I came across this post earlier today and had to try it. I was stunned.

The entire experience is very cool and gives you the feeling as you are visiting the museum.

The level of details of each one of the 14 high-res paintings is exceptional. You can keep zooming in to discover the fine details, such as individual brushstrokes, textures of the canvas, and in some cases cracks in the surface of the paint.

You have got to try it. Simply do the following:

• In Google Earth find and enable this layer: “Geographic Web -> Preview -> Museo de Prado“
• Double click on “Museo Prado” placemark to fly to the museum
• Enable the museum in 3D option to render the museum building in 3D
• Click on the “Museo Nacional del Prado : Masterpieces” placemark to open a pop up window that has thumbnails for the 14 paintings
• Start exploring individual paintings

And a close look at Jacob’s dream

Google really wants to get people to the polls, and they now are promoting it inside the AdWords console.

I wonder if soon they will offer advertisers a $25 credit if they complete their duty.

Don’t get me wrong. I cheer for the Israeli football national team and wish them only success. I long for the day I will be able to take my boys to watch the Israeli team at a World Cup or the Euro.

But, at the same time, I can not understand how the hell the team is ranked #16 on the latest FIFA Word Ranking, before teams who have participated in major tournaments (World Cup, Euro, etc.), like Greece, Ukraine, Mexico, United States, Paraguay or Ghana.

The ranking algorithm FIFA uses simply does not do what it is says it is supposed to do: “Under the existing system, rankings are based on a team’s performance over the last four years, with more recent results and more significant matches being more heavily weighted to help reflect the current competitive state of a team.” (source: wikipedia).

FIFA should hire some search experts to tune up the algorithm and its relevance. Otherwise, it is just a matter of time before Israel passes England.

FIFA world ranking - oct 2008 (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Rankings)

What a great presentation by Shai Agassi.

I love the analogy the mobile space in order to explain the model.

Doesn’t it all make sense?

A little more than two years ago, while I was still working at Spark Networks, I met Isaac Barel (first on the left). Issac is a very talented graphic designer and at the time he worked with me and my team on the redesign of Cupid.

Beyond the fact he has exceptional creative and design skills, Issac is also a great guitar player in a band called Mad Bliss. During his visit to Spark’s Beverly Hills office, he gave me with MadBliss’s first EP, “Karen’s Molested Apple”, which I immediately got hooked to. Lately MadBliss released their full LP, “Heaven Through Old Eyes”, which to me positions them as a leading Israeli indie rock band.

I just found out they will be performing live in Tel Aviv on Oct 12. Too bad I am no longer in Israel, but I hope that Issac and his friends will find the time and energy to follow other successful Israeli bands, such as Rockfour, and go on a world (or at least a US) tour. Their music should not be ‘one of Israel’s best kept secrets’…

Many of the bands songs can be found on their myspace page and on their Sonicbids page.

And here’s a video clip of “Changes”, their latest radio hit (according to Isaac).

Turn on the volume and enjoy.