Here comes Taibbi's article on the Rocket Dockets, here comes mail/messaging fusion for Facebook, and here comes a new Microsoft Casual Gaming Portal! Hang on tight, because the news is coming your way . . .
Career:
Gimmicks are bad in a job search – Commentary on overdoing it in a job search, with some stunning examples . . . that sadly don't seem as weird because I live in Silicon Valley. However the point it pretty good – I'd say that a gimmick is a bad idea when the gimmick overshadows you.
Culture:
So why do we prefer live events? Seth Godin has a few thoughts that may help you generate your own. A lot of this applies to social media . . .
Economics/Geekonomics:
Matt Taibbi's long-awaited article on high-speed foreclosures in Florida which seems to actually be bad enough to shock him, and he's not exactly shockable. This also helps give some perspective to how bad the whole home loan shennanegans have been and how they seem to lead from one kind of fraud to another. Tabbi has a way of getting attention, and if this story catches on expect a lot of anger, lawsuits, and political scrambling.
Comics:
It appears there's more Batman-mania beyond the live show. Say a new live TV show after the next Batman Film? Once that could even star professional Chameleon Karl Urban? Sounds like DC is going to focus on what I consider it's strength in televisions . . . and it might explain some of the eding of Batman: Brave And The Bold.
Media:
The Race to Replace Ticketmaster. A fascinating article on the oft-despised ticketing company, those going after it, and the people and technology behind it all.
Social Media:
Yep, you can view Microsoft docs in Facebook, which surprises no one following the recent news.
Facebook's email killer? More of a messaging integration system with email as an option. It's also rolling out over a series of months, which may be good since they can navigate any difficulties and check market reaction. A helpful walkthrough is here.
Zynga did not get the deceptive advertising suit it and Adknowledge are stuck in.
Technology:
Self-service is everyhere, from the Redbox Kiosks to automated websites. Well now a Massachucetts-based company in Taunton (insert Empire Strikes Back Joke here), got $9 million in investment for . . . make-your own ice cream machines. Their investment totals over $27 million. This is ten years in the making. Presented as an example of . . . well everything from innovative ideas to self-service to long-planned ideas. Plus hey, they're in one of the geek centrals and may need help spending that cash.
TokBox lands $12 million in investment and releases a new service to integrate their group video call software into websites. They've been around a bit (compared to other startups) and might be worth your time.
Video Games:
Microsoft launches new casual games hub which includes some social features and single-game, mutli-platform score displays. Simple, sure, but this could be the foundation of a lot more – pay-once-play-anywhere games, more integration with larger titles, etc. Feels like a good move towards Microsoft-as-a-service and moving them more into the gaming space where, frankly, they're doing some good stuff.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: So how aggressively do you think Facebook will pursue email?