Take a peek into Barack Obama’s email inbox.

(via The Onion)

Kids these days are preferring to spend their time on social networking sites instead of surfing for naughty pictures on the internets. The research of author Bill Tancer who is the General Manager of global research at internet data and statistics company Hitwise has shown that:

Social networking sites are increasingly eclipsing pornography consumption over the ‘net — and underscoring a shift in how people communicate.

It really shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that Gen Y are more focused on using the social networks. This is the generation that grew up with unlimited access to copious amounts of adult image and video material, they’re already tired and desensitised to the stuff. Plus, I’m guessing they’re using Facebook and Myspace to satisfy their urges via hookups and dating in real life. Who’d a thunk it? Maybe I should try it some time. Nah. My avatar in Second Life gets plenty of action already.

(via Marketingvox)

Remember though, it’s all LOL until Google reveals itself as a worker for the spawn of Satan.
(via Rocketboom)

n. A late-night text exchange that fails to result in old-fashioned lip-locking.

via The DailyCandy Lexicon: Words That Don’t Exist but Should

What used to be stalking is now called social networking. Welcome to the Internet.
- Zack Shapiro

I’ve taken a couple of days to process Telstra’s presentation the other day of a working example of a hologram.

On one hand I love it because it is Star Wars cool. But on the other, I can’t help but think about the current situation of mobile phone black spots and broadband uncompetition as well as the gargantuan fees that will be associated with this future service.

Read some of the news reports and decide for yourself.
- Telstra chief hosts conference as hologram news.com.au
- Telstra’s 3D hologram party trick The Age
- Live hologram an Australian first nowwearetalking

A lot of people in the last week posted the above image on their blogs and in news stories with the story of Swedish artist Erik Nordenankar who…

…sent a briefcase with a GPS tracking device around the world via DHL. The route the case took, as tracked on a map, became the strokes of his drawing.
via Ze Frank

Unfortunately, as the UK’s Telegraph points out as does the artist’s own web site The Biggest Drawing in the World is a work of fiction.

You have to love Internet user gullibility.

I really enjoyed last night’s episode of the The Gruen Transfer.

Anything that gives some insights into the hidden persuasions of commercial messages is a good thing. Plus, Wil Anderson is funnier on the telly than he is on the radio which made the show a good watch.

I’m not getting all Friends of the ABC like with indignation as I think this is quite cool but one of the faux concepts that was pitched as an advertisement to make whale hunting and whale meat acceptable in Australia is already online.

I give you ‘The Angry Prawn’ by Jack Watts Currie…

Yay for multi-platform integrated communications that pushes the boundaries while extending a brand’s reach with interactive consumer experiences.

Update: Seems the show rated its ads off as it drew an audience of 1.287 million.

The City of Melbourne has embraced Web 2.0 by ensuring people can provide input and discuss their city planning ideas at the Future Melbourne Wiki.

This is the first major online community consultation for local government I’ve seen initiated here in Australia. Kudos City of Melbourne!

Attention Melbournites: be sure to have your say and take advantage of this excellent site so what you think and feel the city should be like in the future is accounted for in policy development.

(found via Get Shouty)

Tonight at 9pm on ABC1 a new show hosted by Wil Anderson called The Gruen Transfer will attempt to give an advertising industry insiders view of the secrets of how they so easily sell products to consumers.

In The Gruen Transfer (named after the psychological effect shopping malls have on the human mind, first theorised by the architect Victor Gruen), Anderson and a team of advertising executives will pick over the various ads we see, identifying just which tricks are being used and assessing why they work.
via SMH

I will be curious to see if because of the show if there is any ad industry backlash or heightened consumer awareness of the tactics which advertisers then object to the ‘insiders’ revealing.

ABC1 ran spoof commercials that received more than 200 complaints by people confused that adverts were being shown on the ad-free public broadcaster. The promos (below) have been produced by award winning Sydney ad agency with the best business name ever – Three Drunk Monkeys,

Gruen Beauty

Gruen Bank

Gruen Beer