tubefilter

Moms: Disney Wants to Have "The Talk" with Your Daughter


These days, the internet is a source for just about anything. From music videos and song lyrics, to the latest news-breaking story, if you're looking for something chances are you'll find it on the internet.  

Soapbox Films and Disney Online is adding one more thing you'll be able to find online. The two companies are teaming up to create a new webisode series. The series will talk about topics related to raising a girl, for example, when it's the right time to talk about the birds and the bees. 


The companies are currently searching for both English and Spanish speaking moms, between the ages of 30 - 45, who have daughters ages 9 - 17 to discuss the topics. The notice reads, "Mom’s [sic] should be quick thinkers and able to improvise in the moment. While the topic is serious, approaching it with frankness. A sense of humor is very important."


A celebrity endorsed website will air the series, which will feature free-form dialog between the celebrities and the mothers. The new series came out of Disney Online's M.O.M - Mom's On a Mission study. 


Personally, I think this is somewhat ridiculous. Whatever happened to just sitting down and talking to your child? I feel that this is just one example which shows are much we rely on the internet for almost everything nowadays. For all you moms out there, I'm sure there is a book out there somewhere you could pick up and read. Is a webisode serie really necessary?

Website Accessibility Test

Listed below are the questions I asked my friend while performing the website accessibility test on FOXnews.com

1. What is the first place Obama should visit according to the Photo Op-inion: "Where Should Obama Visit Next?"

2. What is the first story headline in Latest News?

3. How much did a jacket signed by Michael Jackson sell for at the Julien's Auctions event?

4. How old was former Dallas Cowboy's quarterback, Don Meredith, when he died on Sunday?

5. Why did Facebook change the profile design?

6. How many tips are there for choosing the right (any) christmas tree?

7. How old were the three boys who went missing in Michigan?

8. View the poll results in the You Decide poll, "Do you think it's a fair deal to couple extending existing tax rates for all income levels with an additional year of unemployment insurance?".

9. What is the phone number to contact FOXnews?

10. What are the three full coverage stories?

While my friend was taking the test I observed that she liked to use the search bar a lot, but it was not always as helpful as one might expect it to be. I feel that if I were taking this test I too would use this search bar because I am so used to using Google as a search engine that provides a lot of information right at my fingertips. I feel that each made a a great deal of text on it, whether it be directly from articles or just important news updates. One must really take his/her time and read the information carefully to make sure it is exactly what they are looking for. The navigation bar at the top of the page is also a great tool to use. It categorizes information and allows it to be more easily found. 

WIRED

Rumor: Apple's iPad 2 Lands April 2011


According to a Taiwanese publication, Apple has requested that it's Asian Foxconn produce and release the next iPad in 100 days. 


The new second generation iPad is expected to be released in the Spring of 2011, most likely sometime in April. This new iPad will come out a year after the original did. 

What changes can you expect from the new iPad? It is speculated that this iPad will be closer to the iPhone 4. 


Some expected features include: A 9.7 inch retina display, A front-facing camera and a built-in Face Time video-phone app, and Extended support for AirPlay streaming.


That's just to name a few. Who knows what other feature Apple will come up with and use on the new iPad?

tubefilter

So, Will You Skip YouTube Ads?

Sick of wasting your time watching those stupid advertisements that play before every video on YouTube? Don't fret because as of December 1st, YouTube now allows you the option to skip over ads after it plays for at least 5 seconds. 


This new feature, called TrueView, brings forth the question: will anyone watch these ads anymore now? Ironically enough, YouTube created this future for the advertisers, not the viewers. 


How is skipping an advertisers ad more beneficial to them? TrueView allows advertisers to only pay for ads that have been clicked on, making viewers watch the entire ad. Thus they are saving money. And, because of this new feature, advertisers will have a more self-selected, targeted audience. 


The online video video ad market is a $1.3 billion industry and pre-roll adds are becoming an increasingly more important part of it. If cost-per-view allows advertisers to target their specific audience more efficiently, and if it says them money at the same time, I can bet that it will become much, much more popular in the remainder of the year and the next few years to come. 

Website Project

Logo

Palette

Mock up

WIRED

Analysis: Bigger Twitter, Facebook Flock Boosts Election Odds

Tuesday's elections showed just how much influence Twitter and Facebook have.The candidates with the most Twitter followers won, in 22 of the 34 races across the country. Breaking this number down, 65% of the candidates with a large Twitter following won chief executive positions in their states. 

Jerry Brown, with more than 1.1 million Twitter followers, 

exults after winning California's governorship.

When it comes to Facebook, 59% of the candidates (20 out of 34) with the most "likes", formally known as "fans", won chief executive positions. 

One cannot forget the many other factors that determine election results, however Twitter and Facebook, and the Internet in general, can be used as important marketing techniques. 

President Obama used the internet as a key in his victory two years ago. 

However, Tuesday's elections also proved that Twitter and Facebook are not necessary for candidates to come out on top. For example, Arkansas incumbent, Mark Beebe, had over 100 less Twitter followers and over 1,000 less Facebook fans than his competing candidate, yet still managed to be re-elected. Similar results where the Twitter and Facebook "underdog" won elections were also found in California, Florida, and Alaska. 

I feel that as time passes, the internet will become an even bigger part in advertising for potential candidates. However, one must keep in mind that there is still a large portion of the population, like my grandparents and their friends, who do not use social networking sites. Candidates need to remember that anything can happen and that nothing is guaranteed simply because it is "Facebook official". 

lol cats

A LOLcat is an image combining a photo of a cat and text, mean to be humorous. The text is meant to be spelt wrong and used in the way of "lolspeak". LOLcats are usually created and then posted onto numerous websites. Posters like these, originated in the 1970's, with the famous "Hang in There Baby" poster, which features a cat hanging from a tree branch. Since then, many different cats and sayings have been used to get a point across. All you need to create one of your own is a Sans Serif font, a picture of a cat, and a funny saying to go with it. Then show it to all your friends and see who has the last laugh. 

tubefilter

Are You a YouTube Addict?
The Quiz...

It's probably safe to say that 99.9% of internet users know what YouTube is. However, there is quite a big difference between knowing what this website is and being overly obsessed with it. Luckily though, Josh Sundquist, a Paralympic ski racer, motivational speaker, and writer, has created an interactive quiz to help people determine if you are addicted to YouTube. I took the quiz, which   you may find on YouTube, and can say that all the answers that I did get right were guesses. I'm sure there are plenty of people though who may know each answer to the 10 questions. The fact that the quiz is interactive adds interest to it. However, it would be even better if you could determine your rating at the end of it. Go take it yourself and find out if you are a YouTube addict. 

Know Your Meme

Free Hugs


The Free Hugs Campaign is an international social movement based on a very simple concept. To be part of it you must simply, go to any public place, by yourself or with a group of people, hold a sign that says "Free Hugs", and offer hugs to anyone who asks for one. The campaign started off as one person's random act of kindness, but has grown worldwide thanks to the internet. Juan Mann uploaded the first video for "Free Hugs", and thousands have followed in his footsteps. 

I think this campaign is a incredibly simple way to possibly help someone have a better day. I mean, who honestly doesn't like getting a hug? Some may say that it's a little creepy hugging an absolute stranger, but I bet you'd walk away feeling that your day's a little brighter because for that split second it felt like someone was there for you. 

There has been some debate over whether or not this movement can be considered a meme. However, in the end, all that really matter's is that people know about this campaign and that the presence of it matters to some people. 

WIRED

The Future of Reading: Touch screens on a Plane

Tim Camrody flew Virgin America airlines in for the first time in 2008, where he used the interactive back-of-the-headrest food-and-media menu. At the time, when Tim pressed "Books", it said, "Coming Soon". If you would press it today, you would find those exact two words. Many people have questioned why or why not nothing has come of this even two years later. I believe that many people, especially frequent fliers would use this entertainment system. It is true that many people bring their own books or sources of entertainment along with them, but often, some people do forget and then have to buy something in the airport. In other cases, how many people actually finish an entire book while on a plane? If people are able to rent a book off of a screen in front of them, they not only save room in their carry-on, they won't have to worry about whether they finish an entire book or not because they'd be able to read a chapter or two off the screen. Also, how many times have you been on a flight and have seen someone rent headphones to listen to the movie that is being played. I feel like this is a very similar situation to these interactive books. I also think that many people will want to explore this new technology that they have never seen before on planes and will check it out. I feel like these interactive menus will become more popular in the future and that more and more airlines will install them. This article was interesting for me because, one, I like to fly, and two, if I do travel anywhere, I tend to fly. I remember the first time watching a movie on a plane and thinking that was so cool. This is even better. 

www.gametrailers.com

RockBand 3, an unoriginal IP, is scheduled to be released October 26, 2010. I liked several things about this video game trailer. Firstly, the trailer was designed to show you exactly how you will play the game. It shows the notes that each instrument and singer needs to hit. Also, it features an instrument that is new to Rockband 3, the keyboard. The drums also have cymbals you can purchase. Now, you can play with even more friends and there is sure to be an instrument that each of you like. The graphics I felt could have been improved upon, especially when the screen showed only the avatar singer. The colors were slightly all over the place, but then again, that is what you will see when playing the game. I also felt that the music selection could have been better. Though it was alright, I felt it could have had another type of song in it or one that pertained more to rocking out. I did not notice any Easter eggs in this trailer. For all you wanna-be rockers out there, check out the trailer.

Video Games | Rock Band 3 | E3 2010: Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Know Your Meme

"Keep Calm and Carry On" was a slogan originally used on British World War II posters, as messages sent from the King to the people to stay confident. Stuart Manley rediscovered the poster in 2000. In 2001, him and his wife started copying and selling them. Since this time, websites have been selling different versions of the poster. Some saying, "Keep Calm and X", with an assortment of sayings being substituted as "X". Others are simply, (Do Action A) and (Do Action B). Ironically, before this assignment, I was looking at posters online and came close to purchasing one that had an assortment of these sayings. I think these posters are simple, and many send an inspiring or funny message. Keep Calm and Carry On.com was created in 2007, and sells not only posters, but t-shirts, mugs, bags, keychains, and even chocolate bars with the slogans on. Go check 'em out, or if you're feeling creative, create your own.

tubefilter.tv

The headliner, 'Greg & Donny' Back With Farmville Additions and a New Season, caught my eye because of the reference to the Facebook phenomenon, Farmville. I can remember logging into Facebook and receiving heaps of invitations to play, in my opinion, this stupid game.  I felt that I could relate to many points the clip brought attention to. For instance, I for one never understood why everyone seemed to be so crazy about Farmville. I always just thought people who played it had way too much time on their hands. Secondly, there was a reference made to Farmville blowing up NewsFeeds. Yes, I can say that I have been a witness to that as well. Also, I have witnessed people blocking friends on Facebook for one stupid reason or another. Which brings up the caution users have to use when posting pictures or leaving comments. In a way, Facebook has made creeping acceptable in our society. The clip pionted out very valid points that I'm sure any Facebook user could relate to. It was interesting and I would recommend that any Facebook user take the time to watch it.