Onward and Upward!

by Ron Daly 

"If we can put a man on the moon..." 

After celebrating the fortieth anniversary of doing the one thing that makes it seem like we can do anything, some worthwhile moments of note from around the web: 

Disney doing research on web banner receptiveness

(from the NY Times, via Gizmodo)

Disney, the mega-media conglomerate that owns ABC, Walt Disney World, and ESPN (to name a few) is doing some of the most complex and thorough investigation of the effectiveness of, and attention paid to, banner advertisements. Their goal is to say with some level of certainty which banner ads work the best - full page, pre-content movies, small button ads, etc. 

From the article:   

The tools are advanced: in addition to tracking eye movement, Dr. Varan and his 14-member team use heart-rate monitors, skin temperature readings and facial expressions (probes are attached to facial muscles) to reach conclusions.

Wow...that's some impressive technology and expense. Hopefully, we'll be able to see what Disney's results are (somehow)

Ban the book! Then bring it back!

(via AllThingsD.com)

Go to a bookstore. Buy a book. Take it home. You have the book. Now what happens when someone comes in and takes out of your hands. 

It might not happen with a paper book, but with a Kindle? It just did. 

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has recently apologized for a rash of deletions that occurred when Kindle users downloaded the works of George Orwell. When users downloaded Animal Farm and 1984, they suddenly found both books gone from their portable reading devices. Amazon has officially apologized for removing the books from people's Kindles, but aren't willing to say it won't happen again. 

Remote deposits just keep getting more so. 

(via the CU Journal)

WVUFCU is now offering a special iPhone app called iDeposit, which allows members to scan a check they wish to deposit with their iPhone and deposit said check in their account (click here for the full article). How many more credit unions (or banks) will be using this in the near future? Only time will tell, but WVUFCU seems very happy with their early successes. We'll keep you posted!

Throwing salt all over "Snail Mail"

(via the Washington Post)

The postal service is still fading. With further losses, billions fewer pieces of mail per year, and further talk of Saturday delivery disappearing altogether to stem losses, bitter feelings are beginning to emerge. 

How do you feel about the disappearance of regular mail? What is the maximum amount of postage you'd pay to send a standard letter? We want to hear from you. 

Onward and upward! If you have a technological innovation you'd like to highlight, contact us.