Microsoft takes on Google in 'Moonlighting' spoof

Microsoft is taking on Google, challenging its cloud computing software in a remake of the classic Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd TV series, Moonlighting.

For those that don't remember Moonlighting it featured Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in a romantic comedy tussle running a detective agency. The theme song was originally sung by Al Jarreau and if anyone can tell us who is now featured singing it we will add it to the blog.

Microsoft's version is called Googlighting and it is a must see. Can't wait for the Google response.

There have been some problems with this video viewing - not sure what is causing it - maybe a Google Gremlin!

Social media explained

Found this in one of the blogs we follow and it made us smile. By Douglas Wray.

Unusual and beautiful landscapes by Graafland

Dutch artist Scarlett Hooft Graafland produces her work in remote locations where the inhabitants have been forced to adapt to the natural conditions rather than the other way around.  

It is not about being where only very few people have been before, but about discovering an authenticity in a space, which often means that beauty and wonder simply combine into fantastic images.  

Scarlett comments,  "I am filled with nostalgia for places where people are very close to nature. Places where people have barely interfered with nature. The wonder of nostalgia for places you have never been to. The wonder of creating situations that have never existed before and will probably never exist again. Situations that are possible but very unlikely to occur again. Magic realism."  

See more of her work here

An Audi ad with real bite!

Audi takes a rather different approach to promoting their A7 in the States with a party out in the woods.

A bit of fun for vampire lovers!

Twitter opens up advertising to 10,000 small businesses

Twitter has started to broaden its revenue streams by rolling out its self-serve ad platform to 10,000 small and midsize businesses in the US through a partnership with American Express.  

From 16th February American Express card members and merchants are able to register to use the platform on a first-come, first-serve basis.  They will receive $100 in advertising credits to put towards bidding on promoted tweets and promoted accounts. Twitter had begun the rollout of self-serve, which lets advertisers make electronic payments instead of being invoiced by the sales team, in mid-November with a group of fewer than 20 advertisers and expanded the group to about 100.  

Dick Costolo, CEO, commented, "So many hundreds of thousands and even millions of small businesses have been using Twitter effectively for years already, so by opening up our ad platform to all these folks as a mechanism for them to amplify the value they're already creating."  

Find out more on Adage.