Scribbled Lines

Marketing - GM Ad Competition Backfires

2006-04-04T11:43:00.000Z

On March 13th Chevrolet launched a competition inviting participants to produce their own commercial from a selection of video clips and music, adding their own text. With predictable results. The company was hoping that these ads would then be circulated round the web (known as viral marketing) and interest in the 2007 Chevy Tahoe would grow.

The NY Times reports that many ads created in the US criticised Chevrolet for its contribution to global warming.

In the UK posters on Popbitch had fun creating their own versions of the ads such as these that criticize American obesity, or have celebrity endorsements.

Although it appears that the campaign has failed as the famous saying goes it is better to be talked about than not talked about at all. And if the campaign was meant to increase brand awareness then there is no denying this has not happened.

Seen any great versions of these ads? Post them in the comments box.

Google - Print Books Launched

2005-11-03T13:56:00.000Z

Google has put online the first books in its print library. Included are many 19th century works of American literature and history which are uncopyrighted and therefore unaffected by the legal action that is being brought against Google by the Authors Guild. Find Google Print here.

Technology - Sky To Launch Mobile TV

2005-11-01T14:25:00.000Z

Sky has partnered with Vodafone to launch a mobile TV service. Sky Mobile TV will allow Vodafone's 3G subscribers access 19 channels including sport, news, entertainment and documentaries. Initially free, it will cost £5 to subscribe from January.

My mobile phone service provider is currently Vodafone and my phone allows me to do all number of clever things such as connect to the internet, use bluetooth and GPRS, play games and (no doubt) much, much more. But, and you may call me a technophobe here, I only ever use my phone for two things; phone calls - it rings and I answer, and occasionally text messages. Which are written in proper sentences with proper grammar and not any of that txt spk. So I really cannot imagine why one would want to watch television on their phones. Maybe I'm missing out on something here - if so, please enlighten me.

Microsoft - Gates Testimony For Sale

2005-10-27T19:24:00.000Z

11 DVDs are being sold on eBay of Bill Gates' 1998 deposition in front of the US Department of Justice during Microsoft's antitrust trial. The seller, Dave Mitchell from Arkansas, says that the 17 hours of video will reveal "a deep view into the mind of Bill Gates".

Advertising - iPod Nano Ad A Copycat?

2005-10-26T14:46:00.000Z

Adrants asks you to decide whether the creative for the iPod Nano Spot adverts was copied from video artwork by Dane Picard. Adrants readers were well on the side of Apple, citing jealousy and that there are never new ideas in advertising.

Internet - Firefox Reaches 100 Million

2005-10-20T09:01:00.000Z

Mozilla’s open source browser, Firefox, has been downloaded 100 million times less than a year after its launch.

Firefox is seen as a securer alternative to Internet Explorer and its popularity has largely spread by word of mouth.

I’ve been using Firefox on my PC since the beginning of the year and would never go back to Explorer. (The only time I use it now is for testing purposes.) However, in my opinion, nothing beats Safari, the web browser developed by Mac. It has the tabbed-browsing interface just like Firefox, a great bookmark management tool, standard Google search box, spellchecker, automatic form filler … and of course is as beautifully designed as all Apple products!

Technology - PG Tips SMS Kettle

2005-10-11T08:07:00.000Z

Whatever next?! The Register reports on a new invention from PG Tips - the SMS Kettle. Yes, that's right it's a kettle that turns itself on when you send the message "switch" to its phone number.

However, as The Register points out, although it means you don't have to get up to actually switch the kettle on, you will still have to go to the kitchen to get a teabag, mug, teaspoon, sugar etc which for me normally takes as long as the kettle takes to boil.

It seems a bit like one of those fictitious inventions made up in the Half-Bakery.

Internet - Yahoo! Podcast Search

2005-10-10T20:34:00.000Z

Yahoo! has launched a beta search engine that will focus solely on podcasts.The service will let users search for podcasts by keyword and categories and the plans to produces tools that will let people create and upload their own podcasts.

I’m ashamed to say that despite loving my iPods (full size, mini and most recently nano) and iTunes and music in general, I don’t really know what a podcast is. I suddenly feel old … So I’m off to do some research.

EDIT – it seems that Adam Curry’s blog is the way to go.

Design - Smiley Faces

2005-10-07T10:08:00.000Z

Today is World Smile Day, the theme of which is "Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile." It came about because Harvey Ball, who created the smiley face back in 1963, was concerned that the image had become over-commercialised, so declared that the first Friday in October should be known as World Smile Day.

Read all about the history of the smiley face here.

Advertising - A Bum Deal

2005-10-07T09:11:00.000Z

I came across this site called justtoiletpaper.com which not only sells toilet paper in all sorts of funky designs including animal prints, cartoons and even a just married version, but also suggests that advertisers use toilet paper as a unique medium to capture people's imaginations in a unique way. According to the site people go to the bathroom (that's toilet/lavatory/loo for us Brits!) on average 6 times a day so what better way to grab people's attention.

Although, advertising is everywhere from billboards to sandwich bags, beer coasters to umbrellas I do like this just for its fun value.

Technology - Never Ending Beer

2005-10-06T12:01:00.000Z

Students in Germany have invented a beermat that sends a signal to the bar when a glass is empty. The coaster, fitted with sensors that measure the weight of the beer, could cut down on the time wasted ordering refills.

Google - Sun Deal Threatens Microsoft

2005-10-06T09:24:00.000Z

Google has announced that it will offer free spreadsheet and word-processing software via its Toolbar in a deal with Sun Microsystems. Although Microsoft's shares fell 2% upon announcement of the news, analysts do not feel that this is anything the software giant should be worried about.

Apple - Video iPod Launch?

2005-10-05T23:40:00.000Z

Rumours have been going on for some time about the launch of a video iPod and claims are now being made that Apple will be formally launching it next week at a press conference called on Wednesday 12th October. Apparently the new product will be a 60GB model with a Nano sized click wheel to make way for a bigger colour display.

Internet - Blogging For Marketing

2005-10-01T20:08:00.000Z

Franz Ferdinand are using blogging to promote their new album. The band has been equipped with laptops, microphones and digital cameras so they can upload footage from wherever they are in the world. Join them on tour here. So that's a good example of using blogs for marketing.

On the other hand, check out this article at plasticbag.org about a blog supposedly written by Barry Scott (yes from those irritating Cillit Bang adverts). Apparently Barry has been promoting the cleaning product through comment spamming.

Technology - BT Enters 3G Market

2005-09-30T20:20:00.000Z

BT has announced its first steps into 3G. You can read all about the technological ins and outs at Netimperative. I just wish BT could get its basics right. It took me three weeks to get them to set up my Broadband correctly which involved me having to manually having to connect to their servers. No sooner had I sorted that out then my line went down due to a "fault". Unfortunately I'm one of those lazy people who banks love and never change service provider no matter how terrible their service is! Who is your ISP and what do you think of them? Answers in the comment box or take the survey below.

Advertising - H&M Drop Kate Moss

2005-09-20T19:07:00.000Z

Hennes and Mauritz, the high-street fashion retailer has decided to cancel its forthcoming advertising campaign featuring Kate Moss after reports in the press of her taking Class A drugs. H&M say her current image does not fit well their anti-drugs stance. She had been signed up to promote a new collection for them designed by Stella McCartney. Kate Moss also has contracts with Rimmel, Burberry, Chanel and Dior who so far have not commented on the drug-taking allegations.

To me the way the media have dealt with this whole situation smacks a little of hypocrisy. They say that as a role model to many young girls she should not be taking cocaine, and yet the only reason that people know she takes cocaine is because the press report it. Surely what she does in her private life, as long as it is not hurting other people, is up to her? Have your say in the comment box below.

Marketing - Nike Vending Machines

2005-09-19T20:58:00.000Z

Nike have placed a number of vending machines dispensing footballs in high-trafficed urban areas in Singapore to encourage people to play football anytime, anywhere. Nice idea maybe, but surely as more people take up the game seriously more people will need to buy the boots, clothes and training equipment. And which sportswear manufacturer could possibly supply all of that?

Design - Logo Resemblance

2005-09-14T10:45:00.000Z

Quark has got itself into a spot of bother with the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) after unveiling its new logo. The two designs look surprisingly similar although Quark is insisiting that it is an honest mistake and that they carried out extensive checks to make sure their weren't any similar exisiting logos.

Technology - eBay To Buy Skype

2005-09-13T12:45:00.000Z

eBay is to buy Internet telephony phone Skype in a deal worth up to $4.1bn (£2.25bn). Skype was launched in 2003 and offers software that enables users to make calls via the Internet rather than landline or mobile phones. eBay is hoping that this will give its network of buyers and sellers a new communication channel.

Firebox, one of my favourite gadget sites on the net, is selling a VoIP Cyberphone, a fully-functional USB-powered telephone so that you can talk for obscenely low costs to friends over the Net.

Internt - Intelligent Advertising

2005-09-09T10:47:00.000Z

The other day I posted about a man who failed The Turing Test because human beings thought he was a computer. Well, check out this latest online advertising format. It’s a banner that thinks it’s a human being! It's only in prototype stage at the moment but as well as helping you book your holidays if you ask it to "send me info on the chat banner" it will take your contact details and do just that.

Advetising - Macca In Money Ad

2005-09-09T10:01:00.000Z

Paul McCartney is to appear in a US ad for mutual fund company, Fidelity Investments. The advert, entitled "This is Paul", will feature personal footage from the former Beatle’s life. As part of the deal, Fidelity will also be sponsoring Sir Paul’s forthcoming US tour.

It's certainly a far cry from his youth when he didn't "care too much for money" although, as someone who makes regular appearances on the world's "Rich Lists", I suppose he does need some serious financial planning.

I also can’t help being reminded of all the controversy there was when Michael Jackson, who had outbid McCartney to get the rights to The Beatle’s back catalogue, then used the songs in TV commercials much to the chagrin of the ex-Beatles. Has Paul McCartney finally sold out?

Apple - iPod Nano

2005-09-08T08:52:00.000Z

Apple has launched a new range of iPods called the iPod Nano - an updated version of the iPod Mini. The iPod Nano is half the thickness and 62% smaller by volume. It comes in a 2GB model and a 4GB model and a choice of white or black. It can also support photos and has a 30-pin dock connector so it can plug into exisiting iPod accessories.

So do we have the elusive mini iPod killer that people have been talking about for some time – brought to you by Apple themselves? It seems ironic somehow. I guess some would say Apple must be mad to be killing off the world’s most popular audio player but going on past experience it would seem whenever we think Steve Jobs must be wrong, somehow he always turns out to be right.

UPDATE: Apple launches its new iPhone and outlines its plans to integrate iPod products into car stereos.

Technology - The Turing Test

2005-09-06T14:41:00.000Z

The Turing Test, devised by Alan Turing in 1950, is a test to detemine the capability of a machine to have human-like conversation.

Well here's one man's description of how he failed The Turing Test when people who contacted him on IM would not believe that he was a human and consistently thought he was a sex-robot.

Microsoft - "Kill" Google

2005-09-05T12:58:00.000Z

In an expletive-laden tirade, Microsoft's chief executive, Steve Ballmer, has vowed to "kill Google", according to a claim made by a former Microsoft employee who left for Google in 2004.

The row is the latest in a long-running battle between the two Internet giants and with Google now entering the Instant Messaging market it is a competition that is only likely to heat up further.

Which is your favourite IM client? I've only ever used MSN, simply because that seems to be the popular choice for most of my contacts; however, I've just downloaded the new Google Talk (to go with Gmail, Google Desktop Search, Google Toolbar, Google Customised Home Page etc etc) and will be putting it to the test for a couple of weeks. Take the survey below or leave your comments if you've got something more to say.

Internet - The Katrina Bandwagon?

2005-09-05T09:50:00.000Z

Loansloans.com, a domain name that once had a market value of $1 million is being auctioned on Ebay. 60% of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the American Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The seller describes how his agenda has changed from making millions of dollars to helping the hurricane victims – he says that he has twice been homeless and knows what it is like to have nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat.

So genuine philanthropist or cynical marketing ploy? You can see the Ebay listing here.

And Google Maps has been updated with images of New Orleans. There is now a button so that users can zoom in on the affected area to see the extent of the damage caused by Katrina.

Design - Toshiba Competition

2005-09-01T22:23:00.000Z

Toshiba has launched a competition for designers to create concept designs using its tiny 0.85 inch hard drive. The "Hard Disk Drive Revolution" competition will be judged by a panel made up of executives from some of the world’s leading IT and consumer brands.

Google - Print Ad Sales

2005-09-01T10:37:00.000Z

Google is expanding its advertising programme into print. The search engine has been buying pages in technology publications such as PC Magazine and Maximum PC and then selling them on to advertisers on its Adwords network.

Technology - Goodbye CDs?

2005-08-31T12:42:00.000Z

Warner Music is set to launch a download only label, provisionally named Cordless, which will release songs exclusively for the Internet and mobile phone in a move that is seen as further evidence of the demise of the album format. Universal Music Group already has a digital label with more than a dozen artists signed to it.

CD sales have dropped 31% since 1999 as consumers move to single-track purchases and custom-made playlists. Could this spell the end of the CD?

Advertising - Fit or Fat?

2005-08-30T10:13:00.000Z

Dove’s advertising campaign featuring "real women", which launched in the UK last year, has finally made it to America.

The campaign has received a mixed reception in the US. One columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times said that the only time he wanted to see a thigh that big was in a "bucket with breadcrumbs on it". And a presenter for CBS said that in this "day and age of obesity we don’t need to encourage anyone to think it’s OK to be out of shape".

Dove has also forced to replace dozens of posters after they were vandalised by graffiti artists.

Nike too, has launched what has been dubbed the "big butt" campaign featuring pictures of women’s large bottoms, “thunder thighs” and knobbly knees.

Apple - iPod Battery Lawsuit

2005-08-26T09:17:00.000Z

More than a million iPod owners will be entitled to free battery replacement after a lawsuit brought in California found that Apple had misled customers over the battery's life. The settlement could cost Apple as much as $15 million, which is considerably less than first thought.

Eligible iPod owners should go to www.appleipodsettlement.com for further information and a claim form.

Technology - PIN Number Risk

2005-08-25T11:34:00.000Z

Researchers at Cambridge University have found that the PIN numbers of millions of consumers are being put at risk by poor printing techniques. Bright lights and easy to use image-enhancing software, such as GIMP, Adobe, Photoshop and Paintshop Pro, enabled PIN numbers to be read through so-called tamper-proof letters.

Currently millions of PIN mailers are being sent out in the UK as chip and pin technology is being adopted.

However, a spokeswoman for Apacs, the industry body for the payments system used by UK banks commented, "A PIN has no value without a card ... Security around PINs is paramount and always has been because of cash machines".

Internet - News Corp On The Hunt

2005-08-19T09:26:00.000Z

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is looking at acquiring two more Internet firms, Blinkx and IGN Entertainment. The company has already bought Scout Media, a web sports company, and Intermix, a networking site.

Design - Royal Mint Competition

2005-08-19T08:31:00.000Z

The Royal Mint is holding a competition to find six new designs for the UK's coins. The Treasury has decided that the coins need a facelift and is inviting members of the public to submit their designs. The lucky winner could win a prize of up to £30,000.

Matthew Elliot, a member of the Taxpayer's Alliance, suggested an inscription on the 50p coin along the lines of "My other 50p was spent by Gordon". I'm not sure that would meet with The Treasury's approval. So what do you think should be featured on the new coins?

More details, including the full design brief, can be found on the Royal Mint's website here.

Internet - AOL Spammer Jailed

2005-08-19T08:07:00.000Z

A former AOL employee has been jailed for 15 months after he admitted stealing 92 million email addresses and selling them to spammers. Jason Smathers, who pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy and theft charges, was also fined $83,000.

The addresses were used to promote an online gambling business before being sold to spammers who bombarded AOL customers with penis enlargment pills and other offers.

Apple - Mac Mayhem

2005-08-18T11:23:00.000Z

Who said high street shopping was dead? A sale of second-hand Mac laptops caused a near riot in Virginia, USA.

More than 5,500 people queued for a chance to buy one of the four year old iBooks for just $50 from Henrico County who switched from Apple to Dell to supply laptops for its schools.

The director of general services for Henrico County was quoted as saying "it’s rather strange that we would have such a tremendous response for the purchase of a laptop computer, and laptop computers that probably have less-than-desirable attributes."

I do hope he was referring to the fact that they were four years old and in poor condition, rather than the fact that they were Macs rather than PCs ...

Apple - iPod Bad For Your Ears

2005-08-18T08:02:00.000Z

According to researchers about a quarter of iPod users are damaging their ears by listening to music at unsafe levels.

Blogging - Engadget Cheating Google?

2005-08-17T19:49:00.000Z

David Naylor, one of the most recognised names in SEO (for both good and bad reasons perhaps!), nominates Engadget as his "Tosser of the Week". Why? Because, he says, they are breaking Google’s Terms and Conditions by running more than 3 AdSense units on a single page. Weblogs Inc. Network, who runs the Engadget blog, claims to make $1 million dollars a year from AdSense. Maybe now, we know why.

There's an interesting interview with Naylor, a self-confessed comment spammer and content thief here.

Internet - Rare Animals For Sale

2005-08-16T09:09:00.000Z

Trading rare animals over the internet is leading some of the world’s most endangered species to extinction.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare found 9000 live animals and products for sale in one week trading on eBay including a gorilla, a Siberian tiger and four baby chimps. Ivory items and traditional Asian remedies containing parts of tigers and rhinos were also commonplace.

Google - Library Search On Hold

2005-08-15T15:31:00.002Z

Google has put its library search plans on hold following criticism from publishers who were concerned about the search engine scanning copyrighted books. Google has now agreed to temporarily stop scanning copyrighted books to give owners time to opt out of the project.

Marketing - BBC Abuses Wikipedia?

2005-08-15T10:16:00.000Z

An article on Boing Boing discusses what is an apparent marketing ploy by the BBC to promote its online reality game, Jamie Kane, on Wikipedia. One of Boing Boing's readers has accused the BBC of abusing the collaborative website by spamming it for one of their "new media opportunities.

Jamie Kane is the much anticipated online adventure about a fictious popstar. The BBC describes it as part game, part drama, part murder mystery. I did sign up to see what all the fuss was about but when I received an email welcoming me with the subject line "nice to hav yoo wiv us!" and the body written in such awful text talk it hurt my eyes to read it, I decided this wasn't for me. Shame on you BBC for dumbing down.

Blogging - Bush Indictment

2005-08-12T11:30:00.000Z

There's a rumour going round blogosphere that President Bush and some of his administration officials are going to be indicted over the leaking of the name of CIA operative Valerie Plume.

A check on Technorati shows "bush indictment" is indeed the number one search term. However, many are saying it's simply a Technorati bombing hoax. Interestingly though, most of the sites that appear on Technorati (including this one!) are just talking about the fact that "bush indictment" is the most searched for term on Technorati! Such is the nature of the interweb.

Advertising - Viagra Ads Dropped

2005-08-12T10:47:00.000Z

Pfizer, the world’s biggest drug company, has said it will change the way it advertises drugs to US consumers. A number of complaints have been made about glitzy commercials for drugs such as Viagra with doctors being inundated with requests for drugs that are not always suitable.

Pfizer had already promised not to show ads for Viagra during the Superbowl and other “family viewing” times

Internet - Web Gender Differences

2005-08-12T09:35:00.000Z

A study by the University of Glamorgan has found that men and women have very different thoughts on what makes a well designed website and that most online retailers have been catering almost exclusively for men. The researchers say the implication is that businesses may not be targeting shoppers effectively.

Design - North Korea Animation

2005-08-11T12:57:00.000Z

"Empress Chung", a film animated entirely in North Korea will be the first feature to enjoy a release outside the communist country when it opens in South Korea on Friday.

Film maker, Nelson Shin, who runs AKOM Productions a South Korean animation studio which has been used by the Hollywood makers of The Simpsons, said that he was delighted that the two countries would be watching it together.

Apple - Microsoft Increasing iPod Competition

2005-08-11T11:09:00.000Z

Microsoft has warned Apple of increased competition for its iPod in the run up to Christmas. The head of Microsoft’s Digital Music Division said the company is working with a number of manufacturers, including Philips, Samsung and Creative to find that elusive iPod killer.

Advertising - Aegis Buys Glue

2005-08-11T10:13:00.000Z

British media buyer Aegis Group said it has acquired Glue London, an advertising agency which specialises in digital work. Glue has an impressive range of clients including Masterfoods, Virgin, McDonald’s, and Revlon.

Internet - Lost Online

2005-08-11T08:22:00.000Z

Much hyped US drama, Lost, began on Channel 4 last night and to promote the show an interactive website has been launched. Over the first six weeks of the series users can unlock clues using the Internet, telephone and email. Join the experience here.

The site was designed by Hi-ReS!, a design agency that has created sites for films such as Donnie Darko and Requiem for A Dream.

SPOILER!! - if you want to know what's coming up in the rest of the series here's a plot synopsis for the whole of season one.

Marketing - Websites Fail Campaigns

2005-08-10T15:17:00.000Z

Netimperative reports that three quarters of Internet marketing campaigns are suffering because of website failures, with 14% of failures so severe that they prevent the campaign from meeting its objectives.

The study identified a “communication chasm” between the marketing and IT departments of a company as the root cause of many website failures.

Design - Black And White Digital Photography

2005-08-10T13:02:00.000Z

If you like the convenience of digital cameras but love the aesthetic of old style black and white film photography be sure to check out Finnish photographer Petteri Sulonen’s tutorial on how to get black and white images using digital equipment.

And why not have a look at his portfolio – there’s some lovely stuff.

Technology - Blogging Original Internet

2005-08-09T22:23:00.000Z

Sir Tim Berners-Lee who is credited with “inventing” the Internet and certainly created the first website tells BBC’s Newsnight how blogging is close to his original idea of a read/write web.

“The idea was that anybody who used the web would have a space where they could write and so the first browser was an editor, it was a writer as well as a reader. Every person who used the web had the ability to write something. It was very easy to make a new web page and comment on what somebody else had written, which is very much what blogging is about.”

He also talks about some of the unexpected consequences of the world wide web.

Technology - Happy Birthday Netscape

2005-08-09T13:40:00.000Z

Wired Magazine celebrates 10 years since Netscape went public with a look back at a decade of dot com boom and bust including interviews with Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos and Howard Dean. Fascinating stuff.

Google - The Future

2005-08-09T13:16:00.000Z

Fast Company has an excellent article on whether Google is in it for long haul. It looks at some of the projects that Google is currently working on and also how it is sharing its wealth among its employees.

One of the interesting things it notes is that only 38% of people realise the difference between natural search listings and paid for search listings. As time progresses and more people do start to understand the difference I wonder how much impact this might have on Google’s revenue

Technology - Dixons Ditches 35mm Cameras

2005-08-08T12:27:00.000Z

Dixons is to focus on sales of digital cameras and stop selling the 35mm cameras which it started out with.

Improved quality and reduced prices have seen digital cameras grow in popularity and they now outsell 35mm cameras 15 to 1.

Internet - Friends Reunited Sale

2005-08-07T13:33:00.000Z

It is reported that Friends Reunited is working with Long Acre, a financial firm that specialises in media, to review options for the future, including the possibility of a trade sale.

Internet - Blogging Trumped

2005-08-05T11:30:00.000Z

Donald Trump has got his own blog! Read his views on Corporate Corruption and Success with Style. You can even ask him questions!

Advertising - Craigslist.com

2005-08-04T15:03:00.000Z

An interesting profile by the BBC on the founders of Craigslist.com., the classified ads website. It has emerged as one of the top 10 internet companies in the world in terms of page views and is tipped to be the next eBay or Google.

Apple - The Mighty Mouse

2005-08-04T13:39:00.000Z

Check out Apple’s latest bit of kit – the Mighty Mouse. Combining the capability of a multibutton mouse with Apple’s signature design the Mighty Mouse has the best of both form and function.

Search - Successful Google Ranking

2005-08-04T09:01:00.000Z

Although written over 3 years ago this is an excellent article and well worth reading for anyone wanting to get their website higher up Google's rankings. Written by Brett Tabke from Webmaster World he explains in 26 steps how to achieve 15,000 page views a day for your site in a year.

Advertising - No To Handjob Leaflet

2005-08-03T10:36:00.000Z

A Luton-based carwash company called Scrubbers has been ticked off by the ASA for issuing a leaflet offering "the best handjob in town". The ad also featured a cartoon of a big-breasted woman holding a hosepipe.

Other services advertised by the company included an "in ‘n’ out", "the quickie" and "the full monty".

A PDF of the ad can be found here.

Marketing - Adidas To Buy Reebok

2005-08-03T09:18:00.000Z

German based Adidas-Salomon says it has struck a deal to buy US rival Reebok in a move that could be a threat to Nike's dominance of the sportswear market.

Adidas is promoted by a number of celebrities including David Beckham and Missy Elliot. Reebok recently tried to rejunavate its youth appeal but got into trouble with a controversial ad starring rapper 50 Cent.

Design - The Pony Project

2005-08-02T15:00:00.000Z

Hasbro, the makers of My Little Pony, has invited a group of female artist to transform giant models of the toy into works of art.

The challenge, entitled The Pony Project, given to exceptional women in the fields of fashion, fine art, illustration, photography and graffiti will result in an exhibition held at New York’s Milk Gallery.

Technology - Branson To Take On iTunes

2005-08-02T14:24:00.000Z

Virgin is to launch its own version of a download music site on 2 September 2005. Powered by MusicNet the service aims to rival the likes of Napster and iTunes.

Users will be able to visit Virgin Megastores to buy MP3 hardware, get a free Virgin Digital CD and get advice and help from stop.

Advertising - No More Apes

2005-08-01T15:13:00.000Z

No More Monkey Business is a website campaigning to stop the use of apes in ads.

It claims that a grinning ape in an ad is actually "smiling" in terror and alternatives such as animation, CGI and blue screen should be used instead to create highly realistic alternatives.

Marketing - All I Want For Christmas

2005-07-31T14:28:00.000Z

According to Hamleys the battle for the best-selling toy this Christmas will be between an updated version of last year’s popular Robsapien and an 18-inch tall talking toddler called Amazing Amanda.

Both sound particularly nasty so why not read Jeremy Clarkson’s opinion on why kids don’t need toys at all.

Technology - Al-Qaeda Sites Shut Down

2005-07-31T09:25:00.000Z

The Sunday Times reports that British Intelligence may be responsible for the shut down of many websites associated with Al-Qaeda.

Technology - Blogging Booms

2005-07-29T11:34:00.000Z

Since the takeover of myspace, by News International, visits to blogs in the UK account for almost 1 in 200 visits to websites according to data from Hitwise.

The web monitoring firm found that MSN Spaces and LiveJournal dominate the market

Google - Research Paper

2005-07-29T09:41:00.000Z

Something nice and meaty from Stanford University. A research paper entitled "The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine" by Sergey Brin and Lawrence Page. Happy reading!

Advertising - Jordache signs Brittany

2005-07-29T09:39:00.000Z

Designer jeans Jordache has signed Brittany Murphy in its first use of celebrity endorsement to appear in the company's ad campaign. See the countdown to the start of the campaign and some lovely photographs by Patrick Demarchelier . . . here.

Microsoft - Emoticons

2005-07-28T12:26:00.000Z

Microsoft have patented smilies!

Apple - Control, Alt, Delete

2005-07-28T11:37:00.000Z

The guys at MacObserver have posted a funny video clip of David Bradely, the inventor of CTRL-ALT-DEL, talking about how Bill Gates made the keystroke combination famous. Watch Bradely back pedal furiously as Gates sits there stony faced!

Search - AOL Mobile Search

2005-07-28T11:33:00.000Z

AOL has begun testing its new Mobile Search Service which will allow online searches for content, local listings and comparison shopping on mobile devices such as smartphones and PDAs.

Marketing - McDonald's And DreamWorks

2005-07-28T09:39:00.000Z

McDonald’s and DreamWorks have cut a marketing deal that will allow the fast food giant to promote films made by other studios.

The pact will begin in 2007 with the release of Shrek 3. DreamWorks will create animation for McDonald’s TV ads, while McDonald’s will promote the film in its restaurants.

Marketing - Email Study

2005-07-28T07:58:00.000Z

The most recent email study from eROI has found that there is not necessarily a best day for sending emails! Further details can be found here.

Online - Save BBC Radio!

2005-07-27T14:04:00.000Z

A nice little game created by Playerthree for Radio 1. Save the city from dull radio and the evil of DJ Johnny Yawn.

Advertising - Sex And Alcohol Ban

2005-07-27T13:44:00.000Z

Lambrini became the first drink to fall foul of tough new regulations regarding the advertising of alcohol. Links between alcohol and sexual success have been banned in advertising and the ASA asked Lambrini to replace a hunky male model with one who is “unattractive, overweight, middle-aged and balding”.

Technology - Administration For Tiny PCs

2005-07-27T13:01:00.000Z

Lancashire based Granville Technology Group, which makes Tiny and Time PCs is to go into administration with the loss of 1500 jobs.

Internet - Yahoo! Widgets

2005-07-27T10:16:00.000Z

Yahoo! has bought Pixoria, the owners of software firm Kontabulator, which makes downloadable desktop alerts.

As part of the deal, the financial details of which have not been disclosed, Konfabulator’s “Widget” software will now be known as “Yahoo! Widgets”.

Technology - File Sharers Spend More

2005-07-27T09:11:00.000Z

People who illegally download music online are also the biggest buyers of digital music, a survey by research firm, The Leading Question, has found.

They found that those who illegally share music files spend four and a half times more on paid-for music than average fans.

Technology - Bandwidth Theft

2005-07-26T16:34:00.000Z

In a landmark ruling a man has been fined £500 for logging into a domestic Wi-Fi network without permission.

Search - Ask Jeeves In PPC Bid

2005-07-26T13:31:00.000Z

AdRants has a tip that Ask Jeeves is to go down the paid for search route in a bid to compete with Google and Yahoo!

Design - Adobe Office Tour

2005-07-26T08:20:00.000Z

Check out this excellent behind the scenes tour of Adobe from the Photoshop News blog.

Technology - Mini MP3 Player

2005-07-25T13:29:00.000Z

Can they get any smaller?

At just 1 inch, the mobiBLU surely has to be the world's smallest MP3 player.

Google - Share Price Drops

2005-07-22T15:24:00.000Z

News comes that Google's shares have fallen 10% after the search engine announced slower sales growth than expected. However, the firm generated a net profit of $342.8m, up from $79.1m a year ago.

Google - Moon Map

2005-07-20T09:47:00.000Z

To celebrate 25 years since the first moon landing on July 20th 1969, Google has extended its Google Maps service a little further from home using some NASA imagery.

(Tip – zoom in as far as you can for an interesting revelation!)

Apple - 500 Million iTunes

2005-07-18T17:02:00.000Z

500 million songs have been downloaded from Apple’s iTunes Music Store with a woman from Indiana winning 10 iPods and an iTunes gift voucher for being the lucky recipient of the milestone tune. So which song scooped her the prize? Mississipi Girl by Faith Hill.

Earlier, prizes had been given to the purchaser of every 100,000th song up to the 500 million mark. You can see the full list of songs downloaded here.

Advertising - Ryanair Ad Rapped

2005-07-15T07:49:00.000Z

The Advertsing Standards Authority has received nearly 200 complaints over a Ryanair advert that referred to the recent London bombings.

The advert, which appeared in a number of national newspapers, featured an image of Winston Churchill saying “We shall fly them to the beaches, we shall fly them to the hills, we shall fly them to London!”, a reference to Churchill’s 1940 Dunkirk speech.

The general nature of the complaints is that the ad is crass and offensive although Peter Sherrard, head of communications for Ryanair said that a lot of people had supported the company’s message.