Looking for a way to knock the argyle socks off your geeky lover this Valentine’s Day? Skip the computer programmer-themed porn and try gifting your nerdy loved one some HTTPanties or “Tweet Me” Sweethearts candy. The Huffington Post tracked down thirteen geeky gifts that scream “I love you, nerd face.” Full geeky gift list at Huffington Post. Get your geek on. Permalink | Leave a comment »
Selected by rickgibson
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Holy Kaw!
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13 geeky Valentine’s Day gifts
9 Feb 2010 | 12:33 pm -
Google Buzz's official demo [video]
9 Feb 2010 | 11:25 amGoogle has just unveiled its latest attempt to become more relevant in the social media space—Google Buzz. The product is integrated within Gmail and will be rolled out gradually to all of the webmail service’s users over the next few days. While this development is still unfolding, you can check out Google Buzz’s two-minute demo of Buzz in action both online and via mobile. What are your initial reactions? Another soon-to-be-forgotten Google product like Wave, or a Facebook/Twitter killer? Full story at Mashable. Total Google coverage. Permalink | Leave a… -
Darth Vader’s original wimpy voice [video]
9 Feb 2010 | 11:15 amImagine a galaxy far, far away where Darth Vader sounded like any other British bloke strolling down the corridors of the Death Star. Before James Earl Jones provided the menacing voice of the Dark Lord of the Sith, English actor and bodybuilder David Prowse delivered the lines from inside the Darth costume. While George Lucas never intended for Prowse’s voice to make the flick’s final cut, it’s weird to imagine how different Star Wars would have been with a different Vader voice. Full story at Huffington Post. Tons of Star Wars tidbits. Permalink | Leave a… -
7 things you didn’t know about condoms
9 Feb 2010 | 10:14 amRubbers. Raincoats. Inconvenient. Whatever you call 'em, condoms remain a must-have in the safe sex tool box. Long before the days of Durex and Trojans, men used animal intestines to protect their willies (that sounds lovely, eh ladies?) and still to this day use lambskin condoms for latex allergies and supposed extra sensitivity. Want to learn even more fun facts about condoms that will surely impress your friends and potential lovers? Check out Asylum's seven things you probably didn't know about condoms that includes tantalizing tidbits like: Vaseline + condoms = Disintegrated rubber and… -
Horror flick mirror scare mash-up [video]
9 Feb 2010 | 9:25 amHorror movies love to rely on cliches to scare the bejeezus out of us, but does it really surprise anyone that the axe murderer is going to pop in the reflection of a mirror? Ok, yes, it still totally sparks a few pee-in-pants moments. Check out this mash-up of mirror scare moments (fair warning: don’t watch alone in a big, dark, scary house): Full story at Four Four. Boo! Tons of scary and not so scary movie news. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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Tom Asacker on unlocking hearts and minds
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What dat?
8 Feb 2010 | 5:51 amWhat a game! Who dat, indeed! And those Super Bowl commercials? What dat? A Doritos ninja? Men singing in an open field about wearing no pants? Men being men again through the purchase of muscle cars and big screen TVs?... -
Amazon, Macmillan, Apple and the future of books
3 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pmLast week a temporary cease-fire went into effect amidst a brewing battle between Amazon.com and Macmillan, a unit of Germany's Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GMBH and one of the largest publishers in the US. The battle was over the price... -
The Hole in the Soul of Business
31 Jan 2010 | 10:00 pmThat's the title of a recent blog post by management author and consultant Gary Hamel. He blames this hole, which "bleeds the vitality and enthusiasm out of people at work," on a "paucity of purpose." Near the end of his... -
Engagement and Apple's new iPad
28 Jan 2010 | 4:37 amThere wasn't any (engagement, that is). And that's not a problem. At least not in the short term. Engagement is the very first door that any business must open when attempting to unlock hearts and minds in today's idea economy.... -
Theater and substance
27 Jan 2010 | 5:18 amThere's a theater part to your work, and a substance part. Theater is about originality, intensity and passion. Theater engages people. It stirs the emotions and touches people's hearts. Substance is about planning and consistency. It's about managing the details...
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BrandDigital | BrandSimple: The Blog
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Leading brands are quick studies when it comes to the “double-click mentality”
4 Feb 2010 | 7:01 amThe toaster wasn’t toasting fast enough. No, it wasn’t broken. I was having a “double-click mentality” moment. You know, those moments during an ordinary day when the ordinary stuff we do seems to take too much time as a result of our being behavior modified by the instant gratification of digital activities. Downloading books, music, and movies. Scanning directions onto our mobile devices. Using QR codes to get exclusive access to discounts. Or, like Target has done in a recent non-digital promotion, sending coupons that are good for any brand of a whole bunch of… -
The best digital tools are those with obvious advantages
19 Jan 2010 | 6:21 amThe special effects are dazzling and the audience overwhelmed with sight, sound, and sensation. No, it’s not the award-winning film, “Avatar” I’m referring to, but the latest and greatest devices and apps presented at the recent Consumer Electronics Show. While many of these whiz-bag digital wonders are truly wonderfully welcome additions to our connected lives, many represent the glints in the eyes of the innovators who, yet again, managed to overestimate their necessity or utility to the general public. In my recent article in Forbes Online I write about why the most… -
Play by the rules and 2010 will not be as surprising for brands as some may think
4 Jan 2010 | 1:28 pmSome think chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Others, flight delays and crowded malls. Those in the brand business, myself included, think about trends we’re likely to see in the year ahead. Given that I had some time due to a flight delay of my own, I took the time to write down some of the things we’re likely to see in the marketplace in the year ahead, including which brands will most likely get stronger, and which might actually go south (not for the winter, but forever). While my record on some predictions is somewhat spotty (did you read what I wrote about Jay Leno?!), I… -
And the winners of the digital branding campaigns of the year are…
28 Dec 2009 | 11:50 amWell, the holiday gifts are unwrapped and according to polls, anecdotal and otherwise, the booty included lots of digital toys for good girls and boys of every age. Given that digital technology is an absolute given in our lives, I thought it might be interesting to look back at what I considered the top digitally-based marketing initiatives of 2009. While a red carpet and paparazzi were unnecessary in my conferral, like other award shows, there was more than one category in my determination of the best of the best. That’s because success in the digital arena is based on two key… -
Transparency and the multifaceted consumer
16 Dec 2009 | 11:04 amOne of the best things about my job is not only helping companies improve their business operations through branding, but simply having thought provoking conversations with professionals about the latest trends and challenges of the business. Saurabh Sharma, Strategic Planning Director at Ogilvy & Mather in Beijing, recently raised a great question about the role of transparency when communicating to a multifaceted consumer, and I thought it was worthwhile to share with you. Question: In BrandDigital, you have mentioned the need for brands to be honest and transparent. Last year,…
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Martin Lindstrom
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Brand vision - Absolut Branded Language
Disney, Kellogg's, and Gillette are three completely different brands with one commonality. Over the past decade, they've established a branded language, whether they know it or not. In my latest book, we found 74 percent of today's consumers associate the word "crunch" with Kellogg's. Another 59 percent consider the word "masculine" and Gillette as one and the same. Americans formed the strongest association of masculinity to Gillette, by an astounding 84 percent. Disney scored higher in purloined language than any other brand. This brand welcomes you to its kingdom of fantasy, dreams,… -
Wireless strategy - Useful techniques - B2Branding
Let's discuss a product category that's excruciatingly boring: rolling bearings and seals. I want to look at SKF, one of the world's largest manufacturers of rolling bearings and seals. I don't know about you, but I couldn't think of a less sexy and uninspiring product line. If you didn't know this business or the brand, you'd think (when you visited SKF's site) you'd arrived at the wrong URL. SKF not only tells you about the company's support of one of the world's largest rock shows and how SKF products help their clients make delicious biscuits, it also has a special postcard section. The… -
Wireless strategy - Product placement - Useful techniques - Future generations - BRANDchild
You may be surprised to learn that close to 80 per cent of all brands purchased by parents is controlled by their offspring. But what will undoubtedly startle you are the figures that show a whopping 67 per cent of all car purchases is also determined by the children of the home – and not by the parents. Tweens (8- 14 year olds) are an increasingly powerful and smart consumer group, which in 2002 alone, spent and influenced an astounding €1.88 trillion. Did you know that an average British kid between 8 and 13 years of age is exposed to 22,000 television commercials a year? In fact these… -
Brand vision - Blogs
You can’t avoid them – the blogs. They’re so plentiful that the opinions they offer are forming part of news reports. Given the evident potency of blogs, therefore, the question is should blogs remain within their current sphere of influence, helping individuals to share their personal opinions on with the world, or should they be adopted by brands as communication tools? The fact is that the marriage between blogs and brands is no longer a vision. Personality brands, like Seth Godin or Tom Peters, already blog the net. And brands like Weight watchers, LEGO, Apple or Harley Davidson… -
Optimizing sales - Brand alliances - Brand Alliances Put to the Test
I'll bet that, more than once in your career, you've pondered the risk of teaming up with some other brand in a co-branding deal. The deal probably looked good; the conditions were perfect; but the brand... would it damage your own? It would be an exaggeration to claim that a number of studies have examined co-branding. But, luckily enough, I've managed to get hold of one study that might help us shed light on the issue. The Journal of Consumer Marketing published the study I’m referring to in 2000. It reveals a lot of interesting data and highlights facts of which we are possibly…
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.think - A Brainstorm blog
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5 Focal Points for Brands in 2010
2 Feb 2010 | 12:13 pmWe’ve identified five focal points of opportunity for 2010. They’re not an end-all priority list for brands, nor predictions, but rather initiatives, items born of trending behavior and emergent technologies being embraced by consumers. 1. Mobile-based marketing Smartphones are fast becoming the center of consumer experience for work, home and play (see: Is Your Mobile Presence Brand Immobile?). A device capable of connecting people, places and things via text, voice, social networks, apps, tools, email, video, and images is a powerful medium. And the medium’s delivery… -
Seven Jars of Jam Awaiting
24 Dec 2009 | 10:11 amVoodoogoo Jam Perfecting Good Taste Friends from afar sent me not one but seven jars of assorted gelatinous delights for the holidays. Each homemade delectable is tastefully adorned with an elegant custom label and a short background regarding the origin of the harvested contents. Perfect. I can barely wait to taste them all. But await I will. The Assortment Include Grape Jam · Wild Plum Jam · Apricot Peach Jam · Banana Butter Chokecherry Jam · Black Raspberry Jam · Voodoogoo Jam -
Top 20 Favorite Friday Night Wind-Downs
17 Dec 2009 | 8:18 amPanic room, interesting video Our latest list of inane musings from the Brainstorm office white board: Top 20 Favorite Friday Night Wind-Downs A placid dip in the sensory deprivation tank Appointment with my masseur Brainstorming upcoming Top 20 board topics Watching 4 episodes of “24” back 2 back Pizza, wine, movie, couch Dining out Quiet room, good book A nice relaxing mosh pit! DANCE PAARTY! Panic room, interesting video I enjoying bathing in the blue glow of multiple computer screens. Family movie night A first class flight to a tropical island, or even a coach flight to a regular… -
Are You Wearing Patchouli?
14 Dec 2009 | 8:17 am“The reactions I’ve experienced confirm that it is a part of my personal brand.” A Scent of Brand Patchouli is my signature fragrance, it’s been my personal aromatherapy since I was a teenager. Visceral, exotic…not sure I can explain the magic it plays on me when I wear it. Of all the essential oil concoctions I’ve invented over the years, this distinctive scent is, at its base, ME. Ask anyone who knows me to shut their eyes, sniff an open vial of patchouli oil and say what comes to mind; I guarantee my name comes up every time. There are some interesting studies on the… -
Ad Impressions: Remote and User Controlled
4 Dec 2009 | 6:20 amMore than 30 percent of households with a TV now have a DVR device Impressions Less Control At more than double the price tag, CBS has very few 30-second Super Bowl spots left while NBC is struggling to sell 2010 Winter Olympic ads. Yes, the Super Bowl has a prestigious reputation for the most watched and talked about commercials, but the Olympics start just one week after Super Bowl Sunday. Advertisers invest so much in creating the commercials, why not rerun the same 30-second spots at half the price? Impressions Remotely Controlled More than 30 percent of households with a TV now have a…
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NYT > Colleges and Universities
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Female Wrestlers’ Lawsuit Reinstated
8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmAn appeals court said it appeared that the University of California-Davis violated a federal law meant to promote gender equity in college athletics when it eliminated its women’s wrestling program. -
For Students at Risk, Early College Proves a Draw
7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmEarly-college schools, once for the affluent and overachieving, are serving more low-income students. -
New Chef Will Help Pastry Level to Rise
6 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmPierre Zimmerman, who will join the faculty of Chicago’s French Pastry School, stands out in the tightly-knit and highly competitive international baking scene. -
Should the Sex Offender Be Invited?
6 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmA right to privacy; a right to work; a right to object. -
Finding College Spirit, Off the Quad
6 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmWith a little resourcefulness, visitors to Morningside Heights, Columbia’s neighborhood, can relive their college days without any hefty tuition.
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NYT > College and University Admissions
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Colleges Market Easy, No-Fee Sell to Applicants
25 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmLifting a page from the playbook of credit card companies, some colleges are sending applications that cut fees. -
In Suburban Schools, an Alternative to A.P.
9 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmDual-enrollment programs offer students credits toward college before they get there. -
Taking the Pressure Off
2 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmTwo policies designed to take the pressure off college applicants. -
Earful Over Cheeky University Essay
31 Dec 2009 | 9:00 pmThe University of Chicago used the suggestive work of one successful applicant as an example for others. -
Boola Boola, Boola Boola: Yale Says Yes, 4 Times
18 Dec 2009 | 9:00 pmFor the first time in anyone’s memory, Yale offered admission to quadruplets, but whether any one of the siblings winds up there remains an open question.
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Christianity Today Magazine
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More articles from Christianity Today
9 Feb 2010 | 6:37 amNews and analysis from the world's leading Christian magazine. -
Subscribe to Christianity Today
9 Feb 2010 | 6:37 amTry 3 free trial issues and get news you can't get anywhere else. -
Readers Write
9 Feb 2010 | 1:52 amYour responses to the December 2009 issue of . -
Casting Too Wide a Net
9 Feb 2010 | 1:50 amMinistries protest proposed finance reform. -
Talk, Research, Marry
9 Feb 2010 | 1:49 amWhat Elizabeth Gilbert discovered about marriage before she ate her words in .
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Christianity Today: Most Read Articles
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The Joy-Driven Life
Death to deadly earnest discipleship! '(Christianity Today)' -
Sara Groves Tops Year's Best
'Fireflies & Songs' runaway No. 1 choice in CT's Top 12 Albums of the Year. '(Christianity Today)' -
Muslim Followers of Jesus?
Believers from Muslim backgrounds are trying to forge new identities in Islamic cultures. The debate over their options has grown furious. '(Global Conversation)' -
The Missionary Who Wouldn't Retire
Lesslie Newbigin, born 100 years ago today, launched a new career at age 66 by calling Western churches to act like they were in the mission field. '(Christianity Today)' -
Still the Way, the Truth, and the Life
More people than ever doubt that anyone has a corner on truth. So why do Christians keep insisting on the incomparable uniqueness of Christ? '(Christianity Today)'
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Church Marketing Sucks
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Snowmageddon Cancels Church: Communicating a Crisis
8 Feb 2010 | 7:50 amby Ryan Spilhaus, Guest Blogger Welcome to Washington, D.C., the snow capital of the country. In the past month and a half, we've had two major snowstorms of over 20 inches (affectionately named "Snowpocalypse" and "Snowmageddon," respectively). Plus a smaller storm of about eight inches. For a city where it is unusual to get more than three inches of snow, having three storms of that magnitude has been unprecedented. What's more, they have all happened just in time to wreak havoc with our weekend services here at McLean Bible Church. So since Dec. 19 we've had to cancel our services three… -
Christian Advertising at the Super Bowl: Subtle & Controversial
5 Feb 2010 | 7:41 amThe commercials are by far my favorite part of the Super Bowl. The last couple of years have been pretty mediocre in terms of the million dollar ads, but I'm hoping this year is different. Where the commercials have usually been made up of beer, cavemen and the GoDaddy girls, this year is different. This year one, and maybe two, commercials have connections to the church. And they're a study in opposites. One is a blatant commercial message for a consumer product--but it has subtle spiritual overtones and you wouldn't guess a church is behind it. The other is from a Christian nonprofit and… -
The Church, Haiti and Disaster
4 Feb 2010 | 7:39 amLast week, we talked about your feelings on the way churches responded to the Haitian disaster. Us? We were beaming with pride. And dreaming of a future where the church is known for responding this way, even when there is no natural disaster to be found. Here's just a shade of what we were reading: Amid Rubble, Seeking a Refuge in Faith In Haiti's 'new era' Episcopalians around the world offer help Religious Groups Fill Haiti Government Gaps Haitians everywhere united by faith Churches Respond Grass-roots efforts were springing up everywhere. Nearly every Christian organization was offering… -
Fight Church: Mixed Martial Arts as Ministry
3 Feb 2010 | 8:08 amRecently the New York Times examined the growing practice of churches and evangelical groups creating mixed martial arts ministries. [A particular martial arts ministry] is one of a small but growing number of evangelical churches that have embraced mixed martial arts — a sport with a reputation for violence and blood that combines kickboxing, wrestling and other fighting styles — to reach and convert young men, whose church attendance has been persistently low. The article continues to discuss some of the logic and justifications behind these types of offerings. Essentially, churches are… -
Online Sermons Poll Results
3 Feb 2010 | 7:30 amKevin Finn recently gave churches the challenge to get their sermons online. And we were curious just how many of our intrepid readers were already part of churches who make materials available online. We expected a big number, and we got a pleasant surprise. 83% of you are making sermons available online. Whether you're a house church, a megachurch or anything between, this seems like a good move. It gives your folks more access to the things you believe and preach, and it allows them to stay more connected with your message. Equally pleasing? None of you are putting your sermons behind a…
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Reaching The Online Generation
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Growing Closer to God Through Facebook Prayer
28 Jan 2010 | 6:35 amPrayer is a critical element of ministry and of movements. Whether you minister – paid or unpaid – online or offline, you need a net work of people who pray for you regularly. You need their prayers to help you resist temptation. You need their prayers to help you grow in your relationship with God. You need their prayers to help you proclaim and live the Gospel boldly and with grace. But, just as important, prayer must be part of your life as well. You need to have a relationship with God. Prayer isn’t an animistic process of saying the right words to get what we want from… -
Funerals in the Digital Age
25 Jan 2010 | 12:05 pmLast week, a 9 year-old boy from our offline church was killed in a horrible accident at school. I heard the news within hours, via Facebook. Because of social media, the whole church heard of the tragedy in a matter of hours. The next day, the church staff called me to figure out the best way to use online tools to update all the volunteers and allow everyone in the church to encourage the family and mourn the loss of this child. Eventually they asked me to develop a memorial website for the family. I knew the digital age changed everything, but I hadn’t anticipated the way it… -
Starting Gospel Movements on Campus: Spritual Warfare
7 Jan 2010 | 10:35 amI received a text message from my wife while I was overseas: “Really feeling down today. Don’t know why.” Needless to say, her text caught my attention. My wife had battled depression in the past, but there were always identifiable triggers. This time it was unexpected and coincided with my overseas trip to train church planters who work in a closed country. Things didn’t add up, so I decided to activate my prayer network. I tweeted to my Christian friends: “Think my family is dealing with spiritual warfare while I’m out of town. Would appreciate prayer.”… -
Starting Gospel Movements on Campus: Persecution
22 Dec 2009 | 7:58 amEvery once in awhile I like to create scenarios that require me to think about implementing Gospel planting strategies and applying tactics in new environments. This is this is the seventh of a 21 part series talking about ways to use Gospel planting strategies with online and offline tactics to catalyze Gospel Planting Movements on a University Campus. Also, these posts come from things I’ve learned from David Watson. I’m applying them to what God has called me to do. I encourage you to read David’s blog What is Persecution? Persecution is a negative response of lost people to… -
Starting Gospel Movements on Campus: Authority of the Word and The Holy Spirit
15 Dec 2009 | 12:27 pmEvery once in awhile I like to create scenarios that require me to think about implementing Gospel planting strategies and applying tactics in new environments. This is this is the sixth of a 21 part series talking about ways to use Gospel planting strategies with online and offline tactics to catalyze Gospel Planting Movements on a University Campus. Other posts in this series: Starting Gospel Movements on Campus: Prayer Starting Gospel Movements on Campus: Scripture Starting Gospel Movements on Campus: Make Disciples Starting Gospel Movements on Campus: Obedience Starting Gospel Movements…
