Mark Cuban Theorizes TV Sports Ratings, Net, Immediacy As Currency, And Leprechauns (Well, Not Really Leprechauns)

Say what you will about Mark Cuban, but Mark Cuban owns more sports franchises than you.  Admit it!

http://blogmaverick.com/2009/10/29/sports-ratings-records-and-what-it-tells-us-about-the-internet/

Quick Guide To Helping Older Folks Get Teched Out

One AboutFace-er's grandmother claims the family computer is haunted.  Maybe she's right, but this article shows how that same computer can be useful (when not attempting to open The Gates Of Hell onto suburban Raleigh, North Carolina).

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/technology/personaltech/29basics.html?_r=1&em#

Fame! I'm Gonna Live Forever! I'm Gonna - What? It's Over?

So, the desire for fame (or infamy) hasn't gone up in recent years, despite our perceptions, it's just that Internet and Social Media give us all more opportunities?  Haven't we all learned the difference between "good attention" and "bad attention"?  No, no we have not.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/28/psychology.fame.celebrity/index.html#iframe_height=300

Trees' Long Term Plan To Create Internet And Destroy Post Offices Finally Coming To Fruition

By embracing online bill pay, e-cards, e-mail, electronic signatures, and more, we've unwittingly played right into the Trees' hands.

http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=14756838&source=hptextfeature

Google improves music searches - so you can finally figure out the name of that awesome Starship song from Mannequin...and buy it legally!

Further refining their Searches for music - Google rocks.  If you're not already, do think seriously about Search Engine Optimization.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/28/google.music/index.html

3D TVs Are Coming At You So Fast It's Almost As If They're In...3D!

Maybe 3D will be in everyone's home in the next few years, or maybe not.  Seems to be up to the consumer.  Would you want one?

http://weblogs.variety.com/technotainment/2009/10/a-big-prediction-for-3d-tvs-.html?ref=ssp

Privacy Vs Social Media Sharing (aka - Privacy, The Bell Tolls For Thee)

Is privacy equal to obscurity?  Are we all publishers of our own social media?  Must we all now publish or perish?

According to Pete Cashmore, the social media savvy will inherit the earth.  Or at least its riches.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/10/28/cashmore.online.privacy/index.html

Celebrities Get Robbed, Cops Blame Paparazzi, Paparazzi Blame Google and Twitter... It's So On!

If you keep getting followed by paparazzi, your house will be robbed.  Who is to blame?  Everyone!  And no one!  But especially Google Maps, Twitter, and probably a formerly noble ninja who was betrayed and went down the wrong path, only to turn to a life of crime stealing from celebrities, then gets busted, and comes out of prison with a new perspective (and a reality show on A&E that follows Dog Bounty Hunter).

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-celebrity-burglaries28-2009oct28,0,5669617.story#

Not Sure How To Feel About This - Facebook Memorializes Deceased Members

This is just kind of weird, but in an odd way, kind of sweet/appropriate/of the times?  Or just weird.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8327607.stm

Social Media Spooks Hollywood, Scares Studio Heads, Haunts Up Opportunity For Journalists to Make Puns

If you haven't heard of the micro-budgeted indie ghost film, Paranormal Activity, you will.  The tiny flick started its marketing campaign by holding free late night screenings at colleges and encouraging the audiences to Tweet about the movie.  It worked.  Paramount was originally just going to remake the film with a ton more money and big stars.  Instead, due to the buzz on Twitter, Facebook, and everywhere else social media, they tested the waters theatrically - and this weekend they did everything they could to get more theaters.  Their per-screen average was massive this weekend and they grossed over $20m.

They also employed Eventful.com to let the audience decide where to book the theaters.

http://eventful.com/performers/paranormal-activity-/P0-001-000212499-6/competitions

From Variety:

"Paranormal Activity" took the No. 3 spot with $20.2 million as it expanded to 760 theaters in its fourth weekend, posting a 155% uptick and a boffo per-screen average of $26,530. Par's micro-budgeted pic has cumed an estimated $33.7 million, and the studio plans to expand to some 1,800 locations starting next weekend.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118010081.html?categoryid=13&cs=1