Attack of the Angry Birds

Angry Birds are jump-starting their plans for world domination. Soon it won't be just a game - this simple but addictive app is branching out far and wide. Along with over 75 million downloads of the game to date, there will soon be an Angry Birds store with Angry Birds plush toys, a board game, new versions of the game, and a tie-in with a Fox animated film called Rio in the spring. Alfred Hitchcock would be proud, but do you think the birds can reach Mario Brothers fame?

Read more at Wired.

How far we have come.....

Great clip from Today Show in 1994 with the hosts discussing the latest technology craze that all the kids were talking about called the internet.

Return of the Bubble

For months now I have been saying that I do not understand the appeal of Quora and it seems I am not the only one. Recently I have seen articles expressing the same sort of confusion on what all the hype is about. There is even a very funny site (really just a page) called Cwora that pokes fun at the elitist who have claimed Quora as their own.

If you have never heard of the site don't feel bad. It is only a year old but in the last few months it has become the darling of Silicon Valley. On the Quora homepage the service is described as "A continually improving collection of questions and answers created, edited, and organized by everyone who uses it." Sounds like a variation on Yahoo Answers to me. But I will stop picking on Quora since they are not the only start up getting more attention and money than they deserve. The bigger point here is the warped sense of innovation we are currently seeing and the potential pitfalls it could bring.

During a recent business trip to San Jose it was obvious that the mood in the valley is positive. Sitting at lunch one day in a busy downtown restaurant a coworker who lives in the area made the comment "Things are booming again. Three years ago this was a ghost town". Looking around I could see what he meant.While I did not think much about it at the time that experience was a small example of the overall sentiment that is happening in web/tech startups.

Not a week goes by lately without news of another company that didn't exist two years ago and is now in line to be the next Facebook. Just last month GroupOn turned down $6 billion from Google and decided to keep their momentum (and hopefully valuation) growing. And who wouldn't want to be like Facebook these days? With their recent influx of cash the company continues to be the trailblazer in social network space.

But I can't help thinking this all feels a lot like the tech bubble of the late 1990's that burst so fast by the end of 2000. The best perspective I have seen lately on the topic is a recent article by Devin Friedman in GQ that chronicles the writers experience spending time with several start ups. Like the generation before them, today's crop of start ups have unproven business models and still receive valuations that are no where in line with established companies.

New Facebook profiles? Oh, crap.

Great, now I have to worry about having uncool status updates and an uncool profile page. At least I can stare in awe at some people who have the time and flair for design to make the most of Facebook's new look.

See more at the Huffington Post.

Will Facebook's "Sponsored Stories" be worth reading?

Facebook is launching a new ad format called "Sponsored Stories" that takes user activity and turns it into ads. So, let's say you check in at Starbucks twice in a day, your "story" may appear in the ad pictured here. It's an interesting idea - taking user content and turning it into advertising - but how will users respond? Advertisers like Coke and Anheuser Bush are betting that they'll *like* it. How would you feel about seeing your actions turned into an ad for soda or beer? Will seeing your friends' "stories" increase your trust in the brand or spur a purchase?

Read more about it at Mashable.

Facebook Obsession

Online Schools put together this rather large graphic detailing our rather large obsession with Facebook. All I can say is holy crap.


Via: Online Schools

My new Newser obsession

"READ LESS. KNOW MORE." That's the tantalizing tagline of the news website Newser. I have to say I'm hooked. Although as a past English lit major and current freelance writer, maybe I should be horrified.

Newser offers a colorful grid of images. Each image is the same size so there's no prioritizing through font and size like in typical newspapers, print or online. Each square has a short headline that tells it like it is. When you click on the story, up pops an easy-to-digest summary of what's going on with links to the sources.

You can customize what you see, and even use the "Hard" to "Soft" news slider to get the experience you want. (On a side note, it'd be interesting to see how people use this slider - do we really want more hard news or are we hopeless gossip addicts?)

Maybe the reason I'm not horrified by Newser is that although it admits to using technical tools to get its news stories, the content is handpicked and written by real people. I enjoy seeing a mix between technology and human beings. After all, they're both flawed.

Check it out for yourself.

Let's not go overboard about a Verizon iPhone

Rumors are everywhere since Verizon announced a press event this coming Tuesday (1/11/11 @ 11am) that the long awaited Verizon iPhone will finally be ours. As a current Verizon BlackBerry user I am excited to hear the news and long term will make the switch but the hype surrounding this news may end up being less of a win for Verizon than some think.

First off, many corporate users are on the Blackberry because it is still the better choice for typing longer messages. Also, the majority percentage of organizations using enterprise MicroSoft Exchange (the #1 email platform) are not yet able to support seamless iPhone integration. Only with Exchange 2010 are companies able to consider adopting support and that process will take time.

As for AT&T, I doubt they are overly concerned with Verizon getting into the game. The biggest reason they aren't worried is because their existing footprint in the market is so large. Why would an existing iPhone user go out and purchase a new phone (AT&T and Verizon operate on different technologies)? Some would argue for better cell service and while folks in some areas complain about AT&T's cell service the reality is there are plenty of places where service is as good or better than Verizon. Let's face it, they obviously knew this was coming eventually. When the iPhone 4 was release AT&T did a smart thing by offering existing customers a $199 upgrade with the catch of a renewal that included a long-term contract.

All this being said will some folks switch from AT&T or become first time iPhone users? Yes but I will bet it will be years before Verizon makes a significant dent in the space. And who knows what the latest device will be by then.

Starbucks new caffeine free logo

Starbucks is launching a new logo without the words "STARBUCKS COFFEE" emblazoned around their recognizable lady. Is this their way of continuing their slide into the land of fast food venues? Or did they just have some extra money to spend on a branding firm to freshen up their image? It's always interesting when large companies change their logo. It's kind of like plastic surgery. It makes you stare and wonder why, and question whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. I guess if it makes them feel better about themselves, it's OK. Starbucks hasn't really been about just the coffee in a long time. Maybe now they've got a nose that goes better with their face.