Monday, Google creator Anne Peterson announced the launch of her latest search engine invention: Cuil (pronounced "cool"). Together with husband, Tom Costello and a few other former Google engineers, Peterson has created a search engine to give Google a run for its money.

According to Dan Sullivan, Editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land, the time might be right for someone to really challenge Google, and the best way for Cuil to do this is by capitalizing on key consumer complaints.

 

So what makes Cuil different and according to Peterson better than Google? There are several key differences. Firstly, Peterson says that she and her team have created an improved search that enables them to search and index a wider breadth of content. In fact, Peterson claims to have over 120 billion pages indexed, and believes that to be three times that of Google's database.

The recent New Yorker cover stirred up quite a bit of controversy and offended the masses. TheDemoMemo was amongst many who were not amused by the New Yorker caricature; BrainBasedBusiness discussed the dangers of using satire to cloak violent messages; while ManagersRealm called the overall outraged response childish. ThePublishingSpot reminded readers of a very important Supreme Court decision affecting satire writers and artists in general.

This week Google revealed Knol, a new open-source Internet encyclopedia. According to WebMetricsGuru, Google's motivation for creating Knol could be dubious, and also quoted Wikipedia founder Jimmy Whales saying he didn't think Knol would generate much quality. BrandingPost is concerned about Google's increasing omnipresence and AdHurl is worried that Google is on an unstoppable path toward global domination.

ManagersRealm is running an interesting series spotlighting Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for being "two of the more savvy young businesswomen in the world today." In this series, author Gary Bourgeault, will take you from the Olsen twins' fist break, to their emergence as two of the youngest, most successful young business women of our time.

More Recommended Reading

• Be careful not to let your mind play tricks on you - BrainBasedBusness
• Federal Minimum wage increase - ManagersRealm
• Does the almighty dollar trump loyalty? - CustomersAreAlways
• Author Susan Gunelious listed as one of the top female bloggers - MarketingBlurb
• Social Media prepares us for an ultra-connected future - BestBizWare

The nominations for the 60^th Emmy Awards were announced today, with the 2008 Emmy Award show presentation scheduled for Sep 21, 2008 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, to be aired on ABC at 8pm/7c. The list of nominations reads as the who's who of popular television and even not-so-popular television. While not as significant as getting an Emmy Award itself, an Emmy nomination goes a long way in benefiting the show or actor and helping them stand out from the crowd, especially in the clutter of TV shows on the market today.

The advent of cable TV, DVR & Tivo, and the Internet has drastically changed the television landscape today, and will continue to change TV in the future. Many of the current shows are available to be watched almost immediately on the Internet. DVR and Tivo allow viewers to zip over commercials. Cable TV has drastically increased the variety and number of television shows available to the average consumer, and thus it is difficult for shows to gain the raw numbers of viewers that were once possible.

As a result, every aspect of the television industry is being forced to adapt and change in order to survive, from the television production studios to the TV stations to commercial actors to the advertisers. Traditional commercials don't have the pull they once had. Advertisers are finding online advertising and official sponsorships as new ways of marketing their products.

This morning The New Yorker has come under fire for a cover encompassing every stereotype and rumor used against Barak Obama during the presidential campaign; depicting Obama in the oval office as a flag burning Osama Bin Laden supporter, fist bumping his machine gun toting Black radical wife.

The cartoon entitled "The Politics of Fear" is meant to be a satire of the caricature of Obama created by right-wing pundits, however both Obama and called it offensive and tasteless.

Satire is defined as the use of ridicule, sarcasm and irony to expose or denounce vice or folly. So by its very nature, satire is almost often offensive, and at the very least bordering on it. It's poking fun at something serious.

The public seems polarized with half outraged by what they consider a racist image and the other half of the people understanding the drawing as satire. One Newsvine columnist even called the cover one of the smartest examples of satire he'd ever seen.

"I couldn't imagine a more potent satirical argument against the plethora of radio hosts, TV personalities, bloggers and general assholes who have spent the past year painting exactly that picture with their words. You know it's true - Obama and his wife have been painted as dangerous foreign radicals with questionable loyalties and a complete disregard for the values of the United States. His name has been closely associated with that of Osama bin Laden and the furor raised over the couples' fist-pump was quite frankly embarrassing, but there it is."

Which brings us to the real point of the cover art: to raise awareness and get people talking about the way Barak Obama and his wife have been portrayed during this election cycle. In an interview with Huffington Post, cartoonist Barry Blitt said that the image is not about Obama but about how the media has depicted him. People are so quick to be offended, they don't even realize that the drawing is holding a mirror to the rest of the media.

"I think the idea that the Obamas are branded as unpatriotic [let alone as terrorists] in certain sectors is preposterous. It seemed to me that depicting the concept would show it as the fear-mongering ridiculousness that it is."

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has launched Lively, a competitor virtual world to Second Life and other realistic online networks.

Blah blah blah.

What's the use? Why is Google bothering?

Here's why Lively fails to excite:

* It's not unique. There are several - if not dozens - of virtual worlds already offering all of Lively's features and more. * It's not social. Not enough, anyway. You can't roam freely. You can only pick a spot to sit and watch YouTube, etc. * It's not useful. Not for businesses, at least. Probably not for most people, either. What can you do with a thing like this?

Okay, so a Lively flop won't exactly break Google. And, as the Fool saith, Lively could still become a cash cow. But come on, Google - this is the best you could come up with?

What do you think of Lively?

Some interesting things have happened since the last Know More Media Review. Let's take a look at what's been buzzing around the network.

WebMetricsGuru has written a several insightful articles about Google recently; one discussing the end of Google's age of innocence and another examining reputation as it relates to Google's recent implementation of "trust rank." Both articles deal with the Google affect the online marketplace and the broader implications of such power. There is also the matter of Viacom vs GooTube, which WMG also analyzes, pointing out a major flaw in the relationship between "justice" and technology.

With the latest iPhones released and the Apple Apps stores being opened, you can bet a few Know More Media authors had something to say on the subject. BrainBasedBusiness author Dr. Ellen Weber presented five questions to ask before buying an iPhone, while BestBizWare author Michael Jones wondered if the popular smartphone is leading the pack in innovation and setting the stage for the future of business computing.

We are in dire need of new, sustainable energy sources. This week, oil baron, T. Boone Pickens, revealed his energy plan. While Pickens is at least smart enough to leverage the power of social media to promote his plan, GrowYourFunds author Aaron Smith is not so sure that Pickens' plan is the answer to US energy independence and Manager's Realm author Gary Bourgeault thinks it's time to tap in to US oil reserves while we work out other alternative energy solutions. 

More Recommended Reading:

• Poll: Why Stay in a Job You Hate? (view article) - CustomersAreAlways
• Social Media RIO (view article) - SmallBizMentor
• Is Google Trying to Thin Out the Viewer Ranks On YouTube? (view article) - TheAlphaMareter
• Creative Citizen Journalism or Creative Non-Fiction (view article) - ThePublishingSpot

And the genius just keeps flowing from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) as the company launches The App Store, an applications store that allows third-party developers of applications for iPhones and iPod touch to have their tools and applications sold to iPhone and iPod touch users. It is timed perfectly with the launch of the new iPhone 3G tomorrow, which will be compatible with The App Store (as will most iPhones and iPod touch). This is a major development for Apple, or any technology company, really, to provide such an advanced system and platform for the use and dissemination of third-party products. Most applications will be available for a cost of $9.99 to the user.

It's a brilliant move. It encourages more participation in the Apple products from both users and software developers. It heightens brand awareness across the technology spectrum. It brings even more excitement to the Apple iPhone fray. It provides an extra incentive for iPhone users to upgrade to the new iPhone 3G, to try out the new applications on the new advanced phone. It solidifies even more deeply Apple's marketplace strength of creating user-friendly products and software.

Whether you're a fan of Apple or not, you must admit and respect their high degree of business acumen.

"Hancock," starring Will Smith, dominated the box office this weekend, but left critics befuddled and confused with an unexpected plot twist.

Having not seen the movie, I will say that my desire to do so is not at all averted by the negative buzz. In fact, all the talk about twisted plots piqued my interest more than the previews for said movie. I even dug up a spoiler review, just to find out what the big deal was. This makes me wonder how the buzz will affect others who may have been ambivalent about seeing the movie.

Ever since "Independence Day" in 1996, Will Smith has made a career of being the 4th of July box office king. As such, if Smith is in an Independence Day movie, the audiences will come and according to TIME magazine "a critique of Hancock is an essay in irrelevance." Will Smith is such a powerful brand, it makes no difference whether the movie is great or a total bust; if Smith is in it, the audiences flock to theaters.

National holidays are big retail days in the USA, and the 4^th of July is no exception. Our citizens celebrate Independence Day in many different ways, and just about every one of those ways involves spending money, and guarantees increased revenue for some business somewhere. Let’s take a look at the businesses that stand to gain the most from the hot 4^th of July holiday weekend.

Supermarkets… July 4^th spawns countless picnics and barbeques, which means families stocking up on meat, cheese, buns, paper products, deserts, and more, making supermarkets (and superstores like Wal-Mart) very busy.

Gas stations… despite the high price of gas and the consequent decrease of travel this year, a huge number of people will still be traveling for July 4 weekend.

Retail stores… the smart retail stores hold mid-year Independence Day sales, thus enticing more business.

Fireworks… whether it’s legal in your state or not, tons of fireworks will be sold and ignited, both at sanctioned fireworks shows and in your neighbor’s yard.

All in a month's work?

Samuel Israel, a bigtime hedge fund business leader, was convicted and sentenced a few weeks ago for swindling $450 million from his customers.

So he did the logical thing.

He faked his own suicide and hid.

And of course that wasn't very fun.

So today Sam Israel surrendered to Massachusetts police.

Cue the O'Jays.

Okay, actually ... cue the MASH theme.

 

That's right - Israel's fake farewell message to the world was "Suicide is Painless," which he fingerpainted in dust on the hood of his car before leaving it on a 150-foot-high bridge a month ago.

 

The Web makes a situation like this a little, um, hard to overcome.

 

If you're a business leader, take a lesson from the sad Sam Israel story and:

 

1. Don't cheat.

2. Don't run from justice.

3. Don't fake your own death.

4. Don't drag the MASH theme through the dust - er, mud.

 

What do you think we can learn from Sam Israel's criminal activities?