The famous Women in Technology debate was held again today in Wellington. I can report that the Baby Boomers (Brent, Rebecca, Duncan) cleaned up, despite strong evidence demonstrating that Gen Y’s (Charlotte, Nathalie, Tim) really will lead the future. Very funny and clever arguments by both sides. Another great lunch for 200 plus attendees. Cool costumes.  Here’s a couple of thumbnails from the debate …

Gibson Group has released a sneak peak on YouTube of tonight’s Facelift parody of recent Yahoo!Xtra advertising in light of the Bubble debacle.

Didn’t the Wellington Phoenix FC have a sensational debut yesterday? Catch some Yellow Fever and let’s break more stadium records.

However I’m struggling to agree with Mayor Kerry Prendergast that the Wellington City Council’s $500,000-odd investment to bring David Beckham’s Galaxy team here is needed for this “… stunning opportunity for our city“. It surely stacks up as a private sector-only initiative, given that the Cake Tin’s 34,500 seats will be more than filled. If the maths is as simple as every dollar spent on events bringing in $20, bring on our Olympics bid. Winning this should ensure the ill-conceived congestion tax can be binned!

The warmer weekend prompted thoughts of the Extended Daylight Saving starting a week earlier on Sunday September 30 and ending two weeks later on Sunday April 6, 2008. Make sure your company and home computers are sorted. I suggest double checking your recurring appointments after reading this from Microsoft’s Outlook Update posting:

Microsoft Outlook obtains daylight saving information from the host Windows operating system to determine the correct start time for future appointments. Consequently, it is important that Windows is updated to reflect any changes in daylight saving, including the introduction of daylight savings to a particular timezone for the first time.

However, when updates are applied, appointments which were created in the daylight saving period prior to application of the update will appear one hour later than originally scheduled. Consequently all-day events will span a 24 hour period across two consecutive days.

The rising thermometer sure perks everyone up - even Stephen’s raving about the place.

Although I don’t know much about these things, I’ve been pondering on picking up a new Canon to post better photos of Wellington, but this short review has me rethinking things. Any views? I like the idea of Canon’s new Wireless File Transmitter function (the WFT-E3 enables rapid wireless image transfer to remote FTP servers, along with two-way communication through PTP and HTTP. In HTTP mode, remote users can trigger the shutter button or download images from the camera via an internet browser window. PTP mode is used for wireless remote shooting with the EOS 40D and supplied EOS Utility software), although I would probably never use it! Appreciate feedback on the lenses too.

There’s more evidence that the RMA needs rethinking after 30 year veteran Marlborough mussel farmers, Terry & Jill Schwass, have finally thrown in the towel and are heading off to Port Lincoln, Australia stating that “Aquaculture knockers should visit Port Lincoln and soak up the atmosphere…. it’s roughly three times the size of Picton and has more multimillionaires than anywhere in Australia.” Prospective tuna farmers might like to browse this Forbes article.  I loved these quotes: “If I could be 30 again, I reckon I’d give Bill Gates a shake,” says Hagen Stehr, the 62-year-old chairman of Clean Seas Tuna, whose family is worth at least $60 million. “The future is not the Internet, it’s aquaculture.“

7 September - 20 October.

I stayed riveted right through this presentation by Rowan Simpson delivered at last year’s Microsoft TechEd. Great powerpoint, Rowan. Concise and cleanly presented. The best Slideshare I’ve seen this year. Rowan has shared some NNR stats that make great reading too.

As speculated in this post on July 1st, Telecom’s Chief Financial Officer, Marko Bogoievski has resigned from New Zealand’s largest listed company effective 31st January 2008.   This continues the list of heavyweight management resignations from this telco and will slow decision making on key company issues further.   A good chance for Vodafone to really attack by dropping mobile data pricing.

The Australian reports that “growth in general internet advertising could slow to about 40 per cent this year as key online publishers struggle to come to terms with the rapid reallocation of dollars away from traditional advertising models to performance-based ad networks”.

In the first six months to June, general online (display) advertising was A$173M and grew at over 60% but internet researchers, Frost & Sullivan suggest that online advertising (excluding classified, search or directories ads) will be worth some A$211M in the 6 months to December, a slowdown to 40% growth. That’s still pretty impressive but an early indication of possible maturation in the online display market.

Performance-based ad networks (more mature in Australia than NZ) are tipped to take market share from ‘traditional’ online display ads and their rise will continue. Interestingly, Frost & Sullivan reckon that rates for CPM-sold ads will drop as mature advertisers move more budget into cost-per-action placements. I’m not sure this will happen here for some time yet …

Thought this media release worthy of reproduction here …

July 2007: M&C Saatchi Sydney has announced the launch of a new agency that merges direct and digital and introduces, for the first time for the agency, the discipline of data.

Called Mark, the agency’s launch is recognition that marketing is becoming a science more than ever before.

“We still offer complete integration for M&C Saatchi clients but they now will benefit from an even sharper edge and focus on their business when it comes to CRM and below-the-line campaigns,” said Asia Pacific Executive Chairman Tom Dery.

“The benefits from leveraging a client’s campaign by having these three disciplines interwoven, rather than simply side by side, are indisputable.”

He added that the biggest growth area for agencies is undoubtedly in the direct, digital and data space.

“It is also represents the biggest opportunity for growth and success for advertisers,” he said.

The launch of Mark also creates unique agency that Dery expects will retain and attract outstanding people in the digital, direct and data areas.

Mark – as in leave an indelible mark on people’s minds – will be led by managing director David Whittle, previously M&C Saatchi regional director, digital.

Other key management are Gavin McLeod and Matt Cumming, both creative directors, and Caitlin Millar-Jack as head of digital and Clint Bratton as head of direct and data.

“Mark’s philosophy is digital as a platform, direct as a methodology and data as an obsession,” Whittle said.

The founding Mark team will be 35 people.

Still in Port Douglas. It’s overcast today so I’ve taken the opportunity to catch up on my webwork.

Rising mortgage interest costs are worrying Australians after the Reserve Bank of Australia hiked rates 0.25% to 6.5 percent last week. And there’s concern that rates will rise further to 6.75% next year. A glance of yesterday’s real estate pages shows two bedroom apartments with pool and courtyards, only two minutes from four Mile beach for between A$179,000 - A$195,000. It’s easy to see why so many Kiwi’s are flocking to the Lucky Country.

On the flipside, the Great Barrier Reef is dying, the crocs smile fiercely and the food is not a patch on Wellington’s fine dining. But it is 26 degrees today and the sun’s emerging - I think I’ll update this with photos later …

Hustle for Autism at the San Francisco Bathhouse launched David Cohen’s new book, A Perfect World (ISBN: 1869418158) and Russell Brown’s new website humans.org.nz in style. You can buy the book at the Public Address store.

Bill English’s speech was perspicacious. And witty … “I am the deputy leader of the Labour Party.”

It turns out my bidding instructions, on behalf of Don Christie for Morning Tea with John Key, were also assigned to the PR woman at the front of the room - so we both reached Don’s agreed price rapidly! Had I known, I would have asked Stephen to up the bidding even further. Thanks to everyone who helped raise a mighty sum for the Autism Intervention Trust.

Update:  A really nice report from David Farrar.