Archive for August, 2008
Cefiore fro yo video contest
Viral marketing. Buzz marketing. A trendy business idea that’s still emerging, and apparently very difficult to implement and fan into flames. Needs much more costly research and development. Or, perhaps, organizational transformation.
Cefiore launches this “Fro Yo Yourself!” online video contest on July 28th that’s ending on September 15th. The pitch: “Create a 30 to 60 second video showing America how much you love Cefiore for the chance to win $2,500 and free frozen yogurt for one year!” [via]
There’s a promo banner at the top of the fro yo franchise home page, there’s a Facebook fan page, there’s a YouTube promo video, detailed contest rules with legalese.
It’s August 29th. Just 2 weeks left. How do things look?
READ MORE …
a new kind of magazine
Got an email this week from Joe Carter, about a new online magazine / network:
I’m the managing editor of Culture11 (www.culture11.com), a new online magazine/social network that was started by Bill Bennett, David Kuo, Steve Forbes, et al. Today is our first day and rather than trying to get attention using traditional media, we’ve decided to announce our launch by reaching out to our friends.
Our goal for the site is to build a community around irresistibly interesting perspectives on life in America. From pop culture to politics, from faith to family, you’ll find original and entertaining stories here from some of the country’s most dynamic voices. …
With your help, we can make Culture11 something truly extraordinary – an online destination that has the editorial excellence of a great magazine, the thrill of a terrific conversation, and the comfort of a supportive community all rolled into one.
Now, usually I don’t care (as much) about the context of a conversation, particularly during with someone f2f in person, as I’d counter-positioned myself in contrast with Stephen Shields over Monday night dinner at Chuy’s. Don’t think we have a photo of that momentus event, but there were 4 tweets: 1, 2, 3, 4.
However, when it comes to websites, one of the 1st things I do look at is the “about us” section, especially when they want me to sign up for a free account and register my personal info with them. The “about us” page at culture11.com is sparse (at the time of this writing), and no explanation of what “culture11″ means, which is less of a concern for me.
So, good to find out names of some of the people behind culture11.com in the aforementioned email. Here’s a couple of links to what can be known about them (or, someone with the same names):
- Joe Carter – blogger at award-winning Evangelical Outpost
- David Kuo – J-Walking blogger @ beliefnet, author of Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction + dot.bomb: My Days and Nights at an Internet Goliath, cf. wikipedia entry
- Bill Bennett – hosts a daily radio show, Bill Bennett’s Morning in America
- Steve Forbes – editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine and ran for U.S. president twice
the switch from Curve to iPhone 3g
I broke the trackball retaining ring on my Blackberry Curve (8300) right before my flight SNA-DFW on Sunday. Serves me right for tinkering with cleaning the trackball without knowing its fragility and never reading instructions manuals or user’s guide. I got sand into that trackball on the day before. The Curve is next to impossible to use without the trackball. 
Also very hard to use sealed inside of a zip-lock bag. The past 2 days, I used the Curve with the trackball precociously set without a retainer, fearing it’d get lost in the crevices of my pocket. It was gonna be $54.13 for the trackball to be professionally replaced in 30 minutes or less. Thought it better to use that $ towards the iPhone.
Long story short, I got an iPhone 3g yesterday afternoon! Of course it is beautiful, and the switch took less than 5 minutes, after 15+ minutes waiting for a customer service rep at the closest AT&T store, I could find near the meeting space where I was part of facilitating team for Missional Renaissance discussions.
Got a whole slew of twitter congrats as it happened real-time. There was evening, and there was day. While impressive, I’ve already got gobs of questions about iPhone functionality, along the lines of “can it do this” or “how about that” or “that’s so annoying”. Could I type faster on the iPhone via a bluetooth keyboard? I don’t think the built-in virtual keyboard is a disaster, but the auto-word replacement is annoying. Wish to turn that off, like you can turn off the auto-capitalization. Why won’t iTunes sync it with my Outlook address book? ad nauseum et al et tu brute
Unlike other fanatics of that Apple variety, I pledge before you my loyal blog readers, that will not be gloating about all the features and shortcomings of the iPhone. There will not be a blog iPhone category here. Besides, I’m more of an orange guy myself.
Now, onto the quest for an orange cover / case. [update 8/28] got an orange cover (incase protective cover) at Apple store South Coast Plaza
[Longer version of the "switch" may be posted here, as time avails.]
John Wayne Airport WiFi – latest info
While I’m waiting at John Wayne Airport (SNA, aka Orange County Airport), it’s possible to connect up to the Internet via WiFi. No free WiFi hotspots (yet?), but there are several pay options.
Here’s the SSID list that showed up via Wireless Network Connection:
- tmobile
this T-Mobile hotspot is located between Gates 7 and 8 at food court — costs starting at $6 or monthly subscription starting at $19.99, cf. subscription info; WiFi signal broadcasts from United Red Carpet Club - JWA WiFi or JWA Hotspot or Nextphase Wireless
hotspot throughout terminal — costs starting at $1.89 or monthly $14.89; operated by NextPhase Wireless Hotspot; tech note: security certificate expired on 8/8/2007 - GotWiFi.com
hotspot throughout terminal — costs starting at $1.49 or monthly $14.89; operated by Oswi.net; tips: best signals near the windows facing the runways b/c antennas located on building rooftops next to large fuel tanks across runway + use strongest signal among SSIDs: GotWiFi.com or GotWiFi.com 2 or GotWiFi.com 3
Where are the power outlets? (outlets are often harder to find than WiFi or internet connectivity)
- opposite gates 8 and 9, behind post between Caterina’s and Sunglass Hut
- opposite flights board/ gate 5, on wall between store and exit
- opposite flights board/ gate 10, on wall between Hudson News and exit
- [update 12/1/08] now there are long outlet strips between the rows of seats along the windows of gates 7 and 9 — look for the green outlet sign
other John Wayne Airport info:
- John Wayne Airport (official website) arrivals + departures info
- United Airlines’ Flight Status
[This entry is a note to self, and for others who search for this info. I'll keep this updated.]
watch Gnomedex conference live now
This is way forward-thinking: Gnomedex is live-streaming its main sessions right now, for another day (up ’til 5:45pm Pacific Time / 8:45pm Eastern). They’ve been doing it for several years now (audio since 2006; cf. the Gnomedex philosophy)
This conference allows its non-attenders to watch it all live streamed over the web!
See the schedule to catch the segments of most interest to you.
Does live-streaming discourage people from attending and having to pay registration fees and travel costs? Nope, still sold out! Gnomedex is on my short list of conferences I really want to go to.
Know of any other conferences that are (partially or entirely) live-streamed? Interviews don’t count. 