9 new stories on The Next Web today |  |
- Cocaine with your book? Amazon’s new ‘line’ of products surprises this young student
- HiBrow launches its curated video platform, giving users a “backstage pass to the arts”
- Is it time to say ‘goodbye’ to Siri?
- UK mobile operator O2 exceeds its daily tweet allowance responding to customer concerns
- Rockstart Accelerator unveils Amazon CTO and other mentors as its deadline approaches
- Samsung: We are “still reviewing” Galaxy S III launch
- The Indian Army reportedly bans all servicemen and women from social networks
- Samsung posts record Q4 profits, but still no official smartphone sales figures
- Anonymous goes after UFC chief, posts personal details and hacks website again
- UFC Chairman on Anonymous: “Internet terrorists” may have revived SOPA
| Cocaine with your book? Amazon’s new ‘line’ of products surprises this young student Posted: 27 Jan 2012 03:46 AM PST  Imagine what you would do if you opened a package containing what you thought would be a book on terrorism, only to find that it came with a free gift — a bag of cocaine. That’s what happened to Sophia Stockton, a student at MidAmerica Nazarene University, who regularly orders textbooks from Amazon, but found herself heading to the police station to identify the suspicious package she received in the mail. Stockton ordered a used copy ‘Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues’ from Amazon.com, which was delivered directly and entirely packaged from the online retail giant. KWCH 12 Eyewitness News reports:
Gardner police destroyed the cocaine and Amazon has not issued a comment on the incident. We have to admit that as soon as we read that the title was a used book, we assumed that it had been sold and sent by an Amazon Marketplace reseller. However, the young woman involved said the package was sent directly from the retailer and was sealed within its packaging when it was delivered. Curious. Amazon looks to have an employee giving out free, but illegal, gifts with certain purchases. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| HiBrow launches its curated video platform, giving users a “backstage pass to the arts” Posted: 27 Jan 2012 03:20 AM PST  A new platform called HiBrow has launched this week, tapping digital technology and the expertise of professional film producers and directors to bring HD video arts programming to the masses. Curated by some well-known names from the UK creative industries, such as Gary Kemp, Ruby Wax, Sir Richard Eyre, Franc Roddam, Dave Calhoun and Simon Callow, HiBrow promises to give viewers a 'back stage pass’ to the arts. HiBrow kicked-off proceedings with 10 hours of original programming, streaming new plays, concerts, exhibitions, dance, literary events and festivals. A further 10 hours of new material will be available on the site from February 1. Every month, at least 7 hours of fresh content will be added to the site, ranging from interviews with authors, actors, directors, artists, conductors and musicians, to films of rehearsals and behind the scenes documentaries which will complement the professionally produced primary content.
Founded by UK-based film-maker Don Boyd, and curated by a team of high-profile professionals from the creative Industries, HiBrow offers users a direct link to professional productions from across the arts world. Moreover, to extend its service beyond professionally curated work, HiBrow has also linked up with NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) – Britain's institution representing over 2,500 amateur companies. “For many years I have been aware of a gap in the broadcasting environment for exceptional arts programming,” said Boyd. “The advent of the Internet and broadband provides the means by which this gap can be filled. Over the past three years I have worked single-mindedly, but not without help from a diverse and predominantly youthful group of talented experts in the fields of the arts and digital technology, to create Hibrow.tv, a comprehensive international platform giving audiences an intimate insight into the creative process they would never have seen anywhere else.” HiBrow is like a YouTube for the arts, and given that it’s free to use and curated for quality, it could prove to be a hit amongst culture vultures. Amongst other features, the website will also offer an arts-focused social network – through which a community of so-called 'HiBrowsers' can talk about a performance they have seen, or discuss their favourite art form from a range of subjects. ➤ HiBrow This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Is it time to say ‘goodbye’ to Siri? Posted: 27 Jan 2012 03:10 AM PST  There are a few apps on my iPhone that are there just to show other people how cool the iPhone is. They aren’t useful really, except that when people want to see the iPhone they make for a great demo. Examples for me are Weather HD, CardFlick, Compass, Heart Rate and a few games that have great graphics but which I never actually play. It seems to me that Siri is slowly entering this area of ‘nice to show but not actually useful’. I know a quite few people with an iPhone 4s and I asked around a bit and they all almost regretfully acknowledge that they, in fact, don’t really use it anymore, once you get beyond the newness of it all. The commercials look great and in the beginning you can still find the patience to play and experiment with it. But then reality kicks in and you find out that Siri is just too slow and although it’s probably the best voice recognition on any mobile platform, it still isn’t good enough to always understand what you mean. It reminds me of Apple’s earlier attempt at voice recognition, called PlainTalk. It came pre-installed with with System 7 on Apple’s Quadra line of computers and it looked awesome: I remember being excited about the technology at the time and trying it out for the first time. It worked, sorta. You had to speak LOUD and CLEAR and there was a few second delay before the computer seemed to react. 8 out of 10 times the command wasn’t recognized and I would have to repeat the sentence. Within minutes it became very clear that just typing the command or clicking the mouse was more efficient and a lot faster. After that the only times I used PlainTalk was when I wanted to show off the capabilities of my computer. Which brings me back to the iPhone, and Siri. I know that Siri is light years ahead of PlainTalk. It is just so much more than just speech recognition. But ‘m still wondering how useful it is once you get beyond the thrill of seeing it work. Lets find out how Siri is doing, if it is really being used, or whether it is time to say goodbye:
The Siri commercial, so you can compare it to the PlainTalk commercial. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| UK mobile operator O2 exceeds its daily tweet allowance responding to customer concerns Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:37 AM PST  Back on Wednesday, we revealed that UK mobile phone operator O2 was sending its users’ mobile numbers to every website they visited from their phone. Whilst the network acted swiftly to get to the root of the problem, O2 actually ended up exceeding the daily tweet limit permitted by Twitter, as it sought to allay customers’ fears that their personal information may be compromised. As New Media Age reports, at London’s Marketing Week's 1-2-1 Digital Strategy Summit yesterday, O2′s PR and social media campaigns manager made the revelation, as the company attempted to stay on top of the influx of tweets it was receiving enquiring about the issue – indeed, O2 actually accrued the same amount of ‘mentions’ on Wednesday as it does in a normal week.
O2 eventually wrote a blog post explaining what the issue was, how it happened and what had been done to fix the situation. In terms of why limits are in place, Twitter says:
Twitter accounts typically have a limit of 250 direct messages a day, and 1,000 tweets. “The daily update limit is further broken down into smaller limits for semi-hourly intervals. Retweets are counted as updates,” adds Twitter. The original issue was brought to our attention earlier this week by Lewis Peckover, who created a simple webpage to check the information that a mobile browser would send to a website when it requested data. Whilst most of the data was to be expected, including the Host, User Agent, Referrer and Encoding, there was also another field in the results — x-up-calling-line-id. What is x-up-calling-line-id? Your mobile phone number. We tested it on an O2-connected mobile device and received the following results (number blurred for privacy). Whilst the incident wasn’t likely to lead to users’ being individually identified, we did note in a separate post that the issue could allow spammers to conduct targeted phishing scams on unsuspecting users. O2′s social media man said at the event that it was important that O2 didn’t “stay quietly in [its] shell,” which evidently resulted in it hitting its tweet limit. "We wanted to respond to as many people as possible with fair answers," said Paterson. "In the past, we may have just given a Q&A in the well-known media outlets, but our people understand that if you answer queries and communicate to people on social media straight away, problems tend to be resolved faster." Twitter can grant extensions to tweet limits – which O2 asked for – but it was refused. This is an interesting case for sure. Whilst Twitter wasn’t designed as a customer service channel, it is becoming a default platform for customers to communicate with companies. And given the very public nature of it, companies have to try and respond as well as they can. Can we expect to see companies pay for larger tweet allowances in the future? I certainly wouldn’t rule it out. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Rockstart Accelerator unveils Amazon CTO and other mentors as its deadline approaches Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:20 AM PST  Startups taking part in the Amsterdam-based Rockstart Accelerator will be able to draw on the experience of Amazon’s CTO, Werner Vogels among others. Rockstart has revealed the visiting advisors and mentors and that will be taking part in the upcoming run of its accelerator programme, along with two executive-level ‘entrepreneurs-in-residence’ who will be available to offer advice to the teams during office hours. As we’ve previously reported, Rockstart is an intensive, 100-day-long scheme that will see 10 teams of founders develop their startups, with an additional, optional three-month summer program that ends with a 25-day Silicon Valley road trip. Participating teams also receive $15,000 in seed investment. It comes at a time when accelerators are a growing force in Europe. In Amsterdam, it faces competition from Startup Bootcamp which also recently announced a programme in the city. The deadline for startups to apply for Rockstart is days away – January 31, 2012 – and the scheme begins on 23 March. You can find out more and apply here. Rockstart has a total of 99 mentors lined up, but here are some of the names it is sharing, along with details of its entrepreneurs-in-residence: Mentors:
Entrepreneurs-in-residence:
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Samsung: We are “still reviewing” Galaxy S III launch Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:12 AM PST  With Mobile World Congress less than a month away, speculation surrounding the launch of Samsung’s new flagship device, the Galaxy S III, has begun to circulate. According to Samsung’s SVP of Marketing, Younghee Lee, the company is “still reviewing” when the company will unveil the next model in its super-successful range of Galaxy S smartphones, leaving the company open to introduce the device in Barcelona at the mobile-focused event at the end of February. Sammyhub shares a recording of the earnings call in which Mrs. Lee responds to questions surrounding the device’s launch in regards to competing with Apple’s next-generation iPhone, which is expected to launch in the Summer: Earlier reports suggested that Samsung would delay the launch the Galaxy S III at MWC, stating:
This aligns with information we have been hearing but Samsung may not have chosen to delay the product’s unveiling, moving ahea Sources have told us that whilst the company continues to enjoy success with its existing smartphone portfolio, the company decided that it would be more beneficial to unveil its latest flagship handset at a dedicated launch event post-MWC. With the Samsung Galaxy S II continuing to create significant amounts of buzz, sources have indicated that the company does not want to cannibalise sales of a device that is performing well against its competition. The company’s anti-Apple advertisements also show that Samsung is not afraid of pushing its existing smartphone portfolio. The South Korean electronics giant is said to have shipped 36.5 million smartphones last quarter, helping deliver record fourth quarter operating profits of 5.3 trillion won ($4.72 billion), a 76% rise year on year. Given Samsung’s ambivalence in regards to the launch, things could be set to change. Analysts have predicted that Apple’s troubled iPhone 4S launch in China could affect iPhones sales in the first quarter of 2012, better positioning Samsung to continue pushing its Galaxy S II and Galaxy Nexus smartphones. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Indian Army reportedly bans all servicemen and women from social networks Posted: 27 Jan 2012 12:11 AM PST  The Indian Army is reported to be introducing a total ban on social networking amongst its servicemen and women as it is fears that sites like Facebook could lead to crucial information leaking into the wrong hands. The ban, which was reported by Ad Age and is yet to be confirmed by authorities, is said to require the force’s 36,000 officers and 1.3 million other personnel to immediately cease using and delete their social networks profiles. New recruits will be informed that they are not permitted to even join, let alone use, social networks at any point while they service in the army. The increase in photos of officers in uniform, with weapons or amongst their units posted to the Web has led to concerns that important information may be at risk through sites like Facebook, Orkut, Twitter and others. While authorities aren’t fearful of officers revealing data themselves, they are concerned that those who are clearly identified as army personnel could be targeted by stings or honey-traps. Such tactics are commonly used in the business world, where fake accounts are set up with the intention of friending insiders to gain their trust and extract crucial information through conversations on social networks. A source revealed that "if any officer or soldier is found violating [the order], strict action will be taken", although no specific details of punishments was given. The increase in modern communication is posing new and difficult demands for armed forces and other organisations that deal with confidential information. In Singapore, for example, Apple has begun selling its iPhone devices without a camera as authorities look to mitigate the data risk associated with modern smartphones. The move hasn’t come out of the blue and, as Pluggdin explains, four naval officers were investigated this week after leaving confidential information through social networks, while a similar incident took place in 2009. The alternative to an all-out ban, which is not likely to be well received by army personnel, would be a scheme to educate servicemen and women of the dangers of online communication and the Internet. However, the risk of officers being trapped appears to be sufficient enough for the army to take no risks and roll out a blanket ban. Image credit: Flickr user soldiersmediacentre This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Samsung posts record Q4 profits, but still no official smartphone sales figures Posted: 26 Jan 2012 11:42 PM PST  Samsung exceeded its preliminary financial estimates in the fourth quarter to post record operating profit of 5.3 trillion won ($4.72 billion), a 76% rise year on year, thanks to increased smartphone, memory chips and flat-panel sales. At the beginning of the month, the Korean electronics giant posted its preliminary results, noting that its operating profit had reached 5.2 trillion won ($4.5 billion), with a reported 35 million smartphones sold over the three-month period. However, today’s filing shows a slight increase in its profits from its earlier report, likely helped by a boost in smartphone sales. Whilst other manufacturers share their smartphone sales figures, Samsung has remained vague as to how many devices it has sold, instead relying on analyst predictions. Samsung’s telecom businesses accounted for 2.64 trillion won ($2.35 billion) over the quarter, assisted by its Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note handsets, which are estimated to have sold over 20 million units. Research firm Strategy Analytics suggests that Samsung shipped 36.5 million smartphones between October and December, coming in slightly under Apple’s record 37 million iPhone sales in the same period. Whilst Apple provides detailed accounts of its quarterly figures and is completely transparent with its sales, Samsung’s smartphone sales are based on estimated shipment figures — where devices enter sales channels but may not necessarily equate to physical sales. Samsung faces a difficult task trying to track sales of its devices in numerous markets and from retailers, Apple can track sales via its own online and physical stores and a select number of carriers worldwide. Having been burnt by sharing official Galaxy Tab sales figures when it launched, it appears that Samsung is letting its financial results do the talking, and given it has been a record quarter for the South Korean company, perhaps that is enough. Yesterday, Nokia announced its fourth quarter results, reporting that net sales hit €10 billion ($13.16 billion), with 19.6m smartphones and 93.9m mobile devices sold. This was good news for the Finnish mobile maker over the quarter, as smartphone sales and mobile sales were up 17% and 5% respectively on the last quarter. However, the company still posted a €1.07 billion ($1.4 billion) loss as sales declined by 21% year on year with smartphone sales and mobile sales down 31% and 1% respectively. It also meant that the Finnish mobile maker lost more ground to Apple and Samsung, both of which reported record quarterly results. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Anonymous goes after UFC chief, posts personal details and hacks website again Posted: 26 Jan 2012 09:06 PM PST  Personal details belonging to UFC Chairman Dana White were published to the Internet after White had earlier gone on record labelling the Anonymous group as “terrorists”, claiming that their hacking efforts may revive SOPA. Updated below after Anonymous hacked the UFC website today. A range of White’s personal details — including has his cellphone number, social security details and criminal record – alongside the contact details of a number of fellow UFC executives were published on Pastebin. The posting, which was made by known Anonymous subgroup CabinCr3w, did not contain a message or statement, however. White responded to Anonymous’ hack of the UFC website over the weekend but labelling the loose group of hackers as “terrorists” who are becoming hated for their actions, while he also referred to the Internet as “a place where cowards live”. The comments sparked a number of tweets from Anonymous accounts, which began with a message expressing “surprise” at his quotes, despite the fact that his website was a target for the group. The tweet drew a response which resulted in an exchange between the two and a number of other Twitter users.
Other responses to the initial tweet from @YourAnonNews included an attack on its anonymity:
When told that “the Internet is here, deal with it”, White responded:
A number of Twitter users asked White why labelled Anonymous as terrorists, he responded:
When the Anonymous account asked if he supported Anonymous’ fight for social change, he said:
In response to Anonymous claiming it is fighting for social change, White tweeted:
The Anonymous account later described its dealings with White as “actually quite pleasant and civil” yet, minutes later, it tweeted a link to White’s personal details, containing a lot of information that he’ll want to be kept private. White has taken a direct approach to dealing with Anonymous and, having made some very strong statements, it seems likely that the group has plans for further action against the UFC or White himself. Update 1: Well, that didn’t take long. One Anonymous hacker — @s3rverexe — got into UFC’s website and subsequently posted a number of backup files on Pastebin. There may yet to more developers to come. Update 2: Motivated by White’s comments, Anonymous hacker @s3rverexe broke into the UFC site once again today adding the signature Anonymous logo. The site has now returned to normal, hat tip to a reader for the below screenshots taken while it was occupied.
Image credit: Flickr user: liryon This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| UFC Chairman on Anonymous: “Internet terrorists” may have revived SOPA Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:32 PM PST  Dana White, Chairman of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), reacted to the recent hacking of the organisation’s website by hackers from Anonymous by claiming that the collective’s recent actions may help revive SOPA. The UFC URL was redirected to a Nazi-related website over the weekend in response to the organisation’s apparent support of SOPA. The move, which White claims did not result in any data being comprimised, is one of a number of hacks — including the takedown of the DoJ website — which White believes could breathe new life into the controversial US Internet bill. White believes that this perceived change in opinion over the hackers may have “flipped the switch” and could actually help the government pursue its cause. “The [SOPA] bill looked like it was going to be dead,” he said, “they might have brought it back to life and revived it.” “The way that this whole thing has gone down, them hacking our site, was the best thing they could’ve done to us. Now you look like terrorists,” White commented, directly addressing the Anonymous hackers, “a lot of people who were afraid of you now hate you.” The UFC boss explained in an interview with MMA Fighting that he understands what motivates anti-SOPA protesters, but he doesn’t agree and believes that a solution must be reached. “No bill is perfect,” he said. “This thing started off with the right idea — stealing is stealing — but there’s this whole generation that grew up when everything was free on the Internet and they don’t want to see that change.” He added that, while he understands that viewpoint, “it isn’t right and something needs to be worked out that’s right for everyone.” White’s final comment towards Anonymous and the anti-SOPA protesters was that “anyone who fights the government loses” and he believes that the next year could see a return or reincarnation of the proposed Internet laws in the US. Update: White’s comments were followed by plenty of action today. White engaged in a conversation with a leading Anonymous account on Twitter, before his personal details — including phone number — were published online and the UFC website was hacked into. The site wasn’t down long, but this spat could run on a while longer yet. Image credit: Flickr user wparadiso This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Next Web To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment