Modern Media Mom » economy

Headlines for January 12th, 2010

[modern media mom] — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:03:27 +0000

About 1% Of Google Android Apps Bad – "Unlike Apple, which errs on the side of caution when reviewing apps for its App Store, Google considers the Android Market to be an "open distribution channel" and has said that there is no pre-approval process for Android apps and minimal automated scanning to ensure compliance with Google's security model."
Body scanners will transmit and store passenger images – "A document obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) using Freedom of Information Act laws, clearly demonstrates that scanners used at US airports will store and transmit passenger images."
Baidu: Hacking war breaks out between Iran and China – "Iranian hackers brought down Baidu, China's biggest search engine, this morning, and battle ensued – but nobody has any idea why.
The Iranian Cyber Army attacked Twitter – which has been used by Iranian opposition supporters – in December. But Baidu hasn't been known for sensitive content in the same way."
The New Necessities: Food, Clothing, And A Giant TV – "The recession has squeezed consumers into giving up a lot of things — but gadgets, TVs and smartphones have managed to remain essential, maybe more so than pants."
Complaints greet Google Nexus One phone – "Google is being inundated with complaints about its Nexus One phone.
The touchscreen smartphone was launched on 5 January and can be bought directly from Google and used on almost any phone network.

But confusion over who should answer customer queries has led many to file complaints on support forums."

Headlines for January 7th, 2010

[modern media mom] — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:00:40 +0000

Google takes on Apple – "The once-cuddly relationship between Google Inc. and Apple Inc. is morphing into a prickly power struggle as the ambitions and ideas of the technology trendsetters increasingly collide.
The growing use of high-powered phones for Web surfing has become a flash point in the brewing battle because both Google and Apple view the mobile market as a key to their continued success in the next decade."
Microsoft shows off Windows tablets at gadget show – "Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer showed off a new touch-screen, tablet-style computer from Hewlett-Packard Co., the first of several such devices expected to be unveiled this month.
The tablet – also known as a slate, a one-piece portable computer without a physical keyboard – was one of several new PCs Ballmer demonstrated Wednesday as he delivered Microsoft Corp.'s customary keynote presentation on the eve of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas."
Sony touts spiffy HDTVs, cool camera, Chumby chumminess – "Sony's CES 2010 press conference started with a short serenade from off-key teeny bopper singer Taylor Swift, and winded its way through a boatload of new products from the Japanese consumer electronics giant. Sony's courtly chairman and CEO Sir Howard Stringer touted Sony's commitment to 3D from lens to screen, the "monolithic" Bravia line of HDTVS, and lots of new video and still cameras."
Tech Show Reflects Optimism – "There are conflicting signs about how good a year 2010 may be for the technology world, but attendants of this year's Consumer Electronics Show appear to be more upbeat than last year.
A bumper crop of new products, full hotel rooms and respectable crowds at the annual technology conference here are some of the most obvious differences from the CES held in January 2009, when the recession still seemed to be deepening."
3D TV Is all the Rage but Is it Really the Future? – "The buzz from today's kickoff of world's biggest electronics show is quickly building around a blast from the past.
3-D entertainment — goofy glasses and all — has taken center stage at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, as announcements of new televisions, partnerships and content channels pour in."

Headlines for October 15th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:02:08 +0000

Barnes & Noble E-Reader Rumors Reach Deafening Roar – "Bookseller Barnes & Noble already has plans to provide e-book services to new devices, one of which will be made by Plastic Logic. However, rumors are flying fast that the bookseller and the device maker could enter a cozier relationship with a Plastic Logic reader branded directly by the bookseller. In fact, the gadget blog Gizmodo claims to have the first leaked photos."
Deaf users sound off on Sidekick outage – "When the T-Mobile Sidekick started having data problems two weeks ago, it was a big pain for nearly all of the company's roughly 800,000 subscribers. But it became particularly rough for the many deaf people who have been among the Sidekick's most loyal fan base."
PC Shipments Bounce Back – "The global PC market reversed its 2009 decline in the third quarter this year, as Acer overtook Dell (Dell) to become the second-largest PC maker in the world."
New Wi-Fi Direct Standard Threatens Bluetooth – "The Wi-Fi alliance has just introduced a new Wi-Fi specification called the Wi-Fi Direct. As the name suggests, Wi-Fi Direct will enable devices to communicate with other Wi-Fi Direct enabled devices directly – without the need of a wireless router or a hotspot."
BlackBerry Storm 2 lays siege to Apple iPhone – "Research in Motion (RIM) is readying an all out attack on the successful Apple iPhone with Storm 2 – likely to be released by Verizon in the US in November."

Headlines for June 17th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:01:09 +0000

Girl survives rude emoticon, becomes texting queen – “About 250,000 people entered the LG National Texting Championship, which concluded Tuesday. Yes, a quarter of a million people wanted to prove that they could text faster, more accurately, and ignore more distractions. Like insulting emoticons.”
Facebook Tests Search on Steroids – “Facebook is testing a new version of its search engine. A fraction of the social network’s users are now able to trial an improved search function, which besides finding users, pages and groups, can also look through content posted from people, organizations and public figures.”
Woohoo! Homer Simpson Joins TomTom Voices – “Homer Simpson is the latest “celebrity” voice to join the TomTom GPS voice lineup, the GPS maker announced on Tuesday. Users can visit the TomTom site and download the voice for $12.95, or €9.95 in Europe.”
Disney unveils kids’ laptops amid shopper thrift – “Walt Disney Co is introducing $350 netbooks for children ahead of the holidays, even as other toy companies shy away from expensive items to appease recession-hit shoppers.”
US broadband report: more popular, more expensive – “The latest data from the Pew Internet & American Life project shows that Americans are willing to cut down on many services during this economic slowdown, but not their Internet connections.”

Headlines for May 6th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:02:48 +0000

Swedish Man Indicted for Allegedly Hacking NASA, Cisco – "Philip Gabriel Pettersson, a 21-year-old Swedish man, has been blamed by the U.S. government of stealing programming information from the U.S. space agency and Cisco, with five counts of intrusion and trade secret theft charges pending."
Jimmy Fallon Wins Top Webby: And the Winners Are . . . – "This year's Webby Awards were announced, honoring the best the Web has to offer. Winners of the 13th annual Webby Awards will be honored at a ceremony hosted by Saturday Night Live's Seth Meyers on June 8 in New York City."
Microsoft Continues Layoffs, Massive Affected – "Anonymous sources told Gamasutra that Massive, Microsoft's in-game ad business, saw up to 75 percent of its staff laid off; a report in VentureBeat cites the same figure, and estimates this equates to about 100 employees — out of some 3,000 reduced yesterday."
RIM (developers of the Blackberry Phone) chief bids for NHL’s Coyotes – As a hockey fan, this is big news for me. ||| "Jim Balsillie, the co-chief executive of Canadian smartphone maker Research in Motion, is trying to import a professional hockey team to Canada for the third time in a move that looks likely to put him on a collision course with the National Hockey League."
Prepaid wireless service could spur price war – We've used prepaid plans for years. It helps us still to our budget. ||| "The prepaid cell phone market has finally hit the U.S. in a big way as economically strapped consumers flock to inexpensive pay-as-you-go services. The result will likely mean that big cell phone providers may be forced to slash prices on contract service plans to keep consumers from defecting."

Headlines for May 5th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:02:59 +0000

Smaller businesses key to ending recession –
Regulators Scrutinize Apple-Google Ties – "The Federal Trade Commission has begun an inquiry into whether the close ties between the boards of two of technology’s most prominent companies, Apple and Google, amount to a violation of antitrust laws, according to several people briefed on the inquiry."
Giant Food Shoppers Can Scan as They Go – (Love this idea!) "The scanners, which were developed by Modiv Media and Motorola, also offer shoppers coupons tailored to their purchase histories. Each store is equipped with an average of 48 scanners, which sit on a rack near the entrance. Shoppers can pay for their purchases in any checkout lane."
Microsoft offers stimulus-tracking software – "The software uses graphical dashboards, maps and analytics. It includes legislative and regulatory links, report templates and a news feed for stimulus-related updates."
Craigslist to meet with state AGs over sex ads – "Three state attorneys general plan to meet with Craigslist representatives to begin negotiations toward eliminating advertisements from the site for prostitution and other suspected illegal sexual activities."

Headlines for April 29th, 2009

[modern media mom] — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:03:47 +0000

Most Twitterers are Quitters – "A Nielsen survey reports that more than 60% of users who sign up for Twitter don’t return to the site the following month. So while Twitter’s traffic has catapulted to 6 million unique viewers each month, only 40% of new users actually stay to play."
Sports fans heart pink unicorns! – "the official ESPN Web site made the cutest little ponies EVER pop up all over the site. And more clicks led to more unicorns. "
Yahoo Fires 600 Today, Says Report (YHOO) – Notices are possibly coming today.
A Dying Landline Business Sounds a Lot Like Static – The demise of the copper landline is becoming less of a business issue for the big carriers, which have offset landline losses with profits from wireless services and growth from fiber-based offerings
Microsoft and Verizon Plot an iPhone Rival – Microsoft is a major player in software for cellphones, but it is working hard to develop a new device that will rival Apple's.

Headlines for April 23rd, 2009

[modern media mom] — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:00:45 +0000

The State Of The iPhone Is Strong — Very Strong – "Of the major companies that announced their earnings yesterday, two of them, AT&T and Apple, beat Wall Street estimates largely thanks to a single product: The iPhone."
Paid to Pitch: Product Reviews By Bloggers Draw Scrutiny – "The Federal Trade Commission, which guards against false advertisements, is examining whether it should police bloggers. As it updates nearly 30-year-old advertising guidelines, the FTC is proposing that bloggers, and online marketers and companies that compensate them, be held liable for misleading claims.
PC Buyers Must Weigh Upgrades – "If you're shopping for a computer now, there's an added factor to consider. Later this year, both of the major computer operating systems, Microsoft's Windows Vista and Apple's Mac OS X Leopard, will be replaced with major new versions: Windows 7 and Mac OS X Snow Leopard. And that affects what PC hardware you should choose."
Intel finds stolen laptops can be costly – Businesses have to replace much more than just the laptop: "Analyzing 138 instances of lost and stolen notebooks, the study based the $49,246 price tag on costs associated with replacement, detection, forensics, data breach, lost intellectual property, lost productivity, and legal, consulting and regulatory expenses, Intel said. Data breach alone represents 80 percent of the cost."
Sign of the times: Microsoft sales drop? – "Even sales at Microsoft appear to be headed downward. If projections hold, Microsoft on Thursday will report a year-over-year drop in quarterly revenue, a first for the software maker."

Headlines for April 22nd, 2009

[modern media mom] — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:00:08 +0000

Craigslist Safety: Using Craigguard.com – "Jessica Brock, a St. Louis, Miss., freelance Web developer, has come up with her own solution to improving Craigslist, or at least making it a bit more like eBay. In December, she developed a free site called Craigguard.com, which enables users to review their experiences with people they connect with through Craigslist."
‘Causes’ Social Networking May Be All Talk, No Cash for Nonprofits Seeking Funds – "The Facebook application Causes, hugely popular among nonprofit organizations seeking to raise money online, has been largely ineffective in its first two years, trailing direct mail, fundraising events and other more traditional methods of soliciting contributions."
Congress Gets Into the ‘Future of News’ Game – Article updated at the bottom with notes from the meeting.
Leaner Laptops, Lower Prices – "In an effort to drive sales, PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. have shifted their product lineups toward cut-rate laptops that appeal to frugal consumers."
Earth Day 2009: For a greener future – There are ways to make your technology greener.

Headlines for April 17th April 21st, 2009

[modern media mom] — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:07:35 +0000

More Pulitzers, Less Money: New York Times Ad Sales Down 27%; Q2 Looks Just As Bad – "Yesterday the New York Times (NYT) won five Pulitzer Prizes, and executive editor Bill Keller took a well-deserved victory lap with a speech that reportedly had his newsroom in tears. But for better or worse, none of that matters to investors, who are trying to figure out what the company’s long-term prospects look like. In the near-term, they look terrible."
ER service holds a patient’s place in line – "Earlier this month, Atlanta-based InQuickER announced the launch of a new service that allows patients with non life-threatening conditions to reduce their waiting time by calling ahead or signing in online."
America’s Newest Profession – "Paid bloggers fit just about every definition of a microtrend: Their ranks have grown dramatically over the years, blogging is an important social and cultural movement that people care passionately about, and the number of people doing it for at least some income is approaching 1% of American adults."
Study: Video-game-playing kids showing addiction symptoms – USATODAY.com – The survey does not end the debate over whether gaming can be addictive in the way gambling or substances can be, Gentile says. Nor does it "tell us who's most at risk (or) how long it lasts. Is it something that only lasts for a couple months when the game system is new, then the kids learn to get it back into balance?"
A Lawyer, Some Teens and a Fight Over ‘Sexting’ – WSJ.com – The "Sexting" case in PA continues.
Internet engaged people in ’08 election, survey shows – USATODAY.com – "More than half of all adults — 55% — got their political fix online during the 2008 election, using the Internet not only as a source of information but also to share information and get involved in campaigns."