Tons of “best of” and “…of the year” lists clog my reading list this past day or so, and the news has had  a distinctly predictive feel to it lately. I’ve picked a few worthy of your perusal. Of course, my own come every year around Jan 1….For now, a ton of links for you. To them:

12 Most Important Tech Stories (Atlantic) Considered and thoughtful. But I not a fan of  how the article is presented.

23 Tech Superstars Poised To Own 2012 (BI) Not deep on insight, but a nice list. Again, what’s with the format?!

Sound-Triggered Smartphone Ads Seek You Out (AdWeek) Very interesting hack to deal with ambient awareness issues.

Stats of the Day: 50 New Social-Media Stats to Kick-start Your Slide Deck (AdAge) Just in time for your holiday Powerpointing.

Schmidt Reckons Most TVs Will Have Google TV By Mid-2012 (PC) Bold prediction that.

Facebook To Launch A Subscribe Button For Websites (CTC) Subscribe is the new “Fan” for Facebook, and this is web-wide.

New York Times’s Reveal is the mirror of the future (TNW) Well it’s one of them, anyway. Interesting stuff.

Rumor: Amazon Retail Stores Coming & Predatory Pricing Channel Destruction (JC) Fun speculation from Mr. Calacanis.

The Internet Big Five (Searchblog) My initial thoughts on the companies driving our collective platform future.

Twitter: Yours to discover (Twitter) A new design, and implications for marketers in mobile, a new embed feature, and in brand pages.

30 Freakiest Ads of 2011 (AdWeek) Because it’s Friday.

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FM’s program of the day is Clarisonic’s content series. Example here.

If it suits your information consumption goals, sign up for Signal’s email newsletter or RSS feed on the FM home page (upper right box).

I can’t find a theme today. Probably because I spent the day in the Valley, and my mind is a bit blown by all the folks I met with. So let’s just get to the links, shall we?

Siri Is Apple’s Broken Promise (Gizmodo) My wife agrees, Siri doesn’t work as advertised (I don’t have it).

Datamining Twitter (MN) Worth the read, you probably knew this, but you also probably are not doing this.

StumbleUpon Unveils Redo with 250 Brands (FC) Good for StumbleUpon, I am a fan, and love the innovation here. Esp. for brands.

The Rise of Google, the Ascent of Facebook and the Decline of Everyone Else (ATD) I know I put this in last Signal, but it bears repeating. It’s way too early to call this market.

India wants Facebook, Google and others to censor user content (TNW) Well of course it does. Your move, Internet companies. Will you have a soul, or not? Do companies HAVE a soul?

Android Market Now on Pace With Apple at More Than 1 Billion Downloads a Month (ATD) That’s a lot. I mean, a lot.

The best social media campaigns of 2011 (iMedia) Who doesn’t like a list? And when our pals at Ford and Amex make the list, that’s just gravy.

How The “Internet Of Things” Is Turning Cities Into Living Organisms (FC) Interesting connections here.

Article: Relevance Key to Increasing Display Ad Dwell Rate (EM) Yep. Watch this space from FM.

How Big Data Analytics Can Save Publishing (AdAge) Are you a premium publisher? Then read this.

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FM’s program of the day is the Nestle Toll House Morsels campaign, across many FM sites, including many Foodbuzz publishers.

If it suits your information consumption goals, sign up for Signal’s email newsletter or RSS feed on the FM home page (upper right box).

Sensors that detect your state of mind. Devices that know where you are and tell whoever might be interested all about it. Real time maps for the inside of high rises. Science fiction? Nope, just another edition of Signal for your perusal. To the links….

We’re Watching: Malls Track Shoppers’ Cellphone Signals to Gather Marketing Data (Wired) Now, really. Please remember that we’d like to be part of the conversation about how this data is used. K? Tx.

Here’s My Personal Data, Marketers. What Do I Get For it? (AdAge) As I said. Note that Singly, which I have written about a lot, is covered.

Step Inside Buildings and Restaurants With Google Maps Interior View (SH) And think of the business models if we start using it.

Microsoft’s future Kinect 2 device will reportedly lip read and measure emotions (WinRumors) Are. You. Kidding. Me. Cool. Creepy.

Friend Request From Your Unborn Child Is Actually a Condom Ad (AdWeek). Just creepy.

Google to Launch Awards for Data Journalism (Journalism.co.uk) Good. We need waaaay more of it. Soon.

Facebook and the FTC Announce A Deal, For Now (Searchblog) Facebook has a distinct M.O.: Ask for forgiveness, not permission.

Facebook Targets IPO at $100 Billion Valuation (WSJ) Pretty please, Markets, can I have an IPO without Europe tanking the damn global economy?

Helping the Invisible Hand: Simple Measures to Make Online Ad Exchanges Work (AdAge) Very good idea. Let’s add more data, in context, to make programmatic buying work. I wonder who might do that….

WordPress launches WordAds to help you make money from your blog (TNW) Hey wait, that’s my company partnering with them! What a smart idea!

#SmallBusinessSaturday Blew Up On Social Media, But Did It Actually Get People To Shop? (SAI) Well, I’d warrant it sure did. I saw it everywhere, and I’d say the idea is a case study in successful marketing for American Express.

Going Native (Noah Brier) Good thoughts on platform-driven (dependent) marketing and the value of independent voice/brand curation.

Inside the attack on the First Amendment (Salon) Odd, I thought I voted for Obama so stuff like this would NOT happen.

The World In One Generation: Population Trends (Searchblog) If you like trends in world population, well I have a post for you.

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FM’s program of the day is DailyBuzz Tech. I mean, how cool is this?!!! The entire Independent Web for Tech, boiled down to the best nine stories each day….

If it suits your information consumption goals, sign up for Signal’s email newsletter or RSS feed on the FM home page (upper right box).

(image) This will be the final Signal of the week, as I’m taking Thursday and Friday off. I suggest you do too, our wonderful industry will survive.Meanwhile, the Pepper Spray Cop Meme is just too funny to not include. To the Turkey links:

Will Mobile Ads Ever Work for Publishers? (DD) Hey, who raised this last week? Oh yeah, me.

Facebook users: Five degrees of separation (WP) Kind of fun. Once a lot of folks get on the graph, stuff like this comes out. Wish Facebook did more of it.

Image as interest: How the Pepper Spray Cop could change the trajectory of Occupy Wall Street (NL) Here’s where I found the Pepper Spray Cop imagefest.

Tech coalition backs off SOPA support (WP) This is very good news.

Clayton Christensen: How Pursuit of Profits Kills Innovation and the U.S. Economy (Forbes) Interesting.

Facebook to Make Social-Powered Smartphone (ATD) It’s named Buffy. It’s HTC plus a very tweaked version of Android (think Amazon).

Help Us Shape The Signal Conferences in 2012 (Searchblog) Your input wanted for our conference series next year! Vote on six choices or add your own.

Federated Media Publishing’s Independent Publishers and Authors Share Their Insight on Food, Tech and Lifestyle Trends for the Holidays (FM) The longest release headline in FM history. Says it all.

Mobile Ad Figures Show Android Has Secured Its OS Lead, Apple A Device Lead (PC) More stats for yer PowerPointers.

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FM’s program of the day is the Fiat 500 campaign.

If it suits your information consumption goals, sign up for Signal’s email newsletter or RSS feed on the FM home page (upper right box).

(image) A mini-meme erupted over the weekend, as the blogosphere discovered the detriments of Facebook sharing. Not sure why it all happened at once, but there you have it. Facebook is the big Target now, and the arrows are a comin’. To the links:

Why Facebook’s Seamless Sharing is Wrong (RWW) It breaks the way the web is supposed to work.

How Facebook is ruining sharing (Cnet) She has a point.

Facebook and the Age of Curation Through Unsharing (TC) A kind of different take on it. Sorta.

Occupy The Net! (Slate) I predicted the two would merge a while back. This isn’t proof, just a call of sorts. Wish it were a bit deeper.

Occupy vs Tea Party: what their Twitter networks reveal (New Scientist) An interesting analysis of network nodes.

The Problem and the Opportunity Of Mobile Advertising (Searchblog) In which I turn my attention to the world of in-app advertising.

Top US Brands Getting Strategic About Social Media (MP) Research on how big brands are thinking about social.

Local Online Ads to Hit $15.7B in 2011. Or Is It $23.3B? (CZ) Depends on how you’re counting, but it’s a big number.

Google+: Brands Rush In Where Consumers Fear To Tread (SEL) Not sure consumers “fear” it, as much as are waiting for a tipping point.

Stats of the Day: 50 New Social-Media Stats to Kick-start Your Slide Deck (AdAge) Always good to have Powerpoint fodder, eh?

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FM’s program of the day is Haggar’s Life Khaki. Sponsored content across FM, example here.

If it suits your information consumption goals, sign up for Signal’s email newsletter or RSS feed on the FM home page (upper right box).

Tons of news this past cycle, led by the introduction of Google Music. You want my take? Every single Internet Horseman (Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook) want to lock you into their cloud. Music is one big way to do so.  Let’s get to those Friday linkages:

Google Music is open for business (Google)  The official announcement.

Why Would Google Sell Music? 4 Big Reasons (Wired) Analysis of the news

The Rise of Digital Omnivores (Comscore) Also known as multiplatform consumers. This is gonna get worse before (or if) it gets better.

Trapit, the AI-powered aggregator and Siri sibling, now in public beta (hands-on) (Verge) I like this new service, but I’ve only played with it for a day.

Mimicking the brain, in silicon (MIT) Read it closely. Wow. “With the analog chip system, the simulation is even faster than the biological system itself.”

With Garlinghouse Out, Questions Over What Is Next For AOL (PC) Brad was big news when he went to AOL, and his exit, I am hearing, has to do with frustrations over the company’s lack of a tech focus.

Whisperings of the Future Surround Us (Searchblog) In which I discuss a company called Recorded Future.

Short Takes: Conde Nast Launches Private Exchange (DD) Expect to see a raft of these.

Facebook’s New Advertising Model: You (Forbes) Overview of Facebook’s recent moves in brand advertising.

Judge Declares Law Governing Warrantless Cellphone Tracking Unconstitutional (WSJ) Very good news, from my point of view.

Article: Case Study: AT&T Empowers Employees for B2B Social Engagement (EM) We all love us some case study.

Facebook: Website killer (iMedia) Do not let this happen to you.

Facebook Privacy: Site Confirms It Tracks You After You Leave (ABC) This *is* happening to you.

The State Of VivaKi Nerve Center: CEO Hecht On Audience On Demand, Programmatic Buying And Trends (AE) Always good to keep up with Curt’s thinking.

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FM’s program of the day is the Chevy Volt campaign.

If it suits your information consumption goals, sign up for Signal’s email newsletter or RSS feed on the FM home page (upper right box).

(image) The theme of the last news cycle is the re-emergence of bad law, driven by the content industries and decried by companies and individuals with whom, in the main, I agree. November 16th, Weds., is “American Censorship Day.” Pay attention to this, folks. To the links:

I Believe In The Internet – The Content Industry Doesn’t (Feld) A direct declaration that the ethos of the Internet is just that, an ethos, and that the content industry does not buy into that ethos.

The Architecture Of The Internet (AVC) Fred piles on.

Why All Filmmakers Should Speak Out Against SOPA (TD) A film industry vet says the legislation is flat out wrong.

What Businesses & Brands Can Use Google Plus Pages For Now (SEL) A primer for the relatively new service.

McNamee: Six ways to save the internet (YT via PK) The veteran investor on opportunities in the current environment. Worth the watch.

Confession #109: Something Disintegrates at a Burger King (Tweetage Wasteland) Ave gives a good overview of the implications of the Burger King Breakup.

Think Insights with Google is out of beta and packing a data punch (Google) An overview of a new view into some of Google’s insights. Whenever I see stuff like this from Google, I wonder, what on earth do they know that they are NOT exposing?

The future of online advertising (FT) Felix Salmon urges brands to become great creators and curators of content. If you’ve been reading me for these past years, you know I agree.

Perhaps it’s my work on the book, but I’ve noticed a shift in the dialog lately, to larger issues of what kind of a society we want to live in. If you are a leader in the Internet industry, you’re in the business of debating that issue. And the links are rife with wrinkles. To them:

Which Way Privacy? (Slate) I think this is a very important topic that is misunderstood, in the main. This piece gives an overview of how the Supreme Court is thinking through a particular case involving the government’s use of GPS tracking on suspects using an expired warrant.

Are We A Democracy? (NYT) Apparently, we are a “multarchy” and I have to agree. Though recently I’m starting to think we’re more democratic-capitalistic oligarchy than anything else.

Jeff Bezos Owns the Web in More Ways Than You Think (Wired) Oh please stop this bullsh*t. No one should own the web. I am tired of this metaphor and hope you all will be too. Because if Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google “own the web,” well, we are well and truly f*cked.

JAW DROPPING Space Station time lapse! (Discover) Worth the time most certainly, as we ponder our role in the world.

Click an Ad Online, Get a Coupon on Your Credit Card (WSJ) Cool idea, but too complicated I am afraid.

Search Engine Land Gets Sister Site: Marketing Land Arrives Next Month (SEL) Nice to see Danny branching out, a natural extension.

Storify Makes Its Move: A Social Web News Site Starring You (RWW) I’ve just starting checking this company out. Seems an up and comer.

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FM’s program of the day is American Express Open Forum.

If it suits your information consumption goals, sign up for Signal’s email newsletter on the FM home page (upper right box).