Google Health Predictor?

Fascinating article from the New York Times...

A new symptom of the flu is a Google search... yes, in addition to coughing, fevers, and sore throats is the Google search. Take a look at the graphic!

How Obama Won It With the Web

FastCompany has a great article on the effectiveness of one candidate's web-based campaign.

Both candidates used the Internet to reach voters. But Team Obama mastered the medium early and exploited it to the hilt. Along the way, it changed politics -- and perhaps government -- forever.

Read More.

Vote!

The United States presidential election of 2008 is scheduled for today. Aside from addressing some top of mind issues like the economy, this election marks the first time... ... two senators are running against each other; ... both presidential candidates were born outside the continental US (McCain = Panama; Obama = Hawaii); ... a woman or an African American will reach higher office; ... and possible scenarios like having the oldest first-term president (McCain) or a Catholic VP (Biden). I do expect (hope?) voter turnout will be higher... so look for a comment or two on my "user experience" at the polling booths. I also encourage you to check out some cool tools like this interactive map from CNN -or the variety of tools on Google.com including mobile, news, and a fun maps of the candidates' journeys. If you haven't already, GO VOTE!

Register to Vote Online

As fans of webware, we have come across some tools to register to vote that are easy-to-use and free (we like these types of tools!):

• http://www.gop.com/actioncenter/registertovote/RegistrationInformation.aspx
• https://www.voteforchange.com/

Which one do you like?

Google Chrome Beta

Surprised that Google now wants us to use their web browser? Not really. Their web-based tools are pretty cool (we use quite a few including Analytics, Google Earth, and Google Docs). We're currently testing the integration of the browser with web apps, like VitSmarter.com. We'll let you know what you find. In the meantime, click here to download Chrome.

Web 2.0 Ideas that Failed

Interesting post here from Fast Company. Their summary:

With all of the hype surrounding Web 2.0 companies like Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter, it’s easy to forget that lots of Web companies still fail. Here are 10 that failed in the past year – and why.

VitSmarter Video

Take a look at our promotional and instructional video. Let us know what you think!

Go now to Vitsmarter