Twitter Is... Well, You Know

Confused about Twitter? Maybe we all need to simply spell it out just like they do on the Monitcello web site...

Search the Live Web with Two Simple Bookmarklets

I have become addicted to Google's new real-time search feature. It's an incredible window onto the world's psyche. However, it's somewhat lacking in one small way.

By default, Google doesn't serve up real-time results for most searches. It only does so for topics that are in the news or the conversation zeitgeist. For example, as of this writing, a search for the phrase "Google" doesn't turn up any real-time results. Compare this with any of the terms listed on Google Trends, all of which will automatically feature real-time results. 

If you want to easily access Google real-time results for any query, all you need is two simple bookmarklets.

The first bookmarklet once triggered will reveal the latest status updates from Twitter, Jaiku, Facebook and others. If you select text on a page it will automatically pull it into a query. If you don't select any text, the bookmarklet will pop up a box for you to enter a query.

javascript:x=escape(getSelection());if(!x)%7Bvoid(x=prompt('%20-%20Google%20Real-time%20Updates:',''))%7D;window.location='http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=en&tbo=1&output=search&tbs=mbl:1&q='+x

The second bookmarklet is broader - it pulls in all real-time results from blogs, news sources and Twitter and like the one above will work on pre-selected text or a new query.

javascript:x=escape(getSelection());if(!x)%7Bvoid(x=prompt('%20-%20Google%20Real-time%20Search:',''))%7D;window.location='http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=en&tbo=1&tbs=rltm:1&q='+x

Both bookmarklets should work in various browsers. I tested them in Safari and Firefox. All you need to do is create a bookmark with the precise URL listed above. (For some reason I can't get javascript code to link properly on Posterous, otherwise I wold have done so.)

Three Observations from Le Web

Earlier this week I attended Le Web in Paris. It was my first time at the conference. Loic and Geraldine Le Meur did an awesome job bringing together a mix of Americans and Europeans for what, as far as I can tell, is the only truly global Internet industry event. Here are my three takeaways coming out of Le Web...

One of the great untold stories is just how much Facebook and Twitter are growing off-site. Facebook announced they reach 60 million through Facebook Connect. Meanwhile nearly half of Twitter's activity takes place away from Twitter.com - they reported. Both platforms are quietly becoming a social operating systems for the web, not just their own sites.

Second, nowadays no two people see the same Internet. This was a key point that Facebook made, saying that we increasingly discover online content not just by algortihms but via the "lens of friends." Microsoft researcher Danah Boyd brought this to life through rich, moving stories. Google's Marissa Mayer went a step further saying that the future of news is a "personalized news stream." This trend has major implications for marketers and PR pros who are accustomed to reaching everyone the same way - it's simply not possible anymore.

Finally there's a ton of energy around the live web. It feels like everyone from Google to governments gets its import. Perhaps Queen Rania of Jordan summed it up best when she said: "real time is the new prime time."

Le Web was a great conference. If you can, I recommend trying to go at least once. Not only was the content good but the networking was too. I got to meet many European startups that are all quietly innovating.

How Twitter is Rewiring My Brain - and Maybe Yours

These days - perhaps a function of my lifestyle - the mobile device is becoming my primary content reading and browsing tool. This is slowly changing my habits and I wonder if this is part of a larger trend.

With the advent of Twitter lists, I find myself dipping in and out of the stream to catch up not only on news but blog posts from friends and companies whose products and services I use or have more than a passing interest. However the changes in how I interact with media go deeper than news.

I am an avid reader. Each year I read several dozen books - exclusively nonfiction (call me boring, it's ok).

Where I used to finish one book before picking up the next, nowadays, I keep a virtual shelf of books on my iPhone and dip in and out in Twitter-like bursts of time. This could never work for fiction but it suits me fine.

So Twitter is definitely reconditioning this 40-year-old toward a new way of living. How about you?

Gifts for Those Who Have Everything... the Cloud

My AdAge column this week covers three cloud services you can buy as gifts for the digerati in your life: Evernote Premium, DropBox and GigaOm Pro...

The holiday crush is on and the clock is ticking. But what do you get the geek or coworker in your life who has (or wants) everything? How about something intangible: a web-service subscription.

Over the last few years, as I have moved more of my life into "the cloud," I have started to rely on a handful of such services. They keep me in sync, in the know and in touch. Here are three that passed my "30-day test."

Link: Gifts for Those Who Have Everything ... in the Cloud - adage.com