Future of Advertising Technology

WLAN Monitoring and Troubleshooting,WiFi Analyzer

2009-03-04T13:24:00.001-08:00

Anytime, Anywhere, WLAN Monitoring and Troubleshooting
AirMagnet's WiFi Analyzer is the industry's most popular mobile field tool for troubleshooting enterprise Wi-Fi networks. WiFi Analyzer helps IT staff make sense of end-user complaints to quickly resolve performance problems, while automatically detecting security threats and other network vulnerabilities. Although compact, WiFi Analyzer has many of the feature-rich qualities of a dedicated, policy-driven wireless LAN monitoring system.
Automatically Detect Rogues and Network Vulnerabilities
WiFi Analyzer automatically identifies hundreds of performance problems, such as 802.11n mis-configurations, 802.11b/g conflicts, 802.11e problems, and QoS, as well as dozens of wireless intrusions and hacking strategies, including Rogue devices, Denial-of-Service attacks, Dictionary Attacks, Faked APs, RF Jamming, "Stumbler" tools, and many more. WiFi Analyzer also offers a convenient "Find Tool" that enables you to quickly track down rogue APs and non-complying devices that compromise network security. Also use Find Tool to align signals between antennas to quickly optimize reception in line-of-sight bridging.
Lockdown Security Policies
WiFi Analyzer enables you to set detailed security policies for all devices in your network. Designate your encryption and authentication methods then monitor your wireless LAN to check all devices for compliance with those policies. Also validate that the encryption methods themselves function correctly over the WLAN. Establish an even higher level of organized security by designating a list of approved APs for client access, and monitoring for exposed wireless stations, ad-hoc devices, and other vulnerabilities.
Perform Live, Interactive Network Tests
In addition to the issues that Analyzer automatically locates for you, a suite of active troubleshooting tools are available at your fingertips to help you quickly pinpoint network problems — 802.11n mis-configurations, RF interferences, traffic/infrastructure overloads, hardware failures, connectivity issues and more. Test connections with traditional tools such as DHCP, ping, and traceroute or use AirMagnet's Diagnostic Tool to view the step-by-step progress of a connection between a client and AP to pinpoint exactly where the process has broken down. Run AP performance tests to identify mismatched settings in the network, coverage, multi-path interference, jitter and roaming. The WLAN Throughput Simulator and the Device Throughput Calculator tools help users make that critical purchase decision on how they can phase 802.11n devices into their existing 802.11a/b/g network.
Monitor 802.11n Networks
WiFi Analyzer identifies and classifies all 802.11n capable devices in the network (including differentiating between standards-compliant and pre-standard 802.11n devices). It supports monitoring for 20 MHz and 40 MHz channels and also detects and classifies higher data rates used by the 802.11n devices. Using the Analyzer, users can classify/decode Non-HT and HT format traffic and physically locate 802.11n rogue devices operating in the environment (which are often invisible to non-802.11n analyzers). The Analyzer shows how to get true 11n performance that rivals what 11n can do in theory and enables a smooth migration into 802.11n for the user by recognizing and resolving conflicts between new 802.11n devices and legacy a/b/g devices.AirMagnet recommends the use of the AirMagnet 802.11 a/b/g/n Wireless PC Card for monitoring and troubleshooting 802.11n networks. Click here for technical details for the card.
Understand impact of 802.11n
AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer PRO's Learning Assistant provides explanations in plain, straightforward language on key technologies behind the 802.11n protocol. This helps the user understand technologies required to optimize their 802.11n infrastructure for maximum throughput and reliability. Users can visualize the implications of using/not using a particular feature of the 802.11n standard. AirMagnet's intelligent AirWISE engine alerts users to co-existence issues with legacy devices, QoS issues, etc. and suggests methods to fix them and best practices to avoid their re-occurrence in the future. Using AirWISE, AirMagnet users can solve 802.11n problems without decoding all packets and memorizing the entire 802.11n standard. Note: Analyzer's Learning Assistant and the 802.11n alarms are available in the PRO version only.
Model & Optimize 802.11n networks
The Analyzer includes the new 11n Performance Toolkit, a first-of-a-kind feature set that let users quickly see how best to deploy 11n technology and maximize the real-world performance of the network. The toolkit is available in AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer PRO only.
802.11n Device Throughput Calculator tool to calculate and compare the expected performance metrics for an 802.11n Access Point based on user input for 802.11n parameters. Every enterprise must use this tool before purchasing their 802.11n APs to understand the capabilities and limitations for their access points network performance.
WLAN Throughput Simulator tool captures the existing infrastructure environment and calculates the network throughput and overhead under user-specified conditions. It also allows the simulation of new APs or stations with specific capabilities and visualization of the impact on performance. Every enterprise must use this tool before making that decision to introducing 802.11n devices in their network.
Efficiency and Analysis tools to help users get the maximum value out of their 802.11n infrastructure, by analyzing conversations between the AP and station and pin-pointing areas where the 802.11n high throughput options are not being well used. The tools also go further and provide solutions on fixing those areas.
AirMagnet WiFi integrates with Iperf — a free, open-source software tool for network performance analysis — to analyze uplink and downlink network performance including bandwidth, throughput, 20/40 MHz traffic, data rates, etc.
Perform Continual Wi-Fi Interference Analysis
Interference can stem from a variety of sources including competition from other Wi-Fi devices, so-called "hidden nodes" in the network, and even non-802.11 wireless devices. The WiFi Analyzer's Interference Page tracks all these components of interference and plainly displays them by channel. This enables you to quickly see the impact of competing Wi-Fi devices, identify any hidden nodes affecting the channel, and track noise in the RF environment. WiFi PRO users can also integrate with the AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer* and Cisco Spectrum Expert* to identify non-802.11 sources of interference for even deeper Layer 1 analysis.* AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer and Cisco Spectrum Expert must be purchased separately
Detailed Packet and Frame Analysis
WiFi Analyzer shows real-time packet flows for any Wi-Fi asset. Track data and management packets live, watch CRC errors, utilization, packet speed, media type and more. View a real-time decode page for detailed network analysis: WiFi Analyzer decodes the most popular protocols such as FTP, HTTP, SMTP, POP, and Telnet, with advanced filtering options that allow you to focus on particular conversations based on IP address or port number.
Access the AirWISE® Expert
AirWISE® is your encyclopedia source for understanding the threats and performance issues at work in your Wi-Fi environment. All system alarms are explained for you in plain-English detail, including why they are important and what steps you should take to resolve issues.
Generate Compliance Reports with WiFi PRO
AirMagnet provides detailed compliance reports for a variety of regulatory standards including Sarbanes-Oxley, Basel II, EU-CRD (Cad 3), ISO 27001, FISMA, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, DoD 8100.2, and GLBA. Reports provide a step-by-step pass/fail assessment of each section of the standard, enabling you to complete work in a fraction of the time. WiFi Analyzer also offers an integrated reporting tool that enables you to turn your Wi-Fi analysis sessions into professional customized reports. Choose from a library of pre-built reports or generate your own targeted reports by selecting specific items of interest from the user interface, such as RF statistics, channel reports, device reports, or security and performance issue reports.
Advanced Features with WiFi Analyzer PRO
AirMagnet WiFi PRO software version contains all the functionality of the basic WiFi Analyzer version plus an additional set of features tailored to the needs of the wireless expert, such as:
Support for 200+ 802.11a channels
Integration with AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer*
4.9 GHZ (Public Safety Band) monitoring
Session sharing between two WiFi Analyzers
Advanced Session Reporting and Compliance Reporting
* AirMagnet Spectrum Analyzer sold separately
Multiple Form Factor and Adapter Support
AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer can be installed on a variety of platforms including Windows-based Laptops, Tablet PCs, Apple® MacBook® Pro and Ultra Mobile PCs. UMPC support enables end-users and resellers — for the first time — to monitor, audit and troubleshoot all aspects of the WLAN with a PC that can fit in their pocket. It gives users the flexibility of walking about the physical premises to audit and troubleshoot enterprise Wi-Fi networks using a light-weight handheld solution. AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer is supported on the OQO Model 02/e2 UMPC. Click here for more details on the OQO model 02/e2 UMPC. AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer is compatible with many external and built-in wireless LAN adapters. Click here to view list of supported adapters.

CIS, OIS, RGA, TEGA

2009-03-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

The Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) is a scientific instrument aboard the Phoenix spacecraft. TEGA's design is based on experience gained from the failed Mars Polar Lander. Soil samples taken from the Martian surface by the robot arm are eventually delivered to the TEGA, where they are heated in an oven to about 1,000ºC. This heat causes the volatile compounds to be given off as gases which are sent to a mass spectrometer for analysis. This spectrometer is adjusted to measure particularly the isotope ratios for hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and heavier gases. Detection values as low as 10 parts per billion. The Phoenix TEGA has 8 ovens, which are enough for 8 samples.A residual gas analyzer (RGA) is a small and usually rugged mass spectrometer, typically designed for process control and contamination monitoring in the semiconductor industry. Utilizing quadrupole technology, there exists two implementations, utilizing either an open ion source (OIS) or a closed ion source (CIS). RGAs may be found in high vacuum applications such as research chambers, surface science setups, accelerators, scanning microscopes, etc. RGAs are used in most cases to monitor the quality of the vacuum and easily detect minute traces of impurities in the low-pressure gas environment. These impurities can be measured down to 10 − 14 Torr levels, possessing sub-ppm detectability in the absence of background interferences.RGAs would also be used as sensitive in-situ, helium leak detectors. With vacuum systems pumped down to lower than 10 - 5Torr—checking of the integrity of the vacuum seals and the quality of the vacuum—air leaks, virtual leaks and other contaminants at low levels may be detected before a process is initiated.

Brimrose NIR Analyzer

2009-03-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

A new series of miniature near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers is said to offer a cost-effective tool for inspecting incoming raw materials and product quality control. Compact, battery-powered Model 5030 ATOF-NIR Portable Analyzer from Brimrose Corp. of America, Baltimore, allows laboratory tests to be performed anywhere in a plant environment. The instrument, which sells for $28,000 (compared with $40,000 for larger units), is reportedly insensitive to ambient light, vibration, dust, and dirt. Its design allows for quick switchover from solids to liquids, and results appear instantly on its LCD. Applications include material identification or measurement of moisture content and active-ingredient levels. Once the instrument is calibrated, it reportedly can be used by an inexperienced operator.

CIS, OIS, RGA, TEGA

2009-01-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

The Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) is a scientific instrument aboard the Phoenix spacecraft. TEGA's design is based on experience gained from the failed Mars Polar Lander. Soil samples taken from the Martian surface by the robot arm are eventually delivered to the TEGA, where they are heated in an oven to about 1,000ºC. This heat causes the volatile compounds to be given off as gases which are sent to a mass spectrometer for analysis. This spectrometer is adjusted to measure particularly the isotope ratios for hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and heavier gases. Detection values as low as 10 parts per billion. The Phoenix TEGA has 8 ovens, which are enough for 8 samples.

A residual gas analyzer (RGA) is a small and usually rugged mass spectrometer, typically designed for process control and contamination monitoring in the semiconductor industry. Utilizing quadrupole technology, there exists two implementations, utilizing either an open ion source (OIS) or a closed ion source (CIS). RGAs may be found in high vacuum applications such as research chambers, surface science setups, accelerators, scanning microscopes, etc. RGAs are used in most cases to monitor the quality of the vacuum and easily detect minute traces of impurities in the low-pressure gas environment. These impurities can be measured down to 10 − 14 Torr levels, possessing sub-ppm detectability in the absence of background interferences.

RGAs would also be used as sensitive in-situ, helium leak detectors. With vacuum systems pumped down to lower than 10 - 5Torr—checking of the integrity of the vacuum seals and the quality of the vacuum—air leaks, virtual leaks and other contaminants at low levels may be detected before a process is initiated.

Site ContentAnalyzer - CleverStat

2008-11-28T17:15:00.000-08:00

CleverStat is a nifty tool I've been using recently for web site content analysis. Unlike numerous online apps, CleverStat makes a copy of the site on your hard drive and analyzes the entire thing and not only individual pages.

Advertising Space Innovation Needed

2008-11-28T17:05:00.002-08:00

Considering how much the banner format has evolved over the past decade, it's surprising how little innovation we see on the publishers' side of the equation. For the most part, publishers treat their ad space as just that: a blank piece of real estate that they rent out. As in real estate, the neighborhood and the location is important, but a lot with extra features could command a higher price. To be fair, many publishers offer targeting capabilities that are much more advanced than in the past, although even with targeting the lowest common denominator is pretty low. And, to continue with the real estate metaphor, most of the lots for rent lack something as basic as a sewage hook-up.

The only two examples of ad spaces with extras I could think of are CNet and Facebook (but please drop a comment if I'm missing something).

Ad units throughout the CNet network (see this page, for example) come with "Ad Feedback" links to the unique feedback forms, although I don't know if the feedback is for advertisers' or CNet's use.

Event: Futures of Entertainment at MIT, Nov 21-22

2008-11-28T17:05:00.001-08:00

Judging by the speakers list for this year's FoE @ MIT -- a cyborg anthropologist, production designer of Watchmen, producer of Blair Witch Project, director of interactive marketing at WWE, Peter Kim, Grant McCracken -- it looks like it's going to be fun. Registration closed on Tuesday, Nov 18, so hurry. Check out video and audio recordings of the last year's event, and the year before that.

Ten Half-Baked Advertising Ideas

2008-11-28T17:04:00.001-08:00

Today, we are raiding Half Bakery for a glimpse of the improbable advertising future. Put your sunglasses on; the brilliance of these ideas is blinding.

1. Advertishoes. "Replace the soles of your shoes with soft rubber, impregnated with chalk or ink, that squashes out onto the ground as you put your foot down. Similar to a self-inking rubber stamp."

2. Get to the airport luggage screeners with X-ray-visible ads: "If two ads are printed on the same page in a magazine, but one is printed with large letters in radiopaque white ink, then the white-on-white ad will only be visible if the magazine is in carry-on luggage viewed by x-ray techs at airport inspection stations."

3. Ads on status bars (also independently described by AdLab): "Put scrolling text messages in progress bars, and make some money on the side."

4. Skyscrapers as smoke jet printers: "Except instead of ink being shot on to a page of paper it shoots smoke up in to the air. The print head is mounted on top of a high rise building, and instead of the print head moving it relies on wind to move the 'paper' to the side."

5. Rainbow advertising: "Using refraction and rainbow technology, it should be possible to advertise right on airborne drops of moisture. Simply vary the color makeup of your light source."

6. Books printed in sponsored typeface: "Free classic books reprinted typeset in a font that has McDonald's M's and Special K's and so forth."

7. Ads on fake phone numbers in the movies: "Whenever they use a telephone in the movies, they always use a 555 number. I guess they do that so people won't go home and try to call. Wait a minute. Why not encourage them to call. Talk about a captive audience..."

8. Logo clouds: "Create large lakes in the shape of corporate logos. When the sun shines on them (on a windless day) logo-shaped clouds will appear above them. Note that it might be cheaper to change your company's logo to the shape of an existing lake."

9. Lonely? Invite telemarketers in your life with a "Please Call Me" list: "Maybe the local resteraunts could call you around lunch-time and tell you what kinds of specials they have, just so you don't have to go sit down to find that out."

10. Spitball billboards: " This display uses a computer aimed pneumatic spitball cannon which "paints" a picture out of colored spitballs. The display can be wiped clear with a water hose, so the next image can be painted."

Advertising Lab Turns Four

2008-11-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

It is amidst cries announcing the death of blogging that AdLab celebrates its fourth birthday this week (the official DOB is November 12; we are late to our own party). Thank you for reading AdLab over the past year, bookmarking it, sending it to friends, adding it to blogrolls, and writing back.

Traditionally, some numbers:

Total page views: ~1,909,881 (up from 1,362,218 in AdLab's third year, up from ~580,232 the year before, and ~130,000 on its first birthday)
Total RSS readers: ~11,000 (up from ~3,900 in Y3, ~1,200 in Y2 and ~200 in Y1)
Posts served this year: 362, to the total of 2,312. It's only half the previous year's volume (700, total of 1950 by Y3).
AdSense revenues also halved, which can attributed to the last year's redesign. On the other hand, Balihoo's sponsorship this year kept the blog in the relative green (thank you!).

So, I've gone easy on posting stuff this year, and there are a couple of reasons. One is that there's less blogging time now that my family has grown 50%. More importantly, blogging is tough once you've been on the same beat for some time. I'm sort of running out of novelty stuff like Holopops, and ads on butts are exciting only the first three times even if they may well be the future of advertising.

While I'm considering other options, why don't you shoot an email or leave a comment if there's a topic you'd like to see covered here in the next year?

iPhone Web Surfers Click On Ads Not?

2008-10-13T09:45:00.002-07:00

Here's a press release from Keynote Systems that got 75 people to complete assorted web-based tasks on their iPhones -- a fairly typical usability set-up. One of the top bullet points in the press release: "advertising on the mobile web not compelling for users to click through." But if you look further down, one of the company's findings is that "only four percent of users tapped into advertising; nearly a quarter noticed advertising but did not click through."

What do they mean by "tapped"? A 4-percent click-through? How much of it can be attributed to mis-clicks?

An earlier press-release by the ad network AdMob: "Ads on the iPhone deliver strong engagement for advertisers with triple, on average, the already high click-through-rates seen on mobile."

Google In-Game Advertising a Misnomer

2008-10-13T09:45:00.001-07:00

Google In-Game Advertising is not really in-game, it's more like those pre-rolls they are trying with YouTube. Hope it's not what the Adscape deal and all those cool patents for targeting players based on their in-game behavior are for.

Below is a video demo from the AdSense blog:

Coca-Cola Tests High-Capacity Fountain

2008-10-13T09:44:00.001-07:00

AJC: Coca-Cola is testing a new fountain that can dispense more than 100 beverages due to highly concentrated ingredients.

YouTube Enters Affiliate Business

2008-10-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

YouTube blog: "Today [Oct.7], we're taking our first steps to providing YouTube users with this kind of instant gratification, by adding "click-to-buy" links to the watch pages of thousands of YouTube partner videos. Click-to-buy links are non-obtrusive retail links, placed on the watch page beneath the video with the other community features."

Apparently, not all of the wrinkles have been ironed out yet. The Sims 2 trailer above has an Amazon link to Spore (both games are by EA that is among YouTube's new partners). YouTube's aff id with Amazon is you09f-20 (probably one of many).

Incidentally, a similar affiliate model could work for Facebook, if the virtual gifts stats are any indication. See how Birthday Calendar app inserts a Send Flowers affiliate link to 1-800-Flowers.

MySpace Launches Games Section

2008-10-13T09:31:00.001-07:00

MySpace did launch its own game portal after all (told you so). Unlike, say, Kongregate or Yahoo Games, MySpace lets users to embed games elsewhere (your MySpace profile ~~or a blog; see Line Rider below~~ it turns out, you can embed the game, but it's not playable outside the MySpace domain, so profiles only). The game I played was preceded by a pre-roll, but we will probably see advergames there pretty soon.

And Valleywag believes Electronic Arts is eyeing the social games space, too: "Former EA Los Angeles general manager Neil Young is in charge of a "stealth division" believed to be EA Blueprint, which will develop and publish games to social networks."

AdCamo Network Brands Web Page Backgrounds

2008-10-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

We've seen brands taking over web sites and pasting their visuals on backgrounds, but AdCamo is an entire network that embeds CPC and CPM ad tiles embedded into backgrounds. I think the per-click part comes from the accompanying banner unit displayed on the same page.

MiraWorldTV Aggregates Online TV Streams

2008-10-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

"MiraWorldTV is a plugin for windows media center. Miraworldtv consolidates various internet TV streams and lets you watch them from your media center PC. MiraWorldTV can be installed on Vista Ultimate or Vista Premium. Thousands of mainstream channels from all over the world are in-built with MiraWorldTV, and the database is updated frequently."

Hope there's a snooker channel somewhere in there.

Microsoft Shows Off Next-Gen Ad Tech

2008-10-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

Video demo: "Contextual Ads for Video. Through speech recognition, this technology enables ads to be dynamically served based on the content discussed in the video." (Another demo)

Microsoft showcased a series of new technologies from their adCenter Labs during the lab's Demo Fest.

Press release: "The technologies highlighted at this event included the latest advances and algorithms in content analysis and computer vision for video and images, speech recognition for contextual video ads, and advanced marketing intelligence that enable enhanced audience insight and better targeting capabilities for advertisers."

Some of the geekier stuff:

"Contextual Ads for Video. Through speech recognition, this technology enables ads to be dynamically served based on the content discussed in the video.

Intelligent Bug Ads. By using a computer vision algorithm to calculate the least intrusive spot in the video, it approximates human judgment and places the ad in the video where it is least likely to interfere with the consumer’s viewing experience.

Visual Product Browsing. This tool uses computer vision algorithms to browse and categorize images as a human might, without the need for manual data tagging.

Content Analysis Engine. This technology uses advanced algorithms to automatically extract and categorize information from search queries and Web page contents to better understand user intent and minimize search engine marketing complexity.

Content Detection in Sub-documents. This technology identifies sensitive or unsuitable content such as pornography, weapons or negative sentiments that advertisers would not likely want to be associated with, and automatically blocks contextual ads related to that content."

AdRant: Advertising News Drudge Style

2008-10-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

AdRant. Domain registered by two guys who do ads. I think a large part of the original Drudge Report's popularity is its interface's Google-like simplicity, so I can see how this site can become the home page on many agency browsers. AdblockPlus, true to its name, blocks all the ads, if that's your thing.

Firebrand Ratings: How Many People Watch One Hour of TV Commercials

2008-10-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

Quick intro: Firebrand is a one-hour 11pm weeknights TV show on ION that has nothing but commercials. The show has a website. The idea is that "viewers will gladly watch commercials" if they are entertaining and non-intrusive.

AdRants did a post on Firebrand a few days ago, saying, "We're pretty sure the only people watching Firebrand this week or any week will be people working in advertising, hardly an audience large enough to support the company's grandiose vision of becoming some sort of popular destination. "

Shari Leventhal, Firebrand's CEO, responded (fourth comment after the post on AdRants): "We've had over 2.5 million viewers watching Firebrand on average each week."

Curious, I checked the numbers:

Number of people watching Firebrand TV show on ION (11 pm weeknights): 106,000*
Number of people employed in advertising agencies in the US: 188,100**

Am I doing the math wrong? Is Nielsen off?

Below is the website traffic estimate (uniques) from Compete.com:

* Nielsen's ratings for Jan 1-31 2008 for Firebrand: 0.09 HH (106,000 average nightly viewers), 0.06 AD2554 (75,000 adult viewers 25-54)

Turn Gag Widget into Research Tool

2008-10-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Adlab's reader Doug writes: "Sawyer's Nickname Generator seems like a great, but missed, opportunity to gather data on ABC viewers and users. ABC just needs to add a few other variables like age, sex, and income."

My nickname? Speed bump.

Game Consoles In Distributed Computing Project

2008-10-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

"More than one million PlayStation 3 owners are taking part in Folding@home, the distributed computing project run by Stanford University." The research helps finding cure for Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease, and many cancers.

The distributed computing application runs on many platforms, including the newest game console from Sony. Wired says "PS3s currently comprise about 74 percent of the entire computing power of Folding@home." The instructions on how to download the required software are on the Playstation blog.

Google Trends Predict Super Tuesday Outcome

2008-10-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Search trends have been credited for correctly forecasting an American Idol winner in the past. Today, SEO.com writes that Google Trends results could be indicative of today's primary winners as "The amount of Google searches for a candidate’s last name has directly correlated with the winner of that state in every primary and caucus to date." McCain and Obama have the largest number of searches.

QTrax: Screenshot, Stock Chart

2008-10-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

QTrax, the start-up that only days ago was promising 25M legally-downloadable songs, doesn't have any deals signed with major labels after all, but today the company has made its player available. It's a re-skin of the open-source player Songbird. For now, you can only play music from your own computer (or, thanks to the built-in browser, from a web site), but there are already plenty of ads. The Samsung banner opens this page in a separate tab.

Below is the stock chart for the QTrax's holding company. Someone's made a few bucks in what is reminiscent of those pump-and-dump schemes you get in your spam folder.

Ad Skipping Strains Power Grid

2008-10-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

"The 1990 World Cup tops the list of record-breaking TV "pick-ups" (Source: National Grid, BBC)"

Even though the Superbowl Flush is a myth and our American readers have nothing to fear this coming Sunday, it doesn't mean that the collective ad avoidance doesn't strain urban infrastructure elsewhere. Virtual Economics unearthed a decade-old article from BBC about Brits leaving their TVs during the World Cup half-time to -- what else? -- make some tea:

"This mass synchronised tea-break has in the past caused huge power surges and problems for the National Grid, which operates the high-voltage transmission network in England and Wales.

A crack team of statisticians with their finger on the pulse of the TV sub-culture leaf through listings magazines in an attempt to predict peaks in electricity use."

Future: DNA Targeting

2008-10-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

If the dating site ScientificMatch.com can match two people based on their DNA profiles, is it possible to find the right brand messaging for people based on their genetic information?

Phone with Foldaway Screen

2008-10-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Reuters: "A Dutch company [Phillips's spin-off Polymer Vision] has squeezed a display the size of two business cards into a gadget no bigger than other mobile phones -- by making a screen that folds up when not in use. The 5-inch (13-cm) display of Polymer Vision's "Readius" is the world's first that folds out when the user wants to read news, blogs or email and folds back together so that the device can fit into a pocket."

The final product differs from the last year's prototype that was truly "roll-up". It features a 5" display and is coming first to Italy some time this year.

Advergames for iPhone

2008-10-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

DrPepper's Matchcaps is simple re-skin of Bejeweled. Not horribly imaginative, but this press release says it's the first advergame for iPhone (it came out in November 2007). So far, it seems to be the only one.

Fingerfracture is a concept for Vans from Miami Ad School that surfaced a few weeks ago. Just mock-ups for now, but way cooler than a simple re-skin.

Another mock-up: iPhone game controller . Clever and obvious.