What’s wrong with this new ad from Verizon & Google for the new Droid?

Looks remarkably similar to the iconic photograph of the first iPhone at Macworld 2007 that was shot by James Duncan Davidson and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t called ahead of time to consult on creative ideas.

Check out the original photo below

This is one instance where the creative team working on the Droid launch should take time to consider creativity.

In a press release this morning, The National Cancer Institute has awarded a $55.4 million, multiple-year contract to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to become the nation’s sole operator of its Cancer Information Service Contact Center.

Since Fred Hutchinson is located in Seattle, it looks like a few more jobs will be added to the local economy with the contract win.

The NCI, the nation’s lead agency for cancer research, established the CIS in 1975 to educate people about cancer prevention, risk factors, early detection, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and research. The CIS is an essential part of NCI’s cancer prevention and control efforts.
“We are the voice of the National Cancer Institute,” said Dawn Sittauer, Seattle CIS contact center manager. View the full press release

I will be attending Chris Pirillo’s Social Media conference, Gnomedex on August 20th in Seattle. It’s sure to be an interesting two days accelerating ideas around social media and online communities.

Search just got a jolt as Microsoft and Yahoo pull together in a 10 year deal to combine search efforts. Yahoo reported that with the Microsoft’s success with Bing, the two of them will work to divert ad revenue from Google.

Yahoo Inc. shares plunged $2.08, or 12 percent, to $15.14 as investors expressed disappointment over the absence of an immediate windfall. Microsoft Corp. shares gained 33 cents to $23.80 while Google Inc. shares shed $3.61 to $436.24.

Read the article on Yahoo’s Tech site

I could have told you it was hot, my thermometer inside the house reads 86 degrees (that is with an air conditioning unit upstairs) but I had no idea that we are having the hottest day on record EVER in the Seattle area. It is currently 102 degrees in Kirkland and Redmond where I live/work.

temperature gage on the clock in the kitchen

All the news stations like King5 are covering the “heat wave” like it’s the end of the world.. maybe it is.

Now I just got back from 4 days in Las Vegas where the temperature never reached over 96 degrees the entire time we were there. I feel like I’ve entered the Twilight Zone.. of course there is no global warming.

I’ve become almost blind to my use of Google. Anytime I need to search for something, I use the built-in search tool in either Safari or Firefox that automatically defaults to Google without even thinking about it. Google had certainly succeeded in their search engine being the one and only thing I think about when I need to search.

Trouble is, lately the results in Google have been more of a frustration than anything. Granted the paid ads are sometimes relevant, and the results show mostly targeted sites for what I am searching on, but the breadth of results has narrowed greatly since I first started using Google and I just feel like I’m missing stuff.

Today, I was searching for travel options from Seattle. I have a few trips planned this summer and thinking about adding some more. Of course, the main travel websites all came back with similar offers. I wanted something different. I had a “Bing Moment” where I wondered if Microsoft’s new search engine Bing would give me something different. Continue Reading ->

At least according to Forrester Research.

“The research firm nonetheless revised its forecast for 2009. It now expects the U.S. technology market to shrink by 5 percent this year. In March, Forrester had predicted a smaller 3 percent decline in spending on technology products and services.” According to a recent article on Online Athens.

I personally see that within the industry it feels like things are starting to slowly but surely pick up. I’m seeing more money being spent on marketing and advertising with lots of anticipation that things will be better by Q4 CY.

Many people I talk with are also feeling that there is a slight shift in the attitudes across the industry, it’s no more continual doom and gloom reminiscent of the dot.com bust. I for one am optimistic that when fall gets into swing we will also see an uptick in consumer confidence and high tech will be leading the way.