Hollywood2020

READING 10,000 YEARS FROM NOW -- WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION? HOW DO YOU CREATE A SIGN THAT CAN BE READ 10,000 YEARS FROM NOW? A note in Slashdot.org linking to a newspaper story prompts this blogger to ponder -- what is communicaton? Will people read 10,000 years from now? "The Los Angeles Times discusses the problems with trying to leave a message for generations down the line.

MESSAGES TO THE FUTURE FROM THE PAST: 

One of the first thoughts that comes to the mind of this blogger, Joyce Schwarz, emerging media and entertainment consultant at JCOM (www.joycecom.com) is pictographs. Here is a sample of the pictographs used at the 2004 Olympics in Greece:          

Click on thumbnail to see the pictographs designed for the 2004 US Olympics.

PICTOGRAMS IN HISTORY: WHICH SOMEHOW REMINDED ME OF COURSE OF THE UPCOMING MOVIE: DAVINCI CODE:

According to Mesopotamia.co.uk: the earliest writing was based on pictograms. Pictograms were used to communicate basic information about crops and taxes.

The Mesopotamia site notes that, "Over time, the need for writing changed and the signs developed into a script we call cuneiform.   What I find so amazing as a high tech consultant is how much the cuneiform sketch on this site looks like a PDA in a hand! Is that what Apple's Newton used as a prototype?  

The cuneiform evolved over the centuries so that it could be used by various languages to explain not only symbols but sounds of words according to this website.

SYMBOLS: From that site I moved to www.symbols.com and found this symbol which was fascinating

Click on this symbol to see: Swedish hobo sign for here live angry dogs and brutal people

ON TO BARCODES & SHAPES...... Which took me on to the concept of barcodes and physical shapes in this case a zebra courtesy of an HP site in French....

And from the Barcode I linked to a book on text messaging -- reminding me that this is really another language created by the people of the people for the people in this century and in fact in the past decade!

TEXT MESSAGING: courtesy of : www.gillian-cross.co.uk/ images/bewareDH.jpg

: - (	unhappy
I - O	bored/yawning
O-Z-<	man running (whole body figure)
+	knight
:-D	happy
*<):O)	clown
LOL	laugh out loud
: ))	laughing

WHICH IN TURN LINKED ME TO SOCIAL TAGGING concepts...Technorati & beyond...

AND ON TO TAGALAG.com -- which is a mash-up including Google maps....

and on to Google earth-- would a picture convey what we wanted to know-- if you had a picture of what Stonehenge was really symbolizing would you understand it?

google earth-- does a photograph really tell 1000 words?

And on to metatags......

and from metatags I thought about how robots could express emotion and went to an Aibo emotion site.....

AIBO -- DEATH OF AIBO???? which took me to a note that I did not want to see -- it looks like AIBO IS DEAD???? Following the Sony Corporation FY05 3Q announcement, the production of AIBO Entertainment Robots will be discontinued as of end March 2006. As for the sales activity, we will discontinue the sales of AIBO once all remaining stock runs out.

Dear AIBO enthusiast

Thank you very much for your patronage of AIBO and the European AIBO website.

Following the Sony Corporation FY05 3Q announcement, the production of AIBO Entertainment Robots will be discontinued as of end March 2006. As for the sales activity, we will discontinue the sales of AIBO once all remaining stock runs out........The last set of AIBO Custom Datas for AIBO ERS-7M3 will be launched in March 2006. The download service on www.eu.aibo.com will continue after April 2006 for these new downloads as well as all existing AIBO Custom Data and other AIBO software. In addition the user guides library (documents available in PDF format) will also remain available.

Sony Entertainment Robot Europe

*As each AIBO model has a specific production discontinuation date, the service operation will be terminated model by model. Please click here to view a model-by-model breakdown.

Further research shows that: About 150 000 Aibos have been sold since they debuted in 1999. The Aibo had a strong following among fans - some of whom owned whole packs of the machines that retailed for $2 000. According to ZDnet: said in a statement. Alas, belt-tightening at Sony forced the company earlier this year to dispense with its robotics unit.

WHICH LEADS ME TO OF COURSE ONE OF MY FAVORITE BLOG POSTS -- PIXELCHIX -- don't ask just believe it -- Pixelchix is proabably Holywood2020's favorite blog post ever in one year of posting!   And can a 3d sculpture really convey concepts-- not unlike the pictogram is it? and so it goes...from writing to symbols to signs.....and shapes....will anyone read in the future...to be continued.

OnHollywood Future of TV Panel Via the Web

Watching the "OnHollywood" (http://www.alwayson-network.com) panel about "THE FUTURE OF TV" via the web today was a trip....in fact when I was selecting key words for this blog I realized that participating via text chat with the audience made it seem more like a game than a conference session. It was really fun!

Blogger Joyce Schwarz cached her first chat contribution to the AlwaysOn "OnHollywood" chat session in conjunction with "The Future of TV" panel streamed via the web.

TALK TO YOUR TV, WATCH YOUR PHONE....for decades experts have been telling us that we will talk to our TV in the future and watch our phone and it's finally here -- at least the capabilities. Surprisingly, when this blogger, Joyce Schwarz wrote in the chat session about TextTV -- SMS TV -- which is big in Europe, I got a couple of questions back about what it was. Yet, here we were doing something very similar in a chat box right next to a streaming video of the session at the OnHollywood conference over at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. (Note: Fuse is doing this right now -- Feature - Fuse.tv - TXT TV: Perfect Pair) More info on the ITV dictionary site -- SMS iTV, SMS -TV, Mobile TV, Call TV, definition of and related ... Good white paper I found on this -- talks about "participation TV" -- PDF] I WANT MY TV! MOBILE INTEGRATED TELEVISION (MI-TV) BCA4086....

QUICK BUCK TV ---??In the chat session several of the 'chatters' were talking about micropayments and Peppercoin.com came up along with some other vendors-- interesting what's happening in Korea where this headline probably says it all: Brand New Malaysian: Weekend discussion: Quick buck TV and in the US -- it's promised to be the next BIG THING....via this blog...more on moconews.net also ...the LOOSE wire blog: The US' Next Big Thing: SMS-TVGeneral | MocoNews.net General | MocoNews.net

Moco News and his sister web site, www.PaidContent.org, make up the most ... has launched some new shows which incorporate real-time SMS-TV interaction. ... www.moconews.net/index.php?cat=1 - MOBILE TV ??? The streaming media section of the OnHollywood conference also included a 'live' vote on several questions -- interesting response to the one about whether you will/won't and plan to watch TV on your mobile.... click on the thumbnail to see what the audience at OnHollywood had to say about watching TV2Go -- on the mobile. THE FUTURE OF TV PANEL -- OnHollywood May 3, 2006 According to the agenda the moderator of the panel: George Zachary, Partner, Charles River Ventures, Panel members: Jim Behrens, CEO, Orb Networks, Drew Massey, CEO ManiaTV!, Lewis Henderson, SVP, WIlliam Morris, Adrian Sexton, VP Digital Media, Lionsgate and Jonathan Taplin, CEO, Intertainer and Professor, USC Annenberg School for Communication (note I did not confirm if everyone was present on the panel this was the advance info from the schedule on the Alwayson-network site).  The Future of TV panel at OnHollywood talks about Internet streaming on any screen, anywhere...13% of TV ad dollars going elsewhere in the future...user-generated content...what's success-- to Jib Jab it's $100,000 to others? ...meanwhile in the accompanying text chat online --audience members are talking about the tough stuff-- participation TV, transactional TV, Lessig on IP, Korea TV advances...micropayments for content ...Land Rover's Narrowstep TV Channel-- and even a suggestion for Harley TV which I said would probably 'hog-up' the audience...one chatter said the panel was better then the MobiTV panel at NAB...still lots of talk about Youtube/Myspace generation. Would love to have seen some "Myspace" kids on the panel and some independent filmmakers telling us what's beyond the "frogs in the blender" stuff of the past (DEN etc) and the Sat. Night Live Mash-ups...I mentioned the new Yahoo Mixer for the SF Intl Film Festival (see this blog last week) and got a bunch of referrals to other sites that I could not cache quick enuf...so more later. Chat & TV -- goes together like chips & dip ..fun snacking but probably cooler to be there in RL....more from on-location at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel later...js --email me at [email protected] if you have other comments on this panel.

Earthlink Founder Sky Dayton Launches Wireless Helio For 'My Space Generation'

WIRELESS FOR THE 'MY SPACE GENERATION' -- waiting here to watch Sky Dayton (founder of Earthlink(www.earthlink.net) and Boingo Wireless(www.boingo.com -- Wi-Fi) on CNBC to talk about his newest launch Helio -- what his firm is calling 'wireless for the My Space generation'. By Joyce Schwarz, Hollywood2020 blog & emerging entertainment analyst, www.joycecom.com.

www.helio.com -- check it out --new wireless MVNO for 'My Space generation'

As I wait for Sky Dayton's appearance on CNBC Squack Box show, the one big question I would love to text to him (if we had Text enabled CNBC) is "Why didn't My Space do this?" ...do you think that Rupert Murdock is jealous? Or is Murdock just waiting to see how Sky's new firm Helio does -- and then buy it out too...remember MySpace sold to Murdock for about a $1/2 billion or so.

WHAT'S HELIO? Device or service -- both is the answer  Go to www.helio.com and you'll see two different devices both at retail of $250. Supposedly, Sky Dayton and his wife were in Korea and they saw the advanced 3G devices that the Koreans were using -- and they were jealous. Sky who according to Internet lore (or did he actually tell me once) he started his career running a coffee shop in West Hollywood at some insane young age of 21 or so. Why was he in Korea? His Boingo Wi-Fi firm has deals for hotspots throughout Korea as I remember. So he decided to gather an experienced team together that includes backgrounds with DANGER (teen-device creator of the product better known to consumers as Sidekick rolled out by T-Mobile) and of course execs from SK Mobile, Motorola, Overture and more. Here's what Wired.com had to say about Helio team and Sky's philosophy earlier this year: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.03/helio.html. And it appears they are all in the Helio 'House' in Westwood (near UCLA) --note it's a house like the MTV House-- not a building or an office-- Sky is 'ever-kewl'...he was MySpace generation before MySpace!

CNBC REPORT ON HELIO -- looks like a phone but does everything except cook dinner-- the equivalent of a Swiss Army knife 

Here's my take on a 'live transcript' of the Sky Dayton interview on CNBC -- did my best and probably got about 80 percent of it....no doubt other media reports will follow !Segment over at 5:55 a.m. -- so 6 minute segment-- not bad for CNBC. They had Sky sitting at the Squack Box table - -not just an interview via phone --very effective new product intro.

(Note I've put Sky's responses in bold -- questions from the Squack Box team in regular text...have some fun reading it-- Hollywood2020 may be the first to run the story on CNBC!! js)

5:49 a.m.PST --CNBC  Squack Box (partial transcript) -- part mobile phone, part game player, it's got everything-- just about --inside this thing. FIRST ON CNBC -- HELIO IS HERE -- joint venture between Earthlink and SK Telecom. (The Squack Box team is sitting on the set now playing with Helio devices. )Looks like a phone but lot going on here. Squack Box team shown holding up Helio and it is "playing MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" trailer -- they are holding it up -- saying WOW --someone actually says they are "having a good time just getting it open". So Sky what is it? Explain this device to us. We created a new mobile service for young mobile consumers whose lives evolve around mobile space. What is the coolest thing this device can do? Full access to MySpace -- exclusive to Helio -- can be on MySpace 24/7 -- can blog live -- Is this what 18-34 year olds are looking for....yes, they don't want their father's cell phone. I buy into this -- I'm in this demo barely. Fee starts at $85 month -- Sky says 1 out of every $10 is being spent by young consumers on wireless . This is like clothes or a purse or a car-- sit down at table in cafe. "It says who you are" Sky Dayton -- He's getting kidded now by the Squack team...who's coming after you --bigger, faster-- Sky avoids question -- SK Telecom -- 2-3 years ahead of US -- buddy list, sending video to friends. Can send video message to 5 of your friends simultaneously -- up to 10 minutes...don't they have homework...are you competing with iPod with this? We wanted to create a service that was all about communication. Can gift or beg games-- can also make phone calls...built-in MP3 player MPEG4 player-- full stereo speakers...who makes the components inside these machines? Qualcomm --it's 3G tech, Pantech and VK out of Korea . Bringing something unique to the US market. Available now on the website and in 1000 retail locations by end of the year. Today is our launch date --go to Helio.com to buy. Spoiled rich kids everywhere will want to buy it. Let's go from GENEX forum that this is ---to Mark.....(and we're out of the segment with Sky Dayton smiling!) Here's the link to VK (formerly Viable Korea) and their new slim device. Pantech appears to be providing the 2 megapixel camera....The Korea Times : Korea＊s VK Unveils 8.8mm Slim Mobile

YAHOO INTERNATIONAL REMIXER :NEXT GEN MASH-UP TOOL FOR "YOU-MEDIA"

YAHOO RESEARCH BERKELEY ROLLS out it's newest 'you media' tech --The International Remixer" at the SF Intl Film festival(SFIFF) Too discover the fun of the new system go to  www.sffs.org. Even though the festival's over and the winners have been announced in the remix event, you can still mash-up the festival films with accompanying music provided by the site.

A citizen media project encouraged would-be filmmakers to use the Yahoo International Remixer to mash-up, slice & dice and score their own mini-films which are not only being shown on the site after the festival but were actually screened during the festival at a special event and awards were handed out for these mix-ups.

Kinotek --SF Intl Film Festival New Media

According to the SF CHRONICLE, features new to the SF Intl. festival this year included what the festival organizers are calling "KinoTek" --experiments with electronic video and real-time digital images, KinoTek was interpreted at the festival with five programs represented by  Addictive TV, Cock Byte, Masters of Machinima, Pocket Cinema and of course Internatonal Remix. In the CHRONICLE report, Grehan Leggat, San Francisco Film Society's executive director says "Just the thought that you can be on a bus today watching a film on your cell phone or other small device and the person next to you can see it over your shoulder -- that's pretty wild" . Leggat considers it the responsibility of the festival to explore those new technologies. In the SAN JOSE MERCURY coverage Leggat underscores his interest in new media and delivery systems by saying, " ``No longer can we think of movie-going and the social environment that goes with that as just one thing.''

MORE INFO ON YAHOO'S INTERNATIONAL REMIXER:

Yahoo Research Whips Up Video Remixer

The tool created by Yahoo Research Berkeley for International Remix on the San Francisco International Film Festival website gives visitors a way to r. www.webpronews.com/topnews/topnews/ wpn-60-20060421YahooResearchWhipsUpVideoRemixer.html - 36k - Cached

International Remixer 

... requires the Macromedia Flash Player. Get Flash. INTERNATIONAL REMIXHOME | GALLERY | INFO | REMIXER | FEEDBACK. @ 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. ingi1.sfsu.edu/remix/Remixer.html - 8k - Cached - Similar pages

MOD Films - remixable films and tools for film reuse  (Hollywood2020 note check these guys out -- they are one of the partners for the launch of the International Remixer.

International Remix, SF International Film Festival. International Remix, San Francisco Film Festival Monday April 24 10pm Edinburgh Castle 950 Geary Street ... modfilms.com/ - 15k - Cached - Similar pages Yahoo! Search blog International Remix enables you to create your very own movie mashups. ... We've had fun flexing our media hacking muscles to build this research prototype ... www.ysearchblog.com/ - 32k - Best blog post about the INTERNATIONAL REMIXER -- Lifehacker - Friday Fun International Remix enables you to create your very own movie mashups. Go crazy with creativity ... You can hack your iPod to play Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man. ... www.lifehacker.com/software/friday-fun/ - 47k - Cached - Similar pagesunmediated ... and I’m happy to report that the team of media hackers I work with at Yahoo! ... That contribution is International Remix, a web-based tool for ... www.unmediated.org/ - 127k - Cached - Similar pages Cached - Similar pages

Sky PerfecTV Unveils Next Generation Program Guide At NAB: Digital Oconomy Guide Recommendation System

Hollywood2020.blogs.com on location in Las Vegas, Nevada at the National Assn of Broadcasters show www.nabshow.com by Joyce Schwarz, JCOM, www.joycecom.com, author, analyst and emerging entertainment consultant.

I have seen the future of television and it's hidden in the middle of the floor in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Run don't walk to Sky Perfect Communications, Inc. Booth SL 2961 (SKY PerfecTV! English Site --http://www.skyperfectv.co.jp/en/ ) and you will see a demo of the next-generation of television program guide or EPG (electronic program guide) now in final development phase and set to be launched by the end of 2006 by Sky PerfectTV! Services.

Television Guide Learns Your Profile & Recommends Programming & ads:

What makes this new tech called "Digital Oconomy Guide" so special is that it features an intelligent (it learns about your preferences) recommendation system that provides users with TV programming along with adjacent  profile-specific, text-based advertising and ecommerce offers. According to the one-page position paper' handed out at the booth by SKY PerfecTV developers and spokespersons from Japan, the guide also offers users a custom-play list to support users in planning their personal TV consumption.

METADATA DRIVEN TV GUIDE

click on thumbnail to see info from new SkyPerfect Oconomy EPG (tv guide).

The SKY PerfecTV Communication's handout also explains that 'the system can aggregate TV program metadata in standardized interface, metadata exchange platform between TV program providers and digital terrestial or internet broadcast operators'.  The one-pager says that SKY PerfecTV! developed with Sony the recommendation engine. It explains that the engine provides the user with programming by matching preference metadata with TV program attributes accumulated in the metadata database of the system.

SO WHAT IS SKY PERFECT ?

The info provided says that SKY Perfect Communications Inc. (SKY Perfect) is the largest digital multichannel broadcasting platform in Japan --providing 300 channels via three communications satellites and optical fiber networks. Total subscribers: exceed 4.1 million. The shareholders in SKY Perfect include Sony, Fuji TV and Itochu with each owning about 12.5 percent of the company. In other words, it's a satellite system .

Search and finding content is one of the keys to monetizing the future of television programing and all programming IP, wireless etc in the future. As the head of NAB said this week, "Content is king, but distribution is key". And I'll add marketing and helping viewers find that content is crucial. Since I co-wrote the NAB Book "Multimedia 2000" back in 1993, I've been talking about CUSTOMTAINMENT -- customizing my entertainment, infotainment and edutainment on demand anyplace, anytime and everywhere.

So far, the anytime, anyplace and everywhere is possible but customizing my content is still all but impossible. Sure there is TIVO but it doesn't customize my web content nor my wireless content. Plus I need a box and I need to pay subscriber fees.

SO MANY PROMISES -- SO MUCH VAPORWARE

During the past decade there have been lots of companies and trials and tech that promised us that they would provide personal profiling and user-content management systems -- a few that I remember include Pointcast (on the web) and long gone, Junglee (sold to Amazon.com and is as I understand the basis for their collaborative filtering engine -- meaning if you like this book, you'll like that book kind of thing which certainly doesn't work when I buy a golf book for my dad and next time I go to Amazon.com I get a recommendation for a cross-between golf and technology books and they seem to start assuming I'm male, not female for some reason. Yodlee (still around)but concentrating on the financial aspects for consumer identification and authentication www.yodlee.com. Full disclosure here -- also consulted for a NY based firm called Younology (later Youpowered.com) that held much promise of a neural-net, intelligent agent and personal profiling by a character they created called Orby. Alas, Youpowered is gone.

METADATA IS HOT BUZZWORD AT NAB

The Metadata panels at NAB's G-Sam section and DAM Theatre (Digital Asset Management) have been packed --metadata is a hot buzzword here at NAB. That's why it's fascinating to see this 'Digital Oconomy Guide" which their handout says is based on TV-Anytime forum specs already adopted in major broadcasting standardization bodies like ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute), DVBI (Digital Video Broadcasting), ARIBA (Assn. of Radio Industries and Businesses).

A quick check on Google news found no NAB press coverage of this booth. Believe me the booth itself is fabulous and the video presentation is engaging -- booth is created by Lynch Exhibits, www.lynchexhibits.com. The animated video presentation is capably presented by a gorgeous demo dude, Andy Saks, who customizes the pitch to the audience-- so appropriate for this kind of presentation and product.

Quick inquiries to the SkyPerfecTV developer on-hand at NAB provided me just a bit more info that the Sony division that created this (or co-created according to the booth handout) is based in Tokyo. The press release on the SkyPerfecTV! English-language website is a PDF dated March, 2006 and it will not download for some reason.

TV FOR MY EVERY MOOD

The demo I saw at NAB shows how the user preferences are quickly input by multiple choice click of a standard TV remote (no special buttons needed). One aspect of the demo even promises to provide programming for my mood -- tired, lonely, sad, happy etc. Plus, the playlist appears to be able to aggregate content based on cross-between choices i.e. -- the user likes historical romances so that GONE WITH THE WIND will show up on my playlist but not SEX  IN THE CITY. It was fun to see a Japanese language version of FX Cable's "NIP TUCK" show pop-up based on the animated depiction of a potential user's mood. I can see it now -- feeling angry -- want to strangle your boss? -- watch WWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation) SMACKDOWN #20, homemaker home alone -- DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES is just what you need.

MORE ON THIS AMAZING TECHNOLOGY LATER......and even though the Digital Oconomy Guide key letters spell out D-O-G -- this guide could be BEST OF SHOW!  For more info or comments, email [email protected].

HOW MUCH TV DO WE WATCH -- 264.5 minutes In 24 hours -- More than 30 hours a week!!!

JUST HOW MUCH TELEVISION DO WE WATCH? And is the internet replacing TV??? As I head to Las Vegas for the National Assn of Broadcasters Conference of more than 100,000 attendees around the world, I thought I'd check to see how much television people ARE REALLY watching....and the stats are astounding.  264.5 minutes in a 24 hour period -- according to a Neilsen study released by the Television Advertising Bureau last Thursday.

HOW MUCH TV DO WE WATCH????

Excerpted from a report in television trade publication "Broadcasting & Cable" (B&C):   adults spent an average of 264.5 minutes per 24 hours watching TV, compared to 125.5 minutes for radio, 85 for the Internet, 20 for newspapers and 16.3 with magazines. (note the study included 1,183 people and the results were released exclusively in B&C.

According the the last graph of the "Broadcasting & Cable" article: "TVB's mission is to pitch the power of broadcast TV advertising, while Nielsen ratings are the principal measure of a TV program's audience and, by extension, its power to deliver eyeballs to advertisers." See the article for more details. And I'll provide an update of what's up on monetizing TV content from seminars and workshops I attend at NAB 2006.

TV Shines In TVB Study Broadcasting & Cable (subscription), NY - Apr 20, 2006 TV dominates media usage, so says a Nielsen study released Thursday by the Television Bureau of Advertising. According to the study ...

VIVA PINATA -- XBox 360 Game, Video, TV Show & Online World -- Next Gen Content Building

NEXT GENERATION CONTENT BUILDING: Great example of how next generation content is evolving is the VIVA PINATA franchise announced today by Microsoft, Rare and 4Kids Entertainment.  The 'world of content' for Viva Pinata includes: a Microsoft 360 Video Game by Rare, animated TV Show by 4Kids Entertainment and a new online universe at www.vivapinata.com.

Here at Hollywood2020 we're anxious to see what the online Universe will look like and how cool the immersive game will be from Rare . As quoted on Xbox365.com : "With ‘Viva Piñata,’ we are introducing a revolutionary brand that will entertain, inspire and excite children, families and creative minds around the globe,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. “With Rare and 4Kids Entertainment we will best showcase the vibrant world of ‘Viva Piñata,’ enabling a mass audience to have an immersive experience via the animated television series, the Xbox 360 title and related merchandise"

All kinds of customizable pinatas on the www.vivapinata.com immersive world set to launch in Fall, 06.

WHY RARE?

Hollywood2020 notes that Rare is a fascinating choice because the game developmer (www.rareware.com) is bestknown for such games including: “GoldenEye 007,” “Perfect Dark,” “Banjo-Kazooie” and “Donkey Kong 64.” These are not necessarily children's games.

IMMERSIVE PINATA ISLAND

The immersive world for Viva Pinata by Rare for kids seems like a fascinating adventure that will continue to evolve via XBox Live service. Hopefully the story is a bit more exciting than the description on the website which talks about pinatas on pinata island (they do note that it doesn't exist so kids don't run to the web or to their old print Encyclopedias in the school library looking for Pinata Island. It seems that once Pinatas reach their maximum "candiosity" (*their word, not mine) that they are hit with bats and then sent back to Pinata island to do it all over again!

Other unique words from the www.vivapinata.com website include: animbassadors, cannonatas (giant pinata cannons) upon their return they get 'patched up' and start again.

NAMES OF THE PINATA ANIMBASSADORS: Bonboon, Maccaracoon, Moozipan, Parrybo, Twingersnap, Elephanilla. Of course the licensing has just started for all of the merchandise. So in a way the new world of content cross platform lends itself to almost creating the product placement. Create the goodies first and then evolve into obviously candy, and Pinatas and probably cookies and hopefully something much more healthy and active for these kids who are heading for o-b-e-s-i-t-y otherwise!!!!

VIRTUAL BRANDED WORLDS HIGHLIGHT ADVERTISING AS CONTENT: BEYOND SECOND LIFE

Bold New Opportunities in Virtual Worlds by Joyce Schwarz, www.joycecom.com iMedia Connection, CA - Mar 9, 2006 Now boarding: ad flights to the new, new thing. Interactive leaders like Coke, Motorola, Wells Fargo & Co, Disney, and Hollywood  Virtual Magic Kingdom for Disney is celebrating its 1 millionth character. WHAT'S IT ABOUT? : . Interactive marketers are discovering the wonder of creating virtual worlds like Coke Studios, Mokitown (Motorola), Stagecoach Island (Wells Fargo), Virtual Magic Kingdom (Disney), Digital Deadwood (tourism destination Deadwood, South Dakota) 3D Plaza (What the Bleep movie) Stagecoach Island by Swivel Media. HIGHLIGHTS: *Wikipedia.com defines a virtual world as a "computer-simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact with via avatars." *Tech features: Most of the virtual worlds today allow for multiple users and feature chat, texting and even audio messaging and ecommerce apps, enabling marketers to "sell" virtual or real world objects and apparel. *The greatest opportunity for brand expression may just be in the 'solo-branded' Virtual Worlds *Other options like co-branding or develop promotions or sponsorships within other brands' virtual worlds -- like Wal-Mart did in Coke Studios -- are feasible. Coke studios lets users create their own V-egos (virtual characters)(www.mycoke.com) *Sometimes called "adverworlds" by tech pundits, these worlds seldom use advertising in the traditional sense of pushing banners or commercials at the users. What's the appeal for the user? *Users get to shed their identities and escape RL (real life) if they wish. *Other users can choose to simulate real life (RL) environments and control their destinies --something they may not be able to do in RL. *Import buddy lists and chat (make new pals and keep in touch with current ones). *Discover and build a 'third-space" -- home away from home --that fits their niche interests from fantasy to gaming to horror films to sci-fi & others. *Because the brand underwrites the world, the entry fee is right -- free most of the time courtesy of the advertisers. TIPS FOR VIRTUAL WORLD CREATORS: *Hire the right developers that understand Virtual World social environments and design. *Make sure your game creators are savvy with what virtual world users (residents) want in terms of communication vehicles ie chat, IM, avatar customization, building tools etc. *Encourage user involvement and customization. Let them mod (modify) the world. *Continue to upgrade and organize events and promotions that increase loyalty and return visits. *Consider offline merchandising opportunities from the start. But be careful so that you don't alienate members/visitors (users) so that they see the world as 'too commercial". WHAT'S NEXT: *Social capitalism /social entrepreneurism is coming to Virtual Worlds to benefit nonprofit tie-ins. *Use of Virtual Worlds and/or MMORG's by Hollywood Networks & studios to promote upcoming film and television franchises such as Imagine's Xquest. *Globally recognized avatars such as GRAVATARS. *Using gamer apps such as Xfire (www.xfire.com) to connect Virtual World residents of similar interests. *SMS (mobile text messaging) interaction in Virtual Worlds to add mobile connectivity and enable ecommerce and in-world upgrades as incentives to RL (real life brands) Such as text messaging opps to get coupons or order products/services ie tickets to concerts etc. Joyce Schwarz avatar called Habbett on Habbo Hotel. What's next for Virtual Worlds-- someday it may lead the way to Holodecks like seen on StarTrek TV shows. . Link to full story on imediaconnection.com calledd " Bold New Opportunities in Virtual Worlds .

ACLU PIZZA VIRAL MARKETING REVISITED

ACLU PIZZA VIRAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN REVISITED:it's been almost two years ago since the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) launched it's now famous ACLU Pizza viral marketing campaign to show how new technologies can invade personal privacy.

What made this campaign so effective (and believe me it's still fresh today) is that the ACLU used a clever, almost humorous approach in the presentation. Amazingly it is primarily an audio clip with some screen shots-- but oh how effective it is.

In ACLU's press release back in July, 2004,(link: http://www.aclu.org/privacy/gen/15737prs20040726.html ) they said, "The fact is that new technologies and new government policies are eroding our personal privacy and creating a 24-hour total surveillance society," said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. "We need to reach people on a basic level and show them how this massive erosion of privacy could have a real impact on their daily lives, even in their late-night pizza deliveries."

ACLU PIZZA VIDEO:

In the famous ACLU pizza video, a pizza vendor is able look up a caller's medical records, employment history, credit card purchases, travel plans, library loans and even the magazines that his wife subscribes to, all with the click of a mouse. In one spot, after noticing that the caller recently purchased a pair of 42-inch khakis, the parlor employee suggests he change his order to a "sprout submarine combo" instead of his usual double meat pizza.

Click on thumbnail to see one of the screen's from the ACLU pizza viral marketing campaign that shows how your privacy could be invaded by future technology (that probably exists even today)!

Click on thumbnails to see how the pizza vendor and other retailers could use your private information without your permission if privacy policies are not followed.

To view the ACLU pizza video, go to http://www.aclu.org/pizza/index.html?orgid=EA071904&MX=1414&H=1

Here are some links to what other 'webizens' are saying about the video: t 'nt luoma: ACLU Pizza 

ACLU Pizza. I don't know whether to laugh or cry, because as funny as this is, I can see it happening: ACLU Pizza (requires Flash). ...tntluoma.com/beyond30/2004/07/aclu_pizza - 4k - Cached - eHealth Confidentiality Policies: The ACLU Pizza Pizza and Privacy ... The ACLU's site's Pizza example states: The government and corporations are aggressively collecting information about your personal life and your habits. ... volunteer-ehealth.org/frisse/frisse-policy-confidentiality/ 2005/06/aclu-pizza-pizza-and-privacy-piece.html - 12k - Technology Stir Fry: ACLU Pizza ACLU Pizza. I've been scanning old entries from Kim Cameron's Identity Weblog, catching up on things I missed the first time round. ... www.iay.org.uk/blog/2005/10/aclu_pizza.html - 9k - Cached - Similar pagesArbitrage : Dear ACLU, Let's Talk. Jon Udell sees ACLU Pizza as a sign that the digital identity community ... He is right of course, but I also read ACLU Pizza as a call for conversation. ... ceppi.blogs.com/arbitrage/2005/02/dear_aclu_lets_.html - 14k - Cached - Similar pages Cached - Similar pages iMedia Connection: Pizza and Privacy Pizza and Privacy. August 05, 2004. By Alan Chapell. ACLU video that ... I find it a bit ironic that the ACLU chose a pizza delivery service to make its ... www.imediaconnection.com/content/3945.asp - 36k - Mar 6, 2006 - Cached - Similar pages ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights Page

SIMPSONS GO HUMAN REALLY!

THE SIMPSONS ---  what would they look like if they were human? Well find out now by linking to the very awesome viral video zapping around the web.

SIMPSONS go human in viral video...

The easiest player I saw was at Youtube.com (here's the link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=DKg22Al4SOE) The video reenacts the opening sequence including the baby driving the car. AND NO THEY ARE NOT YELLOW! And suprisingly this is not a fan-created video -- it's fully authorized by the Simpson creators. The story broke in the UK.