Paid Surveys, Opinion Polls and Product Trials

DATE: 08/06/2007 / MOOD: in love

it was bound to happen sooner or later. According to the BBC, six corporations (First Direct, Vodafone, Virgin Media, Halifax, AA, and Prudential) have decided to yank their Facebook ads after they were rotated in on a British National Party-related page. Virgin's spokeswoman even went as far to state the following: "We want to advertise on social networks but we have to protect our brand." Ouch.

What's so horrible about the British National Party? Well, without going into too much detail, it's characterized as a far-right political party known for its radical views and penchant for white nationalism. Its party leader also gained a lot of notoriety a while ago for his consistent demonizing of Islamic culture. Regardless of whether or not you agree or disagree with the party's views, I think it's pretty safe to say that politics and race relations don't always go hand-in-hand with, say, Vodafone's newest rates on family plans. It's not surprising that corporations want their images (if not their products) to appeal to the widest possible market, so today's move comes as little surprise.

But what does come as a surprise is that Facebook has remained quiet about the whole thing. The viability of the site's business applications comes into question almo st daily, and a situation like this hardly helps. Even though it may be beyond Facebook's control to achieve 100% tailored ad targeting, it's a little distressing that no one has even piped up to explain the complex nature of on-line advertising for the layperson that might interpret the ad placement as sloppiness on its part.

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DATE: 08/06/2007 / MOOD: in love

The Department of Transportation released figures showing that 42,642 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2006, a drop of 868, or roughly 2 percent, from 2005. That amounts to 1.42 people per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, the lowest rate ever recorded. What's particularly heartening is that even as the number of miles driven continues to climb, the number of people killed declines. DOT Secretary  Mary Peters offered only a vague platitude to explain why: "Tough safety requirements and new technologies are helping to make our vehicles safer and our roads less deadly." What's disheartening about the report is that drunk-driving deaths are up and so are motorcycle fatalities.

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DATE: 08/06/2007 / MOOD: in love

HandsFree Transporter, a Dutch firm, has a patent pending on a Segway-like vehicle operated by your legs. The gyroscopes that keep the device perfectly level seem to be well-suited to roving film photographers on movie sets or cameramen at sporting events. But the two-wheeler's other applications seem questionable.

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DATE: 08/06/2007 / MOOD: in love

It won't come as a surprise but American Formula One driver Scott Speed is out of a job. Scuderia Toro Rosso announced that BWM-Sauber test driver Sebastian Vettel will replace Speed beginning this weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Speed admitted last week that he was involved in a physical altercation at the European Grand Prix with team manager Franz Tost, who was furious after Speed crashed. According to Speed, "I just turned away and walked towards the garage, and I guess he must have caught up behind me. When he reached me, he hit me in the middle of the back with a closed fist. Everyone on the team saw it. He then followed me behind a partition, where none of the mechanics could see. He grabbed me from the front of my shirt, jerked me around, ripping my fire suit, and pushed me against the wall. My only response was to back up into the middle of the garage and ask him if he wanted to hit me in front of everyone else. Then I told [team co-owner] Gerhard Berger that if my team chief ever touches me again, I'm going to knock him out." Tost later apologized to Speed.

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DATE: 08/06/2007 / MOOD: in love

Spy photographers have been snapping it around the world.  BMW confirmed that it will debut at the Frankfort Auto Show in September. And this week it was confirmed that the Mini Clubman will go on sale in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2008. Nine inches longer than the current Mini, it allows for more storage space and features clamshell doors at the rear. Power delivery comes from 1.6-liter four, producing 120 hp. The 'S'-badged version gets a turbo, which raises power to  175 hp. European customers will get at least one diesel option as well.

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