Seen in downtown Jerusalem:

Serbin founded Duo Guo in Shanghai after observing the huge demand, if not pent-up desire, of people to buy content for their mobiles right inside the store.

Many customers who had just spent close to a month’s salary for a new mobile phone were then rearing to load it up with value-added content such as software, games and other multimedia entertainment.

But in most cases, they just didn’t know how.

[via CNN]

A gem of a site, dedicated to preserving the memories of Jewish-owned family grocery stores in the greater Washington, DC area. (Is that a specific niche, or what?!) Don’t miss it.

Seen this week in TSA bins in Los Angeles… and San Jose… and Seattle… : 

Zappos.com is a great source for online shoe buying. We’ve found that the user comments are helpful, the site is easy to navigate, and the purchase goes smoothly.

What a great place to advertise: right in the bin into which you have to put your shoes and laptop computer as you pass through TSA security screening! You’re thinking about your shoes, you’re looking into the bin, and if the line moves slowly, you have nothing else to look at. Brilliant.

They’ve expanded into accessories (of the leather-goods type), too, hence the following:

These Jawbone headsets are gorgeous. I have to tell you, though, that I’d find it really, really hard to pick up and purchase any one of these. Sweet Talk? Dirty Talk? Trash Talk?

To the extent that branding taps into our desires and desired identities, this campaign is counterproductive in my case.

On a philosophical level, you might choose to interpret the line as being offensively racist. I probably would. But that’s another story.

[via Engadget Mobile]

A funny thing happened on my way to the CNET blogs today…

I saw the following ad:

Huh? That’s really funny! Now, I never, never click on banner ads. Never. But this is too good to resist.

Yes, I did it. I clicked.

And, believe it or not, I’m going to recommend that you check out the advertising page, too. www.stayathomeserver.com (is that a great site address, or what?!). The page opens with a tongue-in-cheek video news report, and then… well, just check it out yourself. And don’t leave without reading the whole book, it’s a total riot. A spoof on those books that help you discuss sensitive issues with your young children (like intimacy, non-nuclear families, handicaps).

Can this possibly be the same Microsoft that just last week sponsored Telecom TV at Mobile World Congress under the ad line, “We call it… Telco 2.0″? [brief pause to stifle gag reflex]

Maybe advertising this good means I’ll have to stop laughing at Microsoft. Heck, I’ll have to stop laughing at the ad, first.