Web - Shopisodes

The E-commerce times reports on an growing collection of interactive videos called Shopisodes, that allow consumers to shop for items directly from a clip of their favorite show.
As the clip is playing, visitors can select and purchase the products that appear in the video.

It's a brilliant concept and definitely takes e-commerce to the next level.

Read the full article here and learn more about Shopisodes here.

And have a look at SeenOn.com, the latest e-commerce craze.

Google - gPhone?

Is Google releasing the gPhone or not?!!

According to Ars Technica, "a recent report by CrunchGear states that its own sources at mobile handset provider HTC have tipped the site off to multiple gPhone handsets getting prepped for launch in the first quarter of 2008, and that the handsets will be coming out of Taiwan. There will supposedly be over 20 different handsets to choose from—some with GPS—and they will carry special versions of Google Maps, Google Calendar, Gmail, and VoIP-enabled Google Talk."

On a software front, Google is rumored to be developing its own operating system for the gPhone.

I find this very exciting and I can't wait to see the devices.

Web - PostSecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

It started as an installation in 2004, and kept evolving since.

"The website was launched on January 1 2005 , and PostSecret has collected and displayed upwards of 2,500 original pieces of art from people across the US and around the world." (Wikipedia)

Secrets are updated every sunday, and you can buy the Post Secret books on Amazon (there are 3 of them so far).

Some secrets are disturbing, others are funny; People just express themselves, sharing their fears, their regrets, their dreams.

I've been checking it every week since the site was launched, so I thought it was about time I posted a link to it.

Random - Carl & Gugl

Carl & Gugl made me giggle :)
They are really cute, and the 3D work is outstanding.

Check out Yann le coroller's portfolio here.

Web - Chicken suits

Don't ask me why or how I got to this website, I won't be able to answer (it's obviously been around for some time now).
It just made me laugh, and I thought I had to share it, even though it's totally pointless.

"The inventors of the chickenssuit, this ingenious “piece of freedom“, truly believe that there is a real need for this world to suit its chickens. We talk from experience. Chickenssuit has made our lives richer."

I find the hairy one quite amusing :)

Giggle here.

Random - One more magic number

I'm kind of super happy to see that we've hit another magic number!!
300 visitors!!

No details whatsoever about the person who logged, but it doesn't matter.
It can be anyone from anywhere, and I find it exciting.

The pressure is growing, I really have to keep it up ;)

PS: That makes a lot of people interested in "nothing".

Web - Microsoft Live derby 2007

Microsoft launched the Live Derby 2007 advergame a couple of weeks back to promote its Live Search Maps.

It's kind of a "2007" version of Pacman (quite addictive actually): you choose your driver, you choose your city, and you're up for a wild race, collecting "dots" and visiting landmarks.

I've been racing through the roads of SF, and only got to level 3.
I'll try to do better next time! :)

Take a break, play here!

Web 2.0 - Facebook UI

I was happily surprised by Facebook's new addition.

Each application is now represented by a tiny icon in the upper left corner (under the profile picture) that works as an anchor point to navigate easily though the page.

Most profile pages are filled with a million different applications, and it takes sometimes quite a bit of scrolling to get to someone's wall :).

All you have to do now is click on the icon of the feature you're interested in and you land right on it!

Not rocket science, but it shows a bit of thinking from the FB team on a UI front and I like that. Keep the initiatives rolling! - hehe

Google - Earth and beyond

Google released yesterday a beta version of Google Earth that includes a Google Sky feature. It allows you to browse through over 100 million galaxies and 200 million stars!!

"People can now use Google to peruse astrological wonders such as the Crab Nebula, an expanding remnant of a supernova 6,300 light years from earth. Markers within the star photos pull in explanatory text from Wikipedia." (of course :) )

I LOVE it!
It's just amazing, and I am speechless.

I'm downloading it right away. My first mission will be to try to locate the "asteroïde B612", the Little Prince's planet - haha.

Read the full article here.

SL - Hairspray?

Here's the new look!
I went shopping around for flexi hair, and I found this hairdo quite funky :).
It moves really nicely when Akasha walks/flies.

I'm keeping it!

SL - Hello Kitty (bis)

Hmm.. laughing at the first T-shirt (actually the second ;) ) I ever designed on SL :)

It took me a couple of hours to figure out how it worked (kind of haha), but I had a blast playing around (designing for the sake of designing is always fun, and I am definitely less allergic to Photoshop).

Note: I know, I know, Akasha is hot, and Mr HelloKittyHell will kill himself if he sees this (but I have to say he was my main source of inspiration)

Web - Nokia Nseries

Brilliant and really funny viral campaign for the Nokia Nseries (N95), launched by the agency These days (Antwerp).

Ever been bitten by a PC?...

Well, Nokia N95 owners... Beware!
Computers have become so jealous of the devices that they decided to attack humans (Kurbrick was right, and HAL's descendants are obviously frustrated)..

Check it out, take your time browsing, it's definitely worth it!

SL - No comment...

A pregnant avatar running around in PJs and wearing Elmo slippers?!!!

Web - Hello Kitty Hell

Most of you know by now that the iconic cat is back with a revenge, and taking over the world of kitsch by storm.

I came across this hilarious blog created by the husband of a HK fanatic as an attempt to cope with/make fun of his wife's obsession.

Have a look and smile here.

PS: expect A LOT of pink

Web 2.0 - Pownce

Pownce here, Pownce there, all I could hear/read for a while was Pownce Pownce Pownce.
Of course, like any other "big thing" going on on the web, it's a beta version that is only open for a few "selected" people.

After waiting for ages to get an invitation to join, a very generous user sent me one (a month back). No need to mention how excited I was - and still am.
I didn't have the chance yet to experience it fully, but I'm working on it, and will get back to you with more details.

So, what is it exactly?

"Pownce is a way to send messages, files, links, and events to your friends. You'll create a network of the people you know and then you can share stuff with all of them, just a few of them, or even just one other person really fast."

Have a look at the homepage (hehe) here.

Note: I have 6 invites to give away, so let me know if you're about to die for not being able to register on it :P

Thoughts - The magic number returns

A bit late to celebrate the visit number 200 on the blog, but it should be given as much importance as the visit number 100, right? (and I wouldn't want to upset anyone).

The featured reader actually spent 18 minutes hanging around, which I find very flattering :)
I don't have any details about that person, except that he/she got here through my facebook profile.

So it's definitely one of my friends, and that makes me happy :)

SL - Flying around

As I said earlier I've been roaming A LOT around Second Life, as Akasha Voom.

I've never talked about it, just because it is something that needs to be experienced first hand.

I must say I've been very lucky to have one hell of a guide take me through my SL first steps (Thank you Jimbo :) ), and I've been kind of addicted since (many reasons I won't list haha).

Fun places to visit, and fun things to do... Not to mention that the business opportunities are endless :) (unleash your imagination).

I'm learning a bit more everyday, and hope to start creating my own objects soon (yeah, right!).

Note: Ezzat joined as Zo Masala, which is an achievement in itself...

Random - Know your bytes

Fun/cute toy that I would definitely want to have :)

"Set of six traditional Russian dolls. Includes: bit, byte, kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte and terabyte figures".

Can be bought for 33.78 US$ here.

Thoughts - Mea Culpa

Actually, not really.

A million beautiful things happened towards the end of July - beginning of August, but I chose not to share them, for once.

Besides the white roses, green ties and heavy duty *happy* emotions, I've been roaming around a lot on SL.

My Chocopet Labbit is starving (no one has been feeding him while I was gone!), so I'll have to focus on him for a while :)

And I'm really excited to see that we crossed the 200 visitors bar.. Thank you, and come back for more posts about nothing!