*** UPDATE 01-02-09: A full update of what happened can be found here http://tinyurl.com/bfmstr. The short of it is that it was human error during a routine update of Google’s bad URL’s list, someone put in “/” as a value of a bad URL so all sites were tagged as malware. the problem was fixed and lasted an hour. ******

Its Saturday the 31st and something crazy is up with Google, was just trying to get to Wikipedia and got the above results (all saying “This site may harm your computer”) and it seems its not just Wikipedia, it also produces Malware warning for many other popular websites and blogs including TechCruch who have a nice write up on it here http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/01/31/google-flags-whole-internet-as-malware/.

Seems its effecting Google South Africa, UK, most of western Europe and even some people from the States.

Below is the malware warning page that comes up when you try and go to a flagged site, even if you wanted to go and view the site regardless of the warning you cant as there is no option to move forward.

(It seems to be fixing itself as i type but still comes up with malware warnings randomly)

Have a fab weekend and it makes you wonder what would happen if Google broke! better back up those Gmail accounts with their new offline service now

  Great work from the guys and girls at DDB, Chicago for this new ad for Bud Light (if you go to their site you can see their new Drinkability ad campaigns too). On another note I’m looking forward to the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday ad’s and will be posting the highlights as I can get them over the week.

An old one but always makes me laugh. This is a video version of the famous Bud Light radio campaign from DDB that still holds the prize for the most award winning radio ad camping in history. They started in 1999 and ran until 2006 (when they created a few of them to film like above) and if you Google the term “Real men of Genius” you will find tons of sites with hundreds of different plays on the ad above. For a full listing click here

Great short article on WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg in the USA today Newspaper.

The article basically covers the accomplishments of WordPress and Automattic and shows some figures on its success. For a chap that only recently turned 25 he has accomplished what most can only dream of and not only that but personally he is a great laugh and a true gentleman too. Matt if your reading you have to come back to SA again this year!

To view the article online just click here

While I’m on the topic of Twitter I thought I would share this other pretty cool Twitter client with you. TwitterFone was released last year in May in the USA and is now available to use in 18 different countries (unfortunately not South Africa yet). Basically it allows you to add Tweets by voice and even listen to your Twitter stream, reply to tweets and direct message people, all by using your phone. The voice to text software works great and its a fab tool to be able to use when your on the move or any other situation where you cant type. The way it works is you call a local number given to you by TwitterFone, speak your update and then hang up, its as simple as that, within 10 minutes your tweet will be online. If you want to listen to your Twitter feed all you need to do when you call up is press 1 on the keypad. Other numbers allow you to reply to Tweets and direct message people. Best part is there is no charge to use the service. All you need to do is receive an invite so head to their website and ask for one. If your not already following me on Twitter you can by clicking here.

If your in need of a laugh and trust me its worth it even if your not, you simply must go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/4344890/Virgin-the-worlds-best-passenger-complaint-letter.html and read this great customer complaint letter to Virgin Atlantic boss Sir Richard Branson (He even has a nice blog). Heads up to all round legend Paul Walsh for pointing me to this one. Was so funny I cried myself laughing!

Twhirl my personal twitter client of choice has just got even better. For me its always been the easiest one to use after reviewing a few others as its just so user friendly and doesn’t get in the way on my desktop, notifications are easily read and alerted without distracting me too much. A few months ago Twhirl got bought out by the fab Loic Le Meur who also founded Seesmic. Now they now have announced a great new upgrade to Twhirl. The basic additions are as follows:

• More URL shortening providers built in as well as tracking stats for your URL’s posted on Twhirl
• Ping.fm integration built in. Meaning with one click you can now update your status on twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and WordPress amongst others all at the same time.
• The gathering under the “replies tab” of all tweets that include @yourusername, not just when it’s added at the start of a tweet (gathers all tweets mentioning your name)
• Saved Search, which basically saves all the twitter search results of anything you want to keep an eye on. E.G. your Brand, events, people etc. It also gives you a timeline of the results from when you were not online.
• Integration of one click video recording of new and reply Seesmic videos straight from Twhirl

To get this new version of Twhirl you have to go to Lioc Le Meur’s blog and sign up as its still a beta release for now. The sign up is painless and only takes a second.

Great new ad for Durex from Fitzgerald & Company, Atlanta. The Film is produced by Superfad and they have some great funny outtakes on their site, Click here.

On the 15th of January Saatchi & Saatchi London on behalf of T-Mobile UK organised a huge and very fun flash mob as part of there new “Life’s for sharing” campaign. The Ad was filmed at 11am in London’s Liverpool street train station and was first aired on Channel 4 on the 16th of Jan and only at the end of the ad do you see any T-Mobile branding. So far the clips on YouTube alone have had over 2,0000 views as I type T-Mobiles .co.uk site is down from the traffic!. I know it a bit of a copy of some other stuff that’s been done in the past but great effort none the less and wish them all the best. On another note just got back from Botswana from a Safari holiday and decided to grow a bit of facial man hair comments ? P.S. By the way great place if you ever want to go, I used Kwando Safaris and was one of the best holidays ever.

  I know its an early call but how can anyone top this baby! Its the new Heineken walk in fridge ad from TBWA, Neboko (Netherlands). Heineken is Europe’s largest brewery and is sold in over 170 different countries. The above ad is in Dutch however it has been dubbed into English, when i find it i will put it up but its pretty self explanatory (The lady is saying “ This is the living room, This is the bedroom, and this is……!). 

Sorry for the slow uptake but was doing some research today on the Saatchi & Saatchi global website and found this little gem of a ad. Never aired in South Africa as was from the UK branch, but what a great ad. Shot in different locations around Argentina the ad basically shows a naked man running from the middle of nowhere to his wedding with only a Visa card to help him. P.S. Have a great 2009 everyone, am getting very exited already, its going to be a good one, i know !