Paul McCartney announced that a digital Beatles album will be available for download in early 2008.  (Perhaps someone should mention to him that most Beatles albums are already available for download somewhere on a file sharing network near you…)

Reuters cited a Wall Street Journal source stating that Amazon was about to launch its e-book reader - KINDLE - on Monday. Kindle will support e-books on the Amazon site.

Kindle is sure to add fire to Amazon’s already blazing success….

“According to CNET, a Web site that provides reviews and news about technology, the “Kindle” is equipped with a Wi-Fi connection that can access Amazon’s e-book store, where users purchase new electronic books. CNET said the final price of the Kindle is expected to be $399. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation. CNET said the Kindle comes with a headphone jack for audiobooks, as well as an e-mail address. The device also includes a feature enabling users to download digital editions of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal each morning, CNET said.”

This title from Phaidon Press is certainly a classic and helped me face the firepit of weekly campaigns at the AAA School of Advertising. Highly recommended.

It’s been a while since David Ogilvy’s book “Ogilvy on advertising” was spoken of in hallowed tones. Do we need to get back to basics as marketers, or is Ogilvy’s time in the sun a thing of the past.

I like to think that his words are still relevant today.

Here’s a review from Amazon:

“If you’re in the profession of advertising, and this book isn’t on your bookshelf, dog-eared, stained and well-worn, you’ve been ripping off your clients.

The entire premise of Ogilvy on Advertising boils down to one simple statement (coined by Claude Hopkins nearly 80 years ago in his book Scientific Advertising): “Advertising is salesmanship.”

Sadly, the advertising world has drifted from that solid mooring. And now those who profess it are considered anachronistic at best. And kooky at worst.

Ogilvy, a staunch admirer of Hopkins, firmly embraced that tenet — and it propelled him and his agency (Ogilvy and Mather) to the Mount Olympus of the advertising world. Most importantly, it made his clients rich beyond the dreams of avarice.

Ogilvy’s writing is captivating. His work, legendary. His ideas, timeless. The information in this book is easily work 10 times the cover price.

I’ve been in the profession of advertising for nearly 15 years. I’m also an adjunct professor at a nearby university. I wholeheartedly recommend Ogilvy On Advertising to my students. I firmly embrace its principles in my profession.

And I, without hesitation, urge you to read it as well.”

Wired reports on a designer who uses CG to create virtual images of himself. Using technology from the gaming industry, a scan is done and the tattoo applied to the skin. Cool!

Extremely basic SEO tips:

Wired reports on a poll that showed that 43% of teenagers who instant message say things in messages they wouldn’t say in person. Although this sounds pretty expected, what are the long term consequences of teenagers not being socially prepared for real-life situations? How will online anonymous bravado translate on a first date?

“Danny Hitt, 34, a real estate agent in Riverside, Calif., says he has chatted with four or five IM buddies at once - a number some teens would consider embarrassingly low. He prefers the telephone for important communications.

“To me, a significant conversation takes a phone call,” Hitt said. “The inflection in the voice, you lose that” with instant messages.”

What is the significance of a generation unable to communicate openly, directly and plainly face to face? Will people become so reliant on their mobiles and lap tops that the dinner conversation will be hosted on a wireless network?

Search Engine Journal gives three reasons why you need to get yourself a Facebook fan page:

1. Pages are public: not behind a login means you can be indexed by search engines
2. Pages include links: something not every Facebook element supports
3. Spam your base Send updates to fans: just make sure they’re interested users
4. News feed: The Facebook newsfeed celebrates the arrival of a new fan to your fan page
5. Like some many things in life, it’s free

Just make sure you have a strategy first…

If you can’t bear the endless wait to Christmas Day for those well-deserved presents, Charles and Marie’s Holiday Calendar may be just what you need. Instead of the usual sad piece of chocolate waiting behind the cardboard door, you will find a full sized luxury gift instead.

The 24 wrapped gifts are specially selected, one for each day until Christmas Eve. And the price, you ask?

A mere $1800 for the luxury version, $600 for the Cosmopolitan (prole) version.

Can you picture your local post office managing to get this to your door, with all gifts still intact?

Bah humbug!

Gordon Choi, PPC expert formerly living in South Africa and now dominating in China, reports on his blog that Baidu STILL outranks all other search engines with a 69.3% in total search market share.

He posts the following stats on China’s most popular search engines:

 Baidu.com

January: 69.5%
February: 73.5%
March: 73.6%
April: 70.3%
May: 71.4%
June: 69.3%

Sogou.com

January: 9.0%
February: 9.5%
March: 9.0%
April: 9.2%
May: 10.1%
June: 16.4%

Google.cn

January: 4.5%
February: 4.6%
March: 8.6%
April: 13.2%
May: 13.7%
June: 13.3%

163.com

January: 15.1%
February: 11.7%
March: 13.8%
April: 11.7%
May: 11.8%
June: 11.7%

Google.com

January: 10.5%
February: 8.0%
March: 6.4%
April: 4.9%
May: 4.4%
June: 4.0%

Yahoo.cn / cn.Yahoo.com

January: 1.9%
February: 1.7%
March: 1.5%
April: 1.9%
May: 1.5%
June: 2.1%

IAsk.Sina.com.cn

January: 1.4%
February: 1.4%
March: 1.0%
April: 0.9%
May: 0.7%
June: 1.1%

Zhongsou.com

January: 1.0%
February: 1.2%
March: 1.0%
April: 0.9%
May: 0.6%
June: 0.7%