A while back, I had written about a really interesting, and beautifully created, blogging platform, Jux. I had always wondered if yet another blogging platform could really sustain in a world where WordPress, Blogger and Tumblr dominate. Now we know the answer.

Here is the letter from Jux:

Your work has brought meaning to us, to millions of others, and hopefully to you. By providing a creative layer on top of words and images, Jux has helped you build narratives, hold attention, and connect people.

Unfortunately, Jux has not grown fast or large enough to attract further investment. The service will close on August 31, 2013. Until then, you may retrieve your work.

We apologize for the mammoth inconvenience and trust your stories will continue.

It really is too bad because I think Jux is amazing. It’s built-in connections to Instagram, Flickr and Tumblr along with its beautiful presentation and ease-of-use will be missed very much by me. I was truly rooting for the company to make an impact in the digital world.

Hewlett-Packard Co., one of the biggest commercial print companies globally and a major rival of Xerox Corp. and failing Eastman Kodak Co. — saw its print business struggle in its most recent quarter.

HP announced its latest quarterly earnings after the market’s close Wednesday. For the quarter ending April 30, H-P’s $6.1 billion printing business said its revenues were down 1 percent overall, with its commercial hardware sales down 5 percent. But that was better than expected, and improving, CEO Meg Whitman said in a conference call.

Overall, while H-P revenues and profits were down sharply from a year ago, they nonetheless were better than Wall Street had expected. And as a result, H-P stock took off like a rocket Thursday, ending the day at $24.86, up $3.63 or 17 percent.

In January 2011, Whitman joined Hewlett-Packard’s board of directors.She was named CEO on September 22, 2011. As well as renewing focus on HP’s Research & Development division, Whitman’s major decision during her first year as CEO has been to retain and recommit the firm to the PC business that her predecessor announced he was considering discarding.

That being said, I don’t run particularly sophisticated ads but do utilize some very basic practices that keep my ROI and conversion rates where I like them. I prefer to completely control my ads (since I do have a background in SEO) and believe other entrepreneurs should stay involved in how Google Adwords is being leveraged for their businesses.

Here are five SIMPLE and EASY strategies to spend less, spend wisely and improve ROI and conversion rates within Google Adwords.

1. Be specific

One of the most frustrating implementations of Google Adwords I’ve seen with clients I’ve assisted in online advertising is they try to compete with general keywords and key phrases. Sometimes these words have cheaper cost-per-clicks, which makes them attractive. Sometimes the are actually more expensive since everybody and their mother is bidding on them. Yes, you could broadly target “poster printing” but that will likely drive a lot of unqualified traffic to your site. Think more like “glossy poster printing” or “matte poster printing” or, better yet, “24×36 matte poster printing.” These long-tail keywords are not necessarily cheaper, but they are more specific to what you might be offering which leads to better conversions and return on investment.

If you decide to compete with a general phrase (please don’t even think about just targeting “printing”), bid low and you will still get a ton of clicks.

2. Use Negative Keywords

Negative keywords are one of my best friends. Since some of the keywords I use are fairly generic, I utilize a bunch of negative keywords. Negative keywords informs Google NOT to display ads if included within the targeted keywords.

For instance, I may have a campaign for “poster printing” and that draws in a bunch of unwanted traffic. Since we do not print on plastic, one negative keyword I may use is “plastic” since I do not want to pay for someone searching for “plastic poster printing” to find our company. You can use hundreds of negative keywords in any single campaign. If you cannot keep up with negative keywords and unwanted traffic, then think about dividing up those keywords into more specialized campaigns or consider “exact” keywords.

Google Adwords helps us choose negative keywords by allowing us to see exactly what search words are being paid for and clicked on. By selecting any campaign, click on the keywords tab then look for keyword details and choose “All” in the dropdown menu.

3. Choose Your Device

Google Adwords allows us to target device types (Tablets, smartphones, desktops and laptops). If your website works crappy on mobile devices and tablets, then I would suggest turning those ads off since you are probably wasting money. My best advice would be to improve your mobile presence, but that topic is worthy of an entirely new article.

Interesting enough, the devices option also provides targeting of specific phone carriers (Verizon, Sprint), operating systems (iOS, Android, Blackberry) and even actual devices themselves (iPhone 4S, Nexus 7, Droid 2). If your mobile site rules on Apple and Android devices, but sucks on Blackberry then you can stop targeting those searchers. This is a powerful and easy tool for targeting customers. I actually divide mobile ads from other ads to help me better manage our mobile marketing strategy.

TIP: If your standard (desktop) website does not work properly on tablets, you have a BIG problem and should consider an immediate redesign.

4. Be Exact

There are a few ways to enter keywords into Google Adwords which is called Match Types. Here are the different match types: broad match, broad match modifier, phrase match, exact match, and negative match.
With exact match, ads can appear when someone searches for an exact keyword, without any other terms in the search.

Exact matches are easily implemented by adding brackets around the keywords and look like this: [110# cover poster printing]

Using exact matches can help us gain complete control over how searchers find us. By combining specific key phrases with exact matches, we can make absolutely sure our ads are only displaying for the perfect keywords. This can be a great way to save money and improve conversions, but it can also lead to many missed opportunities so be careful.

5. Good Landing Pages

Most of us know this, but I have to say it anyways. In most cases, DO NOT (I repeat…DO NOT) lead customers to your home page. If you search on Google right now and click on ads by large companies, you will immediately notice each link points to the exact product.

For instance, if I type in “printing business cards” and click on Vistaprint’s Google ad, the landing page is a very concise page about business cards…and is not Vistaprint’s convoluted home page.

This is a great landing page:

Please notice this page is not all that pretty but is probably very effective. This is how you should model your landing pages.

Conclusion

These aforementioned ways to save money using Google Adwords are only scratching the surface of implementing effective ads. Google Adwords is an extremely sophisticated and rewarding platform. Please feel free to comment and ask questions!

The researchers at Australia’s Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC) — a collaboration between the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the University of Melbourne, Monash University and industry partners — have developed a way to print photovoltaic cells the size of an A3 sheet of paper.

According to CSIRO materials scientist Dr Scott Watkins, printing cells on such a large scale opens up a huge range of possibilities for pilot applications.

“There are so many things we can do with cells this size,” he says. “We can set them into advertising signage, powering lights and other interactive elements. We can even embed them into laptop cases to provide backup power for the machine inside.”

The new printer, worth $200,000, is a big step up for the VICOSC team. In just three years they have gone from making cells the size of a fingernail to cells 10cm square. Now with the new printer they have jumped to cells that are 30cm wide.

“Eventually we see these being laminated to windows that line skyscrapers. By printing directly to materials like steel, we’ll also be able to embed cells onto roofing materials.”
Dr David Jones, VICOSC project coordinator

VICOSC project coordinator and University of Melbourne researcher Dr David Jones says that one of the great advantages of the group’s approach is that they’re using existing printing techniques, making it a very accessible technology.

“We’re using the same techniques that you would use if you were screen printing an image on to a T-Shirt,” he says.

Using semiconducting inks, the researchers print the cells straight onto paper-thin flexible plastic or steel. With the ability to print at speeds of up to ten metres per minute, this means they can produce one cell every two seconds.

As the researchers continue to scale up their equipment, the possibilities will become even greater.
“Eventually we see these being laminated to windows that line skyscrapers,” Dr Jones says. “By printing directly to materials like steel, we’ll also be able to embed cells onto roofing materials.”

The organic photovoltaic cells, which produce 10–50 watts of power per square metre, could even be used to improve the efficiency of more traditional silicon solar panels.

Learn more about this fascinating printing technology.

PRINT 13 together with co-located CPP EXPO, coming September 8-12 to Chicago’s McCormick Place, will offer graphic communications professionals an exciting view of future technologies and new business-building opportunities in step with the show’s “Innovate, Integrate, and Communicate” theme. Among the hottest new and emerging print technologies they will discover will be RFID, Printed Electronics, and 3-D Printing.

Featured on the PRINT 13 show floor inside the Future Print Pavilion, sponsored by FlexTech Alliance, will be the “Experiential Lab” where show visitors can get up close and personal to examine and learn more about key emerging technologies. In addition, PRINT 13 will offer a specialized Future Print seminar track.

Among the educational offerings are:

“The Future of Print,” by Industry “Guru” Frank Romano

“Printed Electronics/Functional Imaging: Advanced Workflow and Printing Techniques,” by Cal Poly’s Colleen Twomey

“Printed Electronics: How to Implement Your Next Profit Opportunity,” by Cal Poly’s Xiaoying Rong

“3-D Printing for the Commercial Printer,” by Julie Shaffer of Printing Industries of America; and,

“21st Century Print Technologies Explored,” by Industry Consultant Steven Schnoll.
These sessions and programs are among the more than 60 co-located events and 70 educational sessions being held during PRINT 13. These events, workshops, users’ groups, conferences and more include offerings geared to each of 12 individual segments of the graphic communications industry.

“Printing technologies and opportunities are always changing and expanding,” said GASC President Ralph Nappi. “Today’s graphic communications professionals use technologies that were unheard of 10 or 20 years ago. Attendees at PRINT 13 will be able to explore new and emerging technologies that one day will be seen as routine profit centers.”

Attendees at PRINT 13 also will find a host of new and exciting show floor attractions. Among the new and newly “re-imagined” show floor attractions will be Deliver—The NEW Mailing & Fulfillment Center, sponsored by United States Postal Service (USPS) and Association of Marketing Service Providers (AMSP) [formerly MFSA]; Photo Finish – The Photo Imaging Pavilion and Photo Imaging International Business Forum, sponsored by Photo Imaging News and SPI Convention & Shoot-Out; Sidelines – The Expanded Revenue Streams Pavilion, sponsored by Print + Promo Magazine; and, BIG – The NEW Wide Format Pavilion, sponsored by the International Sign Association (ISA).

These innovative new show floor attractions join familiar favorites, including the popular Marketing Pavilion, sponsored by the Chicago American Marketing Association and Canvas Magazine, plus seven other special interest sections: News Print-the newspaper pavilion, sponsored by News & Tech; the In-Plant Place-a dedicated networking hub exclusively for In-Plant pros from every industry segment-Government, Corporate and Education-sponsored by IPMA; GREENspace – a showcase of eco-friendly products and services; the Prepress/Software: Workflow & Design and Press/Finishing sections; the Printerverse, sponsored by PrintMediaCentr; and, Education Main Street.

For more information and to register for PRINT 13, visit: www.print2013.com. Follow PRINT 13 on Twitter: #Print13.

About PRINT 13
Recognized as the most expansive exhibition in the Americas of digital, offset, flexo and hybrid technologies, products, and services for the commercial, transactional, converting and package printing, publishing, mailing, in-plant, photo imaging, and marketing industries, this year’s “Innovate, Integrate, Communicate” themed PRINT 13 offers an exciting show-going experience for a diverse spectrum of attendees. The trade show presents the latest graphic communications technologies in live equipment demonstrations across the show floor and education on the most in-demand products and newest profit-making opportunities. PRINT 13 offers more than 70 educational sessions and 60+ co-located events for attendees across 12 key market segments.

About Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC)
PRINT and GRAPH EXPO are produced by the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC). GASC is owned by the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (NPES), and the Printing Industries of America. GASC is located at 1899 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191 USA, telephone: 703/264-7200, fax: 703/620-9187, e-mail: info@gasc.org.

Scientists have made huge progress in embedding micro-sized radio chips in paper, a technology which will revolutionize smart paper and smart money.

A team in North Dakota, led by Val Marinov, is utilizing RFID-equipped smart paper to possibly be used for added security for legal documents, currency, tickets, and packaging in attempts to reduce fraud and counterfeiting in a world where sophisticated printing lies in the hands of criminals. The technology also adds a powerful layer of tracking which could become a privacy issue.

According to Mashable, RFID-equipped paper already exist in the market, but those versions on rely on thicker chips, resulting in bulky and bumpy paper that can’t be printed. However, the researchers at North Dakota State developed a process called “Laser Enabled Advanced Packaging” that creates ultra-thin silicon chips which can be seamlessly embedded in paper.

The process of Laser Enabled Advanced Packaging uses a plasma etcher to thin down the chips, then uses a laser beam pulse to insert the chips, as well as antennas, directly into the paper.

Marinov claims the process is cheaper than current manufacturing methods because less materials are being used and equipment is less expensive. The process is also twice as fast as other methods.

“About ten years ago the Bank of Japan and the European bank signaled their intention to develop such technology but they aren’t there yet,” Marinov told the BBC. “I believe our scheme is the first to demonstrate a functional RFID tag embedded in paper.”

Marinov and his team recently presented their work at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE RFID 2013) conference on RFID in Orlando. They are currently seeking commercial investors. “The technology needs to leave the lab and find a place in industry,” Marinov said.

Staples, the world’s largest office products company and second largest e-commerce company, today became the first major U.S. retailer to announce the availability of 3D printers. The Cube® 3D Printer from 3D Systems, a leading global provider of 3D content-to-print solutions, is immediately available on Staples.com for $1299.99 and will be available in a limited number of Staples stores by the end of June.

The Cube 3D Printer is immediately available on Staples.com for $1299.99 and will be available in a limited number of Staples stores by the end of June.

The Cube® 3D Printer, ready to use right out of the box, features Wi-Fi, is compatible with Mac or Windows, and comes with 25 free 3D templates designed by professional artists, with additional templates available online. With its ultra portable design, the Cube® fits easily in the office, classroom or living room, making it the perfect 3D printing device for designers, small businesses, students and kids.

“Staples is excited to bring the power of 3D printing to our customers, by being the first major U.S. retailer to announce the availability of this innovative technology that lets you create fully formed objects in your home or small business,” said Mike Edwards, Staples executive vice president, merchandising. “Staples is known for carrying the latest technology and 3D printers are the most recent example of our commitment to offering every product your business needs to succeed.”

3D printing has been hailed as a revolutionary method and an efficient technology for manufacturing, allowing for the creation of shapes or objects using digital technology. For companies creating new products, 3D printing can make it easier to design and test new concepts, and decrease the time to market.

“We are absolutely thrilled that a leader and innovator of the caliber of Staples is making it easy to get our award winning Cube 3D Printer family on-line and in their stores,” said Avi Reichental, 3D Systems’ President and Chief Executive Officer. “Staples is the ideal partner to deliver the only true plug and play 3D Printer to offices, living rooms, classrooms and hobby shops, extending our reach and consumer access.”

The Cube® 3D printer can print items up to 5.5″ x 5.5″ x 5.5”, using material cartridges in 16 different colors including metallic silver, glow in the dark and vibrant and neutral colors. Users can either print from a template or create a design using Cube’s own software, Cubify Invent™, sold separately. Staples makes printing with the Cube® easy, by offering all of the essential accessories, including recyclable ABS and compostable PLA plastic cartridge refills, replenishment CubeSticks, which are used to stabilize the object being printed, and replacement Cube Print Pads.

Andrea and Dale are lovers

This isn’t one of the more interesting differences between the comic and TV world of this zombie series, but extreme nevertheless. You see, in the television series, Andrea is pretty much annoyed with Dale always butting into her business because he’s just some creepy old guy with a camper. The relation is complex and far from sexual. But in the comic book series, he’s just a creepy guy with a camper…oh…wait a minute here. Andrea pretty much has serious daddy issues in cartoon form and falls in love with Dale. She’s a loyal hottie until the day he dies.

Rick gets his hand chopped off

So far Rick’s been lucky on the TV show, but for how long?

If you take the governor from the TV series, inject him with Charles Manson DNA and slap Gary Busy’s personality in there, you’ve got the recipe for the REAL Governor. The guy is basically nuts and the show doesn’t truly do him justice, and we’ll get to that soon enough.

In the initial visit, or capturing, at Woodbury ended up pretty drastic indeed. Rick was present (unlike the TV series) and the first thing ole’ Gov did was chop Rick’s hand off with a machete just to get everyone’s attention. That’s just brutal man. I had to stop reading for a moment to fully digest that scene. For the rest of the series, I hoped Rick would get a Skywalker reprieve, but that just doesn’t happen since this world is straight up gloomy. That stub doesn’t prevent sequential Rick from being a badass like he is in the series.

What is the symbolism of major characters losing hands? Luke Skywalker loses a hand, Rick Grimes loses the hand and Jamie Lannister loses it too.

Little baby Judith dies

You know who’s more demented than The Governor? Robert Kirkman and Charlie Alward, the creators of that character. Those sick bass tards not only killed off Rick’s wife, Lori, but baby Judith too. They were both killed simultaneously by machine gun blasts from The Governor and his entourage. That incident leads to Rick going bonkers for awhile.

In the series, I think it seemed unlikely that Rick would snap. Yes, losing Lori was an epic loss for him under the stressful circumstances, but watching Lori and his newborn baby being butchered could, and does, definitely push a strong-willed man like Rick Grimes over the edge.

I think on television baby Judith represents hope, so losing her will be too defeating. That’s an interesting dimension that was not present in the comic.

Twisted or brilliant storytelling? It’s your call.

Daryl and Merle don’t exist

This fact is simply remarkable. The Walking Dead television series actually created a character that fans love most and he didn’t even exist in the comic book. The Daryl and Merle storyline is a great tale of brothers that new readers of the comic book will surely yearn for.

At first any new reader may feel a void, but the after a few chapters Daryl and Merle are barely missed since there any many other characters unknown in TV Land.

The Governor Chops Tyreese’s Head Off

The Governor is without question a scary dude, and he has a real knack for chopping off body parts. During his first confrontation at the prison, he shows off his ruthlessness by chopping off Tyresee’s head. It was a devastating scene too since Rick and crew helplessly watched the gruesomeness as it was happening.

And that guy was a cool mo fo too. It’s kind of weird the show waited so long to introduce Tyreese since that character played such an active role early on in the comics. In fact, the show brought him in very close to the time he departed in the comics. That’s probably a coincidence, but you can’t underestimate the cleverness of the show writers.

So far, the show really missed the boat with The Governor. He was a crazy bastard and townspeople knew it. He kept them safe to they overlooked his bizarre behavior.

In conclusion

The show and comic book are very much alike, yet VERY different, which is what makes both stories brilliant pieces of work. I am amazed how well the television version has maintained so many aspects of the original story while still keeping all fans satisfied. It doesn’t matter which version you enjoy first, because both story lines are incredibly enjoyable.

“This system doesn’t use any special hardware; it consists of just a device like an ordinary webcam, plus a commercial projector. Its capabilities are achieved by image processing technology,” explains Taichi Murase, researcher at Fugitsu’s Media Service System Lab.

Aside from flat surfaces, Fujitsu’s new technology works on more than paper including curved and uneven surfaces allowing data to be manipulated.

In the above video, researches are scanning items from brochures, atlases and even sticky notes then manipulating those images via fingertip mixing the digital and physical world augmented reality style. While watching the video, I was taken aback how useful and amazing the technolog could be. This is stuff we’ve seen in science fiction movies like The Matrix. Wild.

The technology is still officially at the “demonstration level” researchers at Fujitsu are planning to develop a commercial solution sometime in 2014.

I recommend that you set aside five minutes of your time and watch that video!

One major advantage digital advertising has over print and traditional media is real-time data that measures effectiveness and engagement, which is why we only advertise online despite being a print company. In the near future, print media could actually become more relevant thanks to companies like EFI.

At the ISA International Sign Expo in Las Vegas, EFI unveiled SmartSign Analytics (SSA), a system that automatically captures and analyzes signage viewership and engagement data. Conceived and shown as a technology demonstration by EFI’s Online Print Solutions (OPS) unit, SSA will help signage providers and retail marketers better measure and understand the effectiveness of their efforts.

“Print can drive relevance, revenue and profit in the age of big data, and this technology demonstration can show how that will happen with signage,” said Mark McGowan, director of EFI’s OPS products. “SSA has the potential to provide unprecedented insights on the best strategies and execution to drive retail sales.”

A single SSA unit includes a webcam attached to a sign, connected to a computer or tablet running a partner facial recognition software and EFI’s proprietary SSA software for data organization, analytics and reporting. In an actual retail implementation, most marketers will likely deploy multiple units to measure, compare and improve signage performance at different stores or at different in-store locations.

The SSA system’s webcam and software combination detects the presence of people within viewing range and determines which of them are actually viewing a sign. Eye-tracking tools on the SSA system also allow it to calculate how much time is spent viewing signage.

Beyond those useful metrics, the advanced SSA technology provides even more-detailed demographic information. Using advanced, proprietary facial pattern algorithms, the SSA system assigns a gender and age range to each viewer, providing a wealth of market-segment information that businesses cannot quickly or easily collect by any other means.

An embedded, failsafe routine in the software ensures that the SSA system discards facial pattern data on the fly, with no actual images of faces stored during operation.

SSA will enter beta testing this quarter. Visitors to EFI’s International Sign Expo booth can see an EFI SSA kiosk attached to a sign capturing and reporting live data.

Marvel made a splash at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival by offering a free Marvel #1 digital download (via app) for two days only. Unfortunately, the offer was “paused” due to server overload.

The adventures, new and old, of the X-Men, Spider-Man and the Avengers would be available free, and the first issues would make it easier for new readers to follow.

Comixology, a digital storefront for comics, became overwhelmed by the intense interest of comic book lovers flocking to download.

“We expected a high degree of excitement for the Marvel initiative — and had believed ourselves prepared — but unfortunately we became overwhelmed by the immense response,” admitted Comixology’s CEO and co-founder, David Steinberger.

Comics readers were told to post their e-mail addresses on a form to be notified when the offer would be back up and running.’

Marvel’s statement:

Marvel fans assembled in record numbers to take advantage of the landmark Marvel #1 digital comics sale! The demand has been so overwhelmingly positive, in fact, that a number of technical issues have arisen with our technology partner in getting the more than 700 free issues to each of you. When we have further updates from our partner, we will share them.
Your excitement, support and never-ending enthusiasm for all things Marvel are truly amazing.

From the House of Ideas directly to every Marvelite out there: thank you for making yours Marvel!

The advent of reading comics digitally, especially on tablets, has been seen by some as the future of the comics industry, as print readership continues to decline.

As of my last post, I’m close to purchasing my first 3D Printing machine, the Replicator 2 by MakerBot. This home-based machine is meant more for hobbyists and individuals and not really for commercial printing, but I think it’s a baby step forward (for me) into better understanding the technology.

Today, I read an interesting article on Techcrunch about MakieLab, a company that specializes in making customizable toys using 3D Printing technology. Wow!

MakieLab is betting that the rise of smartphones and tablets coupled with the decline of traditional retailers is making the iPad the right place to sell the toys of the future. And custom 3D printing will let kids have products that no one else does – toys they design themselves. It’s an online Build-A-Bear. The startup has developed a system of creating objects using game technologies – 3D Studio Max, Unity, 3D objects – and transmogrifying them into 3D-printable toys complete with internal working joints.

The startup launched a Makies Doll Factory app last week that lets you design your own unique doll with special hair, facial features and custom clothing. You can then have it 3D printed and sent to you at a price that starts around 59 pounds ($88), excluding shipping. The app has seen about 70,000 dolls designed so far in the first week. (These are dolls designed, not ordered. MakieLab isn’t sharing stats on orders yet.)

“People love the fact that these toys are on demand,” said co-founder Alice Taylor. “Because the child or adult has made the toy themselves, they’ve got a precious relationship with it. The doll has a heirloom aspect to it.”

There are some limitations to this emerging technology, like the plastic is only available in porcelain white (for now, watch this space), and it costs more to print objects in 3D than running off vinyl in the billions in China. BUT! The upsides are amazing: completely customizable toys.