You say hello, they say goodbye...

I stumbled into a career in public relations…it says so right in my bio on the INK web page. It is, without a doubt, a job I have developed quite a taste for in the past 3 years or so, but it definitely wasn’t a calling I felt since high school. Regardless, there are things about public relations that I immensely enjoy. In the last year, my interest has focused on trying to understand the blogosphere and trends in digital media. I love blogs. I love digital media. I am delighted everyday by the endless opinions that can be found on the web, as well as the often un-monitored feedback from readers. I am appalled and thrilled to realize I can consider myself part of the melee – and I can honestly say very few things now make me as happy as seeing a new comment on something I have written (seriously, every single person I know heard about B.Fuller leaving a comment - I think I even told random people I met in the grocery store). However, my new love is killing my original public relations love affair. From my first interview with J.Berman (when he was at EDN), to P.Mannion at EE Times ‘expecting’ my call, to L.Wirbel telling me ‘the truth about his ‘sked’ at CTIA’ – I have followed, read, respected and pitched the hell out of a group of journalists I affectionately refer to as my ‘EE guys’. I cannot wipe the smile off my face when I discuss Bluetooth, or any other technology for that matter, with these guys and they seem to, sometimes grudgingly, acknowledge that I do know what I am talking about. Unfortunately, my ‘EE guys’ are slowly being knocked off by the uproar from digital media – discussed at length here by b.fuller himself (read the comments too).

Blogosphere, you make it hard to love you…

Here a widget, there a widget...everywhere a widget, widget

I don't even really know if that is what they are called, but I am delighted by widgets (the 'copy me' coding that allows me to add all sorts of nonsense to my blog, myspace page, face book, etc.). If you will notice, I now have a NikePlus widget in the lower left corner of my blog - it is a new challenge, so nothing going on yet, but pretty cool all the same (I always lose, so don't get too excited). Nike has the option set up all throughout NikeRun...you just click the 'copy code' button and you are ready to add the HTML code onto whatever page you wish.

I was watching the Emmy's tonight and noticed a commercial for coffee that directed you to go to www.wakeupspecial.com - which I did, and the next thing you know, I have signed up for a free sample of some creme brulee coffee. The coffee isn't really all that exciting. What IS exciting, is that I noticed that at the end of the little form I had to fill out for my free coffee, there was a little widget code - just waiting for me to advertise for Folgers and throw it up on my blog (of course, I didn't add it to my blog at the time, and now I can't get back to it, but still) - absolutely brilliant.

Now then, here is what I need - I need a widget that is some sort of image/icon/whatever that says 'Register here to win Longhorn 2007 Bowl Tickets' with a link back to the registration page on www.bluetooth.com/longhorns. Get to work.

No, I do not want any Quechup...

Dwight Silverman said it best in his blog here and here, but Quechup really sucks. If you get an email from me inviting you to join, I highly suggest you delete it immediately.

Texas, Texas...Yee Haw!

Two and a half years in the making the Bluetooth SIG has launched a sponsorship agreement with the University of Texas and Longhorn Football. The sponsorship contains two elements: 1) Push Marketing with in the stadium (Kiosks push out Longhorn content as well as a code to register for a chance to win 2007 Bowl Tickets where ever the Longhorns play) and 2) http://www.texassports.com/ and http://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com/ are both enabled with TransSend (a Bluetooth SIG developed web application allowing users to send content directly from their Bluetooth enabled laptop or PC to a Bluetooth enabled phone).

The overarching goal of this program is to educate consumers on new, and perhaps unexpected, use-cases for Bluetooth wireless technology. But MY overarching goal is to see the Horns go to the Sugar Bowl and hand-off free tickets to the winning Longhorn fan. So go to www.Bluetooth.com/longhorns and register to win.

HORNS UP!

Gone to Texas...

WHAT STARTS HERE CHANGES THE WORLD

claiming my blog on technorati

I probably should have done this a while ago.
Technorati Profile

In a world gone mad...

I love print magazines. Love them, love them, love them. I spend a large portion of my day on Monday reading through the vast array of print magazines we subscribe to. It is interesting to note that some of the folks in Iowa are warming up to Giuliani, but others find his three marriages to be a problem and that 'several decades of sexual liberation and feminism and a decade of Internet dating' has led to the demise of the romantic movie (TIME). I am glad to see that Max Levchin isn't going to just stop working after selling Paypal for 1.5 billion in 2002, oh no, he is working on a way to make money off of the Widget (which, btw, my mother just asked me what the hell a widget is and if she needs them - I told her no, sorry Max) and I am sad to see that only about 60% of the population in New Orleans proper has returned since Katrina (FORTUNE). A friend of mine, 30 years old and HUGE fan of High School Musical, would have loved to find out 'Why do kids love Zac Efron?' and my younger sister was very interested in 'how schools are failing our smartest kids' - she is pretty smart and she doesn't feel as if she has been failed (TIME, again). BusinessWeek is focused on the 'Future of Work' and has poll results that are fabulously interesting. Fortune Small Business is in love with Babson University (came in tops on most of their 'America's Best Colleges for Entrepreneurs' lists). Fast Company covers how green Wal-Mart really is and the 16 year old CEO of WhateverLife.com, who makes me jealous (she is worth a LOT of money) and sad (she dropped out of high school) at the same time.

In a world obsessed with online coverage, blogs and INSTANT news, I think there is still a place for the print magazine. And while it is sad to see them fail (Business2.0) or get progressively smaller and shorter (Red Herring, TIME), reading the ones we get is the highlight of my Monday, every week.