Selected by gunnar

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  Holy Kaw!

• Welcome to the new age of advertising

  10 Feb 2010 | 2:23 am

  Advertising during the Super Bowl may not have changed much in terms of audience size and absurd charges, but the material has—or at least, where the material comes from has changed. According to dozens of surveys, polls, and analyses, nearly all the top-ranking commercials were either created by consumers or produced internally. Advertising agencies may have made their mark with the Snickers commercial during the Super Bowl, but many others missed theirs. It may be time to rethink traditional advertising schemes when 30-second spots like the two Doritos ads (see above), which were…

• New tiny sensor will one day keep you alive

  10 Feb 2010 | 1:41 am

  The smallest solar-powered sensor that can operate nearly perpetually has been developed at the University of Michigan. Measuring nine cubic millimeters, the system includes a processor, solar cells, and a battery, and it could one day be used for tracking air and water quality, architectural-monitoring, and biomedical implants. Its only life-limiting factor is its battery (it can run nearly perpetually when exposed to minimal light). The sensor is 1,000 times smaller than its commercial competitors. Average power consumption? One billionth of a watt. How's that for efficiency? Full story at…

• Building talent is better than buying it

  10 Feb 2010 | 1:20 am

  Often we hear tales of the talented sports star receiving a huge raise to be retained from poaching by another team. But when it comes to building an effective team within your company, “buying in” talent may not actually be as great of an idea as it initially seems. A big part of building an effective team is putting in the work to develop the team as a whole, not just a single unit. So is it really worth it to train in-house to eventually lead your company's team? One article seems to think so, at least when it comes to IT. Weigh in on the comments with your own experiences with…

• In the mood for sweets? You may be depressed!

  10 Feb 2010 | 12:14 am

  At least if you’re a child. According to a recent BBC article, children who are prone to depression or alcoholism may possess an extra sweet tooth. Why? One possibility is that the feelings caused by sugar are similar to those caused by alcohol, and those who eat a lot of sugar may be using it to make themselves feel better. It’s still unclear, however, whether affinity to sweets is due to nurture or nature. Read the full story at the BBC. More on science. Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Avatar's Big Dragon Thing = Digital Marketing

  10 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Think Avatar broke the box offices using sheer awesomeness? False, says MediaShift. Turns out, the movie had quite the digital marketing effort behind it as well. A recent article ties some of the movie’s success to effective—and usefully allegorical!—marketing tactics: Tree of Souls = Social media The Hometree = Avatar’s Web site The Banshee = The air interactive trailer Hallelujah Mountains = Augmented reality Perhaps the comparisons sound a bit weird but, like the movie, the article’s explanations somehow make a bizzare concept work in the end. Read the full…