Humongo Nation is an east coast tour brought to you by Humongo Agency.  The Humongo team, traveling in a decked out Ford Flex, began in Maine and will end in Miami as part of their rolling social media phenomenon. Along the way, Humongo has been meeting with some of the smartest and most innovative creatives that this side of the country has to offer. Yesterday, Humongo Nation made a tour stop in Savannah, making the rounds to visit SCAD and Paula Deen. They also met with BFG’s own Sloane Kelley discussing the beauty and benefits of a small agency while also diving into the interactive conference adventure known as Geekend. See it for yourself below!

What was once thought to be merely rumor was confirmed yesterday as Apple introduced its Magic Trackpad to the world. If you are hearing this for the first time you likely did not access the internet yesterday, as it was plastered over every tech news source imaginable (slow day in tech). This is all fine and dandy, so I won’t bore you with the details. Simply put, the Magic Trackpad connects to your Mac desktop via Bluetooth allowing you to experience the goodness of the three finger click, the swipe, and the two finger scroll, all while viewing your beautiful iMac display.

What struck a wrong chord with me was Apple’s description of its product. On the Apple website, the company claims that the Magic Trackpad is “the first Multi-Touch trackpad designed to work with your Mac desktop computer”. Let’s ponder this for a second…ok, enough pondering. If Apple made such a claim it must be true right, I mean come on, they are Apple. Well not so fast Hasty McHasterson. It would appear that a bit of back knowledge tells a different story.

Wacom, a global company well known amongst creative professionals, has for years been in the business of producing external “tablets” for PCs and Macs. These tablets connect to your computer via a USB port and act in place of a mouse, mirroring your movements from the tablet to the screen. Wacom is most famous for their tablets which utilize a stylus, allowing for a much more natural experience when drawing or painting on the computer. Certain high-end tablets will even duplicate the desktop images on the LCD screen of the tablet, contributing to an even more intuitive design experience.

For several years now Wacom has offered its Bamboo line of tablets including the Bamboo Touch model. The Bamboo Touch is a multi-touch trackpad that essentially does everything the Magic Trackpad can do. The usability of the Bamboo Touch does slightly differ from the Magic Trackpad in the number of fingers used, click method, etc. but the general concept is the same.

I have never used the Bamboo Touch, but I have used several other Wacom stylus models and have been nothing short of pleased with the usability that the products offer. Even though Apple has made false claims here, the increased hype for trackpads could also benefit Wacom in the long run. The Bamboo Touch goes for $49.99 on the Wacom website, as opposed to the $69.99 price tag for the Magic Trackpad. Mac users drooling over the thought of a desktop trackpad but looking to save a few bucks could potentially go for the Wacom version instead. Wacom could also possibly see sales increase from PC users, who have heard all the hoopla from the Magic Trackpad and wish for an option to comfort their Windows filled hearts.

All in all interest in trackpads is surely much greater today than it was a week ago, and I hope that amidst Apple’s false claims that Wacom can pick up some sales as well. Apple’s statement really is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it is just a minor example of a company thinking they can do whatever they please. If you will excuse me, I am going to go email Steve Jobs in hope for a sarcastic response back.

As a self professed lover of all things bad TV, I have obviously been looking forward to the Season 2 premiere of the Jersey Shore, on MTV, for months. I’ve stayed informed of their off season shenanigans via Twitter and my most trusted of gossip news sources, Perez Hilton. I’m slightly skeptical of their move to Miami, filmed earlier this year when it was too cold to be at the actual Jersey Shore, but I wouldn’t miss this for the world.

As a way to promote the new season MTV has launched a Jersey Shore themed Facebook game. When I learned this I actually let out a ’squeeeee’ of happiness and I couldn’t wait to give it a try. The game is built in a similar style to Mafia Wars, where you have a certain amount of energy that you can use to complete tasks (think GTL, baby!), tasks award you money to buy things & collect points to move to the next level. You are also able to fight against other players, using a variety of hilarious attack methods. As the new season of the Jersey Shore progresses the Facebook game will include new challenges based on what is happening in the show. Great way to keep people engaged in the Facebook game, which I’ll admit, is really only fun for the first 10 minutes.

When you first start the game you are able to select your character: The Situation, JWOWW, Pauly D, and Snooki. The game appears to be the same no matter who you select. I, of course, selected my beloved Snooki, complete with hair poof & animal print.

Next you learn about the tasks that you are able to complete to earn points, money, and increased fighting abilities:

 The GTL tasks each take a set amount of time to ‘complete’, which just means you have time to wait between doing the task again. (2 minutes for Gym, 5 minutes for Tan, 10 minutes for Laundry) I suspect they will add more tasks here as the season moves along.

Fighting is probably the most entertaining aspect of the game. This is because of the wide variety of attack methods that are available (the higher your level the more options you have). Some of my favorite include: spray your opponent with pickle juice, use ‘The Shocker’ to shock your opponent, Beat Up The Beat, attack with a Hippo, Clinger, Meat Head, Duck Phone, OR Snooki Cartwheel. As you attack, your character can also be spotted Fist Pumping when they win.

Overall, I applaud MTV for their effort in keeping up interest in Jersey Shore (though is that really necessary?). I don’t think this will become as popular as Farmville, but I will be interested to see how it evolves throughout the season.

They have also announced an iPhone app titled…wait for it…’Spread Snooki’ (not making this up!) but it isn’t available for download yet. The idea is to add Snooki to photos on your phone and share with your friends. I’ve been stalking patiently waiting for it to become available in the App Store. Stay tuned for a blog post about it! Fist pump!

Sharing is caring. Barney taught us that. If there is anything I have learned in my few short years on this earth it is to always trust purple dinosaurs. The concept of sharing has been instilled in us all from a young age, and is the premise behind new venture SnapGoods.

SnapGoods is a site allowing for users to collaborate and share a number of items. Say you want to test run an iPad for a couple of days before buying. Once signed up on the sight, you can search to see anyone in your network who is willing to share their iPad with you. SnapGoods will only share your information with people you are Facebook friends with or are connected to through Meetup, which the company hopes will help deter random creepers for calling you up to borrow your stuff. After finding a person with the item you desire to use, you can then contact that individual to discuss a price and exchange location.

After returning your item, you and the lender should then review the transaction deal, in a manner similar to eBay’s feedback system. Payments are made through Paypal and a deposit is necessary up front, so in the case that John decides he rather not return your bike, you get some compensation (hardly making up for the fact that you now have to walk to work).

Whether or not SnapGoods will catch on remains up for question. I am all about sharing, but lending out my cherished equipment to people I hardly know doesn’t sound too enticing, even if I can make some quick cash. To conclude, I will leave you with a list of some strange items currently available for rent on SnapGoods:

KitchenAid Food Processor

Shoei Motorcycle Helmet

Waffle Maker

It is a well known fact that everything is more fun when there is a bet involved. Gambling makes even mundane tasks an adventurous and nail biting experience. A couple of our good British friends across the pond realized this and have sought to pair humanity’s love for gambling with its interest in social media.

A new gambling site, Betable, allows users to create bets for anything and share these with their friends. After signing up, users can then place a bet on any topic they desire. Bets are then able to be shared through Facebook, Twitter, and email. The site earns revenue by taking 10% of all winnings. Users who initiate bets receive 30% of the proceeds, so if your bet were to go viral you could potentially be raking in the dough.

The target market for Betable is casual gambling settings such as friendly office wagers or a small parlay between college buddies. Betable hopes to be “the Twitter of gambling” by allowing such transparent sharing of bets among peers. Imagine the possibilities. That $5 dare to eat the green moldy thing that has been rotting for months in the office fridge could have thousands of people’s life savings riding on you!

Who will throw the first fist pump on season 2 of Jersey Shore? What movie will top the charts at the box office this weekend? How many marshmallows can Steve eat before throwing up? These questions and more can now be flung into the social world allowing for limitless betting opportunities.

Unfortunately, due to the party-pooping American government and US gambling restrictions, betting is limited to UK residents exclusively (apparently gambling is addictive or something). For now us Americans can only stand in awe of our British counterparts as we see hundreds throwing in their pounds hoping to make bank, as long as Janet wears her ugly read sweater to work on Thursday.

Last night app developer Flipboard launched their self-titled social magazine app for the iPad. Flipboard communicates with your social media accounts, aggregating the best videos and articles that your friends and followers are mentioning and linking to. This content can then be viewed through Flipboard in a magazine style layout. Flipboard presents an interesting concept that may widely catch on with iPad user’s daily habits.  The interface design and layout makes it an attractive download to add to your app collection. Plus it’s free, and I’ll try anything that is free once (ok, maybe not everything). View the video above to learn more.

True or False: You have heard someone say the phrase, “I only read it for the articles”, when making reference to Playboy? Maybe it was, gasp, you. I would venture to say that this phrase is almost as infamous as Playboy itself. As much as Hugh Hefner has made the topic of sex mainstream, his magazine also causes some to be ashamed to admit that they look at it…the pictures too! (Note: I am not one of those people. I think Hef is a genius. No one person has shaped pop culture the way that he has. Yes, my household has a monthly subscription to the magazine.)

Playboy Enterprises has officially launched its new “safe for work” website: The Smoking Jacket.  In a short video on the site, Hef tells us that “Next to the Mansion, it is the best hangout on the planet”. The site itself is is positioned as “a safe for work men’s entertainment destination that provides guys with smart and sexy distractions throughout the day”.

Given this description I just had to spend a little time reading some of the articles doing research to see if it could live up to the description. What I found was definitely safe for work in the BFG Content Department, but I’m not sure how it would fly in corporate America. With headlines such as:

• How to Hang Out with Porn Chicks
• How to Get Laid at Work
• Gemma’s Bikini Body Workout, Boob Job Benefits, Audrina’s Bongos and more (Note: Yes, those bongos.)

I’m not  sure what employer would feel comfortable having an employee taking time out of their day to peruse this site. There are more tame topics about movies, gadgets, lifestyle topics, and even Bros Icing Bros. My favorite was a short video tribute to the 80’s, because, who doesn’t love the 80’s?

“But what about the pictures?” Thanks for asking! Most of the pictures were pretty tame by Playboy standards. There were a lot of girls in low cut shirts, bikinis, & lingerie. The site also has some vintage photos from the earlier years of Playboy. I wasn’t personally offended by anything, though I’m not sure a girl laying face down on a couch, wearing nothing but a thong, is work appropriate. Most people probably wouldn’t want to look over to find their co-worker ogling something of that nature.

For comparative purposes I also took a look at the Maxim site. There I found a lot of similar content, and even some racier photos.

In the end I would categorize The Smoking Jacket as “safe for work” at your own risk. I applaud Playboy for making this attempt to stay relevant during a time when they are losing money on their print publication.

Is social media going to the dogs? Well, it will be August 20-22 as BarkWorld takes place in Atlanta. BarkWorld is the first social media event of its kind, having been created by pet owners with a focus on social media and pets.

Yours truly will be taking part, delivering a keynote talk around fictional Twitter (or Twiction) accounts for pets. It’s a topic I’ve been passionate about since creating a Twiction character based on my dog, James Bond. The weekend will also bring out folks from The Humane Society of the United States, PETCO, PawPawty.com, and many others.

JamesBondTheDog will be accompanying me to BarkWorld and riding along with me in style as we Bark and Ride with GMC. Follow updates from our GMC Terrain as we make our way to Atlanta next month or come on out and Tweet up with us.

If you’re looking to score a ticket to BarkWorld, look no further. @JamesBondTheDog is looking for a date to the conference and is offering up a BarkWorld pass to one lucky person. Just Tweet him why you’d be a great date and do it before next Monday, July 26th at noon. He’ll be making a selection then. There are details here.

Happy Tweeting and hope to see you in Atlanta next month.

Move over Farmville, there is a new social game in town. Womanly entertainment and celebrity gossip enterprise PopSugar is this time taking the reigns in an attempt to create the next big thing in online gaming. Yes, I am just as scared as you are.

PopSugar’s Retail Therapy aims to capture the attention of shop-a-holics in this social adventure. Users embark on a quest to own and operate a boutique. The game is free, however, virtual clothing can be purchased for anywhere from $1 to $100 to ensure you have the cutest store on the block ($100? Are you kidding me?). Players can choose clothing from real brands including Banana Republic, Juicy Couture, and Tory Burch. Clicking on specific store items will take the user to the apparel company’s website where they will be able to purchase the clothing item for real.

The social aspect allows players to visit their friend’s shops and share style ideas and designs. This virtual shopping experience can be played by downloading the Retail Therapy Facebook app. The game is an attempt to lure the feminine fashion community into the world of social gaming.

Social gaming is proving to be a huge industry with profits expected to be around 1 Billion by the close of the year. A survey conducted by Information Services Group revealed that 55% of online social gamers are female, making this a would be attractive market for PopSugar. The game does provide a consumer engaged way for companies to advertise, making it an alluring option for all parties. All points aside, is this going too far?

I hate shopping, likely because I am a guy. The one thing I could think of more miserable than shopping would be running a virtual boutique online. The fact that I explored the PopSugar website in order to write this makes me feel the need to kill a wildebeest with my bare hands while wearing Wrangler jeans after coating myself in Old Spice. I realize I am by no means the target market for PopSugar, but I am honestly frightened for what social gaming has in store. With the success of Farmville, many other social games will likely surface in order to copy their achievements. Receiving requests to tend my friends crops was bad enough, I can only imagine the misery of being asked which clothing setup would best compliment the pink drapes.

Likely, this is just the beginning. Even if social gaming is a fad, its current popularity is enough to keep it around for at least a few more years in some capacity. It is a scary world out there, but I guess someone needs to purchase virtual Gap skinny jeans.

Calvin Klein recently unveiled this giant QR code on Houston St. in NYC. The ad prompts passersby to scan the QR code from a mobile phone in order to unlock “uncensored” content.

While this could’ve been an excellent way to deliver rich multi-media content to its audience, Calvin Klein fails to deliver anything of real value. The QR code links to a predictable, black and white video (see below) of disaffected, nubile twenty-somethings making out half-clothed in urban landscapes. Not exactly groundbreaking or memorable for this genre, nor is there anything about unlocking the video that engages people or makes them feel special or valued.

This is classic tactics in search of a strategy, where someone thought it would be “really innovative” to use a QR code. Sadly, it seems there was very little thought given to what type of content would be right for this environment. The QR code was the big idea rather than the appropriate delivery mechanism for a bigger idea.

Sorry Calvin, it’s not enough just to use new technology; if you want to score points you must also use new technology well.