Big plans for outer space, internet advertising has some updates, the 15th Annual Webby Award Nominees have been announced, and bizarre new reasons to appreciate Nirvana. Mitt Romney gets on Youtube, Amazon wants to strike a deal with you, and there’s a shell-shaped house newly designed that does more than just look cool!
1. Scientists at University of Maryland Have Built a Mini ‘Big Bang’
Apparently the optimal way to understand our Universe is to build and then study a simulation of it. Smolyaninov and Yu-Ju Hung have built a literal “toy cosmos” using “exotic substances called metamaterials.” They’re running experiments on the mimic of space, a notion that’s difficult to entirely comprehend, but this setup could result in a more thorough investigation of enormous and previously unfathomable concepts like time travel and “the big crunch.” [Gizmodo]
2. Virgin Seeks Astro-Pilots
Speaking of space, Virgin has big interstellar plans, the first of its kind for a private company. The NASA-wannabe is hiring three pilot-astronauts for their spaceflight system, taking the daring contenders to California to train and then to New Mexico where the operating base is located. “These will be the very first commecial Pilots-Astronauts,” the job posting on the Virgin Galactic website says. [Mashable]
3. Internet Advertising Has Grown Really Really Fast
Not the most astonishing news, the Internet Advertising Bureau released the numbers from 2010, and they reveal a 15% increase in the US, hitting a record high of $26 billion. Search made up 46% of the total, with display ads making second place at 38%. [techcrunch]
3. The 15th Annual Webby Awards Announced Nominees
And among them are Vimeo, Angry Birds, the Old Spice Guy, Bieber, and “Bed Intruder Song” (Autotune Remix). The Winners will be announced in May, and the award ceremony will happen in NYC on June 13. [mashable]
4. MySpace’s Slow and Painful Death
It’s old news that MySpace is passe, but the revenue numbers have been released proving for sure that Myspace is in bad shape. Their June 20 statement is short of $110 Million, when only a few years ago they were boasting $900 Million. The only thing left for the company to do? “Gut it,” says Gawker. [gawker]
5. Mitt Romney Enters Social Media-Driven Race with Youtube Video
Following Trump and Fred Karger, Mitt Romney has declared his plans to run for president with a challenging and confident Youtube video. Internet campaigning is going to play a big part of this race, and Obama- whose brilliant use of social media gave him an extra edge in the 2008 race- has already formally announced his bid with a Youtube video. This year’s hopeful candidates are sure to creatively utilize Twitter, Youtube and Facebook, which will surely become an experiment in social media as interesting to watch as the debates. [mashable]
6. Nirvana Fans Put Out Faster
The classic first date question of “what kind of music do you like?” takes on a whole new meaning. Tastebuds.fm, a music-driven dating site, released results from a March survey that reveals Nirvana fans to be the most willing to jump in the sack on a first date, while Coldplay fans were the least likely. [digitallife]
7. Finally, Plans to Reduce Traffic in Cities
They’re installing parking lot sensors around LA, which will help the city to adjust pricing according to demand – but also helps out drivers. There’s now a free app called Parker, which will alert drivers where they’re most likely to find an open parking space and waste less time driving around looking for one. [mashable]
8. Amazon Strikes a Deal With Bargain-Hunting Kindle Fans
There’s now the option of a third carnation of Kindle, this one only $114 and 6-inches. It’s essentially the same kindle, but comes with sponsered screensavers sporting ads by Buick, Visa, and Olay. Is being barraged by advertisements begging you to shop more worth saving $25? Your call. [mashable]
[mashable]
9. Crazy Web-Blocking Happening in High Schools
It turns that a lot of public high schools deny access to websites specifically categorized as “LGBT,” while anti-gay websites like “Pray the Gay Away” are still available to students. In response to the discovery that public high schools are blocking pro-gay websites, “Don’t Filter Me” launched by several LGBT groups including Yale Law School’s Litigation Clinic, are trying to combat the bizarre and unjust filtering. [digitallife]
10. Photos of New Eco-Friendly “Pearl” Released
A new house designed by Solaleya is pearl-shaped and sustainable, maximizing energy by restricting the solar energy it absorbs with its “photovaltaic” panels and equator-facing windows. This is not the first house of its kind, but it’s part of a growing trend in green architecture. [gizmodo]
