Google+Facebook+iPhone: 08/01/11

Monday, 1 August 2011

Apple surpasses U.S. government in cash balance

Apple made waves last year when it surpassed Microsoft to become the world's most valuable technology company. Last week, the iPhone and iPod maker notched another milestone: Its cash hoard exceeded that of the U.S. government.

As of June 25, Apple had $76.2 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, a staggering increase of $25.1 billion from nine months earlier, according to its latest financial report. The U.S. Treasury reported Wednesday that its operating cash balance stood at roughly $73.8 billion.

"This symbolic feat — the world's most highly valued tech company surpassing the fiscal strength of the world's most powerful nation — is just the latest pinnacle for Apple, which has been on an unprecedented roll," CNN wrote Friday.

Apple will reportedly roll out the latest version of its vaunted iPhone in September.

Need NFC On Your iPhone Now? There's A Hack For That

In a bit better suited for the Lifehacker set, Cult of Mac (via Unplggd) has a cute little piece called “How to Get NFC Payments on Your iPhone 4 Right Now.” Before we go any further, though, I should mention that that title is more than a little misleading. Rather, the post should read something like “How to Take Apart Your iPhone 4 and Wedge a Bank-Issued NFC-Enabled Credit Card Between the Battery and Its Rear Panel.”

Because that’s exactly all that this “hack” entails.

For those interested, everything seems easy enough to pull off. Just follow the directions on the linked sites’ posts. Be warned, though: It’s probably not a very good idea to go altering and clogging up the internals of your favorite smartphone. The iPhone is a precision instrument, after all, and batteries get hot, and plastic melts. Just like the Cult:

We’re a little hesitant to open the iPhone and place anything right on the device’s battery…

And just like the Cult’s commenters, we’re probably better off simply sticking the card into our iPhones’ cases.

Day 57: signs say 24 day iPhone 5 release date cycle on September 9th

It’s Day Fifty-Seven since Apple failed in its first opportunity to assign an iPhone 5 release date, and now the second boat in the long line of expected iPhone 5 release dates has officially sunk. Scratch July off the wall, as the month ended today without so much as a whiff. September is now the default. But August still lives, if barely, for the simple reason that there are another thirty days in the month after today and Apple has shown that it only needs a twenty-four day headstart to go from zero to sixty in terms of breaking radio silence and eventually getting the new iPhone to market. That precedent was established last year with the iPhone 4: the company announced a mystery press conference (which wasn’t much of a mystery) to be held in seven days, and upon revealing the new iPhone that day, set a release date another seventeen days into the future. That means Apple can still get the iPhone 5 to market in this new month, but according to its own track record, must set the wheels in motion quickly.

That, however, puts Apple in the position of putting the iPhone 5 on sale just before Labor Day. That’s not sound strategy, as it’s a time when many people are still traveling on their summer vacations while others, who are planning to head out on vacation during the three day weekend, are looking to keep cash in their wallets so they can blow it on the trip. Big movies are still premiering, and it’s just not the right time for Apple to be asking the public to pay attention long enough for the iPhone 5 to sink in. Sure, PriceGrabber and ChangeWave claim that a third to a half of the entire population already plans to buy an iPhone 5 when it comes out. But Apple trying to pull off that launch at an inopportune late-summer timeframe makes less sense than simply waiting until after Labor Day in order to launch the iPhone 5. That leaves two scenarios, and neither will sound exciting to those who were hoping to get their hands on the new iPhone in August…

Is the iPhone 5 coming in September?

One thing that usually happens before a new iPhone hits the streets is a price reduction. For this reason, the rumor mill is going crazy after a couple of posts this weekend.

The first post came from PhoneArena where the site is stating that Target is expected to reduce the price of the iPhone 4 16GB to $149.99, and the iPhone 4 32GB to $249.99 for Verizon’s model–the AT&T model will remain at $299.99. The second post came from PocketNow who is stating that Radio Shack is offering the iPhone 4 for $30 off.

If you’re wondering what the iPhone 4 price drop means to the 3GS, according to the articles, the 3GS 8GB will drop to $19.99 at Radio Shack and Target. There’s also another rumor circling that states that Target will give you $100 off the price of an iPhone 4 if you bring in a 3GS–crazy.

So, is an iPhone 5 on the way or are the retailers just getting more aggressive with their iPhone pricing? Regardless, there are some bargains to be had if you haven’t gone over to the land of Apple yet.

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily e-mail newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Companies learn to use Internet, social media to stand out

Just over a year ago, Arvada West Decorating and Flooring in Arvada, Colo., didn't have a website, much less a Facebook fan page.

Now a Google search for "Arvada flooring" returns the 30-year-old store's website as the No. 1 result. The top listing for "Arvada decorating" is the shop's Facebook page.

That's not by accident.

Store owner Matt Vagts, whose family has been in the flooring business since 1954, hired a full-time search-engine and social-media expert three months ago to bolster Arvada West's online presence.

He believes the strategy has helped the shop win roughly four out of five recent bids for contracting jobs.

"I'm getting 80 percent of the work because of my credibility on the Web," Vagts said. "You take a little mom-and-pop- owned shop like mine, and I can now compete with the big shops."

In an increasingly digital world, traditional businesses and service professionals are finding that old-school sales and marketing strategies no longer cut it.

Door-to-door pitches have given way to Facebook and Twitter social media postings. Receptionists and cold calling are out, while do-it-all smartphones and online lead generators are in.

And Yellow Page display ads have been replaced, or at least supplemented, with so-called search engine optimization strategies to bolster rankings in online search results.

"If I was selling a vacuum cleaner 50 years ago, I'd walk door-to-door and shake someone's hand and look them in the eye," said Ryan Estes, Arvada West's tech guru. "We want to do the same thing and do that on social media."

Posts on Arvada West's Twitter and Facebook accounts go beyond sales announcements to messages about the community and other topics to create a dialogue.

That's aimed at improving the store's rankings in search results, Estes said, because Google tweaked its search algorithm in February to find more "high-quality sites" with fresh content. Other search-ranking factors may include the location of the person posting the query and a site's traffic.

"I try and shape all that together to drive Google's search results," Estes said. "If someone is in Arvada and they type in 'tile floor,' we want to be No. 1."

A Google spokeswoman wouldn't disclose whether certain social media activity can affect a site's ranking, stating that results are "automatically determined by computer algorithms using hundreds of factors to calculate a page's relevance to a given query."

"We can't divulge the actual ranking signals used in our algorithms because we don't want to give people a way to game our search results and worsen the experience for all users," she said in an e-mail.

Other businesses are using social media to raise their profile with potential clients. Jason Wagner, owner of Denver-based Sonic Conscious Studio, has been mixing music for about 10 years but only recently set up a blog on Tumblr and a Facebook page.

"What I'm working on is the reputation," Wagner said. "There are mix engineers that get $2,000 to $5,000 a song. I'm nowhere near that. That's my goal — to have a reputation, have people come to me and have enough work and demand to raise my prices."

In the past year, Golden, Colo.-based ServiceMagic, which provides leads for thousands of service professionals, doubled the number of employees who develop mobile sites and Facebook pages for businesses in its network.

"Facebook is certainly something they're aware of," said ServiceMagic chief executive Chris Terrill. "They're using it personally, but they're beginning to realize the benefits of it professionally."

Beyond social media and search, businesses are leaning on mobile technology to streamline their operations.

ServiceMagic conducted a survey of professionals in its network in May and found that 63 percent use a smartphone for their business. That's nearly double the 35 percent of American adults who use smartphones, according to a report by the Pew Internet Project. As such, ServiceMagic recently hired 10 workers to focus on mobile application products. The company employs roughly 1,100, with the bulk in the Denver area.

Read more at http://detnews.com/article/20110801/BIZ04/108010360/Companies-learn-to-use-Internet--social-media-to-stand-out#ixzz1TloBrCVM

Anheuser-Busch, Lilly, Rovi Corp., Google, Facebook: Intellectual Property

Anheuser-Busch Inc., the maker of Budweiser Beer, is suing the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and one of its local chapters for trademark infringement and disparagement.

The unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (ABI) alleges in the suit, filed July 27 in federal court in Dayton, Ohio, that the union invoked the brand while publicizing a dispute with a regional beverage distributor, Heidelberg Distributing Co.

According to the suit, the Teamsters took out advertisements on two back-to-back billboards that said, “Tell Budweiser Heidelberg’s Destruction of Ohio Jobs Is Tasteless.” The St. Louis-based brewer claims the signs are false and disparage the Budweiser trademark. The company seeks both injunctive relief and damages.

Heidelberg is neither owned nor controlled by Anheuser- Busch, according to the complaint.

Gary Rutledge, Anheuser-Busch’s general counsel for North America, said the company “will aggressively challenge any action like this that sends a wrong and undeserved message to consumers.”

The Teamsters’ general counsel, Brad Raymond, through a spokesperson, described the suit as without merit and declined to comment further. A Heidelberg representative didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

The case is Anheuser-Busch Inc. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 11-262, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (Dayton).

Patent

Lilly Wins Appeals Court Ruling in Strattera Patent Case

Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY), the world’s biggest maker of psychiatric drugs, won an appeals court ruling in its effort to block generic versions of attention-deficit treatment Strattera.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington on July 29 overturned a judge’s decision finding Lilly’s patent invalid and remanded the case to the lower court for further proceedings. The patent expires in 2017.

Strattera, known by its chemical name atomoxetine hydrochloride, generated sales of $577 million last year for Indianapolis-based Lilly. The company had won an order that prevented drugmakers including Mylan Inc. and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA) from entering the market with a generic version until this appeal was decided.

Lilly General Counsel Robert A. Armitage said in an e-mail that the company was pleased with the ruling and “remain confident that the patent is valid and enforceable.”

Mylan spokesperson Michael Laffin didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment. Teva spokeswoman Denise Bradley declined to comment.

The case is Eli Lilly & Co. v. Actavis Elizabeth LLC, 2010- 1500, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Washington). The lower court case is Eli Lilly & Co. v. Actavis Elizabeth LLC, 07cv3770, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (Newark).

For more, click here.

Rovi Sues Hulu Over Patents for Interactive TV Functions

Rovi Corp. (ROVI), a provider of digital home-entertainment products, sued online video service Hulu LLC alleging infringement of patents for interactive television functions and seeking unspecified damages.

Rovi, formerly known as Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc., contends that Los Angeles-based Hulu is wrongly using protected technology for electronic programming guides, according to a complaint filed July 28 in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware.

“Rovi invests significant resources” in development of its guides and related inventions for digital video streaming technologies, the Santa Clara, California-based company said in court papers.

Elisa Schreiber, a Hulu spokeswoman, declined to comment on the suit. Hulu, which has put itself up for sale, is co-owned by Walt Disney Co. (DIS), News Corp. (NWSA) and Comcast Corp. (CMCSA)

Rovi was formed when Macrovision Corp. acquired Gemstar-TV Guide in 2008, according to the complaint. Rovi reported $541.5 million in sales last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News.

The company “leads the digital entertainment industry in the development and improved functionality of guidance systems for TVs, recorders, set-top boxes and other devices,” according to the complaint.

$500 Only? Facebook Offering Limp Rewards

"To show our appreciation for our security researchers, we offer a monetary bounty for certain qualifying security bugs," Facebook said on its blog post.

"Our security team will assess each bug to determine if qualifies."

Facebook's $500 reward might seem like a catch, but compared to the $3000+ offered by Google and Mozilla, it seems like cyber security enthusiasts are getting gypped. Microsoft has even gone so far as to offer US$250,000 to anyone who can offer information on a virus culprit who masquerades in the Window's theme.

Despite the relatively little dough, a security researcher cited in ComputerWorld believes the real reward is in breaking into the tight-knit security community.

"The dollar amounts may be smaller than other markets for security research, but bounty programs lead to a better relationship with the security community and improve the security of the service much faster than a similar resource spend in a traditional security audit," said HD Moore, chief security officer of Rapid7.

To be eligible for the reward the identified bug has to be a part of Facebook's core and not from an application like Farmville. There are also a couple of other terms listed on the company's "security Bug Bounty" page.

Breakfast bet killer 'plays at murder' in chilling Facebook snap

SCHOOLBOY psycho Josh Davies acted out the strangling of a girl for a laugh during breaktime.

The Facebook picture is one of a group still on display last night after “breakfast bet killer” Davies, 16, was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend.

The jury heard Davies had talked about battering Rebecca Aylward, 15. And another boy joked he would buy him a free cooked meal the following morning if he did it.

Davies bludgeoned her to death and later wrote on Facebook: “Good day with my friends and a lovely breakfast.” The sick teenager finished off the message with a little smiley face.

The website pictures show Davies larking around with pals at the school where he and Rebecca studied.

Most look like innocent youthful fun but the mock strangling fits the “murder obsessed” Davies described by close pals.

He battered Rebecca to death with a rock in woods last October.

The court heard she still “loved and trusted” him after he dumped her.

He asked her to meet him and she went along hoping they would be getting back together. Rebecca’s family revealed after the trial that she had bought new clothes for their Saturday afternoon date when he brutally snuffed out her life.

One of the pictures shows Davies smiling with his best friend – who he accused of carrying out the murder.

But Davies was convicted last week at the end of a five-week trial.

Afterwards the friend, 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, posted a Facebook message: “He’s dead to me. My name was dragged through the dirt in court but it’s all over now.

“I’m looking to the future. The nightmare is over.” After Davies was found guilty the boy who made the “breakfast bet” with him, posted: “It’s over mate, been through all the s*** and come out the other side. “We just burst out cheering in court. I’m so happy. This is the best day of my life.”

Davies left crafty Facebook messages after killing Rebecca. He expressed concern that she was missing and told a friend: “I haven’t seen her but I’ve already spoken to her mother.”

Advertisers Begin to Look Beyond Facebook and Twitter

Social network marketing is now de rigueur for most brands. eMarketer estimates that 80% of companies with at least 100 employees conduct marketing activities on social networks this year. Fewer are advertising on social networks, but the number is growing.

May 2011 research from The Pivot Conference and Brian Solis found that two-thirds of marketers surveyed were already conducting social media advertising activities, and 18% more planned to do so in the next year. Most agreed that these efforts would prove very valuable, and 54% of those currently running ads were satisfied.

The success of these efforts so far—along with the continuing growth in consumer usage of social sites—may be leading advertisers to expand their plans to more social venues. Currently, Facebook and, to a lesser extent, Twitter dominate. More than nine in 10 respondents have deployed campaigns on Facebook and 78% have done so on Twitter; eMarketer estimates these sites will make $2.19 billion and $140 million, respectively, in US revenues this year. But advertising on sites like YouTube, LinkedIn and foursquare will grow: at least 20% of survey respondents indicate they would begin campaigns on these sites in the next year.

iPhone App Video Review: Xtreme Wheels

Xtreme Wheels is a side scrolling racing/puzzle game brought to us by Bravo Game Studios. The app seems Xtremely inspired by the massively popular Xbox Live Arcade game, Trials HD. There have been a few apps to replicate this gameplay in the past, but none have done quite as Xtremely as Xtreme Wheels.

The game tasks you with completing various obstacle courses as quickly as possible without crashing. Using a tilt-based mechanic, you make your way through various obstacles and over jumps. The tilt controls in this game are set to a slider that you must constantly manipulate. It was an interesting Idea, though I feel two buttons would have served the game better. Of course, you also have a button for acceleration, and a button for braking and reversing. The controls definitely take some getting used to, and the slider doesn't feel natural at first.

You only have to reach the end of a course to progress, but every level is timed, rewarding you with various trophies. If you crash in the game, you restart at one of the dozens of checkpoints littering the course, though your time will take an artificial bump for each fault when you are rated. If you can pull of a Gold time with absolutely no faults, you'll receive a platinum trophy. This is where the real challenge of the game lies.

You'll want to cruise through each course at maximum velocity, but slow and steady truly wins this race. Crashing is pretty fun at first. Everything goes into slow motion and the sound effects are amplified, but you'll quickly start skipping straight to the checkpoint when you crash. Though, your character is extremely weak, and it seems like even the slightest touch to his body will result in a fault. Samuel L. Jackson's character from Unbreakable must be hiding underneath that helmet. It's almost as if they programmed it so that any contact to the rider's body will result in death, no matter how slight. Don't get me wrong though, most of the time it's your fault, and it's quite brutal. Although, I'll never understand how hitting his helmet covered head would result in a tiny explosion of blood. It must be made out of paper.

To make up for the clunky touch screen controls, Bravo Games seems to have compensated by throwing checkpoints everywhere, to the point that it can actually be detrimental to your experience. I guess you'd rather have a game that's too easy than one that's too hard, but sometimes a checkpoint will be badly placed, and you'll have no choice but to restart the course anyway. Another issue I have with the checkpoints is that they make practicing a level very difficult. Sometimes you need to master and understand the flow of a longer section, but if you mess up, you'll be stuck in the middle of it. I would have loved to see the inclusion of a mode without checkpoints. If you've played 'Splosion Man on the Xbox Live Arcade, you'll be familiar with the brutal Hardcore mode, which is the same concept. There are only 20 courses in the game, and due to the short nature, the difficulty definitely spikes around the midpoint. It's almost as if the later levels are built entirely out of exploding barrels. It's kind of obscene.

1 Million iRobots To Build Next iPhone, iPad… End Of Product Leaks?

We admire the Foxconn workers at Apple's China factory for two reasons. First of course is for manufacturing the iPhone, iPad and iPods. Secondly, the leaks. Just about every product leak we have seen to date when it comes to the iPhone, iPad and iPod seem to stem from the manufacturing process (other than that one time a next-generation iPhone ended up on a bar floor).

iRobots to build next iPhone, iPad and iPods (not iPhone 5, iPad 3 though)

Well it looks like Apple may be soon putting an end to further leaks by restructuring the work force. According to Xinhuanet, future iPads and iPhones might just be built by robots, that is if manufacturing giant Foxconn goes ahead with plans to replace workers with up to 1 million "iRobots":

"[Foxconn] currently has 10,000 robots and the number will be increased to 300,000 next year and 1 million in three years, according to [Foxconn founder and chairman, Terry Gou]."

So while we may enjoy a couple more product leaks in the next 3 years (iPhone 5, 6 & 7, iPad 3, 4 &5), it may be tough getting any intel out of Foxconn after that. On a side note, the announcement was apparently made at the company's employee dance party. We're pretty sure nobody had the heart to do the robot on the dance floor after the announcement.

Oh, The Irony: Apple Pushed HTML5 and Now It Could Kill Apple's App Store

Bands have been told repeatedly that they need an iPad / iPhone app to help break their band ... but will this continue to be true? The new HTML5 technology means that you can create an app-like experience without going through Apple's App store.

We've all heard of the "Walled Garden" approach that Steve Jobs and Apple were taking with their iTunes and App Store approach ... everybody feared that this would lead to "the end of the browser" and a closed-loop system that only favored Apple and the App Store, a la the Apple ecosystem. Big publishers tripped over themselves to create iPad apps, calling it the savior of their future.

As it turns out, people are starting to do an end-run around the App Store approach because of a variety of reasons. iPhone apps and iPad apps are becoming secondary items to think about, leaving everyone to create a web experience that doesn't require Apple's App Store approval or take of the profits. I'm talking about creating the same type of experience through a web site. The mobile device apps can then be used to drive traffic back to your web site, the one thing you have absolute control over.

Apple's take of 30% on apps forced a number of publishers to rethink their strategy of creating a web experience for their users. Both Playboy and Financial Times skipped the App Store, creating app-like experiences with HTML5, AJAX and a basic rethinking of presentation and user experience. In the music world, we can look at the new Bjork web site andArcade Fire's "The Wilderness Downtown" video as recent music examples. The result? The iPad app created a way to rethink the deep media experience, embedding videos and sound as well as other interactive features. An app isn't needed to present this way, only creative thinking.

Reuters columnist John Abell just talked about this, saying "Why are publishers already starting to re-think the future of media again? For one thing, there is that kickback to Apple —30% off the top — for selling through the iTunes store. Then there are those rules that seem to favor the functionality of Apple apps, like in-app purchasing. And, most ironically, there is the “Aha!” moment that the iPad itself has provided by highlighting what the optimized, mobile web can really be like."

Jailbreaking helped shape the iPhone’s past, but what about its future?

Since the earliest days of the iPhone, there have been a segment of users that are not content with running their phones by Apple’s rules. By and large, these users love the hardware and software of the iPhone for the obvious care and attention given over to their design.

What they’re not as pleased with is the closed ecosystem that Apple has created to block the installation and use of applications outside of its own App Store and the limited amount of control over settings and appearance given by iOS.

These users are collectively known as the jailbreak community and although they are a minority of iPhone users, they’re a vocal one. Many of the features that we now see on the iPhone and that are coming in iOS 5 first appeared on jailbroken iPhones because these users wanted to get the most out of Apple’s creation.

If you’ve been using an iPhone since the beginning, then you’ll remember just how limited that first offering in 2007 was. There were no apps, no copy and paste, no video recording, no MMS offering and no way to tether the iPhone’s data connection to a laptop. All of these features and more were first offered by apps that would only run on jailbroken iPhones. For better or worse, heavy adoption of an app or tweak by jailbroken users has been a precursor to seeing it show up in an official iPhone software release since the early days of the device.

While the initial efforts to jailbreak the iPhone were centered around gaining access to the file system and the ability to run unofficial apps, there was also another major driving force behind the movement, unlocking.

Lady Gaga Facebook and Twitter scandal puts another crack in her egg

Chicago radio station B96 wasn’t too happy about Lady Gaga this morning; it appears that several fake Facebook and Twitter accounts which add to Gaga’s list of “record breaking” followers were discovered. Just as the deejay mentioned, “This could be the final crack in Lady Gaga’s already cracking egg.”

Lady Gaga, who tried to eclipse Madonna’s legacy, has had a rough road this year. Her Born This Way album was deeply discounted to 99 cents in order to avoid becoming a complete flop. Once the sale went down, so did the album. Then, money that was supposed to go to Japanese tsunami and earthquake victims in the name of “charity” was alleged to be pocketed by Lady Gaga herself. Now, the case is going to court.

Emergency Volunteer Corps Goes Facebook

The Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem Bay (EVCNB) has launched a drive to substantially increase the number of "friends" on its Facebook page and improve its ability to communicate in case of a disaster.

"During the warning time for the March 11 tsunami, I was in the Emergency Operations Center posting on my personal Facebook page to keep my friends informed about what happening," said EVC communications head David Dillon. "I noticed that many of them were in turn sending my messages on to their own sets of friends. That was a real eye-opener."

The EVCNB Facebook page was launched as a test in May. It currently has 34 friends.

The goal is to have all north Tillamook County Facebook users "like" the page. Those people would automatically be alerted by computer whenever emergency information affecting the area is sent out

"This would work best during a warning period," said Dillon. "A distant tsunami like the March one from Japan, an incoming windstorm, an approaching forest fire, or even a hazardous materials spill."

Persons interested in signing up for the EVCNB Facebook page should go to HYPERLINK "http://www.facebook.com" www.facebook.com, search for Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem Bay, then "Like" the page.

Huntington still in the running for dog park

HUNTINGTON -- Huntington's planned off-leash dog park at Ritter Park is still in the running in PetSafe's online voting contest for a $100,000 prize.

Votes can be cast by going to www.barkforyourpark.com orwww.facebook.com/PetSafeBrand. You are allowed to vote once per day, per site. You do not have to be a Facebook member to vote on Facebook.

To vote on facebook.com/PetSafeBrand, you must become a fan of the page by clicking the "Like" button. Then, click on "Bark for your Park" on the left-hand side of the screen. A city will be disqualified from the contest if automated voting systems are used.

Voting runs through Aug. 3. As of July 27, Lynchburg, Va., had pulled ahead of Huntington in the group of 15 finalists. PetSafe is not posting the leaderboard on its website during the last week of voting to add suspense to the contest. The remaining finalists are: Bullhead City, Ariz.; Montgomery, Ala.; Mobile, Ala.; Warsaw, Ind.: Orland Park, Ill.; Kirkland, Wash.; Fort Dodge, Iowa; Westfield, Ind.; Allentown, Pa.: Pacifica, Calif.: Mission Viejo, Calif.: Plainfield, Ind.; and Derby, Vt.

The winner will be announced on or around Friday, Aug. 5, according to the PetSafe website.

Facebook aids in justice

We all understand the effect Facebook has and the social transformation that has come from it. What has most recently developed is its use in criminal investigation.

It turns out Facebook is not just for sharing funny videos and witty status updates; it is also for sharing criminal behavior.

Anders Behring Breivik’s bombing and shooting in Oslo, Norway, left dozens dead and many confused. The week before on July 17, Breivik created a Facebook page and a Twitter page that offered a glimpse into the terrorist’s mind. As has been duly noted in news reports, Breivik ‘liked’ Hunting. Because of the timing, there is speculation that he set up these profiles to give the press information on his background. In the click of a ‘like,’ there is insight to his dual terrorist attacks.

Unforeseeably, the social networking site is serving as a tracker, investigator, and judge. Originally meant to be an innocuous social tool, it is now a chronicle for criminal activities.

In another violent incident, Jason Valdez couldn’t let the opportunity of a status update pass by during his hostage-taking situation on June 17. In a 16-hour overnight standoff with the police, the 36-year-old Utah gunman used his Facebook account to keep his family and friends updated on the crime.

Talk about not being in the moment (He commented on a picture he posted, “Got a cute ‘HOSTAGE’, huh?”). However, this served to his advantage at the time. He received much support and encouragement from his online friends and even a tip from a friend who posted on his Facebook wall that a SWAT officer was hiding in the bushes outside the motel.

Also, Marcus McKinley from West Virginia was charged with murder for the shooting death of Ayana Patton, the mother of his child. Police investigated his Facebook and found that he incessantly posted about his domestic disputes with Patton.

His status at 3:38 a.m. on May 19 can only be interpreted as a confession: “To the ones that don’t know me go ahead and call names say what u like.. and to the ones tha kno me knows it was a reason behind it … one can only tolerate so much and the lord was my witness.. only god can judge me now.”

'Disturbing' threats against Australia's Got Talent star

NSW Police have been made aware of a Facebook page that has allegedly made disturbing death threats against baby-faced singer Jack Vidgen.

The 14-year-old from Manly Vale on Sydney's Northern Beaches has been tipped as a favourite to win Seven's Australia's Got Talent in Tuesday night's grand final.

In recent days, Vidgen has been the focus of criticism over a song he sung on the show, Yes I Am, that he claimed to have written himself. Critics have since claimed he wrote the song with the assistance of others.

While police would release no details of the Facebook page in question, it had reportedly contained disturbing death threats against the teenage singer.

It is understood that the page has been reported to Facebook.

NSW Police said they would launch an investigation once a formal complaint had been made by a member of the Vidgen family.

"Police have been made aware of the Facebook page. However, at this time, we have not received a formal complaint from Jack Vidgen or his family," said a statement.

Read more at http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/disturbing-threats-against-australias-got-talent-star-20110801-1i7cd.html#ixzz1Tli67Dc4

Missouri Outlaws Students and Teachers Being Facebook Friends

A new law in Missouri has imposed a ban on Facebook and any other social networking between students and teachers.

issouri’s governor, Jay Nixon, signed Senate Bill 54 that will go into effect on August 28, 2011. It is part of an initiative “to more clearly define teacher-student boundaries.”

This bill, sponsored by Senator Jane Cunningham, creates the “Amy Hestir Student Protection Act.”

Its goal is to eliminate unreported sexual misconduct and improve background information for hiring schools.

Amy Hestir, the then 13-year-old who was sexually assaulted by her teacher, is the inspiration for this new bill.

Hestir testified before the Missouri House Education Committee about her ordeal that happened over two decades ago.

She revealed the troubling details and said, “I support this bill 100% and I am not afraid to tell my story even though it brought so much shame on me for so long.”

“Senate Bill 54 is designed to prevent such sexual misconduct from happening, compelling school districts to adopt written policies between teachers and students on electronic media, social networking and other forms of communication,” wrote tech and social media site Mashable.

Apple Grows Dozen Times Faster Than Global Phone Market: Thanks to iPhone Sales

Apple, the largest smartphone vendor, reported a growth rate that is 12 times the global mobile phone market in Q2.

The financial results of Q2 shows iPhone shipment increased by 141.8 percent year over year, while the global phone market grew just 11.3 percent.

With the drop in the feature phone market due to the growing demand of the smartphone market, LG’s shipment dropped by 18.9 percent, with just 24.8 million units and Nokia’ s shipments dropped by 20 percent from last year with 88.5 million units.

However, Nokia still holds the first position with 24.2 percent of the market share with Samsung following it, grabbing 19.2 percent of the market.

Apple has sustained its fourth position from the last quarter and has pushed the company extremely close to the third place occupied by LG, the handset producer.

With Apple’s plans to extend its iPhone market by introducing low priced handsets, Apple could soon surpass its competitors.

Read more at http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/189848/20110731/iphone-5-iphone-apple-nokia-lg-u-s-q2-sales-iphone-4-market-smartphone-handset.htm

iPhone 4, 3GS to see price cuts

Target has started to announce the price drop of the respective models of iPhone 4 and 3GS.

The reason of the price cuts of the current iPhone models is still unknown, but many believed that it is as a preparation for the next iPhone 5 from Apple where a bunch of report pointing the release date somewhere in the month of September.

As seen from the screenshot above, starting from 31st July, Target will began selling the iPhone 3GS for $19.99, with the AT&T and Verizon iPhone 4 16GB listed for $149.99. In the meantime, the 32GB iPhone 4 model will be retailing at $249.99 for Verizon’s model, but if you look at the official pricing of AT&T, they still selling it at $299.99.

The pricing of those models is valid if you are willing to sign 2-year contract with the respective telco company, although you might want to save it later for the release of the next generation of iPhone 5 which is expected to follow the old price of iPhone 4.

iPhone 5 September Launch Hinted by AT&T Vacation Ban

Another day, another iPhone 5 launch rumor. AT&T is allegedly denying vacation requests for its employees in the last two weeks of September because of an "event blackout" that could potentially be the release of the next iPhone.

The rumor comes from an anonymous tip that an unconfirmed AT&T employee sent to Gizmodo on Friday.

"I'm an att employee and my boss just announced that vacation requests for the end of september will be denied due to an ‘event blackout'. Historically the only time they've done this was for an iphone release. So we're looking at the last two weeks of september," the source said in an e-mail.

Blocked vacation requests typically go along with iPhone releases. Apple froze employee vacation requests in February ahead of the Verizon iPhone launch and just before the iPhone 4 was announcedlast year.

It seems all signs would point to a September launch for Apple's next smartphone. Earlier in the year Digitimes reported that the next iPhone was already in production and would ship in September. Otherspointed out that when Apple broke its tradition of announcing a new phone at WWDC its September media event was the next likely window. AppleInsider reported that Apple said during a quarterly earnings call that it will undergo a "future product transition" around September -- perhaps another hint at the next iPhone coming this fall.

More Functions of iPhone 4 to Be Used in More Industries

SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Since 2010, smartphones have been a focus for the whole phone industry. It is showed by Gartner, in first season the sales of common phones increased by 17% while that of smartphones increased by 48.7% and have kept going on. Take China for an example, it is predicted that half of Chinese cell phone users will use smartphones by the end of 2014, then it will enter into a smartphone era. With the more and more clear superiorities and market share, lots of branded manufacturers become involved in the smartphone area, which will lead to an adjustment in product mix and break the old industries. Among these smartphones, the iPhone 4 holds a safe lead with its superior appearance, advanced applications and high-performance processor.

As the quite important medium for interrelational communication, the iPhone 4 will unavoidably get old or damaged through use even after good care. To protect and perfect it, a wide selection of phone cases have been provided after careful investigation of market, customer needs, material attributes, including rhinestone 3D cube iPhone 4 cases, which challenge the phone users' vision and refresh the traditional experiences. Some would rather have the iPhone 4 naked because with a case on, the phone will look bulky, now no need to worry anymore, the series of invisible shields now can solve this. While after the great number of various kinds of iPhone cases, people are inclined to get much more different cases to show their characteristics and even can express their emotions. Shenzhen Wuzhou Changlian International Co. now accept customization service, such as a pair of cases for lovers, with friend or family's name as a logo, which reveals everyone the intimate relationships.

In 2011, yesterday's high-end smartphones will become this year's entry level, the smartphone will become mainstream, essential platform for product strategies, the crucible for disruptive innovation. With the development of these phones, more of its functions will be fully utilized in the medical industry and many other industries.

Anti-socials get pally on Facebook

CHANDIGARH: Anti-socials are shedding their hostile image and getting friendly. And what better way to do this than to jump on the social networking bandwagon.

Don't be alarmed if you happen to see a gun-toting notorious undertrial staring at you on Facebook, because that's where Happy Deora alias Amandeep Singh has put up his profile photo posing with a double barrel rifle. Not just Deora, you will also find Jaswinder Singh Rocky, who is facing murder, attempt to murder and robbery charges. However, his status message is a bit reassuring.

It goes on to say Nigaho mein manzil thi, gire or gir kar sambhalte rahe, hawao ne bohot koshish ki, magar chirag aandhiyo mein bhi jalte rahe (Eyes were focused on the aim, fell down and got up; winds did their best, but the lamps remained lit in the storm).

The duo is facing criminal charges in Chandigarh and Punjab.

There's more. A visit to Deora's account reveals that several Bollywood stars are included in his friends' list. Deora mentions his profession as 'Lok Seva (social service) but in a different style'. Deora was arrested for possessing sophisticated weapons in July 2008 in Chandigarh. Recently, he was booked for committing an armed robbery in Ferozepur of Punjab.

Lawrence Bishnoi, 20, arrested under the charge of attempt to murder, has also made his Facebookprofile using his picture on a poster of Students Organization of Panjab University (SOPU). Bishnoi was arrested for possession of a .32 bore revolver and live cartridges near DAV, College, Sector 10, on July 29.

Read more at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Anti-socials-get-pally-on-Facebook/articleshow/9437389.cms

Pages

Monday, 1 August 2011

Patent

iRobots to build next iPhone, iPad and iPods (not iPhone 5, iPad 3 though)