Virus and malware attacks against organizations have increased because of employees using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media in the workplace, according to a global study.
Of the 4,640 organizations surveyed by the Ponemon Institute, a research firm, more than half said these computer attacks grew as a result of workers using social networks. About a quarter of those respondents said the attacks rose by more than 50 percent.
As social media services play a bigger role in businesses, many organizations find themselves ill-equipped to handle the accompanying security risks, according to the report. Researchers surveyed information-technology employees at organizations in the U.S., India, Brazil, Germany and elsewhere, and found that only 35 percent had a policy on using social media at work. Of those, 35 percent enforce it.
“A lot of organizations still didn’t have an acceptable use policy,” said Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Traverse City, Michigan-based firm. For those with social-media rules in place, “a policy that isn’t vigorously enforced isn’t meaningful,” he said.
The virus and malware attacks use a simple approach to attract victims, according to security company Websense Inc., which sponsored the survey.
Microsoft continues to assert that companies which use Google’s Android operating system owe it patent royalties. Microsoft has struck Android licensing agreements with Samsung, HTC, General Dynamics Itronix, Velocity Micro, Onkyo, Casio and others. And it has sued Motorola Mobility and Barnes & Noble, alleging they owe Microsoft money for using Android.
Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet, announced this morning, runs Android.
Microsoft is not commenting specifically on whether it will go after patent royalties from Amazon. But Brad Smith, the Redmond-based company’s general counsel,gave a clear statement to All Things Digital.
“So far we have not seen a single Android device that does not infringe on our patents,” he told ATD.
Microsoft and Amazon already have a patent-licensing agreement over the Kindle e-reader’s use of Linux, which Microsoft says incorporates technology patented by Microsoft. It seems the agreement, however, does not cover Android.
Microsoft is trying to lock in licensing deals with every Android manufacturer. And every time it makes a new deal – such as today’s with Samsung – Microsoft’s patent claims appear stronger and stronger.
“Together with the license agreement signed last year with HTC, today’s agreement with Samsung means that the top two Android handset manufacturers in the United States have now acquired licenses to Microsoft’s patent portfolio,” Smith and his deputy Horacio Gutierrez wrote in a Microsoft blog post today.
Microsoft and Samsung Electronics said today that they had struck a cross-licensing agreement, avoiding the potential litigation that has plagued most technology companies.
Under the deal, Samsung has agreed to pay Microsoft royalties for technology used in its Android-based tablets and handsets. In addition, the companies agreed to work together to further develop and market Windows Phone devices.
The deal represents a rare example of compromise in an industry where lawyers have been the preferred weapon. Over the past few years, Microsoft has been more aggressive in extracting licensing agreements with electronic manufacturers using any kind of smartphone technology. It previously struck a similar deal with HTC.
Perhaps just as important is the agreement to provide marketing and development support. While Samsung was an early supporter of the Windows Phone platform, most of its resources backed Google's Android software. The Galaxy S II, which runs on Android, is widely considered its flagship device.
Samsung recently unveiled the Omnia W, a mid-market Windows Phone, and the first Samsung device to run on the updated Mango variant of the software.
With the carriers only halfheartedly providing marketing support to Windows Phone, Microsoft needs as many allies as it can get.
"Microsoft and Samsung see the opportunity for dramatic growth in Windows Phone, and we're investing to make that a reality," Andy Lees, president of the Windows Phone division, said in a statement.
Samsung, meanwhile, can hardly afford another legal battle as it deals with multiple lawsuits and complaints around the world in its legal tussle with Apple.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20112693-94/microsoft-samsung-strike-licensing-deal/#ixzz1ZPYnmisk
Samsung and Google are partnering up for an event on Oct. 11 that will showcase "what's new from Android" and will likely launch the Nexus Prime, the first phone running Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich," just one week after Apple unveils its next-generation iPhone.
Samsung on Wednesday sent out invitations to its "Mobile Unpacked 2011: Google Episode" event, which will be held in San Diego, Calif., as noted by TechCrunch.
Given that the invitation depicts the Android logo peeking out from a box, waiting to be unpacked, the event is widely believed to launch the highly-anticipated Nexus Prime smartphone. The Prime is expected to be the first device to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
Rumors have suggested the phone will sport a dual-core processor, 4.-5inch or 4.65-inch screen and Verizon Long-Term Evolution 4G.
The Nexus line of Android phones generally represents Google's flagship device for the platform. The search giant originally partnered with HTC to release the Nexus One last year, then teamed up with Samsung late last year to release the Nexus S. That device served as the "lead device" for the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update and featured a unique curved glass screen and integrated near-field communication technology.
Microsoft on Wednesday announced a cross-licensing of its patent portfolio with Samsung that will leave Samsung paying a royalty to Microsoft for each smartphone and tablet it sells running Google's Android operating system.
Samsung will also "agreed to cooperate in the development and marketing of Windows Phone," Microsoft said in a statement, describing the agreements as a partnership.
Google, obviously unhappy that the largest seller of Android phones will pay Microsoft to use an operating system Google doesn't charge anyone to use, described the agreements with a patently different word -- extortion.
"This is the same tactic we've seen time and again from Microsoft," Google said in a statement to the website TechCrunch. "Failing to succeed in the smartphone market, they are resorting to legal measures to extort profit from others' achievements and hinder the pace of innovation. We remain focused on building new technology and supporting Android partners."
The deal with Samsung is similar to other Microsoft has struck with companies such as Acer, Onkyo,ViewSonic, General Dynamics Itronix, Velocity Micro and HTC, among others, in which Microsoft and those companies cross-license patent portfolios as a way to end disputes centering around Android.
One company that hasn't struck such a deal with Microsoft is Motorola Mobility, which Google isawaiting regulatory approval to purchase.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York wants you to friend it — or at least understand why you won't friend it.
In a move that illustrates its sensitivity to public perception, the Fed bank is seeking bids from companies to help monitor what's being said about it on social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
The bank said in its bid request that it wants to "continuously monitor conversations" and "identify and reach out to key bloggers and influencers."
"The New York Fed is committed to improving its communications and engagement with the public in order to enhance and improve the public's understanding of its activities and the role it plays in supporting the U.S. economy," a Fed spokesman said in a statement. "To do that effectively, the New York Fed is interested in getting a better sense of the relevant concerns and discussions that are taking place in the public domain."
Word of the move has exploded in the blogosphere — and if the Fed were monitoring social media currently it would find, not surprisingly, that the commentary has been less than flattering. Much of it, in fact, is of the Big Brother variety.
"What they really want to do is to gather information on everyone that views the Federal Reserve negatively," wrote the Economic Collapse blog. "It is unclear how they plan to use this information once they have it, but considering how many alternative media sources have been shut down lately, this is obviously a very troubling sign."
In a report to clients, Nicolas Colas, chief market strategist at ConvergEx Group in New York, tried to put the firestorm into context, albeit tongue-in-cheek.
"When leading presidential candidates threaten the head of the nation's central bank with charges of treason, it is safe to say that criticizing the Fed is the status quo position," Colas wrote. "Throw a bucket of deep-friend Oreos at any number of state fairs this fall and the majority of people you'll hit will likely have an unkind word or two about the U.S. central bank and its handling of the banking system over the last decade."
Reps. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Joe Barton of Texas fired off a letter to the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday, asking for an investigation of Facebook's business practices.
In the letter, Markey and Barton take issue with Facebook's practice of gathering information about the websites its users visited even after users logged out.
"We believe that tracking users without their knowledge or consent raises serious privacy concerns," the letter said.
"When users log out of Facebook, they are under the impression that Facebook is no longer monitoring their activities. We believe this impression should be the reality," Markey and Barton added.
Earlier this week, an Australian tech blogger reported that even after logging out of Facebook, the website was collecting information about websites visited by the user.
The information was gathered by small files called "cookies" that websites commonly leave on a user's computer. But some cookies were sending data to Facebook even after the user had logged off.
Facebook confirmed the fix, but insisted that its users' personal information was not compromised in any way.
In a Sunday blog post, Cubrilovic argued that Facebook can track your Web activity outside Facebook.com even if you have signed out of the service. "Even if you are logged out, Facebook still knows and can track every page you visit. The only solution is to delete every Facebook cookie in your browser, or to use a separate browser for Facebook interactions," he said at the time.
On that initial blog post, Gregg Stefancik, a Facebook engineer, posted a comment and said that Facebook "cookies aren't used for tracking."
In working with Cubrilovic over the past 48 hours, however, Facebook has identified several cookies that were unnecessarily saving user data after logout and after a browser restart. Cubrilovic has more of the technical details in an updated blog post, but as of today, the cookies, one of which identified your user account, are "destroyed on logout," he said.
"Like every site on the Internet that personalizes content and tries to provide a secure experience for users, we place cookies on the computer of the user. Three of these cookies on some users' computers inadvertently included unique identifiers when the user had logged out of Facebook," according to Facebook's Stefancik. "However, we did not store these identifiers for logged out users. Therefore, we could not have used this information for tracking or any other purpose. In addition, we fixed the cookies so that they won't include unique information in the future when people log out."
Stefancik insisted there was "no security or privacy breach."
Not all cookies will be deleted; those that remain are there primarily for security reasons, according to Facebook and Cubrilovic.
A few years ago businesspeople carried a laptop on the road, used a desktop PC in the office, and worked on another PC at home. Maybe they had a BlackBerry, too--but only if they were real big shots.
These days almost everyone has a smartphone, whether it runs Android, iOS, Windows Phone 7, or BlackBerry OS. You may also carry a tablet with a different OS than your phone. And you might pack an ultralight MacBook Air in addition to your Windows-based computer at home or at the office.
Managing those disparate devices, with their assorted operating systems, applications, and connectivity options, can be a nightmare. But with the right mix of software and services, you can easily handle multiple platforms and integrate your data.
I use several platforms. At home, I'm on Windows 7, when I'm working on my desktop PC. For travel, I recently shifted to a MacBook Air running Mac OS X Lion. I also have an iPad 2, which I use mostly for occasional email checking and Web browsing. My main mobile phone is an iPhone--but a Droid X, which runs Android, has replaced my office landline.
As you can see, I own a fairly eclectic mix of devices and platforms. It's quite a juggling act, keeping all of them in sync. Thanks to some useful applications, though, it gets much easier.
What Do You Need to Sync?
Before you start downloading a bunch of cloud-connected apps, take a second to lay out your needs. For example, if you mostly work at home, and you attend relatively few meetings, you might not need to sync your calendar across multiple devices. If you're a writer or some other creative type on the go, you may want a way to log your constant stream of ideas electronically. If you're working on a joint project, you may need to share a variety of documents with your colleagues.
Another key point is to understand which of your platforms need to share data, and which types of data you need to share. For example, I have a Wi-Fi-only iPad 2 that I use exclusively as an email and Web-browsing tool; I don't really need to access my work data with it, though I do use it infrequently as a note-taking tool.
If you work in a corporate environment, you have to take your company's IT policies into consideration, as well. Your IT managers may have their own ideas about which kinds of information the company wants living in the cloud versus on its own servers. Be sure to touch base with your IT department if you think you might want to share potentially sensitive or proprietary information across devices or platforms.
The bottom line is that your integration needs will vary depending on what you do, how much you travel, and which platforms you carry with you. With that in mind, it's time to take a look at a few different scenarios, as well as applications that might be useful in each case.Read more at
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/240749/how_to_sync_your_pc_smartphone_and_tablet.html
In July, a survey conducted by PriceGrabber showed that 35% of respondents planned to purchase the iPhone 5. Of these respondents, 51% indicated that they will buy the smartphone within the first year of release--30% plan to purchase it before the end of 2011, 14% will buy it within the first month, and 7% will buy it within the first week.
Keep in mind, no one really knows anything about the iPhone 5. Yet.
Fast forward to today, and new numbers from InMobi suggest that demand is even higher. Data collected in its monthly Mobile Insights network ad data research show that 41% of current mobile device users in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico plan to buy the iPhone 5. That's up 6 percentage points from PriceGrabber's numbers in July. InMobi also says that 50% of its respondents say they will buy the iPhone 5 within the first six months of release.
What are consumers looking for in a new iPhone? They want the battery life to be better (59%) according to PriceGrabber's July survey, and they want it to cost less (55%). Interestingly, less than half of respondents said that 4G was important at 46%, though 45% want a bigger display. About 42% said they'd like the iPhone 5 to have a better camera.
InMobi's numbers confirm that consumers today are still interested in a similar set of features.
"The study finds that consumers are most hopeful for improved battery life; increased processing speed; higher-quality screen resolution; and stronger phone service in the rumored Apple smartphone," said the company in a statement.
Should Apple's competitors be worried? Perhaps. InMobi looked at what phones people are using now, and whether or not they'll switch to the iPhone 5. The data says 51% of current iPhone users will switch to the iPhone 5; while 27% of Android users will switch; and 52% of BlackBerry users will switch.
Were I RIM, I'd be doing everything possible to prevent further customer defections.
With next week's iPhone event just around the corner, it's a good bet we'll soon be getting iOS 5, the next major version of the software that powers Apple's iPods, iPhones, and iPads. By now, you're probably ready for the handy new features, tweaked UI, new Twitter integration, and everything else (read what we've learned so far of iOS 5), but is your iOS device ready?
To make sure your iPhone is set up for the launch of the latest iOS, we've put together a step-by-step guide for making sure it is primed for the update.
Editors' note: Apple's updates are set up to let you update no matter what iOS version you're on or what apps and music you have on your device--as long as your hardware is eligible. Eligible devices include the iPod Touch third or fourth generation; iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4; and both the iPad and iPad 2. While not required, this how-to is more of a spring cleaning to get ready for iOS 5.
Cleaning out the crap
Do you really need that simulated beer glass app anymore? Are you really still listening to "Never Gonna Give You Up" on a regular basis? Over time, you have probably downloaded all sorts of things--some useful, and others that are just plain trash.
With a new OS update coming, this is the perfect opportunity to clean house. Delete those unwanted apps and music from your iPhone, and reorganize those messy home screens. As part of iOS 5, you'll no longer have to plug in your iPhone to sync, but to get it ready for the update and clear out some space, it's worth visiting the standard sync features one more time.
Plug it in
Plug in your iPhone and load up iTunes (if it doesn't load automatically). Start by right clicking on your iPhone in the left-side navigation of iTunes and select Transfer Purchases to make sure all the apps and music you've bought on your iPhone are backed up to the computer. This can take a considerable amount of time (especially on a PC) depending on how many apps and songs you have.
Cell phone users now have another reason to switch from regular phone to a smartphone... The Conrad Murray Trial... yep there is an app for that too. It came out Monday, the trial's first day and people are already adding it to their phone (despite the cost). The app is called Michael Jackson Doctor Trial app and is available for IPhones, IPads, Androids and other smartphones available on the market today. The cost is only .99 cents, small price to pay to keep up to date (while on the go) with the trial that is being hailed as a big one.
The emotional drama that has been seen in just two days has captivated people across the country from California/Arizona to New York and everywhere in between. This Examiner has downloaded the app and will do her best to keep you updated on important points over the next five weeks or so (be sure to subscribe to this column to avoid missing any highlights). Michael Jackson the entertainer and the man has touched everyone in this great nation, one way or another in the 50 years he was here. The stories have ranged from good to bad (as is the case with most big name stars) and that is why this trial is so emotional for people involved and the people watching. Everyone has something to say about this tragedy. You are welcome to leave a comment below with your thoughts on the app or the case.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Today's Buzz: Conrad Murray trial smartphone application available now - Phoenix buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/buzz-in-phoenix/today-s-buzz-conrad-murray-trial-smartphone-application-available-now#ixzz1ZPVtYnoZ
The Linux Foundation on Wednesday announced Tizen, a new Linux-based open source operating system for mobile and consumer devices based on Web standards.
The project's principal backers, Intel and Samsung, have both tried their hands at operating systems before, specifically MeeGo and Bada. Neither effort has been particularly successful, at least compared to Android or iOS.
Samsung's involvement, taken in conjunction with its decision to enter into an Android-related cross-patent licensing deal with Microsoft, looks like a declaration of independence from Google, which appears destined to become more of a direct competitor to Samsung as a result of its planned purchase of Motorola Mobility.
The Linux Foundation says that Tizen's application programming interfaces are based on HTML5 and other Web standards, which at least guarantees developers won't dismiss the effort outright. However, Palm and later HP tried to interest the world in a Web-based operating system, webOS, and don't have much to show for it.
Tizen may offer Intel, Samsung, and other hardware makers access to a mobile operating system without excessive fees or restrictions, but it's not clear why developers would want to create Tizen apps rather than Web apps or native apps.
Developers can already write mobile apps using Web technologies on a variety of development platforms, such as Appcelerator, PhoneGap, and Rhomobile, and then deploy them as native apps to multiple mobile operating systems.
Certainly, Tizen's HTML5-based APIs will be appreciated--Web developers can use their existing skills rather than learn a new programming language--but developers are likely want tools, services, and app stores that accelerate and complement the process of creating apps.
The legal battle between Apple and Samsung has been building since April, when Apple sued Samsung in a California federal court for infringing its intellectual property rights.
Samsung is the leading user of the Google Android platform. Apple claims the South Korean firm's Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablets "slavishly" copies the iPhone and iPad.
Apple has asked a judge to issue an injunction that would prevent Samsung from selling some Galaxy products. A hearing on the injunction request is scheduled for October 13.
An order against Samsung would "unnecessarily harm" T-Mobile and its customers, T-Mobile said in a court filing on Wednesday.
"At this late date, T-Mobile could not find comparable replacement products for the 2011 holiday season," the company argued.
T-Mobile's marketing campaigns "prominently feature" the Galaxy S 4G phone and Galaxy Tab 10.1, and the company has also ordered holiday inventory, it said in the filing.
"These investments cannot be recouped easily," the company said.
Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet on Wednesday referred to earlier statements, saying that Apple needed to protect its intellectual property when companies steal its ideas.
Other carriers such as AT&T Inc and Sprint Nextel have not yet weighed in on the debate. Representatives for the companies had no immediate comment.
The Prime, which has been rumored for months but is still unconfirmed, is expected to be the first device running Ice Cream Sandwich — the next major Android update, which will unify for ‘mobile’ Gingerbread OS with ‘Tablet’ Honeycomb.
It’s also expected to be a beast specs-wise, with a dual-core processor, 4.5″ or 4.65″ screen, and 4G. Oh, and my favorite rumor: it’s supposed to be running on Verizon’s top-notch 4G network.
Google’s Nexus line of phones, which have included the Nexus One and Nexus S before now, are unique in that they come with ‘Vanilla’ Android, without any carrier or OEM modifications. They’re also typically the very first devices to get updates as they’re released by the Android team.
I’ve been using a Nexus One as my primary phone for nearly two years now and have also used the Nexus S extensively — both of them have been excellent, and I’m not expecting the Prime to disappoint (though I am a bit concerned by the rumored huge screen size).
Aside from the Nexus Prime, the event may well feature other Samsung-made Android devices — perhaps we’ll see a Nexus tablet as well.
Google Inc. (GOOG) dropped its lawsuit alleging that the bidding requirements for a $59.3 million contract to supply e-mail services to the U.S. Interior Department unfairly favored Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)
Google sought to end the lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims after the Interior Department said it would reopen competition. U.S. Federal Claims Judge Susan Braden in Washington said in a ruling today that dismissal of the case is in “the interests of justice.”
Lawyers for the government told Braden during a hearing yesterday that the research the department relied upon in July 2010 “is now stale in light of new developments in technology and entrants to the market,” according to the ruling.
Google, based in Mountain View, California, sued the Interior Department in October, alleging that a planned e-mail contract unfairly favored Microsoft products and didn’t give full consideration to the company’s “Google Apps for Government” product. Company lawyers argued that Interior didn’t follow federal procurement laws, which favor “full and open” competition.
In a Sept. 22 motion to dismiss the case, lawyers for Google said Interior had agreed to update its market research and seek a contract for cloud e-mail services “in a manner that will not preclude plaintiffs from fairly competing.”
Held in Paradise Valley, Arizona, Google Zeitgeist is the company's conference that hosts a series of panels and interviews designed to offer greater insight into the technological issues surrounding Google. Yesterday, before sitting for a question and answer session with Schmidt, Page engaged in a very rare solo speech in which he touched upon the company's primary areas of focus.
Page, calling to mind the repeated refrain of Facebook's Mark Zuckerburg at the recent F8 conference, described Google+ Hangouts (the video chat component of the new social network) as "a serendipitous interaction with people all around the world." Then, addressing tech billionaire and conference attendee Mark Cuban, who last week called Google's YouTube acquisition "a huge mistake," Page good-naturedly went on the offensive saying, "YouTube, which Mark for some reason thinks we shouldn't have bought… I disagree, I think it was a great acquisition. We have over 3 billion playbacks a day there, and that's growing like crazy. We've multiplied our ad revenue by 3x, for two years in a row. It's a huge business, and it's going to be a much bigger business."
Overall, Page managed to make his appearance, one of his first public forays as CEO, a relative success. But as expected, Schmidt delivered a few choice tidbits and inspired the most interesting exchanges when he joined Page on stage for the question and answer session.
The Motorola Xoom with 4G pre-installed, meanwhile, will be available in Verizon Stores starting October 13 for $499.99 with a two-year contract.
When Motorola released the Xoom back in February, the devices were not equipped with a 4G LTE radio, despite the fact that Verizon had just launched its 4G network. Motorola said it would offer a free, optional 4G upgradeat some point this year to those who mailed in their Xooms, initially suggesting that that might occur within 90 days of the Xoom's release. It apparently took a bit longer than expected, and that 4G upgrade process will start Thursday.
Xoom owners who want to upgrade their devices to 4G can visitphones.verizonwireless.com/xoom/upgrade starting tomorrow for instructions on how to start the process. If you signed up to receive an email alert, those should go out tomorrow as well.
Those who mail in their Xooms will probably get them back within six business days, Verizon said. Upgrading to 4G will not affect existing data plans, but users are encouraged to back up any data before shipping, just in case.
What do you get for the trouble? Verizon promised speed bumps that will let users download songs in seconds and movies in minutes. When on a 4G connection, customers can expect download speeds between 5-12 Mbps and upload speeds between 2-5Mbps. When out of range, the Xoom will drop back down to 3G speeds.
In PCMag's test of the fastest mobile networks this year, Verizon's 4G network was the clear winner. "In a 21-city test across the United States, we found that Verizon's new 4G LTE network is much faster than other mobile Web options, with speeds that often exceed home Internet connections," PCMag said.
Google today acknowledged receiving a so-called "second request" from the Justice Department for information as it considers the search giant's plans to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion.
Google made the disclosure in a blog post this afternoon, saying the request was for "more information" in order to continue the review.
"While this means we won't be closing right away, we're confident that the DOJ will conclude that the rapidly growing mobile ecosystem will remain highly competitive after this deal closes," Google Senior Vice President Dennis Woodside wrote in the post. "We'll be working closely and cooperatively with them as they continue their review."
The move is likely to prolong, and could potentially complicate, the review process.
Woodside dismissed the request as "pretty routine." And he pointed to a previous second request that Google received a year ago, shortly after it announced plans to acquire travel data provider ITA Software.
But while the Justice Department ultimately approved Google's acquisition of ITA, the agency compelled Google to agree to certain conduct. Regulators required Google to continue licensing ITA's travel technology to rivals for five years on "reasonable and nondiscriminatory" terms, and forward to the agency any complaints the company receives from travel competitors upset about where they land in Google's search rankings.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20113058-93/doj-asks-google-for-more-data-about-motorola-deal/#ixzz1ZPTYsG8K
By 2013, revenues from the set of ad formats that Twitter calls Promoted Products, plus new ad formats still to come, could hit almost $400 million. “Marketers have seen solid engagement rates with Twitter advertising—in some cases better than those on Facebook—despite Twitter’s relatively smaller audience,” says eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson. Earlier this year, Twitter said 80% of advertisers use the ad products more than once, and the engagement rate for Promoted Tweets averages between 3% and 5%.
Still, eMarketer’s forecast is actually down about $10 million from one it made in January. That’s because Twitter was slow to roll out a self-serve ad system of the kind that brings in some 60% of Facebook’s much higher revenues, and because it didn’t expand internationally as fast as expected. “Twitter is looking to compete for the same advertisers that made Google and Facebook’s self-serve advertising platforms smash hits,” Williamson also noted in the release. Twitter hasn’t said when it will open its self-service system.
Twitter Inc.’s advertising revenue will reach $139.5 million this year, according to EMarketer Inc., which pared its estimate from $150 million because the microblogging website has been slow to roll out some services.
Twitter hasn’t yet added expected advertising products such as a “self-serve” platform that lets customers set up their own ads, the research firm said in a report. Still, even the reduced estimate means ad revenue may more than triple in 2011, and sales will rise more than expected in later years, EMarketer said. Global ad revenue is predicted to reach almost $400 million by 2013.
“They’ve been taking it slow,” said Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst at EMarketer in Seattle, adding she had expected the self-serve program by this summer. “User experience is very important to Twitter. That’s why they’ve been very careful.”
Twitter, which earlier this month said it surpassed 100 million active users, is aiming to drive revenue by wooing advertisers and leveraging its membership base, which includes celebrities, politicians and journalists. The company in July said it would begin highlighting advertisers’ promotional messages, called “promoted tweets,” in some user feeds.
The San Francisco-based company will benefit from more global sales offices in the future, according to EMarketer. The company may bring in $259.9 million in ad revenue in 2012, up 86 percent from 2011. International ad sales will make up 10 percent of the total in 2012, up from 4 percent this year.
IDG News Service - Box.net bumped up security and synchronization on its content management and sharing platform and teamed up with Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Mobility for pre-installation deals at its BoxWorks user conference in San Francisco.
Motorola Xoom tablets and all Hewlett-Packard small-business PCs will come with Box.net software pre-installed, the companies announced on Wednesday. In addition, Box.net will work with the Salesforce Chatter enterprise social-networking platform, as Box.net tries to position its service and software as the prime platform for sharing and collaborating on enterprise files.
The company announced an update to its Box Sync feature, which lets users share files across multiple devices, and said it would become available for Macs for the first time. It also announced Trusted Access, a feature that lets users and managers see which of their devices were used to access their account, and the capability to set sharing permissions across an enterprise for different sets of data.
But partnerships were a major part of the day's news, including deals with MobileIron and Good Technology for using those companies' mobile management tools to manage Box.net, and with Okta to tie into that company's cloud-based identity management system. Okta allows employees to get into a wide variety of enterprise applications and data stores with one login and password.
Box.net's target is traditional enterprise software that puts data in silos, said CEO Aaron Levie, who peppered his keynote speech with jibes at Microsoft. Traditional IT makes information hard to share, making it harder to get work done, he said.
"Today we received what is called a 'second request,' which means that the DOJ is asking for more information so that they can continue to review the deal," Dennis Woodside, a Google senior vice president, wrote in ablog post. "This is pretty routine; we've gotten these kind of requests before," he said, pointing to the DOJ's inquiry into Google's purchase of ITA.
The request means Google will not be closing the deal as quickly as it might like, but "we're confident that the DOJ will conclude that the rapidly growing mobile ecosystem will remain highly competitive after this deal closes," Woodside said, acknowledging that "close scrutiny is part of the process."
In mid-August, Google surprised tech enthusiasts by announcing plans to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. Motorola has been a purely Android shop for some time, but the deal was primarily viewed as a way for Google to gets its hand on some much-needed patents; Motorola has at least 17,000.
There were concerns, however, about how the deal might affect other Android partners. According to Google's Andy Rubin, the major Android players were "very enthusiastic" about the deal and the rather canned responses posted on Google's Web site from Samsung, Sony Ericsson, HTC, and LG said all four companies "welcome" the news. Many in the analyst and tech community, however, greeted that sentiment with a nice, big, "Yeah right."
Frustrated users may remember that the Xoom was originally slated to get its LTE upgrade some time in Q2 2011, but months have come and gone without a firm release date.
The process is (fortunately) still free, and remains the same as the one we heard outlined all those months ago. For those of you who haven’t jumped ship and bought a LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1, you’ll be able to ship your Xoom directly to Motorola, where they’ll perform the upgrade and send the unit back. Motorola says the entire operation should only leave you sans Xoom for about six business days.
If you decided to hold off on buying a Xoom until you could get one with an LTE radio pre-installed, your wait is nearly over too — Motorola says those units should start popping up in stores starting on October 23.
While I’m glad Motorola finally managed to keep their word on this one, it’s seems a bit crazy that users are only now getting their updates, even when a significant hardware refresh is known to be in the works. By throwing the Xoom an LTE bone, Motorola’s giving their tablet enough staying power to last through the holidays, but who knows how much longer the Xoom will last after that.
Don’t you think that there are too many mobile operating systems going around already? While we know that MeeGo is not going to go too far, what with having the first device by Nokia running on MeeGo also being the last, Samsung and Intel have joined forces to fast track the development of a new operating system known asTizen. That’s a pretty interesting name and has a nice ring on the tongue, and it makes sense for Samsung and Intel to collaborate on this project.
After all, Samsung is one of the key members of the LiMo Foundation, so when LiMo and the Linux Foundation come together, you end up with yet another open-source OS simply known as Tizen. This open-source project that will see the integration of code from LiMo and MeeGo, not to mention gaining the support of HTML5 and WAC.
You’d have to be living in some cave to not know that IP wars are all the rage this season, especially with our favorite electronics/software companies. Samsung, in particular, has been the target of all-mighty Apple, and had quite the difficult year. But alas, Microsoft has swooped in, and the two have decided to cross-license their patent portfolios. This would better protect both companies from outside attacks moving forward.
Past that, Samsung will pay Microsoft royalties for all phones and tablets running the Android platform. Remember that funny little math equation that leaves Redmond with more cash from Android than its own Windows Phone platform? Yeah, that’s in play here. The agreement also states that both companies will participate in the marketing and development of Windows Phone 7.
This is the seventh Android developer with which Microsoft has signed a licensing deal. HTC is the next biggest licensee behind Samsung, who are joined by Acer, General Dynamics Itronix, Onkyo, Velocity Micro, ViewSonic and Wistron. In a blog post on the matter, Microsoft’s General Counsel Brad Smith and Deputy General Counsel Horacio Gutierrez explained that these licensing deals are the “responsible manner” in which to resolve patent tiffs.
The site launched its first Android app today, and also introduced a new feature for iPhone and iPad customers called Photo Session.
Photo Session lets you “flip” through a gallery of photos with friends, no matter where they are in the world, using your iPad or iPhone.
“Photo Session is like sitting next to your friend and flipping through photos, but your friend can be anywhere in the world,” Flickr said.
Flickr has had an iPhone app since 2009 but Android users have had to content themselves with unofficial, third-party alternatives until now.
Flickr, which is owned by Yahoo, has 68 million users, 200 million Creative Commons-licensed photos, and the largest pool of geotagged photos of any photo-sharing site, according to Yahoo.
Yahoo is now calling itself “the premier digital media company,” according to Yahoo vice president Steve Douty. Flickr is now the focus of this digital emphasis. Yahoo claims more than 600 million unique visitors a month, and delivers 42,000 customized home pages to site visitors every 5 minutes, he said. Improving the company’s mobile reach is the next step.
“We are committed to being a bigger player than we are today in the mobile space,” Douty said.
The new app is meant to put photography front and center, according to product manager Marcus Spiering.
“We focused around very clean, beautiful design where the photo is in the center of the foreground,” Spiering said at today’s press conference.
Until now T-Mobile has notably been one of America’s major networks that has not carried the iPhone, and the network’s customers are listening intently to whether it will finally be available to them upon its proposed October 14 release.
T-Mobile Chief Marketing Officer Cole Brodman stated at the GigaOM Mobilize conference on Monday that the company wants to power the iPhone on its network.
"We'd love to have the iPhone whenever Apple makes that available," Brodman said.
"The ball is in Apple's court."
Brodman noted on the T-Mobile Blog that the network powers over one million unlocked iPhones despite not being an official vendor or carrier of the smartphone.
After intense speculation that T-Mobile would be carrying the iPhone, it was Brodman who confirmed that the network would not.
At a T-Mobile internal Town Hall meeting on September 15, Brodman was reportedly quoted as saying, "We are not going to get the iPhone 5 this year.”
Commentators suggested that the statement indicated that T-Mobile could possibly get the iPhone 5 sometime after 2011.
But Brodman's new statement confirms that there are no plans between T-Mobile and Apple to bring the iPhone to the wireless network even in 2012.
"We'll wait for that phone call," he added.
In the mean while, Broadman recommends the host of Android powered phones hosted by T-Mobile.
Apple is six days away from taking the lid off what the public hopes is an iPhone 5 complete with a 2011 release date, what could be an iPhone 4S under a pair of very different circumstances, and what will certainly be the new iOS 5 operating system. In addition to existing Verizon and AT&T iPhone iterations, Sprint could join the club as well. Other new product categories, from the iPod touch 5 to the iPad 3, are on the table for the October Apple Event to varying degrees. Lacking a crystal ball but having observed Apple’s actions and motivations, here’s a rundown of our odds of various products and concepts coming to fruition at Apple’s October 4th event.
iPhone 5: 82%. The widespread assumption is that Apple’s “Let’s talk iPhone” tease is in reference to the iPhone 5, and that’s probably a correct one. However, it’s no guarantee. The “talk” part of the invite is in reference to Apple’s unannounced new Assistant feature of iOS 5, which allows you to control your iPhone in a human manner simply by speaking to it. Apple’s choice to focus on an iPhone software feature rather than new hardware aspects in its tease leaves the door open to the scenario in which Apple never was able to get past the component and/or manufacturing issues which dogged the iPhone 5 all summer, and are now instead coming to market with an iPhone 4S. That would push the iPhone 5 release date well into 2012, and would result in some unhappy customers. About that iPhone 4S…
Mobile consumers are hungrily awaiting the launch of the next Apple iPhone. So hungry, in fact, that 41 percent of mobile consumers (and 52 percent of BlackBerry users!) in North America plan to purchase an iPhone 5, according to a new study by independent mobile ad network InMobi.
Many people are anticipating Apple will unveil an iPhone 5 at its just announced Oct. 4 event, so anticipation is running especially high for the device and details about its features. Analysts predict that Sprint will become an iPhone carrier and the phone will feature a larger screen, a faster processor, an 8-megapixel camera and a powerful virtual assistant.
The InMobi study talked to a sampling of mobile device users in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Participants said their top four most-desired additions to the phone were “improved battery life, increased processing speed, higher-quality screen resolution and stronger phone service.”
Research in Motion appears to be the biggest loser from InMobi’s study, as a staggering 52 percent of BlackBerry users plan to switch to the iPhone 5 with their next phone purchase. Fifty-one percent of current iPhone owners plan to pick up the iPhone 5, while 27 percent of Android owners plan to switch.
Murmurs from Apple's overseas supply chain, combined with potential hints in the invitation to next week's iPhone event, have dampened speculation that Apple will introduce two new iPhone models next week.
Checks with Apple's overseas supply chain have indicated that Apple will only introduce one new iPhone model next week, analyst Shaw Wu with Sterne Agee said in a note to investors on Wednesday.
In addition to those rumors, Wu said he found it "intriguing" that Apple's invitation to next week's iPhone event features the recognizable green iOS phone icon with a number 1 displayed on it. He sees that as a potential signal that Apple intends to introduce only one true fifth-generation iPhone next Tuesday.
Similarly, John Gruber of Daring Fireball offered his own commentary on Tuesday after the invitations went out: "Something tells me there's only one new iPhone," the well-sourced author wrote.
Also joining Wu is analyst Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray, who said on Tuesday that he does not expect Apple to introduce a low-end iPhone this year. He sees one proper "iPhone 5" model, being sold at the traditional $199 and $299 price points seen by previous Apple handsets.
For weeks prior to the invitations being issued, there was rampant speculation that Apple will introduce two iPhone models this year: a low-end, contract-free handset dubbed the "iPhone 4S," and a full-fledged, redesigned "iPhone 5." Various reports claimed that the iPhone 4S would look nearly the same as the current iPhone 4, and would be geared toward midrange smartphone buyers in predominantly prepaid markets like China.
Over the last two years, Facebook has been stealing employees from Microsoft, Google, Apple, LinkedIn, and Yahoo, according to TopProspect (via The Washington Post). TopProspect looked at its user base of employees changing jobs and realized that not only was Facebook stealing employees from the other five companies, it was doing so at a ratio much higher than it was losing employees to them. In fact, Facebook has hired 8.1 employees for every individual that has left.
For every employee Google managed to hire away from Facebook, the social networking giant stole 15.5 people from Google. For every employee Microsoft managed to hire away from Facebook, the social networking giant stole 30.5 people from Microsoft. Apple’s losing ratio to Facebook was 11 to 1, LinkedIn’s was 2 to 1, and Yahoo’s was 10.5 to 1.
This data was actually first posted in June, but I couldn’t find an update, and I doubt the situation has changed very much over the current quarter. The trend won’t last forever, so the question is: what company will be next to take first place in talent?
A high school football team in Tennessee has vacated three wins this season for using ineligible players, but it's how the ineligibility was discovered that is making headlines.
The mother of two boys on the team -- offensive linemen Rodney Belasic and Ryan Belasic -- left comments on Facebook that led to the discovery that the two boys had dual residences. The two boys, who had transferred from Henry County High to Perry County High had their transfer rejected by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Assocation, according to the Tennessean.
Offensive linemen Rodney Belasic (No. 75) and Ryan Belasic (No. 60) had their transfer rejected. (Facebook via Yahoo!)
The mother works in Henry County and left two particular messages that wound up unraveling the two boys' eligibility. According to the report, she posted about how she sent her kids to school for the week and wouldn't see them again until Friday night. She also lamented how the two boys made such a mess of their room despite only being there on Saturday and Sunday.
The family's residence in their original district meant the transfer was rejected, resulting in the school vacating wins and the boys being removed from the team. Instead of being 5-0, the team is 2-3. The Belasics sat out the last two games.
“We are sorry that this investigation happened and that the two players were deemed ineligible,” Perry County coach Michael Harrison said in an emailed statement. “We hope to put this investigation behind us and move forward.”
Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/sport/story/2011-09-28/mothers-facebook-comments-cause-tennessee-hs-to-vacate-three-wins#ixzz1ZKAz1CXs
Facebook had a big week last week -- potentially the biggest of its seven year existence. At the F8 Developer Conference on Thursday, a completely overhauled layout and user experience were unveiled. Developers were also introduced to a slew of new features that will enable deeper user engagement and more meaningful social experiences.
As you might imagine, these announcements were met with mixed reviews. Many have written about the conference, and what the new experiences will mean for both users and marketers. I've had the benefit of five full days to reflect on these changes; I've even upgraded my own Facebook page to the new layout thanks to a handy little hack that's been circulating across the Web.
My thoughts?
Facebook is profound. It has become ubiquitous with an online presence. It has evolved into the ultimate communications platform; a platform built for innovation and disruption across the Web as we know it today.
Facebook as a disruptor to user experience
Innovations in user experience were central themes at F8. The most recent enhancements include timeline, ticker, and the evolution of the "Like" button -- all tools that help foster the creation and maintenance of an online autobiography that users can share in real time with the people who matter most to them.
These features will help facilitate greater openness and transparency among Facebook's users.
Seeing these features in action immediately reminded me of David Kirkpatrick's 2010 non-fiction work, "The Facebook Effect." In that book, Kirkpatrick very deliberately explores the evolution of Facebook's stances on user privacy. One of Mark Zuckerberg's central beliefs is that people today care less about privacy online, provided sufficient controls are made available to restrict access to certain pieces of content.
Lawmakers are asking the FTC to investigate Facebook following reports that the social network has been collecting data even from users logged out of their profiles.
The concerns from Capitol Hill came Wednesday in a letter by Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), who have repeatedly questioned Facebook’s privacy practices.
The duo expressed deep concern with the findings of one Australian security blogger, who discovered this week Facebook was gathering data even from logged out users whenever they visited Web pages that feature the social network’s signature “Like” button.
Facebook has maintained it never tracked its users’ browsing habits and sought only to use information it collected for security and statistical purposes. And even though Facebook has since worked to address users’ concerns, Markey and Barton said in their latest letter they "remain concerned about the privacy implications for Facebook's 800 million subscribers."
They further asked the FTC to detail anything the agency has already done to examine Facebook’s use of cookies.
"As co-chairs of the Congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, we believe that tracking user behavior without their consent or knowledge raises serious privacy concerns," the lawmakers wrote.
"When users log out of Facebook, they are under the expectation that Facebook is no longer monitoring their activities. We believe this impression should be the reality. Facebook users should not be tracked without their permission,” they continued.
It was Australian tech expert Nik Cubrilovic who discovered that the recent overhaul of Facebook’s sharing system also brought a change to the way it handles cookies, or the files that remember individual accounts, preferences and other data.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/64661.html#ixzz1ZK9vCcdF
In fact, even those people who know exactly how this new feature works may need to be on guard against sharing some seriously embarrassing updates.
For those not in the loop: Facebook is making sharing even easier by automatically sharing what you’re doing on Facebook-connected apps. Instead of having to “Like” something to share it, you’ll just need to click “Add to Timeline” on any website or app, and that app will have permission to share your activity with your Facebook friends.
What activity, you ask? It could be the news articles you read online, the videos you watch, the photos you view, the music you listen to, or any other action within the site or app. Facebook calls this auto-sharing “Gestures.”
Can you see the possible issue here?
I’m pretty familiar with this auto-sharing function since it’s been a feature of The Huffington Post for a good while now. The way it works there: Once you join the site, every article you read is shared with your friends via an activity feed (unless you switch that feature off).
It’s no secret (at least, not anymore) that Samsung is scrambling to diversify its mobile platform offerings. Bada, while smart, is kind of a bust, and Android is currently hanging in the balance until everyone figures out just whatGoogorola‘s plans are.
In the meantime, Samsung’s been a busy little bee, signing a deal with Microsoft to cross-license patents in exchange for Android royalties and collaboration on Windows Phone. But that’s not all. In conjunction with Intel, Samsung is backing the launch of a new open source Linux-based OS called Tizen, which will inevitably replace the recently abandoned MeeGo platform.
Hosted by the Linux Foundation, Tizen is meant for smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, netbooks, and ICE systems, and should be ready to go (both in OS and SDK form) by the first quarter of 2012. Big name members of the Linux Foundation include Fujitsu, Panasonic, NEC, Motorola, and ARM, though it’s unclear who will play a major role outside of Intel and Samsung.
With the new Tizen OS being open source and based on Linux (just like MeeGo), Intel’s Director of Open Source Technology Imad Sousou brings up a wonderful question: “Why not just evolve MeeGo?” In a blog post on the matter, he goes into detail.
Ostensibly, that's bad news for Android. The operating system is supposed to be free to license, but Microsoft is now extracting money from both Samsung and HTC which--combined--account for more than half of all Android phones sold in the United States. Samsung, HTC, and other companies may be less motivated to create and market Android devices down the line, knowing they'll have to pay Microsoft a cut of their earnings.
But the Samsung-Microsoft deal has even bigger implications for Windows Phone, because the deal includes a broader agreement to "cooperate in the development and marketing" of Microsoft's mobile OS, according to a press release. Samsung already makes Windows Phones, but the company's priority is clearly Android. With this deal, Samsung's priorities may shift.
Looking back, HTC's agreement with Microsoft didn't have the same stipulation--or at least, Microsoft didn't mention it in its press release at the time. But as Microsoft pursues more licensing revenue from other phone makers, I could see the company pressing for deals like the one with Samsung, in which the phone maker agrees to help develop and market Windows Phones.
Like a flood of concertgoers rushing a club when the velvet ropes go up, theGoogle (GOOG)+ social network has attracted an unprecedented surge of traffic since Google allowed anyone to join on Sept. 20. The question is whether the show inside will be good enough for all those new arrivals to stay put for very long.
The Internet metrics company Experian Hitwise said traffic on Google+ surged 1,269 percent for the week after Google's decision toopen up membership to the 3-month-old site. On one day -- Sept. 21 -- Google+ was the third most popular social networking site, trailing onlyFacebook and YouTube, and surpassing Twitter.
Meanwhile, Paul Allen, the Ancestry.com founder who has become an unofficial statistician for Google+, estimates the number of people worldwide who have joined at about 50 million, with the social network adding about 2 million members a day.of its social network audience.
Google declined to comment on those estimates Tuesday. Since announcing in mid-July that Google+ had attained 10 million members, the search giant has remained resolutely mute about the size
But Matt Tatham, a spokesman for Experian Hitwise, said the company could not recall such rapid growth for a social network.
"MySpace grew slowly over time, as did Facebook," Tatham said in an email."The one thing that neither of those had was the No. 1 search engine to help drive traffic."
Google last week added a large blue arrow on its search page directing visitors to Google+, and Hitwise said 53 percent of the traffic to Google+ last week came from Google.com -- a 34 percent jump over the previous week. Hitwise data for the entire week -- part of the week was before Google+ opened to everyone, part afterward -- showed the site settling at 8th among all social network sites, up from 54th place the week before.
Hitwise also said that the audience base of Google+ had shifted, broadening to include more middle- and low-income users.
The investment will enable 10,000 homeowners to install solar panels on their homes.
The upfront cost is the largest obstacle to installing residential solar panels, and solar installation companies don't always have the means to offer financing. Clean Power Finance seeks to overcome that hurdle by offering installers a way to provide financing to potential customers, while also giving companies without ties to the solar community a way to invest in the industry.
Google, the investor in this case, will technically own the solar panels, while the maintenance and upkeep responsibility of the solar panels stays with the installer and Clean Power Finance. The homeowners, who are essentially giving roof space in exchange for a chance to buy solar-generated electricity, will pay a monthly fee. Google's return on investment comes via the electricity that is generated by the solar panels and sold to customers.
The big advantage of residential solar to the community at large is consumption at the source. Because much of solar electricity is consumed close to where it's generated, residential solar panels reduce the inevitable waste in electricity and money that happens when current must be transported via transmission lines from distant power plants.
"It greens our energy mix by using existing roof space while avoiding transmission constraints, and it can be cheaper than drawing electricity from the traditional grid," Rick Needham, Google's director of green business operations, pointed out in the company's green blog.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20112778-54/google-rent-your-solar-panels-from-us/#ixzz1ZK7ku000
The Dead Sea Scrolls are now online for all to see, thanks to Google and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The ancient texts have only been on the Internet for a few hours, and already biblical scholars and religious leaders are buzzing with excitement about the new possibilities offered by this technology.
"They are of paramount importance among the touchstones of monotheistic world heritage,” said James Snyder, the director of the Israel Museum.
Discovered in the mid-20th century in caves along the shore of theDead Sea, the scrolls contain the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible, and other documents from the time surrounding the birth of Christianity.
Until now, the documents have been accessible only to a small number of scholars and specialists. Since the original authors of the scrolls have been highly debated, many are hoping that this new public resource will open up that conversation.
“Of course, this is still not like being in the room with the scrolls, but it is a huge step forward for making the scrolls more accessible,” wrote Associate Professor of New Testament at Ashland Theological Seminary at his blog, The Biblical World.
The Dead Sea Scrolls project is just the latest example of how religious leaders and scholars have put modern technology at the service of ancient texts and truths.
