DOUG SCHUMACHER

experience designer + writer

video

Creativing :: Tweet of the Week, Museum’s engage in trash talk, and the 10 greatest YouTube mashups

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

Tweet of the Week

Today’s my last day at Sun. I’ll miss it. Seems only fitting to end on a #haiku. Financial crisis/Stalled too many customers/CEO no more

Ahead Of Super Bowl, Museum Heads Trash-Talk : NPR

If you want to breath some fresh air into the brand personality of your museum, you probably couldn’t do much better than this. There’s both a transcript and the audio version. How often do you get to hear museum directors talking smack to each other (in jest, of course).

Augmented reality mirror picks makeup for the ladies (video) — Engadget

The first line says it all on this. “Ladies and rockers alike”. You could also add kids, Halloween celebrants, Mardi Gras, etc etc. While practical, this could have a lot of pure entertainment potential.

Facebook Could Eat the Web – The Steve Rubel Lifestream

With everyone talking about Google and Apple, Facebook continues to advance in ways that make a much deeper connection between our personal and commercial relationships. For a lot of people, Facebook is quickly becoming the most convenient place to do almost anything online. And that’s always been the best way to increase sales. The thing they’ll need to be concerned about? Losing consumer’s trust, in the form of scams. As we’ve already seen, it’s much easier to social-hack someone when you have them on a trusted platform where they’re sharing a lot of personal information.

AppSlappy 32: “The iPad Episode” « AppSlappy

These guys do a good job countering most of the iPad objections I’ve come across. I do think there’s still a big issue in it not having Flash, as so much rich online content is Flash based, and this device is about absorbing media more than anything.

Facebook Trends: Goodbye Doppelganger, Hello Urban Dictionary Week

Maybe we need a new category here, Facebook Trend of the Week.

So Long, And Thanks For All The Flash — FarukAt.eş

A compelling argument for the end of Flash, more from a business sense than whether or not Flash is a better experience. I have to agree where he talks about development times and universal access … two major factors for any marketing project. And IMO, it’s the marketers that made Flash, with their expansive microsites and ubiquitous Flash ads. But the key factor for Flash has always been ubiquity and impact. If those are gone, the marketers will be too.

Leaked “Lost” episode spurs surprising fan reaction – Yahoo! News

When the season premier was leaked to YouTube, the reaction was often ‘don’t ruin it for me’. While this will give the networks a sigh of relief, it’s also important to realize that Lost is one of only a couple of shows that could garner this type of reaction.

Top 10 YouTube Mashups of All Time

Because of its simple user experience, popularity, and open API structure, YouTube has always been a good way to showcase mashup capabilities. What’s interesting here is the scope of the mashups. From simplifying an already simple UX, to tracking videos like you might a stock on the NYSE.

Twitter / eMarketer: Stat of the day: 68% of on …

It’s been reported that email marketing is falling by the wayside for many heavy social media users. This stat certainly supports that idea.

Creativing :: Tweet of the Week, Fake Steve Jobs on the iPad, and Seth Godin taking his own medicine

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

Tweet of the Week

I like to imagine Jonathan Ive and James Dyson — tank-topped, schnapps-drunk, and enthusiastically slap-fighting over who’s fancier.

Official Google Blog: Search is getting more social

Sometimes a video is worth 1,000 blog posts. This one does a great job explaining the immediate appeal and potential power of their social search. In personal tests, I didn’t find it all that, but then neither was YouTube on day one. But the potential is screaming obvious. And I found it a glaring reminder of how far ahead of everyone Google is in search. Tried Facebook search lately? It feels like you’re dealing with a big, dumb, AI terminal. As my network and the topics it covers expands, this could be a remarkably powerful focal point for searches across anything from a restaurant to a good doctor. Google’s biggest obstacle here is Facebook blocking their content from Google search. If I were to pick a winner at this point, I’d say Google because this is far more advanced search-wise, and I like the idea of the net they’re casting going well outside one site (although Facebook Connect could be just as effective).

The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs : Tablet Part Two: The true significance of the Tablet

The blend of humor and insight at Fake Steve Jobs never fails to inform and entertain. It’s been said before that the iPad is the newspaper industries last hope for survival. And this post delves into how Jobs wants to redefine the multimedia experience. I also like his unrestrained assault on the Kindle. I’ve always been a big fan, but this week has really exposed it’s vulnerability, imo.

The iPad’s Threat to Advertising – IABlog

Think iPad will save the publishing and ad industries? Here’s a good contrarian viewpoint.

Unhappy Hipsters

The captions Dwell Magazine never published. Funny parody.

Has Twitter peaked? – CNN.com

If I owned Twitter, I’d be far more interested in the overall usage stats than just uniques. I understand the importance of uniques for overall growth, but reading most of the complaints, it’s not that the service offers no value, but rather it’s the perceived lack of filtering. People will eventually figure out lists, and other ways of filtering the data. And Twitter’s open source approach should continue to ensure that a very large community of developers and entrepreneurs will continue to find new ways of expanding Twitter’s utility. That said, you never want to see your unique’s dropping 😐

CQ: The Test Of Your Potential For Cross-Cultural Success – Forbes.com

On the surface, this may seem like one more way to have to compare yourself to others. But I definitely think multi-culturalism is pretty lost on much of the US. Even in the advertising world — where we tend to think of ourselves as pretty open and aware — we’ve seen enormous blowups from ads where no one bothered to consider that anyone outside of their own cultural boundary could have access to the communications. This is worth a read.

Seth’s Blog: Why write a book?

Seth Godin certainly takes his own medicine. This is the announcement on his blog for his latest book. Not crazy hype. Not even a small cover shot of the book. Just an intriguing headline — which surely stopped a good percentage of those who’ve ever thought about writing a book — followed by his usual thoughtful way of viewing things below the surface that stops most people. And all very consistent with his brand.

Vanishing Point motion artwork | The Glue Pot

Motion artwork video from visual artist Takuya Hosogane. There isn’t much info here or on his site about the methodology, so I’m assuming it’s all directly his design work, and not generated algorithmically through the sounds.

Charlie Simpson, 7-Year-Old, Raises $160,000 For Haiti

Shows that you don’t have to be a major corporation to generate buzz in social media. You just need a great story.

Creativing :: Remarkable iPhone story from Haiti, Put yourself in a music video, and the future of mobile and social networks

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

Man Buried in Haiti Rubble Uses iPhone to Treat Wounds, Survive | Wired.com

Remarkable story about a documentary filmmaker caught in the Haiti earthquake and survived, in part due to a first aid app on his iPhone. Of course, this is as much about being prepared (he had previously downloaded the iPhone app, after all) and being resourceful (using your SLR camera as a flashlight), but it does show how technology makes it easier to have the right information and tools when you need them.

New NBC Logo Combines Fail Whale and Peacock [PIC]

Funny (unless you’re Conan) mashup of the Twitter fail whale and the NBC logo. Certainly fits based on what I’ve been reading about NBC lately

oneframeoffame

An interesting idea that reminds me of the $1,000,000 home page idea, in which they broke down a home page screen into something like 10000 small squares, and charged $100 to advertise in each square. This is a sort of user generated version of that, but instead of getting your logo on the page, you get your image, and maybe 1 second of fame, in the video. It looks like a Dutch group is behind this, and they have some other interesting projects on their site.

Create Your Own iPhone or Android App in Minutes With iSites

Count on me to be trying this out asap. Create your own iPhone app, for as little as $25. With nothing more than an RSS feed required. Sure, this will invite a wave of drivel, but in that pile will also be a couple of apps that might really stick. And that’s the multiple that emerging tech lives on.

Five Mobile Trends for 2010 – Advertising Age

Mobile’s making more sense by the day. iPhone apps keep getting cheaper, i.e., more abundant. Android takes off. Talk of a Facebook mobile phone. So prepare for change in this space. This is a good projection of what to expect from the mobile industry in 2010. If not the peak trends, these will all be areas to watch.

Bing to Become the iPhone’s Default Search Engine?

While this news doesn’t really shake any iPhone user’s tree very hard, it does underscore a new stage in the tech world battle of the super brands. The battle raging between Apple and Google. Two of my favorite companies. And in many ways, two of the most divergent businesses out there, philosophically. The end of the article speculates on Apple developing their own search engine … something I’ve not heard of before. The last line of the article is the best, though: “Apple and Google know the other is their primary enemy . . . Microsoft is now a pawn in that battle.”

CONFIRMED: New York Times to Start Charging for Website in 2011

Mashable has some good extended thinking on the issue. I generally agree that the value of gained subs will likely not outweigh the loss in readership. At least not for the long term. And while their announcement doesn’t seem like much, that’s clearly their strategy. Give their user base plenty of time to adjust — they can always retract — while they work out the details of something they feel is pretty inevitable.

With the NY Times subscription story hot, their announcement to drop the subscriber model in 2007 is a particularly relevant read. They state $10m in revenues from about 227k subs. I don’t know their revenues, but the NY Times company and it’s 24 papers made $2.9b in 2008. Whatever the NY Times portion was, it would seem to make $10 look pretty thin.

Opticana – the 500$ Campaign

This is a fun video on a campaign tactic from Israel that’s been employed here in the states for a while. I’m sure almost all alternate spellings of our top 10 web sites have been purchased years ago (many of them by the brands themselves). Still, this is a great reminder that the ever changing digital marketing landscape always contains unique surprises and workarounds for those coming at the problem from a slightly different direction.

The Future Of Social Networks

This is a nice read, partly because it’s very graphically easy to absorb. My favorite part is at the very end, where the writer reminds us that social media is an ongoing process, and that even large brands like Wal-Mart can fail numerous times before succeeding. Another interesting note on that is that Wal-Mart isn’t exactly a beloved American brand, but that didn’t stop them from using social media.

The Pros and Cons of Hiring Contract Workers

An article on outsourcing that I was interviewed for, with some good reference sites if you’re interested in outsourcing. I think this is unquestionably going to be a growing trend for agencies, both large and small. Every day, new developments in communications, from file sharing to video communications, are minimizing the border between remote and in-person.

Creativing :: Twitter for event marketing, Foursquare is serious gaming, and Minority Report here we come

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:
Tweet of the Week
As CNN demonstrated it’s impact during the Gulf War, it’s tragic events like the Hattian earthquake that perhaps most demonstrate the power of Twitter. And it’s not Twitter per se, but rather the direct form of simple, unfiltered, and most importantly, immediate information that feels like we’re getting a personal view of the writer’s experience.
NYT: Following Venture Capital for Signs of Technology to ComeThe underlying thread here is simplicity and speed. No surprises there. Of course, whether that’s an iPhone app or a Facebook app, that’s easier said than done.
Tracking hands, Camera & Projection // The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology –Video | Digital Acting
At TEDIndia, Pranav Mistry demos several tools that help the physical world interact with the world of data. Minority Report, here we come. But what’s best about this IMO is that it simply looks fun. And what better way to sell a new technology? Note that he’s making his technology Open Source to accelerate innovation. Also note the great stage set.
Amtrak to Add Free Wi-Fi on High-Speed Trains
I’ve long been jealous of the east coast’s ability to take trains between cities. Especially with the declining experience of air travel. An extra hour or two on a 3 hour trip is, IMO, entirely bearable if you have full access to productive technology. And, can cut out an hour of getting into and out of the downtowns of cities. I’m only surprised Amtrak didn’t do this earlier.
Real Time Ads Coming to Google Street View?
This is one of those unfortunately rare times when a new ad platform actually adds relevance and value to a user experience. When you’re using Google Street View and see a billboard for a movie that hasn’t been in theaters for 12 months? Imagine that instead it’s for a movie now playing just around the corner.
NYT: Typeface Designers Wrestle With the World of Pixels
An amusing account of the challenges of designing fonts for the web, and other difficult environments. Reading this, I was reminded of Steve Jobs’ story about sitting in on typography classes for the fun of it — after dropping out of his main curiculum. This article taps into that duality of creativity mixed with intellectual problem solving.
The Wittery: Killer Content from Witty Freelance Writers
There are a lot of bland companies out there in need of good writers. The Wittery is a sort of online matchmaker for just that situation. This seems like an obvious (in a good way) idea that I hope takes off. The writing on the site is in full support of their brand promise of adding personality to your company.
Foursquare Changes the Game … Literally
If there’s an intersection of mobile, gaming, and emerging platforms, it seems to be located very close to Foursquare. I can’t think of any other app that’s been consistently getting as much buzz as these guys. These upgrades won’t impact anyone but the hardcores, but I do think the new borderless structure will only increase Foursquare’s popularity and growth. As I’ve previously reported, it’s being used as a promotional device by various bars and coffee shops. And what better to identify your most vocal brand advocates in your area?
Is This KFC Ad Racist? [YOUTUBE VIDEO]
There are a couple of interesting things happening here. There’s the issue of globalization of media, and ads from one culture being viewed and judged in another culture. And then there’s the online debate forum, played out in video, from around the world.
#MFU10 – twazzup
This is a marketing event that, everytime someone signs up, they Tweet the person’s company and title as attending. Interesting tactic for generating buzz in search due to what are probably relatively popular search topics, although possibly revealing public info the indviduals might not want to send out?

What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

Tweet of the Week

As CNN demonstrated it’s impact during the Gulf War, it’s tragic events like the Hattian earthquake that perhaps most demonstrate the power of Twitter. And it’s not Twitter per se, but rather the direct form of simple, unfiltered, and most importantly, immediate information that feels like we’re getting a personal view of the writer’s experience.

NYT: Following Venture Capital for Signs of Technology to Come

The underlying thread here is simplicity and speed. No surprises there. Of course, whether that’s an iPhone app or a Facebook app, that’s easier said than done.

Tracking hands, Camera & Projection // The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology –Video | Digital Acting

At TEDIndia, Pranav Mistry demos several tools that help the physical world interact with the world of data. Minority Report, here we come. But what’s best about this IMO is that it simply looks fun. And what better way to sell a new technology? Note that he’s making his technology Open Source to accelerate innovation. Also note the great stage set.

Amtrak to Add Free Wi-Fi on High-Speed Trains

I’ve long been jealous of the east coast’s ability to take trains between cities. Especially with the declining experience of air travel. An extra hour or two on a 3 hour trip is, IMO, entirely bearable if you have full access to productive technology. And, can cut out an hour of getting into and out of the downtowns of cities. I’m only surprised Amtrak didn’t do this earlier.

Real Time Ads Coming to Google Street View?

This is one of those unfortunately rare times when a new ad platform actually adds relevance and value to a user experience. When you’re using Google Street View and see a billboard for a movie that hasn’t been in theaters for 12 months? Imagine that instead it’s for a movie now playing just around the corner.

NYT: Typeface Designers Wrestle With the World of Pixels

An amusing account of the challenges of designing fonts for the web, and other difficult environments. Reading this, I was reminded of Steve Jobs’ story about sitting in on typography classes for the fun of it — after dropping out of his main curiculum. This article taps into that duality of creativity mixed with intellectual problem solving.

The Wittery: Killer Content from Witty Freelance Writers

There are a lot of bland companies out there in need of good writers. The Wittery is a sort of online matchmaker for just that situation. This seems like an obvious (in a good way) idea that I hope takes off. The writing on the site is in full support of their brand promise of adding personality to your company.

Foursquare Changes the Game … Literally

If there’s an intersection of mobile, gaming, and emerging platforms, it seems to be located very close to Foursquare. I can’t think of any other app that’s been consistently getting as much buzz as these guys. These upgrades won’t impact anyone but the hardcores, but I do think the new borderless structure will only increase Foursquare’s popularity and growth. As I’ve previously reported, it’s being used as a promotional device by various bars and coffee shops. And what better to identify your most vocal brand advocates in your area?

Is This KFC Ad Racist? [YOUTUBE VIDEO]

There are a couple of interesting things happening here. There’s the issue of globalization of media, and ads from one culture being viewed and judged in another culture. And then there’s the online debate forum, played out in video, from around the world.

#MFU10 – twazzup

This is a marketing event that, everytime someone signs up, they Tweet the person’s company and title as attending. Interesting tactic for generating buzz in search due to what are probably relatively popular search topics, although possibly revealing public info the indviduals might not want to send out?

Creativing :: Holiday shopping madness video, social media gains advocates, and iPhone news

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

Chaos inside Walmart during Black Friday 2009 [VIDEO]

Absurd chaos going on here. You’d think a gun was fired. People in some parts of the world must see this and think this entire country is insane.

Frosty the Inappropriate Snowman Mashup Creates Controversey

The video this references to has been pulled. What I like here is that the mashup was done by CBS. That means that CBS was mashing up artwork they didn’t have the rights to? And the networks are trying to put a stop to YouTube? At least for a brief moment it seems they stopped acting like legal bots and started acting like real human beings.

AT&T CEO Wants iPhone Users to Limit Usage

This is little short of mind-boggling. Just as the mobile industry a really taking off, AT&T’s De la Vega steps in and tries to threaten everyone with tiered pricing. He should read his history. The Web tried this very unsuccessfully in it’s early days. Consumers heavily restricted their use out of concern for unexpected high monthly charges. More than anything, I’m surprised that he can’t see how anyone in the mobile space should benefit from increased usage. That data they point to is interesting though: Their 3% smart phone users consume 40% of the data. I just don’t like their solution of punishing their best customers. What other industry does that (besides the music industry)?

Chrome Extensions for Mac Coming Soon

I just installed Chrome on my MacBook Pro, and am very impressed with the speed over Firefox. Extremely noticeable. But I do miss the ability to have plugins — something I used a lot on Firefrox. So this is good news to me. If you haven’t tried Chrome for Mac, though, i’d definitely give it a spin

Twitter Bombs and the Real Time Tweets on Google Results Page

I, like many others, have noticed a lot more Google Alerts search traffic. And much of it is from Twitter activity. This report could certainly explain why that’s happening. It could also be pushing up posters who happen to use a common Google search term. I can’t imagine this will last long. Way to easy for brands to drop the Twitter bomb. And you know they will. In fact, I’m sure the marketer behind the shaking belly ads is at work on that right now.

It’s Official: Auto Ads are Shifting Online

Some pretty convincing data on the increasing use of social media by the auto industry. What I find most interesting is that it’s the dealers, at the local level, that are really taking advantage of this. Here’s a great stat from a Nielsen report: “Auto dealerships dropped their overall ad budgets 27%, but increased internet ad spends 45% in the first three quarters of 2009, compared to the same time period in 2008.”

Social Media Influencing 28% of Shoppers

An early indicator of the influence of social media on consumer shopping behavior. And while I agree this is real, I’m surprised that the gap between those who say they check product reviews and those who say they are affected by social media activity is as narrow as it is. Really, I thought the majority of people would be regularly checking product reviews on sites like Amazon. Interesting that only 13% of people claim to make use of that information to inform their purchasing decision. Maybe it’s the lower price point merchandise they’re not so concerned with.

Seth’s Blog: The reason social media is so difficult for most organizations

Social media is a process, not an event. This is a big distinction, and actually something I addressed earlier this week at the iMedia Summit. So I couldn’t agree more. And company’s that want to treat social media and branding like an event, or a product, are in for an unpleasant surprise.

Top 10 Internet Marketing Strategies of 2009

What I like in this article is how they emphasize the mediums that establish credibility. This is a principle concept that’s coming up a lot in branding. And whether they refer to it as credibility, authenticity, or being genuine, it’s the same principle. You can’t just shout messages at people the way you once could. They mention these trends were big in 2009, and should be for 2010 as well. I’d say they can extend it out a lot longer than that for many of these mediums.

iPhone App Lets You IMDb on the Go

A good review of the iPhone app on Mashable. This is probably one of the most logical apps you could want, as especially among young people, a lot of movie-going decisions are out-of-home.

Creativing :: Futbal Hero video, Facebook’s latest marketing strategy, and Sony goes hunting for game spammers

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

YouTube – Kasabian Football Hero

It’s always great when a cool video is accompanied by a good song. While more documentary than music video, this is a fun riff on the Guitar Hero user interface, despite actually using open source version Frets on Fire.

Map View from AirSage

Mobile-based location and motion data. They use mobile phone data from individual handsets to predict things like traffic and general movement patters of people throughout the US. They have agreements with both carriers and manufacturers, and are a sort of white label for traffic information. They claim to be able to provide this coverage for 127 markets that cover 85% of the population. There are a lot of campaign applications for this data.

Beastman

Fun, simple street art style from an Australian artist.

Kill Your Idols

Skate culture art style with a rock and roll theme. Can’t go wrong with that.

5 Must Read Social Media Marketing Studies

Some good research and projections on social media. Highlights include a report that American’s spend 17% of their online time on social media sites, and businesses reporting that blogs have the highest social media ROI.

Tobold’s MMORPG Blog: Facebook games: Scam or useful tool?

Good assessment of the four critical components for how Facebook games hook people and pull them in to a deeper experience. Definitely reinforces why so many Facebook games feel so formulaic.

The Myth of Usability Testing

Usability testing isn’t the most exciting subject I’ve ever written on, but I’ll certainly concede it’s value, when used correctly. And that’s what this article delves into. Pitfalls and solutions for good testing methods. One interesting note is how many usability tests are given to existing users of a bad interface, and they compare those results to the same group using a new interface. Of course, given their familiarity with the bad interface, they find that one easier to use. A self-fulfilling prophecy.

Facebook’s ‘Reconnect’ Strategy is Brilliant

You’ve probably seen random people popping up on the right column on Facebook, under the title ‘Suggestions’. These are friends of yours Facebook has identified as relatively inactive on Facebook. And they’re encouraging you to reach out and get them participating. Facebook’s explosive growth is starting to flatten out. And now they need to figure out other ways to grow their business. Typically, companies tackle this by increasing usage among current users. Facebook’s approach to that — getting users to connect amongst themselves — is both genuine and cost effective. And while the term CRM isn’t mentioned anywhere in this article, it’s a blend of that, permission marketing, and user generated marketing. Pretty savvy.

Sony creates online detectives targeting ingame spammers

According to this article, Sony’s 9-member detective team has already shut down 295,000 spammer subscription accounts. And I thought my inbox got a lot of spam.

5 Fresh & Innovative Collaboration Platforms For The Creative Community

Looking to reach out and connect with other creatives? Here are some good places to do so.

Creativing :: Seinfeld on smartphones, a variety of iPhone app approaches, and development issues marketers should know

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What’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

What Seinfeld thinks about Blackberries and iPhones

I don’t know what he’s been doing for the past five years, but he hasn’t lost it.

Adobe’s Photoshop.com iPhone app goes live

I’m digging this. It has the standard color balance and tinting features, a couple of special effects, and a series of preset image effects. It very fluid: Love the interface of sliding your finger left to right to adjust the strength of the effect. That part of it actually feels more intuitive and accurate than the computer app.

Volkswagen latches onto iPhone game for GTI

Not all iPhone apps have to be a big production. This game behind VWs GTI app was around for a while. Apparently VW just dropped in the GTI module, and then gave it away for free as branded content. I think this is a smart way to spend an ad budget, and suspect we’ll see more of this type thing. As the iPhone app store shoots towards a projected 100,000 apps by the end of this year, there’s a lot of great content out there with very little exposure. And VW realized they didn’t have to reinvent the wheel to make an impact.

Branded Virtual Goods Clicked 10 Times More Than Non-Branded Counterparts

An interesting report amid all the clamor about how sick people are of commercialism. Sounds like it’s more the commercials they’re sick of. There have been a million definitions about what good branding means — a promise to the customer; what people say about you; the value of a company once you subtract all the assets. This finding is a testament that good brands still matter. And whatever branding represents, it’s something people respond to.

Microsoft Cuts Deal With Twitter and Facebook to Integrate Feeds With Bing

Clearly a lot written on this subject this week. Beyond the amusing love/hate quadrangle going on between Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Twitter, the big headline for me is that this is the first time I’m aware of that Google has had a search competitor who was able to generate search results for content that they couldn’t. That combined with Bing’s already positive reviews and this should get interesting.

Martha Stewart Says It’s About Omnipresence

Love her or not so much, she’s build a powerful brand and shown resilience when the chips were down. Her statement about omnipresence is really an amalgam of concepts including touch point marketing, CRM, brand consistency, and social media’s best practices. This also underscores the need for authenticity, as the more places and forms a brand’s communications live in, the harder it becomes to forge a message that’s not true to the company’s core.

Infographic of the Day: Watch the World Wake Up, on Twitter

Called ‘Good Morning’, this animated infographic takes tweets that say “Good Morning” and charts them on a rotating globe graphic by what time of morning that was tweeted. Early, mid or late. What results is a wave of colors sweeping across a region of the world. What’s most noticeable in both of these is the lack of activity on Twitter in China. Maybe he just couldn’t parse Mandarin, but if that’s not the case, it’s a striking difference.

An Inside Look at 4 Developer Ecosystems

Facebook, iPhone, Twitter, and Google Wave. A look at the pros and cons of developing on each. As creative marketing solutions continue to be heavily defined by the platforms they live on, an understanding of the benefits and challenges of those four majors is not only important for developers, but also the creatives, strategists, producers, and account people involved in the project.

iPlotz: wireframing, mockups and prototyping for websites and applications

One of my favorite new Web hosted apps. If you do any level of wireframing or diagramming and aren’t wed to an installed app like Omnigraffle, this is worth looking into. Some very smart time saving and customizing features.

Full Circle In Sight As Inventor Of The World Wide Web Signs Up For Twitter

Tim Berners-Lee, credited with inventing the Web, has found Twitter, and apparently isn’t impressed. I love that the guy who gave us the wild and wacky chaos of HTML finds the Twitter interface confusing.