The site that used to be the best place to scoop obscure tech articles and esoteric news stories still is — depending on who you ask. Like a fringe rock band that made it big from a pop single here, and a power ballad there, Digg must now face the scathing chirps of its early adopter fan base amid the deafening clamor of newbees. The latest thing that has Digg’s hardcore fans in a bunch? They (*gasp*) added (more) social networking…

...continue to read "Blog Buzz: Is Digg too Sexy for its Fans?"

...continue to read "Decoding Personality: Why We Compete, Reward & Buy"

Here’s some big news. It seems there’s this startup called “Google” that’s trying to dominate advertising. Apparently, nobody’s told them they’re just another search engine. For instance, today they launched Google Gadget Ads — basically, a micro-site’s brain in a banner ad’s body — in order to widgetize the customer experience to fit in just about any environment. Oh, and they’ve hired a top Ogilvy exec to focus on digital marketing and advertising strategies.

Spelling it out for…

...continue to read "Blog Buzz: Google’s Advertising Shakeup; iPhones in Deutschland"

Just got an email from Oceana, the world’s leading ocean conservation group. No reason, really. They just want to stay in touch, rid the oceans of pollutin’, over-fishin’ scallywags, and wish their newsletter subscribers a happy International Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day. And, yes, it’s written in the voice of a pirate.

It’s a great example of how to spice up your PR without making it seem like you’re only after the cash booty. Pirates base their careers on the element of surprise. Likewise,…

...continue to read "Captain Hook Would Be Proud of this Email…"

Now that you’ve seen Part 1 — you did see it, right? — you should have a handle on the basics of selling to early-stage online shoppers. They may not be ready to “Buy Now!” but giving these Early Birds the information they need, when they need it, will ensure they come back once they are ready. One of the smartest ways to persuade early-stage buyers is to educate them.

Take hunting, for instance. While an experienced hunter may know exactly…

...continue to read "Screencast: Hunting for Early Bird Persuasion, Part 2"

In a recent interview with e-consultancy’s Richard Maven, Bryan discusses the dos and don’ts of persuading customers to take action online.

The best part: I’m pretty sure we can track him down to answer your questions…

...continue to read "Bryan Eisenberg on Why People Buy Online"

...continue to read "Microsoft Tries to Measure “Online Commercial Intent”"

“A great battle in the sea of Ones and Zeros will present itself unto the Weblings; the keepers of gates replaced by wanderers of Gooland and evil itself shall require the correct URL.” –Grokstradamus, Quatrain 2.0

Today, the Internet’s true owners Google announced the release of a presentation feature for Google Docs, its answer to the Microsoft Office suite. In other words, Google now has PowerPoint — only it’s hosted online and, theoretically, more secure.

What might come of Google’s online presentation…

...continue to read "Blog Buzz: Google, Yahoo, I.B.M. Threaten Microsoft Office; MC Hammer Goes 2.0"

If you’ve ever seen any of my screencasts, or seen one of my presentation, you may have noticed I collect screenshots of just about anything I consider relevant.

Where does this obsession come from?

The other day, one of our newer staff members asked me why I’m such a screenshot addict. What’s the benefit to collecting all these images, many of which I may never use?

It was only when I opened my Yahoo! page yesterday that it hit me. The banner was…

...continue to read "Confessions of a Screenshot Addict"

Google Blogscoped reports on a story from News.com.au, stating that Iran awkwardly blocked, then unblocked, Google:

According to News.com:

[Iran] has unblocked access to the Google search engine and its Gmail email service after briefly filtering them owing to an “error”, the Fars news agency reported.

So, the question remains; what kind of “error”? Inside Iran blogger, Jadi, insists “…this is not a minor fault. It is a Major fault or an unbelievable reality.”

Says the AFP:

Iran has tough censorship on cultural products and internet…

...continue to read "Blog Buzz: Iran Blocks Google, EMusic Bests iTunes"