Modern Media Mom » e-reader

Headlines for May 7th, 2010

[modern media mom] — Fri, 07 May 2010 22:01:31 +0000

Play Tron’s Fake Arcade Game, Space Paranoids | Wired.com – Space Paranoids never appeared in arcades and never really existed, but now you can play the classic Tron videogame online. The fictional company Encom launched a browser-based version of Space Paranoids Thursday that is free to play (no quarters required).

Space Paranoids is the fictional videogame created by master programmer Kevin Flynn in the 1982 movie Tron. The slick new browser game, a promotional piece for the forthcoming movie Tron Legacy, was announced at a fake press conference at WonderCon in San Francisco last month.
Bad week for facebook privacy – The Inquirer – Facebook users just have to face that they aren't likely to get the privacy some might want, and that's not even counting the problems that are coming up with its security controls.
Privacy groups complain to FTC over Facebook privacy tweaks – The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) is taking its beef with Facebook's privacy policies to the Federal Trade Commission once again. A new complaint comes in the wake of Facebook's latest updates to its privacy policy. According to EPIC and 14 other consumer groups, Facebook's decision to open up even more personal information as "public" is a violation of user expectations, it diminishes privacy, and it contradicts Facebook's own representations about how the service works.
Social Networking: Facebook Develops a Taste for Fast Food – Facebook reportedly will be launching its location-sharing feature — or geo-targeted advertising feature, depending on your perspective — in partnership with McDonald's. "Location sharing with friends and contacts will be big, and if Facebook does it right, they might simply crush upstarts like Foursquare," Karsten Weide, research vice president for digital media and entertainment at IDC.
Mobile: Google Goggles Makes Translations in a Snap – Users of Google Goggles can now put the technology to work translating text from other languages, Google announced Thursday.
Borders’ Kobo E-Reader Available for Pre-Order | News & Opinion | PCMag.com – Kobo announced that its eReader is now available for pre-order in the U.S. at the Borders Web page, and will ship "in time for Father's Day."

Headlines for February 8th, 2010

[modern media mom] — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:00:32 +0000

Facebook Dumps Microsoft Ads, Keeps Sleazy Advertisers – "Facebook says it has dumped Microsoft banner ads, but what the social network really needs are fewer sleazy advertisers, not less Microsoft."
Nook back on sale – "Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader, which sold out over the winter holidays, is available online once again, the company said Monday.
The Nook is also expected to show up in most B&N stores by midweek."
Macmillan books coming back to Amazon – "After a week-long absence, new copies of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and other books published by Macmillan are available for purchase on Amazon.com.
Since last Friday, Amazon had limited the availability of Macmillan releases in a dispute over e-books, with Macmillan calling for a new pricing system that would end the $9.99 rate Amazon had been setting for best-sellers on its Kindle e-reader. Macmillan and other publishers believe $9.99 is too low and threatens the value of books overall."
Consumers lose interest in iPad after Apple’s unveiling – survey – "Despite a highly publicized public debut, potential customers lost a great deal of interest in Apple's new touchscreen iPad after it was unveiled, a new study has found."
Google Ads Level the Playing Field – "While the annual Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet offers an enticing alternative to the Super Bowl for those who aren't football fans, almost everyone loves to watch the NFL championship game just for the $2 million per 30-second spot advertising spectacles. Super Bowl ads get as much, or more, attention and analysis as the game itself."
China Closes Hacker Training Site, Arrests Three Members – "Chinese police have shut down what they called the country's biggest hacker training Web site and arrested three people linked to the site, local media said Saturday."

Headlines for December 1st, 2009

[modern media mom] — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:02:24 +0000

5 Reasons eBook Shoppers Should Wait For The Nook – "Amazon's Kindle caught a big break when its main e-reader competitor, Barnes & Noble, said it will unlikely be able to fulfill holiday demand for its Nook e-reader.
But buying an e-reader is a long-term investment. Here are five reasons why shoppers would be wise to pass up the Kindle and wait until after the holiday selling season to get their own Nook."
The iPhone On T-Mobile: Why Not? – "AT&T's exclusive hold on the iPhone is coming to an end, and speculation is bubbling as to which U.S. carrier will get Apple's smartphone next. Verizon has been hot tipped to take over the iPhone, but the latest iPhone-trashing campaign for the Motorola Droid could mean it's not going to happen. Now, a new carrier has emerged as a possible contender: T-Mobile. Yes, T-Mobile."
Climate research e-mail controversy simmers – "The scientific conduct of climate researchers has come under increasing heat in a sprawling online debate over leaked e-mails that, critics say, raise questions about the arguments that global warming threatens the world."
Windows Black Screen of Death: What You Need to Know – "Any Windows owner is familiar with the Blue Screen of Death, that much-dreaded white text on a blue background that essentially says you're through. But what you may not know is that there's a new contender in town: the Black Screen of Death. So what is this horrible-sounding thing, where did it come from, what's being done to fix it, and how bad is it? Here are five things you need to know about the Black Screen of Death."
Michael Jackson, Twilight And WWE Top The 2009 Yahoo! Search Chart – "Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, Twilight, the red hot Vampire saga, and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), the professional wrestling organization, were at the top of Yahoo!'s top 10 overall searched list for 2009."

Headlines for November 30th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:00:42 +0000

Next Gen iPhone Is On The Horizon – "Apple is set to up the ante in the intensely competitive smartphone wars with a souped-up next generation iPhone.
The website MacRumors.com is reporting that iPhone developer Pandav has the next generation iPhone, referred to as iPhone 3.1, on their app analytics radar screen."
PayPal says mobile payments exploded on Black Friday – "Mobile phone-based purchases surged on Black Friday 2009 according to industry data reviewed by Dow Jones. Mobile online payments through PayPal were up nearly 650 percent year-over-year, the eBay-owned payment solutions provider said, crediting retailer efforts to make it easier to shop and complete purchases via mobile devices as well as the growing proliferation of smartphones."
Amazon’s Kindle Breaks Amazon’s Sales Record – "November isn't even technically over yet, but Amazon's Kindle has already hit a new monthly sales record.
The retailer issued a statement today to that effect, but didn't actually release any specific sales number. It did add, however that the e-book reader is, "the most wished for, the most gifted, and the number one bestselling product across all product categories on Amazon."
Nook e-book reader cooks in a week – "Barnes & Noble has apparently miscalculated demand for its Nook e-reader and now will delay its arrival into its stores by one week.
The slated date for the company to satisfy its pre-orders is now December 7 – it already said it won't be able to fulfil new orders until January 4."
Porn App Store Lands on Android Phones – Where there is no app for that on the iPhone, there now is for porn on the competing Android mobile operating system. A Seattle-based company named MiKandi (pronounced "my candy") has released an app store specifically geared towards porn. The application attempts to create a red light district for adult Android apps allowing adult content providers to set up shop within a MiKandi app.
20 Hot Cyber Monday Deals – "Just when you thought it was safe to put away that credit card, the National Retail Federation presents its annual Cyber Monday event. If you decided to forgo the maddening crowds on Black Friday, you can still snap up some great deals today from the comfort of your cubicle, home office, or kitchen table."

Headlines for November 20th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:02:02 +0000

10 Things We Want to See in Internet Explorer 9 – "Although its work started just a few weeks ago, Microsoft unveiled some new ideas it's bringing to Internet Explorer 9 this week. The company said that it plans to make the browser more Web- and developer-friendly, while still maintaining the familiar Internet Explorer identity. That sounds nice, but in the end, Microsoft said very little about what it plans to offer in Internet Explorer 9."
YouTube automatic captioning: one more reason GOOG’s not evil – "Google has introduced some more useful YouTube technology: automatic captioning."
Sony planning new online store – "Sony is planning a new online store a la Apple's iTunes, but with a few twists.
Announced at a strategy meeting in Tokyo on Thursday, the new service will hawk music, movies, books, and other downloadable content geared for its various electronics, including TVs, mobile phones, music players, and computers."
Nook sold out for the holidays – "If you were interested in buying the Barnes & Noble Nook as a holiday gift, strike it off your list. The e-reader is now officially sold out through 2009, according to the B&N Web site."
Why Google Should Cool It With Chrome OS – "Sometimes you have to take a step down to step up. That’s what Google should’ve done with its open-source PC operating system Chrome OS, which the corporation demonstrated Thursday.
Instead, Google is positioning Google Chrome OS against Microsoft with a lightweight OS shipping with netbooks next year. Chrome OS will function as a modified browser, enabling netbooks to handle everyday computing with web-based applications. That’s right: No native software, just the web."

Headlines for November 9th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:03:36 +0000

UPDATE:NY Attorney General: Tagged.com To Pay $500,000 Penalty – "Social-networking Web site Tagged.com has agreed to pay $500,000 in civil penalties and to make changes in how it sends out promotional e-mails after being accused of engaging in deceptive business practices, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Monday.
Cuomo had alleged the Web site misappropriated contact lists and the identities of it members in order to send out millions of deceptive and misleading emails to entice others to join the Web site."
Nook eReader Demand Delays Shipments – "Christmas has come early for Barnes and Noble. The book store's Nook eReader is in such hot demand that Barnes and Noble is already announcing production delays before it has even shipped the first device. The eReader market has gotten crowded lately, but it is the Nook that seems to pose the biggest threat so far to the dominance of Amazon's Kindle."
Verizon vs. AT&T: The Ad Wars Shift – "Getting into the spirit of the season, Verizon is enlisting the aid of elves, Elvis, and stop-motion puppets in its holiday offensive against AT&T."
RadioShack Now Selling iPhone 3G and 3GS Smartphones – "The iPhone 3G and 3GS will be available at select RadioShack locations this month, with a nationwide rollout to follow in 2010. The news caused RadioShack stock to jump."
Nokia recalls 14 million chargers – "Nokia is replacing potentially dangerous phone chargers for free, the mobile giant said Monday.
The recall affects 14 million chargers, according to the Associated Press.

The affected chargers are manufactured by third-party suppliers, Nokia said. A loose cover could potentially expose the charger's internal components and thus pose an electrical shock hazard if accidentally touched during use, the company said."
Mozilla’s Firefox Turns Five – "Firefox celebrated a milestone birthday Monday. Five years ago today, Mozilla shipped version 1.0 of the open-source browser."

Headlines for November 3rd, 2009

[modern media mom] — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:04:58 +0000

Google Chrome Beta Gets Bookmark Sync – "The latest beta version of Google's Chrome Web browser is making it easier for you to keep track of all your favorite Web sites across multiple computers. The search giant introduced bookmark syncing this week as a feature of Chrome's latest trial version."
Start-up sues over Nook – "A small start-up has picked on the might of number two book king Barnes and Noble claiming that the bookseller misappropriated trade secrets in creating the Nook e-reader.
Spring Design said it had a nondisclosure agreement with Barnes & Noble and had been discussing its e-reader plans with the bookseller since early this year."
New Chorus App For iPhone Lets Friends Chime In With Their Favorites – If Apple's App Store and Facebook had a baby, the result might be Chorus, a new social application from envIO Networks for the iPhone that lets users discover new apps based on advice from their friends.
Microsoft Price Cut Goes After Google Apps – "In a move aimed at heading off those who might "Go Google," Microsoft has cut the prices of its Exchange Online service by half and its Business Productivity Online Services suite by a third."
Best Buy to Deliver Streaming Movies via CinemaNow – Best Buy is teaming up with Sonic Solutions to provide customers on-demand access to streaming movies and TV shows.
Dedicated tweeting gadget TwitterPeek launches – "A new gadget designed specifically for people who want to tweet on the go was launched Tuesday by gadget maker Peek.
The device, dubbed TwitterPeek, does one thing and one thing only: it lets people tweet. It doesn't access e-mail. It doesn't make phone calls. It tweets. That's it."

Headlines for October 29th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:00:26 +0000

Reviews: Windows 7 Is a Snooze – (A different perspective of Windows 7):
“It’s accurate to say that Windows 7 straightens out some of the problems with Vista. Aside from that, though, there aren’t a whole lot of standout reasons to upgrade to the new OS, especially if you’re currently on XP or you honestly don’t mind Vista. The new features that are present aren’t quite worth the trouble to learn how to use, and if you happen to have even slightly old equipment, forget about it.”
A New Disney App That Isn’t Mickey Mouse – “Called Disney.com, the app rolls music, video, games and a Wikipedia of Walt Disney characters into an app for kids with an iPhone or iPod Touch.The application is aimed at ‘tweens, offering games based on TV shows like Aaron Stone and Wizards of Waverly Place, as well as a Name That Tune-style game with Disney music and a trivia quiz that even an adult can play.”
Background on Nook v. Kindle – “A person who was involved in Barnes & Noble’s launch of the Nook sends this info about its positioning relative to the Kindle and other potential competitors. This person naturally has a bias in favor of the Nook, but this is interesting as a view onto B&N’s thinking.”
Happy 40th birthday, the internet: 20 milestones in the net’s development – “Happy 40th birthday, the internet. The first message was sent across Arpanet exactly 40 years ago, on 29 October 1969. We look at a few of the milestones in its development.”
Amazon Simplifies Payments With New PayPhrase System – “Amazon Payments has introduced a new way to pay at Amazon.com and a number of other web retailers. The service is called PayPhrase and lets users enter a phase and personal identification number to speed up the checkout process, it said on Thursday.”
Android 2.0 Revs Enterprise Features – “The latest version of Google’s mobile operating system makes it easier for users to get corporate e-mail, calendar, and contact information on their handsets.”

Headlines for October 23rd, 2009

[modern media mom] — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:00:07 +0000

Pepsi Removes "Amp Up" iPhone App, Humanity Rejoices – "Having played the controversy for all the publicity it could generate, PepsiCo has now removed its controversial "Amp Up Before You Score" iPhone app from distribution."
Hulu Likely To Start Charging For Content In 2010 – "One of the newest bastions of free online content will probably soon fall as online television program site Hulu will probably start charging for content in 2010, News Corp. executive Chase Carey said on Wednesday."
Apple Mocks Windows History in Ads, But Will Add Windows 7 Boot Camp Support – "As much as Apple pretends not to love Microsoft, it can't seem to stop supporting it"
Mac Chrome Delays "Disappointing" says Google’s Brin – "Google co-founder Sergey Brin says he's disappointed with how long its taken his company to develop a Macintosh version of its Chrome browser. He did not, however, comment on why development has taken so long."
Global warming scepticism rising faster than temperatures – "As scientists question the greenness of biofuels, the number of Americans who believe the planet is warming due to man-made pollution is at its lowest point in three years, according to a survey."
Amazon Drops Price of Kindle E-Reader – "After the announcement of Barnes and Noble's competing e-reader, the $259 Nook, Amazon drops the price of the Kindle to $259 from $279."
Nokia Lawsuit Seeks a Piece of the iPhone Pie – "Nokia is taking Apple to court, alleging that the iPhone infringes on 10 different technology patents owned by Nokia. Nokia is entitled to protect its investments in research and development and its intellectual property, but there is reason to be skeptical of Nokia's timing and motives."
Mozilla Releases Raindrop, a Prototype Messaging Tool – "Mozilla has launched a software project designed to let people better manage the ever more voluminous stream of messages coming from sources such as Twitter and Facebook into their e-mail."

Headlines for October 20th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:01:29 +0000

So, how does Windows 7 perform? – “Compared to Vista, new OS shows only a marginal improvement overall”
High-speed chase ends when OnStar halts stolen SUV – Service used for first time since OnStar began offering it with 2009 models
Verizon Tips Oct. 30 for ‘Droid’ Phone – “A new promotional Web site from Verizon Wireless appears to mention an October 30 date for their new Android 2.0-powered “Droid” phone. It’s still unclear whether that’s an announcement or sale date.”
Barnes & Noble’s Kindle Killing, Dual Screen ‘Nook’ E-Reader Leaked – “If you just ordered a Kindle, stop reading now or you’re in for a giant dose of buyer’s remorse. Pictures and details of Barnes and Noble’s forthcoming e-book reader have leaked, and it is hot, both inside and out. It will be on sale next Tuesday.”
Apple Store Down; New Gear on the Way? – “Apple has taken the Apple Store down for maintenance, usually a good sign that new Apple hardware is on the way.”