Advertising – Notice Those Ads on Blogs? Regulators Do, Too – NYTimes.com

Two of the National Advertising Review Council’s investigative units plan to announce Tuesday their first decisions involving blogs. Their recommendations call for clear disclosure when a company is sponsoring a site or paying for product reviews.

That’s nothing shocking, but it’s part of a sharper focus on the relationships between bloggers and advertisers. Attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission, which is about to expand its endorsement guidelines to include blogs, are investigating the area, along with the self-regulatory groups.

via Advertising – Notice Those Ads on Blogs? Regulators Do, Too – NYTimes.com.

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Higher Costs Spurred June’s Rise in Spending – NYTimes.com

Even though the broader economy may be scraping the bottom, American consumers are still struggling with falling wages and higher living expenses.

That was the picture painted Tuesday by the government’s monthly report on personal incomes and consumer spending. While consumers spent more in June, they did so because prices of food and energy were rising, and not because they were ready to spend freely again.

via Higher Costs Spurred June’s Rise in Spending – NYTimes.com.

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Facebook Releases New “Fan Box” Widget to Turn Website Visitors into Facebook Fans

In a move to increase the power of Facebook Pages, Facebook has just released a new widget that allows brands and businesses to share status updates from their Facebook Page – and get new Facebook fans – on any website.

The new “Fan Box” widget, built on Facebook Connect, allows Page owners to put a piece of their Facebook Page anywhere on the web.

via Facebook Releases New “Fan Box” Widget to Turn Website Visitors into Facebook Fans.

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Behaving differently?

What struck me about this was there seems to be an inverse relationship between the degree of digital sociability vs the historical degree of analog (physical) sociability within that country. Perhaps it’s my (mis)perception but countries like Italy, Australia, New Zealand and France have always struck me as being inherently social cultures, while Russia, Finland, UK, Germany and the USA have always felt far more of a nation of individuals. (I note that Brazil and Spain seem to be big exceptions; perhaps these are the truly super-social nations?)

via brand new: Behaving differently?.

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Swine Flu Toolbox: 45+ Awesome Apps, Mash-Ups, Plugins And Services To Track And Be Safe From Swine Flu « Websites, Internet, Software Tips And Reviews

Swine flu is spreading like wildfire all around the world. Swine flu, also known as H1N1 is a avian influenza virus that started in Mexico and has been spreading globally since the last month, such as the USA and recently to Asia. With the use of social media such as Twitter as well as the use of Web 2.0, you can track the latest swine flu news and trends easily and quickly, all in real-time. Here is a great list of 45+ awesome apps, add-ons, services, mashups and plugins to get updated about the latest swine flu news as well as to visualize and track it as the flu spread across the world, while keeping yourself safe from the flu. Be sure to help us spread this post on Twitter or digg this post if you liked it

via Swine Flu Toolbox: 45+ Awesome Apps, Mash-Ups, Plugins And Services To Track And Be Safe From Swine Flu « Websites, Internet, Software Tips And Reviews.

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Cool Web apps for everyone – CNET

In addition to new features such as support for HTML 5, geo-location, and a noticeably faster engine, Firefox 3.5 added a new CSS rule that makes Web typography much more attractive.

@font-face is a CSS rule that allows Web designers to reference fonts not installed on end-user machines. Just as you would have a pointer to a server-based stylesheet or JavaScript file in your Web page code, you can now make reference to a hosted typeface.

via Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone – CNET.

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News: Ads coming to Xbox Live – ComputerAndVideoGames.com

Microsoft has announced that it is to bring rich media technologies including Silverlight to Xbox Live within the next year.

Silverlight allows advertisers to deliver interactive, interconnected online campaigns across multiple platforms.

Sean Alexander, director at Microsoft’s Advertising Business Group, told MediaPost that the technology will enable companies to build advertising campaigns that span four screens: desktop, television, mobile phone and Surface.

“Silverlight-powered media on Xbox will have the same appearance as ads seen on a web browser,” according to the report, and will presumably feature on the Xbox Live dashboard.

via News: Ads coming to Xbox Live – ComputerAndVideoGames.com.

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FDA weighs options to reduce painkiller overdoses – Forbes.com

The makers of Tylenol, Excedrin and other medications on Monday tried to dissuade regulators from placing new restrictions on their popular painkillers, including possibly removing some of them from store shelves.

The Food and Drug Administration assembled more than 35 experts for a two-day meeting to discuss ways to prevent overdose with acetaminophen – the pain-relieving, fever-reducing ingredient in Tylenol and dozens of other prescription and over-the-counter medications.

via FDA weighs options to reduce painkiller overdoses – Forbes.com.

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Microsoft puts Razorfish up for sale

One analyst valued Razorfish at $600m-$700m, based on sales of about $400m last year and profit margins for similar businesses of 12-13 per cent.

The analyst said: “Much more than that would be overpaying”, adding that even in digital marketing, valuations had fallen since last year, when Advertising Age trade magazine reported a valuation of $800m

via FT.com / Companies / Technology – Microsoft puts Razorfish up for sale.

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FT.com / Companies / Technology – Microsoft puts Razorfish up for sale

One analyst valued Razorfish at $600m-$700m, based on sales of about $400m last year and profit margins for similar businesses of 12-13 per cent.

The analyst said: “Much more than that would be overpaying”, adding that even in digital marketing, valuations had fallen since last year, when Advertising Age trade magazine reported a valuation of $800m

via FT.com / Companies / Technology – Microsoft puts Razorfish up for sale.

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phil baumann online — health is social

I’m (not michael) speaking today at CBI’s 2nd Annual Conference on emerging media for Pharmaceutical and Biomedical industries. You can follow the Twitter stream using #Pharma as the tag. Here’s the presentation. A compendium with more detailed notes will be published later.

via phil baumann online — health is social.

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Race with Insulin – Twitter

Ross Fetterolf, VP Digital Strategy at Ignite Health, said yesterday was an “Historic Day” because “diabetes patient/racecar driver Charlie Kimball produced the first branded tweet on his Race With Insulin Twitter page @racewithinsulin, http://twitter.com/racewithinsulin” see “A Historic Day: The First Branded Pharma Tweet”.

via Pharma Marketing Blog.

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FDA says Zicam spray can damage smell, shares fall 55% – Jun. 16, 2009

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Consumers should discontinue use of Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel and related products because they can can permanently damage users’ sense of smell, the government said Tuesday.

In a press release, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised consumers to stop use of three over-the-counter Zicam Cold Remedy products: nasal gel, nasal swabs and the discontinued “kids size” swabs.

via FDA says Zicam spray can damage smell, shares fall 55% – Jun. 16, 2009.

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iPhone, iPod touch users hit the Net from their handsets more than a computer | VentureBeat

The latest report from AdMob and comScore won’t shock you, but it might make you rethink your priorities. Forty percent of iPhone and iPod touch users access the Internet more from their little best friend than they do from a computer.

Here are the highlights of the report, which AdMob emailed to us on Monday:

via iPhone, iPod touch users hit the Net from their handsets more than a computer | VentureBeat.

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AppleInsider | New study shows iPhone users to be in a class by themselves

iPhone users are richer, younger, and perhaps even more productive at work than those who use competing smartphones, according to a new study released Friday.

The study $750 fee from independent market analysis company Forrester Research suggests iPhone users comprise the elite upper class of smartphone customers. The data was compiled from 32,228 working U.S. adults in 2008. It found that those who own an iPhone are typically more active on their phones and more connected to the internet than those who fell into generic “smartphone” or “mobile phone” categories.”

via AppleInsider | New study shows iPhone users to be in a class by themselves.

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