In wake of London riots, UK considers social media bans
By Chris Hogg
Critics and hacker groups are lashing out at the UK government and at BlackBerry maker RIM after British Prime Minister David Cameron suggested the UK could block social media services and get user data from mobile phones to shut down further riots.
The UK government is debating whether it should shut down social media websites in order to stop further riots from taking place.
In his opening statement during a Commons debate on Thursday, Cameron told parliament the government is looking at banning individuals from using sites like Twitter and Facebook if they are believed to be plotting criminal activity.
“The prime minister did not go into specifics about how such a block could work, what evidence would be needed to trigger it, and whether it would apply only to individuals or could see networks shut down entirely — instead saying only that the government was looking at the issue,” Metro reports.
Cameron recalled MPs from summer recess to address the increasing violence and riots happening throughout London.
According to the Guardian, Cameron also said the government will hold meetings with Facebook, Twitter and Research In Motion (RIM), makers of the BlackBerry, to discuss “their responsibilities” in this area.
As the BBC reports, under UK law, police are legally allowed to request data from someone’s mobile phone if the information relates to criminal activity.
“Everyone watching these horrific actions will be stuck by how they were organised via social media,” Cameron told Parliament. “The free flow of information can be used for good, but it can also be used for ill.
“So we are working with the police, intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality.”
Cameron has also told broadcasters such as the BBC and Sky News they should turn-in unused footage to help police. That request has been met with opposition from broadcasters who say handing over unused footage would damage their editorial independence.
While the UK government continues to put the blame on social media websites for playing a role in the riots, Metro reports evidence has yet to show Facebook or Twitter played a significant role.
That said, technology has played a part; the uprising in the UK has been dubbed the “BlackBerry riots” by media because several reports indicate people are using the BlackBerry’s instant messaging features to plan and organize riots and looting.
Earlier this week Labour MP for Tottenham, David Lammy, went as far as asking RIM to shut down its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service on Twitter. “Immediate action needed,” he Tweeted. “[Londoners] cannot have another evening like last night tonight. BBM clearly helping rioters outfox police. Suspend it.”
RIM raised eyebrows when it confirmed via Twitter it was indeed helping police. “We feel for those impacted by the riots in London,” the Tweet reads. “We have engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can.”
RIM’s move to help police has caused outrage among hackers and a BlackBerry blog was hacked in response.
The hack was sent as a warning by a group calling itself “Team Poison.” As Computer Weekly reports Team Poison has threatened to publish personal data of RIM employees if the company cooperates with police by handing over user data.
“Team Poison said it did not condone innocent people or small businesses being attacked in the riots, but said it supported attacks on police and government,” Computer Weekly reports. “The hacker group said it was opposed to Blackberry giving user information to police because it could lead to the wrong people being targeted.”
Meanwhile, Cameron says the government continues to use social media and technology to its advantage, publishing photos of people accused of looting online. “No phoney human rights concerns about publishing photographs will get in the way of bringing these criminals to justice,” Cameron said.
Jim Killock, executive director of online advocacy organisation Open Rights Group, told the Guardian Cameron’s requests attack free speech.
“Events like the recent riots are frequently used to attack civil liberties,” he said. “Policing should be targeted at actual offenders, with the proper protection of the courts. How do people ‘know’ when someone is planning to riot? Who makes that judgment? The only realistic answer is the courts must judge. If court procedures are not used, then we will quickly see abuses by private companies and police. Companies like RIM must insist on court processes. Citizens also have the right to secure communications. Business, politics and free speech relies on security and privacy.”
Future of advertising? Beach volleyball stars offer sponsorship on their butts
By KJ Mullins (Guest Contributor/Digital Journalist)
Two young British female beach volleyball stars are subletting their bums for money. The pair are encouraging fans to take a pic of their booties in a new advertising campaign that will hit the sand at the hottest sports venue in London.
Zara Dampney, 24, and Shauna Mullin, 26, are the first sports stars to rent their rears to an advertiser.Using a Quick Response (QR) code printed on the back of their bikini bottoms, the two beach volleyball stars are offering spectators a chance to take a photo of their bums using a smartphone. When a photo is taken using a smartphone, the spectator will be taken to their sponsor’s website where they’re offered a deal.The QR codes appear on the backsides of the beautiful pair’s bikini bottoms to ensure fans get a prized photo.
The sponsor is Betfair, an online sports betting provider. The company is trying out the marketing technique this week during London 2012 beach volleyball tournament at Horse Guards Parade in London. The event takes place between August 9-14 and the sponsorship places the ads on Dampney and Mullin who are ranked 26th in the world.
“There is huge interest in beach volleyball and we want to ensure that our advertising campaign is seen and remembered by as many sports-fans as possible,” said Betfair’s Andy Lulham in a press release. “As far as we’re aware, this is the first time QR codes have been used in in-play sports advertising and what better way to test its effectiveness than by putting them on one of the places that is likely to get photographed the most.”
The Daily Mail reported that the sports stars complained just last week that fans in the UK see female beach volleyball players as sex kittens instead of athletes.
The sport requires female athletes to wear revealing clothing so QR codes only have a tiny bit of material to use. According to The Sun, rules say bras need to be “closely fitted to the body” and briefs with “a side width no greater than 7cm.”
“We go to countries such as Brazil, Germany and the USA where beach volleyball is a recognized sport like football or rugby is in England,” Mullin told The Sun. “But here in England we are still stuck at the stage where people think beach volleyball is about sex, not a sport.”
But sponsorship deals can also be lucrative, especially when it comes to renting out one’s tush. The two women are reportedly getting a five-figure payday for QR codes on their behinds.
This article was originally published on Digital Journal [Link]
Facebook launches new dedicated messaging app for smartphones
By Chris Hogg
Facebook has announced a stand-alone mobile app called Messenger. The new app allows users to send messages to friends or groups of people, positioning the company to compete more directly with traditional email and group-messaging services.
Editor’s note: Scroll down to see screenshots of the app
Facebook Messenger launches today and apps will be available for iPhone or Android. The new app allows users to send messages to their friends on Facebook, or by SMS to mobile phones. Users can send messages to one person or a group of people and attach photos and location data along with their message.
Messenger works just like the existing Facebook Messages, only it will be a separate application on mobile phones. Facebook says a large portion of its users send messages from the company’s iPhone and Android apps, as well as from Facebook’s mobile website, so it saw an opportunity to pull out a feature that is widely used and launch it as a stand-alone entity.
How it works
Users launch the application and can type messages to friends, similar to sending an email or the way current messages work on Facebook. The app pulls your friends list from Facebook, and you can also add mobile phone numbers and send to people who are not on Facebook. The app is designed to function like an instant message service so messages can be sent quickly and easily to anyone.
When someone replies to the message, everyone else receives a copy of the reply. If your recipient is not on Facebook, you can provide a mobile number and the message will be delivered as a text message. The recipient is notified who else is in the conversation, and in the event a recipient wishes to opt out of a conversation, he or she can simply reply “mute” and Facebook will stop sending replies.
Launching a stand-alone app
While group messaging is not new to Facebook, the strategy of pulling out one feature and launching it as a stand-alone app is a step in a new direction for the company. Facebook says Messenger was built from the ground up by the same people who developed Beluga, a company Facebook acquired in March. Messenger incorporates a lot of the learning and features from that company.
“At the end of the day, messaging is different than any other part of the Facebook mobile experience,” Peter Deng, Director of Product, said in a phone interview. “It’s one of those things you need really quick access to. “Messages are sent instantaneously and the app feels really fast. We’ve removed a bunch of clicks and made it a separate application for speed.”
Deng says Messenger was born from looking at Facebook data and seeing how people use its applications. “An astounding amount of Facebook messages are sent via Facebook mobile right now,” said Deng. “It was surprising to us to see how many people use iPhone, Android and [our mobile site] to send messages.”
Web-mobile integration & features
The mobile experience is heavily embedded into the Web experience, so whenever a message is sent via Messenger, it’s also added to the user’s Facebook Messages inbox. This allows users to have a single copy of conversations no matter what device they use.
Facebook says Messenger gives users added functionality above what traditional text messaging offers, letting anyone opt-out of a conversation that isn’t of interest.
Deng says Messenger can be especially useful when you’re planning an event and you need to quickly put together a conversation with people who are attending, be it a ski trip, a bachelor party or dinner at a restaurant.”Mobile messaging has been one-to-one traditionally,” said Deng. “But now you can attach a location with a message that will only be visible to people you send message to.
“Location data is pulled from GPS so recipients can view a map and see your location.With the launch of a separate messaging app, there are questions around how it could impact usage within Facebook’s existing app, but Deng said the company is not concerned.
“We expect people to use the Facebook app exactly how they’re using it today,” said Deng. “It’s the same system in the Facebook app but the separate app has a few extra features. The conversation between you and friends will be accessible everywhere you go and we don’t expect too big of a change in usage in the Facebook app.”
Deng said the company will continue to watch how people use its applications and iterate as it gets more feedback about what its users’ needs are.
“Right now, we focused on sending and receiving quickly and keeping the user interface simple and minimal,” said Deng. “We as Facebook just want to get out of the way.”
Messenger will launch on iPhone and Android in Canada and the United States today. Apps will be made available in other geographies in the coming weeks.
Canadian Internet ad revenue exceeds print, grows to $2.2 billion
by Andrew Moran (Guest Contributor/Digital Journalist)
New figures released Wednesday by the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada (IAB) show that Canadian Online Advertising Revenues for 2010 grew by 23 percent to $2.23 billion. These numbers exceed print advertising and are a close second to TV ads. Daily newspaper advertising reached $2.1 billion in 2010.
Nearly every website you go to, there is an advertisement for a company, product or government. If you watch a video on YouTube, you are prompted to watch an ad for Rogers. If you watch a movie trailer, you are forced to watch a preceding 30-second film trailer. You cannot escape it.
New numbers suggest that this trend will continue due to the amount of revenue generated by the presence of online advertising over print.
According to the IAB, Canadian Online Advertising Revenues for 2010 [PDF] grew by 23 percent to $2.23 billion, which was more than expected – budgeted projections were $2.1 billion. These figures have now officially surpassed newspapers and are a very close second to television.
IAB publishers are projecting higher revenue growth in 2011. Online Advertising Revenue in Canada is estimated to be approximately $2.6 billion this year, or 16 percent more than 2010’s numbers.
“Surpassing the $2 billion dollar mark for Online ad revenues and moving into second place in terms of overall ad spend in Canada — is without a doubt — a watershed moment for the Digital community in Canada,” said IAB Canada President, Paula Gignac, in a press release.
“It’s incredibly fulfilling to see that the years of diligent and determined work by Publishers in developing ever-evolving and engaging content offerings for consumers, while simultaneously demonstrating the unique benefits of marketing within the medium to Advertisers, have culminated in this new level of success.”
Gignac added that last year’s mobile advertising revenue numbers are going to be released in the next few weeks.
The statistics also include advertising categories, which had automotive (12 percent), packaged goods (11 percent) and financial (11 percent) in the top three. Retail (9 percent), leisure (6 percent), technology (5 percent), telecommunications (4 percent), entertainment (4 percent), media (4 percent) and pharmaceuticals (3 percent) rounded out the list. The “other” category garnered 31 percent.
Agence-France Presse noted that the Internet in Canada accounts for nearly 16 percent of all media ad revenue, which is higher than France (15.6 percent) and the United States (15.4 percent), but lower in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia (28.7 percent).
This article originally appeared on DigitalJournal.com
Web browser, IQ study discovered to be hoax
by Lahmeik Stacey (Guest Contributor/Digital Journalist)
A recent study linking a person’s use of a Web browser and IQ level has been found to be an elaborate hoax. It’s unknown who is behind the phony study.
According to the widely-reported study–Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Browser Usage–performed by AptiQuant Psychometric Consulting Co., people’s intelligence is best reflected, not by the books that they read or the activities that they partake in, but by the web browser that they use.
The study, which said it compiled the results of 100,000 people–from Australia, Canada, The United Kingdom, The United States and New Zealand–found that users with a lower IQ were more likely to use Internet Explorer 6.0 to 9.0 as their browser of choice, while users with a higher IQ tended to browse the Internet using either Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Safari. Furthermore, Opera, Camino and Chrome Frame add-on users proved to have an IQ slightly higher than that of the previous group mentioned, the study claimed.
The Seattle Weekly managed to contact AptiQuant Founder, Leonard Howard, who explained how the study came into effect.
“We were just trying to add some features to our website, and found [Internet Explorer] 6.0 and 7.0 to be extremely difficult to work with, so we thought of doing this study,” he told Seattle Weekly in an email.
It’s uncertain who Howard is and why he decided to publish a bogus study, as BBC News discovered. Supposedly, the AptiQuant website was set up only a month ago.
The results of the study were compared to a similar, but unreleased study conducted in 2006. According to AptiQuant’s comparison, “the average IQ score of the individuals using the then current version of [Internet Explorer] was significantly higher than the individuals using the current version of [Internet Explorer] now, implying that a lot of people with higher IQ are moving away from [Internet Explorer] to other browsers.”
While AptiQuant’s fake survey provides false evidence for the claims it makes, it does give rise to the question: “What reasons do users say they have for using the web browsers that they do?”
Taylor Duke–a resident of Denton, TX, and undergraduate student at the University of North Texas–used Internet Explorer before Mozilla Firefox was introduced, but cannot imagine ever using the web browser again.
“Firefox’s software is more reliable and gives more options to a tech-savvy person to customize their browsing,” said Duke.
Lestor Andrade, a resident of Elmont, NY, is a loyal Internet Explorer user, on the other hand.
“I have become accustomed to clicking on the Internet Explorer icon all of this time, so it is what I have stuck with,” Andrade said.
Andrade admits that, although he also has Mozilla Firefox installed on his computer, he still prefers to use Internet Explorer.
“I was curious to see how Mozilla Firefox worked when it was released, so I downloaded it,” he said. “After using it, though, I found that it was not all that different from Internet Explorer; it didn’t pique my interest for very long.”
Andrade, however, is not so close-minded. Under the impression that Safari could only function on Mac computers, he was pleased to be told otherwise.
“I have used Safari on my friend’s Macbook before and really liked it,” he said. “Now that I know it can run on my PC, I will most definitely install it.”
Photo courtesy tonynetone
This article was recently published on DigitalJournal.com