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Submission + - Google Used its 'Mad Men' in Google+ Testimonials

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Reuters reports that the growing importance of social networking to Google is reflected in its 'L' Team (short for Larry's Team), the influential group responsible for plotting the search giant's strategic priorities. Earlier this year, Google CEO Larry Page tied 25% of Googlers' annual bonuses to the success of Google's social strategy in 2011. So it's not too surprising that Google recently released online and TV commercials providing testimonials from Google+ users to encourage web users to consider the benefits of the platform. What may surprise some is that Google tapped its own 'Mad Men' — internal and external ad agency types — to portray happy Google+ users in testimonials for its more-like-real-life social network. For example, in the ad Larry Page shared to introduce Google+ Pages (video), the loyal bike shop customers hanging out include Google Creative Lab employees and ad agency staffers. And the cast of 'Sharing But Like Real Life' (video), which aired during the Packers-Lions Thanksgiving Day game, featured a number of Google advertising and marketing staffers. Google+ users in 'Search' (video) also sport the same names as real-life Googlers. And in 'Circles Love Story' (video), in which the guy gets promoted from the girl's unfortunately-named 'Creepers' Circle to her 'Keepers' Circle, the cast coincidentally shares names with individuals tied to Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, a reported Google hired-gun. Google no doubt knows where to draw the line so they do-no-FTC-evil. Still, one wonders how the ads would sit with the FTC's Mary Engle, who last year warned 'Advertisers should not pass themselves off as ordinary consumers touting a product, and endorsers should make it clear when they have financial connections to sellers.'

Comment Re:Android has many problems (Score 1) 614

by Turbine2k5 (#38391942) Attached to: Why Developers Still Prefer iOS To Android

Android is outselling iOs. Either what you say isn't true, or nobody cares.

Technically, yes. But you forget that, whereas, there's only one manufacturer using iOS, there's at least 4-5 using Android. Add the extra iPhone fee, and the fact that almost every phone that isn't an iPhone has Android on it, and it works. But if Google was just as restrictive as Apple, I'm sure those numbers wouldn't look the same.
Hardware

Submission + - Coral Cement Turns CO2 Into a Building Material (calera.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Researchers at Stanford University have developed a novel way to create a new form of carbon neutral cement by studying the formation of coral reefs and applying the principles at work. Coral takes in minerals and CO2 and then secretes calcium carbonate to build its hard exoskeleton. Inspired by this construction process, Stanford scientist Brent Constanz has developed a way to capture CO2 and turn it into an alternative to Portland cement.
Earth

Submission + - How Often Does Your Car Really Need an Oil Change?

Submitted by
Hugh Pickens writes
Hugh Pickens writes writes: "The LA Times reports that quick-lube companies have done such a good job convincing consumers that they need to change the oil in their cars every 3,000 miles that drivers are wasting millions of gallons of oil annually because they have their vehicles serviced too often as improvement in oils, friction proofing and car engines have lengthened the oil-change interval, typically 7,500 miles to 10,000 miles for most vehicles. "Our survey data found that nearly half of California drivers are still changing their oil at 3,000 miles or even sooner," says Mark Oldfield, a spokesman for the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery, which has launched a website, checkyournumber.org, where drivers can look up the suggested motor-oil change interval number for their vehicles. Ford Motor Co. recommends oil changes for most of its new vehicles at 10,000 miles, although some still require the service at 7,500 miles. "Our new generation of engines have tighter internal tolerances, which reduces the amount of carbon and other products from combustion that gets into the oil," says Richard Truett, a Ford spokesman. Both Honda and Acura are equipped with a maintenance minder system that recommends oil changes and other services based on a number of vehicle-usage factors, including mileage and climate and other manufacturers have similar systems that alert drivers to the need for an oil change. "The idea is to prevent either over- or under-maintaining a car by following a set schedule," says Chris Martin, a Honda spokesman. "Now, there is no guesswork.""
Google

Submission + - Google Selects City for Fiber Network (google.com)

Submitted by Turbine2k5
Turbine2k5 writes: After much deliberation, Google has chosen Kansas City to receive a fiber optic upgrade by 2012. Development is planned to start by the end of the year, although they have not released any specifics on their plan. Google says that this is "not the end of the project" and that they'll "be looking closely at ways to bring ultra high-speed Internet to other cities across the country."
Technology

Submission + - 10 Retro Game Consoles Which Were Also Useful PCs

Submitted by adeelarshad82
adeelarshad82 writes: In the 1970s when computers were an expensive and a scarce commodity it seemed a monumental waste to own one and not be able to use it to its full potential. Especially when in an attempt to appeal to the educational side of computing, the major game console makers of time offered hardware modification packages for the devices which could give them the ability to perform tasks like programming, word processing, databases, and the like. A recently published article rounds-up ten game consoles, from Atari 2600 to Nintendo Family Computer, that could be turned into fully programmable general-purpose PCs using commercial add-on hardware.

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