DogBalls Blog

Amazon gets their wii on

Always a challenge for companies... how do you effectively communicate with your customers and not sound like "corp speak"? Come across friendly and approachable but trustworthy enough to trust with your credit card?

Amazon strikes a nice balance with their latest "difficult situation." Amazon is holding random drawings for their their three hottest gaming systems. How do you offer the sale of wii's and playstion 3's to a demanding audience when there's a pretty good chance you won't get one?

ANSWER: It's a relative. Did you know that your odds are better to get the hottest gaming system on the planet than your letter to the editor will get published by the New York Times? It's true! (Now...don't you feel better already?)

UPDATE: Despite the odds... I didn't get my Wii on.

flickr easter egg

Or should I call it a 'Christmas Egg'? flickr is ringing in the holidays with a little fun.

Add a note that reads, "ho ho ho hat" or "ho ho ho beard" and guess what will appear. Hat-tip to Greg for pwning Lola's picture. He is the original hexxor! Revenge is a dish best served cold hot though! Watch out Greg. ;-)

Ho-ho-ho...(hat)

Five things you don't know about Dogballs

Since I've been publicly challenged by resident SEO Pubcon Smackdown-host and late-night swimmer, Sugar Rae, I've decided to take on the challenge and tell you five things about 'dogballs' you don't know.

1. I cheat at golf. Any golfer who claims otherwise ... is also a liar. (I'm kidding. I don't cheat ... or lie. I just wanted to get your attention.) ;-)

2.  I've watched the opening scene to Tommy Boy 10x in a row (before we had DVD players) with my half-brother Jeff and laughed harder each time. The look on Chris Farley's face when he slams into that sliding glass window is hilarious. "Oh really... what number did you dial...because I think I heard a 'niner' in there."

3. Our dog Lola sleeps in bed with us ... and would be under the covers if we would let her...but we don't. (Well...almost never.)

4. I find reading blogs and watching videos online more entertaining than television and I don't even know why I subscribe to HBO anymore. It's only worth it when Sopranos, Deadwood or Curb your Enthusiasm is running and I don't think they're due for another season until 2041.

5. I have completed two marathons. One in LA (3:15) and another in NYC (3:30.) The last time I ran was when I finished the NYC marathon in 1998 and swore off running. I enjoy the euphoria you get on those long runs (about an hour into it) but getting there is tough. My Mom and Dad are running their first marathon in March of 2007. Wish them luck!

6. (bonus since #1 was a throw-away) I'm a flickr-holic. I love the service and the community it has built. Proud to work for a company that pulled the trigger on the acquisition and I'd love to help it flourish anyway I can.

Well...there you have it. Five things you didn't know about me... :)

Greg Cohn, The Clay Show,  Willan Johnson, Mr. Zawadny and Mr. Cutts (Blogeratti)*, Kristen, Howard Lindzon and Malingering ... step up to the plate. What is there to know about you that we don't already know about you that we want to know?  TAG! You're it! Spread the link-love. ;-)

*The Blogeratti won't likely respond (I hope they do) so I added three more 'bonus bloggers' to the mix to complete the five required for the mission.

Picture of the Day

Bubble Boy
Originally uploaded by mil8.

For the holidays... Plus Sized Avatars

Yahoo! avatars have always been very festive by offering holiday-themed attire for the discriminating "second-lifer." Now... a costume worthy of the Christmas Holiday Party Season... "Plus Sized Avatars!"

Seconds anyone?

Jeremy Zawodny v. Matt Cutts

  [DING...DING]

Jeremy points out [link] that Google's recent 'upgrade to IE7' page looks remarkable similar to Yahoo's. "Round One" goes to JZ.

Matt Cutts counter-punches [link] that Yahoo!'s sponsored search ad design appear to have borrowed from Google's countless hours of development on their adwords.

Judging by the comments on Cutts' post, we have a draw in "Round Two." (Yahoo! has its own A/B tests in place to guide ad design evolution and copying entire page layout is not analogous to high-lighting link in dark-blue.)

The match continues... ;-)

hydrogen Powered Car

Hat-tip to cnet's CRAVE for bringing this new R/C car that runs on hydrogen to my attention. The thing about remote control cars is that they always seem like a great idea but when do you ever have the time or especially the space to take out a 1/10 model car and get it up to 22mph (without pissing off the next-door neighbors?)

The fact that this one doesn't need batteries and runs on hydrogen at least addresses the problem of when you DO have the time and space required ... you won't have to be disappointed with drained batteries. See the video of it in action below and buy one here.

Picture of the day

sunrise off of lake MI
Originally uploaded by mil8.

Chicago Search Engine Strategies

Cloudgate
Originally uploaded by ElectrikCandyland.

I'm headed to Chicago for SES today. It is among the smallest SES conferences from what I've been told. Given the proximity to the holidays and the city we'll be in during this nasty weather, I can see why. [Fingers crossed my flight isn't two hours delayed!]

What are some good restaurants in the city you'd recommend? New eateries? A place to grab a hot bowl of soup? Spots to grab a drink? Must-see places? I've only been to Chicago once before (when a ticket to a Bulls game was a hot commodity AND I got to see MJ in action.)

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. :)

P.S. If you're attending SES, Yahoo! is having a party Monday night open to all attendees at the Enclave. Live band, open bar, etc. Should be a nice holiday party to start the week off.