1. Tech, Olympics and Presidential Blunders

    Yawho? Marissa Mayer, Google’s first female engineer, has been named the new CEO of Yahoo. She is a wiz in systems, artificial intelligence and computer science and is responsible for the clean interface that Google is so loved for. She has no experience in running companies, but her expertise may eventually bring Yahoo back up to par to compete with Google. Some critics are suspecting that this move will highly benefit Google by bringing in some more competition, but also because this will allow them to make highly informed guesses on Yahoo’s next moves so they can spend less time focusing on predicting, and more on creating new products. 

    Made Elsewhere: There are just 10 days left till the start of the summer Olympics in London. Social media has grown immensely since the last Olympics, so people are expecting this year to be unlike any other from the PR, media and social perspective. The speed and mobility of news has already amplified many stories regarding the Olympics, creating drama before the games even start. One of the bigger stories to outrage Americans is the discovery that Ralph Lauren’s uniform design for the American team would be made in China. Well, it looks like American Olympians aren’t the only team that will be “outsourcing” their team outfits. Russian Olympians will be sporting uniforms made by American Apparel, a Los Angeles based manufacturing and clothing company and Spanish athletes will don uniforms made in Russia. In other Olympic related news, athletes started arriving in London and there was concern about the understaffing of security, but members of G4S promise there won’t be anymore problems. Tell us what you are most looking forward to about the summer Olympics!

    Kiss Cam Fail: Obama and his wife were apparently caught on a Kiss Cam at the Team USA basketball exhibition game and made a public fail that is making headlines. He didn’t actually kiss his wife, but the camera people gave him a second chance. He is after all, the President. This leaves us wondering, who cares? If you don’t care either, this article might give you a laugh. 

  2. Flud News Roundup, July 7-9

    Not Messing Around: Mohammed Shawabka, a Jordanian MP, and political activist Mansour Sayf al-Din Murad were debating on Syria’s uprising on Jordanian TV Thursday and things got heated. Shawabka accused Murad of being a spy and when he couldn’t hide his feelings any longer, he pulled out his gun and created quite the stir. Murad wants him to be punished, even though Shawabka didn’t actually shoot. Political debate shows are regular on Arabic-language TV and the guests are usually chosen for their extremely opposing points of view to create more drama and volatility. In other Syria related news, the President has agreed has agreed to search for an approach to end the violence that has killed over 10,000 people so far.

    Getting Desperate: It is reported that the Democratic Party raised $71 million last month, a significantly smaller amount from their opponent. Obama isn’t sugar coating the situation when he speaks to his supports about their needs saying, “it will be because we didn’t close the gap enough when we had the chance.” It doesn’t look like Obama’s pleas have been enough yet and Romney is viewing this as proof that Americans want change. In the midst of election worries, Obama tried to shift focus from the economy to tax fairness and proposed a one-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 a year and an end to cuts for wealthier families. This new focus will give Obama a new campaign tactic when he hits the road again to battle his opponent. 

    In other news:

  3. Flud News Roundup, June 26

    Step on the Scale: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has suggested that physicians start examining for obesity in all their checkups. Most physicians weigh their patients at regular checkups, but few measure the body mass index (BMI), which indicates whether or not a person is at a healthy weight. Most doctors have trouble giving their patients specific weight loss advice in the event that obesity is an issue. The USPSTF is creating guidelines that can help patients afford the programs they may need to help them drop any extra weight as well as encourage doctors to engage in more conversations regarding weight problems with patients. What do you think? Is this effective?

    Promises Promises: Obama made more promises today, telling Americans that he will bring back jobs that have moved overseas. He is sustaining his attacks on Romney’s business record saying that he is the reason so many jobs have moved to places like China and India. Obama spoke at a conference in Atlanta and plans to move his campaign to Florida to raise more money after bluntly stating to his followers a concern that Romney is raising more money. 

    MarsTV: There are plenty of reality TV shows to keep America entertained on an hourly basis, but one Dutch company thinks they can do better. By April of 2023, they plan to land humans on Mars as a step towards establishing a permanent colony. Sound like an expensive expenditure? Well, it is. So to to pay for it, they will be airing the interplanetary spectacle as a Big-Brother-esque reality show. I’d like to see a Hunger Games infiltration into the script of this show. 

    image source: blastr

  4. Flud News Roundup, June 22

    We made it. It’s Friday. Does anyone have any bigs plans for their last weekend of June?? Here at the Flud HQ, the San Diego County Fair is up and running! Maybe some of us will enjoyed a deep-friend Twinkie. 

    As for now, enjoy catching up on today’s top stories!

    Silent Tweets: Generation Y twiddled their thumbs while they tried to figure out what to do with themselves when Twitter was down for two whole hours. The cause remains unclear as Twitter claims it was equipment-related but a hacking group, UGNazi is claiming responsibility for the breakdown. Twitter representatives don’t have a comment on whether or not the claim from Cosmo, the hacker supposedly responsible, is true. His arrest by the FBI was confirmed, but he declined to discuss the matter. 

    Beware of Bird Flu: Scientists are keeping a close eye on a deadly strain of bird flu that can potentially infect humans. The H5N1 virus experienced genetic changes that made the virus airborne among ferrets, which have a response similar to humans. The virus has already spread across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and parts of Africa, primarily effecting poultry and causing sporadic infections in people. There are a few scientists working on updates for this flu vaccine because they have discovered that it is transmissible by antigenic drift (a process that spread pandemics like the Spanish flu in 1918). 

    Obama Fights Back: Obama will be addressing Hispanic leaders in Orlando today after his opponent, Mitt Romney, tried to make his mark yesterday. This is the president’s first speech to the group since his decision to halt the deportation of illegal immigrants that meet certain criteria. Obama’s campaign has worked on targeting the Spanish-speaking audience this time around, hoping the new tactic will boost his ratings. 

    image source: Fox News

  5. 5 Ways Flud Can Enhance Your Political Campaign

    We watch politicians debate on TV, read articles outlining campaigns and get insights from politicians’ personal blogs and websites. But wouldn’t it bring an even deeper understanding to a politician’s views and thoughts if we could actually read what they were reading?

    Back in 2008, when asked what newspaper she read, Sarah Palin couldn’t answer — if she had Flud, we already would know.

    Now, imagine if all the 2012 Presidential candidates were on Flud. It’d be a fresh glimpse into their world. No authors to insert their opinions and no video editors to clip sound bites and mash-up quotes. What you see is what you get — news that’s important to them. We could see what Obama just Fluded and explore Santorum’s most-read sources. It would be phenomenal.

    As voters, we want, need and deserve to know what’s going on inside a politician’s head. So if you’re running for office this year, this next part is for you. Here are five ways you can use Flud to enhance your political campaign:

    1. Connect with your supporters. You probably already have supporters on Flud, but here’s an easy way to get more — post your Flud user name on social media! Your supporters will find you. Once connected, learn what they’re reading. Find out what’s important to them.  
    2. Flud your own content. If you’re like most politicians, you have your own blog, or two or three. So go on, endorse your stuff! Fluding shows your followers you think something is important and worth reading … and all your content is worth reading, right?!
    3. Be an expert in your field. Show your supporters you’re well read. Become a regular reader of quality feeds, Flud third party articles that matter and add important headlines to your Reading List. Knowledge is power!
    4. Become a content source. Not only will your supporters follow you to learn what you’re reading, Fluding and saving for later, they’re likely to follow your blogs too — in turn, generating even more exposure for your campaign. Fluders are six times as likely to Flud an article than to share it on Twitter, making your chances of reaching your audience a whole lot greater. Bigger reach = bigger impact.
    5. Let your personality shine. Campaigning is all about connecting with voters, right? So why not show your supporters who you are and what you love! You may have a hardcore stance on serious political issues, but it’s OK to Flud that Devour video or become a regular reader of your favorite dessert blog — after all, we love a good oatmeal cookie recipe, too! 

    Remember, you don’t have to be running for President-elect to use Flud as a campaign tool. Anyone looking to hold public office can benefit from the Flud community. Your thoughts, opinions and what you read matters to voters. Don’t pull a Sarah Palin — get on Flud and show us the issues, news and topics important to you!