RSS Users visited Three Times as Many News Web Sites as Non-Users

The latest release from Nielson//NetRatings reported that RSS users are significantly more engaged in online news than non-users, visiting an average of 10.6 news sites compared with 3.4 news sites for non-users. Not only do RSS users visit more news Web sites than non-users, they also visit those sites more frequently. Thanks to Wilson for forwarding this to me!

Does Google Penalize You for Decreasing AdWords Bid Costs?

Robert Cringely's latest article documents research on how Google seems to have penalized this AdWord advertiser for decreasing his bid costs.

Any AdWords user should read this article.

Steps to get of automated voice response hell

We've all been there. Calling our bank, credit card company or cellular company and we have to hit dozens of key combinations before we can actually speak to a human.
This website details the necessary steps to cut through the voice jail.

Many systems just require you to hit zero, but quite a few are a bit trickier then that. Hopefully you don't have AT&T for cell service -- they report that AT&T wireless as "no easy escape".

This is yet another example of brand contact where many companies fall short.

You Can Own the Daily Show Set

The original Daily Show set is up for bid on EBay. 4 Days left and they are up to $1325

Apple Fans drool over the packaging!

Wired reports on a Apple fans who save the packaging and even display them tastefully backlit with lamps from Ikea!

Apple truly gets the 'brand experience' and knows that the first contact with their products is when you open the packaging. Apple makes it an event that even inspires some to take pictures of every step along the way!

Yet another example of how Apple 'gets it'.

Online Advertising - 'The Come Back Kid'

A recent emarketer survey shows that after a decrease in online spending in 2001 and 2002, spending has rebounded dramatically with double digit growth predicted through 2009.



Where are the dollars coming from? According to an InsightExpress survey, 74% of media planning and buying executives reported an increased demand for Internet ad inventory in late 2004. That figure was 23 points higher than the next most in-demand medium, cable TV. In contrast, 19% or more of respondents cited decreased demand for media such as newspapers, radio, magazines and network TV.

Cool! - An Adaptor to Plug Skype into your Regular Phone

Well the blogosphere has been buzzing about the Ebay purchase of Skype. I still haven't signed up for an account, but I think I will now -->

My old friend Tony Heh just forwarded me this link for a SKYPE USB to RJ11 adaptor.
He says he loves it. With this adaptor it allows him to make both Skype and regular phone calls as well as receive both Skype and regular phone calls all in one place!

Very cool.

Information about Google WiFi found on corporate Website

Reuters is reporting that information found on the Google FAQ page mentions a beta product called Google WiFi. This rumored service that I reported on 8/17.

Looks like the gatekeeper of the world's information could become one of the globe's biggest Internet providers and one of its most powerful ad sellers, basically supplanting telecoms in one fell swoop.

I tried finding the page referenced in the Reuters article, but didn't see it. If anyone finds it on the Google site, let me know.

9/28 Update Here are the links referenced in the article above:
http://wifi.google.com/faq.html
http://wifi.google.com/download.html

I've Been Selected to Review Robert Scoble and Shel Israel's New Book

I'm honored to have been selected to review the pre-release copy of Naked Conversations.
I have been following the writting of their book through their blog. I've really enjoyed seeing the evolution of the book and I'm really looking forward to seeing it in print.

Thanks Robert and Shel!

Bill Gates and Napoleon Dynamite Video

Cool! - The Microsoft bigwig teamed up with Napoleon Dynamite in this spoof video from PDC 2005. The camera's a little shaky, but you get the idea. Check it out on ifilm. Or Download it here.

AAAA Launches Blog for Katrina Support

The AAAA has launched a Weblog to support industry relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina specifically aimed at advertising agency businesses. Located at aaaacares.blogspot.com, the blog serves as a centralized, industry conduit to help agency businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina and agencies and other businesses that would like to provide assistance. If you would like to suggest a link or provide news or information about your agency that is relevant to the relief effort, please contact Kipp Cheng AAAA's Director of Public Affairs via e-mail at kipp@aaaa.org or by phone at 212-850-0720.

Open Source Content Management System Written in C#

Picked up this little tidbit on Scoble's blog yesterday -
Free Open Source .NET CMS Impresses
Umbraco is a free, stable and standard-supporting cms that is easy to use. Open source on .NET.

They have a bunch of videos on the site demonstrating the functionality. This looks really cool!

Google Reaching out to the Agency Community

I spoke with Chris Theodoros, Director, Industry Relations for Google. He has been reading my blog and wanted to let me know that Google has started a division to help Agencies embrace the world of online advertising. Prior to coming to Google, Chris was VP of global marketing strategies for DoubleClick.

Good to know you're out there Chris! We look forward to working with you to help with our online brand contact initiative on behalf of our clients. To read more on the Google Agency Program click here.

New Division of the Mason Family Launched Today



Big news at Mason today! We have officially launched a new division called Mason y Bauzá. "MyB" Offers Bi-lingual, Bi-cultural Strategic Insights to Nation's Fastest Growing Demographic; and Unique Hispanic Readiness Program (HRP) for Companies Seeking to Market to Hispanics.

You can read more in their press release.

Congrats guys! I'm looking forward to helping on the interactive side.

Google Blog Search Goes Live

Google has launched a blog specific search engine this morning. I am interested to see the reviews. I'm also wondering if blogger.com and blogspot.com blogs get preferential treatment. Another question I have is, does this indexed information carry across to the main google search? My preliminary search seems to indicate that it doesn't. Google's blog search seems to list every one of my posts, where as the main Google engine lists only a handful and seems to list my comments on other blogs more.

A Real Alternative to TV

Over the past several days I have spent quite a bit of my 'free time' watching what would have been traditional TV programming on the web. Now that I have high speed internet I have more options available to me for video. Two in particular are really worth checking out both put out by PBS. The first is a Nova series on String Theory called "The Elegant Universe". This is a fascinating look at the evolution of general relativity and quantum mechanics and the rise of string theory as the possibility the holy grail of physics - the unifying 'theory of everything'. PBS publishes the videos in 8 minute segments which makes it really easy to grab bits and pieces as time permits. This is a really well done, highly produced production well worth the time!

The second series is NerdTV, the brain child of Robert Cringely. He describes it as Charlie Rose for nerds. Just as a funny aside, when we first got cable here the very FIRST show I watched was a Charlie Rose episode. Anyway, Cringely has interviews lined up with the best minds from nerdom. His inaugural interview is with Andy Hertzfeld, the original Macintosh systems programmer. I watched it on my laptop in the kitchen while I cleaned the dishes and made the kids lunches. It was a really informative interview. This is a much more down and dirty production. About 10 minutes into the 1 hour interview I found myself wondering why I downloaded a 100 mb movie file while I kept looking at a close up of Andy nodding and smiling repeatedly. Cringely also offers it as a audio download and a text transcript. I will probably opt for the quicker audio downloads in the future.

Anyway, kudos to PBS for embracing the web as a way to distribute their content. Its a great service and a glimpse at the future of content distribution. Good to see my PBS membership dollars being put to good use!

Mason Works with Clients To Post Links to the Hurricane Relief

Pictures of the devastation

Please Donate!

Stony Creek Town Dock, #1 [Large version]

Stony Creek Town Dock, #1 [Large version]
Originally uploaded by bokeh.

I'm really enjoying browsing through Flickr and finding jems like this