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All the entries posted on August 08, 2007.
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Home > Plugged In > Archives > 2007 > August > 08
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Google offers people in the news the last word
In a twist on reader comments, Google says it will launch an experimental feature this week on its news home page that lets people or groups mentioned in news stories attach unedited comments to those articles.
The search giant is “testing the hypothesis that — whether they’re penguin researchers or presidential candidates — a personal view can sometimes add a whole new dimension to the story,” two Google software engineers say on a company blog.
Among the potential pitfalls and challenges will be verifying that commenting newsmakers are who they say they are. Google says it will seek contact information and a way to verify the sender’s e-mail address.
So for all you senators, CEOs and quoted people on the street itching to talk back, Google offers this example of how to sign your feedback (first imagine you’re the Tooth Fairy):
“Verify my identity by losing a tooth and placing it under your pillow. I will leave you a business card along with a small payment for your tooth. Alternatively you can call 1-800-TEETH-4-ME and speak to my assistant, The Tooth Mouse, who can confirm my e-mail address and comment.”
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WANTED: Texas outlaws last seen messin’ with fiber optics
An unexpected victim in the rising trend of copper theft, Time Warner Cable is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for twice vandalizing fiber optic equipment in the Dallas area.
The vandalism in June and July disrupted phone, Internet and television service for tens of thousands of customers.
“We’re posting this reward to prevent further disruptions of critical service,” said Robert Moel, president of Time Warner Cable’s North Texas Division.
The incident also appears to be a case of mistaken identity. The fiber cables didn’t contain copper or other valuable metals, but Time Warner thinks they were likely targeted because they look like electrical conduit.
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I crashed into the virtual billboard and suddenly felt an urge to shop for khakis …
So you’re playing “Need for Speed” and find yourself in a controller-shaking, wheels-screeching, vertigo-inducing turn. Suddenly, you glimpse a billboard for a new Pontiac flying by. You quickly return to your virtual racing. Do you remember the real-life car?
That’s a big “yes,” according to Massive Inc., the Microsoft-owned company behind a video game advertising network that brings ads for real products into virtual worlds. The in-game ad company released a study Wednesday that finds (wait for the surprise), in-game advertising is effective. 
The study conducted by Nielsen Entertainment involved 600 North American gamers split into control and test groups. They had all played “Need for Speed Carbon,” but the control group hadn’t seen Massive’s ads. The test group players had used Xbox360 consoles or PCs to play the game during certain ad campaigns.
The study found that in-game ads increased average brand familiarity by up to 64 percent. Other numbers that advertisers watch also rose for players exposed to the virtual billboards and posters for “tech tools,” “consumer packaged goods,” fast food and, of course, cars.
UPDATE: Massive says zombies and khakis don’t mix. Responding to this posting’s earlier headline “I Blasted the Zombie and Suddenly Felt the Need to Shop for Khakis …,” the company points out that it puts ads in games where they make sense, such as in urban and sports settings. As for horror games? “Not so much,” Massive says.
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