The Huffington Post looked for suckers in a target-rich environment; Lindsay Robertson offered a shocking new David Paterson rumor; and Lindsay Lohan is frightened by Google. The Twitterati hated the...
[twitterati brian stelter jose antonio vargas lindsay lohan lindsay robertson perez hilton we read twitter so you don't have to ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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We couldn't persuade Orkut Büyükkökten to invite us to his opulent birthday-and-housewarmingparty Saturday, but we won't hold it against him. After all, Google's ambassador to the gay party scene had...
[herogram geeks gone wild google marissa mayer orkut buyukkokten party report sergey brin the gays the rich ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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It didn't feature an athletic woman with a flimsy bra throwing a hammer through a screen, but I thought Google's Super Bowl ad was pretty well done:

Tags: advertising   Google   search   Super Bowl   TVtypetext/htmlbasehttp://kottke.org/

iA WebTrends 2008
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languagevalueWe've just published a new webinar schedule for the next month. In our live webinars, we'll highlight changes you can make to your ad implementation in order to maximize your AdSense revenue. We're also trying something new with our upcoming webinars: we've set up open Google Moderator discussions, where you can raise questions related to the specific webinar topic or vote on questions from other participants. We'll then answer your questions live in the webinar.

To sign up for our webinars, please visit our Help Center. Even if you're not able to attend the live sessions, we'll make sure to upload each webinar recording within 24 hours of the event.

Posted by Siobhán McCormack - AdSense Optimisation Team typetext/htmlbasehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/tuAm
[Other ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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There was inevitably some cultural friction when Apple's secretive CEO took his new iPad around to New York's professionally indiscreet media. Exhibit A is a single tweet from a Wall Street Journal...
[Shut Up, Twitter alan murray gettypic ipad print is dead steve jobs wall street journal ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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languageenvalue

I've posted about hikaru dorodango a couple times before but they're always worth another look. Dorodango start out as sloppy mud balls but through careful shaping and polishing with dirt and sand, they end up perfectly round and shiny. Here is a particularly beautiful and unusual example, made from some yellow soil in New Mexico:

That totally looks like leather! Here is a more traditional (and shiny!) example:

Both of these were made by dorodango artist Bruce Gardner. Here's some video of how the balls are made:

This video is good as well but if you want to create your own, these detailed directions will be a better guide.

Tags: hikaru dorodango   how totypetext/htmlbasehttp://kottke.org/

iA WebTrends 2008
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languagevalueFeras Alhlou, president and principal consultant of E-Nor, a Google Analytics Authorized Consultant, will be conducting a Google Analytics workshop at SMX West on March 5, called "Using Google Analytics to Improve Your Online Marketing & Business." Register here and get 10% off with this discount code: GA@SMX

Many organizations, large and small, struggle to go beyond basic web metrics of visitor counts and pageview volumes. In this workshop, senior consultant Feras Alhlou will walk you through what you need in order to drive your online marketing strategy ahead of your competition. I've had the pleasure of sitting in on Feras' workshops in the past, and it was the one of the main reasons we were so proud when E-Nor in the Bay Area joined our Google Analytics Authorized Consultant network. His clear, engaging and energetic teaching style will make the day fly by as you learn. It's time well spent.
Workshop Agenda

Morning Session – Marketer/Business Focus – Strategy & Planning

• Web Analytics Strategy – approach, opportunities and limitations
• How It Works – overview, accuracy and privacy implications, integrating with other data
• Practical – understanding the user interface
• Advanced Features Overview – clever stuff you can do with Google Analytics

Afternoon Session – Webmaster/Technical Focus – Implementation

• Accounts & Profiles, Filters & Goals – structure your data properly
• External Campaign Tracking – measure performance of search, email, banner campaigns
• Reporting – dashboards & insights
• Advanced Segmentation & Custom Reports – powerful ways to find insights

The Google Analytics team will also be at SMX West, and we'll blog about that in the near future. Hope to see you there.
Posted by Jeff Gillis, Google Analytics Team typetext/htmlbasehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/tRaA

iA WebTrends 2008
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The way that books used to be printed, the reader would have to cut open each page with a paper knife before it could be read, every page a tiny gift from the writer.

The printing happened on large sheets of paper which were then folded into rectangles the size of the finished pages and bound. The reader then sliced open the folds. Paper knives, variants of letter openers, were used for this purpose.

The deckle edge on modern books is an imitation of what those sliced open books looked like.

Tags: bookstypetext/htmlbasehttp://kottke.org/

iA WebTrends 2008
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All nine of the planets in our solar system are represented in these wonderful posters by Ross Berens.

Pluto. Never forget.

Tags: design   Pluto   Ross Berens   spacetypetext/htmlbasehttp://kottke.org/

iA WebTrends 2008
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Celebrity photographer Terry Richardson has a blog to which he posts quick snaps. Sorta like everyone else on the planet except that oh, there's Kate Moss and there's Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen and there's Justin Theroux and there's Doutzen Kroes and there's Tracy Morgan.

Somewhat NSFW in places.

Tags: photography   Terry Richardsontypetext/htmlbasehttp://kottke.org/

iA WebTrends 2008
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San Jose, Calif. - Feb. 8, 2010 - Cisco today announced that Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Salem Hospital,  ExamWorks, and University of Sydney have selected Cisco® Data Center 3.0 technology to optimize data center resources, simplify data center management, and reduce the total cost of ownership, while increasing business agility and productivity. Cisco Data Center 3.0 ...
[Data Center ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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This is another installment in News@Cisco's ongoing series celebrating Cisco's 25th Anniversary February 8, 2010 By Charles Waltner Fittingly, one of the legendary undertakings in the early days of the Information Age took place in Orlando, Fla., home of Disney World, the theme park of fairy tales and fantasy worlds. It was here in 1994 that Time Warner Cable launched the Full Service ...
[Cable Operators, Telecommunications/Service Providers, Video ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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Opera Software today announced that Huawei, the China-based leading global telecommunications solutions provider, will preinstall Opera Mobile 10 on a range of mobile handsets. Huawei has long focused on creating value for its customers, and, with Opera Mobile the company can deploy a fast and feature-complete Web experience on multiple mobile platforms.

iA WebTrends 2008
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Slow clap for Slate V, who put together the following theoretical Google "commercial" that's ostensibly—at the least—just a concept, and at best, a successful meme. Truth be told, though,...
[videuhoh commercials google slate tiger woods viral videos ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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languageenvalue

I spent about 30 minutes on Friday night on Chatroulette (very NSFW). You push the start button and you're instantly in a video chat with some random person. During my session, the average "chat" lasted about 5 seconds and I observed several people drinking malt liquor, two girls making out, many many guys who disconnected as soon as they saw I wasn't female, several girls who disconnected after seeing my face (but not before I caught the looks of disgust on theirs), 3 couples having sex, and 11 erect penises. In a Malkovichian moment, I was even connected to myself once...and then the other me quickly disconnected. In short, Chatroulette is pretty much the best site going on the internet right now.

Sam Anderson has a nice article in New York magazine about Chatroulette.

Tags: Chatroulette   NSFW   Sam Andersontypetext/htmlbasehttp://kottke.org/

iA WebTrends 2008
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languagevalueSuper Bowl XLIV. Of all the events on the American sports landscape, this is the most important game of the year.

Kickoff is at 6:25pm ET in Miami, where the AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts will meet the NFC Champion New Orleans Saints to decide the NFL Champion. Football fans are anticipating a great game, featuring the cerebral control of Colts quarterback and regular season MVP Peyton Manning against the creative style of Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

Off the field and on screens everywhere, Madison Avenue heavyweights will be competing, as well. Advertisers are reportedly paying as much as $3 million for 30 seconds of your time in what promises to be an epic contest of brands, products and celebrity endorsers.

To whet your appetite for both competitions, our Ad Blitz channel, with pre-game videos sponsored by Kia Motors, is a one-stop shop for everything Super Bowl-related. YouTube partners have been busy making predictions, cooking up party recipes and generally dishing on all things related the big game:



During the game, we'll be adding all the 2010 Super Bowl commercials to a video wall on the Ad Blitz channel immediately after they air on TV. Come to the channel to watch and give each ad a thumbs up or down. Voting ends Monday, February 15, with the winner gracing our homepage on Thursday, February 18.

May the best team – and ad – win!

Andrew Bangs, Sports Manager, recently watched "If Filmmakers Directed the Super Bowl."

UPDATE: We’ve seen a fair amount of speculation online regarding a few Super Bowl ads that are currently missing from YouTube’s Ad Blitz. To be clear, each video uploaded to the Ad Blitz was authorized in advance at the advertiser’s request. (Not all Super Bowl advertisers gave us permission to include their ad.) Still, any advertiser airing an ad during the game can send us their ad and enter the Ad Blitz at any time before the end of the voting period, which closes at 11:59:59 PM (ET) on February 15, 2010. We expect to add additional videos to the Ad Blitz in the coming days.

And congratulations Saints! typetext/htmlbasehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/youtube/PKJx
[sports ads contests events ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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Hi blog readers, it’s Anuj from the communications team here. I’m writing to let you know that personal payments to and from India and transfers to local banks in India have been suspended while we work with our business partners and other stakeholders to address questions they have about the service. During ...

iA WebTrends 2008
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The third alpha of Python 2.7 is now available for download.

iA WebTrends 2008
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languagevalueAs we announced earlier this week, the White House agreed to answer more of the top questions you submitted for our YouTube Interview with the President on Monday. Today, we hosted a live chat in which three administration officials - Heather Higginbottom from the Domestic Policy Council, Brian Deese of the National Economic Council, and Ben Rhodes of the National Security Council - answered additional questions submitted in response to the President's State of the Union address on January 27. Macon Phillips, the White House New Media Director, moderated the discussion and also took some of your questions in real-time, using our Moderator platform on CitizenTube.

Here's the video of the chat, just posted to the White House YouTube channel.



We appreciate all the feedback we've received this week in response to our interview with the President, and we look forward to incorporating your suggestions into upcoming programs. We'll be announcing more events soon that will allow you to connect with your leaders via YouTube, so stay tuned to CitizenTube for more details.


Steve Grove, Head of News and Politics, recently watched "Presidential YouTube Interview - behind the scenes" typetext/htmlbasehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/youtube/PKJx
[policy news government google politics ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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Fortune magazine used to have some of the best graphics and design around...here are some of the best.

Tags: design   Fortunetypetext/htmlbasehttp://kottke.org/

iA WebTrends 2008
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languagevalueIn honor of great YouTube channels everywhere, we're trying to start a movement. But we can't do it without you.

Last week, we unleashed our first #subsaturday (ie, "Subscription Saturday") Tweet and over 400 of you joined us in shouting out the YouTube channels you thought were most deserving of a little extra attention. It generated some enthusiastic comments, made this news update and even poignantly touched one soul. Not bad for our little experiment.

Now we're hungry for more. Please join us this and every Saturday, and Tweet links to 1-4 of the YouTube channels you want the world to know you love. Don't forget to include the #subsaturday hashtag so we can see the full force of our effort and easily discover new channels to watch. Like the #followfriday and #musicmonday before it, we won't rest until #subsaturday is a trending topic on Twitter all day Saturday. Can we do it?

Mia Quagliarello, Community Manager, recently watched "YouTube 101: Private Sharing with Ask a Ninja." typetext/htmlbasehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/youtube/PKJx
[twitter social networks ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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languagevalueFacebook is the largest photo-sharing site with over 2.5 billion photos uploaded to Facebook each month. In order to make sharing photos even easier, today we are announcing a new and improved photo uploader.

Recently we've received feedback that people struggle with our current photo uploader due to various technical issues, while others are confused by the installation process. In this new version of the photo uploader, we have solved many of those problems and developed a fast, stable and simple experience for sharing photos on Facebook.

The new uploader will be rolling out gradually over the next several weeks. Once this upgrade has launched for you, the first time you go to upload a new photo you'll be asked to install the Facebook Plug-In. Simply click "Install" when you see the dialogue box in your web browser. Installation should take no longer than two minutes, and you will usually not have to restart your browser to continue.



Once the installation is complete, you will see a simple photo browser appear in a dialogue box on your screen. The top half of the box allows you to browse and select the folders from your desktop that contain your photos. From the bottom half of the box, you can choose which photos you'd like to upload to your Facebook profile. Click the "Use Selected Photos" button when you're ready to upload.



Once you have started your upload, you'll discover another feature, asynchronous uploading, that allows you to navigate away from the upload page, or even away from Facebook completely, while your photos continue to upload in the background. When the process is complete, you will receive a notification and can navigate back to edit, tag and add captions to your photos.

The installation box for the photo uploader will appear anytime you do something on the site that requires it—for example, when you create a new photo album or add photos to an existing album. The new photo uploader will also support additional image formats.

Our goal with this upgrade is to give you a fast, stable and simple experience for sharing photos on Facebook with your friends. If you have additional questions about the new photo uploader, please visit the Help Center or read this post on the Facebook Engineering Page to learn more about the technical details.


Chris, a Facebook engineer, is uploading photos from last night's Hackathon.typetext/htmlbasehttp://blog.facebook.com/atom.php

iA WebTrends 2008
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Petty bribery is common in India, but the introduction of a zero rupee banknote has given some would-be bribers pause.

One such story was our earlier case about the old lady and her troubles with the Revenue Department official over a land title. Fed up with requests for bribes and equipped with a zero rupee note, the old lady handed the note to the official. He was stunned. Remarkably, the official stood up from his seat, offered her a chair, offered her tea and gave her the title she had been seeking for the last year and a half to obtain without success.

Tags: crime   economics   Indiatypetext/htmlbasehttp://kottke.org/

iA WebTrends 2008
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SAN JOSE, Calif. - February 5, 2010 - Please find below a statement from Cisco on resolution of the Cisco-Ward litigation: "The parties are happy to report that the disputes among them have been resolved to their mutual satisfaction and Frenkel and Cisco apologize for the statements of Rick Frenkel on the Troll Tracker blog regarding T. John Ward, Jr. At Cisco's request, Ward has agreed ...
[Corporate Business ]
iA WebTrends 2008
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Andy Baio is back with his annual report on how many Oscar nominated films have shown up online prior to the awards ceremony (ripped from screeners, DVDs, etc.). For some reason, fewer films have been leaked this year and they are taking longer to show up online.

Are studios doing a better job protecting screeners and intimidating Academy members? Or was this year's crop of films too boring for pirates to bother with? I can't tell if this is a scene-wide trend or localized to the Oscars only.

Tags: Andy Baio   movies   Oscars   piracytypetext/htmlbasehttp://kottke.org/

iA WebTrends 2008
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