The Noid Returns, For One Week Only

Maybe you’ll have better luck getting to play the Noid’s Facebook game? Avoid the Noid! For just one week Domino’s pizza has brought back the infamous Noid from the cold storage unit where old corporate mascots live out their days in peace, far from the reach of screaming children. But before you get excited for the return of crudely animated ads we hate to tell you that the Noid is only back in the form of a Facebook campaign. Still, we missed that red rascal!

“There are no plans to bring The Noid back in any commercials,” a Domino’s spokesperson says, “This is purely a weeklong Facebook and social-media promotion.” So yeah, sigh. From now until August 15th the warm-pizza hating creature is starring in an 8-bit style Facebook game which in theory gives a $10 dollar Domino’s gift certificate to the game’s high scorer every minute (though last we checked though the game was “temporarily out of order”—just like an old arcade!). And that’s it.

Still, what a world we live in that we have actual nostalgia for an animated corporate shill. And yet! The Noid is but one of many advertising characters we’re happy to see back in business. We demand the return of the Quizno’s spongemonkeys, Grimace’s Irish Uncle O’Grimacey, Wendy from Snapple, and the Pets.com spokespuppet (even if he already got a reprieve from death by 1-800-BARNONE)! But that’s us. Which mascots would you bring back (and don’t say Dave Thomas from Wendy’s, necromancy isn’t cool—just ask the Colonel).

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Ask Techland: How Do You Sync Updates on Google+, Facebook and Twitter?

Have a question for Techland? Send an e-mail to tips at Techland dot com and we’ll do our best to answer it.

Question: Now that my friends are all jumping onboard this Google+ thing, is there a way to sync my posts with Facebook and Twitter?

Answer: If you’re a Chrome user, there’s a promising new extension called Publish Sync that’s worth looking into. In addition to Google+, you’ll be able to simultaneously update Facebook and/or Twitter (and Plurk) through whichever network you’re most comfortable with. All you have to do is simply check off where you want your message posted (similarly to HootSuite). What’s handy is that it takes advantage of Google+’s “Circles” feature so that you don’t accidentally publish content for the wrong eyes.

(LIST: A Brief History of Google’s Social Networking Flops)

There’s also Start Google+, which allows you to port over things like photos while allowing you to lord over your different social media outlets. You’ll similarly be able to sync your updates across various platforms, though it’s a more immersive experience.It also has the ability to integrate your various feeds, which, if you’re a power user, could get really noisy. It’s not perfect, but it’s worth looking into if you want everything in one place.

Finally, if you simply want to merge Twitter and Google+, there’s a client called Google+ Tweet that embeds your Twitter timeline into your Google+ account. The two networks, however, each have their own strengths, so this may not be ideal.

As it stands, it might still be easier to simply manage multiple tabs if you want to exercise complete control over your social networks and where your posts actually go.

Have a question you’d like answered? Send it to tips at Techland dot com. See previous Ask Techland Columns for answers to your techy questions.

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