DoubleSoft
Microsoft to ‘acquire DoubleClick’ so says the Register.
I find that a scary thought since DoubleClick owns most of the graphic banner hosting (and has been the advertising platform at most companies I have worked). Real has a pretty good product but I still have a bad taste in my mouth from their RealPlayer spamware.
Or maybe this will push Google to make AdSense more publisher and sales-staff friendly.
Hoboken Sealevel
So with all the global warming talk, Flood Maps makes it interesting to play around with sea level changes to see what impact a rise would have.
Above is Hoboken with a 1 meter sea level rise, based on NASA data. Not too much of a change except a few spots to the north filling up. But at 5 meters Hoboken is an island.
Hoboken with 5 meters of sea rise:
Hoboken with 10 meters of sea rise:
Personalized Google Themes
I wasn’t going to post on this, since I didn’t see it as too big a deal. Google just added a few Themes to their Personalized Google page.
At first blush I was thinking it was a nice touch, a little bit of eye candy, so I added the Beach Theme to my IG page. But I could notice subtle changes in the header graphic and couldn’t put my finger on them until I actually paid attention.
The graphic changes based on what time of day it is!
Classic Google, a nice understated effect that adds to the enjoyment of a webpage. I just think this is a nice nifty touch.
I would suggest a change though
- Set time based on users timezone - looks to be Pacific time right now
The Show
One year of excellent content, thanks Ze!
Google Goes In-Game
Google yesterday bought Adscape Media, a company that does in-game advertising. Double Fusion is the big player in the space. More on Adscape on Gamasutra. Vallywag puts the price at $23 million.
Our technology, which has been in development for the past four years, allows Adscape Media to provide publishers the added benefit of more than just today’s static and dynamic in-game advertising. Adscape Media’s technology also provides an interactive element – a “gateway” – that provides publishers a variety of new outlets for additional revenue streams above and beyond those currently being used in games today, while at the same time providing advertisers with a unique, customizable approach to reaching gamers in an engaging way.
Gotta love the press release… chuck full of not much information.
Comic Truthiness
Colbert had another good show the other day, this time on the killing of Capitan America by Marvel (as mentioned by NYT).
To keep on the comic thread, there are three comics that I read on a regular basis: Dilbert, Get Fuzzy and Ctrl+Alt+Del. CAD is the latest to the mix and fits well since it is focused on gaming (not that I am hardcore). Last Christmas, Tim Buckley, the creator of CAD did a high-speed video of how he creates a comic. It’s interesting to see one made and the process to get it done. I also like the music he picked for the background.
GLG gets some credit for this.
Avoid
I always enjoy reading Defective Yeti, and this post about casual games lives up.
This game is to free time what whales are to krill. Even now, as I type this, I am trying to resist the urge to go play a few rounds (and my resolve has already faltered a few times since I wrote the first paragraph).
If this game were half as addictive, I would urge to buy a copy; as it stands, I’m afraid I cannot, in good conscience, recommend Peggle to anyone who has a wife, a child, friends, or reservations about wearing astronaut diapers to avoid ever having to leave your PC.
Good stuff. I still have yet to play Peggle but I have been playing most of the other ones on the market.
Virtual Communities
Lots of talk these days of Online or Virtual Communities. Everyone wants to create a Second Life Killer or at least not get left too far behind. At GDC yesterday, Sony announced Playstation Home for PS3:
Some call it “Myspace 2.0″ or “Third Life”, or “Xbox Catchup”. Xbox360 has had online community for years now and is the Console to beat:
The Wii has potential for the Casual Gamer, and online it really only has avatars:
I wrote before on Second life as well as on Entropia Universe. Another big Virtual hangout is Habbo Hotel, and I am finally going to check out The Sims Online (TSO) soon.
Scranton to Hoboken Rail
For those looking to live in Northeast PA and work in the city, the Scranton to Hoboken train line inched closer, also called the Lackawanna Cutoff.
NJ bought the PA rail land in 2001 and started the design work in 2002. Currently the draft Environmental Assessment / Environmental Impact Study is complete with the costs being $551 million without property costs, which is not currently funded. This would reduce some of the traffic on I-80 in NE NJ, and it would be interesting to see how the split passenger/freight track sharing works out.
More information at PennJerseyRail and NJTransit.
Wesabe
Years ago I used to use Yodlee to manage my finances but lost interest with using the service given the cluttered information and lack of much ease of use or ways to help me make sense of all the data. It is a very Web 1.0 portal-like service. Wesabe on the other hand has a clean interface, is very easy to use, and allows for tagging for cross-referencing.
Another big benefit is that the service doesn’t actually store your account details on their site. You either manually upload your account details when you want or you keep your account details encrypted on your own computer that keeps the website updated with your finances.
The social aspect is that Wesabe shows you tips specific to the merchants you actually use, like how to save money on insurance if you have an insurance transaction. There are also tips from other users that have similar goals. It’s really easy to slice your spending and chart the data. I only write one check a month and I have not balanced my checkbook in so many years I can’t even remember. Online is good.
The Wesabe demo:
