random but cool

Watching the process is pretty cool.

Facebook Connect

Several months ago Facebook announced Facebook Connect as part of the Facebook Platform. FC is an interesting addition to the Facebook Platform because it allows other content producers to use the Facebook as a means of additional distribution. FC allows you to see how your friends have interacted with the site where FC is activated. It also allows for easy distribution and social sharing of the content. 

There are a lot of sites starting to use FC (Joost, Hulu, Digg, etc.) as a means of content distribution and sharing but I am interested to see how an advertiser will use it. Most marketers are having trouble trying to figure out what is the best way to engage with social networks; actually this is what most marketers should be doing when in fact most marketers are just want a specific segment or target to be aware of their message. I think FC allows some advertisers who are doing the old "share your moments with us" campaign to help with social networking and specifically engaging the Facebook user. If you see a campaign currently running that is doing this post it in the comments.

Copy/Paste for the iPhone

The biggest missing functionality of the iPhone is the ability to copy and paste. From day one this was a glaring omission. The video below was created as a proof of concept of how copy and paste could work but unfortunately Apple has not responded:

Pastebud has been trying to create copy/paste in a unique way using a javascript via a web app. They have finally been able to get cross application copy and paste for Safari and Mail. See demo below:

This seems like a great work around but still a bit funky and it sucks that it only works for Safari and Mail. I am not sure if this works if you need to copy from e-mail to paste to another e-mail.

I hope now that the blackberry storm is out with copy/paste Apple will add this functionality in the next firmware update. This missing function will get the iPhone closer to perfection.

50th Post

Just got back home from Atlantic City playing mostly poker and didn't get anything good going this trip. Oh well that is how tournament poker goes. I think I played good for the most part and can analyze and learn from my mistakes. I was able to make a little money playing craps when a girl was rolling and hit a hard 4 for me which I had $5 and I parlayed the $50 and later in the roll she hit the hard 4 again which paid me $500. Weeeee, I love craps it is a fun game when someone is rolling hot.

I love the feeling of coming home from a trip mostly because I love this city so much. The t-shirt above is a limited edition shirt that was designed for the new Standard Hotel above the High Line that will be opening soon. It was designed by Eric Haze, a legendary NYC graffiti artist (you can see some of his work here). I want one of those t-shirts.

I have a ton of stuff to read as I didn't do much google reader checking the past week and so I am sure I will have a lot to post/comment on. 

In the mean time I am off to wholefoods to get some cookies and eat some dinner and you can listen to some of these random songs below:

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OK I'll stop now cuz I can go on and on.

Randomness...

I haven't been able to get much going playing poker. The two tournaments I have played so far have been kind of frustrating watching people play really bad and get rewarded. Oh well, tomorrow is another tourney hopefully I can make a run and go deep.

I saw this via curbed, A Self-Guided Brooklyn Graffiti Tour this focuses on Williamsburg.

and this is brilliant...

African-American Boycott of L.L. Bean Enters 80th Year

This week..

...I will be at Harrahs in Atlantic City for a WSOP Circuit Event so I will not have very many opportunities to post. This will force me to try posting more via my iPhone. There are a couple of things that are happening this week in NYC that I am disappointed to miss:

1. The Thrilla in Manila @ the Jen Bekman Gallery - although the drawing is done the exhibition event is tonight.
2. How Do You Like the Bowery - Short film about the art made on the Bowery on Thursday the 11th @ The New Museum
3. Art Deco Design - Free lecture @ the NY Public Library - Art Deco in NY
4. What is Real: Documentary Photography and the Politics of Truth @ the International Center of Photography.

Enjoy NYC.

Update at 2:40 - Just got an e-mail about a comedy show at the Knitting Factory benefiting NY Cares featuring David Cross and Eugene Mirman and a bunch of other NYC comedians. 

Happy Birthday Noam Chomsky

I first came across Noam Chomsky's political writing when I was in college. This was in 1996 at my University's first computer lab with an internet connection. I was reading the famous article in the San Jose Mercury News about how the C.I.A was facilitating the drug trade. From there I found a link to Z-Mag and a bunch of Chomsky's articles on political dissent. I found it absolutely fascinating that he was not a full time political writer even though his political writing is prolific and he is just as prolific a linguist and that he revolutionized the field. I have yet to read his most famous Manufacturing Consent. Today is his 80th birthday hopefully he will have many more.