From feminine product jokes to the insane media hype, the iPad was definitely the talk of the office on Thursday. Just hours after Steve Jobs presented the oversize iPhone, twitter was flooded with comments and opinions, and mostly negative ones at that, illustrating what it might be lacking (flash, a camera, the ability to have two apps working at the same time, ect.). Others commented on the downfall of books and the publishing industry.

Of course, our thoughts went right to advertising. This device has the power to change advertising in a positive way. It allows ads to be more focused and tailored to the consumer; something beautiful and interesting rather than the annoying banners that currently run across websites. Founder of CreativeFeed, Arthur Ceria’s thoughts were quoted in MacLife.

Publishers and Developers Talk iPad–Mighty Industry Morphin’ Time?

For this week, the CF On The Street team covered the (almost) momentous occasion of fellow employee and all-round cheerleader Kate eating her very first burger. Yes, hard to believe that someone could go 20+ years without succumbing to an iconic piece of Americana, but so it was.

With the help of George Motz, America’s foremost hamburger expert, Kate’s first was a Bill’s Classic made to order by chef Brett Reichler, from Bill’s Bar and Burger. Catch the short movie on her experience (“It’s like a taste explosion in my mouth”) at the upcoming NYC Food FIlm Festival, or read Micah Cohen’s report about it in the NY Times (out soon).

Thanks to Erika and Brett (Bill’s and BR Guest), George and Micah.

Steve Jobs billed his latest creation as “the most important think I’ve ever done.” With so much hype built around it, does the device live up to expectations?

After much anticipation, Apple’s latest device, the iPad, was finally revealed this week. The device blurs the line between smartphone and laptop, functioning like a smartphone with the size and basic capabilities of a laptop. Built on the success of its App Store, the device offers 140,000 of apps ready to use on the device.

There are many ways to look at the iPad: oversized iPod Touch, simplified netbook, a beefed up e-reader, etc. One thing is for sure, the iPad is a multimedia device capable of viewing different types of media whether its web, print, music or video.

The iPad is essentially an all-in-one device that speaks to many people; who wouldn’t want that? The device is a wide canvas full of possibilities. One notable possibility is the emergence of the e-magazine. It remains to be seen how magazine publishers will utilize the device. With the magazine industry looking to digitize magazines, the iPad comes closest to fulfilling that goal. Its array of features and capabilities can offer an experience unrivaled to the plethora of e-readers available. Is the device on many peoples wishlist? Surprisingly, after speaking with many people about the device I kept hearing a lot of the same comments: its fun, cool, nice to have around, but I don’t know what to do with it. That last part was very interesting to me. Unlike the iPod Touch and the iPhone, the iPad doesn’t seem to have the same demand of people flocking to buy it.

The device in many ways lives up to its hype but at the same time keeps consumers wanting more out of it. The potential is there for the iPad to be much bigger than initially received. There are so many questions waiting to be answered about this device but until its release we can only speculate at this point. However one thing is certain of the iPad, it has the power to change the way we consume media.

The new Diesel campaign “Be Stupid,” created by Anomaly agency, states the obvious: Take a risk…even if it’s a stupid one. This is slightly reminiscent of the last time I went over on my credit card bill buying jeans for way too much money. Maybe it’s me, but this ad campaign screams spend money on jeans and don’t think about how much you’re spending, just go for it! Direct, yes, subtle, no.

That being said, the campaign does an excellent job on the creative side, producing eye-catching print ads and digital content. A section of the site is dedicated to anyone willing to do something stupid and tape it. Eventually, I presume, videos will be compiled and the Diesel website will become the destination of stupidity, well, at least high fashion stupidity.

Remember when a car was just simply a box with wheels that took you from point A to point B. Soon after, car companies added innovative features such as cup holders, seat belts and the radio, forever changing the standard for cars.

As we become more and more tech savvy, it’s only natural that we incorporate a computer into a car. Fast forward to 2010 where the legendary Ford Motor Company has recently unveiled the highly touted myFord Touch, a digital in-car display with a touchscreen interface, internet access and its award winning SYNC technology.

The myFord Touch is quite simply the combination of car and computer. The car display is built around the SYNC system, which allows mobile devices to connect to the car as well as utilize voice commands to control many of the cars entertainment and information functions. The touchscreen dash is the key to making it all work. It allows the user access to a variety of controls and information such as the navigational system, climate control, web browsing, and making phone calls. A major feature of the Touch system is the ability to sync apps such as Pandora, Stitcher, and Open Beak (a Twitter client) which integrates the cars voice command. In addition, the dashboard of the car contains two 4.2-inch screens which serve as a menu and car diagnostic display. The car is also equipped with a media hub located in the console containing RCA input ports, two USB ports, and a SD Card slot.

The myFord Touch is truly a melding of car and technology, revolutionizing the way we interact with cars. While Ford isn’t the first company to release this type of technology, it is however one of the most developed systems out there. With a wide range of customizations and features, there’s plenty of room for this technology to grow. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an app store in the future containing a multitude of car related applications similar. While this all looks good on paper, it remains to be seen how consumers will embrace the Touch system.

The myFord Touch will debut this year at the Detroit Auto Show and will be included in the 2011 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX followed by the 2012 Ford Focus.

With smaller Main Street retailers feeling the pinch of the financial crisis and closing up shop, where does that leave ailing landlords? Some shuttered stores in high traffic areas like 5th Ave or 23rd St have become street-level billboards, plastering their windows with advertising.

We don’t really care for more visual pollution, but making the best of a bad situation gets a tip o’ the hat.

With 1,500 status updates on facebook per minute, a 1,578% increase in traffic to related URLs, $1.5 million raised through mobile marketing, and The New York Times tweeting about on the ground coverage, the earthquake in Haiti has taken over the digital world. As important as social media is for any new product or brand, the communication method flourishes when it comes to crisis time.

Social media is the perfect way to spread information fast, reaching young people and instilling in them a sense of passion for the situation that they can extend to their network. Whether this form of media is the best way to launch a new product or brand is debatable. But there is no question that it can assist in times of crisis.

Digital Beat