At first I thought my browser had not loaded the page properly, and Google’s logo was half missing, until I realised it was Morse Code for Google!

 

The logo is to remember the inventor of Morse Code - Samuel Morse who was born on the 27th April, 1791.

I thought I’d make a Ph.Creative version of my own!

 

With all new technology comes the fun bit – A new language.. this is the point where regular people glaze over and start to back away. But, don’t worry. Twitter has indeed brought about the emergence of a new little language but I quite like it actually and its nothing to be afraid of.

Here’s some of my favourite Twitter terms;

• twaffic: Twitter traffic.
• beetweet: a buzzing tweet; a “hot” tweet
• occasionitter: an occasional tweeter
• tweetaholic: someone addicted to Twitter, so much so that it may be an actual problem.
• tweeterboxes: twitterers who tweet too much.
• sweeple: sweet twitter people
• twittastic: fantastic, wonderful, superb.
• twitterfly: being a social butterfly on Twitter evidenced by extreme usage of @ signs.
• twitterrhea: the act of sending too many Twitter messages.
• tweetup: when twitterers meet in person - a Twitter meet up.

For more Twitter speak check out http://mashable.com/2008/11/15/twitterspeak/

Only recently, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt publicly dismissed Twitter as a "poor man's email" and shot down speculation that Google were in fact interested in buying the micro-blogging phenomenon.

According  to the latest data from compete.com, Twitter search is now very close to surpassing the number of  users using Google Blog Search which further demonstrates the growing popularity of Twitter and strengthens the argument that Twitter is a real threat to Google.

I suspect that Mr Schmidt knows only too well that there was a time when Blog Search engines were the only way to search for fresh content on the web but that has now obviously changed with the rising popularity of Twitter. Now even the regular web search bots of Google can crawl all web content in almost real-time, as it is submitted. This means within minutes of getting published, content can be found so there’s little need for people to use a specialist blog search tool.

Google Blog Search has 1.38m unique monthly users and Twitter search has 1.35m so at this moment in time, Google is still ahead however, traffic on Twitter search trebled last month while Google Blog Search saw static numbers. It doesn’t take a genius to predict next month’s figures and who will be leading the race. Without a doubt Twitter search will very shortly take the lead.

As a result of the growing popularity Twitter’s market share is benefiting from increased media coverage too, which will only help maintain the momentum. Twitter now receives as many as 8,000 mentions in the press on a weekly basis which is actually four times as many as a year ago.

Worldwide visitors to Twitter approached 10 million in February, up an impressive 700+% vs. year ago. The past two months alone have seen worldwide visitors climb more than 5 million. U.S. traffic growth has been just as dramatic, with Twitter reaching 4 million visitors in February, up more than 1,000% from a year ago.

These impressive stats are probably a part of the reason they turned down a 500-million-dollar takeover offer from social network colossus Facebook just a few months ago and also fuelling the speculation that Google are in fact looking to buy Twitter in an attempt to maintain control of the web.

And so, as the figures grow I suspect we will definitely see Mr Schmidt publicly change his tune about this “poor mans email”. Interestly, if Google were to buy Twitter, this wouldn’t be the first deal struck between Google and the Twitter founders. Twitter co-founders Stone and Evan Williams sold the blog-making website "Blogger" to Google five years ago.

One thing is for sure, whoever owns it, Twitter is here to stay. I would advise getting to grips with it sooner rather than later if you haven’t already. For those who have begun to tweat – start thinking about seriously focussing on using Twitter to aid your business objectives.

They say a rising tide lifts all ships and like all technologies trends and technological cultural shifts, those who get in early benefit the most. Before the world is saturated with Tweats you could be benefiting from building your own following to help stay ahead of the curve.

Why not experience Twitter by following us?

Hello, it’s been a while since we spoke, here’s the latest:

First of all, Jim is back from the Canaries, Rich the ‘Ideas-Eagle’ has well & truly landed, and Andreanne has flown the nest! It’s been a busy time at Ph, but then isn’t it always?

We’ve been working on some exciting projects recently and dotted our horizon with wind turbines and solar panels in response to an influx of energy saving clients. With Liverpool embracing the year of the environment and the launch of the city’s very own designer bag for life, we wanted to put our Ph. green stamp on things too.

We can’t wait to give you the first glimpse of the Eco Environments website!

We’re delighted to announce our collaboration with Liverpool based arts emporium, FACT. Having previously commissioned and presented over 250 digital media artworks themselves, FACT approached us to design and boost their online social presence to reach a wider audience within the northwest and throughout the UK.

Our team has blossomed during spring! Our modest Rodney Street office is bursting at the seams with creative buds so we’re looking to grow into a more spacious, serene setting within the city centre. Our wish list is as follows:

A large space, which is bright and professional – think warehouse loft, meets John and Yoko’s white apartment (?)

A ‘Training & Ideas’ room where our team can do their thing

Parking spaces – Just a few, we’re not greedy and we’re trying to stay green remember!

Kitchen facilities – if you share an office with 9 men you’ll understand that they cant make it past 2pm without hunting for some long-forgotten cereal in the cupboards or spending £10 a day in subway?! 

Are we asking too much? Answers via email to kate@ph-creative.com

So…………….what have you been up to?

Two weeks ago I blogged about some of the really cool features and fun things to do with Google Street View. As well as an interview with CBC Radio Canada (Stay tuned for this) and great feedback from our subscribers it also sparked a lot of interest around the office to discover what else we can find that can really make a positive impact and bring a little order to the whirlwind that definitely is everyday life. 

 

Enter the Blackberry; we've had a bit of a blackberry craze amongst ourselves and our clients recently. Not quite "new", blackberry is still finding it's way into the everyday lives of ordinary folk. However, the Blackberry is fast becoming an essential tool for a wide variety of business needs, from keeping in touch with clients on-the-go without having to lumber a laptop around just to check email, to carrying a virtual arsenal of client support busting applications. Which leads me to introduce you to "Google Maps Voice Search", you'll love this, this one is a killer

But first, I want to show you just how far this technology has come. Google Voice is the brainstorm of Google's Laboratory which reigned in the form of a telephone number that can be dialled and used to make a Google Search using voice recognition technology. The voice recognition system progressed into GOOG-411, a free service which combined the updated voice recognition system with businesses e.g. "Wall-mart Florida". Not quite 118 118, but pioneering a technology through science fiction into the realms of reality is no small feat, think of Star Trek "communicators", beam me up Scotty! sorry.

So put down your A-Z and wind up your car window, there's no need to clear your throat and look for the elusive stranger who will direct you the wrong way, Google Maps Voice Search is here. Google Maps Voice Search, smaller than an A-Z, faster than an A-Z, easier than... you get the picture.

 

So What is Google Maps Voice Search?

Google Maps Voice Search combines the usefulness of Google Maps with the highly refined voice recognition software developed through Google labs and then applied it to the ever accessible and convenient technology of the Blackberry. Google Maps has certainly come a long way, providing the new mobile platform for such software, Blackberry.

It's been claimed it's now possible to never be lost if you have a blackberry. At Ph.Creative, we don't like claims, so we put this to the test and drove our very own Steve(AKA "Disco Steve") to the far reaches of nowhere(blindfolded, of course), handed him a blackberry tooled up with the latest Google Voice Search and....   well we still haven't heard from him. Jokes aside the Blackberry Google Voice Search came across formidably. Firing up the GPS system for the first time Steve was able to pinpoint his location after waiting a minute or two while the software searched for satellites. Navigating Google Maps on the Blackberry is a breeze using the stylus and Steve easily found his way into Google Maps Voice Search. In fact it was so simple to use we had to make it harder so we set Steve a few challenges which he had to complete without working up too much of a tab and in a timely manner. 

The instructions:

1. Buy from a Health shop
2. Get a quote from the nearest GYM
3. Fine dine at Italian restaurant 
4. Navigate to base using trains and busses
   
5. All this while using Twitter to keep us updated on-the-go

Steve managed to complete all his tasks paying extreme attention to number 3 and never broke a sweat. Steve was able to use several key features of Google Maps Voice Search to complete his tasks.

Steve Began his journey by using the Blackberry GPS to find his location on Google Maps, he then used Google Maps Voice Search by asking his Blackberry to find him "health food" in "Halewood Liverpool", he then proceeded through the list while keeping us updated on twitter. The voice recognition software worked a treat but Steve had to try and find an enclosed space because with wind and external noises his voice wasn't recognised as easily. Google Maps Voice Search also incorporates Google Street View into the fold which made it even easier to visually recognise the surroundings and find the property he was searching for.

Can you image how far technology has come when you can stand in the middle of a field, begin talking to a handheld device and look at panoramic views of locations which are specific to your needs? or you can just sit at home and order a pizza. To be honest, either is just as important because what this technology really does is push the boundaries of what makes our lives easier. Today, Blackberry is top of the list, tomorrow, hover boards.

Therefore we can conclude that Google Maps Voice Search on the Blackberry = Awesome.

Download the Google App by visting http://m.google.com on your Blackberry

Well, yesterday was that day of the year again. The day when you take every news report with a pinch of salt, when you double or even triple check your sources, family members become pregnant and the restaurant next to your office decides to give away free cake. (The cake is a lie – more Portal references later.)

That’s right, April Fool’s Day was yesterday and the usual element of trust held between friends and co-workers was thrown out of the window. No-one was trusted, no-one was safe.

Anyway, the day is over and everyone survived! What we have left now is our favourite April Fool’s jokes from around the web. Here’s some of my favourites:

If you visited YouTube, you may have noticed that featured videos on the homepage were being linked to a flipped version of the page. Images, text and yes, even the video itself. Very cool.

What’s even more fun about this, is that you can still apply the flipped version to any YouTube video, simply add &flip=1 to the end of the URL. The effect works especially nice with videos of something that was upside down in the first place.

Any chance you were on Google Street View yesterday? If you work in an office, then of course you were. Did you notice your little panda tour guide? (Her name is CADIE, say hello.)



One of my favourites yesterday came from the rivalry between Digg and Reddit. Reddit, the 2nd most popular social media news site, copied the layout and colour scheme from Digg, the 1st most popular social media news site.

The Guardian sees the potential in Twitter, by killing off their print publications and posting their news on Twitter instead.

One of the most interesting April Fool’s case studies comes from thinkgeek.com, who post several fake products every year on April 1st. The products, presentation and execution are always very well thought out. It’s clear that they put a lot of effort in for this day. But why bother? Why waste those man hours on something as frivolous as an April Fool’s joke, just for one day? I don’t have any stats to back this up, but I’m willing to bet that April 1st is one of their busiest days (outside of the Christmas period, of course.) April 1st traffic is a market in itself. Infact, traffic on this day is so large that the demand for one of their fake products from 2007 actually made it into the assembly line.

My favourite fake products from them this year are the Squeez Bacon® (mmm) and the Portal t-shirts (<3 my companion cube!)

The point is, thinkgeek.com found a market in fake products and have capitalised on it. Any audience you can attract can be converted into customers, with the right strategy.

To further back up this point, Smashing Magazine's April Fool's article has (so far) received over 300 replies, making it one of their most popular this year.