Ciaran Smith (0742392)

Student: Ciaran Smith (0742392)
Chosen blog: Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/)

Engadget is a blog reporting news and reviews on various gadget including cameras, gaming consoles and multimedia phones. Authors on this blog include Laura June, Nilay Patel, Joseph L. Flatley, Darren Murph, Donald Melanson and others. The blog is updated very often with new posts being added usually as often as every 30 mins.

The target audience of this blog is those interested in gadgets and modern technology. The blog keeps the reader up to date on the latest technology innovations and the gadgets of the future to reviews of the latest digital cameras and smartphones.

The language used in posts on this blog is relatively informal, while still being very informative. The bloggers come across as sharing interest in the gadgets with the reader and informing them in a casual way.

The layout of the site is quite simple with a white background and plain design. Each post has a large heading, a picture and the first paragraph of the post on the main page, with a link to the entire post at the bottom. There is a baner ad on top and more ads on the right hand side of the site. Also on the right hand side is links to news stories, featured posts, sections of the site and other similiar blogs also on the AOL network. There are more external links at the bottom of the site.
There is usually 1 to 2 pictures to accompany each post and sometimes an embedded video.

Each post has a comment section. You have to sign up to the site to be allowed to share your comments. This is a relatively easy process which invloves just entering your email address. Posts can also be shared on sites such as digg, facebook, twitter, reddit and stumbleupon.



Chosen post: Burger King selling a Windows 7 Whopper in Japan (http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/22/burger-king-selling-a-windows-7-whopper-in-japan/)

The post I have chosen is a post about Burger King in Japan selling a limited edition Whopper burger in conjunction with Microsoft to promote their new operating system, Windows 7. The Windows 7 whopper has seven burgers between two buns. It was being sold for ¥777 for seven days only. I liked this post because Japan is one of my favourite countries, despite never having been there, and this post shows why. The country is insane! Seevn burgers in one sandwich is just ridiculous and you would only find something like this in Japan. The post also shows the crazy marketing campaigns that large companies like Microsoft are employing.


My comments on blogs:

Networkworld
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/46563#comment-221474

Engadget

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/22/burger-king-selling-a-windows-7-whopper-in-japan/3#c22514056

Gizmodo
http://gizmodo.com/5388737/happy-birthday-ipod-youre-doomed#c16247846

Kotaku
http://kotaku.com/5389035/insomniac-took-fan-reaction-to-resistance-2-pretty-hard#c16247948