We get interesting information everyday from reading articles in newspapers, blogs, company websites and even from conversations we overhear or have ourselves. Shark Bits is an entry post where I share my thoughts on recent articles, events and conversations. Feel free to comment at the very bottom of each post while indulging yourselves with new information.. you’ll find that a bit of information a day will go a long way.
Our Sources of News
Like everyone else, this morning I heard the news about the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Immediately after the news I scrounged for articles to read into the operation—The New York Times, AM New York, Daily News.. and yet, a chill ran down my spine while I was reading a dialogue between two people who were hearing helicopter noises at the time the commotion were in place. FastCompany posted up a screen shot of the Twitter dialogue.
Also, FastCompany noted that the first report about Bin Laden’s death did not come from the news media, but through Twitter. What started out as a casual dialogue between two strangers, who happened to be hearing the same noise, turned into a live-blog for others to follow. For avid news seekers, as informative as published newspapers are, there’s a different feeling that comes about from reading the tweets—a sense of thrill and anxiety all at once.
All the while with the Twitter dialogue going on, Keith Urbahn, the Chief of Staff to Office of Donald Rumsfeld tweeted “So I am told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn.” And that was the official leak about Bin Laden’s death that went viral before our President’s speech.
With Twitter’s live news feed and other live news feeds in social networks, how do you think this will affect professional news reporters, news researchers, and the common people? Will there be a great connection among all, or will it slowly destroy jobs?
» Read FastCompany’s article here
Brand Beyoncé
The brand of Beyoncé as a beautiful celebrity, Jay-Z‘s wife, a great singer/dancer, an actress, and a quiet philanthropist has elevated to the next level where she combines all of her talents and roles to stand next to the First Lady to improve the health of youths.
First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to raise a healthier generation of kids by encouraging them to go out and move, in hopes that the kids would carry out their healthy practices into adulthood, seems to be moving along pretty well.
The power team’s campaign video includes a child-friendly version of Beyoncé’s “Get Me Bodied” song and a group of kids dancing (or exercising) with B as her backup dancers. The recreated song for the project is called “Move Your Body.”
In The Brand Within I talked about how people will always have something [negative] to say about Beyoncé no matter what she does. I’d like to see people pick on her for this video. The way I see it, she has crossed every t’s and dotted every i’s: she blends her original elements of music, style, and moves to appropriately produce a video for the campaign.
She dares to be sexy, yet incorporates the elementary school-style lunchroom colors into her shoes and high socks. Her high socks cover a portion of her skin to make up for the shorts she’s wearing. Even her dance moves and lyrics are the kind you may hear off of Richard Simmons‘s workout videos.
Who else could have jumped on this movement? Keri Hilson? Christina Aguilera? Usher? Will this make the children you know get up and move?
MySpace and Friendster Resurfaces Headlines
When was the last time you heard any news on these two social networks about active users? If it’s recently, it must have something to do with their downfall.
Shortly after Friendster announced that they were deleting old photos and and early posts, News Corp announced its decision to sell Myspace. Although Friendster wasn’t being used as a marketing tool, plenty of old users revisited the site to download their memorabilia before it vanishes for good. The New York Times made an announcement to alert old users to save their documents before they’re gone.
How many of you right now are still using your MySpace account?
» Read the full article in The New York Times
Ad Eyes On You
Immersive Labs has been putting up advertising billboards that have facial-recognition software programmed in them to detect which age group and genders are looking at their billboards, in case they needed to make some alterations to their initial target market.
How crazy is that?! As wild as it sounds, it’s actually an innovative move towards the future. (Maybe not that innovative since it has already been implemented in Japan) Similar to a Mona Lisa painting in which her eyes always seem to be following your every move, how do you feel knowing that there’s an ad looking back at you and actually using your traits to determine what the ad’s going to look like next?
» Read AdWeek’s full article here
Creative Couch Concept
Every time someone pitches a new product they’ve conceptualized on Shark Tank, I think to myself “Damn, why didn’t I think of that?!”
Here’s a sofa that French designer Matali Crasset created that I’d like to get a hold of. The technology-invented sofa can be used in ways other than just a sofa, like a bed or, not one, but TWO chaise lounge chairs! I love following FastCompany’s Design site.. people get real creative.
The article reads that it’s real comfortable. Doesn’t it resemble a Tempur-Pedic bed to you?
