Aside from the gazing into space, the squinching and the gratuitous holding up of hands in order to get the money shot, what else do watch ads have in common?

In this series, we talk to Kiwi keyboard tappers that have managed to shift from the personal realm of blogging to create online media brands that are widely read (and in some cases profitable). In this segment, we chat to Mauricio Freitas, the founder of Geekzone.

In November last year, McDonald’s launched New Zealand’s version of the ‘Our food, Your Questions’ campaign that proved so successful in Canada. As the questions have poured in over the last few months, McDonald’s has proceeded to answer them and the resultant correspondence has been collated on a website specially dedicated to the campaign.

Our weekly wrap of good things, strange things, funny things and other things from inside the intertubes.

After its Willy Wonka-esque Joyville campaign, Cadbury is now on a mission to show how chocolate can improve the lot of those who are being crushed under the weight of day-to-day drudgery, and this passport control officer is powerless to resist the urge to cut some shapes in his workplace.

It’s hard to believe it’s been eight years since the first tweet, but Twitter is marking the milestone with a new online tool that lets you find out the short message you first broadcast to the world — and see the cautious early efforts of other users.

Content marketing specialist BrandWorld has just launched Field Trials, a new masthead that aims to showcase products targeted at farmers. This move marks a change in direction for BrandWorld, in the sense that this is the company’s first foray into the rural market. Although the previous four mastheads – Discover, The Extra Mile, Eating Well and Family Health Diary ­– do sometimes feature products that appeal to both the rural and urban markets, the new offering will focus exclusively on targeting farmers. And if the statistics from the Ministry of Primary Industries are anything to go by, this could prove to be a lucrative move.

Contagion’s Tom Bates went to hang with the geeks and soak up the knowledge at SXSW Interactive in Austin, Texas, recently. And while he was there he caught up with a few expat Kiwis doing big things, like Tessa Gould.

The Intermedia Group, which owns over 70 media titles in Australia, has announced that it will release two business-to-business titles in the New Zealand market within the next few months. This move comes only a few weeks after it was confirmed that MediaWeb, which was previously active in both the FMCG and hospitality markets, went into receivership. And although the Intermedia NZ general manager didn’t say that there was a correlation between the MediaWeb receivership and Intermedia’s decision to enter the market, he did admit that situation at MediaWeb influenced the timing of the move. Update: the receivers are accepting tenders from interested parties for all MediaWeb’s assets.

Telecom plans to find a new name for its internet TV and movie service after similarly-named Kiwi companies raised concerns about ShowmeTV. The company says it could have faced a legal challenge and a prolonged dispute wasn’t in anyone’s interest.

The Warehouse Group’s new shopping app includes the ability to scan products in its stores and that of its competitors to compare pricing. The app, created by Sush Mobile, is also an e-commerce platform and provides offers and store information.

The proliferation of smartphone ownership changed the vocabulary of body language, in the sense that it stopped people from pointing to a bare wrist when asked for the time. These days, when asked for the time, people almost reflexively clutch at their pockets as an allusion to their phones. But, now, Google is attempting to rewind the evolution of body language by introducing Android Wear, a modified operating system that can be used in a range of smartwatches that consumers – beyond tech junkies – would actually consider wearing.

Little Sister Films has created an interactive clip for this year’s Deloitte Graduate Recruitment programme, which puts the outcome in the hands of the viewer. The video used the Rapt Media player, a custom-built camera-mounted helmet and a dash of creativity.

AT&T is exploring its inner geek with a new TVC featuring tech help guys. The pair in this clip are providing helpful network services and a cheesy attempt to flatter an office worker seems to pay off.

Luke Pierson started the agency now known as Heyday as a 20-year-old, cold calling prospects for web builds. Now its speciality is working with private sector organisations that just want to get stuff done — and making content the starting point for every project.

Google has been on an education drive to tell people how to use its wearable tech, the Glass headset. Now it’s showcasing the wonder of possibility, telling us how the glasses could bring a cooking show-like experience into our home.

Recruiting YouTube stars seems a weird thing for a tax management company to do, but that’s the idea behind H&R Block’s campaign that tries to tell ordinary citizens not to attempt their own tax return. Then again, they would say that.

Meow Mix, a US petfood company, has come up with a new website designed to appeal to the creative investor and cat lover. Catstarter has three products available to support, including a food dispenser powered by tweets.

Ride sharing service Uber is opening its doors to Auckland passengers, with its website saying a limited numbers of cars are already available. The company is encouraging first time users to give it a try and leave feedback, and it’s offering an online fare calculator.

The New Zealand student team behind a new social media platform based on horizontal scrolling hope it will be a platform for brands — and achieve the right balance between functionality and aesthetics.

The cards have been printed, the stationery has arrived, the team is now in place and the doors to the new office in The Generator in Auckland’s CBD have been opened. And to celebrate Pandora NZ’s launch—and its first commercial partner, Sonos Wireless—it is offering a Sonos prize pack worth over $3,800 to one lucky StopPress reader.