Get For Free !!!: 10/14 L.A. Times Tech Blog

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NASA's out-of-this-world offer
October 13, 2009 at 8:22 pm

Mike Massimino tweeted details of his May 2009 mission to help repair the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: NASA.

Don't fret if your sub-par high school grades detoured your childhood aspiration of becoming an astronaut.

You can live vicariously through NASA astronaut Mike Massimino by following his Twitter account @Astro_Mike. Massimino, who has garnered more than 1 million followers, is the first astronaut to tweet from space. He tweeted details of his adventures in orbit during the final space shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope in May.

Back on Earth (when he isn't working or jet-setting around the country), Massimino is adjusting to the normalcy of the mundane -- sort of. While walking his dog in August, he gazed up at the stars and thought, "can't believe I was actually there 3 months ago."

And last month when he noticed that his house needed a new roof he tweeted, "hopefully this earth based problem will be easier to fix than the hubble."

If Massimino's lifestyle whets your un-Earthly cravings, NASA has a promotion that will blow you away. The space agency will allow some of its Twitter followers to witness first-hand a space shuttle launch at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 11 and 12. The first 100 people who sign up will be accommodated and an additional 50 registrants will be added to a wait list. Registration opens Friday at 9 a.m. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup.

And all astronauts on Twitter can be found at http://www.twitter.com/NASA_Astronauts.

-- Melissa Rohlin

Microsoft and Windows 7: A Family Guy affair
October 13, 2009 at 7:37 pm

Seth MacFarlane and friends. Credit: Fox ONE.

Microsoft is trying a new spin on an old method to promote its new Windows 7 operating system this fall.

Taking its inspiration from the old Texaco Star Theater -- television's first big hit, in the 1950s, with Milton Berle hosting a variety show and becoming a fixture in U.S. living rooms -- the computer giant is teaming with "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane to sponsor a variety show to air on the Fox network on Nov. 8.

The show will run without commercials, and instead promises to feature "unique Windows 7-branded programming that blends seamlessly with show content." Although Microsoft would not give away any specific songs or gags, look for MacFarlane and his "Family Guy" co-star Alex Borstein to offer up jokes, songs and cartoons that include clever references to Windows, and maybe even Microsoft's PC guy.

Gayle Troberman, Microsoft's general manager of advertising, said MacFarlane offers what is so rare these days: an opportunity for a mass marketer like Microsoft to appeal to a wide mix of demographics.

In addition, Troberman said, the diversity of the variety show -- mixing comedy, music, animation and live entertainment -- represents "a great opportunity for us to integrate the brand in a fresh and interesting way. It brings to life the power of what Windows can do for consumers."

The show, which has a working title of "Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show," is scheduled to air Sunday, Nov. 8, at 8:30 p.m. EDT and PDT. Although producers clearly have to tread carefully in the world of product placement, viewers may be growing more comfortable with the concept and may even prefer these intrusions to commercial breaks.

Troberman wouldn't say what Microsoft was paying for the privilege, but Fast Company reported last year that "Family Guy" charged $200,000 for a 30-second spot. Since Microsoft is taking the whole 30-minute show, it's probably spending a pretty penny.

Still, Microsoft has to be careful. While about the only thing Troberman could remember about Texaco Star Theater was the sponsor, Microsoft doesn't even get its name in the title of MacFarlane's show. But at least it will probably keep other names out of the show -- like Microsoft rivals Apple and Google, who distributed MacFarlane's "Cavalcade of Comedy" online.

-- Dan Fost