Cyber Attacks on Facebook pages set up to pay tribute to two murdered Australian children prompted calls for the social networking site to be more accountable for its users.
Social media experts say it is natural that people who use sites such as Facebook or MySpace as a major form of communication should turn to these sites with personal tragedies.
These memorial sites often attract thousands of friends and well-wishers, as in the case of the pages set up after the deaths this month of Elliott Fletcher, 12, and Trinity Bates, 8.
Students from Brisbane College in the state of Queensland flocked to a memorial site set up after Fletcher was stabbed in a schoolyard fight two weeks ago, but it was defaced with offensive comments and images including child pornography and bestiality.
The same happened to a site set up in memory of Bates, who was taken from her bed in Bundaberg, Queensland, with her body found in a nearby storm drain. A teenager accused of her murder was also revealed to be a Facebook friend of her parents.
Queensland premier Anna Bligh has appealed to the owners of US-based Facebook to find ways to stop a recurrence of these types of "sickening incidents".
"To have these things happen to Facebook pages set up for the sole purpose of helping these communities pay tribute to young lives lost in the most horrible ways adds to the grief already being experienced," Bligh wrote in a letter to Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg which was released to the media.
"I seek your advice about whether Facebook can do anything to prevent a recurrence of these types of sickening incidents."
A spokesman for Bligh said the premier had yet to receive a response from Zuckerberg.
Facebook spokesperson Debbie Frost said the site had rules to check content and reviewers were quick to respond to any reports of hate or threats against an individual, pornography, or violent photos or videos, and would remove the content, and either warn or disable the accounts of those responsible.
"Facebook is highly self-regulating, and users can and do report content that they find questionable or offensive," Frost said in a statement.
She said in the tragic case of Elliott Fletcher, Facebook responded to reports of vandalism from others users and the police by removing the groups and disabling the accounts of the people responsible but that was about all the action possible.
"It is simply not possible to 'prevent' a person with a sinister agenda from undertaking offensive activity anywhere on the Internet where people can post content. Nor is it really possible in real life," Frost added.
Detective superintendent Peter Crawford of Queensland police said people should think twice before setting up such social networking groups. As well as memorial sites, Facebook pages popped up vilifying the man accused of murdering Bates.
"I would say anybody thinking about putting these sites up in the future need to realise that they're going to attract these kinds of people," Crawford told radio station Fairfax Radio 4BC.
"The reality is once you open these sites up to open access to anyone on the Internet, you are going to attract unsavoury people and clearly that's occurred again."
Source:
http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30783:users-urge-facebook-accountability&catid=219:reuters
Chicago Website Design
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Microsoft Rolls out Cloud for U.S. Federal Users
Microsoft on Wednesday announced a suite of hosted cloud services that will be delivered from a facility dedicated to U.S. Federal Government users.
Microsoft made the announcement at its Redmond, Washington, headquarters during its annual U.S. Public Sector CIO Summit.
The services available in Business Productivity Online Suite Federal include Exchange, SharePoint, Office Live Meeting and Office Communications, and are hosted from special facilities in an effort to meet the particular needs of federal agencies.
"It's a separate, dedicated infrastructure in secure facilities," said Rob Markezich, corporate vice president of online services at Microsoft.
Physical access to the site will be controlled with biometric systems, and the only people who will be able to access the facility will be U.S. citizens, he said. "We've heard quite often from customers in the U.S. that to meet certain regulations that was a requirement," he said.
Those workers will also be required to undergo "rigorous" background checks including fingerprinting, he said.
Other users including state agencies can use the federal service, but its use costs more than Microsoft's standard BPOS service, which complies with many of the rigorous standards that most state agencies require, he said.
Judging from the questions from the audience at the event, federal agencies may be interested in the concept but worry about a component that is out of Microsoft's control: Internet connections to the cloud. "The more that's in the cloud, the more bandwidth you need," one conference attendee said during a question and answer period, complaining about connections from commercial Internet providers. "What's the strategy for helping us get to the cloud reliably?"
Microsoft allows some existing cloud customers to use a dedicated network connection to its data centers, Markezich said. "But I don't have anything to announce" regarding such access to the dedicated federal cloud service, he said.
Even if that option becomes available, dedicated lines come with additional costs that often-strapped government agencies likely don't have. Other attendees asked if government programs like E-rate, which helps connect schools and libraries to the Internet, or Internet 2, a consortium of universities that works with the government to build networks, might help fund such dedicated connections. Microsoft said it has begun investigating whether that might be a possibility.
The company will also have to satisfy government agency liability concerns, particularly around security violations. Without describing the details, Markezich said that Microsoft specifies the terms of its liability for data in its contract. "The principle we use is it's your data, we don't look to make money on it other than the service fees you pay us," he said. The contract describes how Microsoft protects data and what happens if it becomes unavailable or compromised, he said.
Microsoft also announced all of the government certifications that its standard BPOS service now complies with, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, International Organization for Standardization 27001, Federal Information Processing Standard and Trusted Internet Connections.
The federal service supports all of those plus the rigorous International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Customers can buy service contracts now, with migration to the hosted suite expected to occur over the next several months, Markezich said.
Source:
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/02/24/microsoft-rolls-out-cloud-u-s-federal-users
Professional Web Design
Microsoft made the announcement at its Redmond, Washington, headquarters during its annual U.S. Public Sector CIO Summit.
The services available in Business Productivity Online Suite Federal include Exchange, SharePoint, Office Live Meeting and Office Communications, and are hosted from special facilities in an effort to meet the particular needs of federal agencies.
"It's a separate, dedicated infrastructure in secure facilities," said Rob Markezich, corporate vice president of online services at Microsoft.
Physical access to the site will be controlled with biometric systems, and the only people who will be able to access the facility will be U.S. citizens, he said. "We've heard quite often from customers in the U.S. that to meet certain regulations that was a requirement," he said.
Those workers will also be required to undergo "rigorous" background checks including fingerprinting, he said.
Other users including state agencies can use the federal service, but its use costs more than Microsoft's standard BPOS service, which complies with many of the rigorous standards that most state agencies require, he said.
Judging from the questions from the audience at the event, federal agencies may be interested in the concept but worry about a component that is out of Microsoft's control: Internet connections to the cloud. "The more that's in the cloud, the more bandwidth you need," one conference attendee said during a question and answer period, complaining about connections from commercial Internet providers. "What's the strategy for helping us get to the cloud reliably?"
Microsoft allows some existing cloud customers to use a dedicated network connection to its data centers, Markezich said. "But I don't have anything to announce" regarding such access to the dedicated federal cloud service, he said.
Even if that option becomes available, dedicated lines come with additional costs that often-strapped government agencies likely don't have. Other attendees asked if government programs like E-rate, which helps connect schools and libraries to the Internet, or Internet 2, a consortium of universities that works with the government to build networks, might help fund such dedicated connections. Microsoft said it has begun investigating whether that might be a possibility.
The company will also have to satisfy government agency liability concerns, particularly around security violations. Without describing the details, Markezich said that Microsoft specifies the terms of its liability for data in its contract. "The principle we use is it's your data, we don't look to make money on it other than the service fees you pay us," he said. The contract describes how Microsoft protects data and what happens if it becomes unavailable or compromised, he said.
Microsoft also announced all of the government certifications that its standard BPOS service now complies with, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, International Organization for Standardization 27001, Federal Information Processing Standard and Trusted Internet Connections.
The federal service supports all of those plus the rigorous International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Customers can buy service contracts now, with migration to the hosted suite expected to occur over the next several months, Markezich said.
Source:
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/02/24/microsoft-rolls-out-cloud-u-s-federal-users
Professional Web Design
Mobile Broadband Making Inroads
While the report that 35% of Americans don't have access to high-speed Internet in the home created many headlines over the past week, what hasn't attracted as much attention is the finding that 15% of the country's adult population now uses Mobile Wireless Broadband on laptops.
The statistics were published in a survey released by the FCC as it prepares to submit its National Broadband Plan to Congress. Mobile broadband, for which users must pay a fee, is relatively new, so the 15% usage figures indicate that the wireless phenomenon is catching on and is likely to increase rapidly as more robust 4G networks are deployed.
Survey respondents were asked whether they used "a service with your laptop computer that is called wireless broadband, allowing you to access the Internet virtually anywhere? This is usually a service that you have to pay a monthly fee for, either by itself or as part of another communications bill. This is NOT what is called Wi-Fi."
With 4G wireless broadband increasingly being deployed, the 15% usage figure will surely grow as Sprint-Nextel steps up rollout of its WiMax network and Verizon Wireless prepares to deploy its LTE network later this year. Sprint, which is deploying its 4G network through its majority-owned Clearwire carrier, is already offering broadband wireless via data cards. Verizon Wireless will begin offering data cards later this year when it debuts the LTE service in 25-30 markets.
In releasing the survey, the FCC underscored the fact that some 93 million Americans still don't have access to high-speed Internet at home. The FCC, under new chairman Julius Genachowski, has pledged to bring high-speed Web access to more Americans at affordable rates.
The FCC survey, conducted among 5,000 adult Americans last October and November, found that 70% of users get their broadband in a bundle of services.
Source:
http://www.techweb.com/article/showArticle?articleID=223100408§ion=news
Chicago Website Design
The statistics were published in a survey released by the FCC as it prepares to submit its National Broadband Plan to Congress. Mobile broadband, for which users must pay a fee, is relatively new, so the 15% usage figures indicate that the wireless phenomenon is catching on and is likely to increase rapidly as more robust 4G networks are deployed.
Survey respondents were asked whether they used "a service with your laptop computer that is called wireless broadband, allowing you to access the Internet virtually anywhere? This is usually a service that you have to pay a monthly fee for, either by itself or as part of another communications bill. This is NOT what is called Wi-Fi."
With 4G wireless broadband increasingly being deployed, the 15% usage figure will surely grow as Sprint-Nextel steps up rollout of its WiMax network and Verizon Wireless prepares to deploy its LTE network later this year. Sprint, which is deploying its 4G network through its majority-owned Clearwire carrier, is already offering broadband wireless via data cards. Verizon Wireless will begin offering data cards later this year when it debuts the LTE service in 25-30 markets.
In releasing the survey, the FCC underscored the fact that some 93 million Americans still don't have access to high-speed Internet at home. The FCC, under new chairman Julius Genachowski, has pledged to bring high-speed Web access to more Americans at affordable rates.
The FCC survey, conducted among 5,000 adult Americans last October and November, found that 70% of users get their broadband in a bundle of services.
Source:
http://www.techweb.com/article/showArticle?articleID=223100408§ion=news
Chicago Website Design
Monday, February 22, 2010
EPIC Takes Buzz Privacy Battle to FTC
Privacy advocates are on the warpath against Google Buzz, the new social networking tool that has riled Gmail users. Ironically, it's in part because of the very social technologies Google and others provide that users are now as vocal as they are, noted privacy lawyer Parry Aftab. In the end, she quipped, such companies "may find that they've created a monster."
Just a week after the launch of Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Buzz, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) on Tuesday filed a complaint with the FTC charging that the new service violates federal consumer protection law.
"This is a significant breach of consumers' expectations of privacy," said Marc Rotenberg, the group's executive director. "Google should not be allowed to push users' personal information into a social network they never requested."
In its complaint, EPIC urges the trade commission to require that Google make the Buzz service fully opt-in. It also asks that Google stop using Gmail users' private address book contacts to compile social networking lists, and that it give its users "meaningful control" over their personal data.
Two Rounds of Changes
Buzz is Google's first step onto social networking ground. It facilitates the instantaneous sharing of information like status updates, links and videos among Gmail users. For that reason, it is widely viewed as an attempt to take on the likes of Facebook and Twitter.
The service began to encounter resistance almost as soon as it was released, as criticisms emerged of Buzz's effect on privacy. Such was the outcry, in fact, that Google has already tweaked the Buzz service twice in the days since its release.
Last Thursday, the first round of changes gave Gmail users a "more visible option" to hide the people they follow on their public profile, for example, as well as the ability to block anyone who starts following them.
The second set of tweaks, announced Saturday, refined things further, including making the process of following people more explicit.
'Unfair and Deceptive'
For EPIC, however, those changes apparently weren't enough.
"Google Buzz still allows people to automatically follow a user; the burden remains on the user to block those unwanted followers," the group argues in its complaint.
EPIC further notes that Buzz's welcome screen "does not make clear that the user must create a profile that would be public and indexed by search engines." In addition, "users are still unaware that showing the user's connection means showing connections publicly to everyone, and having them publicly indexed by search engines."
Overall, "Google is engaging in unfair and deceptive acts and practices," EPIC concludes, requesting that the FTC conduct an investigation into the service.
A Problem of Communication?
"We designed Buzz to make it easy for users to connect with other people and have conversations about the things that interest them," Google said in a statement. "Buzz was launched only a week ago. We've already made a few changes based on user feedback, and we have more improvements in the works. We look forward to hearing more suggestions and will continue to improve the Buzz experience with user transparency and control top of mind.
"We also welcome dialogue with EPIC and appreciate hearing directly from them about their concerns," Google added. "Our door is always open to organizations with suggestions about our products and services."
CEO Eric Schmidt, meanwhile, suggested in remarks at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday that it was simply a problem of communication, but that no personal information was in fact disclosed, according to a report in The Guardian.
'It Should Be a Free-Standing Service'
Privacy groups, however, aren't so sure.
"We recommend that all current Buzz users immediately turn off the public list, and review their friend list before making it public again," wrote Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl on Tuesday, for example.
"We are somewhat troubled by the manner in which Google implemented Buzz," Paul Stephens, director of policy advocacy with the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, told the E-Commerce Times. "I don't think the process that a user normally goes through would necessarily make it clear to them that they were revealing information such as their email contacts."
Google needs to "take another look" at Buzz, Stephens said.
In particular, "it should be a free-standing service," he suggested. "It's presumptuous to assume, based on the mere fact that someone happens to have Google email account, that they'll want to participate in Google Buzz."
'Lots of Miscommunication'
If nothing else, the complaint underscores the care with which such new technologies must be introduced, Parry Aftab, a privacy lawyer and executive director of WiredSafety, told the E-Commerce Times.
"We've seen in recent years lots of miscommunication, involving Facebook, Google and lots of others, when they add or change services," Aftab explained.
As a result, "we see lots of knee-jerk reactions from people who assume they are at risk," she noted. "It shows how concerned people are about their personal information and keeping control of it."
'Engage Users Earlier'
In the case of Buzz, "the biggest problem has been Google's failure to recognize how carefully these new technologies need to be communicated to the public," Aftab concluded.
In such cases, companies need to "engage users earlier, let them know exactly what you're doing, and make sure you do exactly what you tell them," she advised.
Ironically, it's in part because of the very social technologies Google and others provide that users are now as vocal as they are, Aftab pointed out. In the end, she quipped, such companies "may find that they've created a monster.
Source:
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/69364.html
Professional Web Design Chicago
Just a week after the launch of Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Buzz, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) on Tuesday filed a complaint with the FTC charging that the new service violates federal consumer protection law.
"This is a significant breach of consumers' expectations of privacy," said Marc Rotenberg, the group's executive director. "Google should not be allowed to push users' personal information into a social network they never requested."
In its complaint, EPIC urges the trade commission to require that Google make the Buzz service fully opt-in. It also asks that Google stop using Gmail users' private address book contacts to compile social networking lists, and that it give its users "meaningful control" over their personal data.
Two Rounds of Changes
Buzz is Google's first step onto social networking ground. It facilitates the instantaneous sharing of information like status updates, links and videos among Gmail users. For that reason, it is widely viewed as an attempt to take on the likes of Facebook and Twitter.
The service began to encounter resistance almost as soon as it was released, as criticisms emerged of Buzz's effect on privacy. Such was the outcry, in fact, that Google has already tweaked the Buzz service twice in the days since its release.
Last Thursday, the first round of changes gave Gmail users a "more visible option" to hide the people they follow on their public profile, for example, as well as the ability to block anyone who starts following them.
The second set of tweaks, announced Saturday, refined things further, including making the process of following people more explicit.
'Unfair and Deceptive'
For EPIC, however, those changes apparently weren't enough.
"Google Buzz still allows people to automatically follow a user; the burden remains on the user to block those unwanted followers," the group argues in its complaint.
EPIC further notes that Buzz's welcome screen "does not make clear that the user must create a profile that would be public and indexed by search engines." In addition, "users are still unaware that showing the user's connection means showing connections publicly to everyone, and having them publicly indexed by search engines."
Overall, "Google is engaging in unfair and deceptive acts and practices," EPIC concludes, requesting that the FTC conduct an investigation into the service.
A Problem of Communication?
"We designed Buzz to make it easy for users to connect with other people and have conversations about the things that interest them," Google said in a statement. "Buzz was launched only a week ago. We've already made a few changes based on user feedback, and we have more improvements in the works. We look forward to hearing more suggestions and will continue to improve the Buzz experience with user transparency and control top of mind.
"We also welcome dialogue with EPIC and appreciate hearing directly from them about their concerns," Google added. "Our door is always open to organizations with suggestions about our products and services."
CEO Eric Schmidt, meanwhile, suggested in remarks at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday that it was simply a problem of communication, but that no personal information was in fact disclosed, according to a report in The Guardian.
'It Should Be a Free-Standing Service'
Privacy groups, however, aren't so sure.
"We recommend that all current Buzz users immediately turn off the public list, and review their friend list before making it public again," wrote Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl on Tuesday, for example.
"We are somewhat troubled by the manner in which Google implemented Buzz," Paul Stephens, director of policy advocacy with the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, told the E-Commerce Times. "I don't think the process that a user normally goes through would necessarily make it clear to them that they were revealing information such as their email contacts."
Google needs to "take another look" at Buzz, Stephens said.
In particular, "it should be a free-standing service," he suggested. "It's presumptuous to assume, based on the mere fact that someone happens to have Google email account, that they'll want to participate in Google Buzz."
'Lots of Miscommunication'
If nothing else, the complaint underscores the care with which such new technologies must be introduced, Parry Aftab, a privacy lawyer and executive director of WiredSafety, told the E-Commerce Times.
"We've seen in recent years lots of miscommunication, involving Facebook, Google and lots of others, when they add or change services," Aftab explained.
As a result, "we see lots of knee-jerk reactions from people who assume they are at risk," she noted. "It shows how concerned people are about their personal information and keeping control of it."
'Engage Users Earlier'
In the case of Buzz, "the biggest problem has been Google's failure to recognize how carefully these new technologies need to be communicated to the public," Aftab concluded.
In such cases, companies need to "engage users earlier, let them know exactly what you're doing, and make sure you do exactly what you tell them," she advised.
Ironically, it's in part because of the very social technologies Google and others provide that users are now as vocal as they are, Aftab pointed out. In the end, she quipped, such companies "may find that they've created a monster.
Source:
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/69364.html
Professional Web Design Chicago
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Steady growth for Twitter, despite hiccups
Fans of microblogging service Twitter are apparently impervious to repeated outages and technical problems--and their enthusiasm is spreading.
Research firm Hitwise on Tuesday reported that traffic to the Twitter site increased 500 percent the week ending July 5, 2008, compared with the same period last year. That's a significant jump for a service that's continually up and down--and still lacking a clear revenue stream.
What's more, many users of the service appear to be unruffled by Twitter's technical issues. The share of returning visitors has averaged approximately 53 percent over the past four months, according to Hitwise.
Twitter also still has a leg up over its few rivals in the microblogging space. Twitter traffic last week was 12 times higher than that of Plurk and 24 times higher than FriendFeed, Hitwise says. So even though Tweeters may be getting restless, not all of them are abandoning the service in favor of similar finds.
"Despite user complaints about outages, Twitter has remained the most popular among the micro-blogging services," Hitwise said in a statement.
Earlier Tuesday, rumors escalated that Twitter was in the throes of buying Summize, a Twitter search engine. Neither Twitter nor Summize have commented on speculation of a possible merger.
Source:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9985999-93.html
Chicago Web Site Design Company
Research firm Hitwise on Tuesday reported that traffic to the Twitter site increased 500 percent the week ending July 5, 2008, compared with the same period last year. That's a significant jump for a service that's continually up and down--and still lacking a clear revenue stream.
What's more, many users of the service appear to be unruffled by Twitter's technical issues. The share of returning visitors has averaged approximately 53 percent over the past four months, according to Hitwise.
Twitter also still has a leg up over its few rivals in the microblogging space. Twitter traffic last week was 12 times higher than that of Plurk and 24 times higher than FriendFeed, Hitwise says. So even though Tweeters may be getting restless, not all of them are abandoning the service in favor of similar finds.
"Despite user complaints about outages, Twitter has remained the most popular among the micro-blogging services," Hitwise said in a statement.
Earlier Tuesday, rumors escalated that Twitter was in the throes of buying Summize, a Twitter search engine. Neither Twitter nor Summize have commented on speculation of a possible merger.
Source:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9985999-93.html
Chicago Web Site Design Company
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Oh Google, why do you do us wrong?
Nexus One support screwups, the Google Buzz fiasco, killing music blogs -- it seems like Google can't do anything right any more
So far, 2010 is shaping up to be the year Google discovered it had feet of clay -- and those feet have been spending a lot of time in Google's mouth.
(Also: This blog is shaping up to be all about Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Maybe we should rename it Notes from the GoogAppSoft -- or not.)
First, there was Google's disastrous foray into direct-to-consumer sales with the Nexus One phone, in which Google learned that, yes, you actually have to talk to customers when they're ticked off; they're not willing to wait until somebody gets around to responding on an online forum. Though Google has gotten slightly better at dealing with complaints over problems with 3G connections and phone delivery, it still hasn't figured out what "customer service" actually means.
Then, Google Buzz: a nice idea, if you spend all your time on the Googleplex and have no life and no secrets. Otherwise, it's just a bit too friendly with the information of relative strangers. Google has revised its Buzz product at least three times since it was introduced last week, trying to quell the privacy storm that followed; it still has a ways to go on that one, too.
On top of those comes a so-far little-reported incident that's been tagged Musicblogocide 2010. Earlier this month Google deleted years' worth of archives from six popular music blogs hosted on Blogger.com -- just wiped them from the face of the InterWebs. The reason? It had received multiple DMCA takedown notices from record companies alleging these sites were sharing music illegally.
Under the DMCA (otherwise known as Congress's boundless gift to copyright holders), a service provider like Google can escape liability for violations only if it acts immediately to remove any offending sites or files. The copyright holder doesn't have to prove the violations are genuine, and the service provider doesn't even have to notify the sites beforehand -- it can wipe first and notify later.
The problem? Some of the sites claim they had permission to share those music files. Worse, others say Google didn't ever notify them -- or if they were notified, the information was so vague that it was impossible to find out where the alleged violations occurred.
The only recourse for a site that's been hit with a DMCA takedown is to file a counternotification -- essentially a claim of innocence -- which Google then must forward to the copyright holders. If the copyright holders don't take legal action against the alleged infringers within two weeks, their sites must be restored.
That's kinda hard to do if 1) you've never been notified, or 2) you have no idea what you allegedly did wrong. In one case, Google has admitted its notifications were insufficient and restored the site. As for the others, it's sticking by its policies and saying the bloggers should have filed counterclaims.
Meanwhile, Bill Lipold, owner of the I Rock Cleveland blog, has been publicly haranguing Google and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (essentially an international version of the RIAA) on Google's own public support forums. He's reproduced emails from record companies stating he had the right to publicly distribute their music. On his new, non-Google-hosted blog, he points out that at least one of the files in question had been removed from his site more than two years previous, which would have been easy enough to check:
If at this point you're drawing the conclusion that neither the IFPI nor Google know exactly what they're doing in these matters, you're not alone. If at any point during the DMCA claim process a human being had clicked on the link and looked for the infringing content they wouldn't have found an mp3, but a 404 with the message, "Sorry, dude. The rockin' has stopped. Please be aware that downloads from I Rock Cleveland are only available for a limited time. You can find more Rock 'N' Roll at I Rock Cleveland."
Google isn't to blame for the DMCA, one of the most spectacularly abused pieces of digital legislation ever created. But it does seem to be getting more aggressive about DMCA enforcement.
Like I Rock Cleveland, most of those other sites have found new homes (so much for the effectiveness of DMCA takedowns). But Google is taking most of the heat for this, and a big part of that is because of how it reacted. It all stems from Google's attitude of "we'll respond if and when we feel like it, and only indirectly via our blog or online forum." It's another symptom of Google's self-centeredness -- the same thing that caused its failure to provide actual customer support for the Nexus One, as well as the entire Google Buzz fiasco.
The G-folk can't seem to see beyond the boundaries of the Googleplex. As Google becomes less of an Internet company and more of a consumer goods company, that myopia is only likely to get worse.
Does Google deserve the beating it's been getting (here and elsewhere)? Weigh in below or email me: cringe@infoworld.com.
This article, "Oh Google, why do you do us wrong?" was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Robert X. Cringely's Notes from the Field blog.
Source:
http://www.infoworld.com/d/adventures-in-it/oh-google-why-do-you-do-us-wrong-012?page=0,0
Chicago Website Design
So far, 2010 is shaping up to be the year Google discovered it had feet of clay -- and those feet have been spending a lot of time in Google's mouth.
(Also: This blog is shaping up to be all about Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Maybe we should rename it Notes from the GoogAppSoft -- or not.)
First, there was Google's disastrous foray into direct-to-consumer sales with the Nexus One phone, in which Google learned that, yes, you actually have to talk to customers when they're ticked off; they're not willing to wait until somebody gets around to responding on an online forum. Though Google has gotten slightly better at dealing with complaints over problems with 3G connections and phone delivery, it still hasn't figured out what "customer service" actually means.
Then, Google Buzz: a nice idea, if you spend all your time on the Googleplex and have no life and no secrets. Otherwise, it's just a bit too friendly with the information of relative strangers. Google has revised its Buzz product at least three times since it was introduced last week, trying to quell the privacy storm that followed; it still has a ways to go on that one, too.
On top of those comes a so-far little-reported incident that's been tagged Musicblogocide 2010. Earlier this month Google deleted years' worth of archives from six popular music blogs hosted on Blogger.com -- just wiped them from the face of the InterWebs. The reason? It had received multiple DMCA takedown notices from record companies alleging these sites were sharing music illegally.
Under the DMCA (otherwise known as Congress's boundless gift to copyright holders), a service provider like Google can escape liability for violations only if it acts immediately to remove any offending sites or files. The copyright holder doesn't have to prove the violations are genuine, and the service provider doesn't even have to notify the sites beforehand -- it can wipe first and notify later.
The problem? Some of the sites claim they had permission to share those music files. Worse, others say Google didn't ever notify them -- or if they were notified, the information was so vague that it was impossible to find out where the alleged violations occurred.
The only recourse for a site that's been hit with a DMCA takedown is to file a counternotification -- essentially a claim of innocence -- which Google then must forward to the copyright holders. If the copyright holders don't take legal action against the alleged infringers within two weeks, their sites must be restored.
That's kinda hard to do if 1) you've never been notified, or 2) you have no idea what you allegedly did wrong. In one case, Google has admitted its notifications were insufficient and restored the site. As for the others, it's sticking by its policies and saying the bloggers should have filed counterclaims.
Meanwhile, Bill Lipold, owner of the I Rock Cleveland blog, has been publicly haranguing Google and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (essentially an international version of the RIAA) on Google's own public support forums. He's reproduced emails from record companies stating he had the right to publicly distribute their music. On his new, non-Google-hosted blog, he points out that at least one of the files in question had been removed from his site more than two years previous, which would have been easy enough to check:
If at this point you're drawing the conclusion that neither the IFPI nor Google know exactly what they're doing in these matters, you're not alone. If at any point during the DMCA claim process a human being had clicked on the link and looked for the infringing content they wouldn't have found an mp3, but a 404 with the message, "Sorry, dude. The rockin' has stopped. Please be aware that downloads from I Rock Cleveland are only available for a limited time. You can find more Rock 'N' Roll at I Rock Cleveland."
Google isn't to blame for the DMCA, one of the most spectacularly abused pieces of digital legislation ever created. But it does seem to be getting more aggressive about DMCA enforcement.
Like I Rock Cleveland, most of those other sites have found new homes (so much for the effectiveness of DMCA takedowns). But Google is taking most of the heat for this, and a big part of that is because of how it reacted. It all stems from Google's attitude of "we'll respond if and when we feel like it, and only indirectly via our blog or online forum." It's another symptom of Google's self-centeredness -- the same thing that caused its failure to provide actual customer support for the Nexus One, as well as the entire Google Buzz fiasco.
The G-folk can't seem to see beyond the boundaries of the Googleplex. As Google becomes less of an Internet company and more of a consumer goods company, that myopia is only likely to get worse.
Does Google deserve the beating it's been getting (here and elsewhere)? Weigh in below or email me: cringe@infoworld.com.
This article, "Oh Google, why do you do us wrong?" was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Robert X. Cringely's Notes from the Field blog.
Source:
http://www.infoworld.com/d/adventures-in-it/oh-google-why-do-you-do-us-wrong-012?page=0,0
Chicago Website Design
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Looking Back at Six Months of Yahoo Search
The last six months have gone by in the blink of an eye for the Yahoo! Search team. Since the summer of 2009, we’ve launched an amazing amount of new improvements in Yahoo Search to deliver a more personally relevant search experience. Now it’s even easier to find and explore what matters most to you. We made a short video to showcase what we’ve done in the last six months. Here are some of the highlights:
All-new Yahoo! Search
On Sep 22, 2009, we launched a completely redesigned Yahoo! Search in multiple markets around the world. The new page design aligns the experience across our new Homepage, Mail, and the search results page. This dynamic and integrated experience better understands what you are looking for so you can get things done quickly on the Web.
By rebuilding much of the foundational code for the SRP design and core functionality completely from scratch, we deliver a faster Search page with many exciting new features:
* SearchMonkey structured data: You can explore results from key sites and narrow results using different types of SearchMonkey structured data, making it easier to see richer results from an increasing number of sites.
* Search Scan, Safe Search, and Search Pad: You can quickly access search features that make your online lives safer and easier, including Search Scan/SafeSearch (which helps protect you from viruses, spyware, and spam while you search) and Search Pad, our note-taking and research application.
* Query assistance: We’ve extended our powerful query assistance into the left-hand column of the page to allow you to easily explore and discover concepts related to your query.
* Image and video search refiners: We also apply this same design framework to our Image and Video Search experiences, where the left-hand column provides powerful ways to explore the things you care about most; including travel destinations, music artists, movies, TV shows, and celebrities.
If you haven’t tried it yet, let us take you on our tour that explains all of the features we delivered with this new experience.
Structuring the Web
We launched Yahoo! SearchMonkey in May 2008. Throughout 2009 we’ve continued to accelerate the adoption of structured data across the Web and empower developers to innovate in search. In May 2009, we shared with you the key milestones with Yahoo! Search BOSS and SearchMonkey: At that time, we had over 70 million enhanced SearchMonkey results viewed by users every day; and we increased the adoption of RDFa structured data by 413 percent since October, 2008.
By August 2009, we had expanded our coverage for enhanced results to multiple structured object formats including Video, Documents, Games, Products, Local Businesses, Event, Discussions, and News.
Great Assistance across Yahoo!
In November 2009, we extended our Search Assist features from the Web search boxes to the search box at the top of nearly every property on Yahoo! The new features take you directly to the information you need, whether it is real-time stock quotes or movie trailers. This also includes enhanced search suggestions and ways to easily navigate to your Yahoo! property of choice.
Discover Breaking News on Yahoo!
Starting in November 2009, we began including relevant photos, videos, and tweets about a breaking news story within the Yahoo! News Shortcut on our Search results page. By including more of this real-time content, we make it easier for you to find all the information you need about an unfolding news event in one place.
Local Searches Made Easier
We’re focused on making it easier to search for local businesses. Starting in December 2009, we display more Yahoo! local business shortcuts when you search for a business, even if you don’t include your location in your query. We also began providing new functionality directly within the local shortcut to refine results by neighborhood or nearby city right on the search results page. This further enhances an already great shortcut that provides more of the information you care about most directly on the search results page; including ratings, reviews, photos, and directions.
Twitter in Web Search
In addition to our News shortcut that was already showing tweets for breaking news topics, in December 2009 we started integrating recent tweets from Twitter directly as a dedicated shortcut on our Web search results page when you search for buzzy topics. By providing this Twitter shortcut, we make it easy for you to see tweets about topics that may not be in news headlines.
Great Multimedia Search
Building on the great feedback we received, we added even more entertainment refiners within our Image and Video Search experiences. These new refiners help you explore your favorite TV shows and movies, celebrities, or the albums and songs from your favorites music artists. By tapping into the “Web of Things,” we have created intelligent contextual refiners to narrow down your search intent intuitively.
Shashi Seth joins Yahoo! Search
Finally, a very exciting change for Yahoo! Search happened just last month when Shashi Seth joined us as the Senior Vice President for the Yahoo! Search Products team. We’re sure that Shashi will help us keep the ideas flowing as we continue to make Yahoo! Search better and incorporate Yahoo! Search into all Yahoo! products.
We’ve been working hard to not only make it even easier for you to find the information you need, but also to enable you to discover more than you ever expected when you use Yahoo! Search. We’re continually focused on improving the Yahoo! Search experience, so check back often as we bring you more enhancements in the coming months.
Source:
http://www.ysearchblog.com/2010/02/10/looking-back-at-six-months-of-yahoo-search/
Chicago Web Site Design Company
All-new Yahoo! Search
On Sep 22, 2009, we launched a completely redesigned Yahoo! Search in multiple markets around the world. The new page design aligns the experience across our new Homepage, Mail, and the search results page. This dynamic and integrated experience better understands what you are looking for so you can get things done quickly on the Web.
By rebuilding much of the foundational code for the SRP design and core functionality completely from scratch, we deliver a faster Search page with many exciting new features:
* SearchMonkey structured data: You can explore results from key sites and narrow results using different types of SearchMonkey structured data, making it easier to see richer results from an increasing number of sites.
* Search Scan, Safe Search, and Search Pad: You can quickly access search features that make your online lives safer and easier, including Search Scan/SafeSearch (which helps protect you from viruses, spyware, and spam while you search) and Search Pad, our note-taking and research application.
* Query assistance: We’ve extended our powerful query assistance into the left-hand column of the page to allow you to easily explore and discover concepts related to your query.
* Image and video search refiners: We also apply this same design framework to our Image and Video Search experiences, where the left-hand column provides powerful ways to explore the things you care about most; including travel destinations, music artists, movies, TV shows, and celebrities.
If you haven’t tried it yet, let us take you on our tour that explains all of the features we delivered with this new experience.
Structuring the Web
We launched Yahoo! SearchMonkey in May 2008. Throughout 2009 we’ve continued to accelerate the adoption of structured data across the Web and empower developers to innovate in search. In May 2009, we shared with you the key milestones with Yahoo! Search BOSS and SearchMonkey: At that time, we had over 70 million enhanced SearchMonkey results viewed by users every day; and we increased the adoption of RDFa structured data by 413 percent since October, 2008.
By August 2009, we had expanded our coverage for enhanced results to multiple structured object formats including Video, Documents, Games, Products, Local Businesses, Event, Discussions, and News.
Great Assistance across Yahoo!
In November 2009, we extended our Search Assist features from the Web search boxes to the search box at the top of nearly every property on Yahoo! The new features take you directly to the information you need, whether it is real-time stock quotes or movie trailers. This also includes enhanced search suggestions and ways to easily navigate to your Yahoo! property of choice.
Discover Breaking News on Yahoo!
Starting in November 2009, we began including relevant photos, videos, and tweets about a breaking news story within the Yahoo! News Shortcut on our Search results page. By including more of this real-time content, we make it easier for you to find all the information you need about an unfolding news event in one place.
Local Searches Made Easier
We’re focused on making it easier to search for local businesses. Starting in December 2009, we display more Yahoo! local business shortcuts when you search for a business, even if you don’t include your location in your query. We also began providing new functionality directly within the local shortcut to refine results by neighborhood or nearby city right on the search results page. This further enhances an already great shortcut that provides more of the information you care about most directly on the search results page; including ratings, reviews, photos, and directions.
Twitter in Web Search
In addition to our News shortcut that was already showing tweets for breaking news topics, in December 2009 we started integrating recent tweets from Twitter directly as a dedicated shortcut on our Web search results page when you search for buzzy topics. By providing this Twitter shortcut, we make it easy for you to see tweets about topics that may not be in news headlines.
Great Multimedia Search
Building on the great feedback we received, we added even more entertainment refiners within our Image and Video Search experiences. These new refiners help you explore your favorite TV shows and movies, celebrities, or the albums and songs from your favorites music artists. By tapping into the “Web of Things,” we have created intelligent contextual refiners to narrow down your search intent intuitively.
Shashi Seth joins Yahoo! Search
Finally, a very exciting change for Yahoo! Search happened just last month when Shashi Seth joined us as the Senior Vice President for the Yahoo! Search Products team. We’re sure that Shashi will help us keep the ideas flowing as we continue to make Yahoo! Search better and incorporate Yahoo! Search into all Yahoo! products.
We’ve been working hard to not only make it even easier for you to find the information you need, but also to enable you to discover more than you ever expected when you use Yahoo! Search. We’re continually focused on improving the Yahoo! Search experience, so check back often as we bring you more enhancements in the coming months.
Source:
http://www.ysearchblog.com/2010/02/10/looking-back-at-six-months-of-yahoo-search/
Chicago Web Site Design Company
Nokia and Intel Launch New Mobile Operating System
Nokia and Intel will merge two of their mobile operating systems into Meego, a Linux-based, open operating system for everything from advanced smartphones to netbooks, connected TVs and tablet computers, the companies said at a joint press conference on Monday.
The new operating system will combine the best features from each operating system, including the Moblin core and the UI (user interface) toolkit from Maemo. Intel developed Moblin, and Nokia developed Maemo. The first version of MeeGo will ship during the second quarter.
The first devices based on the operating system are expected to arrive during the second half of 2010, according to Renée James, senior vice president and general manager at Intel's Software and Services Group.
The operating system will support both Intel's Atom and ARM architectures. The MeeGo source code, along with the build system and developer tools will be released in the coming weeks, according to a FAQ on the MeeGo website.
The MeeGo code will be hosted by the Linux Foundation, and anyone who wants to develop an application for MeeGo will use the Qt framework. The use of Qt will let users develop an application once and then run it on multiple platforms, according to Kai Öistämö, executive vice president for devices at Nokia.
So far, Nokia is the only company that has said it will ship phones with MeeGo. However, more hardware partners and operators will announce support and product plans for MeeGo in the coming weeks, James said.
The arrival of MeeGo will not change Nokia's plans for Symbian. That operating system will still be used on cheaper smartphones, according to Öistämö.
Source:
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/02/15/nokia-and-intel-launch-new-mobile-operating-system
Professional Website Design Services
The new operating system will combine the best features from each operating system, including the Moblin core and the UI (user interface) toolkit from Maemo. Intel developed Moblin, and Nokia developed Maemo. The first version of MeeGo will ship during the second quarter.
The first devices based on the operating system are expected to arrive during the second half of 2010, according to Renée James, senior vice president and general manager at Intel's Software and Services Group.
The operating system will support both Intel's Atom and ARM architectures. The MeeGo source code, along with the build system and developer tools will be released in the coming weeks, according to a FAQ on the MeeGo website.
The MeeGo code will be hosted by the Linux Foundation, and anyone who wants to develop an application for MeeGo will use the Qt framework. The use of Qt will let users develop an application once and then run it on multiple platforms, according to Kai Öistämö, executive vice president for devices at Nokia.
So far, Nokia is the only company that has said it will ship phones with MeeGo. However, more hardware partners and operators will announce support and product plans for MeeGo in the coming weeks, James said.
The arrival of MeeGo will not change Nokia's plans for Symbian. That operating system will still be used on cheaper smartphones, according to Öistämö.
Source:
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/02/15/nokia-and-intel-launch-new-mobile-operating-system
Professional Website Design Services
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
If Google Wave Is The Future, Google Buzz Is The Present
Google has a problem. Despite having their hands in just about everything online, they’ve never been able to tackle what is a key part of the fabric of the web: social. Yes, they have Orkut and OpenSocial, but no one actually uses them. Okay, some people use them, but not in the meaningful social ways that people use Facebook or even Twitter. Today, Google may have just solved their social problem.
Google Buzz is easily the company’s boldest attempt yet to build a social network. Imagine taking elements of Twitter, Yammer, Foursquare, Yelp, and other social services, and shoving them together into one package. Now imagine covering that package in a layer that looks a lot like FriendFeed. Now imagine shoving that package inside of Gmail. That’s Buzz. If Google Wave is the future, Google Buzz is the present.
FriendFeed Reborn. On Growth Hormone.
Fundamentally, Buzz is a stream of status updates, pictures, links, and videos from your friends. You can “like” these items and you can comment on them. And if you use Flickr, Picasa, Google Reader, or Twitter, you can also automatically have those items imported into your stream. And Buzz will recommend items you might like based on your friends’ activity.
Yes, again, it sounds a lot like FriendFeed. But it has a critical component that FriendFeed never had prior to its acquisition by Facebook: a massive installed user base. Maybe you missed the key bit of wording above: it resides inside of Gmail. Rather than trying to build its own new social service from scratch, Google is making Buzz a key part of their email service (right below the Inbox tab) that 176 million unique visitors each month, according to comScore.
Source:
http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/09/if-google-wave-is-the-future-google-buzz-is-the-present/
Chicago Web Site Design Company
Google Buzz is easily the company’s boldest attempt yet to build a social network. Imagine taking elements of Twitter, Yammer, Foursquare, Yelp, and other social services, and shoving them together into one package. Now imagine covering that package in a layer that looks a lot like FriendFeed. Now imagine shoving that package inside of Gmail. That’s Buzz. If Google Wave is the future, Google Buzz is the present.
FriendFeed Reborn. On Growth Hormone.
Fundamentally, Buzz is a stream of status updates, pictures, links, and videos from your friends. You can “like” these items and you can comment on them. And if you use Flickr, Picasa, Google Reader, or Twitter, you can also automatically have those items imported into your stream. And Buzz will recommend items you might like based on your friends’ activity.
Yes, again, it sounds a lot like FriendFeed. But it has a critical component that FriendFeed never had prior to its acquisition by Facebook: a massive installed user base. Maybe you missed the key bit of wording above: it resides inside of Gmail. Rather than trying to build its own new social service from scratch, Google is making Buzz a key part of their email service (right below the Inbox tab) that 176 million unique visitors each month, according to comScore.
Source:
http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/09/if-google-wave-is-the-future-google-buzz-is-the-present/
Chicago Web Site Design Company
Monday, February 15, 2010
Are iPhone Hackers Lying in Wait?
Most iPhone owners really don't care about security, according to a new survey by ESET, an anti-malware software vendor.
"We don't see in-depth defense among smarphone users," James Abrams, director of technical education at ESET, told CIO.com amidst a throng of iPhone owners milling around on the Macworld Expo showroom floor in San Francisco.
It's likely these iPhone owners won't take security seriously until the iPhone has a Toyota moment, when a simmering problem finally bubbles over and splatters them right in the public eye. "It wouldn't surprise me if that moment is still a couple years off," Abrams said.
ESET commissioned a survey of a more than 1,000 smartphone owners-35 percent iPhone, 32 percent Blackberry, and the rest a mix-and released its findings yesterday. The key finding: a majority of people don't take security seriously.
Among iPhone and Blackberry users, 55 percent don't lock their smartphone. Some 40 percent of all smartphone users said they're concerned with malicious software infecting their device, while only one in four said they actually use antivirus software, including iPhone owners.
Can iPhone owners even run anti-virus software? "None of the iPhone users should have reported that they are using antivirus as Apple will not approve such software for the iPhone, even though Apple has had to pull spyware off of their App Store," Abrams wrote in his blog. Such is the fallacy of surveys.
Nevertheless, Abrams worries that unsuspecting iPhone owners will have their day of reckoning perhaps in two years. Why so long? He figures hackers are lying in wait, ready to exploit the iPhone.
Hackers might be waiting for Apple to unlock the iPhone for different networks. Or they want iPhones to get into more people's hands. Perhaps they're waiting for a banking iPhone app that they can target. "Hackers don't target for fun," Abrams said, comparing them to the guy who created a worm for jailbroken iPhones as a joke.
Mobile online banking attracts hackers, Abrams said. The ESET survey found one in four users make purchases using their smartphones. Nearly one in three accesses banking websites or apps. "Combined with access to email and social networking accounts is what makes the devices attractive to hackers and other criminals," Abrams wrote.
"It is the adoption of commerce that will create the irresistible opportunity for those with malicious intent," he said.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/smartphones/14307/are-iphone-hackers-lying-wait
Custom Web Design Chicago
"We don't see in-depth defense among smarphone users," James Abrams, director of technical education at ESET, told CIO.com amidst a throng of iPhone owners milling around on the Macworld Expo showroom floor in San Francisco.
It's likely these iPhone owners won't take security seriously until the iPhone has a Toyota moment, when a simmering problem finally bubbles over and splatters them right in the public eye. "It wouldn't surprise me if that moment is still a couple years off," Abrams said.
ESET commissioned a survey of a more than 1,000 smartphone owners-35 percent iPhone, 32 percent Blackberry, and the rest a mix-and released its findings yesterday. The key finding: a majority of people don't take security seriously.
Among iPhone and Blackberry users, 55 percent don't lock their smartphone. Some 40 percent of all smartphone users said they're concerned with malicious software infecting their device, while only one in four said they actually use antivirus software, including iPhone owners.
Can iPhone owners even run anti-virus software? "None of the iPhone users should have reported that they are using antivirus as Apple will not approve such software for the iPhone, even though Apple has had to pull spyware off of their App Store," Abrams wrote in his blog. Such is the fallacy of surveys.
Nevertheless, Abrams worries that unsuspecting iPhone owners will have their day of reckoning perhaps in two years. Why so long? He figures hackers are lying in wait, ready to exploit the iPhone.
Hackers might be waiting for Apple to unlock the iPhone for different networks. Or they want iPhones to get into more people's hands. Perhaps they're waiting for a banking iPhone app that they can target. "Hackers don't target for fun," Abrams said, comparing them to the guy who created a worm for jailbroken iPhones as a joke.
Mobile online banking attracts hackers, Abrams said. The ESET survey found one in four users make purchases using their smartphones. Nearly one in three accesses banking websites or apps. "Combined with access to email and social networking accounts is what makes the devices attractive to hackers and other criminals," Abrams wrote.
"It is the adoption of commerce that will create the irresistible opportunity for those with malicious intent," he said.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/smartphones/14307/are-iphone-hackers-lying-wait
Custom Web Design Chicago
Friday, February 12, 2010
Google to Add Social Features to Gmail
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google is trying once again to capture some of the momentum surrounding social networking companies like Facebook and Twitter by adding new features to Gmail, its popular e-mail service.
Later this week, Google will introduce add-ons to Gmail that let users post and view messages about their day-to-day activities, according to a person at Google briefed on its plans. This simple tweak to Gmail will allow Google to mimic the status updates that have driven much of the success of Facebook and Twitter, as people return to the services again and again to check out what their friends and co-workers are doing.
To date, Google has allowed users to post only a brief message about their status through its Chat system, which is linked to Gmail. The new features would allow a more vibrant back-and-forth among Gmail users.
It is not clear whether Google will link the new Gmail features to rival social-networking services.
The Gmail move signals that Google remains serious about becoming a social media force at a time when some of Silicon Valley’s younger start-ups have stolen some of its thunder.
“It might look like a minor feature advance, but this is another blow in the war against Facebook,” said Jeremiah Owyang, a partner at Altimeter Group, a technology consulting company.
Google has a full-blown social networking service called Orkut that has proved especially popular in Brazil. It also has a Web browser add-on called Sidewiki that lets people jot down and share information about a Web site, and a Profile service where people can post information about themselves.
These efforts have done little to put Google on center stage when it comes to social networking. Google, in fact, finds itself in a similar position to Microsoft, as a company struggling to figure out how to move into new areas by stretching its traditional strongholds and brand.
Microsoft, a rival to Google in several areas, has invested in Facebook. “You can see the factions starting to line up,” Mr. Owyang said.
Analysts remain skeptical as to whether a new twist on Gmail will do much to elevate Google’s position in the social networking realm. That said, the market remains relatively new, and there is room for companies to challenge the likes of Facebook, they said.
Google is also expected to create strong ties between Gmail and its YouTube video site and Picasa photo gallery service.
Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/technology/companies/09social.html?ref=technology
Web Designers Chicago
Later this week, Google will introduce add-ons to Gmail that let users post and view messages about their day-to-day activities, according to a person at Google briefed on its plans. This simple tweak to Gmail will allow Google to mimic the status updates that have driven much of the success of Facebook and Twitter, as people return to the services again and again to check out what their friends and co-workers are doing.
To date, Google has allowed users to post only a brief message about their status through its Chat system, which is linked to Gmail. The new features would allow a more vibrant back-and-forth among Gmail users.
It is not clear whether Google will link the new Gmail features to rival social-networking services.
The Gmail move signals that Google remains serious about becoming a social media force at a time when some of Silicon Valley’s younger start-ups have stolen some of its thunder.
“It might look like a minor feature advance, but this is another blow in the war against Facebook,” said Jeremiah Owyang, a partner at Altimeter Group, a technology consulting company.
Google has a full-blown social networking service called Orkut that has proved especially popular in Brazil. It also has a Web browser add-on called Sidewiki that lets people jot down and share information about a Web site, and a Profile service where people can post information about themselves.
These efforts have done little to put Google on center stage when it comes to social networking. Google, in fact, finds itself in a similar position to Microsoft, as a company struggling to figure out how to move into new areas by stretching its traditional strongholds and brand.
Microsoft, a rival to Google in several areas, has invested in Facebook. “You can see the factions starting to line up,” Mr. Owyang said.
Analysts remain skeptical as to whether a new twist on Gmail will do much to elevate Google’s position in the social networking realm. That said, the market remains relatively new, and there is room for companies to challenge the likes of Facebook, they said.
Google is also expected to create strong ties between Gmail and its YouTube video site and Picasa photo gallery service.
Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/technology/companies/09social.html?ref=technology
Web Designers Chicago
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Macworld 2010 Refocuses For New Era, Without Apple
Attending a Macworld Expo without Apple may seem like going to a rock concert to see the opening acts, but despite lacking the rock star presence, the show will go on nonetheless.
It was just prior to last year's conference, Apple announced that 2009 would be the last year it participated in the annual gathering, which has been held in San Francisco since 1985. This year's Expo, which has been rebranded Macworld 2010, will feature no keynote from Apple executives and no Apple booth on the show floor in Moscone Center's North Hall.
But while Apple's absence will certainly change the dynamic of the event, it hardly means that the show won't go on. There's plenty to do throughout the five-day event, which runs from Tuesday February 9 through Saturday February 13, even without Apple around.
Walking the floor
"It's going to be a smaller show this year," acknowledged Paul Kent, vice president and general manager for Macworld 2010. Last year's exhibition spanned both Moscone's North and South halls. "Many vendors decided to sit on the sideline and see what Macworld without Apple would look like. It's really up to those vendors, going forward."
The exhibition hall, open from February 11 to February 13, remains one of Macworld 2010's strongest draws, with more than 250 vendors, including the Mobile Application Showcase, the largest collection of iPhone developers ever assembled, and the Indie Developer Pavilion, a special area for independent Mac developers of all sizes. Plus, more than 60 vendors are introducing new products at the show. There's no question, said Kent, that the product experience remains a very central part of the show. "The three pillars of Macworld are product discovery, conference education, and the social experience."
Kent freely admits that rebounding from Apple's departure may be a two-year process, but he remains optimistic about the future. "I anticipate the vendors are going to come back in droves."
Naturally, it will help if the conference attendance is high. While the exact figures won't be known until the dust clears, there are more than 30,000 pre-registrations for the event. By comparison, Macworld Expo saw attendance of 45,572 in 2007, and a 10 percent increase over that in 2008. Attendance figures for last year's event, however, were not disclosed. Kent noted that he expects a packed house this year, including the more than 700 members of the media that have registered.
Headline acts
In addition to the exhibition hall, this year's show will have a number of feature presentations that Kent hopes will educate, inform, and entertain attendees. "You don't replace a Steve Jobs keynote," said Kent. "But we do know how to build very content rich events here."
On Thursday, New York Times tech columnist David Pogue will host a session called Late Night with David Pogue, featuring surprises guests and musical performances and noted writer and director Kevin Smith will hold a Q&A session on storytelling, technology, and filmmaking.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/business-issues/14171/macworld-2010-refocuses-new-era-without-apple
Web Site Design
It was just prior to last year's conference, Apple announced that 2009 would be the last year it participated in the annual gathering, which has been held in San Francisco since 1985. This year's Expo, which has been rebranded Macworld 2010, will feature no keynote from Apple executives and no Apple booth on the show floor in Moscone Center's North Hall.
But while Apple's absence will certainly change the dynamic of the event, it hardly means that the show won't go on. There's plenty to do throughout the five-day event, which runs from Tuesday February 9 through Saturday February 13, even without Apple around.
Walking the floor
"It's going to be a smaller show this year," acknowledged Paul Kent, vice president and general manager for Macworld 2010. Last year's exhibition spanned both Moscone's North and South halls. "Many vendors decided to sit on the sideline and see what Macworld without Apple would look like. It's really up to those vendors, going forward."
The exhibition hall, open from February 11 to February 13, remains one of Macworld 2010's strongest draws, with more than 250 vendors, including the Mobile Application Showcase, the largest collection of iPhone developers ever assembled, and the Indie Developer Pavilion, a special area for independent Mac developers of all sizes. Plus, more than 60 vendors are introducing new products at the show. There's no question, said Kent, that the product experience remains a very central part of the show. "The three pillars of Macworld are product discovery, conference education, and the social experience."
Kent freely admits that rebounding from Apple's departure may be a two-year process, but he remains optimistic about the future. "I anticipate the vendors are going to come back in droves."
Naturally, it will help if the conference attendance is high. While the exact figures won't be known until the dust clears, there are more than 30,000 pre-registrations for the event. By comparison, Macworld Expo saw attendance of 45,572 in 2007, and a 10 percent increase over that in 2008. Attendance figures for last year's event, however, were not disclosed. Kent noted that he expects a packed house this year, including the more than 700 members of the media that have registered.
Headline acts
In addition to the exhibition hall, this year's show will have a number of feature presentations that Kent hopes will educate, inform, and entertain attendees. "You don't replace a Steve Jobs keynote," said Kent. "But we do know how to build very content rich events here."
On Thursday, New York Times tech columnist David Pogue will host a session called Late Night with David Pogue, featuring surprises guests and musical performances and noted writer and director Kevin Smith will hold a Q&A session on storytelling, technology, and filmmaking.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/business-issues/14171/macworld-2010-refocuses-new-era-without-apple
Web Site Design
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Judge Dismisses Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Suit
A judge dismissed a lawsuit that was filed against Microsoft over its much-criticized Windows Genuine Advantage program in 2006.
The judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on Thursday dismissed the case with prejudice, leaving each party to pay its own lawyer fees. In a statement, Microsoft said it was pleased the case was “resolved successfully.” It did not say whether it agreed to any kind of settlement arrangement.
The suit essentially characterized WGA as spyware, charging Microsoft with failing to describe the tool’s functions before downloading it onto the plaintiffs' computers. WGA was designed to determine whether a user’s version of Windows was pirated. It sent regular information back to Microsoft about user’s hardware and software and warned users of piracy violations.
“Contrary to the express statements Microsoft made in the inadequate disclosures that were provided, the software collected and communicated private identifying information from consumer’s computers and sent that information back to Microsoft on a daily basis,” the complaint read.
In January, the plaintiffs failed to have the suit certified as a class action, a blow to their case.
Shortly after the suit was filed, amid a storm of criticism, Microsoft released a new version of WGA with a reduced schedule of reporting user information back to the software giant. Months later it changed WGA again so as to not cut off users of Windows XP who had uncertain licenses. Those users were being labeled as having illegitimate software and were periodically asked to reinstall or buy a new version, even though in many cases the software was legitimate.
WGA caused other problems as well. Once, after a worker accidentally loaded software onto the live system, Windows XP and Vista users were told via the WGA system that they had pirated copies of their software. The problem lasted more than a day before it was fully corrected.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/windows/14114/judge-dismisses-microsoft-windows-genuine-advantage-suit
Professional Website Design Services
The judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on Thursday dismissed the case with prejudice, leaving each party to pay its own lawyer fees. In a statement, Microsoft said it was pleased the case was “resolved successfully.” It did not say whether it agreed to any kind of settlement arrangement.
The suit essentially characterized WGA as spyware, charging Microsoft with failing to describe the tool’s functions before downloading it onto the plaintiffs' computers. WGA was designed to determine whether a user’s version of Windows was pirated. It sent regular information back to Microsoft about user’s hardware and software and warned users of piracy violations.
“Contrary to the express statements Microsoft made in the inadequate disclosures that were provided, the software collected and communicated private identifying information from consumer’s computers and sent that information back to Microsoft on a daily basis,” the complaint read.
In January, the plaintiffs failed to have the suit certified as a class action, a blow to their case.
Shortly after the suit was filed, amid a storm of criticism, Microsoft released a new version of WGA with a reduced schedule of reporting user information back to the software giant. Months later it changed WGA again so as to not cut off users of Windows XP who had uncertain licenses. Those users were being labeled as having illegitimate software and were periodically asked to reinstall or buy a new version, even though in many cases the software was legitimate.
WGA caused other problems as well. Once, after a worker accidentally loaded software onto the live system, Windows XP and Vista users were told via the WGA system that they had pirated copies of their software. The problem lasted more than a day before it was fully corrected.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/windows/14114/judge-dismisses-microsoft-windows-genuine-advantage-suit
Professional Website Design Services
Monday, February 8, 2010
Apple Offers 'Find Out How' Tutorials as Podcasts
For some time, Apple has given the Designated Family Tech Support Personnel among us a small reprieve with its "Find out how" selection of tutorial videos. While they don't really tackle inevitable questions like "was deleting ~/Library/Keychains a bad idea?," they serve as succinct primers for The Way of the Mac and Apple's various apps and services. Now, if your tech-blossoming family and friends prefer to gobble their media in a subscription format, Apple has finally created iTunes Store podcast channels for its "Find out how" series.
Organized by application, service, or topic, the nine "Find out how" podcasts that Apple has published so far cover MobileMe, iWork '09, iWeb '09, and of course, Mac Basics (search for "Apple find out how" to see them all). There are around ten to 20 episodes in each of these podcasts, though for some series it seems that not all episodes have made the transition from Apple's site to their podcast counterpart. While the iMovie podcast has a few more episodes than Apple's website, the Mac Basics podcast is short around ten or so episodes.
It's nice to see Apple making these useful tutorials available in more ways, and hopefully future videos will continue to keep the attention of aspiring i-everything users. They may not make a dramatic dent in the number of family tech support hours that some of us clock, but every little bit certainly helps.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/mac/14049/apple-offers-find-out-how-tutorials-podcasts
Web Site Design
Organized by application, service, or topic, the nine "Find out how" podcasts that Apple has published so far cover MobileMe, iWork '09, iWeb '09, and of course, Mac Basics (search for "Apple find out how" to see them all). There are around ten to 20 episodes in each of these podcasts, though for some series it seems that not all episodes have made the transition from Apple's site to their podcast counterpart. While the iMovie podcast has a few more episodes than Apple's website, the Mac Basics podcast is short around ten or so episodes.
It's nice to see Apple making these useful tutorials available in more ways, and hopefully future videos will continue to keep the attention of aspiring i-everything users. They may not make a dramatic dent in the number of family tech support hours that some of us clock, but every little bit certainly helps.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/mac/14049/apple-offers-find-out-how-tutorials-podcasts
Web Site Design
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Facebook's Photo uploader Gets an Overhaul Too
Hot on the heels of a visual face-lift, Facebook on Friday announced that the prototype version of its photo uploader, which was introduced in mid-November of last year, will soon be rolling out to all users.
Unlike the existing version of Facebook's photo uploader, the new uploader requires the installation of a browser plug-in. This inconvenience is rewarded with the option to leave Facebook entirely, while the photos continue to upload in the background. Previously, users would have had to leave that window or page running while the uploader did its magic.
Facebook also said the new uploader supports a few extra photo formats, though it did not specify which ones. The company has, for some time now, had unofficial support for a handful of alternate formats, including raw images. However, on its official spec sheet the company says only .jpg, .gif, .bmp, and .png files will work.
Facebook currently gets 2.5 billion photo uploads per month. To put that in perspective, the company hit the 10 billion mark in October of 2008, a whole three years after first introducing the photo-sharing feature in 2005. In other words, any small change that makes it easier for people to get their photos onto the social network could end up having a big effect on how fast Facebook's photo collection will continue to grow.
If you can't wait for Facebook to activate the uploader on your account, you can do it yourself. Just head over to Facebook's prototype page, and turn it on.
Source:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20000051-248.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0
Chicago Web Design Firms
Unlike the existing version of Facebook's photo uploader, the new uploader requires the installation of a browser plug-in. This inconvenience is rewarded with the option to leave Facebook entirely, while the photos continue to upload in the background. Previously, users would have had to leave that window or page running while the uploader did its magic.
Facebook also said the new uploader supports a few extra photo formats, though it did not specify which ones. The company has, for some time now, had unofficial support for a handful of alternate formats, including raw images. However, on its official spec sheet the company says only .jpg, .gif, .bmp, and .png files will work.
Facebook currently gets 2.5 billion photo uploads per month. To put that in perspective, the company hit the 10 billion mark in October of 2008, a whole three years after first introducing the photo-sharing feature in 2005. In other words, any small change that makes it easier for people to get their photos onto the social network could end up having a big effect on how fast Facebook's photo collection will continue to grow.
If you can't wait for Facebook to activate the uploader on your account, you can do it yourself. Just head over to Facebook's prototype page, and turn it on.
Source:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20000051-248.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0
Chicago Web Design Firms
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Apple Extends iTunes Web Previews to Apps
Just a few months after introducing its browser-based iTunes Preview pages for music, Apple has expanded the feature to include items from the App Store.
Now, when a user clicks an iTunes link for an iPhone or iPod Touch app, they're taken to a page with a similar layout to what they'd see when browsing the iTunes Store in Apple's iTunes software. But instead, it's in their browser. This allows users who don't have iTunes installed to see more information about an app without having the software installed. That said, preview pages attempt to launch iTunes each time you load them.
As mentioned in previous coverage, there are a few shortcomings to these preview pages compared to the sales pages in iTunes proper. These include only being able to see a handful of user reviews and other purchases by customers. Users are also unable to make a purchase, add the app to a wish list, and share it on Twitter or Facebook.
Despite these limitations, the iTunes Preview program is a strong hint that Apple is on its way towards taking its iTunes Store business outside of conventional software and onto the Web. Though Apple has not yet extended the preview program out to all its content, including movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks.
Source:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20000041-248.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0
Web Design Firms Chicago
Now, when a user clicks an iTunes link for an iPhone or iPod Touch app, they're taken to a page with a similar layout to what they'd see when browsing the iTunes Store in Apple's iTunes software. But instead, it's in their browser. This allows users who don't have iTunes installed to see more information about an app without having the software installed. That said, preview pages attempt to launch iTunes each time you load them.
As mentioned in previous coverage, there are a few shortcomings to these preview pages compared to the sales pages in iTunes proper. These include only being able to see a handful of user reviews and other purchases by customers. Users are also unable to make a purchase, add the app to a wish list, and share it on Twitter or Facebook.
Despite these limitations, the iTunes Preview program is a strong hint that Apple is on its way towards taking its iTunes Store business outside of conventional software and onto the Web. Though Apple has not yet extended the preview program out to all its content, including movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks.
Source:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20000041-248.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0
Web Design Firms Chicago
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Facebook Comes Out Swinging at Critics of Settlement Offer In Beacon Lawsuit
Facebook has come out swinging at those opposing a settlement offer it made last year in a privacy lawsuit involving the social networking company's controversial Beacon behavioral tracking service .
Under the offer made last September, Facebook said it would pay $9.5 million to set up a privacy foundation to fund projects promoting the cause of online privacy in return for the lawsuit against it to be dropped. It also said that it would formally drop the Beacon service.
But in complaints filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California last week, opponents of the settlement called it meaningless. In documents filed with the court they argued that all Facebook was doing was paying itself to fund a privacy foundation over which it would exercise undue control.
In response, a Facebook spokesman said yesterday the objections were false and called the settlement "fair" and in the interest of the members of the class-action suit.
The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed in August 2008 against Facebook. It alleged that Facebook and Beacon affiliates such as Blockbuster and Overstock.com had violated several federal privacy laws, including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the Video Privacy Protection Act, when they shared data about Facebook users with each other. As part of its settlement offer, Facebook said it would shut down Beacon.
However, in a complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, of Washington D.C, and some Facebook users asked the court to reject the offer.
In their complaint, the groups said that the proposed settlement did nothing to compensate victims whose privacy may have been compromised by Beacon. Other than formally disbanding a program that Facebook had voluntarily already discontinued, the settlement offered little else the groups complained.
"At the heart of the proposed settlement is the foundation that Facebook will pay itself to establish," one of the complaints noted. The settlement also "improperly" gives Facebook a direct role in drafting the mission and bylaws of the proposed foundation and in appointing board members.
In fact, one of the three initial directors of the foundation is a Facebook employee and chief lobbyist, the complaint noted. "In exchange for what amounts to worthless "relief," all class members will release all Beacon-related claims against Facebook and the Beacon merchant partners," the compliant said.
In e-mailed comments, Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt blasted such objections. "The suggestion that Facebook would pay itself is absurd, misunderstands how foundations work, and totally disregards the bylaws of this foundation and the enforcement powers of the court," Schnitt said.
The bylaws of the proposed foundation make it clear that its purpose is to fund and sponsor programs to educate users, regulators and enterprises on online privacy issues, Schnitt said. He added that the foundation will be an independent entity run by three well known and respected privacy advocates.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/social-media/13874/facebook-comes-out-swinging-critics-settlement-offer-beacon-lawsuit
Chicago Web Design
Under the offer made last September, Facebook said it would pay $9.5 million to set up a privacy foundation to fund projects promoting the cause of online privacy in return for the lawsuit against it to be dropped. It also said that it would formally drop the Beacon service.
But in complaints filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California last week, opponents of the settlement called it meaningless. In documents filed with the court they argued that all Facebook was doing was paying itself to fund a privacy foundation over which it would exercise undue control.
In response, a Facebook spokesman said yesterday the objections were false and called the settlement "fair" and in the interest of the members of the class-action suit.
The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed in August 2008 against Facebook. It alleged that Facebook and Beacon affiliates such as Blockbuster and Overstock.com had violated several federal privacy laws, including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the Video Privacy Protection Act, when they shared data about Facebook users with each other. As part of its settlement offer, Facebook said it would shut down Beacon.
However, in a complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, of Washington D.C, and some Facebook users asked the court to reject the offer.
In their complaint, the groups said that the proposed settlement did nothing to compensate victims whose privacy may have been compromised by Beacon. Other than formally disbanding a program that Facebook had voluntarily already discontinued, the settlement offered little else the groups complained.
"At the heart of the proposed settlement is the foundation that Facebook will pay itself to establish," one of the complaints noted. The settlement also "improperly" gives Facebook a direct role in drafting the mission and bylaws of the proposed foundation and in appointing board members.
In fact, one of the three initial directors of the foundation is a Facebook employee and chief lobbyist, the complaint noted. "In exchange for what amounts to worthless "relief," all class members will release all Beacon-related claims against Facebook and the Beacon merchant partners," the compliant said.
In e-mailed comments, Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt blasted such objections. "The suggestion that Facebook would pay itself is absurd, misunderstands how foundations work, and totally disregards the bylaws of this foundation and the enforcement powers of the court," Schnitt said.
The bylaws of the proposed foundation make it clear that its purpose is to fund and sponsor programs to educate users, regulators and enterprises on online privacy issues, Schnitt said. He added that the foundation will be an independent entity run by three well known and respected privacy advocates.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/social-media/13874/facebook-comes-out-swinging-critics-settlement-offer-beacon-lawsuit
Chicago Web Design
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) Best Practices: Six Tips
BlackBerry Messenger, Research In Motion's (RIM) mobile IM application that uses unique "PIN" codes associated with every BlackBerry to connect RIM smartphone users, isn't new. But due to the BlackBerry platform's rising popularity, BBM--which you can think of as a mobile version of AIM or Google Talk that only works with BlackBerrys -- is suddenly getting a lot of attention. And not all of it is positive. In fact, Web-security-software-maker McAfee recently posted a warning about BBM spam and hoaxes on its TrustedSource blog.
To me, BBM is a valuable tool that I use every day for immediate contact with important colleagues, associates and family members. But the app can subject BlackBerry users to unnecessary risk if used improperly or without a certain degree of caution.
Here are half a dozen BBM best practices to help ensure that you get the most of your BBM experience while avoiding any potential trouble.
Add New Contacts Sparingly
This is the most important point in my post, so I'll say it again: Add new contacts sparingly.
I know I'll catch some flak from some of you loyal BlackBerry users out there who seem to be playing a game in which the goal is to gain as many BBM contacts as quickly as possible. But the value in BBM, for me at least, is that it's not just another IM service--I have BeeJive for that.
BBM users add new contacts in a few ways: 1) You can share your unique PIN with others and have them invite you, or vice-versa; 2) you can add new contacts by sharing e-mail addresses associated with your BlackBerry smartphone; and 3) you can "scan" other BBM users' unique PIN-barcodes with your BlackBerry's camera--assuming you're using the latest BBM version (5.0).
I only connect with colleagues, family and friends who I want to be able to communicate with instantly, at any time. And when I connect with someone on BBM, I mostly expect him or her to respond to my message as quickly as possible. And I know most of them expect the same in return.
So, to the point: Do NOT share your BlackBerry PIN or barcode with just anyone; Do NOT post your PIN or barcode on your public Twitter account or any other social network; Do NOT include your BlackBerry PIN or barcode in your fixed e-mail signature.
Are you getting the idea here? Good. Furthermore, you don't have to accept all BBM invites you receive. (More on that coming up in the BlackBerry Groups section.) Don't worry about hurt feelings or bruised egos. Your BlackBerry will thank you.
On that note: There's really no right or wrong way to use BBM. But there are smart and effective methods of employing the service. Adding tons of contacts defeats the purpose of BBM for me and diminishes the app's overall value.
Backup BBM Contacts Regularly
As with any computer or handheld, it's a very good idea to backup your BBM--and your entire BlackBerry--regularly. If your smartphone is associated with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES),
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/smartphones/13801/blackberry-messenger-bbm-best-practices-six-tips
Professional Web Design Chicago
To me, BBM is a valuable tool that I use every day for immediate contact with important colleagues, associates and family members. But the app can subject BlackBerry users to unnecessary risk if used improperly or without a certain degree of caution.
Here are half a dozen BBM best practices to help ensure that you get the most of your BBM experience while avoiding any potential trouble.
Add New Contacts Sparingly
This is the most important point in my post, so I'll say it again: Add new contacts sparingly.
I know I'll catch some flak from some of you loyal BlackBerry users out there who seem to be playing a game in which the goal is to gain as many BBM contacts as quickly as possible. But the value in BBM, for me at least, is that it's not just another IM service--I have BeeJive for that.
BBM users add new contacts in a few ways: 1) You can share your unique PIN with others and have them invite you, or vice-versa; 2) you can add new contacts by sharing e-mail addresses associated with your BlackBerry smartphone; and 3) you can "scan" other BBM users' unique PIN-barcodes with your BlackBerry's camera--assuming you're using the latest BBM version (5.0).
I only connect with colleagues, family and friends who I want to be able to communicate with instantly, at any time. And when I connect with someone on BBM, I mostly expect him or her to respond to my message as quickly as possible. And I know most of them expect the same in return.
So, to the point: Do NOT share your BlackBerry PIN or barcode with just anyone; Do NOT post your PIN or barcode on your public Twitter account or any other social network; Do NOT include your BlackBerry PIN or barcode in your fixed e-mail signature.
Are you getting the idea here? Good. Furthermore, you don't have to accept all BBM invites you receive. (More on that coming up in the BlackBerry Groups section.) Don't worry about hurt feelings or bruised egos. Your BlackBerry will thank you.
On that note: There's really no right or wrong way to use BBM. But there are smart and effective methods of employing the service. Adding tons of contacts defeats the purpose of BBM for me and diminishes the app's overall value.
Backup BBM Contacts Regularly
As with any computer or handheld, it's a very good idea to backup your BBM--and your entire BlackBerry--regularly. If your smartphone is associated with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES),
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/smartphones/13801/blackberry-messenger-bbm-best-practices-six-tips
Professional Web Design Chicago
Monday, February 1, 2010
Google Nexus One Users Report T-Mobile Service Outage
T-Mobile customers who use the Google Nexus One smartphones are reporting widespread data outages on their devices.
The outages are being reported at multiple online sites, including Twitter, where T-Mobile staff are directing affected customers to the carrier's message boards.
Google Nexus One vs. Motorola Droid: Breaking down the basics
According to ZDNet writer Matthew Miller, T-Mobile is sending users messages on their devices telling them that they need to sign up for data plans, despite the fact that they are already T-Mobile data subscribers. Miller says that he personally has "the unlimited Android web plan" and that it "worked just fine until this morning." A Gizmodo reader reported encountering the same problem when he tried to use his Nexus One to surf the web this morning.
Neither HTC nor Google has publicly commented on the reported outage or have given any indication of how they plan to fix it.
The data outage for the Nexus One comes just months after T-Mobile Sidekick users were plagued with a massive outage that initially was thought to have wiped out significant portions of their personal data.
The Google Nexus One first came to T-Mobile earlier this year as the first official phone released by Google. Designed by handset manufacturer HTC, the Nexus One is due to be released on the Verizon network sometime over the next few weeks.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/smartphones/13678/google-nexus-one-users-report-t-mobile-service-outage
Professional Web Design Chicago
The outages are being reported at multiple online sites, including Twitter, where T-Mobile staff are directing affected customers to the carrier's message boards.
Google Nexus One vs. Motorola Droid: Breaking down the basics
According to ZDNet writer Matthew Miller, T-Mobile is sending users messages on their devices telling them that they need to sign up for data plans, despite the fact that they are already T-Mobile data subscribers. Miller says that he personally has "the unlimited Android web plan" and that it "worked just fine until this morning." A Gizmodo reader reported encountering the same problem when he tried to use his Nexus One to surf the web this morning.
Neither HTC nor Google has publicly commented on the reported outage or have given any indication of how they plan to fix it.
The data outage for the Nexus One comes just months after T-Mobile Sidekick users were plagued with a massive outage that initially was thought to have wiped out significant portions of their personal data.
The Google Nexus One first came to T-Mobile earlier this year as the first official phone released by Google. Designed by handset manufacturer HTC, the Nexus One is due to be released on the Verizon network sometime over the next few weeks.
Source:
http://www.itnews.com/smartphones/13678/google-nexus-one-users-report-t-mobile-service-outage
Professional Web Design Chicago
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