Thursday, September 24, 2009
Report: Google Exec Named as Obama's Deputy CTO
The Obama administration had reportedly snapped up another Google executive.Andrew McLaughlin, head of public policy for Google, will leave the company to become Obama's deputy chief technology officer, reporting to CTO Aneesh Chopra.McLaughlin joined Google five years ago, and has also worked at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).Google CEO Eric Schmidt served on Obama's transition team, but insisted that he did not want the CTO role. Others were not as hesitant - Katie Stanton, a former Google project manager, is now the White House director of citizen participation, and former Google.org executive Sonal Shah is the head of the White House office of social innovation.
Kundra Not Concerned About Tech Execs Joining Obama Team
Vivek Kundra, national chief information officer, is not concerned that hiring top technology executives to serve in the Obama administration poses any ethical dilemmas.
The federal government has more than four million employees and 10,000 information technology systems, so the hiring of a handful of Google or Microsoft executives is barely a blip on the radar, Kundra said during Tuesday's Personal Democracy Forum.
"What I would say is that it's so exciting to actually be in an administration where I have access to some of the brightest minds when it comes to information technology," Kundra said in a response to a question. "Those people are coming to serve in the interest of their country and [are] driving towards making change that's fundamental and structural [and] extremely important in terms of where we're headed."
Those people include Andrew McLaughlin, a former Google policy executive who last month was selected as deputy chief technology officer. The appointment prompted protests from consumer groups who argued that hiring McLaughlin was a conflict of interest.
In April, meanwhile, Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Craig Mundie, Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer, were named to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), an advisory group intended to help the president and vice president develop tech-related policies.
Kundra was not concerned that any of these executives would greatly influence technology policy.
"As far as the universe of people who are involved in [government] technology, you can slice and dice it so many ways because you're talking about tens of thousands of people who are working in information technology," he said.
The contributions of someone like McLaughlin, while important, are a "small percentage" of the overall work on federal IT projects, Kundra said.
Macon Philips, the White House director of new media, agreed.
"What we are trying to do is bring in a lot of people who can facilitate a process, really think about how we can make the government more transparent, and involve the public in our decision making," Philips said.
These executives "get that in their gut, and they care every day about ways that we can be more open," Philips said.
The doubters, meanwhile, can keep the government in check, Kundra said, by keeping tabs of IT projects via the newly announced IT Dashboard Web site.
"You'll be able to see everything online ... when it comes to procurements, contracts, and investments across the board," he said.
The federal government has more than four million employees and 10,000 information technology systems, so the hiring of a handful of Google or Microsoft executives is barely a blip on the radar, Kundra said during Tuesday's Personal Democracy Forum.
"What I would say is that it's so exciting to actually be in an administration where I have access to some of the brightest minds when it comes to information technology," Kundra said in a response to a question. "Those people are coming to serve in the interest of their country and [are] driving towards making change that's fundamental and structural [and] extremely important in terms of where we're headed."
Those people include Andrew McLaughlin, a former Google policy executive who last month was selected as deputy chief technology officer. The appointment prompted protests from consumer groups who argued that hiring McLaughlin was a conflict of interest.
In April, meanwhile, Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Craig Mundie, Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer, were named to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), an advisory group intended to help the president and vice president develop tech-related policies.
Kundra was not concerned that any of these executives would greatly influence technology policy.
"As far as the universe of people who are involved in [government] technology, you can slice and dice it so many ways because you're talking about tens of thousands of people who are working in information technology," he said.
The contributions of someone like McLaughlin, while important, are a "small percentage" of the overall work on federal IT projects, Kundra said.
Macon Philips, the White House director of new media, agreed.
"What we are trying to do is bring in a lot of people who can facilitate a process, really think about how we can make the government more transparent, and involve the public in our decision making," Philips said.
These executives "get that in their gut, and they care every day about ways that we can be more open," Philips said.
The doubters, meanwhile, can keep the government in check, Kundra said, by keeping tabs of IT projects via the newly announced IT Dashboard Web site.
"You'll be able to see everything online ... when it comes to procurements, contracts, and investments across the board," he said.
Government Site Exposes U.S. IT Spending
The U.S. government spends over $70 billion a year on IT projects, but how much of that money is wasted thanks to inefficient processes, lackluster management, or antiquated ideas?
The Obama administration is looking to shine a light on its IT investments with a new Web site that will provide detailed information about how federal funds are allocated, where they are spent, and whether the projects are living up to their expectations.
"One of the biggest challenges we see today ... is how we make sure that the investments we're making in IT actually produce the dividends that were promised," Vivek Kundra, the nation's chief information agency, said during Tuesdays's Personal Democracy Forum in Manhattan.
Kundra was on hand to unveil the IT Dashboard, a Web site that will let users drill down on IT spending for 27 agencies across the board - from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to NASA and the Smithsonian Institution.
Last year, over $30 billion in IT projects were wasted, Kundra said, but the government provided little data beyond a single list of the projects that were in trouble.
"Thirty billion dollars of taxpayer money - that's unacceptable," he said. "What the Obama administration is committed to is laying a new foundation when it comes to transparency, accountability and responsibility - especially when you look at how we manage IT investments."
The site provides a "performance dashboard" for all agencies, with a pie chart that provides details on the percentage of projects that are normal, that need attention, or that have significant concerns. That data is then broken down by whether the troubles are finance-related, off schedule, or simply have not yet been evaluated.
The Department of Defense, for example, is spending $9.6 billion in fiscal year 2009 on 62 major IT projects. Of those 62 projects, 79 percent are rated as normal and 16 percent need attention. About 5 percent have significant concerns, including a $236 million Air Force combat support system, and a $126 million Defense agencies project intended to make the department more net-centric.
Want to share the data you've found on IT Dashboard? Each agency breakdown features a "share" button that includes a URL, embed code, and the ability to share via Facebook, Twitter, or delicious. The data can also be added to an RSS feed.
"It's not enough to just roll up information and make it available in an abstract fashion," Kundra said. "We need to be able to go down to the deepest level in terms of data and information performance."
Get the rest of this story on pcmag.com.
The Obama administration is looking to shine a light on its IT investments with a new Web site that will provide detailed information about how federal funds are allocated, where they are spent, and whether the projects are living up to their expectations.
"One of the biggest challenges we see today ... is how we make sure that the investments we're making in IT actually produce the dividends that were promised," Vivek Kundra, the nation's chief information agency, said during Tuesdays's Personal Democracy Forum in Manhattan.
Kundra was on hand to unveil the IT Dashboard, a Web site that will let users drill down on IT spending for 27 agencies across the board - from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to NASA and the Smithsonian Institution.
Last year, over $30 billion in IT projects were wasted, Kundra said, but the government provided little data beyond a single list of the projects that were in trouble.
"Thirty billion dollars of taxpayer money - that's unacceptable," he said. "What the Obama administration is committed to is laying a new foundation when it comes to transparency, accountability and responsibility - especially when you look at how we manage IT investments."
The site provides a "performance dashboard" for all agencies, with a pie chart that provides details on the percentage of projects that are normal, that need attention, or that have significant concerns. That data is then broken down by whether the troubles are finance-related, off schedule, or simply have not yet been evaluated.
The Department of Defense, for example, is spending $9.6 billion in fiscal year 2009 on 62 major IT projects. Of those 62 projects, 79 percent are rated as normal and 16 percent need attention. About 5 percent have significant concerns, including a $236 million Air Force combat support system, and a $126 million Defense agencies project intended to make the department more net-centric.
Want to share the data you've found on IT Dashboard? Each agency breakdown features a "share" button that includes a URL, embed code, and the ability to share via Facebook, Twitter, or delicious. The data can also be added to an RSS feed.
"It's not enough to just roll up information and make it available in an abstract fashion," Kundra said. "We need to be able to go down to the deepest level in terms of data and information performance."
Get the rest of this story on pcmag.com.
Navteq Revamps Mobile Traffic Web Site
Navteq, the digital mapping company, has unveiled a new version of its
WAP site for cell phones. The new site offers up-to-the-minute traffic
reports, including travel times, vehicle speeds, delay times, accident
reports, and what the company calls the Jam Factor, a numerical traffic
measurement scale that color-codes worsening or improving trends on a
particular road.
To hit the Web site, key in mobi.traffic.com from any cell phone Web
browser. You can use the site without registering, but Navteq prefers
that you set up a login on their desktop www.traffic.com Web site
first--that lets you save commonly used routes (such as your daily
commute or a typical weekend trip), which you can then call up with a
single button press on the WAP site.
WAP site for cell phones. The new site offers up-to-the-minute traffic
reports, including travel times, vehicle speeds, delay times, accident
reports, and what the company calls the Jam Factor, a numerical traffic
measurement scale that color-codes worsening or improving trends on a
particular road.
To hit the Web site, key in mobi.traffic.com from any cell phone Web
browser. You can use the site without registering, but Navteq prefers
that you set up a login on their desktop www.traffic.com Web site
first--that lets you save commonly used routes (such as your daily
commute or a typical weekend trip), which you can then call up with a
single button press on the WAP site.
Mozilla Wants a "Shiretoko Shock" for Firefox 3.5 Release
With today's release of Firefox 3.5, which went by the codename of "Shiretoko," the folks at Mozilla want its fans to bombard the social web with celebratory posts in a shock wave that circles the globe. Firefox partisans can head to Spread Firefox
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Republicans Try Their Hand at Social Media
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is readying its Web site for a relaunch that promises to incorporate the social media tools the party admits to ignoring during the 2008 election, but is today's Web 2.0 friendly to the GOP?
"Conservatives didn't use the tools" available to them during the election, Todd Herman, the RNC's new media director, told attendees at the Personal Democracy Forum. "But that's changing."
Herman, who previously served as general manager for media strategy and monetization for Microsoft's MSN network as well as streaming media evangelist at MSNBC.com, joined the RNC in March.
Herman expects to unveil a revamped GOP.com in about 45 days, he said. RNC Chairman Michael Steele has ordered him to "take the lid off" in redesigning the site, and Herman said he is eager to comply.
"To the consternation of the communications staff of the RNC, I am innately set on open," Herman said. "I am innately set to take your point of view and discuss it."
Herman suggested, however, that the "rules of engagement" regarding social media do not necessarily favor Republicans. Services like Google News are using techniques that are "anti-SEO" - search engine optimization - he said.
Herman pointed to Google News and its coverage of the American Medical Association's (AMA) opposition to Obama's plan for a government-sponsored insurance plan.
Google News, he said, provided links to an ABC news story about its healthcare town hall with Obama, and a Media Matters story about how the GOP had branded that town hall a failure, but nothing that used a phrase close to "AMA rejects Obama plan".
To find such a headline, one would have to go to a "not very well-trafficked blog," Herman said. That blog linked to a New York Times story on the issue that Herman acknowledged was "well done." He did not, however, like the fact that the Times used the phrase "doctor's group" in the headline instead of AMA.
Searching for the AMA story on Google.com, however, turned up the desired results, Herman said. Later, he also said that Google is his favorite search engine.
What does Google think about that?
Get the rest of this story on pcmag.com.
Side Note: In other Todd Herman news, on a day when CNN took some heat for referring to Twitter members as "sources", a note on Herman's Twitter feed caught my eye. He writes that his Tweets are his own beliefs and not that of the GOP or the RNC - standard disclaimer fare. But then he goes on to say that "reporters who quote tweets without calls to confirm are acting like gossip columnists." Thoughts?
"Conservatives didn't use the tools" available to them during the election, Todd Herman, the RNC's new media director, told attendees at the Personal Democracy Forum. "But that's changing."
Herman, who previously served as general manager for media strategy and monetization for Microsoft's MSN network as well as streaming media evangelist at MSNBC.com, joined the RNC in March.
Herman expects to unveil a revamped GOP.com in about 45 days, he said. RNC Chairman Michael Steele has ordered him to "take the lid off" in redesigning the site, and Herman said he is eager to comply.
"To the consternation of the communications staff of the RNC, I am innately set on open," Herman said. "I am innately set to take your point of view and discuss it."
Herman suggested, however, that the "rules of engagement" regarding social media do not necessarily favor Republicans. Services like Google News are using techniques that are "anti-SEO" - search engine optimization - he said.
Herman pointed to Google News and its coverage of the American Medical Association's (AMA) opposition to Obama's plan for a government-sponsored insurance plan.
Google News, he said, provided links to an ABC news story about its healthcare town hall with Obama, and a Media Matters story about how the GOP had branded that town hall a failure, but nothing that used a phrase close to "AMA rejects Obama plan".
To find such a headline, one would have to go to a "not very well-trafficked blog," Herman said. That blog linked to a New York Times story on the issue that Herman acknowledged was "well done." He did not, however, like the fact that the Times used the phrase "doctor's group" in the headline instead of AMA.
Searching for the AMA story on Google.com, however, turned up the desired results, Herman said. Later, he also said that Google is his favorite search engine.
What does Google think about that?
Get the rest of this story on pcmag.com.
Side Note: In other Todd Herman news, on a day when CNN took some heat for referring to Twitter members as "sources", a note on Herman's Twitter feed caught my eye. He writes that his Tweets are his own beliefs and not that of the GOP or the RNC - standard disclaimer fare. But then he goes on to say that "reporters who quote tweets without calls to confirm are acting like gossip columnists." Thoughts?
Unwanted Ctrl Alt Del at Startup
Q: When I log on to my computer there is a new message to log on to my computer. It says "Press ctrl-alt-delete to log on". Is this part of the new Microsoft updates for Vista or what? Is this something I have to be worried about? - Packer56.
A: For greater security, Vista and Windows 7 can optionally require users to press Ctrl Alt Del at logon. I haven't seen any reports of it turning on spontaneously, with or without a Windows Update. In any case here's how to control it.
The parallel feature in Windows XP was reached by clicking "Change the way users log on or off" in the User Accounts applet from Control Panel. In Vista and Windows 7 it's in a completely different location. Click the Start orb and launch NETPLWIZ (you can also click Start, click Run, and enter CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2). Click the Advanced tab, un-check the box "Require users to press Ctrl Alt Delete", and click OK. Done! - Neil J. Rubenking.
A: For greater security, Vista and Windows 7 can optionally require users to press Ctrl Alt Del at logon. I haven't seen any reports of it turning on spontaneously, with or without a Windows Update. In any case here's how to control it.
The parallel feature in Windows XP was reached by clicking "Change the way users log on or off" in the User Accounts applet from Control Panel. In Vista and Windows 7 it's in a completely different location. Click the Start orb and launch NETPLWIZ (you can also click Start, click Run, and enter CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2). Click the Advanced tab, un-check the box "Require users to press Ctrl Alt Delete", and click OK. Done! - Neil J. Rubenking.
Facebook: Free Speech Is Really Hard
In the wake of the controversy surrounding the Holocaust denial groups on Facebook, Randi Zuckerberg, the site's marketing director (and sister of founder Mark), said Tuesday that it's difficult to navigate the ins and outs of the First Amendment.
"Free speech is really hard," Zuckerberg said at the Personal Democracy Forum in Manhattan. "It's something that we believe in very passionately as a company but it's a really hard issue."
Facebook took some heat last month after it refused to pull down Holocaust denial groups. The site eventually removed two groups after members made violent statements, but Facebook said its terms of service allows members to speak their minds as long as they do not advocate violence against other people.
"Our terms of service claim that if you are saying something that is hateful [or] if you are spreading words of violence that it comes down immediately," Zuckerberg said.
"When you have a site with over 200 million people, [they] are going to say things that are controversial or you don't agree with or that personally may make you furious or upset," she continued. "But just because they say that doesn't mean that it's hate, it doesn't mean that we should be censoring it. So it's a very difficult line, and that's where we are right now."
"Free speech is really hard," Zuckerberg said at the Personal Democracy Forum in Manhattan. "It's something that we believe in very passionately as a company but it's a really hard issue."
Facebook took some heat last month after it refused to pull down Holocaust denial groups. The site eventually removed two groups after members made violent statements, but Facebook said its terms of service allows members to speak their minds as long as they do not advocate violence against other people.
"Our terms of service claim that if you are saying something that is hateful [or] if you are spreading words of violence that it comes down immediately," Zuckerberg said.
"When you have a site with over 200 million people, [they] are going to say things that are controversial or you don't agree with or that personally may make you furious or upset," she continued. "But just because they say that doesn't mean that it's hate, it doesn't mean that we should be censoring it. So it's a very difficult line, and that's where we are right now."
Apple Releases iPhone OS 3.1 Beta for Developers
Apple this week released a beta version of the iPhone 3.1 software. At the moment the beta is intended only for app developers and isn't really recommended for the rest of us. A number of blogs have already begun digging around in the software already, of course, and have uncovered a handful of new features.
Among them are Bluetooth integration for voice control, non-destructive video editing, AT
Among them are Bluetooth integration for voice control, non-destructive video editing, AT
Twitter Adds Flickr Integration
Move over Twitpic--and the countless other third-party apps that beat Flickr to the Twitter game. The Yahoo-owned photo sharing site yesterday announced the release of Flickr2Twitter, an app that lets users publish photo links directly to the micro-blogging site, using the flic.kr domain.
Flickr also recently started its own Twitter feed, which at this point, is pretty much just a running ad for the new Flickr2Twitter feature, which has been beta testing for the past couple of weeks. They do, however, already have more than 3,000 followers, due likely in no small part to those kissing birds in the background.
Flickr also recently started its own Twitter feed, which at this point, is pretty much just a running ad for the new Flickr2Twitter feature, which has been beta testing for the past couple of weeks. They do, however, already have more than 3,000 followers, due likely in no small part to those kissing birds in the background.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Twitter Doesn't Want Developers Using "Tweet" in Apps
Is Twitter becoming Apple? The micro-blogging service has apparently begun confronting third-party developers for the use of the word "Tweet" in the names of their apps--a word for which Twitter filed a trademark, back in April of this year. The note reads, in part,
Twitter, Inc is uncomfortable with the use of the word Tweet (our trademark) and the similarity in your UI and our own. How can we go about having you change your UI to better differentiate your offering from our own?
As TechCrunch helpfully points out, there are a number of existing apps that already use the word in their name, like TweetDeck, TweetMeme, Tweetie, BackTweets, Tweetboard--just to name a few.
No word on whether the company has begun silencing song birds as well.
Twitter, Inc is uncomfortable with the use of the word Tweet (our trademark) and the similarity in your UI and our own. How can we go about having you change your UI to better differentiate your offering from our own?
As TechCrunch helpfully points out, there are a number of existing apps that already use the word in their name, like TweetDeck, TweetMeme, Tweetie, BackTweets, Tweetboard--just to name a few.
No word on whether the company has begun silencing song birds as well.
Twitter Updates Following and Follower Pages
Twitter today trickled out a few more improvements to its service today, updating the Following and Follower pages with additional information and features. Now users can get a better picture of those they're following and vice versa, without having to actually visit their profile page.
New features on the page include SMS, direct message, and unfollow. The page now also features user bios and their last tweet.
New features on the page include SMS, direct message, and unfollow. The page now also features user bios and their last tweet.
Which Security Suite?
Q: I recently purchased a new Dell machine and I was told by Dell that the McAfee security software was not a good choice even though it came with a 30 day free trial version from Dell on the machine. Is there any truth to this or are they just trying to sell me another security suite? They want me to buy Norton 360 at $79 a pop. - Gene DeMarco.
A: In my own testing Norton comes out significantly ahead of McAfee (though McAfee has promised me Great New Things in the version coming later this year). I use Norton Internet Security 2009 myself. With Norton 360 you're paying $10 more for a backup system and system tune-up.
The other top suite in my estimation is Zone Alarm Extreme Security ($69.95). You'll find reviews of these and others at http://go.pcmag.com/securitysuites.
It isn't like they're encouraging you to pay $79 versus no dollars at all. You'd still have to pay for the McAfee after 30 days. This is what I'd recommend: Don't buy anything through Dell, check out the security suite reviews, and select one that looks good to you. Then install the trial version (usually 30-day) of that suite. Assuming you like it, convert the trial to a paid subscription before the trial period runs out. - Neil J. Rubenking.
A: In my own testing Norton comes out significantly ahead of McAfee (though McAfee has promised me Great New Things in the version coming later this year). I use Norton Internet Security 2009 myself. With Norton 360 you're paying $10 more for a backup system and system tune-up.
The other top suite in my estimation is Zone Alarm Extreme Security ($69.95). You'll find reviews of these and others at http://go.pcmag.com/securitysuites.
It isn't like they're encouraging you to pay $79 versus no dollars at all. You'd still have to pay for the McAfee after 30 days. This is what I'd recommend: Don't buy anything through Dell, check out the security suite reviews, and select one that looks good to you. Then install the trial version (usually 30-day) of that suite. Assuming you like it, convert the trial to a paid subscription before the trial period runs out. - Neil J. Rubenking.
Messed-Up Registry Export
Q: Operating system is Windows XP. I wanted to get a view of some parts of the Registry. I used REGEDIT to export the entirety of HKEY_CURRENT_USER. I reviewed the output in Notepad. It looked fine - nice 80 character lines broken at a backslash character if necessary. I wrote a simple REXX program to process this file and it totally failed. Every line of text had an inserted space between each character. I checked with a hex editor - it was actually 00 byte after each character.
Why does REGEDIT insert these null characters? Why would Notepad display the file as if the nulls didn't exist? It appears Notepad can't be trusted to accurately display files. This is disquieting to say the least. Are there any other problems with Notepad? - Bruce Goetz.
A: Notepad is fine, and REGEDIT is fine. What you didn't realize is that the default REGEDIT export format in XP, Vista, and Windows 7 is Unicode text. Each character occupies two bytes. Since these are actually standard ANSI characters the high byte is always 0. Your REXX program is trying to read the file as if it were standard one-byte ANSI text; naturally that doesn't work.
The best solution is to export the data from REGEDIT as ANSI text. To do so, pull down the "Save as type" list and choose "Win9x/NT4 Registration Files (*.reg)". Now when you export the file it will be in simple ANSI text format and your REXX program will have no trouble reading it. I do this all the time when I want to use the built in FC (File Compare) command to check for differences in Registry settings; FC doesn't handle Unicode text either. - Neil J. Rubenking.
Why does REGEDIT insert these null characters? Why would Notepad display the file as if the nulls didn't exist? It appears Notepad can't be trusted to accurately display files. This is disquieting to say the least. Are there any other problems with Notepad? - Bruce Goetz.
A: Notepad is fine, and REGEDIT is fine. What you didn't realize is that the default REGEDIT export format in XP, Vista, and Windows 7 is Unicode text. Each character occupies two bytes. Since these are actually standard ANSI characters the high byte is always 0. Your REXX program is trying to read the file as if it were standard one-byte ANSI text; naturally that doesn't work.
The best solution is to export the data from REGEDIT as ANSI text. To do so, pull down the "Save as type" list and choose "Win9x/NT4 Registration Files (*.reg)". Now when you export the file it will be in simple ANSI text format and your REXX program will have no trouble reading it. I do this all the time when I want to use the built in FC (File Compare) command to check for differences in Registry settings; FC doesn't handle Unicode text either. - Neil J. Rubenking.
Warranty Elephant Never Forgets your Service Agreements
An important factor to consider when deciding to make a large purchase is the warranty and any promises of support and maintenance that come along with the product. Unfortunately, once that new LCD TV has been on the wall for three years or that computer under your desk for two, it's easy to forget who to call when you have a problem with it, even if it's still under warranty. Warranty Elephant, a Web service born from one person's experience with a product under warranty but no phone number to call when it broke, wants to make sure you never have to dig through piles of paperwork to find out who to call when your stuff breaks--especially if you paid extra to make sure you were covered if it did.
Google Unveils Gmail Drag, Drop Features
I am among the Gmail faithful, but its folder system, or lack thereof, has always been somewhat of a drawback. Google took steps to fix this problem Wednesday with the release of several new drag, drop, and hide features intended to make it easier to organize your Gmail inbox.
First up is a new location for labels. They are currently listed as a separate section underneath Chat, but will now be grouped together with the inbox, drafts, chats, and other labels. If you don't want to clutter your inbox, the upgrade also lets you hide those labels you don't use very often. Clicking the down arrow next to a label will allow you to show, hide, or delete it.
Need a bulk edit? Go to the labels tab under "settings" and re-arrange en masse.
"For those of you who created label names like _stuff or todo to force your most-used labels to the top of the list (come on, you know who you are, I did it too...), you don't have to come up with clever tricks like that anymore," Google wrote in a blog post.
Also new is the ability to drag and drop e-mails.
"This does the exact same thing as 'Move to' -- it labels and archives in one step," Google said. "You can drag labels onto messages too. It's the same thing as using the 'Label' button."
It's also possible to drag labels into the "more" menu to hide them and vice versa.
The label changes mean that Google will discontinue right-side labels in Gmail Labs - the first Labs product to be cut.
"Now that labels aren't in their own little box and take up much less space, moving them around the screen didn't seem as important," Google said.
Google will be rolling out the label updates throughout the day, so check back later if you don't see them immediately.
First up is a new location for labels. They are currently listed as a separate section underneath Chat, but will now be grouped together with the inbox, drafts, chats, and other labels. If you don't want to clutter your inbox, the upgrade also lets you hide those labels you don't use very often. Clicking the down arrow next to a label will allow you to show, hide, or delete it.
Need a bulk edit? Go to the labels tab under "settings" and re-arrange en masse.
"For those of you who created label names like _stuff or todo to force your most-used labels to the top of the list (come on, you know who you are, I did it too...), you don't have to come up with clever tricks like that anymore," Google wrote in a blog post.
Also new is the ability to drag and drop e-mails.
"This does the exact same thing as 'Move to' -- it labels and archives in one step," Google said. "You can drag labels onto messages too. It's the same thing as using the 'Label' button."
It's also possible to drag labels into the "more" menu to hide them and vice versa.
The label changes mean that Google will discontinue right-side labels in Gmail Labs - the first Labs product to be cut.
"Now that labels aren't in their own little box and take up much less space, moving them around the screen didn't seem as important," Google said.
Google will be rolling out the label updates throughout the day, so check back later if you don't see them immediately.
Block, Rojas Launch Gdgt Site
Ryan Block and Peter Rojas are the closest to rock stars the tech journalism world has. Between the two of them, they started both Gizmodo and Engadget and became the mainstream media's top example of hip tech-journalism moguls. Rojas then started a record label, RCRD LBL, and Block has been named to lists like Fortune's "Web Celebs" and Paper Magazine's "Beautiful People." Further enhancing their mystique, both are members of Web 2.0 power couples: Block's longtime girlfriend is geek heartthrob Veronica Belmont, while Rojas' wife Jill Fehrenbacher is a respected design blogger.All this goes to explain why the launch of their new site, gdgt.com, is important. Block and Rojas have been incubating gdgt.com since Block left Engadget in 2008, posting weekly podcasts and the occasional liveblog. But they launched the real site today, and it's really interesting. Rather than a news-driven blog or reviews-driven Web site, gdgt is entirely community driven--it's a collection of lists of gadgets people want, gadgets people have, and places for people to ask each other questions about their gadgets. Third-party reviews, news links to other sites, product finders and user-editable spec sheets fill out the mix. It's like Wikipedia for gadget fans.A community site is only as good as its community, and Ryan and Peter have managed to get many of the top tech journalists to take a peek in. (When I logged in this morning, I saw that Lance Ulanoff had just signed up.) Belmont does the site's introductory video. It's definitely worth a look, especially if you like to chat about gadgets.
Etiquette Avenue: iPhone App Helps You Mind Your Manners
The thousands of apps in the iTunes App Store can help you do a huge variety of tasks, and now you can add one more: learning etiquette. Designed for businesspeople who need a little help in social situations, Etiquette Avenue tells you far more than which fork to use.The app was created by the Protocol Center in Coral Gables, Florida, which holds seminars on business and dining etiquette. That experience has taught them what businesspeople most need to know.The variety of topics in the app are written in a friendly, helpful style, giving you the exact info you need before tackling a work dinner or other event. I like that sections are introduced with cartoons, and that the dinning section includes several photos explaining tableware placement to the readers. The real benefit of the app isn't that it tells you how to make small talk or dine with international guests, but that it gives you confidence that you're handling yourself correctly. That frees you to get more out of your business interactions. You can purchase the app for $2.99 from the iTunes Store.
RIAA Wins Copyright Case Against Usenet
The recording industry was handed a victory Tuesday when a federal court found the company overseeing the Usenet user group guilty of copyright infringement.
"There can be no dispute that defendants' services were being used overwhelmingly for copyright infringement," Judge Harold Baer, Jr. of the District Court for the Southern District of New York, wrote in his opinion.
Fourteen record labels, under the auspices of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), sued Usenet in late 2007 for distributing copyrighted music on its site.
The Usenet discussion forums date back to 1979, and allowed users to post and reply to messages on a host of topics. Sierra Corporate Design purchased the usenet.com URL in 1998, and the formal Usenet.com, Inc. was formed in 2004 under the direction of director and sole shareholder, Gerald Reynolds.
Users can purchase subscriptions to access Usenet content, which vary in price from $4.95 to $18.95 a month. Customers who pay $18.95 get unlimited downloads.
In mounting its defense, Usenet cited the Sony-Betamax case, which held that Sony was not responsible for copyright infringement perpetrated by consumers who bought its Betamax machines, as well as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). This act includes a safe harbor provision that does not hold the owners of Internet services responsible for the illegal acts of its users.
Usenet appears to have shot itself in the foot, however, by destroying evidence.
Get the rest of this story on pcmag.com.
"There can be no dispute that defendants' services were being used overwhelmingly for copyright infringement," Judge Harold Baer, Jr. of the District Court for the Southern District of New York, wrote in his opinion.
Fourteen record labels, under the auspices of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), sued Usenet in late 2007 for distributing copyrighted music on its site.
The Usenet discussion forums date back to 1979, and allowed users to post and reply to messages on a host of topics. Sierra Corporate Design purchased the usenet.com URL in 1998, and the formal Usenet.com, Inc. was formed in 2004 under the direction of director and sole shareholder, Gerald Reynolds.
Users can purchase subscriptions to access Usenet content, which vary in price from $4.95 to $18.95 a month. Customers who pay $18.95 get unlimited downloads.
In mounting its defense, Usenet cited the Sony-Betamax case, which held that Sony was not responsible for copyright infringement perpetrated by consumers who bought its Betamax machines, as well as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). This act includes a safe harbor provision that does not hold the owners of Internet services responsible for the illegal acts of its users.
Usenet appears to have shot itself in the foot, however, by destroying evidence.
Get the rest of this story on pcmag.com.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Microsoft Trying Really, Really Hard With New IE8 Ads
Microsoft, bless its heart, really wants a successful ad campaign. The company has been tearing through taglines and spokespeople at a breakneck pace, attempting in part to hit back at Apple's highly successful "Get a Mac" campaign, which more or less exists to take Redmond down a peg. As a result, we've seen "I'm a PC"; some lady named Lauren, who was actually an actress named Lauren; and Jerry Seinfeld chatting up former CEO Bill Gates about cake.
Now, for a new series of new ads promoting Internet Explorer 8, the company has toiled deep within the quirk mines, going so far as to recruit "Police Academy" vet and star of the talking-horse vehicle "Hot to Trot," Bobcat Goldthwait. The result is a series of tiny Dadaist movies like the one above, which features a woman repeatedly vomiting on her husband after discover what's in his search history. Lesson learned: Get IE 8, and your wife will puke on you less--unless, you know, that's what you're into.
Also, there's Dean Cain, who pops up at the end of each ad wearing a suit; he's like a cross between Rod Serling and William Shatner's second career as a self-satirist. They're weird, uncomfortable, and, at the very least, they've got a lot of people talking. Reactions at this point includes strong dislike and a general sense of disbelief that Microsoft would stick its stamp of approval on these spots. By that token, the campaign has done its job.
Still, it's hard to imagine these spots existing beyond their current state as a weird anomaly made even stranger by the fact that companies don't really tend to throw a ton of money behind browser advertisements. Of course, increased competition from Firefox and Google's own Chrome ad budget has put Microsoft in a less than ideal position.
What it boils down to is the same sort of wall Microsoft keeps running into with its Zune marketing team: How does a gigantic multinational corporation present itself as a hip alternative? The issue is even more pronounced since, unlike in the MP3 player space, Microsoft is about as far from being the underdog as one can possibly be in the browser space. The company's market share is eroding, but for the foreseeable future, IE still rules the roost, if only because most people can't be troubled to learn the nuances of a new browser.
So what's a huge conglomerate to do? Put a little funding into ads, and then float them on the Web to see if they work. If the things tank, it's a lot easier to disown them. If they're a success, you can call them a stroke of brilliant viral advertising. Either way Dean Cain gets his money. So it's a win-win, right?
Some of us will laugh at the commercials and some of us will laugh at Microsoft. Either way the company will pat itself on the back for a job well done.
Now, for a new series of new ads promoting Internet Explorer 8, the company has toiled deep within the quirk mines, going so far as to recruit "Police Academy" vet and star of the talking-horse vehicle "Hot to Trot," Bobcat Goldthwait. The result is a series of tiny Dadaist movies like the one above, which features a woman repeatedly vomiting on her husband after discover what's in his search history. Lesson learned: Get IE 8, and your wife will puke on you less--unless, you know, that's what you're into.
Also, there's Dean Cain, who pops up at the end of each ad wearing a suit; he's like a cross between Rod Serling and William Shatner's second career as a self-satirist. They're weird, uncomfortable, and, at the very least, they've got a lot of people talking. Reactions at this point includes strong dislike and a general sense of disbelief that Microsoft would stick its stamp of approval on these spots. By that token, the campaign has done its job.
Still, it's hard to imagine these spots existing beyond their current state as a weird anomaly made even stranger by the fact that companies don't really tend to throw a ton of money behind browser advertisements. Of course, increased competition from Firefox and Google's own Chrome ad budget has put Microsoft in a less than ideal position.
What it boils down to is the same sort of wall Microsoft keeps running into with its Zune marketing team: How does a gigantic multinational corporation present itself as a hip alternative? The issue is even more pronounced since, unlike in the MP3 player space, Microsoft is about as far from being the underdog as one can possibly be in the browser space. The company's market share is eroding, but for the foreseeable future, IE still rules the roost, if only because most people can't be troubled to learn the nuances of a new browser.
So what's a huge conglomerate to do? Put a little funding into ads, and then float them on the Web to see if they work. If the things tank, it's a lot easier to disown them. If they're a success, you can call them a stroke of brilliant viral advertising. Either way Dean Cain gets his money. So it's a win-win, right?
Some of us will laugh at the commercials and some of us will laugh at Microsoft. Either way the company will pat itself on the back for a job well done.
Facebook Opens Up Privacy Settings to 'Everyone'
Want to share portions of your Facebook account with everyone on the site? Yeah, me neither, but the social networking site is giving you that option nonetheless.
Facebook is now giving you the option to allow "everyone" on the site to view certain parts of your profile, even if you are not friends. It will allow people searching for you to see your personal information or status updates, for example, but not your photos or Wall posts.
"None of your existing privacy settings have changed. This is an additional setting for those of you who wish to share with a broader audience," Facebook said in a blog post.
To update, go to Facebook's privacy settings and click on the drop-down menu for sections like Profile, Status Updates, Links, Wall Posts, Basic Info, Personal Info, Education Info, Work Info, Photos of You and Videos of You.
The menu will give you the option to share this information with everyone, your networks and friends, friends of friends, only friends, or via a customized view. Save it and you're set.
"While some special rules remain in place about who can see your profile if you are a minor, people generally won't need to be friends with you or share a common network in order to view your content if you choose the new 'Everyone' setting," Facebook said.
Facebook is now giving you the option to allow "everyone" on the site to view certain parts of your profile, even if you are not friends. It will allow people searching for you to see your personal information or status updates, for example, but not your photos or Wall posts.
"None of your existing privacy settings have changed. This is an additional setting for those of you who wish to share with a broader audience," Facebook said in a blog post.
To update, go to Facebook's privacy settings and click on the drop-down menu for sections like Profile, Status Updates, Links, Wall Posts, Basic Info, Personal Info, Education Info, Work Info, Photos of You and Videos of You.
The menu will give you the option to share this information with everyone, your networks and friends, friends of friends, only friends, or via a customized view. Save it and you're set.
"While some special rules remain in place about who can see your profile if you are a minor, people generally won't need to be friends with you or share a common network in order to view your content if you choose the new 'Everyone' setting," Facebook said.
Facebook Ditches Regional Networks
Facebook said this week that it is dropping its regional networks because they have become too large to be of any use.
"When we added regional networks to the site back in 2005, they provided a useful way for people to find and connect with the people around them," Facebook's Paul McDonald wrote in a blog post. "We've grown substantially since then, and today these networks too often represent large geographical areas--sometimes entire countries--that no longer accurately reflect people's real-world connections."
Facebook has networks for cities, regions, and countries, and approximately 50 percent of members have joined a network, McDonald wrote. A person's location will still be listed on their profile under "current city" or "current region".
Overall, however, the site has started removing these networks, and when that process is finished, they will no longer appear in your privacy settings. At that point, you will have the option of allowing profile access to friends, friends of friends, or everyone on the site.
Facebook has already removed the regional setting in the news feed. "We found that few people were using the regional network filters, choosing filters for their schools, workplaces and friend lists instead to surface interesting and relevant information," McDonald wrote.
"When we added regional networks to the site back in 2005, they provided a useful way for people to find and connect with the people around them," Facebook's Paul McDonald wrote in a blog post. "We've grown substantially since then, and today these networks too often represent large geographical areas--sometimes entire countries--that no longer accurately reflect people's real-world connections."
Facebook has networks for cities, regions, and countries, and approximately 50 percent of members have joined a network, McDonald wrote. A person's location will still be listed on their profile under "current city" or "current region".
Overall, however, the site has started removing these networks, and when that process is finished, they will no longer appear in your privacy settings. At that point, you will have the option of allowing profile access to friends, friends of friends, or everyone on the site.
Facebook has already removed the regional setting in the news feed. "We found that few people were using the regional network filters, choosing filters for their schools, workplaces and friend lists instead to surface interesting and relevant information," McDonald wrote.
Facebook Beta Gives Users More Control Over Publisher
Facebook has long allowed you to block certain content - pictures, wall posts, status updates - from certain people on your friends lists, but what about the videos, newspaper articles, or notes you post via the publisher?
The social networking site is testing a feature that provides more control over the publisher by letting you pick and choose who can see posted items.
When you go to post an item, there will be a drop-down menu with a lock on it that allows you to select who will be able to view it: everyone, everyone and networks, friends of friends, only friends, or a custom list of pre-selected friends.
"You might be comfortable with anyone enjoying the video you took at a concert, but only want your family to see photos from your family vacation," Facebook wrote in a blog post. "So you can choose to share the video with 'Everyone' while selecting 'Custom' for the photo album and choosing your Friend List for your family."
The feature is currently in beta. Those who have their status updates and profile privacy settings on "everyone" will be included in the beta, but Facebook said it hopes to expand it to other soon.
The social networking site is testing a feature that provides more control over the publisher by letting you pick and choose who can see posted items.
When you go to post an item, there will be a drop-down menu with a lock on it that allows you to select who will be able to view it: everyone, everyone and networks, friends of friends, only friends, or a custom list of pre-selected friends.
"You might be comfortable with anyone enjoying the video you took at a concert, but only want your family to see photos from your family vacation," Facebook wrote in a blog post. "So you can choose to share the video with 'Everyone' while selecting 'Custom' for the photo album and choosing your Friend List for your family."
The feature is currently in beta. Those who have their status updates and profile privacy settings on "everyone" will be included in the beta, but Facebook said it hopes to expand it to other soon.
Facebook Rolling Out Simplified Privacy Settings
Facebook kicked off a security upgrade to its site Wednesday that is intended to streamline users' control over their privacy settings.
"When we add new features to Facebook, we usually include a corresponding privacy setting," Facebook chief privacy officer Chris Kelly wrote in a blog post. "While this has helped give some people more individualized controls over particular features, [it] has made controlling privacy on Facebook too complicated."
To simplify, Facebook launched a test with a limited group of U.S.-based users, who will try out a system that allows them to adjust their privacy settings all on one page.
Right now, when users access their privacy settings, they can click on profile, search, news feed and wall, or applications and adjust their settings separately. Once the upgrade is complete, all four categories will be listed and adjustable from one page.
Facebook will also incorporate several changes they've announced over the past several weeks: allowing users to select privacy preferences for the publisher; the end of regional networks; and allowing people to select "everyone" when designating who can see their profile.
When the formal switch happens, users will be presented with a "transition tool" that outlines their privacy settings, and gives the option to make a profile more open, limited, or the same.
"We've designed the transition tool to respect previous decisions to limit access to information," Kelly wrote. "If you have selected settings that restrict who has access to information, those choices are carried over to the new privacy settings."
At the outset, a test group of 40,000 users in the U.S. will have access to the simpler privacy settings and receive one of six transition tools. That test will later expand to 80,000 users globally. Finally, Facebook will compile feedback to select the most popular of the six transition tools, and start a slow rollout to all of its users of the new settings.
Facebook insisted that the changes do not affect the way it provides information to advertisers.
"Facebook does not share personal information with advertisers except under the direction and control of a user," Kelly wrote. "These new tools do not alter that policy or practice."
Facebook put up a slideshow that features screenshots of the expected changes.
"When we add new features to Facebook, we usually include a corresponding privacy setting," Facebook chief privacy officer Chris Kelly wrote in a blog post. "While this has helped give some people more individualized controls over particular features, [it] has made controlling privacy on Facebook too complicated."
To simplify, Facebook launched a test with a limited group of U.S.-based users, who will try out a system that allows them to adjust their privacy settings all on one page.
Right now, when users access their privacy settings, they can click on profile, search, news feed and wall, or applications and adjust their settings separately. Once the upgrade is complete, all four categories will be listed and adjustable from one page.
Facebook will also incorporate several changes they've announced over the past several weeks: allowing users to select privacy preferences for the publisher; the end of regional networks; and allowing people to select "everyone" when designating who can see their profile.
When the formal switch happens, users will be presented with a "transition tool" that outlines their privacy settings, and gives the option to make a profile more open, limited, or the same.
"We've designed the transition tool to respect previous decisions to limit access to information," Kelly wrote. "If you have selected settings that restrict who has access to information, those choices are carried over to the new privacy settings."
At the outset, a test group of 40,000 users in the U.S. will have access to the simpler privacy settings and receive one of six transition tools. That test will later expand to 80,000 users globally. Finally, Facebook will compile feedback to select the most popular of the six transition tools, and start a slow rollout to all of its users of the new settings.
Facebook insisted that the changes do not affect the way it provides information to advertisers.
"Facebook does not share personal information with advertisers except under the direction and control of a user," Kelly wrote. "These new tools do not alter that policy or practice."
Facebook put up a slideshow that features screenshots of the expected changes.
Friday, September 18, 2009
The Pirate Bay Will Pay You to Share Files?
The revampled Pirate Bay will pay users to share files, Global Gaming Factory chief executive Hans Pandeya told the BBC on Thursday."We are going to set up a system where the file-sharer actually makes money," he said. "More than half of all internet traffic is file sharing and P2P [peer-to-peer] traffic and buying Pirate Bay gives us one of the biggest sources of traffic.
"We can then use this massive network of file-sharers to help [internet service providers] reduce overload," the BBC quoted Pandeya as saying.Color me cynical, but I'm not sure that this is going to fly. Use The Pirate Bay to distribute copyrighted video? Are you nuts? First off, there is no way any large commercial entity is going to use a distribution mechanism branded as "The Pirate Bay". Second, I'd bet that the payments, if any, would amount to just a few dollars per user, perhaps per week. If, and this is a big if, those payments amounted to the amount that user was charged by his ISP for Internet access, than this might work. Otherwise, however, I have to imagine that the average pirate will simply thumb his nose at The Man. I'll be interested to see how this turns out.
"We can then use this massive network of file-sharers to help [internet service providers] reduce overload," the BBC quoted Pandeya as saying.Color me cynical, but I'm not sure that this is going to fly. Use The Pirate Bay to distribute copyrighted video? Are you nuts? First off, there is no way any large commercial entity is going to use a distribution mechanism branded as "The Pirate Bay". Second, I'd bet that the payments, if any, would amount to just a few dollars per user, perhaps per week. If, and this is a big if, those payments amounted to the amount that user was charged by his ISP for Internet access, than this might work. Otherwise, however, I have to imagine that the average pirate will simply thumb his nose at The Man. I'll be interested to see how this turns out.
YouTube Increases Upload Size, Loses Co-Founder
YouTube has increased the size of its standard uploads from 1GB to 2GB.
"The increase means you can upload longer videos at a higher resolution as well as large HD files directly from your camera," YouTube wrote in a blog post.
Users can also now share links directly to the HD version of their videos, and embed the HD version on their blogs or web sites. More details on the blog post.
In other YouTube news, The New York Times reports that YouTube co-founder Steve Chen has left the video site and is now working on an engineering project at Google, which owns YouTube.
"Steve shifted his focus to help with some Google engineering projects. He's still involved with YouTube and invested in its success," a spokesman told the Times.
"The increase means you can upload longer videos at a higher resolution as well as large HD files directly from your camera," YouTube wrote in a blog post.
Users can also now share links directly to the HD version of their videos, and embed the HD version on their blogs or web sites. More details on the blog post.
In other YouTube news, The New York Times reports that YouTube co-founder Steve Chen has left the video site and is now working on an engineering project at Google, which owns YouTube.
"Steve shifted his focus to help with some Google engineering projects. He's still involved with YouTube and invested in its success," a spokesman told the Times.
Obama Signs Internet Radio Royalty Bill
Internet radio stations got a second chance to hammer out a royalty agreement with copyright holders Tuesday when President Obama signed the Webcasters Settlement Act.
The bill gives both sides 30 days to come to an agreement over how much Web radio stations should pay to stream their music. A similar bill signed by President Bush last year set a deadline of Feb. 15, 2009 but a deal was not reached.
The debate dates back to March 2007 when the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) - a government body within the Library of Congress - handed down royalty rate fees that Internet radio claimed would put them out of business. The two sides battled back and forth for ages, finally agreeing to the Webcasters Settlement Act, which vacates the CRB's decision if the two sides agree on a deal.
Check back in 30 days to see if that becomes a reality.
The bill gives both sides 30 days to come to an agreement over how much Web radio stations should pay to stream their music. A similar bill signed by President Bush last year set a deadline of Feb. 15, 2009 but a deal was not reached.
The debate dates back to March 2007 when the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) - a government body within the Library of Congress - handed down royalty rate fees that Internet radio claimed would put them out of business. The two sides battled back and forth for ages, finally agreeing to the Webcasters Settlement Act, which vacates the CRB's decision if the two sides agree on a deal.
Check back in 30 days to see if that becomes a reality.
Apple Adds HD Movies to iTunes
Apple today announced the availability of HD video downloads through the iTunes video store. Users will be able to download a number of high-definition movies for $19.99 including titles like Quantum of Solace and Twilight. The company is also offering HD rentals for $4.99, available within 30 days of the film's release.
A number of videos are currently available for download, including Transporter 3 and Punisher: War Zone. Twilight will be available on March 21st, Quantum of Solace on March 24th, and Frank Miller's The Spirit on April 14th. A full list of the films is available on iTunes' HD movie page.
The new downloads are compatible with Apple TV and will play in standard definition on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
A number of videos are currently available for download, including Transporter 3 and Punisher: War Zone. Twilight will be available on March 21st, Quantum of Solace on March 24th, and Frank Miller's The Spirit on April 14th. A full list of the films is available on iTunes' HD movie page.
The new downloads are compatible with Apple TV and will play in standard definition on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
'Twilight' to Soon Descend on the iPhone
Fans of the Twilight vampire series take note: the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group, has announced that the saga will soon materialize on June 29th in e-book form as an iPhone app, according to MediaPost--giving fans another Apple-related option aside from downloading the movie in HD form from the iTunes Store.ScrollMotion, the company behind the app, is also looking to bring titles from best-selling authors Kelley Armstrong, Iain M. Banks, Patricia Cornwell, Dorothy Koomson and Alexander McCall Smith, the report said.According to recent data from Bookscan, some 16 percent of all books sold in the first quarter of 2009--about one in every seven books sold--was a Twilight novel.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Craigslist Chief Demands Apology from South Carolina AG
Craigslist chief executive Jim Buckmaster demanded an apology from South Carolina attorney general Henry McMaster Monday after McMaster announced plans to move forward with a lawsuit against the online classifieds Web site.
Craigslist announced last week that it would dump its "erotic services" section in favor of a monitored "adult services" section. The move came a week after McMaster threatened to sue Craigslist within 10 days if it did not remove "erotic services" from the South Carolina portion of its site.
"As of 5:00 p.m. this afternoon, the Craigslist South Carolina site continues to display advertisements for prostitution and graphic pornographic material," McMaster wrote in a Saturday statement posted to his Web site. "This content was not removed as we requested. We have no alternative but to move forward with criminal investigation and potential prosecution."
Craigslist stopped accepting new "erotic services" posts last Wednesday, but said current posts would remain on the site until they expired after 7 days.
"Have you fully considered the implications of your accusations against Craigslist?" Buckmaster wrote in a Monday blog post to McMaster. "What's a crime for Craigslist is clearly a crime for any company. Are you really prepared to condemn the executives of each of the mainstream companies linked above, and all the others that feature such ads, as criminals?"
Buckmaster pointed to the "adult entertainment" sections of the Greenville classifieds Web site, the Charleston Post and Courier, Microsoft's Live.com, and yellowpages.com--all of which, he said, currently contain more adult advertisements targeting South Carolina residents than Craigslist does.
The South Carolina adult services and erotic services section had a total of 40 posts as of Monday morning, Buckmaster said.
"Do you really intend to launch a criminal investigation against the phone company? What about potential new jobs connected to big data center build outs in SC by Internet companies? Are you *sure* you want prosecute all of their CEOs as criminals???" Buckmaster wrote.
Get the rest of this story at pcmag.com.
Craigslist announced last week that it would dump its "erotic services" section in favor of a monitored "adult services" section. The move came a week after McMaster threatened to sue Craigslist within 10 days if it did not remove "erotic services" from the South Carolina portion of its site.
"As of 5:00 p.m. this afternoon, the Craigslist South Carolina site continues to display advertisements for prostitution and graphic pornographic material," McMaster wrote in a Saturday statement posted to his Web site. "This content was not removed as we requested. We have no alternative but to move forward with criminal investigation and potential prosecution."
Craigslist stopped accepting new "erotic services" posts last Wednesday, but said current posts would remain on the site until they expired after 7 days.
"Have you fully considered the implications of your accusations against Craigslist?" Buckmaster wrote in a Monday blog post to McMaster. "What's a crime for Craigslist is clearly a crime for any company. Are you really prepared to condemn the executives of each of the mainstream companies linked above, and all the others that feature such ads, as criminals?"
Buckmaster pointed to the "adult entertainment" sections of the Greenville classifieds Web site, the Charleston Post and Courier, Microsoft's Live.com, and yellowpages.com--all of which, he said, currently contain more adult advertisements targeting South Carolina residents than Craigslist does.
The South Carolina adult services and erotic services section had a total of 40 posts as of Monday morning, Buckmaster said.
"Do you really intend to launch a criminal investigation against the phone company? What about potential new jobs connected to big data center build outs in SC by Internet companies? Are you *sure* you want prosecute all of their CEOs as criminals???" Buckmaster wrote.
Get the rest of this story at pcmag.com.
Barcode Scanning Added to Google Product Search for Android
Need a quick price check on that MP3 player or HDTV, but don't feel like typing in the product name into your mobile phone? Google on Thursday announced that it has integrated barcode scanning into Google Product Search for mobile.
"Sometimes, when I'm looking up a specific item in a store rather than a category of products (like "bluetooth headsets"), I'd rather just scan a barcode to see results for the exact product I'm searching for," Eiji Hirai, a software engineer with the Google Mobile team, wrote in a blog post.
The company launched Product Search for mobile for iPhones and Android devices several weeks ago; barcode scanning is thus far only available on Android phones.
To access, download the latest Barcode Scanner app from the Android Market, if you do not already have it. Next, type Google.com in your mobile browser and selecting "Shopping" from the "more" tab. Select Product Search and tap on the "Scan Barcode" button.
"After the app opens, center the red line over the barcode and hold the phone steady. When the barcode is read successfully, you'll see a Google Product Search results page back in the browser," Hirai wrote. There is also a scanner button on top of the Product Search results page.
"Today, barcode scanning works best for products like electronics, books, movies or video games, but we're working on adding more barcodes for other items," he said. "Of course, if your scan does not return a result, you can always type in the product name just as before."
The app is available in the U.K. and the U.S.
"Sometimes, when I'm looking up a specific item in a store rather than a category of products (like "bluetooth headsets"), I'd rather just scan a barcode to see results for the exact product I'm searching for," Eiji Hirai, a software engineer with the Google Mobile team, wrote in a blog post.
The company launched Product Search for mobile for iPhones and Android devices several weeks ago; barcode scanning is thus far only available on Android phones.
To access, download the latest Barcode Scanner app from the Android Market, if you do not already have it. Next, type Google.com in your mobile browser and selecting "Shopping" from the "more" tab. Select Product Search and tap on the "Scan Barcode" button.
"After the app opens, center the red line over the barcode and hold the phone steady. When the barcode is read successfully, you'll see a Google Product Search results page back in the browser," Hirai wrote. There is also a scanner button on top of the Product Search results page.
"Today, barcode scanning works best for products like electronics, books, movies or video games, but we're working on adding more barcodes for other items," he said. "Of course, if your scan does not return a result, you can always type in the product name just as before."
The app is available in the U.K. and the U.S.
Book Hyatt Hotels From Your Cell Phone
We're seeing a lot of shoppingtools on cell phones lately, but now you can throw hotel reservations into the mix. Hotel brands previously reached mobile users via travel sites, but are now beginning to offer their own cell phone portals.
Still Waiting: Duke Nukem Developer Folds
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There's a certain poetry in the fact that fans will likely have to continue on waiting perhaps until the end of time for Duke Nukem Forever. 3D Realms, the developer behind the infinitely anticipated next installment of the first-person shooter confirmed rumors that it had in fact closed its doors.
"It's not a marketing thing," the company's Webmaster told gaming blog Shack News. "It's true. I have nothing further to say at this time."
Duke Nukem Trilogy, a handheld version of the series being developed by Frontline Games, is apparently unaffected by the news. Duke Nukem Forever publisher, Take-Two, meanwhile, still retains the rights to the game.
There's a certain poetry in the fact that fans will likely have to continue on waiting perhaps until the end of time for Duke Nukem Forever. 3D Realms, the developer behind the infinitely anticipated next installment of the first-person shooter confirmed rumors that it had in fact closed its doors.
"It's not a marketing thing," the company's Webmaster told gaming blog Shack News. "It's true. I have nothing further to say at this time."
Duke Nukem Trilogy, a handheld version of the series being developed by Frontline Games, is apparently unaffected by the news. Duke Nukem Forever publisher, Take-Two, meanwhile, still retains the rights to the game.
Duke Nukem Might Live; Take-Two Wants Source Code
The development of the game "Duke Nukem Forever" has taken over a decade. Based on a lawsuit filed Friday by Take-Two Interactive, it might continue.
On Friday, publisher Take-Two Interactive Software sued 3DRealms (doing business as Apogee Software) after 3DRealms closed its doors a week earlier.
For fans of the game, however, there's still hope: 3DRealms has been ordered to appear before a New York State Supreme Court judge on June 11 to argue why the judge should not order 3DRelams to turn over the Duke Nukem Forever source code to Take-Two, as the company has apparently asked the judge to do. The proposed order was part of the Take-Two suit.That at least implies that Take-Two is interested in recouping its investment, which you can only do by releasing the game.
The sequel to Duke Nukem 3D, a DOOM contemporary, was originally due
on or around 1998. Since then, it has undergone multiple revisions and
alleged revisions in its 3D engine, all contributing to delay after
delay. In 2006, industry reports claimed that a large chunk of its
staff left the company, causing the development team to begin again.
The order also implies that the judge might order 3DRealms to be
"enjoined from disclosing, distributing, transferring or selling to any
party other than Take-Two any proprietary information related to DNF
(including the existing source and object code for DNF) and be required
to maintain and enforce all security measures necessary to preserve the
confidentiality of such proprietary information".
Unfortunately, a video of the several DNF art elements, including gameplay, some risque 3D imagery and salty language, was leaked to the Web soon after the 3DRealms team shut down.
On Friday, publisher Take-Two Interactive Software sued 3DRealms (doing business as Apogee Software) after 3DRealms closed its doors a week earlier.
For fans of the game, however, there's still hope: 3DRealms has been ordered to appear before a New York State Supreme Court judge on June 11 to argue why the judge should not order 3DRelams to turn over the Duke Nukem Forever source code to Take-Two, as the company has apparently asked the judge to do. The proposed order was part of the Take-Two suit.That at least implies that Take-Two is interested in recouping its investment, which you can only do by releasing the game.
The sequel to Duke Nukem 3D, a DOOM contemporary, was originally due
on or around 1998. Since then, it has undergone multiple revisions and
alleged revisions in its 3D engine, all contributing to delay after
delay. In 2006, industry reports claimed that a large chunk of its
staff left the company, causing the development team to begin again.
The order also implies that the judge might order 3DRealms to be
"enjoined from disclosing, distributing, transferring or selling to any
party other than Take-Two any proprietary information related to DNF
(including the existing source and object code for DNF) and be required
to maintain and enforce all security measures necessary to preserve the
confidentiality of such proprietary information".
Unfortunately, a video of the several DNF art elements, including gameplay, some risque 3D imagery and salty language, was leaked to the Web soon after the 3DRealms team shut down.
comScore: Google Dominates April Search Results
Google Sites remained the top search destination for Web surfers in April, with 9.5 billion searches throughout the month, according to data from comScore.
Google was the only major search to gain market share in April. The site was up 0.5 percent to land at 64.2 percent overall. Yahoo and Microsoft came in at 20.4 percent and 8.2 percent respectively, both down 0.1 percent. Ask.com remained flat at 3.8 percent of the market, followed by AOL, which was down 0.3 percent to 3.4 percent.
Overall core search queries were up 3 percent to 14.8 billion. Google was up 4 percent to 9.5 billion, followed by Yahoo (up 2 percent to 3 billion), Microsoft (up 1 percent to 1.2 billion), Ask (up 3 percent to 563 million), and AOL (down 6 percent to 496 million).
Factoring in things such as mapping, local directories, and other "expanded" searches, Google Sites had 13 billion searches, up 5 percent from March. Yahoo came in second with 3.2 billion, followed by Microsoft with 1.3 billion and AOL with 795 million.
Google was the only major search to gain market share in April. The site was up 0.5 percent to land at 64.2 percent overall. Yahoo and Microsoft came in at 20.4 percent and 8.2 percent respectively, both down 0.1 percent. Ask.com remained flat at 3.8 percent of the market, followed by AOL, which was down 0.3 percent to 3.4 percent.
Overall core search queries were up 3 percent to 14.8 billion. Google was up 4 percent to 9.5 billion, followed by Yahoo (up 2 percent to 3 billion), Microsoft (up 1 percent to 1.2 billion), Ask (up 3 percent to 563 million), and AOL (down 6 percent to 496 million).
Factoring in things such as mapping, local directories, and other "expanded" searches, Google Sites had 13 billion searches, up 5 percent from March. Yahoo came in second with 3.2 billion, followed by Microsoft with 1.3 billion and AOL with 795 million.
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