Keeping Up with Google
I seem to write about Google fairly often in this weekly newsletter, but that's because they often reach into unexpected areas that warrant coverage. Here are two you might not have heard about:

Google profiles are a bit like Facebook and MySpace pages: aggregates of information about you, created by you. However, your Google profile shows up when someone does a Google search on your name.

While there aren't many Google profiles right now, I predict that Google's omnipresence will eventually make those profiles even more central to a digital presence than Facebook and Twitter. Yet it's that very ubiquity that makes me nervous, especially for individuals. Do we really want personal details placed straight into Google's bowels?

Create a Google profile if you dare.

The second item is the subject of a blog post written by Google vice president of product management Susan Wojcicki. She begins by saying that "ads are a valuable source of information -- one that can connect people to the advertisers offering products, services, and ideas that interest them." Google wants to look at the sites you visit and associate categories of interest with your browser, then use that info to serve up relevant ads. This behavior-targeted advertising is in beta testing on Google partner sites and YouTube.

Wojcicki is obviously aware that this targeted advertising, while loved by advertisers, can give privacy advocates the willies. She goes on to say, "We're launching interest-based advertising with three important features that demonstrate our commitment to transparency and user choice." That boils down to labeling ads as such; letting you add and delete interest categories; and opting out of the AdSense advertising cookie.

All this doesn't necessarily mean that Google is evil, but it is more powerful than any one individual. And the best way to balance that power as much as possible is to inform ourselves and act accordingly.

Review: Wacom Intuos4
Ben Long says that the Intuos4 feels great, looks gorgeous, and is extremely well-made. Photographers, designers, illustrators, and visual effects artists can all benefit from the innovations in this new line of tablets.

Related Reading: Bert Monroy is a Wacom wizard.

WordPress for Creative Pros, Part 2
Chad Neuman continues his series on creating sites with WordPress. In this installment, he explains how to customize how your site acts and looks.

Related Reading: Need to refer back to Part 1?

Scanning Around With Gene: Monkeys and Skunks in Your Mailbox
Gene Gable remembers that not too long ago, you could order exotic pets from a magazine and have them delivered straight to your mailbox. Those days are past, thankfully, but Sea Monkeys are still available!

Related Reading: Sea Monkeys galore!

TypeTalk: Get Typographically Correct Text from Word
Ilene Strizver helps you banish dumb quotes, double spaces, and double hyphens from Microsoft Word files.

Related Reading: Like that? You'll love this.

Ten Free Online Tools Every Designer Should Know
In this article, the genesis of CreativePro.com's now-monthly Free for All column, Pariah Burke introduced free resources that help you manage your business, store files, find stock images that aren't copyrighted, explore color, and more.

Related Reading: More from Pariah.

An iPhone Game for Print Designers

Calling All Couch-Owning Creative Suite Lovers

Output to Any Epson Printer from an iPhone

Adobe Updates Web-Content Maintenance Tool

CreativeProcom Podcast: InDesign and Flash training recommendations, Pantone sale, and font manager review

CreativePro.com Poll: Are ads on the covers of magazines and front pages of newspapers OK?

Trainer, speaker, and author Claudia McCue pointed out this crazy-beautiful-yet-EEK!-bugs site.

creativeprose-wacky-web-site-week-archive

If we have sent this in error or would like to remove your name from future communications, please see below. Please read our privacy policy.

Techical questions / problems? support@creativepro.com
Copyright © 1998 - 2008 PrintingForLess.com and CreativePro.com All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of CreativePro.com.