New Season of Blogs!

Hello one and all!


It's been too long since I've been sending new articles and updates your way, but rest assured, things are going to change. I'm currently in the works of overhauling the layout, system, and format so that it's easier for me to write, and you to read, and let's me bring more consistent content to your waiting eyes. A lot has changed in the world and there's a lot we need to catch up on!


Have another great day today,
Matt

Holiday Cheer? In Bathing Suit Season?

Quick sort of observation.

It's proven fact, that stores try to promote their holiday sales and decorations earlier and earlier every year. You go for back to school shopping, and wouldn't you know it. There's also a Christmas sale on that backpack? Or maybe you're buying a Halloween costume. So don't be surprised if you might have an elf outfit next to that skeleton.

And it's not just the sales, it's the decorations. Costco started promoting holiday decorations and merchandise September 1st this year. Yes, they've already been selling Christmas merchandise for a month now. Maybe it's just me, but that seems to be relatively too early. I want to see Fall, Halloween, Turkeys....not Santa.

A few years ago, Nordstroms took the big stand and released a flyer saying, "Our cheer will be starting November 27th. We think holidays should be celebrated one at a time" The picture has made its way around online recently, and a quick Google search will turn it up for you. I commend Nordstroms! Finally, a store that gets it. Holiday cheer..doesn't equal bigger profit. It's how you do it when.

I don't shop at Nordstroms, but maybe this year I'll have to buy a pair of socks there (probably all I can afford there), paying it forward so to speak.


Have another great day today,
Matt

Reebok Refunds for All!

Do you own a pair of Reebok EasyTone or RunTone shoes? If you do, you better call up the FTC, because you're due a nice big check. Ok, maybe not that big, but apparently all owners are due to receive some type of refund for the purchase for their shoes. Why the refund?

Deceptive...
Advertising!


Apparently the shoes aren't all they're cracked up to be. But that depends on who you ask. The FTC claims that Reebok was marketing unfairly, by making claims that the shoes will tone a certain percentage of muscle in the legs and butt. Allegedly these claims also were substantiated by a few individual outside research agencies.

On the other hand, Reebok feels that these accusations are unfair, and maintains that their shoes do exactly what they claim, as well as the thousands upon thousands of people who have been enthused about their shoes.

So who's right here? Well the FTC already won their case, and there's now a 25 million dollar pot of money to be split among all the consumers who are owed their fair due, whether they liked the shoes or not. So if you liked the shoes, good news! You just got them for free! If you hate the shoes, good news! You just got your money back!

Reebok says that even though they have accepted the offer, that does not mean that they agree with the argument. They have said that they no longer are printing such actual claims on the box, and have removed such phrases from their marketing campaigns. This is a word to the wise for all marketers out there. Keep a careful eye on your facts, and be ready to prove all facts that you claim.

If you don't....the FTC will turn around, and will file a class action lawsuit, and will sue you for 25 million dollars, and will give it back to the consumers. Every time :)



Have another great day today,

Matt

Facehub. Its Facebook, but it's not!

<p>So everyone has noticed that Facebook is changing. For better or worse, Zuckerberg is making some waves and we only have two choices. We can get in the boat with him and hope we make it, or jump ship and drown in social isolation. Since we all use Facebook, I think the choice is obvious.</p>
<p>So what's to come for the new Facebook? Well rest asssured this isn't going to be a simple layout change like we're usually used to. This time its being rearranged to the core. Rumors are even floating around the the "like" may be removed? How, and why would you do that? How can I like something if you take away the option?</p>
<p>The new setup is supposed to be a way to connect us better. Information will be shared in a much more open format. Every detail in a large timeline format. Privacy freaks, be ready to let your OCD kick in. Supposedly all the TV shows you watch, all the songs you listen to, will be fed straight into your Facebook feed for public pleasure. We can guess this is where the new subscription setup comes in. You subsribe to people and receive their feed in your list.

Now listen, I'm not trying to sound like a Google fanboy, but lets go over a quick translation chart.

Subscription = adding to your circle
List = your circle

Not trying to say there's a similarity, but there is. Google + anyone?

Will this work out? Maybe, maybe not. Alot of people like Facebook for its generality, myself included. Its nice to just have one feed. I usually don't use the seperate feeds on G+ (just circles for posting separately). Any thoughts or comments?

Have another great day,

Matt

Tw-oppelganger; start getting used to it.

Yes, you heard right. Twoppelganger. It's a word, depending how you want to define it, could have a few meanings. How is it used in the context of this blog? A twitter account that exists, using your name, or your company name, but isn't actually you. It's you, but it isn't you? Thus, your twoppelganger.

Has this ever happened to you? Maybe in a sorta concept it has. Someone took the twitter handle you wanted to have. In other cases it's a little more profound. Someone uses your own personal handle. Me for example, my internet handle basically everywhere is @mattjpino. My twitter, facebook, foursquare, blogger, etc etc etc, all use that same handle. If for some reason it's already taken somewhere, I usually won't use that service. Or I sign up for services just because (that's an article coming in the next few days).

So who has been effected by a twoppelganger? Netflix. Poor little Netflix hasn't been doing too well lately, and their latest twoppelganger isn't helping them much. Netflix has recently announced their split of the streaming service, and the DVD delivery service (also another blog post to come), and their new service already has a name. The DVD service will be called Qwikster. Not too bad a name actually, oh...wait...except for one thing.

Qwikster is already taken. And it's a pot smoking elmo. More accruately, a pot smoking kid who uses a picture of a pot smoking Elmo as his profile picture. I don't think that's the image that Netflix has in mind when it wants people to find them on Twitter. But good news for Netflix, they found their Twoppelganger! We all love finding those!

As more and more people turn to the internet and create a social image for themselves, more and more names are being taken, becoming less and less creative. It's certain that the really good ones are already taken, and the others are filling up fast. So don't be so surprised to find out that if you go to create a new account somewhere, or if you want to create a new twitter account, you might have a twoppelganger (but then again I bet you're used to it if your typical handle is @johndoe)


Have another great day today,

Matt