Cop slips up on status, reveals real motives

A British cop is under investigation for publicly declaring how eagerly he anticipated the joy of beating protesters at the G20 meeting on Facebook. He appears to have missed the day of training where the instructor told the rookies not to do this kind of thing.

TiVo Ads Get Interactive

TiVo and other video recorders are adding ads in unexpected places. That’s right; the company who set out to zap ads is now actually working with advertisers to reach more customers. Obviously, this is profit-driven.

“What we love about it is, if you think about it, the remote control and DVRs have really been a marketer’s worst nightmare,” said Anne Jensen, brand-building director at Unilever. “What we’re doing with ITV is, we’re actually making the remote control our friend.”

The ads – showing up on menus and when programs are finished or paused – are considered interactive because they ask the viewer to do something. This could be something simple like “click to learn more” or something more complicated, like desiging a car. Some ads even track how long a viewer spent with it.

Read more here.

- Chrissie

Detroit newspapers using “plastic” in 2010

–Chas

Text to TV and UGC – Justin Allen

MTV, MuchMusic, American Idol, SpikeTV, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, etc. all using Text to TV
The Future of participation TV

Heres How

http://www.textyourtv.com/
http://www.firetext.tv/

Where do we go from here.
User Generated content?
http://www.ireport.com/

Will podcasts replace professors?

This month’s Atlantic magazine quotes a study showing that students who listened to podcast lectures did better than students who actually attended class: “iPods are as ubiquitous on today’s college campuses as pens and notebooks, and they may make better learning tools. Students who listened to a lecture podcast and took notes scored far better on exams than students who attended the class in person. A majority in the podcast group also listened to the lecture more than once while studying, gaining an edge on peers who may or may not have been napping in the lecture hall.”

–David

Personalized Food Pyramid

We probably all remember the food pyramid from our elementary school days. What you may not realize is that the food pyramid has had its fair share of controversy, from criticism of the portion sizes to allegations that the USDA was influenced by food production associations.

In 2005, the USDA announced a new, upgraded verision of the food pyramid called “MyPyramid”, with a focus on personalization. The food guide pyramid gave a one-size-fits-all set of recommendation. In contrast, MyPyramid has 12 sets of possible recommendations, with the appropriate guide for an individual selected based on sex, age group, and activity level. Users can log on to the Web site to see their personal recommendations.

While there, they can also use the menu planner. Choose a food, plug it into the planner, and you’ll get a calorie count and be able to see whether you’re meeting daily goals. The site also allows users to e-mail menus, assess and track food intake and assess and track physical activity levels. The targeted companion site for kids even has some games to teach kids about nutrition.

- Chrissie

Blogger Harassed By Detective

A Florida blogger is investigated for daring to criticize …his pastor.

These graphs tell the story:

A blogger critical of First Baptist Church Pastor Mac Brunson wants to know why his Web site was investigated by a police detective who is also a member of the minister’s security detail.

Thomas A. Rich also wants the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to explain what suspected crimes led Detective Robert Hinson to open the probe into his once-anonymous Web site.

Rich also wants to know why Hinson revealed his name to the church despite finding no wrongdoing. Hinson obtained a subpoena from the State Attorney’s Office requiring Google Inc. to reveal the author of the blog.

Rich’s unmasking led to an eventual trespass warning banning the longtime member and his wife from First Baptist, despite the fact that Brunson and a top church administrator conceded the blog never threatened violence.

The rest is here.

Interactive pillow smiles at you!

“Researchers at MIT’s Ambient Media have created what they call the Relational Pillow. The device is an interactive pillow concept that understands touch instructions and helps as a communication aid between different people. The pillow uses Wi-Fi technology to allow the users connect and communicate with other Relational Pillow users far away.

This would be of great help to separated lovers who long for each other’s company while in bed. They would no more feel lonely and secluded, as the Relational Pillow would help the lovers to stay in touch while both of them are not physically near each other. This could also suggest that the Relational Pillow is the first gadget or device to enhance and support long distance relationships.”

http://www.walyou.com/blog/2009/04/20/emotional-interactive-pillow/

http://ambient.media.mit.edu/projects.php?action=details&id=26

-Chas

Money! – Justin Allen

NBC show picks up $400 million an episode from viewers via SMS

“Deal or no deal” has become a big deal for generating revenue from a text-messaging contest conducted during the NBC game show.

While one reviewer called it “the dumbest prime-time show ever,” the audience this month has ranged from 14.2 million to 17.7 million viewers. And quite a few people are voting in a separate viewer-participation game integrated into the program called the “Lucky Case Game.” In it, viewers are given an opportunity to vote-online for free or by premium cellphone text-messaging for 99¢–on which of six suitcases contain $10,000. The winner is selected from a lottery among those who picked the correct suitcase; the winner’s name is broadcast live at the end of the program.

Executives at NBC and the show’s production company, Endemol USA, declined to say how many mobile votes were generated. However, it’s easy enough to estimate.

Jon Vlassopulos, VP-new media, business development and strategic planning for Endemol, said around the world 5% to 10% of viewers participate in the interactive aspects of the program. About 75% vote for free online. That means each episode collects, on average, roughly $400,000 in fees from text messages from viewers.

PALES COMPARED TO ‘IDOL’

Still, that number is far less than what Cingular Wireless gets from its exclusive association with Fox’s “American Idol.” For the fourth season of the hit music contest, Fox said it generated more than 41.5 million text messages throughout the show’s 12-week voting period.

Industry executives said revenue from text promotions generally is split, 35% to 65%, between the wireless carrier and the content carrier, respectively, and the remainder goes to the aggregator or company enabling the program to work on numerous cellphones and wireless services.

Stephen Andrade, VP, NBC Interactive, said the network is so happy with the results that its “Celebrity Cooking Showdown” program will include a similar 99-cent text-messaging contest. This summer’s NBC reality series “Treasure Hunters” also will have a mobile-phone component. In addition, he said NBC’s sales department is actively speaking with potential sponsors for other aspects of “Deal or No Deal,” including sales of mobile wallpaper, ringtones and even a mobile game.

“Everything to do with digital is a top priority,” Mr. Andrade said.

PHOTO (COLOR): PHONING IT IN: Howie Mandel hosts show

~~~~~~~~

By Alice Z. Cuneo

Against the Law

Text Charges

This week’s persecuted blogger story

A Korean prosecutor is trying to get a blogger locked up for a year and a helf. See the story here.