,208,199,950. Based upon the closing price of Disney shares on December 21, 2012 at $50.00, the transaction has a total value of approximately $4.06 billion. Lucasfilm's assets include its massively popular Star Wars franchise, operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production, as well as a substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies. It operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound.
MTV has an official excerpt from the new issue of Star Wars Insider, LucasFilm’s official magazine of the Star Wars universe. In it, Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas talk about the future of the franchise. There’s nothing particularly new – in the excerpt at least – but it’s always kind of interesting. Here’s a taste of the the interview. head to MTV for more: George Lucas: I always said I wasn't going to do any more… and that's true, because I'm not going to do them. But that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathleen [Kennedy] to do more. I have story treatments of “Episodes VII,” “VIII” and “IX” and a bunch of other movies, and obviously we have hundreds of books and comics, and everything you could possibly imagine. I moved that treasure trove of stories and various things to Kathleen and I have complete confidence that she's going to take them and make great movies. Kathleen Kennedy: I like to think as we move forward that the fans are on board, they help us, they support what it is we're trying to do. The main thing is to protect these characters and that they still continue to live in the way that George created them. And that the universe of “Star Wars” continues to grow in ways they can get excited about. Everybody involved in trying to create these films are fans, too. And that is what we want to try to protect.
Well this is hilarious and awesome. Ben Johnson and Joe Kowalski created a fun flash game called Star Wars: Sequel Debacle Simulatron where you pick the writer, director and star of Episode VII, then choose a balance of genre and title, then it tells you how well it would do at the box office. My Neil Gaiman-written, Steven Spielberg-directed film Revenge of the Gungans starring Harrison Ford was a major flop. Click below to play. Thanks to Gameological. 
The star of the prequel trilogy, Ewan McGregor, spoke to Collider about how he found out about the new Star Wars movies. George Lucas told him the night before we found out. It’s at 3:33 below. A few weeks back, Den of Geek published some quotes from Colin Trevorrow about the rumor that he was in the running for Star Wars Episode VII. They’ve now published the full interview, which is pretty great, especially since it focuses on Safety Not Guaranteed, the film people saw that made the previous assumption even fathomable. Cinemablend found a video and hi-res screenshots (at top) of the beginning stages of a fan video game mod called Star Wars Trench Run. Being as this is a “Bits” article, I’m just going to post the video and direct you there for more information, including the screenshots. But it’s pretty damn gorgeous. Speaking with Movieline about his role in Django Unchained, Samuel L. Jackson once again said he’s doing what he did for the prequels: Campaigning to be a part of it. It worked one time, could it work again? Read more at that link but here’s a quote: I’m campaigning. They haven’t approached me yet. I’ve been putting my feelers out there, and I've got all my people on Twitter talking about it. So hopefully they’ll hear it and whoever’s writing the story will, you know, write me in as an Obi-wan Kenobi hologram ghost, or maybe even I can fuckin' show back up with one hand. He is a Jedi.
Finally, Katie McGrath – a star on BBC’s Merlin, is the latest to put her name on the list of actors who’d like to be in the Star Wars films. Read more at The Fan Carpet. - Star Wars Bits: Episodes X-XII, George Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy, Timothy Zahn, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson, ‘Star Wars: Legacy’, ‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’
- Star Wars Bits: Death Star Petition, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, Female Fighter Pilots, Rancho Obi-Wan, and More
- Star Wars Bits: George Lucas Not Too Involved As Episode VII Consultant Role, New Kennedy/Lucas Video Released, Ewan McGregor Explains The Birth of Luke and Leia, Rick McCallum's Future and More
- Star Wars Bits: How Did Barack Obama Help Revive Star Wars? Plus: Yoda, Kyle Newman, Tommy Wiseau, Ewan McGregor
- VIDEO: George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy Talk Directors, George’s Role and The ‘Daunting’ Prospect of New ‘Star Wars’ Films
- 10 Filmmakers Who Should Direct the New ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy – And 5 Who Shouldn't
 | | The /Filmcast: Bonus Ep. – Zero Dark Thirty Posted: 25 Dec 2012 12:00 PM PST 
Dave, Devindra, and Adam praise Kathryn Bigelow’s new thriller, Zero Dark Thirty. You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993.
Download or Play Now in your Browser: Subscribe to the /Filmcast:  
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Instagram target of class-action lawsuit
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 11:11 AM PST
| Instagram target of class-action lawsuit Posted: 26 Dec 2012 10:15 AM PST  Photo-sharing service Instagram received a lump of coal in its stocking this holiday season. After Instagram changed its Terms of Service recently with the alleged intention of selling user photos, there was a loud outcry from the user community and many users deleted their accounts with the intention of moving to Flickr and other services. Now Instagram is on the receiving end of a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges breach of contract violations and was brought by class-action legal firm Finkelstein & Krinsk on behalf of Lucy Funes and others. This is quite interesting, considering that almost immediately after the uproar over photo ownership began, Instagram reiterated to the public that nothing much had changed in the Terms of Service. Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom thinks that people might have misinterpreted a section of the new Terms of Service that stated that the company may try integrating advertising into the service. Indeed, a veritable Twitter storm erupted, with many users (most of whom probably had not read the legal document) believing that Instagram was going to sell user photos without compensation. The new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for the service don't take effect for another three weeks, so it's certain that this lawsuit and the continued confusion over what exactly Instagram is saying will generate a lot more turmoil. Instagram target of class-action lawsuit originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments | | New tablet owners share Christmas tweets, iPad on top Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:00 AM PST | | Daily Deals for December 26, 2012 Posted: 26 Dec 2012 08:00 AM PST It's time to save some of that hard-earned cash with our Daily Deals, featuring a handy list from Dealnews and our own hand-picked selections that include some sweet deals on iOS and OS X software (all prices are USD). You can also check out our holiday deals list from last week for even more software sales. Deals from Dealnews - MacUpdate Promo: [Mac Software] SortingThoughts for Mac downloads for $20
- NetZero: [Computer Services] 4G Devices at NetZero: 50% off + first month for free
- Best Buy: [MP3 Downloads] Apple iTunes Gift Cards at Best Buy stores: 20% off for Reward Zone members
- Nordstrom: [iPhone Accessories] Areaware Alarm Dock for iPhone / iPod touch for $30 + free shipping
- Steam: [PC Games] Steam Holiday Sale: Up to 75% off PC and Mac games, Borderlands 2 for $30
- Office Depot: [iPod Accessories] Memorex Clock Radio for Apple iPhone / iPod for $18 + free shipping
- Vistaprint: [Photo Services] 12-Month Personalized Photo Wall Calendar for free + $4 s&h
- StackSocial: [Mac Software] The Mega Design Bundle w/ holiday images for PC and Mac downloads for $49
- eBay: [Input Devices] Celluon Magic Cube Laser Virtual Keyboard for $110 + free shipping
- Verizon Broadband: [Computer Services] Verizon FiOS Triple Play w/ free $300 Visa Card, router, more for $75/month
- Vistaprint: [iPhone Cases] Vistaprint Custom Case for Apple iPhone 4, 4S, or 5 for $10 + $5 s&h
- HandHeldItems: [iPhone Cases] HHI Triple Defender Dual Armor Case for iPhone 5 for $4 + free shipping
iOS Software - ProCam [iPhone, Category: Photography & Video, Now free, down from $0.99] Photo-taking app with advanced features like Focus, exposure and white balance (WB) lock and more.
- Sakura Quick Math [iOS Universal, Category: Education, On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] Practice your mathematics while racing the clock in this innovative iPad app.
- Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie! [[iOS Universal, Category: Productivity, On sale for $0.99, down from $2.99]** Easily make make lists and sync them with your family's iOS devices so they can add items on the go.
- Crazy Machines Golden Gears [iOS Universal, Category: Games, On sale for $0.99, down from $2.99]** Crazy Machine "Rube Goldberg" style.
- Swipy-(e-mail yourself or save in Dropbox by swiping) HD [iPad, Category: Productivity, Now free, down from $0.99] Swipy allows you to quickly capture notes and have them sent to your email or Dropbox with just a swipe.
- MoviePro [iOS Universal, Category: Photography & Video, On sale for $0.99, down from $9.99] Video recording & film making app with innumerable options.
- Jungle Picnic [iPad, Category: Education, On sale for $0.99, down from $1.99] Jungle Picnic is a fun and colorful learning app for children aged 2 to 4 years.
- Match Blitz [iPad, Category: Games, Now free, down from $0.99] Battle with up to four players as you try to spot the matching symbols.
- Mobiscope [iOS Universal, Category: Utilities, On sale for $1.99, down from $9.99] From the developer of IM+. An affordable video surveillance app that lets you monitor your IP cameras and view and control public webcams.
- iSay [iPhone, Category: Games, Now free, down from $9.99] An addictive card game of storytelling, bluffing, strategy and guesswork.
- Avengers Initiative: [iOS Universal, Category: Games] Now free, down from $6.99. Help The Avengers pull the world back from the brink of catastrophe.
- EA Holiday Sale [iOS Universal, Category: Games, On sale for $0.99] EA has 99 games on sale for 99-cents each.
- Sega Holiday Sale [iOS Universal, Category: Games, On sale for $0.99] Sega has a handful of games on sale for 99-cents each.
- Gameloft Holiday Sale [iOS Universal, Category: Games, On sale for $0.99] Gameloft has a handful of games on sale for 99-cents each.
OS X Software - AppyFridays [OS X, Category: Misc, $0.99] AppyFridays offers four OS X apps for 99 cents each including Startrail, Marked, Music Recorder and Cooke Cutter.
- Rocking Dollar Promotion [OS X, Category: Misc, $0.99] Grab 15 popular apps for 99 cents each. The apps on sale includes PhotoBulk, Canyons & Arches Desktops, Timing, Mushroom Age, Christmasville, ColorStrokes, MenuMate, Get Plain Text, Markdown Pro, Pinball, MahJong, The Tiny Bang Story, Elsewhere, SMARTreporter and KaraokeTube.
- MacFonts Holiday Fonts [OS X, Category: Graphics & Design, Now free, down from $4.99] Pack of holiday-themed fonts.
- Lost Photos [OS X, Category: Photography, On sale for $0.99, down from $2.99] Lost Photos discovers all the photos you've ever sent or received stored in your email account.
- All OS X software from Realmac [OS X, Category: Various, Now 65% off] All Realmac's OS X software titles are on sale for 65% off until January 6th. Apps include Clear for Mac, Analog, Courier, LittleSnapper and RapidWeaver.
- FX Photo Studio [OS X, Category: Photography] On sale for $7.99, down from $9.99] FX Photo Studio is a photo app with over 170 photo effects & filters and stylish frames.
- Ultimate Mac Music Bundle [OS X, Category: Misc] On sale for $39 Stacksocial is offering the Ultimate Mac Music Bundle, a group of eight apps with a retail value of $355. The apps include: MegaSeg DJ, The T-Pain Engine, Tracks, Flip4Mac Studio, Boom for Mac, Ondesoft Audio Recorder, SOS Online Backup and TuneUp. Deal is available now until December 29.
Daily Deals for December 26, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments | | Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie! lets you bump and share your grocery lists Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:30 AM PST  Gone are the days of the handwritten grocery list. With apps like Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie!, iOS owners can ditch the pen and paper and grab their iPhone the next time they head out to the grocery store. Design Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie! has the look and feel of your typical paper shopping list. The top part of the app has the appearance of a ripped piece of paper and contains the items on your shopping list. The bottom half of the app is dark grey and holds the items that are checked off your list as you shop. There's also a list management screen that allows you create new lists and manage multiple lists. The top part of the app is also where you build your list, one item at a time. You can type in an item or select one using the pre-installed entries. Unlike some shopping apps that have hundreds of items (most of which you won't use), Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie! includes a variety of staple foods like milk, OJ and carrots. The items in the database are not written in stone. You can delete each item or modify it to reflect your personal preferences. For example, you can easily change the entry for mayonnaise to Hellmann's Mayonnaise so you remember to buy the brand name instead of the generic. Each item in your list can have a quantity that you choose when you add it to your list and a color to help you organize your list. Unlike other shopping companions, Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie! uses colors instead of categories or aisles to sort your list. Though the colors look nice, I found them difficult to remember, especially when dealing with a long list of items. I can easily recall that milk is dairy and bread is bakery, but I was constantly forgetting that milk is yellow and bread is green. This labeling convention got easier as I used the app, but it still isn't as intuitive as text-based categories. Functionality Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie! is delightful to use. Its emphasis is on easy management so there are not a lot of details to enter or settings to tweak. Adding two cartons of eggs is as easy as typing Eggs:2 and hitting enter. You can also select items from a database that ships with the app. This list of shopping items in the app's database is dynamic, and the app stores new items that you add to your shopping list. It also prompts your to enter these stored items the next time you try to add them to your list. When I added Fluff to my most recent grocery list, it was also stored in the database. The next time I went to add fluff to my list, I typed "fl" and the app prompted me to enter "Fluff." It's a small feature, but a handy one that helps to minimize your typing time. Similar to other shopping apps, Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie! has a syncing feature that lets you share your list across multiple devices. The app syncs to an account you create through Skript, the company behind the Buy Me a Pie! app. Syncing was extremely quick and notification support made sure everyone else following your list was alerted of any changes. The latest version of the app also adds a bump feature that allows you to bump two iOS devices to share a list. Conclusion Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie! is a lightweight shopping app that makes it easy to manage multiple shopping lists on your iOS devices. It doesn't have the advanced features of other shopping apps like Grocery Gadget, but it makes up for it with a clean, efficient UI and fast syncing. Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie! is on sale this week for 99-cents, which makes it a must-have for iOS owners. Pros - Neat, clean interface
- Quick and easy way to enter items on your device
- Fast syncing of lists between devices
Cons - - Missing features like aisles, coupons and photos that are found in other shopping apps
- Color coding to sort items is visually appealing, but harder to remember than categories
Who is it for? - Anyone looking for a lightweight grocery shopping app with easy entry of items and blazing fast syncing.
Grocery List - Buy Me a Pie! lets you bump and share your grocery lists originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments | | "Lucky Bags" will return to Japan's Apple Stores Posted: 26 Dec 2012 06:30 AM PST  Fukubukuro, or "Mystery Bag," is a Japanese New Year's Day tradition during which merchants sell sealed bags of various items at a substantial discount, often as high as 50%. Apple Stores will participate once again on January 2, 2013. The bags will sell for US$390. In previous years, lucky customers have walked away with iPods, speakers, T-shirts and calendars. If you pick one up in January, please let us know. Customers have been known to camp out the night before, so get there early. "Lucky Bags" will return to Japan's Apple Stores originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments | | Daily iPhone App: AirLink allows you to easily share your photos using your HDTV Posted: 26 Dec 2012 05:30 AM PST  Though you can easily send photos to your HDTV using an Apple TV, not everyone has Apple's media receiver in their living room. If you are in an Apple TV-less home and want to share your latest pics on an HDTV, all you need is two iOS devices, an AV adapter and the AirLink app from Voyager Apps. AirLink debuted in the iOS App Store earlier this month and allows you to share photos between two iOS devices. One iOS device sits in your hand and controls your photos, while the other iOS device is connected to television via HDMI or VGA. Launch the app on both devices, tap to launch your photos and voila! Everyone in the room can see your images. The receiver iOS device can accept multiple connections, so more than one person with the AirLink app can share their photos using the system. The only requirements are that all the iOS devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network and they must have the AirLink app open on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. AirLink isn't a sophisticated presentation tool. It's meant to be a quick and easy way to share your holiday photos with friends or family. You can check it out in the iOS App Store. It's a universal app and available for US$1.99. Note: This is not the AirLink app previously mentioned on TUAW. The developer, Phillip Schmitt, stopped working on that bidirectional bookmarklet project earlier this year. Daily iPhone App: AirLink allows you to easily share your photos using your HDTV originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments | | TUAW Best of 2012 Nominations: Mac Posted: 25 Dec 2012 03:00 PM PST  It's time for the TUAW Best of 2012 awards, and we need your nominations for the best Mac products of the year. The nominations will be open for one week, after which time we'll compile the results and have readers vote for the winners. To make your nomination, please use the following form. Only one entry per reader, please! Developers or manufacturers who appear to be "astroturfing" the nominations will have their products disqualified from the TUAW Best of 2012 awards. Have fun thinking about your favorite Mac experiences of 2012! We'll start the voting for the TUAW Best of 2012 Awards soon. Loading... TUAW Best of 2012 Nominations: Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 25 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments | | TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Mel Martin Posted: 25 Dec 2012 01:00 PM PST  Well, it's time for the year-end best-of post, and this one is a pleasure to write. There is a real explosion of useful apps that can make our lives easier or more fun. Happily, since the apocalypse didn't destroy us all on December 21, we're all here to enjoy them. To get on my list, the app had to either come out this year of be significantly enhanced in 2012. These apps also have to be apps I use a lot, not just on occasion. These are my go-to apps for travel and local navigation. Navigon is not new but continues to have continual worthwhile updates. Apple Maps and Google Maps are free, but both have their weaknesses. Navigon has its maps loaded in the app, so I can be in the middle of nowhere and still navigate. When I have data services, Navigon offers Google local points of interest, and street-level maps. There are also destination weather, parking info and the ability to send your route to others. A great new feature is the addition of Glympse, which is a favorite all by itself. It lets your friends or family know when you are going to arrive, and they can see your progress via smartphone, tablet or computer. Glympse is free as a standalone app. But built into Navigon, it's doubly useful. Navigon is a paid app, with lots of options and a range of prices to fit your needs. There are hundreds of photo editors, but I keep returning to Snapseed, which started as a Photoshop plug-in and now is on iOS for free after being bought by Google. What I really like about Snapseed is that you can improve your photos without making them look garish or like op-art posters. Yes, you can do all that with Snapseed too, but I like the light touch I can get from Snapseed. It pulls photos off your camera roll and publishes them to the web. No charge, no signups. You can re-arrange your photos the way you like and upload them. You'll get a URL to send to friends and family. This app is free and easy to use. The only downside is you can't select multiple photos at once. This app gets my vote as the most innovative travel app for people meeting planes. Just Landed tracks a flight, gets arrival gate information and tells you when to leave for the airport, taking current traffic into account. It's a clever and useful idea. I've used it several times, and it always makes meeting a flight a lot less stressful. It's worth spending the US$0.99. All the apps have been optimized for the iPhone 5. All but Just Landed are universal apps or have iPad versions. Happy Holidays to all our readers, and here's looking forward to 2013. TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Mel Martin originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 25 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The White House's Kent Conrad problem (Ezra Klein/Wonkblog)
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:49 AM PST
| The White House's Kent Conrad problem (Ezra Klein/Wonkblog) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:30 AM PST   Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:
The White House's Kent Conrad problem — On Fox News Sunday, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), the outgoing chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, made a proposal to solve the “fiscal cliff.” The proposal isn't going anywhere, but its specifics explain something important about the White House's negotiating strategy.
| | Chuck Hagel Gets His Second Wind (Robert Wright/The Atlantic Online) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:30 AM PST Robert Wright / The Atlantic Online:
Chuck Hagel Gets His Second Wind — Tom Friedman, in this morning's New York Times, endorses Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense. Friedman finds it “disgusting” that Hagel has been “smeared as an Israel hater at best” by his detractors (some neoconservatives). | | The Multiple Distortions of Wind Subsidies (Phil Gramm/Wall Street Journal) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:25 AM PST | | Lawmaker rips State after claim that official who 'resigned' over Libya remains on payroll (Fox News) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:25 AM PST | | Mark Zuckerberg's Sister Complains Of Facebook Privacy Breach (Jack Moore/BuzzFeed) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 08:20 AM PST | | The Rioter's Veto - Can violence in the Middle East justify ... (Reason) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 08:15 AM PST  Reason:
The Rioter's Veto — Can violence in the Middle East justify censorship in the United States? — Jacob Sullum from the January 2013 issue — “In any war between the civilized man and the savage,” says the ad, “support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad.” | | Obama, Congress set for one last effort on "fiscal cliff" (Reuters) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:50 AM PST | | In defense of Chuck Hagel (Washington Post) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:45 AM PST Washington Post:
In defense of Chuck Hagel — Regarding the Dec. 21 front-page article “Vietnam scars still show in Hagel's policies”: — We strongly object, as a matter of substance and as a matter of principle, to the attacks on the character of former senator Chuck Hagel. | | NBC News stonewalls inquiries regarding David Gregory and "active investigation" by D.C. Police (William A. Jacobson/Le·gal ...) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:45 AM PST | | Benghazi penalties are bogus (Josh Margolin/New York Post) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:15 AM PST Josh Margolin / New York Post:
Benghazi penalties are bogus — The four officials supposedly out of jobs because of their blunders in the run-up to the deadly Benghazi terror attack remain on the State Department payroll — and will all be back to work soon, The Post has learned. — The highest-ranking official caught … | | Starbucks makes political push on fiscal cliff (CNNMoney.com) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:15 AM PST  CNNMoney.com:
Starbucks makes political push on fiscal cliff — Starbucks is launching a political campaign this week it hopes will get the attention of Washington policymakers who have been unable to reach a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. — In a letter to Starbucks employees made public on Wednesday … | | Body found in Webster home is believed to be killer's sister (George M. Walsh/Associated Press) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:10 AM PST | | W.H. Petition: 'Press Charges Against David Gregory' for Breaking D.C. Gun Laws (Daniel Halper/Weekly Standard) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:05 AM PST | | Let's Come Together, America (Starbucks Coffee Company) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:05 AM PST  Starbucks Coffee Company:
Let's Come Together, America — Posted by Howard S., Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer — There are moments in our lives when we have an opportunity to ignite tremendous positive change—not just in the lives of the customers and communities we serve every day, but in our country. | | Column: Reflections on Newtown (Glenn Harlan Reynolds/USA Today) Posted: 26 Dec 2012 06:40 AM PST  Glenn Harlan Reynolds / USA Today:
Column: Reflections on Newtown — A week after an American tragedy, what have we learned? — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Calling people murderers and wishing them to be shot sits oddly with claims to be against violence. — In general, crime in the United States has been declining for two decades. | You are subscribed to email updates from memeorandum
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Tech Marketing Mondays (or close enough): December 26th, 2012
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:48 AM PST
| Tech Marketing Mondays (or close enough): December 26th, 2012 Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:09 AM PST Hello Fellow B2B Marketers, Marketing Monday (or a bit later on a holiday week) is a regular blog post highlighting our ongoing research focused on B2B revenue acceleration, as well as an exclusive look into what outputs you can expect soon. Kick off your week here to get a burst of support for your professional success. Tis' the season to look back on where you excelled during 2012, and forward to some things in your business to improve upon in the New Year. Whether you want to place a renewed focus on yourcustomer experience, you want to draw inspiration from some of the leaders in social strategy, or you are a B2B marketing professional focused on driving revenue (that should apply to all of our readers), Forrester has you covered. And because your competitors and your customers are more informed than ever, we aim to give you the leg up you will need to make 2013 a banner year for your company. Graphic of the Week: Customer Experience Management (CXM) Solutions Will Emerge From The Convergence Of Many Solution Categories August 10, 2011 "The Emergence Of Customer Experience Management Solutions" Forrester report. Read more | | AMAZON TARGETS ENTERPRISE IT IN LAS VEGAS: INSIGHTS & OBSERVATIONS FROM RE:INVENT USER CONFERENCE Posted: 25 Dec 2012 06:59 PM PST Amazon Web Services (AWS) held its first global customer and partner conference in late November in Las Vegas, attracting approx. 6,000 attendees. While aimed squarely at developers, AWS highlighted two key themes that will directly appeal to enterprise IT decision-makers: · Continued global expansion - AWS cites customers in 190 countries, but the company is clearly pushing for greater penetration in enterprise accounts via aggressive global expansion. AWS now has 9 regional data centers, including 3 in Asia Pacific - Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney. · Expanded services footprint within customer accounts - The major announcement at Re:Invent was a limited preview of a new data warehouse (DW) service called Amazon Redshift- a fully managed, cloud-based petabyte-scale DW. As my colleague Stefan Ried tweeted during the event, with a limit of 1.6 petabyte, this is not for test/development, this is a serious production warehouse. Read more | You are subscribed to email updates from Forrester Blogs
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Hackers Use Backdoor to Break System
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:46 AM PST
| Hackers Use Backdoor to Break System Posted: 26 Dec 2012 04:05 AM PST Industrial control system comes with a backdoor: Although the system was password protected in general, the backdoor through the IP address apparently required no password and allowed direct access to the control system. "[Th]e published backdoor URL provided the same level of access to the company's control system as the password-protected administrator login," said the memo. The security of this backdoor is secrecy. Of course, that never lasts: Hackers broke into the industrial control system of a New Jersey air conditioning company earlier this year, using a backdoor vulnerability in the system, according to an FBI memo made public this week. | You are subscribed to email updates from Schneier on Security
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Creating A Content Calendar
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:42 AM PST
| Creating A Content Calendar Posted: 03 Dec 2012 05:52 AM PST The following is an edited excerpt from Buzzing Communities. A content calendar should identify not only the categories of content that will be used, but also the specific content that will feature within that category for that date. You can look at both online and offline content produced within the sector to identify the most popular categories. This is easier to identify in online content by both the number of comments such categories receive and their placement upon the community platform. The inclusion of these categories is usually a good indicator in itself that they are popular with the audience. Categories The categories of content include: - News. Short posts highlighting what's new in the community or the community's sector.
- Announcements. Major announcements about the organization, community, or sector.
- Feature Articles. Interviews, analyses, reviews, previews, in-depth features, polls etc...
- Guest Columns. User generated content with members sharing their predictions, experiences, or thoughts on different issues.
- Classifieds. Member to member sales or company to member sales.
- Statements. Community statements on topical issues.
- Promotions. Unique opportunities/deals exclusive to community members.
- Miscellaneous. There is a range of things here....
For example, a calendar at a single-week interval may look like: • Monday: daily Community news + Feature interview with Mark smith about (topic) • Tuesday: daily Community news + Opinion column from a community member (John doe) • Wednesday: daily Community news + Promotion of live-chat about (topic) • Thursday: daily Community news + Feature interview with Jane roddis (VIP) • Friday: Promotions day (sponsors discount offer) + wel-come newcomers • Saturday: summary of the week • Sunday: Preview of the week ahead Remember that within each category are several sub-categories. News, notably, may be about the latest events, new members, new/popular discussions, unique contributions, member milestones/achievements or an update on a topical issue. In the sample calendar above, the daily community news is a constant update of the latest activity. The other category features can be reused every week. On a calendar with a monthly interval, categories such as newcomer of the month, member of the month, offline meetup content, activity/challenge day may also appear. In addition, a major event will have a significant impact upon the calendar. Regular calendar events may be set aside to focus on building up excitement for the event and covering the event once it is in process. Measuring content Content, like everything else, can be measured. In fact, it should be measured. Key metrics • number of return website visitors to each item of content. • Average time spent on each item of content. • number of times the content has been shared on other social media platforms. • Familiarity with other members from the sense of community measurement. • Average number of visits per member to the community within the past 30 days. You want to discover which types of content gain the most visitors, the most time spent on the page (the article is fully read), the number of times it's shared externally (word of mouth), and whether members feel stronger levels of familiarity with other members. You can buy Buzzing Communities: How To Build Bigger, Better, And More Active Online Communities from the links below: Amazon.com
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Europe
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The U.S. Marine Corps Wants You to ‘Pin’ Yourself Together and ‘Dump the Plump’
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:41 AM PST
| The U.S. Marine Corps Wants You to ‘Pin’ Yourself Together and ‘Dump the Plump’ Posted: 26 Dec 2012 03:05 AM PST All season long, Pinterest has been a wonderland of holiday cookies and cozy sweaters that even the Grinch wouldn’t return. Retailers and bakeries were decking the walls with colors and textures that were so rich, they probably had calories. All that decadence ends today: the U.S. Marine Corps is back on the site, ordering users to drop and give them twenty. Pinterest’s virtual advent calendar opened this morning with a burly Marine offering a board full of instructions for Pinterest users on how to ‘dump the plump’ and get in shape after the holidays. The Pinspiration calendar is a 30-day collaboration between Pinterest, non-profits, Pinterest users, and brands to share what inspires them on a new board each day. The U.S. Marines aren’t the most obvious choice for holiday fun, but remember that this social-savvy branch of the military has also inspired brides-to-be with pleasant images of military weddings and party supplies for the Marine Corps Ball. They’ve got about 6,000 followers now. The ‘Dump the Plump’ board balances workout tips with images of injured soldiers to encourage pinners to quit whining and get some exercise. By the end of this workout, those pinners will be ready for battle and a June wedding. New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.  | | Social Media Newsfeed: Klout 2012 Stats | ‘Ho Ho HootSuite’ Posted: 26 Dec 2012 12:00 AM PST Click here to receive the Morning Social Media Newsfeed via email.
 Most Influential People, Companies and Cities of 2012 [Infographic] (SocialTimes)
Klout, a service that ranks social network account holders for their influence, released a list of the most influential people, companies, products and cities of 2012. The iPhone was the big winner in products. And Facebook, the single most searched term of the year, was the most influential company.
Santa Says, 'Ho Ho HootSuite' (AllFacebook)
How does Santa Claus manage his social media efforts? According to HootSuite, the fat man in the red suit uses its HootSuite Enterprise command center. The Best Days to Post to Facebook, by Industry (SocialTimes)
It turns out that we're not all on Facebook all day, every day. This infographic shows marketers in different industries how to catch people when they're in the mood for everything from finance to fast food, any day of the week.
The Top Twitter Trends of 2012 [Infographic] (AllTwitter)
This infographic from HootSuite takes a look at what trended on Twitter in 2012 in tech, world news, music and sports, and also provides an overall top 10. The London Olympics, U.S. presidential election, Hurricane Sandy, Euro 2012 and the Super Bowl dominated news reporting worldwide this year, and of course, these events also trended globally on Twitter. How Social Networks Can Give Competitors a Window into Your Business (SocialTimes)
According to a pair of McKinsey consultants, companies aren't adequately aware of all the ways their competitors can use social networks and related tools to gather information about them. Here are a few sources of insider information you may not have considered. USA Network Invites Fans to Create Tagline for New Season of 'Psych' (LostRemote)
USA Network is tapping into its fans to help develop the marketing strategy for the seventh season of Psych, which will premiere on the network on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Through Dec. 23, fans were able to "visit the Psych Tag iiit app on USANetwork.com or the show Facebook page to submit, review and rank taglines."
If You Don't Post Your Babies' Pictures on Facebook, Someone Else Will (SocialTimes)
Eventually, my dad leaked a baby picture to a family member, and that family member shared it on Facebook. When I discovered it, along with all the cheerful "How cute!" comments under my child's sick, emaciated face, I was so angry. Video Infographic: Social Media Chart Toppers of 2012 (SocialTimes)
Plenty of stars have dominated one social platform, but when you put them all together — Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and more — you can see just how many fans a person can really have online. This video looks back on the biggest moments of 2012 through the lens of 11 social networks. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest – 2012′s Most Amazing Social Media Statistics [Infographic] (AllTwitter)
Did you know that since Twitter first opened its doors back in 2006, more than 163 billion tweets have been sent on the micro-blogging social network? What if we told you that 25 percent of Facebook users don't bother with any kind of privacy settings? These, and many other statistics, can be found in this infographic, courtesy of iStrategyLabs.
App store apps
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.  | | The Best Days to Post to Facebook, by Industry Posted: 25 Dec 2012 06:00 AM PST It turns out that we’re not all on Facebook all day, every day. This infographic shows marketers in different industries how to catch people when they’re in the mood for everything from finance to fast food, any day of the week. Analysts at LinchpinSEO have measured three types of interactions: likes, comments, and shares; and studied the amount of interaction per day to come up with the best days to post for each sector. It’s mostly bad news: many people curb their Facebook time until the weekend, when they can upload their baby pictures (and hopefully pick out a luxury car) in peace. Oddly enough, many of the businesses that normally have weekend hours (retailers, for example) see the most social media engagement on weekdays, while those that stick to the traditional work week (banks) are more likely to get a response from their customers on weekends. Technology is the exception to the rule: Mondays are the best days to post, with an engagement rate that’s 30 percent higher than on other days. New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.  | You are subscribed to email updates from SocialTimes
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Top 12 ViralBlog Posts Of 2012
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:29 AM PST
| Top 12 ViralBlog Posts Of 2012 Posted: 26 Dec 2012 07:26 AM PST It was again a hectic year in social media for users and brands. And here at ViralBlog we tried to keep you updated as much as possible. 
We published more than 350 articles on ViralBlog in 2012, we bring you bring you the top 12 of 2012 that you simply have to read…
You may not be able to go through all of them at once, but these are the most read posts of 2012 on ViralBlog that should not be missed. Let us know your opinion in the comments, looking forward to read them! 
Viral culthit Gangnam Style is an uncool video clip that seems to be on steroids. The video clip, created by the unknown artist and rapper PSY, was watched over 62 million times in 6 weeks and was growing by 4 million views a day. A few days ago it surpassed one billion views…Hail to the new YouTube king! 
Facebook, the social network juggernaut that amassed almost 1 billion active members, introduced Facebook (fan) pages in November 2007 as a way for businesses, organizations and bands/artists of many types to easily establish a brand presence on Facebook and build an audience of fans. 
On the day that over a million Bayer Munich fans applied for a ticket to the Champions Leaugue final, the viral hit on Twitter and Facebook is not about Chelsea, Bayer or the final, but about tons of Ronaldo vs Messi jokes. 
Mobile marketing is changing the way marketers, brands, agencies and consumers think about marketing. Smart phones have changed the dynamic forever. No matter whether marketers care about social media, local marketing, email marketing, e-commerce, phone calls or web traffic — mobile marketing is changing them all. If you don't believe that mobile is changing marketing forever…you're wrong. 
Creative concepts with the objective to raise awareness around Breast Cancer are always interesting, not just only for the good cause. Normally October is the month when these concepts pop-up on the net. But thanks to the efforts of two Frenchmen, awareness of the cause is coming throughout the whole year. In October 2011, the two created this super simple Tumblr website filled with Instagram boob shots: Boobstagram. It's all becoming much clearer to me now why Facebook bought Instagram… 
#8 might be your lucky number today. SocialMedia8 was willing to share 88 of the 888 social media and social monitoring tools they have mapped. I hope they will offer you powerful analytics and actionable insights. The part that you will need to add during your selection process is the brand and business objectives you are trying to achieve, since that will lead you to the best tool matchmaking… 
Lego has been covered at ViralBlog several times. Mostly for injecting stunning new innovations to its products and advertising. This time Lego has earned our attention with very clever print ads. Can you guess who are in these ads? A small hint? The ads feature popular cartoon characters. How about Asterix & Obelix, Bert & Ernie and many more… 
As it is easy going Saturday, we decided to have a look at something not that serious, but also a habit some of us have: use a cell phone while in a restroom. We've all been there, you've eaten a bit too much of your grandmother's famous southern fried chicken salad and find yourself trapped between the confines of a public place and the forces of nature. 
'At about 5 p.m. ET, our beloved actor Morgan Freeman passed away due to a artery rupture. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.' But please, don't take these phrases and this Facebook page serious. This Hollywood Icon is alive and kicking. Another great example of the power of social media or a sick hoax? 
You love him or you hate him: Italian striker Mario Balotelli. His amazing goals during EURO 2012 created a tipping point for this extravagant rock star. See what brands can learn from him, and discover why Balotelli is the king of buzz… Nike Football sure has vision when it comes to contracting amazing players and they embraced Balotelli. Could Super Mario become the next Eric Cantona or Dennis Rodman? 
There are many disturbances that keep your focus away – noisy colleagues, excessive number of emails, meetings and much more. How do you spend your day at work? Really working full time all the time? But don't worry, you're not alone. Want to know which are the most time-consuming activities that keep you away from your daily tasks? 
You are the chief marketing officer at your company and you have to approach the big man or woman about trying something out. The goal, to get them to sign off on putting major time and effort into a social media campaign. Thanks for all the tweets, shares, likes and comments! Which articles would you nominate in the top 12? Follow & Share
Want to read more about Viral & Social Games ? Select our category Viral & Social Games, follow ViralBlog on Twitter, grab our RSS Feed or join our Facebook movement to get more exclusive content. The post Top 12 ViralBlog Posts Of 2012 appeared first on VIRALBLOG.COM.     |
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6 Twitter Analytics Tools to Improve Your Marketing
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:22 AM PST
| 6 Twitter Analytics Tools to Improve Your Marketing Posted: 26 Dec 2012 03:00 AM PST  Do you know if your Twitter marketing is working?
Monitoring and analyzing your Twitter projects can be challenging. With the right metrics, you can improve and tailor your Twitter campaigns for better results. Luckily, third-party Twitter tools provide these metrics, but there are MANY tools to choose from out there. So here I’ll share some of the best Twitter analytics tools to help you improve your Twitter marketing. #1: SocialBro: Explore Your CommunityI consider SocialBro one of the top three most effective marketing tools for businesses. SocialBro comes with excellent analytics that give great insights not only about your marketing campaign, but also about your Twitter account and followers. Here are the analytics tools available with SocialBro. Real-time Analytics Real-time Analytics gives you details of the people who are active users and have tweeted in the last 10 minutes in real time. This helps you determine the specific hour of the day when people are active. It’s a quick way to know when you should be tweeting. This is more relevant than depending on studies done by others, because it’s tailored specifically for you and your Twitter community.  SocialBro's Real-time Analytics allows you to find the number of active users at a particular time. Insights About Your Account You’re able to get insights about your own Twitter account, as well as your followers. You can see: - Number of followers you have
- Number of followers who have not followed you back
- Number of people you haven’t followed back
- In which language your followers are tweeting
- Time zone of your followers
- Where your followers are from
- Number of followers your followers have
- How frequently your followers go online
- Number of tweets your followers have sent
 SocialBro analytics give you insights about your Twitter account. You can use this additional data to improve your Twitter marketing. You’ll have better insights about your followers, which means you can tailor your Twitter content to be more relevant to your community. For example, if you find that your followers are mostly from the Asia-Pacific region, you should design your campaign to broadcast according to their time zone.  By using SocialBro analytics, you'll be able to get insights about your followers such as their time zones. #2: TweetReach: Determine How Far Your Tweets TravelTweetReach helps you determine the reach of your tweets. All you have to do is insert the URL of your blog or any post and you’ll get information regarding the post. Here’s an example of a search for one of my recent articles on Social Media Examiner.  TweetReach analyzes a URL and gives you detailed data of the URL. This is the data you get: - The tweet’s or URL’s reach
- How much exposure the URL received
- How many times it was retweeted on a particular day
- Top contributors who shared a particular URL
- User with the most retweets
- A list of 50 contributors of a particular URL
 TweetReach's data of the top contributors or the most retweets. With the last three data points, not only do you get insights about influential users who have shared your article, but you also get a list of the top 50 people who shared your post or tweet.  List of the top contributors who shared a particular URL or tweet. You can do a variety of things with this information, such as add these influential users to a list and continue to build relationships with them, and thank them for sharing your tweets and more. TweetReach gives you the data you need to build a targeted network of people who share the same interests as you. Alternatively, if you’re looking to build relationships with users or customers, you can do a little bit more research and use this tool to find relevant and targeted users. #3: Buffer: Schedule Your ContentNot only is Buffer the best way to schedule your tweets without spending much time, but it also comes with a simple, straightforward analytics tool to help you determine how effective your tweets are. Buffer provides you data such as: - The number of clicks you receive
- How many people retweet your tweet
- How many people favorite your tweet
- A list of people who retweet and favorite your tweet with their username and the number of followers they have
 Buffer's platform comes with built-in analytics that can help you improve your Twitter marketing. This helps you to find out how effective your tweets are and the best time you should be tweeting. Additionally, you can quickly thank your followers from Buffer’s platform. #4: TwentyFeet: Track Your Social Media StatsTwentyFeet is a simple, straightforward tool to use. It doesn’t require any time beyond signing up to get some insights into your Twitter account. Once you have registered on the site, it provides you with metrics such as: - Twitter account’s follower growth
- Amount of mentions you received
- Amount of retweets you received
- Amount of tweets in a day
- Retweets given in a day
- Replies given in a day
My favorite insight from this tool is the influence indicator, where you can get insights on the number of mentions and retweets you have in a particular day.  TwentyFeet's metrics on mentions and retweets received in a particular week. As you can see here, the number of retweets I received on November 26 was higher compared to other days. With this data, it’s easy to look back and find out what I was doing on that particular day and try to repeat that success. #5: Goo.gl URL ShortenerEvery business needs to use at least one URL shortener service. There are Goo.gl, bit.ly and many more out there. Some social media management tools like HootSuite or Social Engage come with their own URL shorteners for you to track how effective your tweets are through their platform. My favorite is Google’s URL shortener, Goo.gl. I love the simple design and how easy it is to use. Goo.gl is a great tool that lets you track: - The number of people who are clicking on your links
- The types of browser people use to read your article
- The countries where they’re from
- The device or platform they use (this gives you insights into the number of mobile or computer device users)
 Goo.gl gives you metrics about people clicking your links. This gives you insights not only about how effective your tweet is, but also about the demographics of your followers or people who are clicking your links. #6: Klout: How You Influence the WorldWith regards to Twitter analytics, Klout helps you do two things. The first is improve your content to tweet more about things that your followers are interested in, and the second is maintain relationships with influential users. Although the measurement of influence is not perfect, you can get some great insights that help you improve your marketing on Twitter. Klout provides a variety of data and insights including: Klout Moments This allows you to see your influential tweets in the last 90 days. Here you can get insights about the type and topics of tweets your followers are interested in.  Klout moments allow you to find tweets that generated "actions" by your followers. Influencers Who are the influential users who have spent time engaging with you? Klout gives you a list of users who have previously engaged with you arranged according to their Klout scores. This is one way to identify and target influential users who may add more value to your networking.  Klout Influencers will show you a list of influencers arranged according to their Klout scores. Summary There are many useful Twitter analytics tools out there, but these are some of my favorites. I’ve constantly used them to cover all of my marketing bases. What do you think? Are there any other tools that you would like included in the list? Join the conversation below and let me hear your thoughts! | You are subscribed to email updates from Social Media Examiner
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SiliconBeat
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:22 AM PST
| Bravo’s “Start-Ups: Silicon Valley” was a lot of noise to no real effect Posted: 25 Dec 2012 12:43 PM PST Geez, “Start-Ups: Silicon Valley:” We hardly knew ya. You can read about the Bravo show’s bitter end here and here. I guess it’s only appropriate that a show about start-ups would shine brightly, but briefly. That’s often what start-ups do and so a series that was meant to show the world what start-ups are all about engaged in some full disclosure. Like most TV shows, most start-ups don’t make it. I can’t say I was a fan, as I let on in a column when the show debuted. But like I told Randi Zuckerberg, one of the show’s backers, when she was gracious enough to compliment the column that eviscerated her show: It’s hard for me to criticize someone for trying to create something. No, “Start-Ups” was not grounded in Silicon Valley reality at all. Not even grounded in Silicon Valley — taking place mostly in San Francisco. But it’s hard to image that the program shaped the way any thinking person views the valley. It was a circus, a joke, a stage for some start-up wannabes to strut upon. I can’t imagine the cast even took itself seriously. And it’s hard to imagine that any of those launching start-ups on the show hurt their careers. One venture capitalist I talked to about the program did say that some investor or potential buyers might object to “the foul language and other shenanigans.” But the valley tends to be pretty forgiving when there is money to be made. As for Zuckerberg (yes, the sister of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg), she told me at the time of the debut (in a Twitter conversation) that “Start-Ups” would not be her last act. She said she had “lots of other non-reality shows in the pipeline, too.” Shows that were “more suited to non-die-hard Bravo fans.” It will be interesting to see what she comes up with. I’ve got to believe at this point that whatever it is going to be an improvement. (Photo by Emily Shur/Bravo) |
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The five programming books that meant most to me
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:22 AM PST
| The five programming books that meant most to me Posted: 26 Dec 2012 08:25 AM PST There are so many programming books out there, but most focus on specific technologies and their half-life is incredibly short. Others focus on process or culture. Very few focus on the timeless principles of writing good code, period. The following five books had the biggest influence on my programming style and development: - Smalltalk Best Practice Patterns: Incredibly practical advice for what constitutes good OO code. It’s done in Smalltalk, but the principles are mostly universal. Probably my favorite nuts’n’bolts of programming design book. Very granular.
- Refactoring: The fundamental before/after book. Here’s some code that could be better, here’s how to make it better. The trick to reading this book is to carefully read through every single refactoring pattern and then try to apply it on your code base (you don’t have to commit if it doesn’t fix things). You can’t just blow through it or you won’t really learn it. And you can’t just say “oh, I’ll look up a refactoring when I need it” — because then you don’t know what to look for.
- Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture: Great inventory of many of the patterns that underpin Rails itself, as well as descriptions of many of the “new” approaches that people advocate today (like transaction scripts and service layers). You won’t necessarily implement most of these patterns yourself, but it’s an invaluable resource to understanding the differences in architectures and why framework work the way they do. (Funny anecdote: before I created Rails, I redrew many of the diagrams in OmniGraffle for Martin Fowler because I liked the book so much.)
- Domain-Driven Design: This is probably the least readable book of the bunch. It’s a slug to work through, but the ideas are worth it. It’s a great primer on how to turn a problem space into a beautiful OO domain model. What should your models be called? What logic goes where? How do we reproduce reality into an object model.
- Are Your Lights On?: This isn’t technically a programming book, but it deals with the biggest problem facing developers none the less: What is the problem we’re trying to solve? Is it the right problem? Could we solve a different problem instead and that would be just as good? Nothing has increased my programming productivity more than being able to restate hard problems as simple ones.
If you consider programming to be a subset of writing, and I certainly do, then you would also do well to read Elements of Style and On Writing Well. I’ve found reading those made me a better programmer as well. Reading these five to seven books will give your programming chops more vitamins and nutritional value than a couple of year’s worth of blog posts and tutorial.  | You are subscribed to email updates from Signal vs. Noise
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Christmas Isn’t Awesome For Everyone
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:22 AM PST
| Christmas Isn’t Awesome For Everyone Posted: 26 Dec 2012 06:38 AM PST This is a tough time of year for a lot of people. I used to be one of them. And I’ve gotten over it, and myself, which I attribute 100% to Amy helping me figure it out and not being willing to put up with my nonsense. But it’s a useful reminder for those who think it’s awesome for everyone. While the Christmas and New Year’s holidays can be a restful, restorative, wonderful family time, it can be excruciating for those who are depressed. It can be oppressive rather than restorative to those who are exhausted and worn out from the year. And for those who feel pressure from being immersed in their family, or who feel unresolved tension in their relationships, it can be a nightmare. My struggle with this time of year is simple – I never had Christmas as a kid. I’m Jewish and my parents didn’t embrace the “ok – we’ll pretend like Christmas isn’t supposed to be about Jesus being born” so we never celebrated it. I recall existing in this parallel universe, where all my friends had this crazy gift foreplay for the month of December, talking about what they were going to get, running around with the parents getting things for their friends, and planning for the main event. It culminated in gift orgies on December 25th, wrapping paper flying, and endless gifts piled up to be played with, inspected, eaten, and traded. I attended a few of these gift orgies at the invitation of my friends. I always brought over a nice gift for my friend and his or her parents. I always got something – usually one thing that was generic (that everyone got), or a book, or sometimes a piece of clothing. Occasionally, out of last minute mercy, the mother of my friend would scrounge up whatever extras they had, put it in a leftover stocking, and give it to me. As I got older, I got crankier about it. My first wife celebrated Christmas so we did it at her house, with her family. They were polite, but they never liked me very much, so the whole think was this awkward charade, which just made things worse. I refused to have a Christmas tree in my apartment, so my ex-wife and I fought every year around Christmas for the few years that we were together. And that sealed the deal for me – Christmas sucked. I then went through the “why isn’t everyone working” phase of Christmas. I was resentful that everyone took two weeks off. C’mon – there’s work to be done! I’d grind through my work, being newly productive, cleaning up all the cruft I hadn’t gotten to, as everyone else partied and had fun. I can’t remember what Amy and I did for Christmas for the first few years of our relationship, but after we moved to Boulder we started spending it with her family in Western Colorado. They were extremely nice to me and included me in everything they did, but I still felt like an alien in the midst of a strange human ritual. I recall spending hours huddled over a laptop trying to figure out the cheapest way to get a dial-in connection to check my email, even though no one was sending me email because it was Christmas. At some point I just accepted that I was grumpy at this time of year. Disoriented. Confused. Sometimes a little depressed. Usually just bored. Amy put up with it, but kept nudging me to try different things. A few years ago I finally turned a corner. We started spending the last two weeks of the year at our house in Keystone. We’d invite a variety of friends up for a few days. The only Christmas celebration we had was Jewish Christmas, where we went out for Chinese food and a movie on Christmas eve. We’ve recently augmented that with sushi and a movie on Christmas day night. Instead of being grumpy, I just chill out. I enjoy hanging out with whomever comes to visit. I read a lot, sleep a lot, and catch up on a bunch of stuff – mostly writing – that I get behind on. And I get rested and ready for the year ahead. It took me a very long time to figure this out. Maybe I’m slow when it comes to decoding Christmas, but I’ve got a bunch of friends who also struggle with this time of year. I watch from a distance as couples bundle up their kids, stick them on a plane, and make a painful, stress-filled visit to some distant city where one of them grew up. Or my single friends searching for something – anything – to do other than a trip to their parents. Or others, just defaulting into a trip to where they grew up, knowing it’s going to suck but feeling powerless to do anything about it. It’s ok not to love Christmas. But that doesn’t mean you have to be miserable for the last two weeks of December every year. If you aren’t loving the game, change it.  | | Hope Is Critical To A Strategy Posted: 25 Dec 2012 11:23 AM PST There has been a cliche going around the last decade or so that goes “hope is not a strategy.” It inspired a book titled Hope Is Not a Strategy: The 6 Keys to Winning the Complex Sale and is repeated often by VCs in boardrooms when they are confronted with companies that are flailing, especially when trying to reach their revenue goals. I’ve been guilty of saying it a few times although it always left a funny taste in my mouth and I didn’t know why until this morning when I read a great essay (unpublished at this point) by Dov Seidman, the the Founder and CEO of LRN. In it Dov has a great punch line. “No doubt you've heard the old business cliché that hope is not a strategy. During the recent presidential election one candidate in fact said this very thing in an attack ad against the other. It's an expression usually used to belittle someone and to exhort them to deliver a linear plan. And while they are right that hope is technically not a strategy, inspirational leaders understand one final thing: that without hope there is no strategy. “
He is so absolutely correct. I’m an optimistic, hopeful person. I think things will turn out ok. I don’t deny reality and I live by the words of John Galt when he said “It’s not that I don’t suffer, it’s that I know the unimportance of suffering.” I suffer plenty, I have plenty of things fail, and I’m sure I disappoint a lot of people. But I never give up hope, never give up trying to do better, and never give up learning from my mistakes. We are coming to the end of a calendar year that has had a lot of crazy, bizarre, hostile, and negative stuff in it, especially in the past two months. I measure my years by my birthday, so my new year started on 12/1 when I booted up v47 of me. I was in pretty rough shape physically and emotionally because of the preceding few months but I was on the mend and optimistic. Other than struggling through a nasty cold (which is clearly linked to a completely trashed immune system from a pile of antibiotics and the past few months of system stress) I’ve had a great few weeks with Amy, some friends, and very little travel. As I look forward to the next year, I have a clear strategy – both for my work, my personal life, and my health. A bunch of friends have said mildly cynical things like “you say that every year” or “I just read the annual ‘Brad broke himself” blog post” – mostly in an effort to be supportive, but clearly with the view that no matter what I try differently each year, the outcome will be the same and I’ll melt down somewhere in October or November. Part of the beauty of an annual cycle is the opportunity to try again. To revisit your existing strategy or to create a new strategy. To shift your mindset from “this is inevitable” to “having hope for a different outcome.” Now – if you only have hope, but no strategy, you won’t make any progress. But if you have a strategy, but no hope, you are dooming yourself to failure before you begin. So take advantage of this time of year. Do whatever you need to do to hit reset. Purge your brain of all the angry, negative, cynical, defeatist crap. Accept that context in which we are living. Then, create a new strategy for yourself – for work, for yourself personally, for your relationship, for whatever, and inject a good dose of hope into the mix. Do something new. And be extraordinary at it. Remember Yoda – do or do not, there is not try.  | You are subscribed to email updates from Feld Thoughts
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tedemmons: Photographer: Ted EmmonsMua/Hair: Brittany...
Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:19 AM PST
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