Google +1

In a huge step towards a more social search Google have announced their new +1 button seen as the potential answer to the facebook like.

Google have over the recent period look to integrate a number of social features within their search offering including, the ability to see which friends have tweeted a given link in search results.

The +1 button though is seen as a more direct move on facebook though as Google rep Jim Prosser stated in an interview with Mashable this week "only a very small percentage of searches and sites will have the +1 button within the next few weeks".

Users who opt into the +1 button experiment (and soon everyone else) in Google Labs will start seeing a +1 icon next to each link in Google search results and the search giant defines it as a “public stamp of approval”. Beyond showing up in search results, Google plans to offer to publishers a +1 button that lets readers +1 something without leaving the publisher’s site.

Facebook obviously has a huge head start here with its Like button — some 2 million sites and counting currently has it installed — but Google’s +1 button will instantly have a lot of appeal, given that the company says +1 data will directly influence its market share dominating search rankings.

You can check out more details at Google.com/experimental and the video below explains +1 in more detail

Ah... sigh

So its Monday morning and what better way to start the working week then having the legend that is Thom Yorke give you a free newspaper, and not just any newspaper but The Universal Sigh a commemorative one-off produced to elaborate the physical release of the band's latest album The King Of Limbs.

Just a shame I missed him this morning outside Rough Trade East at the Old Truman Brewery and for those who missed him too here are a few pics we have scoured down ....

You can find more a great image gallery as well as location info for distribution of the paper worldwide at the newspapers website.

Earth Hour and Beyond

For one hour tomorrow, millions of people will turn off their lights and sit in relative darkness. It may seem like a random way to support environmentally sustainable action, but Earth Hour — a global initiative in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) — is hoping that one hour of darkness will lead to a whole year of change.

Begun in Australia in 2007, Earth Hour has grown exponentially. Last year, more than 125 countries participated in the self-imposed blackout. Even major landmarks such as Rome’s Colosseum, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Toronto’s CN Tower and Egypt’s Pyramids went dark to support the cause.

Earth Hour, on its skeleton crew, has been trying to answer that question for five years. Now, they think they might have the answer in a new platform designed for and powered by its millions of supporters.

Beyond the Hour is a platform that allows anybody to post and pledge his or her environmental actions and then share those promises and stories through social networks. With global scale in mind, the platform will be translated into 11 different languages.

Users can mouse over the dynamic images to preview randomly selected actions or search by a variety of terms, including location. If users see an action that speaks to them, they can join in by clicking “do this” to mirror the pledge.

An app version of the platform has already landed in the iTunes store for iPhone, with an Android version on the way. Both offer all the same functionality of the web app.

Mike Tyson Can Cure Your Angry Birds Addiction

Event Check-in

Facebook have announced that they will soon be expanding checkins beyond Places and will add them to Event Pages in the next release of its iPhone application. The coming-soon feature will allow Facebook iPhone app users to check in to Event Pages and tag their friends in the process.

Events is an area I dont think Facebook has ever really got to grips with and truly made "social" so perhaps this move will be a huge step forward for them.

Facebook expanded its Places service to allow brands to send deals to customers who check in at their location but the network hasn’t yet confirmed whether this will also be expanded to events.

Facebook launched Places in the UK in September 2010 on its iPhone app. It has since allowed all mobile users the option to check in via the Facebook Mobile site

Torrent Tunnel

Paramount Pictures has struck an unlikely partnership with peer-to-peer "pirate" site Bit Torrent to release Aussie horror film The Tunnel.

In an unprecedented move Paramount will launch the movie on Bit Torrent as a sort of "tease" with the hope that viewers like it enough to pay for the DVD version which includes bonus material and an alternative ending.

It's a unique model and the films producers, and Paramount Pictures, are waxing lyrical about this was always part of the plan and that they were looking to do something new with the films release. The movie’s producer/editor Enzo Tedeschi told Torrentfreak: “From day one we’ve maintained thatThe Tunnel is not supporting or condoning piracy, but instead trying to incorporate a legitimate use of peer-to-peer in our distribution strategy internationally.”

I'm all for embracing new ways to distribute movies and to look at innovative ways of reimagining new ways of monitising entertainment and media content but this stinks of a film company, and the movies producers, trying to grab a headline for a movie that would have otherwise gone unknown to most people.

Is the film strong enough that after seeing it for free people are going to want to buy it, well with the amount of low rent straight to DVD horror movies released in any one year its hard to say but my guess is no! Also, why would consumers pay for the extra content and alternative ending if they too become available on Bit Torrent (as someone is surely going to rip them off the disc as soon as the products released).

However, this does, for me, bring up the interesting discussion about how moving forward film companies, just as some record labels have, began to use free content to not just make news but to genuinely drive the paid for venue opportunities.

Attack of the glow-in-the-dark

This month's issue, number 34, of my favourite film magazine, the beautifully designed and well written, Little White Lies magazine sees a brilliantly imagantive cover inspired by Joe Cornish's much hyped debut feature Attack the Block.

Check out the magazine, its available everywhere people, and the film that inspires this month issue ... it looks great too!

Super 8!

Paramount released the first full-length video for the much anticipated Super 8 on Friday via Twitter.

Tweeted from the @Super8Movie Twitter account and utilizing TwitVid means that the trailer is viewable in streams on Twitter.com and in many popular Twitter clients. From TwitVid, users can also share the trailer with their friends on Facebook or Twitter.

Check it out ... it promises to be the movie event of the year.

Cash in line

A college student sold her spot as the first in line at the Apple flagship store in New York after waiting nearly 41 hours for the launch of the iPad 2.

Amanda Foote made $900 from the spot from app developer Hazam Sayed who said he was planning on leaving for a business trip Friday evening and wants to have an iPad 2 with him.

Foote slept a total of 3 hours and 10 minutes in the time between when she got in line at 5 p.m. Wednesday and when she left it at 9:00 a.m. Friday.

She says she plans to buy tickets to a Lady Gaga concert with the cash that she earned for her trouble.

Avi This

It's Friday so what better than some free music to get you through the day. Check the link below to download "What's in it For" the single from the brilliant Avi Buffalo.

Who say's you don't get anything for free? If you like what you hear you can buy the new self-titled debut album here

In the Mode?

On my tube journey into work yesterday I was handed a copy of new fashion magazine MODE. The glossy 74 page free magazine is a bi-annual giveaway from the team behind mens free-sheet Shortlist.

But for me its a case of style of substance as there isn't enough editorial depth and features are brushed aside for a raft of glossy advertising.

Not only that but most of the clothes featured are the higher end of the majority of commuters price bracket, at best.

The fact that it is 74 pages is impressive for a fee-sheet but as a bi-annual fashion magazine intended to be kept and re-read over the coming season it just doest work.

I think Shortlist need to look at the reader experience rather than just using advertiser interest as a mark of success.

Its a promising move for the publishing world and shows that Shortlist are looking beyond their main weekly giveaway in an attempt to create a strong brand identity for within mens publishing.

Just give me a bell

Amazingly today marks the 135 year anniversary of the telephone. On this day in 1876 Alexander Graham Bell was awarded his patent for his telephone device and the rest, as they say, is history.

Below are some amazing first sketches of Alexander Graham Bell's device, an incredible feet of technological engineering and design that has gone on to change the face of communication.

Click here for a high res image

Take a Break!

Its Monday lunch time so sit back and enjoy this brilliant Conan O'Brien iPad 2 send up... funny, funny, funny

Click here to check out Team Coco

Beady Eye in a Jam

The News of The World launched mens magazine JAM this week and includes a five-track sample covermount of "Different Gear, Still Speeding" by Liam Gallagher's new band, Beady Eye.

The mag also includes a feature on Gallagher with an exclusive photo shot from iconic British photographer David Bailey.

The magazine is launching as a one off, but News International will commission research that studies the viability of turning the magazine into a regular monthly, or even weekly, addition to the newspaper.

The magazine launches at a difficult time for the men's sector.

Steve's Job

It's here ... Apple today announce the launch of the iPad 2 prsented by tech messiah Steve Jobs who received a standing ovation at the event in San Francisco.

With 15 million iPads sold since 2010 Apple hope to take advantage of the growing market, its predicted that 64 million tablet computers will be sold globally in 2011, and their new thinner, faster, lighter model could well set the pace for the rest to follow.

Check out this review on TechRadar .... its time to get saving!

REM to premiere album on Spotify

Spotify has signed a deal with REM to premier the band's latest album Collapse into Now.

It’s giving its premium subscribers in the UK, Sweden, Spain, Norway, the Netherlands and Finland exclusive access to the album a week ahead of its wider European release.

This is exactly the sort of approach the online music service needs to apply as it looks to drive users away from its standard offering and onto its premium service. Alongside the release, Spotify is running a competition giving users the chance to win prizes such as guitars, signed merchandise and music sound systems. Entering the competition automatically adds to a user’s account a playlist specially compiled by the band.

This follows on from last weeks news that Spotify received a$100m investment valuing the company at around £618m.