Publicists: tweet your coverage

•November 10, 2009 • Leave a Comment

twitter_logo_headerI’m still surprised by how little tweeting some publicists do. You’d think that they’d want to maximize the coverage their clients receive. Yet, I’m continually stunned by how little this happens. Active tweeting can kick off a virtuous cycle that benefits the writer, publicist and client.

For bloggers especially, performance matters. Success is defined by how much we write and how much it’s read. The presence of “tweet counters” on many blogs has made retweets a new metric, as well, even though it’s a subordinate measure of readership. As the retweets tick up, we look good. If we know that the publicist is part of the reason, there’s a pretty good chance we’ll cover your clients more. When this happens, the publicist wins: both coverage and readership are demonstrably higher (and the retainer, too, maybe?).

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A Blast from the Past

•November 6, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Microsoft Hoping to Go Global with Yahoo

•November 5, 2009 • Leave a Comment

microsoftMicrosoft and Yahoo! inked a 10-year search partnership in the United States, and they’re hoping to ride that deal around the world. The two technology companies are trying to chip away at search engine giant Google’s market share in the space. If all goes well, Microsoft thinks the deal will close early next year, even though there are some regulatory hurdles to clear.

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Microsoft to cut 800 more jobs

•November 5, 2009 • 1 Comment

microsoftLegendary software firm Microsoft, the people who brought you Windows 7, is about to cut another 800 jobs. The company announced it was letting 5,000 people go back in January. Lou Gellos, a spokesman for the company, said yesterday that the chopping will happen around the world. No specifics are being given. This was the first year that Microsoft has had major layoffs. At the end of last year, 94,000 people worked at Microsoft. Three quarters later, the employee population dropped to 91,000, suggesting that another 2,000 people were hired along the way (for a net loss until then of 3,000 jobs).

[Via USA Today]

North Korea Looking for an Ear

•November 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Copy of dprkThe reclusive Communist state wants to talk – but only to the United States. After a year of silence, it’s willing to revisit the issue of nuclear disarmament, but it wants one-on-one time instead of the usual six-party format.

A DPRK official visited the United States last week, a rarity, in what has been called a “’charm’ offensive” by Reuters. The country is desperate for money and aid.

Reuters reports that a DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman said to the Korea Central News Agency, “The conclusion we have reached is that the direct parties, which are the North and the United States, must first sit down and find a rational solution.”

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Government Money Fuels GM Acquisition

•November 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment

gm-logoGeneral Motors is going shopping. The recently bankrupt auto manufacturer got government permission to use $2.8 billion of its federal cash to buy a chunk of auto parts supplier Delphi. Once upon a time, Delphi was GM’s parts division. According to an SEC filing, the Treasury Department is letting GM use $1.7 billion to buy post-bankruptcy Delphi and another $1.1 billion to pick up Delphi’s global steering business and four parts manufacturing facilities.

[Via USA Today]

Miley Cyrus Is Nuts, Fan Is Worse

•November 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment

twitter_logo_headerYes, Miley Cyrus is on an anti-Twitter crusade and thinks that “Twitter should be banned from the universe.” Her commitment, however, is about to be checked: is the banishment of Twitter worth the life of a small kitty?

A Miley Cyrus fan absolute fucking nutjob has threatened to kill his cat unless Cyrus comes back to Twitter. Can you believe this? Retarded.

Here are a few ideas:

  • Send the weirdo to an institution; he could use the help
  • Keep Miley Cyrus focused on what she does best (hint, it involves Annie Leibovitz)

Five Fun Headlines from North Korea

•November 4, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Copy of dprkI’ll do this every now and then — no real schedule. Here are some of my favorite stories from North Korea’s official news outlet, the Korea Central News Agency.

New Plant Discovered in DPRK: Yes, this refers to vegetation. It’s named the Hyangsan cuckooflower, or the less entertaining Cardamine hyangsanensis S.K.KO et J.O.Ri, Sp.nov.

Read the article on the KCNA website >>

Hu Jintao Invites Kim Jong Il to Visit: Where else in the world does an invitation become major news? It’s like “Migrant Blogger invited to get 20% off any bestseller (paperback only) at Barnes & Noble.” Yeah, KJI and I are among the elite.

Read the article on the KCNA website >>

UN Day Observed: Observed, but as you’ll see from the article, not with much zeal. Best conclusion ever: “Speeches were made there.”

Read the article on the KCNA website >>

U.S. Urged to Drop Its Ridiculous Scenario to Stifle DPRK: This is just bizarre, especially at the end, where the United States is “advised to drop its foolish scenario to stifle the DPRK by force and swim with the trend of the times toward detente and peace [emphasis mine].”

Read the article on the KCNA website >>

Read all Migrant Blogger articles on North Korea >>

U.S. Companies Clutching Cash

•November 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment

moneyA report in the Wall Street Journal today found that American companies are hoarding cash, ostensibly while waiting for that proverbial rainy day. In an analysis of company filings, it learned that the 500 largest non-financial companies in the country held $994 billion at the end of the second quarter in cash and cash equivalents, amounting to 9.8 percent of their total assets. A year earlier, they had only $846 billion (7.9 percent) in this category.

And, it looks like this is continuing into Q3. Of the 248 companies that have reported so far, cash holdings are up to 11.1 percent of assets quarter over quarter.

[Via Reuters, photo by AMagill via Flickr]

GreenPeak Technologies Completes B Round

•November 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment

greenpeakWith $19 million in fresh funding, Netherlands-based GreenPeak Technologies is ready to go. The company completed its Series B venture capital financing round, which was led by European investor Gimv and Robert Bosch Venture Capital. DFJ Esprit, Motorola Ventures and Allegro Investment Fund also participated.

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