Google TV Ads? Taking Chrome to the Masses
On Friday, Google announced that they will be using their Google TV ads service to place advertisements for Google Chrome on various television networks beginning this weekend. Some time ago, Google put out a call for videos that exemplify Chrome’s unique features. While those videos are doing their viral thing around the web, the video from Google’s headquarters in Japan will be gracing television screens across the nation.
And computer monitors as well.
Saturday morning, while watching Dollhouse on Hulu, I was presented with the aforementioned advertisement. My nerdy excitement was primarily fueled by the fact that I do not subscribe to any traditional forms of television service (cable, satellite), so I thought I’d never get to see the ad, but secondly, I was viewing the ad using the browser in question. (I also got excited when I noticed that all the spiffy computer monitors in the show Dollhouse were the same wide screen Dell monitors I have on my desk. I like the affirmation, alright?)
Though, I’m not sure if Internet Explorer, Opera, or even Netscape in its hey day had entire TV spots dedicated to them, Firefox had a series for select markets back in 2006. Google obviously isn’t giving a lot of details, but their use of the word “networks” instead of “markets” leads me to believe that the advertisements are showing up on, at least, one of the “Big Four.” Chrome has already enjoyed a sizable jump in the browser market share due to hype, Google loyalty, and a massive online advertising campaign, but the company realizes that the majority of users on the world wide web can’t tell Google from MSN or Yahoo, or Internet Explorer from a fish tank screen saver. So, to rope in the technically un-savvy, but technologically curious, Google’s taken it to the ‘tube to sway a group unlike those who will ever read this blog.
According to Google they built a browser out of the goodness of their hearts, using components from today’s best browsers, and in turn, released Chrome as open source. Google’s aggressive push to get Chrome in the hands of users led them to tear the beta label off Chrome in record time (Gmail is still in beta and it’s been around since 2001!). With text, video, and image advertisements all over the web, and now television ads, obviously Chrome means a lot to Google. But, with Internet Explorer finally getting a clue, and the gents over at Mozilla not being the ones to let another browser introduce any feature that isn’t matched and/or bettered, will all this work?
The Penis Threat Level [The Daily Show]
Police and men in Benin, Africa are in a state of frenzy after 10 men have claimed that “wizards” using “black magic” have stolen or shrunken their penises (penii?).
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart reported that the men responsible have been captured. Therefore, they have lowered the Penis Threat Level from D**k in a Box… A lock box to Hide penis in popcorn.
Penis Threat Level chart. (Click to enlarge)
Though a baby elephant parade would show the world that the USA is no afraid, good thing the threat level in the US of A is Rock out with your c**k out. Rock out with your cock in would be no good…
Update: The Colbert Report has taken on the touchy topic of the phallus. If you’re a fan of this post or The Colbert Report, check it out.
The Reason for Multiple “Receivers” on One Satellite Dish
I’ve incorrectly assumed for some time that the reasoning for the multiple “modules” attached to satellite dishes was for multiple receivers inside the home. WRONG!!
Today my roommate and I were on the roof of our house doing some site surveying for another experiment/discovery coming soon, so I walked over to the satellites left behind by a previous tenet to take a closer look since we’ll be using them in said experiment. Underneath of each of the modules I noticed one was marked with “110°” and the other with “119°.” This obviously threw my mind for a loop as I immediately realized there was more to it than multiple receivers.
By the way, before I go on, I know I’m interchanging device names and probably using them incorrectly: Bear with me.
A look around the Dish Network Wikipedia article set me straight and I’ll attempt to break it down in a quick-and-easy format. Dish Networks “owns” geostationary orbital slots 110°W and 119°W longitude and broadcasts their satellite signals from those locations using their EchoStar and EchoStar X satellites. The 110 and 119 locations make up the majority of Dish Network’s core programming and local stations. There are half a dozen other locations carrying other content from which Dish Network broadcasts which explains satellites that are facing different directions. Since 110 and 119 are directly next to each other (as far as geostationary orbit goes) Dish Network can put these two LNB’s (the “modules” I was referring to earlier) next to each other at slightly different focal points on the dish to receive both signals.
Boy, was I wrong.
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