Here’s a picture of the space shuttle Atlantis, photographed on November 25 by the Expedition 21 crew on the International Space Station. The shuttle is seen over the Mediterranean Sea, near the Algerian coast. This picture is from the Image of the Day Gallery on NASA’s web site. The site has a  wealth of inspiring... »

Great Q  &A with Matthew Rettenmund in Ad Age, where he discusses the billion dollar Twilight franchise. Here’s an excerpt. Matthew Rettenmund: “In a way, Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are as big as Zac Efron, and they share a lot in common — right now, they’re only as famous as the franchise. Like Zac, they’ll be... »

On Thursday November 19, author Stephen King did something he rarely does – he gave a public reading in front of thousands of fans.  When he took to the stage at the sold-out Canon Theatre in Toronto (I was in attendance), he got a standing ovation. He was completely taken aback. He later admitted that... »

I’ve just finished reading Drudge Manifesto, a book by Matt Drudge (New American Library), published in 2000. Okay, it’s 10 years on, but many of the issues in the book are still relevant and discussed today. For those who’ve never heard of Matt Drudge, he’s the reporter who broke the Monika Lewinsky / Bill Clinton... »

Yesterday, Amazon.com received a ton of press coverage with the announcement that its Kindle 2 mobile reading device is now available in Canada. But a far more interesting story regarding mobile reading technology hardly received any coverage at all, and I think it’s is a much bigger story. I’m talking about a Toronto-based high school... »

Examples of poor writing abound in modern daily life. Newspapers, magazines and websites are overflowing with tired clichés and hackneyed phrases. Even PR firms and marketing departments routinely publish documents that are downright boring, confusing and repetitive.  Often, poor writing is simply the result of poor thinking and a lack of organization. If you want... »

Readers of Ad Age have voted Hyundai “Marketer of the Year,” beating out heavyweights such as McDonald’s, Amazon and Walmart  In a lengthy and engaging article about Hyundai’s surge in popularity and improved performance, Ad Age talks about Hyundai’s bold marketing initiatives that promoted its Assurance Program and the company’s entry into the premium car... »

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has inked a three-year deal with Screenvision, a company that delivers ads for movie screens across the U.S. According to Forbes, this is a first for NASCAR and it’s Screenvision’s “largest content deal to date.” This strategy by NASCAR is part of a trend by advertisers... »

Researchers at Sonoma State University and the University of Texas at Austin have concluded that first impressions really do matter in determining personality traits. In a study to be published in the December 10 issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, observers were shown full-bodied photographs of 123 people. They were asked to identity personality... »

A new ad campaign by Virgin Mobile Canada takes aim at Rogers Communications, challenging Rogers to come clean with its customers about new fees being charged to subsidize rural programming – fees that are not mandated by the government. Rogers has replaced the System Access Fee with a Government Regulatory Recovery Fee, which has the... »

If you happen to find yourself in Quebec this winter, check out the Hôtel de Glace, just west of Quebec City. The Hôtel de Glace is North America’s only ice hotel, made entirely out of snow and ice. The walls, the furniture, the beds, even the Ice Bar – all made from snow and ice.... »

The November edition of Harper’s magazine carries an article entitled “Final Edition – Twilight of the American newspaper,” written by Richard Rodriguez.  The article was a disappointment on many levels. I expected a thoughtful analysis of the decline of newspapers in North America, with new revelations and data thrown in for good measure. I expected... »

France’s most famous prankster, Rémi Gaillard, has released a new video on YouTube, where he disguises himself as a bat. Since the video was launched a week ago, it has attracted 1.7 million views and counting. Aspiring comedians, artists, musicians and performers are increasingly looking to YouTube as platform to launch their careers. Large online... »

Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) has introduced new guidelines aimed at preventing the depiction of unsafe driving in car ads.  The thinking is that auto ads featuring any form of reckless driving (speeding, distracted drivers) could influence motorists to behave in a similar fashion, thus endangering themselves and others. ASC said it’s responding to an increasing number... »

The rumour mill was abuzz on Friday with speculation that the National Post might have to suspend publication if CanWest Media wasn’t allowed to restructure its assets. Thankfully, the courts have agreed with the CanWest proposal and the Post will live on. The thought of a Post-less Canada seemed to fill some readers on the... »

Magazine publishers are desperately trying to hold onto their readerships, in light of plummeting circulation figures and advertising revenues. Esquire magazine is no exception. In a move that is a little gimmicky, Hearst Communications Inc. plans to publish its next edition using augmented reality technology. According to the Wall Street Journal, augmented reality “mixes real-life... »

Ford recently stepped into the social networking arena to promote the launch of its 2010 Fiesta in North America. The Detroit automaker provided 100 people in their 20s with the new subcompact to drive for six months. Ford encouraged these drivers to share their experiences online using Facebook, Twitter, personal blogs and other social networking... »

Last week, Technorati presented its State of the Blogosphere 2009, a report of the latest trends and statistics about blogging.  The report featured interviews with some of the most influential bloggers of today, including Seth Godin, Andrew Breitbart, Duncan Riley, Arianna Huffington, Michael Arrignton, and others.  The interviews reiterated some basic truths about blogging – i.e.,... »

Thomas Friedman writes in the New York Times, on October 20: “Those who are waiting for this recession to end so someone can again hand them work could have a long wait. Those with the imagination to make themselves untouchables — to invent smarter ways to do old jobs, energy-saving ways to provide new services,... »

The following Guest Column is written by Stephen Da Cambra, Project Co-ordinator and Copywriter at WSI, a Toronto-based Internet marketing company.   Ten years ago, marketing students never learned about tactics for viral marketing on the web, if only for the simple reason that they had never heard of such a thing.  Like most new media,... »