Snackr, an Adobe AIR based RSS ticker, is creating quite a buzz with its flashy looks and smooth moves. I recently heard of Snackr via a Robert Scoble tweet a few weeks ago. I am a past user of the Firefox add-on RSS Ticker which works similarly to Snackr but is less visually stimulating. While I prefer Snackr for catching the latest posts from my favorite sites, there are a few things missing that I would like to see implemented in the next version.

Snackr’s Missing Features

1. Paused movement of ticker when positioning your mouse arrow over an article
2. Ability to move the ticker to the left or right by rolling your mouse wheel forwards or backwards; enables you to move through posts you’ve already seen or scroll back to ones you missed
3. Bookmarking for later reading of articles
4. Sharing feature to send article links to friends

Besides those missing features, I have no complaints about Snackr. In fact I use Snackr almost as much as my web browser. With its semi-transparent display I can browse the web and catch the latest news as it scrolls past near the bottom of my monitor. Also, because it’s not a browser based ticker, it doesn’t affect my browser’s page loading speed (unlike my Firefox RSS Ticker add-on). Another nice aspect of Snackr is that it maintains the integrity of feeds. That is, Feedburner flare links and feed-based advertisements are fully functional.

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Using Quantcast analytics from last month (April 2008), I recently compiled data on the most popular social networking sites to determine which ones have the most educated and most wealthy user base. Social networking sites included in the analysis were largely based on the Compete list of top social networks, the total U.S. estimated monthly uniques for the month of April (as reported by Quantcast), and author interest.

No surprises here with MySpace and Facebook at the top. It is interesting to note that Facebook’s user base ranks much higher than MySpace’s user base in terms of wealth and education level.

It is not necessarily a big surprise to see ASmallWorld and LinkedIn at the top of the most educated social network sites given that education level is a strong indicator of earning ability and vice versa. What is surprising is that both Orkut and Friendster are also ranked in the Top 5 Least Wealthiest Social Networking user base list. I’m not sure if this just means Quantcast’s demographic data is way off or that Orkut and Friendster are the mecca for poor scholars.

I hadn’t even heard of Fubar prior to this posting but apparently it boasts itself as the first online bar and happy hour. I was surprised to see Cafemom included among these other sites; it just seems a bit more refined than the others.

ASmallWorld boasts itself as an exclusive invitation-only site for the very wealthy and social elite. These data seem to confirm their owner’s assertions ranking ASmallWorld with the most wealthiest user base and only 5307 monthly unique visitors and 39% of visitors earning over $100k+. Coming in second is LinkedIn with 31% of its visitors earning over $100,000 per year. I also added Twitter to the analysis just for fun and it was quite interesting to see them ranked in the top three of the most wealthiest social networking user base.

Sonico is fairly large fast growing spanish language social networking site that receives nearly 7 million monthly unique visitors from around the world and the majority of its user base makes less than $30,000 (39%) and most have not received any college education (59%).

So what does all this mean exactly? Is a more educated and/or wealthier user base more profitable in terms of the site’s earnings potential per user than a less educated and/or less wealthy user base that has less money to spend? Perhaps it is actually the opposite where the less educated spend more time online and therefore will, based purely on CPM, generate more income for a given site. These questions may be best answered by comparing the user’s average time spent on each site. Traffic analytics from Compete suggest that the less educated users indeed spend the most time on a given site (average minutes per month per user); Fubar and MyYearbook users display a greater average stay time than the most wealthy (ASmallWorld, LinkedIn), least wealthy (Sonico), and most educated (ASmallWorld, LinkedIn) social networking site user bases.

Below are the entire data sets for education and income sorted by highest monthly unique visitors. I have highlighted the lowest values per column in red and the highest values per column in green. U.S. Monthly Uniques are in millions and other column values are in percentages of entire site’s visitors.

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Since I became a MacBook owner last year I have acquired some really great accessories for it that enhance the overall computing experience. I’ve summarized and listed them below for your reference, feel free to post your favorites too!

Macally Protection Shell: This is a very nicely designed stylish soft leather-like snap-on cover that clips on the top and bottom of your MacBook to prevent it from getting stratches while at the same time allowing easy access to all your ports. Unlike several other hard cover MacBook skins, the Macally Protection Shell fits very snug and the liner is made of a soft velvet like material that prevents cover-made scratches. Another added benefit of this skin is that the leather like material makes it much stickier to hold and thus reduces the risk of you dropping it or having it slide off your lap.

Keyboard Protector: Over time your MacBook keys will slowly get a yellowish tint to them and get loaded with dirt and grime. To prevent this you should get a keyboard cover. The one I got from Amazon also covers the track pad button and wrist rest. The protector is made of a thin silicon like material that is transparent for easy viewing of your keys.

IMAK Ergobead Wrist Cushion: This wrist support feels great and prevents soreness during long computing sessions. Instead of the popularly used gel filler that most wrist supports contain, this one is filled with little soft beads that comfortably conform around your wrist.

Targus Ultra Mini USB Hub: You’ll need this if you have to plug in multiple USB devices into your MacBook. It’s USB 2.0 enabled and has plenty of space between each slot to allow for large headed USB plugins.

Phillips USB Adapter Kit: This pairs up well this the Targus Mini USB hub to allow you to plug in any device you come across. The adapter kit also includes a great retractable USB cord and a travel pouch for easy storage of all the adapters.

Mahogany Euro Lap Desk: I really like this product because it is well designed and very comfortable to work on. It provides me with a portable desk top and provides a great alternative to laying your computer on your lap. It also provides plenty of space for my mouse and other accessories. The top is made of polished solid wood and the bottom is covered with a soft micro-bead filled pillow.

Logitech Cordless Optical Mouse for Notebooks: There are much cooler and more expensive wireless mice out there with many more features but this one works great, has a nice rubber grip, is compact for easy travel and storage, and is ergonomically correct for left or right handed people. It is also one of the lowest-priced great quality cordless optical mice around.

Ogio Metro Backpack: While this isn’t necessarily a MacBook accessory, it’s a great backpack that also serves to store my computer, mp3 player, and other devices and accessories when I’m on the go. It’s built with rugged material, has lots of pockets that are tech friendly, and offers a padded laptop sleeve for easy storage of my MacBook.

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