Who Will You Date Next?

Ask Mark Zuckerberg. Based upon friends and communication patterns, Facebook can accurately predict, with 33% accuracy, who a user will date a week from now. Hmm…

Simon Says

I came across Simon, an entrepreneur who created a list of websites that will “definitely make lots of money”. Here are a few of his brilliant ideas…

Whatkindofcoughisthat.com
A website that contains sound files of different coughs.  Each cough would have a description to allow the user to sound match and  determine the kind of cough they have before going to the chemist and buying either dry or wet cough medicine.

Whichonetowear.com
User of this website would take photos of themselves wearing every combination of every article of clothing they own and then upload the images to a user database.  Every day, instead of trying on clothing, the user can choose an outfit by simply viewing their choices online.

Onlinepetfrog.com
Instead of buying their own pet frogs, users would pay a fee and I would buy them a frog and look after it.  Users could log on anytime to a live webcam and see how their frog is doing and send live requests for me to wave the frog’s hand at the camera or bang on the glass if it is sleeping.

Upon investigating the other content of his website, I discovered quite a few nuggets of greatness.  Seriously, check out this site because it’s hilarious.  Here’s a sampling.

– A sweet “cheer-up” message if you’re feeling blue.
– Statements my offspring has made that makes me wonder if there was a mixup at the hospital.
– If I had a monkey.
– Dear new neighbor: Here’s an invitation to my house-warming party you’re not invited to.
– Will draw for food.

Hail Video

Check out this video of hail hitting a pool recently in Oklahoma City.  Incredible.

The real action starts at the 1-minute mark.  Dare I say, basketball-sized hail?

What the [Heck] Should I Make for Dinner?

I consider myself to be a “foodie” because I appreciate delicious food (especially paired with a nice glass of wine) and love trying new restaurants.  In fact, I keep a spreadsheet of restaurants organized by New, Everyday, Special Occasion, Brunch, Patio, and Happy Hour categories. This appreciation can become expensive but luckily, I also enjoy cooking.  However, sometimes, I just don’t know what I want for dinner.  Recently, I found a website that solves this dilemma by offering meal suggestions, plus a quality dose of expletives.*

Love it? Click on the meal link to see the recipe.

Hate it? Generate another by clicking the “I don’t f*&(*^$ like that” link.

Vegetarian? Click the “I don’t f*&(*^$ eat meat” link.

*Warning: This website contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children) and advanced recipes (which may be unsuitable for adults).

Another Apple Falls From The Tree

Almost a month ago, Apple’s next iPhone model was left in a bar and disassembled. Then, videos, pictures, and features were leaked across the Internet. And, again today, another new Apple product was leaked – the iPod Touch with 2-Megapixel Camera. Call me a skeptic but I’m not entirely convinced that Apple doesn’t coordinate and manage these leaks because a leaked secret is one heck of a (free) hype-generating marketing tool.

What happens when leak tactics get leaked? According to Former Apple Senior Marketing Manager John Martellaro, a senior executive will walk into your office and say “We need to release this specific information. John, do you have a trusted friend at a major outlet? If so, call him/her and have a conversation. Idly mention this information and suggest that if it were published, that would be nice. No e-mails!”  That way, Apple can maintain the consistent reputation of not talking about unreleased products.

But, assuming Apple is truly dedicated to not releasing details about products before they launch…

How does Apple hunt down leaks? There’s a secret task force called Worldwide Loyalty Team (internally referred to as “Apple Gestapo“). Moles are placed in departments where leaks are suspected and managers aren’t even aware of them. However, from what I’ve read, once they suspect a leak, the “special forces” go into the office, contact the most senior manager in the building, and ask them to coordinate the operation. The special forces then make sure that all enforcement procedures are followed. All employees are instructed to stay at their desks, cell phones are taken, cameras are taken (actually, cameras are not even allowed on Apple campus), and screensavers are activated on all computers while the investigation goes on. There’s no personal privacy during the investigation – so anything on your computer or phone (calls, web searches, texts, etcs) are examined.   Beyond that, it’s pretty secretive as to how the suspect is interrogated.

How many Apple products have been leaked? Check out this site to view the greatest Apple product leaks of all time, including iPhone 4th generation and iPad.

ACL 2010

After much anticipation, I just purchased Saturday/Sunday tickets to Austin City Limits (ACL) Festival 2010 in Austin, Texas.  Check out the bands I’m most excited to see (in orange).

Although I predict that October 9 and 10, 2010 will be the best 2 days of my life, it will be tough to beat last year’s ACL experience. I started off the morning at my 5-year high school reunion – breakfast tacos, beautiful campus filled with wonderful memories, past teachers and mentors, and friends, some of which I hadn’t seen since graduation.  Then, they rented buses and drove us to Zilker Park so parking wouldn’t be an issue.  The rest of the day was spent with lifelong friends and amazing music by Citizen Cope, Ghostland Observatory, Mute Math, Dave Matthews Band, Moz Def, and others.

Wish I could say that weather was just as delightful. Here’s a sneak peak into last year’s ACL experience. Though the mud made things interesting, I’m praying for sun and 70 degree weather this year. A girl can always dream, right?

Chatroulette

Last week, a coworker presented a few case studies about Chatroulette, a website that pairs random strangers for webcam-based conversations.  Sounds kind of creepy, huh?  Well, it was very informative presentation and as a one-time Chatroulette visitor for educational purposes, I was intrigued by his research.  And by “educational”, I do mean learning about the latest interactive chatting forum that was created in “2 days and 2 nights” by some 17-year old guy in Moscow. I promise.

14% of Chatroulette participants are classified as “perverts” by Mashable.com so it’s certainly not for the faint of heart (hence, why I’m only a one-time visitor).  Regardless, if my calculations are correct, that leaves 86% as “non-perverts”.  So what are those non-perverts doing?

Batman v. Obama

Man Cat

In general, I’m still very creeped out and guarantee you won’t be seeing my face pop up on your screen any time soon.

For more great Chatroulette screenshots, see this blog.

Need HPBW fashion advice?

How many times have you been getting dressed and wondered any of the following?

“Do I look good in this outfit?”
“Should I wear flats or pumps with this dress?”
“Is this outfit appropriate for a HPBW work event?”
“My bff says she likes this shirt. Is she lying to prevent hurting my feelings?”

Well, wonder no longer because that’s why GO TRY IT ON is here.  It’s an easy and fun way to share your look with the community.  Just post a picture of your outfit and the community will respond with honest feedback.

Pretty cool, huh?

Best Job in the World Part II

About a year ago, I wrote about the best job in the world: Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.  Upon returning home from “work”, the winner (Ben Southall) said “I think I’ve done more in these six months than I’ve done in the previous 34 years of my life. To be able to do this sort of thing, in this location, and report on it can’t really be classed as work.”  What an amazing experience!

Well, I found an equally amazing job that includes sipping champagne, candle-lit dinners, palm trees, and a white, sandy beach with your romantically-linked significant other.  The latest and greatest “Best Job in the World” is a Honeymoon Tester.  The job description includes “researching and testing out the most romantic and ultimate wedding and honeymoon destinations all over the world and then reporting back with their verdict (on the place, not the partner!) to their boss, 4,000 miles away.”

Apply now! You have until midnight (GMT) on April 7th.

As a HPBW, I must also comment on the brilliance of this marketing tool.  It captures the public’s imagination and causes a tremendous amount of buzz, all the while promoting the latest vacation destinations (Islands of the Great Barrier Reef) or honeymoon spots (Ireland).

The Fun Theory

TheFunTheory.com is a Volkswagen initiative dedicated to promoting their theory that the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better is to make something fun.  It’s a really interesting idea that attempts to further VW’s corporate social responsibility.

For example, we’re told to take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator because it’s a healthier option and burns more calories.  So, why is the elevator always packed and the stairs deserted?  Would we ditch the elevator if taking the stairs was more fun?  Here’s a guerrilla video that helps answer that question.  It’s called “Piano Stairs”.

Check out other interesting and fun award entries.  My favorite is the Wiki Traffic Light.