Intel Corporation, the world’s foremost chipmaker, will likely look
outside its walls when president and CEO Paul Otellini retires next May.
The move would end a 45-year tradition of promoting a current Intel employee to the boss’ chair.
Despite the Intel board’s statement it would consider both internal
and external candidates for the top spot, Wall Street analysts are
predicting the company will fill the vacancy with fresh blood.
Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy told Bloomberg at “any company of the
size and complexity of Intel, an internal candidate would have a natural
advantage. Good corporate governance dictates today you should look
inside and out.”
According to The Telegraph, analysts say Intel needs someone to
devise an aggressive mobile strategy for the firm that has been hit hard
by the dwindling popularity of the personal computer.
That someone, analysts have said, needs to be a newcomer.
Otellini’s retirement will become official at the company’s annual
stockholders’ meeting in May, “starting an orderly leadership transition
over the next six months,” the company said in a statement.
“Paul Otellini has been a very strong leader, only the fifth CEO in
the company’s great 45-year history, and one who has managed the company
through challenging times and market transitions,” said board chairman
Andy Bryant in the company statement. “The board is grateful for his
innumerable contributions to the company and his distinguished tenure as
CEO over the last eight years.”
Otellini’s tenure as CEO has been a profitable time for Intel.
From the end of 2005 through the end of 2011, Intel achieved record
revenue and net income — annual revenue grew from $38.8 billion to $54
billion and annual earnings-per-share rose to $2.39 from $1.40.
Otellini will not disappear from Intel with retirement, however. He
has said he plans to be “available as an advisor to management after
retiring as CEO.”
“I’ve been privileged to lead one of the world’s greatest companies,”
Otellini said in the company statement. “After almost four decades with
the company and eight years as CEO, it’s time to move on and transfer
Intel’s helm to a new generation of leadership. I look forward to
working with Andy, the board and the management team during the
six-month transition period.”
Post from: SiteProNews
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Senator Refutes Report He Will Support Warrantless E-mail Searches
Reports that Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D) had
reversed his stance on stricter e-mail privacy protection policies, are
erroneous, says the Vermont Senator.
Technology news website CNet reported Nov. 20 Leahy had “dramatically reshaped” his bill protecting Americans’ e-mail privacy “in response to law enforcement concerns.”
The CNet story indicated Leahy was endorsing a bill that would permit more than 22 federal agencies to read private e-mails without a warrant. The bill would also grant more power to the FBI and the Homeland Security Department, enabling them to obtain complete access to Internet accounts without a judge’s approval or the owner’s knowledge, the article claimed.
The article also indicated Leahy had consented to weaken the bill to mollify law enforcement officials and Republicans alike.
According to a statement released by Leahy on his website, however, the CNet report is wrong.
“The rumors about warrant exceptions being added to ECPA are incorrect,” the statement reads. “Many have come forward with ideas for discussion before markup resumes on my bill to strengthen privacy protections under ECPA. As normally happens in the legislative process, these ideas are being circulated for discussion. One of them, having to do with a warrant exception, is one that I have not supported and do not support.
“The whole thrust of my bill is to remedy the erosion of the public’s privacy rights under the rapid advances of technology that we have seen since ECPA was first enacted thirty years ago. In particular, my proposal would require search warrants for government access to email stored by third-party service providers – something that of course was not contemplated three decades ago.”
Leahy is touting a bill that would revise the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986. The Judiciary Committee is set to vote on the bill next week.
Current law requires police obtain only an administrative subpoena to read e-mails that have been opened or that are more than 180 days old. Police simply affirm an e-mail is pertinent to an investigation and then obtain a subpoena, issued without a judge’s approval. Internet companies are then compelled to co-operate.
Leahy’s amendment would make it necessary for the police to obtain warrants to read private e-mails, regardless of how old they are or if they have been opened.
Technology news website CNet reported Nov. 20 Leahy had “dramatically reshaped” his bill protecting Americans’ e-mail privacy “in response to law enforcement concerns.”
The CNet story indicated Leahy was endorsing a bill that would permit more than 22 federal agencies to read private e-mails without a warrant. The bill would also grant more power to the FBI and the Homeland Security Department, enabling them to obtain complete access to Internet accounts without a judge’s approval or the owner’s knowledge, the article claimed.
The article also indicated Leahy had consented to weaken the bill to mollify law enforcement officials and Republicans alike.
According to a statement released by Leahy on his website, however, the CNet report is wrong.
“The rumors about warrant exceptions being added to ECPA are incorrect,” the statement reads. “Many have come forward with ideas for discussion before markup resumes on my bill to strengthen privacy protections under ECPA. As normally happens in the legislative process, these ideas are being circulated for discussion. One of them, having to do with a warrant exception, is one that I have not supported and do not support.
“The whole thrust of my bill is to remedy the erosion of the public’s privacy rights under the rapid advances of technology that we have seen since ECPA was first enacted thirty years ago. In particular, my proposal would require search warrants for government access to email stored by third-party service providers – something that of course was not contemplated three decades ago.”
Leahy is touting a bill that would revise the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986. The Judiciary Committee is set to vote on the bill next week.
Current law requires police obtain only an administrative subpoena to read e-mails that have been opened or that are more than 180 days old. Police simply affirm an e-mail is pertinent to an investigation and then obtain a subpoena, issued without a judge’s approval. Internet companies are then compelled to co-operate.
Leahy’s amendment would make it necessary for the police to obtain warrants to read private e-mails, regardless of how old they are or if they have been opened.
Yahoo Considering $20M Purchase of TV Guide.com
TV Guide.com, reportedly, is on Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s radar.
According to AllThingsD, sources have said Yahoo is one of the companies in the running to purchase TV Guide.com, although the deal is far from finalized.
Lionsgate is in “advanced negotiations” to sell the online entertainment listings, video and news site and mobile app to one strategic bidder for $20 million to as high as $25 million, Deadline Hollywood reported.
Yahoo is still weighing its options to determine what acquisitions would best add to its online media plans.
The purchase of the site, however, could be just what the doctor ordered for Mayer who has big plans to bring the floundering search engine into the future.
Mayer, who took on the CEO position in July, is focusing on devising a comprehensive mobile strategy for the search engine which could mean some purchases to bolster its product line — and TV Guide.com could be part of that.
As of May, TV Guide.com had 24 million monthly unique users and more than 6.5M mobile application installations, Lionsgate reported. Lionsgate bought the site and television network in February 2009 for $241.6 million
According to AllThingsD, sources have said Yahoo is one of the companies in the running to purchase TV Guide.com, although the deal is far from finalized.
Lionsgate is in “advanced negotiations” to sell the online entertainment listings, video and news site and mobile app to one strategic bidder for $20 million to as high as $25 million, Deadline Hollywood reported.
Yahoo is still weighing its options to determine what acquisitions would best add to its online media plans.
The purchase of the site, however, could be just what the doctor ordered for Mayer who has big plans to bring the floundering search engine into the future.
Mayer, who took on the CEO position in July, is focusing on devising a comprehensive mobile strategy for the search engine which could mean some purchases to bolster its product line — and TV Guide.com could be part of that.
As of May, TV Guide.com had 24 million monthly unique users and more than 6.5M mobile application installations, Lionsgate reported. Lionsgate bought the site and television network in February 2009 for $241.6 million
Dailybooth Shutting Down Dec. 31
Dailybooth, the web-based photo-sharing site will, as of today (Nov.
14) no longer upload users’ pictures. The site will be shut down
completely Dec. 31.
Users have until the end of this year to download their data before it is permanently deleted. Photos on Dailybooth can be exported here.
Once on the correct webpage, users must login to their accounts and click the ‘create archive’ button. Once the archive has been created, click download.
According to an e-mail sent out to its users, Dailybooth says it is “no longer feasible” to keep the website running.
![]( "dailybooth1-520x466")
There had been rumors that the e-mail is a hoax because it was addressed to Username, rather than to the actual user. Also, the site’s blog appeared to be the victim of a hack.
The Next Web, however, was in touch with the company, which confirmed the shutdown.
The popularity of Instagram may have played a role in Dailybooth’s impending departure — but a small role.
The team behind Dailybooth — as well as the Batch app team — was acquired by Airbnb in July.
Batch, a mobile photo sharing app, shut down Oct. 31. It allowed users to create albums and share them on Facebook, Twitter and by e-mail.
“Just over a year ago we launched batch, and the time has come for us to shut down the service,” the Batch team said in an online goodbye.
All data was permanently deleted from the site as of Nov. 8.
Airbnb, according to its website, is an online service that matches people looking for vacation rentals and other short-term accommodations with those who have a space to rent.
The site, founded in 2008, had grown to more than 200,000 listings in more than 26,000 cities in 192 countries by July of this year. The site has more than one million hosts and travellers on its platform.
Post from: SiteProNews
Users have until the end of this year to download their data before it is permanently deleted. Photos on Dailybooth can be exported here.
Once on the correct webpage, users must login to their accounts and click the ‘create archive’ button. Once the archive has been created, click download.
According to an e-mail sent out to its users, Dailybooth says it is “no longer feasible” to keep the website running.
There had been rumors that the e-mail is a hoax because it was addressed to Username, rather than to the actual user. Also, the site’s blog appeared to be the victim of a hack.
The Next Web, however, was in touch with the company, which confirmed the shutdown.
The popularity of Instagram may have played a role in Dailybooth’s impending departure — but a small role.
The team behind Dailybooth — as well as the Batch app team — was acquired by Airbnb in July.
Batch, a mobile photo sharing app, shut down Oct. 31. It allowed users to create albums and share them on Facebook, Twitter and by e-mail.
“Just over a year ago we launched batch, and the time has come for us to shut down the service,” the Batch team said in an online goodbye.
All data was permanently deleted from the site as of Nov. 8.
Airbnb, according to its website, is an online service that matches people looking for vacation rentals and other short-term accommodations with those who have a space to rent.
The site, founded in 2008, had grown to more than 200,000 listings in more than 26,000 cities in 192 countries by July of this year. The site has more than one million hosts and travellers on its platform.
Post from: SiteProNews
Ballmer’s Tepid Response to Sinofsky Departure has Rumor Mills Grinding
Despite Steven Sinofsky’s assurances to the contrary, rumors continue
to swirl that his exit from Microsoft this week after 23 years with the
company may not have been amicable after all.
A memo issued by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer after Sinofsky’s departure has created a bit of a buzz due to its lack of praise and heartfelt wishes for the former president of Microsoft’s Windows and Windows Live departments.
The five-paragraph missive devotes just one paragraph to Sinofsky.
“As we enter this new era, and with the successful launch of Windows 8 and Surface behind us, Steven Sinofsky has decided to leave the company,” Ballmer writes. “Steven joined Microsoft in 1989 as a software development engineer and has contributed to the company in many ways from his work as a technical advisor to Bill Gates, to leading the evolution of the Microsoft Office business, to his direction and successful leadership of Windows and Windows Live as well as Surface. I am grateful for the work that Steven has delivered in his time at our company.”
Ballmer’s letter can be read in its entirety on CNet.
Ballmer’s seemingly half-hearted goodbye is not all that is feeding rumors, however. The fact that Sinofsky’s departure from the software giant came just three weeks after the release of Windows 8 and the Surface tablet — for which he was instrumental — have also raised some eyebrows.
Just last month, Microsoft’s board of directors officially reprimanded Ballmer and Sinofsky due to “missteps with the Windows division Sinofsky ran,” according to Business Insider. The reprimand went hand-in-hand with a cut to the annual bonus each is eligible to receive.
Another possibility for the departure, according to a Business Insider source, is Sinofsky was fired for angling after Ballmer’s job. According to the source, he asked to be named as Ballmer’s successor after Windows 8 launched, and threatened to quit if he didn’t get his way. The source told Business Week Ballmer, who plans to keeps his hands on the reins for another five years, called Sinofsky’s bluff.
Another possible piece of evidence: Sinofsky is not around to supervise a transitional period between him and his replacements — Julie Larson-Green and Tami Reller.
Although neither Sinofsky nor Microsoft has publicly offered any details about the reason for his departure or his plans for the future, a farewell e-mail to Microsoft employees obtained by Paul Thurrott’s Supersite For Windows, says Sinofsky’s exit from the firm was a “personal and private choice.”
“After more than 23 years working on a wide range of Microsoft products, I have decided to leave the company to seek new opportunities that build on these experiences,” he wrote. “My passion for building products is as strong as ever and I look forward focusing my energy and creativity along similar lines.
“Some might notice a bit of chatter speculating about this decision or timing,” he continued. “I can assure you that none could be true as this was a personal and private choice that in no way reflects any speculation or theories one might read—about me, opportunity, the company or its leadership.
“As I’ve always believed in making space for new leaders as quickly as possible, this announcement is effective immediately and I will assist however needed with the transition.”
The letter in its entirety can be read on Paul Thurrott’s Supersite For Windows.
Julie Larson-Green will be promoted to lead all Windows software and hardware engineering. Tami Reller retains her roles as chief financial officer and chief marketing officer and will assume responsibility for the business of Windows.
Larson-Green, who has been with the company since 1993, will be responsible for all future Windows product development in addition to future hardware opportunities.
Reller, in her expanded role, will assume the lead in driving business and marketing strategy for Windows devices, including Surface and partner devices, in addition to her current marketing and finance responsibilities.
Post from: SiteProNews
A memo issued by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer after Sinofsky’s departure has created a bit of a buzz due to its lack of praise and heartfelt wishes for the former president of Microsoft’s Windows and Windows Live departments.
The five-paragraph missive devotes just one paragraph to Sinofsky.
“As we enter this new era, and with the successful launch of Windows 8 and Surface behind us, Steven Sinofsky has decided to leave the company,” Ballmer writes. “Steven joined Microsoft in 1989 as a software development engineer and has contributed to the company in many ways from his work as a technical advisor to Bill Gates, to leading the evolution of the Microsoft Office business, to his direction and successful leadership of Windows and Windows Live as well as Surface. I am grateful for the work that Steven has delivered in his time at our company.”
Ballmer’s letter can be read in its entirety on CNet.
Ballmer’s seemingly half-hearted goodbye is not all that is feeding rumors, however. The fact that Sinofsky’s departure from the software giant came just three weeks after the release of Windows 8 and the Surface tablet — for which he was instrumental — have also raised some eyebrows.
Just last month, Microsoft’s board of directors officially reprimanded Ballmer and Sinofsky due to “missteps with the Windows division Sinofsky ran,” according to Business Insider. The reprimand went hand-in-hand with a cut to the annual bonus each is eligible to receive.
Another possibility for the departure, according to a Business Insider source, is Sinofsky was fired for angling after Ballmer’s job. According to the source, he asked to be named as Ballmer’s successor after Windows 8 launched, and threatened to quit if he didn’t get his way. The source told Business Week Ballmer, who plans to keeps his hands on the reins for another five years, called Sinofsky’s bluff.
Another possible piece of evidence: Sinofsky is not around to supervise a transitional period between him and his replacements — Julie Larson-Green and Tami Reller.
Although neither Sinofsky nor Microsoft has publicly offered any details about the reason for his departure or his plans for the future, a farewell e-mail to Microsoft employees obtained by Paul Thurrott’s Supersite For Windows, says Sinofsky’s exit from the firm was a “personal and private choice.”
“After more than 23 years working on a wide range of Microsoft products, I have decided to leave the company to seek new opportunities that build on these experiences,” he wrote. “My passion for building products is as strong as ever and I look forward focusing my energy and creativity along similar lines.
“Some might notice a bit of chatter speculating about this decision or timing,” he continued. “I can assure you that none could be true as this was a personal and private choice that in no way reflects any speculation or theories one might read—about me, opportunity, the company or its leadership.
“As I’ve always believed in making space for new leaders as quickly as possible, this announcement is effective immediately and I will assist however needed with the transition.”
The letter in its entirety can be read on Paul Thurrott’s Supersite For Windows.
Julie Larson-Green will be promoted to lead all Windows software and hardware engineering. Tami Reller retains her roles as chief financial officer and chief marketing officer and will assume responsibility for the business of Windows.
Larson-Green, who has been with the company since 1993, will be responsible for all future Windows product development in addition to future hardware opportunities.
Reller, in her expanded role, will assume the lead in driving business and marketing strategy for Windows devices, including Surface and partner devices, in addition to her current marketing and finance responsibilities.
Post from: SiteProNews
Apps Nabbing More Personal Info Than Users Realize: Report
Apps may make life more convenient, but they are also invading users’ privacy, a recent inquiry has uncovered.
An 18-month investigation by Juniper Networks of more than 1.7 million apps available on Google Play has revealed users may be sharing more of their personal information than they realize.
“While these apps make our lives easier, they also give a wider group of application developers and advertising networks the ability to collect information about our activities and leverage the functionality of our devices,” the network security company’s blog reads. “Even though a list of permissions is presented when installing an app, most people don’t understand what they are agreeing to or have the proper information needed to make educated decisions about which apps to trust.”
Free apps are the worst privacy offenders — they are 401 percent more likely to track a user’s location and 314 percent more likely to access a user address books than their paid peers, the company found.
Top Findings of the Investigation Are:
• 24.14 percent of free apps have permission to track user location, while only 6.01 percent of paid apps have this ability;
• 6.72 percent of free apps have permission to access user address books, while 2.14 percent of paid apps do;
• 2.64 percent of free apps have permission to silently send text messages, whereas 1.45 percent of paid apps can;
• 6.39 percent of free apps have permission to clandestinely initiate calls in the background, while only 1.88 percent of paid apps do; and
• 5.53 percent of free apps have permission to access the device camera, whereas only 2.11 percent of paid apps have this access.
While collection of information through apps is used by advertisers for marketing purposes, that is not always the reason behind the amassing of data. Juniper analyzed 683,238 app manifests, discovering the percentage of apps with the top five ad networks is 24.14 percent lower than the total number tracking location.
“This leads us to believe there are several apps collecting information for reasons less apparent than advertising,” Juniper’s report says.
One of those reasons could be to gain access to users’ devices. In some cases, permissions are being requested by apps that leave users vulnerable to covert outgoing calls and SMS messages and a device’s camera being used.
“An application that can clandestinely initiate a phone call could be used to silently listen to ambient conversations within hearing distance of a mobile device,” the post says. “Similarly, access to the device camera could enable a third party to obtain video and pictures of the area where the device is present.”
In other words, some apps are a ruse used simply to siphon sensitive information from a Smartphone or tablet. Such apps can be used to call a 1-900 for instance.
The biggest offenders are cards and casino apps. According to Juniper’s findings, 94 percent of such free apps have permission to make outbound calls, 83.88 percent have permission to use the camera and 84.51 percent have permission to send SMS messages. There is no description, however, on why “the apps would justifiably use this capability.”
Juniper found, however, some apps had legitimate reasons for requesting so much information from users, but simply failed to explain why. In most cases, it was to increase functionality for the user.
Juniper has created a list of recommendations and improvements for app providers that revolve around one central theme: offering users more information.
“Helping people understand what is actually occurring on their device and with their data has considerably more value than a list of permissions,” Juniper’s report reads. “More educated users means they are more comfortable installing apps and less likely to uninstall once they see the number of permissions being requested without explanation.”
Post from: SiteProNews
An 18-month investigation by Juniper Networks of more than 1.7 million apps available on Google Play has revealed users may be sharing more of their personal information than they realize.
“While these apps make our lives easier, they also give a wider group of application developers and advertising networks the ability to collect information about our activities and leverage the functionality of our devices,” the network security company’s blog reads. “Even though a list of permissions is presented when installing an app, most people don’t understand what they are agreeing to or have the proper information needed to make educated decisions about which apps to trust.”
Free apps are the worst privacy offenders — they are 401 percent more likely to track a user’s location and 314 percent more likely to access a user address books than their paid peers, the company found.
Top Findings of the Investigation Are:
• 24.14 percent of free apps have permission to track user location, while only 6.01 percent of paid apps have this ability;
• 6.72 percent of free apps have permission to access user address books, while 2.14 percent of paid apps do;
• 2.64 percent of free apps have permission to silently send text messages, whereas 1.45 percent of paid apps can;
• 6.39 percent of free apps have permission to clandestinely initiate calls in the background, while only 1.88 percent of paid apps do; and
• 5.53 percent of free apps have permission to access the device camera, whereas only 2.11 percent of paid apps have this access.
While collection of information through apps is used by advertisers for marketing purposes, that is not always the reason behind the amassing of data. Juniper analyzed 683,238 app manifests, discovering the percentage of apps with the top five ad networks is 24.14 percent lower than the total number tracking location.
“This leads us to believe there are several apps collecting information for reasons less apparent than advertising,” Juniper’s report says.
One of those reasons could be to gain access to users’ devices. In some cases, permissions are being requested by apps that leave users vulnerable to covert outgoing calls and SMS messages and a device’s camera being used.
“An application that can clandestinely initiate a phone call could be used to silently listen to ambient conversations within hearing distance of a mobile device,” the post says. “Similarly, access to the device camera could enable a third party to obtain video and pictures of the area where the device is present.”
In other words, some apps are a ruse used simply to siphon sensitive information from a Smartphone or tablet. Such apps can be used to call a 1-900 for instance.
The biggest offenders are cards and casino apps. According to Juniper’s findings, 94 percent of such free apps have permission to make outbound calls, 83.88 percent have permission to use the camera and 84.51 percent have permission to send SMS messages. There is no description, however, on why “the apps would justifiably use this capability.”
Juniper found, however, some apps had legitimate reasons for requesting so much information from users, but simply failed to explain why. In most cases, it was to increase functionality for the user.
Juniper has created a list of recommendations and improvements for app providers that revolve around one central theme: offering users more information.
“Helping people understand what is actually occurring on their device and with their data has considerably more value than a list of permissions,” Juniper’s report reads. “More educated users means they are more comfortable installing apps and less likely to uninstall once they see the number of permissions being requested without explanation.”
Post from: SiteProNews
Customer Suing Barnes & Noble Over Hacked PIN Pads
A Chicago woman has launched a class action lawsuit against Barnes
& Noble over the potential unlawful procurement of her debit-card
personal identification number.
Criminals tampered with PIN pad devices at 63 Barnes & Noble stores across the U.S., stealing credit-card and debit-card information including pin numbers punched in by customers making a purchase, the company announced Oct. 24.
Stores in California, Florida, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island were affected.
Elizabeth Nowak filed a complaint “individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated,” at the U.S. courthouse in Chicago Oct. 27.
“Barnes & Noble’s security failures enabled the skimmers to steal financial data from within Barnes & Noble’s stores and, subsequently, make unauthorized purchases on customers’ credit cards and otherwise put Class members’ financial information at serious and ongoing risk,” the complaint reads. “The skimmers continue to use the information they obtained as a result of Barnes & Noble’s inadequate security to exploit and injure Class members across the United States.”
Nowak is claiming breach of an implied contract and violation of Illinois consumer fraud laws. She is seeking class action status on behalf of anyone who used a credit or debit card via a store PIN pad from Nov. 1, 2010 until present day. She is also seeking unspecified monetary damages, litigation costs and three years of credit card monitoring services for class members.
Nowak also cites the book retailer choosing to wait almost six weeks to publicly disclose the data breach in her complaint.
The data breach was uncovered in mid-September, but was kept quiet at the request of the Department of Justice, an unnamed Barnes & Noble official told the New York Times last week.
“We have acted at the direction of the U.S. government and they have specifically told us not to disclose it, and there we have complied,” the official was quoted by the Times.
In a statement posted on the Barnes & Noble corporate website, the store indicated it had “disconnected all PIN pads from its stores nationwide by close of business September 14, and customers can securely shop with credit cards through the company’s cash registers.”
The company said that card transactions on the Barnes & Noble website and those involving its Nook e-reader were not affected.
Post from: SiteProNews
Criminals tampered with PIN pad devices at 63 Barnes & Noble stores across the U.S., stealing credit-card and debit-card information including pin numbers punched in by customers making a purchase, the company announced Oct. 24.
Stores in California, Florida, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island were affected.
Elizabeth Nowak filed a complaint “individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated,” at the U.S. courthouse in Chicago Oct. 27.
“Barnes & Noble’s security failures enabled the skimmers to steal financial data from within Barnes & Noble’s stores and, subsequently, make unauthorized purchases on customers’ credit cards and otherwise put Class members’ financial information at serious and ongoing risk,” the complaint reads. “The skimmers continue to use the information they obtained as a result of Barnes & Noble’s inadequate security to exploit and injure Class members across the United States.”
Nowak is claiming breach of an implied contract and violation of Illinois consumer fraud laws. She is seeking class action status on behalf of anyone who used a credit or debit card via a store PIN pad from Nov. 1, 2010 until present day. She is also seeking unspecified monetary damages, litigation costs and three years of credit card monitoring services for class members.
Nowak also cites the book retailer choosing to wait almost six weeks to publicly disclose the data breach in her complaint.
The data breach was uncovered in mid-September, but was kept quiet at the request of the Department of Justice, an unnamed Barnes & Noble official told the New York Times last week.
“We have acted at the direction of the U.S. government and they have specifically told us not to disclose it, and there we have complied,” the official was quoted by the Times.
In a statement posted on the Barnes & Noble corporate website, the store indicated it had “disconnected all PIN pads from its stores nationwide by close of business September 14, and customers can securely shop with credit cards through the company’s cash registers.”
The company said that card transactions on the Barnes & Noble website and those involving its Nook e-reader were not affected.
Post from: SiteProNews
Beware! Your Apple iOS or Android Phone Can Be Infected By Malware
As technology becomes more prevalent, the viruses or, rather, the predators that create them, increase as well.
According to McAfee, a protection provider, malware is multiplying faster than ever. In the last quarter alone, there were “1.5 million more attacks than previously. With new technology, comes changes in the threats — botnets and ransomware are just some of the new things to watch out for.”
Computers using Windows operating systems are still hit the hardest but more viruses are now targeting Macs and the Android system that powers a large portion of Smartphones, two of the emerging computer foundations.
Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs, says the attacks permeate every level of computer use, from home computers to business and government machines, as well as the previously unheard-of mobile market.
“Flashback,” a Trojan horse virus that started in 2011, infected more than half a million Macs all over the world. Being used to immunity from malware, many Mac users were unprepared for the virus, which posed as a Flash plug-in and stole usernames and passwords from thousands of computers and websites. While iOS has remained relatively safe from threats, new problems are popping up every day.
Google continues to try to keep good security on their Android operating system, but criminals are targeting the OS, especially as it becomes popular with less-computer-savvy and more susceptible users. McAfee’s report indicates it is the most popular mobile operating system being targeted currently.
One big trend emerging in the malware industry is “ransomware.” It erases personal data and can hold it hostage until the owner pays money via the Internet to set it free. This is only one of the many programs that is becoming more popular among cyber criminals. What should you do?
Install Microsoft Security Essentials for PCS: One program professionals and other computer repair companies recommend is the anti-virus program for the basic user — Microsoft Security Essentials. It’s free, easy to use, updated frequently and provides great protection from most Internet-born parasites. The fact that it’s made by Microsoft, the company that makes Windows, is a great benefit. Who is better equipped to know which Windows vulnerabilities hackers are targeting? Programmers can then integrate the fix seamlessly into Windows.
Avast! For MACS: If you just can’t get past the idea of trusting Microsoft to protect your Windows PC, or if you are running an alternate operating system, consider Avast! free antivirus. Avast is one of the highest-rated antivirus programs, according to AV Comparatives, an independent antivirus program reviewer. Avast offers both a free and a paid version, and boasts one of the fastest virus scans on the market. Avast! also uses fewer system resources when scanning, so you can continue to use your computer normally while the scan runs in the background. Anyone who has been held hostage by a seemingly endless scan that makes everything else on your system slow to a useless crawl can appreciate this benefit. Fun side note: You can select different voices to proclaim, “Ding! Avast’s virus definitions have been updated.” I am quite partial to Pirate.
Lookout Mobile for Smartphones: For the best mobile security app, check out Lookout Mobile Security, a free anti-virus and back-up solution that has received a five-star rating from CNET and PC World. It will even help you track down a lost mobile phone by showing its location on Google Maps. The premium version (available for $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year) adds the ability to back up photos and call history and perform a remote wipe if your phone is stolen.
According to McAfee, a protection provider, malware is multiplying faster than ever. In the last quarter alone, there were “1.5 million more attacks than previously. With new technology, comes changes in the threats — botnets and ransomware are just some of the new things to watch out for.”
Computers using Windows operating systems are still hit the hardest but more viruses are now targeting Macs and the Android system that powers a large portion of Smartphones, two of the emerging computer foundations.
Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs, says the attacks permeate every level of computer use, from home computers to business and government machines, as well as the previously unheard-of mobile market.
“Flashback,” a Trojan horse virus that started in 2011, infected more than half a million Macs all over the world. Being used to immunity from malware, many Mac users were unprepared for the virus, which posed as a Flash plug-in and stole usernames and passwords from thousands of computers and websites. While iOS has remained relatively safe from threats, new problems are popping up every day.
Google continues to try to keep good security on their Android operating system, but criminals are targeting the OS, especially as it becomes popular with less-computer-savvy and more susceptible users. McAfee’s report indicates it is the most popular mobile operating system being targeted currently.
One big trend emerging in the malware industry is “ransomware.” It erases personal data and can hold it hostage until the owner pays money via the Internet to set it free. This is only one of the many programs that is becoming more popular among cyber criminals. What should you do?
Install Microsoft Security Essentials for PCS: One program professionals and other computer repair companies recommend is the anti-virus program for the basic user — Microsoft Security Essentials. It’s free, easy to use, updated frequently and provides great protection from most Internet-born parasites. The fact that it’s made by Microsoft, the company that makes Windows, is a great benefit. Who is better equipped to know which Windows vulnerabilities hackers are targeting? Programmers can then integrate the fix seamlessly into Windows.
Avast! For MACS: If you just can’t get past the idea of trusting Microsoft to protect your Windows PC, or if you are running an alternate operating system, consider Avast! free antivirus. Avast is one of the highest-rated antivirus programs, according to AV Comparatives, an independent antivirus program reviewer. Avast offers both a free and a paid version, and boasts one of the fastest virus scans on the market. Avast! also uses fewer system resources when scanning, so you can continue to use your computer normally while the scan runs in the background. Anyone who has been held hostage by a seemingly endless scan that makes everything else on your system slow to a useless crawl can appreciate this benefit. Fun side note: You can select different voices to proclaim, “Ding! Avast’s virus definitions have been updated.” I am quite partial to Pirate.
Lookout Mobile for Smartphones: For the best mobile security app, check out Lookout Mobile Security, a free anti-virus and back-up solution that has received a five-star rating from CNET and PC World. It will even help you track down a lost mobile phone by showing its location on Google Maps. The premium version (available for $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year) adds the ability to back up photos and call history and perform a remote wipe if your phone is stolen.
Microsoft Office 2013 Released to Manufacturers
"This milestone means the coding and testing phase of the project is complete and we are now focused on releasing the new Office via multiple distribution channels to our consumer and business customers," Kirk Koenigsbauer, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Office division, wrote in a blog post.
General availability is set for the first quarter of 2013, but those who purchase Office 2010 from local retailers starting Oct. 19 will get the Office 2013 upgrade for free once it's released. A preview version of the Office 2013 software, meanwhile, will be available on the Windows RT devices making their debut with Windows 8 on Oct. 26. For more on that, see Hands On: Microsoft Office 2013 on Samsung's Windows RT Tablet.
Certain business customers will get early access so they can start testing it out within their organizations, Koenigsbauer said.
Office 365 Enterprise customers will gain early access to Office 2013 with Microsoft's next service update, which is expected in November. Volume Licensing customers with Software Assurance, meanwhile, will be able to download Office 2013 apps and other Office products like SharePoint 2013, Lync 2013, and Exchange 2013 via the Volume Licensing Service Center by mid-November. They will be added to the Volume Licensing price list on Dec. 1. IT professionals and developers will gain access on TechNet or MSDN subscriptions by mid-November.
A pre-release version of Office 2013 is currently available on Microsoft's website.
Earlier today, Microsoft started taking pre-orders for Windows 8.
Yahoo.com Gets New Look
Marissa Mayer of Google fame is working her magic on Yahoo.
Just two months after becoming CEO of the company, the former Google product executive is updating Yahoo.com.
The changes include:
• A centered search bar, which is part of a darker toolbar at the top of the page as the user scrolls down.
• The Yahoo! logo is smaller and the lettering is white instead of purple.
• A magnifying glass icon has been substituted for the word “search.”
• There are fewer links to Yahoo sites on the left side. Removed from the queque are Dating, Flickr, Games, Jobs, Messenger, Music, My Yahoo!, and TV.
• Local weather and Astrology both have their own sections.
• Trending items have been moved to the left column.
• There is a now second large story below the top stories.
• Rather than just headlines, the news river has story summaries.
The new design can be seen here.
Yahoo.com is Yahoo’s most valuable product. According to ComScore, 170 million people visit Yahoo sites each day and the majority of them are directed to Yahoo.com.
Just two months after becoming CEO of the company, the former Google product executive is updating Yahoo.com.
The changes include:
• A centered search bar, which is part of a darker toolbar at the top of the page as the user scrolls down.
• The Yahoo! logo is smaller and the lettering is white instead of purple.
• A magnifying glass icon has been substituted for the word “search.”
• There are fewer links to Yahoo sites on the left side. Removed from the queque are Dating, Flickr, Games, Jobs, Messenger, Music, My Yahoo!, and TV.
• Local weather and Astrology both have their own sections.
• Trending items have been moved to the left column.
• There is a now second large story below the top stories.
• Rather than just headlines, the news river has story summaries.
The new design can be seen here.
Yahoo.com is Yahoo’s most valuable product. According to ComScore, 170 million people visit Yahoo sites each day and the majority of them are directed to Yahoo.com.
Politics Go Mobile
Politics and mobile devices do go hand-in-hand, a new study has discovered.
As the U.S. presidential race enters its final few weeks, a study by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project has revealed a large number of voters are using their mobile devices to get information about the 2012 election as well as to interact with campaigns and other voters.
Eighty-eight percent of registered voters have a cellphone, although Republicans (90 percent) are slightly more likely to have one than Democrats (85 percent), the study found.
Twenty-seven percent of voters with a mobile phone have used it to stay abreast of election news and political issues in general.
“Republicans and Democrats engage at comparable levels in all of the mobile-politics activities we measured in our survey,” said a press release on the Pew website.
“There are some differences on this issue related to political ideology—for example, liberals are more likely than conservatives to use their phone to get political news—but overall these variations tend to be fairly modest.”
Three-quarters of cellphone-owning registered voters use their device to send or receive text messages, and within this group:
Younger users are more politically active on their Smartphones than older users, the study also found. Fifty-two percent of Smartphone owners aged 18 to 49 read other people’s political comments on a social site while 30 percent of those 50 and over did so. The younger group was also more likely to post their own on comments (22 percent versus 12 percent) and to use their device to look up further information about political statements they’ve heard (43 percent versus 19 percent).
App use, however, has been low across the board, the study found. Only eight percent of app users have used apps from a candidate, political party, or interest group to get information or updates about the campaign. That will not be gratifying news to President-elect Barack Obama or Mitt Romney — both candidates have each released their own apps.
Post from: SiteProNews
As the U.S. presidential race enters its final few weeks, a study by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project has revealed a large number of voters are using their mobile devices to get information about the 2012 election as well as to interact with campaigns and other voters.
Eighty-eight percent of registered voters have a cellphone, although Republicans (90 percent) are slightly more likely to have one than Democrats (85 percent), the study found.
Twenty-seven percent of voters with a mobile phone have used it to stay abreast of election news and political issues in general.
“Republicans and Democrats engage at comparable levels in all of the mobile-politics activities we measured in our survey,” said a press release on the Pew website.
“There are some differences on this issue related to political ideology—for example, liberals are more likely than conservatives to use their phone to get political news—but overall these variations tend to be fairly modest.”
Three-quarters of cellphone-owning registered voters use their device to send or receive text messages, and within this group:
- 19 percent have sent text messages related to the campaign to friends, family members, or others.
- Five percent have signed up to receive text messages directly from a candidate or other group involved in the campaign.
- Five percent say they have received unwanted election-related text messages they did not sign up to receive.
- 45 percent have used their Smartphone to read other people’s comments on a social networking site about a candidate or the campaign in general.
- 35 percent have used their Smartphone during this election campaign to check whether something they just heard about a candidate or the campaign was true.
- 18 percent have used their Smartphone to post their own comments on a social networking site about a candidate or the campaign.
Younger users are more politically active on their Smartphones than older users, the study also found. Fifty-two percent of Smartphone owners aged 18 to 49 read other people’s political comments on a social site while 30 percent of those 50 and over did so. The younger group was also more likely to post their own on comments (22 percent versus 12 percent) and to use their device to look up further information about political statements they’ve heard (43 percent versus 19 percent).
App use, however, has been low across the board, the study found. Only eight percent of app users have used apps from a candidate, political party, or interest group to get information or updates about the campaign. That will not be gratifying news to President-elect Barack Obama or Mitt Romney — both candidates have each released their own apps.
Post from: SiteProNews
Yahoo Again Offering Contextual Ads
Yahoo is once again serving contextual ads on third-party sites through a new partnership with Media.net.
Publishers can use the Media.net platform to produce and modify ad units exhibiting pertinent text ads from across the Yahoo Bing Network — the new name for the merged Yahoo-Bing search ad marketplace.
Yahoo’s re-emergence on the scene comes two years after it shut down Yahoo Publisher, a network that competed with Google’s AdSense program. It helped publishing partners add revenue to their sites on a cost-per-click basis by serving contextually relevant ads.
Under their partnership, Media.net will administer technology, business operations and relationships with publishers worldwide for the program. Yahoo will supervises technology, business operations and relationships with advertisers and drive advertiser sales. It will also be in charge of meeting quality traffic standards.
600M of Facebook’s Users are Mobile
Sixty percent of Facebook’s one billion monthly active users are accessing the social networking site from their mobile devices.
That is 600 million mobile users.
In June 2012, Facebook had 543 million mobile users of its 955 million monthly active users, which is about 57 percent of its total user base.
The social networking site is devoting its resources to provide better service to its mobile users. It has released a native iPhone app and will soon release a native Android app as well
Job Cuts, Restructuring to Cost Google $300M
Google Inc will be digging deep into its coffers to finance severance packages for workers at its money-losing Motorola Mobility unit.
Between job cuts in the third quarter and “significant” additional charges from further restructuring, Google will shell out at least $300 million. The company said the bill could escalate another $40 million in the quarter after the exit of facilities and markets.
“Motorola has continued to refine its planned restructuring actions and now expects to broaden those actions to include additional geographic regions outside of the U.S.,” the company said in a statement.
Google has not announced any further plans for the money-losing cellphone maker, although a spokeswoman said the company would not be announcing additional job cuts.
Microsoft and Barnes & Noble Finalize Partnership
Microsoft and Barnes & Noble have finalized their partnership five months after the original announcement.
Together, the companies, under the moniker Nook Media, LLC., will create a spin-off that will include Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-reader and college textbook businesses.
Microsoft will pay Barnes & Noble $300 million and drop patent claims it had previously filed against the book retailer in exchange for a 17.6 percent share of Nook Media.
In turn, Nook Media must pay license fees to Microsoft for technologies covered by patents that were at issue in the lawsuit.
As part of the agreement, Barnes & Noble must develop a Nook-branded e-reader app for use on Windows 8 PCs and tablets,.
Post from: SiteProNews
Publishers can use the Media.net platform to produce and modify ad units exhibiting pertinent text ads from across the Yahoo Bing Network — the new name for the merged Yahoo-Bing search ad marketplace.
Yahoo’s re-emergence on the scene comes two years after it shut down Yahoo Publisher, a network that competed with Google’s AdSense program. It helped publishing partners add revenue to their sites on a cost-per-click basis by serving contextually relevant ads.
Under their partnership, Media.net will administer technology, business operations and relationships with publishers worldwide for the program. Yahoo will supervises technology, business operations and relationships with advertisers and drive advertiser sales. It will also be in charge of meeting quality traffic standards.
600M of Facebook’s Users are Mobile
Sixty percent of Facebook’s one billion monthly active users are accessing the social networking site from their mobile devices.
That is 600 million mobile users.
In June 2012, Facebook had 543 million mobile users of its 955 million monthly active users, which is about 57 percent of its total user base.
The social networking site is devoting its resources to provide better service to its mobile users. It has released a native iPhone app and will soon release a native Android app as well
Job Cuts, Restructuring to Cost Google $300M
Google Inc will be digging deep into its coffers to finance severance packages for workers at its money-losing Motorola Mobility unit.
Between job cuts in the third quarter and “significant” additional charges from further restructuring, Google will shell out at least $300 million. The company said the bill could escalate another $40 million in the quarter after the exit of facilities and markets.
“Motorola has continued to refine its planned restructuring actions and now expects to broaden those actions to include additional geographic regions outside of the U.S.,” the company said in a statement.
Google has not announced any further plans for the money-losing cellphone maker, although a spokeswoman said the company would not be announcing additional job cuts.
Microsoft and Barnes & Noble Finalize Partnership
Microsoft and Barnes & Noble have finalized their partnership five months after the original announcement.
Together, the companies, under the moniker Nook Media, LLC., will create a spin-off that will include Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-reader and college textbook businesses.
Microsoft will pay Barnes & Noble $300 million and drop patent claims it had previously filed against the book retailer in exchange for a 17.6 percent share of Nook Media.
In turn, Nook Media must pay license fees to Microsoft for technologies covered by patents that were at issue in the lawsuit.
As part of the agreement, Barnes & Noble must develop a Nook-branded e-reader app for use on Windows 8 PCs and tablets,.
Post from: SiteProNews
Warrantless Electronic Surveillance on Rise
You may have less privacy than you think.
As the use of cellphones, e-mail and social media continues to rise in the U.S., so to does the interest in such information by law enforcement officials, says the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Government agents still need a warrant to listen in on your phone calls or to read your e-mails and text messages. They don’t, however, need a warrant to track who you call, who calls you, who you text or e-mail and who messages you. Also, posts on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are up for grabs by the authorities.
The use of “pen registers” and trap-and-trace has risen substantially in the past three years, according to U.S. Department of Justice records obtained by the ACLU after more than seven months, writes the ACLU’s Naomi Gilens in a blog post.
The group’s Freedom of Information Act request in February, was followed by a complaint in U.S. District Court on May 23. The ACLU was forced to seek an injunction to strong-arm agencies under the DOJ — the Criminal Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Office of Information Policy — to fulfill the request.
Documents released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week show between 2009 and 2011, “the number of people whose telephones were the subject of pen register and trap and trace surveillance more than tripled. In fact, more people were subjected to pen register and trap and trace surveillance in the past two years than in the entire previous decade,” Gilens writes in her blog post.
Pen registers capture outgoing data, while trap and trace devices capture incoming data. For such orders, officials need only submit the information is relevant. They don’t need a judge’s approval.
Orders for phone traces are up 60 percent while captured e-mail and network communication data surged 361 percent.
While this form of surveillance is dubbed “non-content information” by officials, it can still be invasive, Gilens says.
“Non-content information can still be extremely invasive, revealing who you communicate with in real time and painting a vivid picture of the private details of your life,” her post reads.
“If reviewing your social networking contacts is sufficient to determine your sexuality, as found in an MIT study a few years ago, think what law enforcement agents could learn about you by having real-time access to whom you e-mail, text, and call.”
The Justice Department, however, issued a statement to the media, saying the orders are both legal and necessary.
“As criminals increasingly use new and more sophisticated technologies, the use of orders issued by a judge and explicitly authorized by Congress to obtain non-content information is essential for federal law enforcement officials to carry out their duty to protect the public and investigate violations of federal laws,” said spokesman Dean Boyd.
The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA) needs to be updated, the ACLU says.
In August, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill to amend the 26-year-old privacy act so it would reflect the improvements in technology.
The bill would “expand the reporting requirement to apply to all federal agencies, as well as state and local law enforcement. The bill would also shift the responsibility of compiling the reports from the attorney general to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, which already completes the reporting requirements for the government’s use of wiretaps, and proactively posts those reports on its website each year.”
Post from: SiteProNews
As the use of cellphones, e-mail and social media continues to rise in the U.S., so to does the interest in such information by law enforcement officials, says the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Government agents still need a warrant to listen in on your phone calls or to read your e-mails and text messages. They don’t, however, need a warrant to track who you call, who calls you, who you text or e-mail and who messages you. Also, posts on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are up for grabs by the authorities.
The use of “pen registers” and trap-and-trace has risen substantially in the past three years, according to U.S. Department of Justice records obtained by the ACLU after more than seven months, writes the ACLU’s Naomi Gilens in a blog post.
The group’s Freedom of Information Act request in February, was followed by a complaint in U.S. District Court on May 23. The ACLU was forced to seek an injunction to strong-arm agencies under the DOJ — the Criminal Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Office of Information Policy — to fulfill the request.
Documents released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week show between 2009 and 2011, “the number of people whose telephones were the subject of pen register and trap and trace surveillance more than tripled. In fact, more people were subjected to pen register and trap and trace surveillance in the past two years than in the entire previous decade,” Gilens writes in her blog post.
Pen registers capture outgoing data, while trap and trace devices capture incoming data. For such orders, officials need only submit the information is relevant. They don’t need a judge’s approval.
Orders for phone traces are up 60 percent while captured e-mail and network communication data surged 361 percent.
While this form of surveillance is dubbed “non-content information” by officials, it can still be invasive, Gilens says.
“Non-content information can still be extremely invasive, revealing who you communicate with in real time and painting a vivid picture of the private details of your life,” her post reads.
“If reviewing your social networking contacts is sufficient to determine your sexuality, as found in an MIT study a few years ago, think what law enforcement agents could learn about you by having real-time access to whom you e-mail, text, and call.”
The Justice Department, however, issued a statement to the media, saying the orders are both legal and necessary.
“As criminals increasingly use new and more sophisticated technologies, the use of orders issued by a judge and explicitly authorized by Congress to obtain non-content information is essential for federal law enforcement officials to carry out their duty to protect the public and investigate violations of federal laws,” said spokesman Dean Boyd.
The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA) needs to be updated, the ACLU says.
In August, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill to amend the 26-year-old privacy act so it would reflect the improvements in technology.
The bill would “expand the reporting requirement to apply to all federal agencies, as well as state and local law enforcement. The bill would also shift the responsibility of compiling the reports from the attorney general to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, which already completes the reporting requirements for the government’s use of wiretaps, and proactively posts those reports on its website each year.”
Post from: SiteProNews
Google Shares Hit All-Time High
Google Inc stock hit a record high Sept. 24.
The stock reached $748.90 U.S. in afternoon trading, creeping past a previous record set in November 2007 of $747.24, Reuters reported. Google stock traded below $300 in 2009 during the global economic crisis and continued to be under pressure in subsequent years as investors worried the technology giant’s best years were over.
The company, which generated $38 billion in revenue last year, is being compared favorably to Facebook and Groupon, analysts say.
The search engine giant’s profitable search advertising business coupled with its efforts to spread out into display and mobile advertising, have helped the company preserve healthy financial growth.
Possible Timeline Glitch Makes Private Messages Public
Facebook is refuting reports private messages sent by users on the social media site have gone public.
The alleged glitch spawned attention Sept. 24 after Metro, a French newspaper, reported private messages dating from 2007 to 2009 had become accessible to friends and acquaintances on users profile pages. Other newspapers across the country reported similar occurrences.
The issue is thought to be connected to Facebook going to its Timeline layout globally.
Users in a number of other countries also insisted their accounts were affected. Some users said messages written as recently as last year have appeared in their public Facebook feed.
“A small number of users raised concerns after what they believed to be private messages appeared on their timeline,” Facebook said in a statement. “Our engineers investigated these reports and found that the messages were older wall posts that had always been visible on the users’ profile pages. Facebook is satisfied that there has been no breach of user privacy.”
Vimeo to Offer Moneymaking Tools
Vimeo is creating new moneymaking tools for producers.
One new program — Tip Jar — pushes viewers to compensate content creators for high-quality work by donating money. Vimeo will take 15 percent of all contributions.
Vimeo also has plans to launch a pay-to-view service that will enable content creators to sell their work behind a paywall.
Vimeo’s pay-to-view service will give creators options they can tailor to suit their needs for the sale of their films and video content. They can sell directly to customers while maintaining control of fees and rental periods.
The company is to launch a beta preview of the pay-to-view service this fall with a series of films. The financial terms of its pay-to-view service have not been made known.
Apple, SBB to Meet Over Clock Usage
Spokeswoman Patricia Claivaz said SBB is flattered to have a “brand as important as Apple” use their design.
“There are a lot of brands that use the SBB logo, though nothing like Apple,” she added. “It’s not just about exchanging money, rather drawing up a contract stating where the logo can be used, under what conditions and for how long.”
Swiss engineer Hans Hilfiker fashioned the original clock design in 1944. It remains the property of SBB and is used in the Swiss operation’s train stations.
Post from: SiteProNews:
The stock reached $748.90 U.S. in afternoon trading, creeping past a previous record set in November 2007 of $747.24, Reuters reported. Google stock traded below $300 in 2009 during the global economic crisis and continued to be under pressure in subsequent years as investors worried the technology giant’s best years were over.
The company, which generated $38 billion in revenue last year, is being compared favorably to Facebook and Groupon, analysts say.
The search engine giant’s profitable search advertising business coupled with its efforts to spread out into display and mobile advertising, have helped the company preserve healthy financial growth.
Possible Timeline Glitch Makes Private Messages Public
Facebook is refuting reports private messages sent by users on the social media site have gone public.
The alleged glitch spawned attention Sept. 24 after Metro, a French newspaper, reported private messages dating from 2007 to 2009 had become accessible to friends and acquaintances on users profile pages. Other newspapers across the country reported similar occurrences.
The issue is thought to be connected to Facebook going to its Timeline layout globally.
Users in a number of other countries also insisted their accounts were affected. Some users said messages written as recently as last year have appeared in their public Facebook feed.
“A small number of users raised concerns after what they believed to be private messages appeared on their timeline,” Facebook said in a statement. “Our engineers investigated these reports and found that the messages were older wall posts that had always been visible on the users’ profile pages. Facebook is satisfied that there has been no breach of user privacy.”
Vimeo to Offer Moneymaking Tools
Vimeo is creating new moneymaking tools for producers.
One new program — Tip Jar — pushes viewers to compensate content creators for high-quality work by donating money. Vimeo will take 15 percent of all contributions.
Vimeo also has plans to launch a pay-to-view service that will enable content creators to sell their work behind a paywall.
Vimeo’s pay-to-view service will give creators options they can tailor to suit their needs for the sale of their films and video content. They can sell directly to customers while maintaining control of fees and rental periods.
The company is to launch a beta preview of the pay-to-view service this fall with a series of films. The financial terms of its pay-to-view service have not been made known.
Apple, SBB to Meet Over Clock Usage
Swiss Federal Railways is to meet with Apple in the coming weeks to discuss the technology company’s use of a digital clock in iOS 6 that bears a striking resemblance to the railway’s iconic clock face design.
Apple Insider reported an official with the railway service, known as SBB, will not be demanding compensation for Apple’s use of the clock found in the iPad version of its iOS 6 mobile operating system.
Spokeswoman Patricia Claivaz said SBB is flattered to have a “brand as important as Apple” use their design.
“There are a lot of brands that use the SBB logo, though nothing like Apple,” she added. “It’s not just about exchanging money, rather drawing up a contract stating where the logo can be used, under what conditions and for how long.”
Swiss engineer Hans Hilfiker fashioned the original clock design in 1944. It remains the property of SBB and is used in the Swiss operation’s train stations.
Post from: SiteProNews:
Internet Explorer Users — Beware Security Breach
The German government agency supervising IT-safety is cautioning
Internet Explorer users against using the browser until Microsoft fixes a
breach in security.
The browser’s “weak point is already being used for targeted attacks,” the Federal Office for Information Security said in a statement late Sept. 17. The code behind the attack is freely accessible online and, therefore, could spread swiftly, the agency added.
In its warning, the IT watchdog suggested people using Windows XP or Windows 7 operating systems and Internet Explorer versions 7, 8 or 9 switch to different browsers until Microsoft updates the browser’s security features.
The breach allows attackers to lure users to an infected website. Once the website has been visited, the hackers can then introduce codes to take control of the user’s computer, the agency said.
A spokesman for Microsoft Corp. said Sept. 18 the company is aware of the issue and is at hard at work to create a software update, a so-called patch, to fix the browser’s security features.
Internet Explorer is used by hundreds of millions of consumers and workers around the world.
Post from: SiteProNews
The browser’s “weak point is already being used for targeted attacks,” the Federal Office for Information Security said in a statement late Sept. 17. The code behind the attack is freely accessible online and, therefore, could spread swiftly, the agency added.
In its warning, the IT watchdog suggested people using Windows XP or Windows 7 operating systems and Internet Explorer versions 7, 8 or 9 switch to different browsers until Microsoft updates the browser’s security features.
The breach allows attackers to lure users to an infected website. Once the website has been visited, the hackers can then introduce codes to take control of the user’s computer, the agency said.
A spokesman for Microsoft Corp. said Sept. 18 the company is aware of the issue and is at hard at work to create a software update, a so-called patch, to fix the browser’s security features.
Internet Explorer is used by hundreds of millions of consumers and workers around the world.
Post from: SiteProNews
Google to appeal class-action status
An appeals court judge deferred trial court proceedings between
Google Inc. and thousands of authors pending an appeal by the search
engine company.
Google is appealing an order granting the authors class-action status.
A 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge in New York said the Authors Guild — which sued Google seven years ago over the corporation’s plans to create the world’s largest digital books library, agreed to the suspension.
The appeals court has given Google permission to challenge a May 31 ruling. The appeal has not yet been scheduled.
In March 2001, the judge rejected a $125-million settlement, saying it gave Google too much authority to copy books without consent from authors.
Apple Sets Record with iPhone 5 Pre-Orders
Apple has set a new record with its iPhone 5.
With more than 2 million iPhone 5 devices pre-ordered Sept. 14, Apple has doubled its previous record for a new device.
“iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal,” said Apple senior vice-president of worldwide marketing Philip Schiller in a written statement.
Consumers weren’t the only enthusiasts, however. Wall Street responded to pre-order numbers by raising Apple shares to more than $700, a first for the corporation.
Google buys Snapseed
Google has purchased the company behind photo-sharing application Snapseed.
The purchase comes just a week after Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram became official.
Financial aspects of the deal for Nik Software were not divulged.
“We want to help our users create photos they absolutely love, and in our experience Nik does this better than anyone,” Google vice-president of engineering Vic Gundotra wrote in a post on the Internet giant’s social network.
Google+ surpassed 400 million members this week, with 100 million people using the social network each month, Gundotra wrote.
Google launched Google+ a year ago in an effort to take on Facebook.
Olympic-themed ads put AT&T at top
An American Olympic gold medalist helped AT&T race past the competition in TV spots run this summer by the U.S. major wireless carriers.
AT&T’s 30-second spot featured a young athlete inspired by watching Ashton Eaton — on an AT&T powered device of course — win the 1,500-meter race.
AT&T, who went big on Olympic-themed campaigns, had four of the five “most-liked” TV ads, with the Eaton commercial taking the top spot, according to Nielsen data released Sept. 17.
The research firm verifies popularity based on the percentage of adults who recalled the ad, recalled the brand and liked the ad.
The commercial featuring Eaton had a likeability score of 32 percent, compared to the average of 14 percent for the wireless category.
Everyone loves Pandora
Internet radio service Pandora remains popular with advertisers.
Pandora, which recently announced 56 million active listeners by the end of August, is viewed as a “very efficient local buy for large, national advertisers,” MediaPost News quoted a Wall Street analyst.
Pre-roll online spots should also continue to acquire more advertising cash, the analyst said. With pre-roll, she wrote, the interest is alleviated by a “lack of a comprehensive measurement system.”
Post from: SiteProNews
Google is appealing an order granting the authors class-action status.
A 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge in New York said the Authors Guild — which sued Google seven years ago over the corporation’s plans to create the world’s largest digital books library, agreed to the suspension.
The appeals court has given Google permission to challenge a May 31 ruling. The appeal has not yet been scheduled.
In March 2001, the judge rejected a $125-million settlement, saying it gave Google too much authority to copy books without consent from authors.
Apple Sets Record with iPhone 5 Pre-Orders
Apple has set a new record with its iPhone 5.
With more than 2 million iPhone 5 devices pre-ordered Sept. 14, Apple has doubled its previous record for a new device.
“iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal,” said Apple senior vice-president of worldwide marketing Philip Schiller in a written statement.
Consumers weren’t the only enthusiasts, however. Wall Street responded to pre-order numbers by raising Apple shares to more than $700, a first for the corporation.
Google buys Snapseed
Google has purchased the company behind photo-sharing application Snapseed.
The purchase comes just a week after Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram became official.
Financial aspects of the deal for Nik Software were not divulged.
“We want to help our users create photos they absolutely love, and in our experience Nik does this better than anyone,” Google vice-president of engineering Vic Gundotra wrote in a post on the Internet giant’s social network.
Google+ surpassed 400 million members this week, with 100 million people using the social network each month, Gundotra wrote.
Google launched Google+ a year ago in an effort to take on Facebook.
Olympic-themed ads put AT&T at top
An American Olympic gold medalist helped AT&T race past the competition in TV spots run this summer by the U.S. major wireless carriers.
AT&T’s 30-second spot featured a young athlete inspired by watching Ashton Eaton — on an AT&T powered device of course — win the 1,500-meter race.
AT&T, who went big on Olympic-themed campaigns, had four of the five “most-liked” TV ads, with the Eaton commercial taking the top spot, according to Nielsen data released Sept. 17.
The research firm verifies popularity based on the percentage of adults who recalled the ad, recalled the brand and liked the ad.
The commercial featuring Eaton had a likeability score of 32 percent, compared to the average of 14 percent for the wireless category.
Everyone loves Pandora
Internet radio service Pandora remains popular with advertisers.
Pandora, which recently announced 56 million active listeners by the end of August, is viewed as a “very efficient local buy for large, national advertisers,” MediaPost News quoted a Wall Street analyst.
Pre-roll online spots should also continue to acquire more advertising cash, the analyst said. With pre-roll, she wrote, the interest is alleviated by a “lack of a comprehensive measurement system.”
Post from: SiteProNews
Microsoft Rebrands adCenter to Bing Ads
We’re
pleased to announce Bing Ads as the new name for Microsoft Advertising
adCenter, the tool you use to manage search ads on the Yahoo! Bing
Network.
Bing Ads is not only a new name, but an improved experience with new features to help you better manage your campaigns and complete tasks faster. If you’ve been following along here on the blog, you know that we’ve been listening to your feedback and have been hard at work making a number of enhancements to the platform over the past few months. Recent improvements include: a new web interface, improved ad rotation controls, and agency enablement tools that make it easier for agencies to manage multiple accounts.
With these updates and others that are planned, we think it will be easier than ever before for customers to create, manage, and optimize search ads on The Yahoo! Bing Network.
Introducing the Yahoo! Bing Network
In addition to Bing Ads, we’d like to take a moment to introduce to you the Yahoo! Bing Network,
the new name for the unique audience that uses Yahoo! Search, and Bing,
and our partner sites. Delivering a high-quality audience, the
Yahoo! Bing Network is comprised of 151 million unique searchers in the
U.S. who are likely to spend 24% more than the average searcher, and
likely to spend 5% more than Google searchers in the U.S.*.
Bing Ads helps you efficiently reach new customers, providing you with the support you need to get started, optimize your campaign and measure your results - all within your budget.
Check out bingads.com and be sure to follow Bing Ads on Facebook and Twitter.
*Source: US, comScore Core Search (custom), June 2012
Bing Ads is not only a new name, but an improved experience with new features to help you better manage your campaigns and complete tasks faster. If you’ve been following along here on the blog, you know that we’ve been listening to your feedback and have been hard at work making a number of enhancements to the platform over the past few months. Recent improvements include: a new web interface, improved ad rotation controls, and agency enablement tools that make it easier for agencies to manage multiple accounts.
With these updates and others that are planned, we think it will be easier than ever before for customers to create, manage, and optimize search ads on The Yahoo! Bing Network.
Introducing the Yahoo! Bing Network
In addition to Bing Ads, we’d like to take a moment to introduce to you the Yahoo! Bing Network,
the new name for the unique audience that uses Yahoo! Search, and Bing,
and our partner sites. Delivering a high-quality audience, the
Yahoo! Bing Network is comprised of 151 million unique searchers in the
U.S. who are likely to spend 24% more than the average searcher, and
likely to spend 5% more than Google searchers in the U.S.*.Bing Ads helps you efficiently reach new customers, providing you with the support you need to get started, optimize your campaign and measure your results - all within your budget.
Check out bingads.com and be sure to follow Bing Ads on Facebook and Twitter.
*Source: US, comScore Core Search (custom), June 2012
Apple Shutting Down iTunes Ping on Sept. 30
Looks like the approximately five people who use Apple's Ping social network are going to have to find another place to talk about music.
Confirming an earlier rumor, Apple quietly confirmed that it is shutting down Ping, the music-focused social network in iTunes, at the end of the month. News of the shutdown came as Apple revealed a new version of iTunes with greater social media integration.
"Ping will no longer be available as of September 30," Apple wrote in a message on the Ping iTunes page. "Thank you for your interest in Ping. We are no longer accepting new members."
A report surfaced back in June that Apple would be nixing Ping from future versions of iTunes. That came after Tim Cook said at the D10 tech conference that he didn't know what the future held for the iTunes-based social service.
Read More ...
Instagram Has 100M Users
Instagram, a mobile-only photo-sharing app, had 30 million users at the time of purchase. Tuesday, Zuckerberg said that number has grown to 100 million.
“They are killing it,” he said at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco.
Instagram, which officially became part of the Facebook empire last week, will not be assimilated into the company’s infrastructure, Zuckerberg assured fans of the service.
“Our mission with Instagram is we want to help them grow to hundreds of millions of users,” Zuckerberg was quoted by TechCrunch. “We have no agenda with making them go onto our
infrastructure.”
According to a Business Insider report, “after Facebook, which has 543 million monthly active users on mobile, and Twitter which has 140 million daily active users across all platforms, no social network is close to as big as Instagram is on mobile.”
Pinterest, in recent months, has turned down acquisition offers above $2 billion. If Instagram were still an independent company, the report said, “it would surely be getting better offers than that.”
Post from: SiteProNews
Free Wi-Fi Stations Across America
Boingo is teaming up with Google Play to offer free Wi-Fi at more than 4,000 hotspots across the U.S.
Android users and those with OS X or a Windows computer can make use of hotspots – high-traffic locations such as hotels and airports – but iOS, Windows Phone and Blackberry users will be out of luck.
The plan, part of Boingo’s Cloud Nine Media platform, will also enable advertisers to reach new consumers through various Wi-Fi sponsorships.
According to news reports, those accessing the Wi-Fi hotspots will have access to free content as well as to the usual apps, music, movies and e-books available on Google Play.
The Rich and the Young Own Most Smartphones
Well-off Americans and “younger users” are most apt to own a Smartphone, a survey has found.
According to the Pew Internet & American Life project, Smartphone use is “highest among those 18 to 49 and for those making more than $50,000 per year, especially those whose incomes exceed $75,000 annually. Sixty-eight percent of that group now have Smartphones.”
A survey of 3,000 adults this month found 45 percent of Americans 18 and older now own Smartphones. That number rises to 88 percent when looking only at mobile subscribers, the survey found.
Nielsen reported comparable demographics in its recently released survey.
“Overall, young adults are leading the growth in Smartphone ownership in the U.S. with 74 percent of 25 to 34 year olds now owning Smartphones, up from 59 percent in July 2011,” the report said.
Print Advertising Continues Downward Trend
Overall media ad spending may be on the rise, but print advertising continues to decline, according to Kantar Media findings.
2012 numbers seem to indicate the downward spiral of print media is a trend unlikely to change anytime soon.
Total spending grew by 0.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2012 to $34 billion compared to the same quarter last year. Combined with a 2.6 percent rise in the first quarter, the overall growth rate stands at 1.9 percent in the first half of the year to $67 billion.
Kantar Media said TV ad spending grew 4.4 per cent, outdoor rose 2.5 percent and radio increased 1.9 percent.
Local newspapers saw ad spending dip 1.9 percent, Spanish-language papers fell 2.5 percent and national newspapers plunged 10.7 percent. Consumer magazine ad spending dropped 2.6 percent.
Too Much Info, Mobile Users Say
It’s a matter of message overload.
Too much information is the No. 1 reason mobile phone users unsubscribe from mobile marketing updates, a September 2012 report from Vibes found.
Sixty-nine percent of mobile phone users and 86 percent of “showroomers” pointed to too many messages or updates.
Vibes described a showroom shopper as “one who uses a store’s physical location as a showroom for products instead of a place of business.”
Consumers, instead, indicated a preference for short, infrequent updates from brands.
Post from: SiteProNews
Android users and those with OS X or a Windows computer can make use of hotspots – high-traffic locations such as hotels and airports – but iOS, Windows Phone and Blackberry users will be out of luck.
The plan, part of Boingo’s Cloud Nine Media platform, will also enable advertisers to reach new consumers through various Wi-Fi sponsorships.
According to news reports, those accessing the Wi-Fi hotspots will have access to free content as well as to the usual apps, music, movies and e-books available on Google Play.
The Rich and the Young Own Most Smartphones
Well-off Americans and “younger users” are most apt to own a Smartphone, a survey has found.
According to the Pew Internet & American Life project, Smartphone use is “highest among those 18 to 49 and for those making more than $50,000 per year, especially those whose incomes exceed $75,000 annually. Sixty-eight percent of that group now have Smartphones.”
A survey of 3,000 adults this month found 45 percent of Americans 18 and older now own Smartphones. That number rises to 88 percent when looking only at mobile subscribers, the survey found.
Nielsen reported comparable demographics in its recently released survey.
“Overall, young adults are leading the growth in Smartphone ownership in the U.S. with 74 percent of 25 to 34 year olds now owning Smartphones, up from 59 percent in July 2011,” the report said.
Print Advertising Continues Downward Trend
Overall media ad spending may be on the rise, but print advertising continues to decline, according to Kantar Media findings.
2012 numbers seem to indicate the downward spiral of print media is a trend unlikely to change anytime soon.
Total spending grew by 0.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2012 to $34 billion compared to the same quarter last year. Combined with a 2.6 percent rise in the first quarter, the overall growth rate stands at 1.9 percent in the first half of the year to $67 billion.
Kantar Media said TV ad spending grew 4.4 per cent, outdoor rose 2.5 percent and radio increased 1.9 percent.
Local newspapers saw ad spending dip 1.9 percent, Spanish-language papers fell 2.5 percent and national newspapers plunged 10.7 percent. Consumer magazine ad spending dropped 2.6 percent.
Too Much Info, Mobile Users Say
It’s a matter of message overload.
Too much information is the No. 1 reason mobile phone users unsubscribe from mobile marketing updates, a September 2012 report from Vibes found.
Sixty-nine percent of mobile phone users and 86 percent of “showroomers” pointed to too many messages or updates.
Vibes described a showroom shopper as “one who uses a store’s physical location as a showroom for products instead of a place of business.”
Consumers, instead, indicated a preference for short, infrequent updates from brands.
Post from: SiteProNews
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