Archive for 2009

Google Creative Sandbox 2009 New York

April 17, 2009

The Google channel on YouTube has added some new videos including this one from Google Creative Sandbox 2009 in New York.

I believe this was Google’s first “Creative Sandbox”.

Google Creative Sandbox is “an event designed to spark the imagination of agencies by showing the best uses of Google products and creative possibilities in a high energy environment.”

The screen shot of text messages peaking at Midnight New Years Eve illustrates one of many ways human behavior now manifests itself via recognizable patterns in Google data.

Google Q1 2009 Earnings

April 16, 2009

Techcrunch has notes live from Google’s Q1 2009 earnings call.

Comments about Google’s most recent quarter from CEO Eric Schmidt:

“We’re still basically in uncharted territory” (with regards to the economy).
No company is recession proof, Google is feeling the impact.
Our advertising method is working
“We think Google is well placed for the recovery as it occurs or when it occurs and the shift continues to the Web, continues to give us a great advantage”
The shift online continues to give us an advantage
Advertisers lowering bids
Omid Kordenstani is stepping down. It’s impossible to explain the impact he’s had.
No one is better placed to advise us (Kordenstani will remain an advisor).

Additional comments from CFO Patrick Pinchette:

Google.com up due to traffic growth.
AdSense was down, impacted by clean-up of network partners.
Our advertisers slowed their spend
Lower-labor costs and we reset our company bonus plan
Traffic acquisition costs were roughly flat from Q4
“We’re still hiring” — but only in certain areas.
As previously announced, we’re eliminating 200 positions in sales and marketing, but those weren’t included in the Q1 numbers
Our revenues are seasonally weaker in Q2, so be prepared.

Thanks TechCrunch.

Twitter.com Traffic Increases 131%

April 15, 2009

comScore has released its traffic figures for Twitter.com March 2009.

Twitter Traffic March 2009

Twitter Traffic March 2009

Twitter.com experienced a dramatic 131% increase in visitors to 9.3 million over February 2009  – an increase of over 5 million visitors.

The question now is how long can Twitter.com sustain its present level of visitor growth?

Twitter Real Time Warp Search?

April 14, 2009

Although real time search is one of the many heralded utilities of Twitter, it seems the average consumer’s attention isn’t quite as focused in the present as Twitter’s search results are – at least at this particular moment in time.

According to Twitter’s trending topics: Easter is the most popular topic of conversation in the Twitterverse – this Tuesday two days after Easter Sunday.

Real Time Warp Search

Real Time Warp Search

If this trending topic result doesn’t illustrate the value of reaching Twitter’s audience, I don’t know what will.

eBay Auctions Off StumbleUpon.com

April 13, 2009

eBay has sold StumbleUpon.com back to its original owners according to the New York Times.

Comments about the transaction from Garrett Camp of StumbleUpon.com via the BITS blog:

“We’re really more focused on discovery and content, said Garrett Camp, one of the original founders, in a phone interview. “We realized it was best if we parted ways and did our own thing.”

eBay acquired StumbleUpon.com in May 2007 for $75 million.

More from BITS:

StumbleUpon has close to 7.5 million registered users, up from 2.5 million when eBay bought it. The service currently has 425 million “stumbles,” or collaborative recommendations made to Web browsers moseying around the site.

This sale confirms eBay is now officially in the process of selling non-essential assets to refocus on its core business.

Possibly The Worst Television Commercial Ever Conceived: Celebrex

April 12, 2009

Its bad enough that network television has basically become the channel of choice for the pharmaceutical industry to distribute their magic pill messages to the masses.

Try watching a major network news cast without being bombarded by Pharma Ads for every known real and imaginery disease.

Without the Pharmaceutical industry, where would Network television be?

Probably break even.

With their latest Celebrex ad, Pfizer has taken their messaging to new lows by creating the extended play sales message / this drug may kill you television ad.

Its the most obnoxious television ad I can ever recall enduring.

I am sure their ad agency has argued it gets viewers attention and creates word of mouth.

Yep – It does.

Problem is – its negative attention and although this blog post isn’t considered word of mouth – their ad caused me to go out of my way to write about how much I hated it – and by association – their product: Celebrex.

Under what stretch of the imagination would this blog post be considered good for the Celebrex brand?

Or this YouTube post with all its accompanying comments?

Maybe if your a Pharmaceutical company there isn’t any such thing.

Developing commercials that don’t make viewers angry for being subjected to them might be a start in the right direction.

Possibly Related Posts on Blog Maverick

April 11, 2009

Today while viewing a post about Twitter on Mark Cuban’s Blog Maverick site, I was surprised to see such a high profile blog with WordPress’ “Possibly Related Posts” still enabled.

Blog Maverick Possibly Related Posts
Blog Maverick Possibly Related Posts

If you know Mark Cuban or any of his IT staff, you might suggest they disable the “Possibly Related Posts” feature on his WordPress blog.

As a rule, Possibly Related Posts aren’t enabled and published by working bloggers let alone A List bloggers like Mark Cuban.

Thanks… A Billion: Apple Apps Store Approaching One Billion Downloads

April 10, 2009

Apple Apps Store has placed a 1 Billion Downloads counter on their site to kick off their countdown for the one billionth download from the Apple Apps Store.

One Billion Apps

One Billion Apps

Form the Apple site:

As of today, nearly one billion apps have been downloaded around the globe. So we just want to say thanks — a billion. Download an app and you’ll automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro. Just go to the iTunes Store, browse the App Store, and download your best app yet.

The top 5 paid and free Apple Apps by units downloaded according to Apple are as follows:

Top 5 Free Apps:

Top 5 Free Apple Apps

Top 5 Free Apple Apps

Top 5 Paid Apps:

Top 5 Paid Apple Apps

Top 5 Paid Apple Apps

Google Data Center Tour

April 9, 2009

Ever wonder what the inside of a Google Data Center looks like?

Take the tour via YouTube.

March 2009 Twitter Unique Visitors @Compete.com

April 8, 2009

Via Silicon Alley Insider’s Chart of the Day:

Twitter Unique Visitors Compete.com

Twitter Unique Visitors Compete.com

According to Compete’s figures, Twitter’s traffic nearly doubled from February 2009 to March 2009 from 8 million to 14 million unique visitors.

In a previous post, I had predicted Twitter’s traffic according to comScore would double from February 2009 to March 2009.

comScore’s March 2009 traffic figures for Twitter are due out later this week.