YA Author Sets Her Characters a’Twittering [GalleyCat]
YPulse points us to this interview with YA author Jennifer Banash who has created Twitter profiles for her characters to create buzz for her new book. Besides a good PR idea, this is a very cool way to engage kids with books. The story doesn’t need to end at the last page, readers can follow the action long after they finish the book. It also offers an “insider” peak, lends authenticity to the characters, and gives readers the chance to interact with @them. Of course, we’re not sure how many YA readers are on Twitter as of yet, but the platform is almost secondary. Short IM-like conversations are how young people communicate. We could see the Twitter feeds being pulled in to any site, blog, SNS, etc…
Obama Unveils .mobi Site [MobileContentToday]
The first wiki-candidate now has his own .mobi site to compliment his personal social network, mobile shortcode, YouTube channel, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and BlackPlanet presences….
Dolce & Gabbana mobile campaign gets 10 percent click-through [MobileMarketer]
A few years after they released their own handset, D&G has a new youth-targeted mobile campaign on Nokia to promote D&G Junior. Web banners lead consumers to a D&G WAP site where they can download a game called “Dee&Gee,” as well as view a catalog and download branded wallpaper. While the campaign sounds a bit hum-drum, the click-through results (if accurate) are nothing to shake a leopard mini at, and their reasoning was definitely solid…
“The strategy was to reach young consumers on the medium they bring almost everywhere, almost all the time - their mobile handset,” Mr. Henrilsson said. “D&G wanted to create a fun campaign that would encourage consumers to spend time with the brand, as well as forward it on to their friends.”
The Patch is a Hyperlink [PSFK]
QR codes are an easy way to give people instant access to your blog with one click on their phone. Businessmen are carrying business cards with codes on them, and now non-suits can put their code on a scannable patch. We kinda want QR code tattoos…
The Vice Squad: How ‘Vice’ magazine became the new teen bible [Independent]
PSFK points us to this article on Vice in London’s Independent. From the article:
“The mainstream media [are] too afraid we will offend their audience…. We are bored and disenchanted by what is served up to our generation,” [UK editor Andy Capper] says. And this is the antidote.
Gen Y Is Setting the Tech Agenda [Businessweek]
An article form BusinessWeek supports our idea that technology is a reflex for youth:
the distinction between Generation X and Y is that Generation X uses technology when it supports a “lifestyle need” whereas tech is “embedded into everything Gen Yers do” making them the first “native online population”.
How to Give Your Child an Allowance, the Mobile Way [NYT]
The $400 surprise bill is a rite of passage for every parent naïve enough hand a child a “credit card with an antenna,” a cellphone exec says. Every major network except Sprint now has a service that will give parents a way to control almost every aspect of their children’s cellphone use, except what they say or write in a text message.
Thx for the IView! I Wud ♥ to Work 4 U!! 
[WSJ]
We’ve reflected on how technology is affecting education and language skills, and all in all think that it’s the education system that needs to adjust to the technology. However, if you’re trying to get a job, you still need to adapt to old-people talk. That means no emoticons in your resume.
